ELH520

Hi Everyone,

I'm researching graduate schools and am looking to move from my small New Hampshire town to a city.

I'm looking at universities in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Baltimore; Philadelphia; and St. Louis. (I recently visited Philadelphia and was not too impressed). Can anyone provide me feedback about what life is like in these cities?

To give you an idea of cities that I know and love, Boston and New York City are definite favorites.

Thanks!

Cicerone

IMO you should go to whichever is the best of the schools to which you are accepted. There is no point in getting a degree from a mediocre university just because you like the city in which it is located. . . . Moreover, you won't necessarily live in that city after graduate school. For example, you may not like Philadelphia, but Wharton business school is certainly among the top 5 and you would have your pick of job offers after graduation.

swalter518

If Boston and NYC are favorites, St. Louis will be a disappointment. There is very little to do in the city except work and everyone runs to the burbs in the evening. Ann Arbor is a college town but has alot going on.

Dan

I was hesitant to move to New Orleans but chose Tulane based on its academic program. I fell in love with the city once I got here and ended up staying after graduation. My fiancee' did the same thing but with Loyola University of New Orleans. We're both from other areas (South Florida and NYC) and both were very hesitant about N.O. based on the dire warnings of our parents' friends.

Dan

Hit "post" before I was finished!

So, I agree with Cicerone. Pick the school, not the city, especially since you have 4 good choices.

Clifton

Another in agreement about making the school the first priority.

As far as cities, I'd agree with swalter that St. Louis is not as go-go as Boston or NYC. But as a native of St. Louis, I'd disagree with there being nothing to do in the city. You do have to know a little more about the city to find it. Not sure if it's SLU or WashU you're considering. SLU area can be a little bit iffy for walking and stuff to do nearby. WashU has the U-City loop and some nice areas nearby, well suited to the college crowd. Still not an east coast city pace or feel though.

travleis

I've spent at least a little time in all the cities you mentioned (quite a lot in 3), and if you're using Boston and NYC as your benchmarks, all the others will leave you wanting IMO.
That said, others have offered wise advice. You're selecting a school first, a city second. Which of the grad programs is best, and what's the relative difference among them?
If all things academic were equal I'd choose Ann Arbor. Offers one of the best college experiences in the US. Sure, has some drawbacks (weather being the biggest), but each of your cities has certain shortcomings.
I'm not a big fan of Baltimore (no offense to locals) and St. Louis (Wash U area in particular) offers better quality of life than Philly and B'more IMO.

Lake

What part of Philly did you see? Which Universities in Philadlephia are you considering? Philadelphia has one of the most reasonable costs of living of any major city. In terms of culture there's a great orchesta, theater, ballet, opera, and museums. In terms of restaurants, Philly is second to NYC. Downtown, or Center City, is one of the nicest places to live (like a mini Manhattan). Other areas to consider if you like a more suburban atmosphere in Philadelphia city limits are Chestnut Hill, Manayunk, Andorra, Roxborough, and West Mount Airy.

Probably the main advantsge of Philadelphia is its proximite to New York City, Washington, DC, and the Jersey Shore for day trips.

ELH520

Hi Everyone!

Thanks so much for your responses! I absolutely agree that the quality of the graduate program is my first concern, but I also don't want my grad school days to be unhappy if I choose an area I don't really like.

I'm looking to receive a Master's in Social Work and my choices are the following: Hunter College in NYC, Boston U, U Connecticut, Temple University in Philly, U Michigan, U Maryland, and Washington U. Right now, Hunter is my first choice, as it has the MSW program I'm looking for, and it's in a prime location. Of course, tuition costs and costs of living, will definitely come into play as well.

U Michigan and Washington U also have great programs, but I'm much less familiar with their locales, which is why I asked for some insight.

k_999_9

This post seems a little confusing (though it could be me).

You say you're interested in moving to "city." So how does UConn, Michigan and Md. fit into the search? With UConn and Md., especially, you're talking about suburban schools. No comparison with going to school in Phila., Balt., St. Louis, NY, etc.

And just a personal observation from experience: I'd take Phila. over St. Louis any day.

Guarto

Please don't judge Philadelphia from the neighborhood around Temple. You really have to go to Center City, Chestnut Hill, and Manayunk to see the nice parts of Philly.

Daniel_Williams

HI ELH520,

I'm assuming you mean UMd Baltimore campus (to clarify K999's concern) as opposed to UMd College Park campus.

I have experience with Baltimore, Phila, NYC and Boston...and I understand why you like NYC and Boston, great cities!

I've lived in Baltimore; while I came to appreciate it for what it was after about a year, the city is quite different from NYC or Boston and might be a bit of a shock. Baltimore's public transit, while improving, is not anywhere close up to the level of that of the other two cities. With the exception of the Inner Harbor tourist trap, I found Baltimore to be unfortunately pretty dead on weekends. If you want a more NYC/Boston type feel, I recommend checking out Fell's Point, Federal Hill and Mount Vernon areas. I'd definitely go visit before making a decision.

Philadelphia actually I find is closest to that NYC/Boston feel of the places you mention (perhaps a bit rougher)...mind you, I've never been to Ann Arbor. Philly's in fact my favorite city in the US, its biggest trump in my mind over NYC/Boston being cost of living.

This is just my opinion, but I disagree with those who say pick the program, not the place you want to do it. I would say however don't pick a poorly reputed program just to live in a city. But one only has one life at the same time, and if the programs are respectable, I think it's important to live somewhere that one will be happy and not regret.