Columbia is not big and scary- I think it's just right, actually. There is not a "grad student" neighborhood per se, but quite a few live in the Rosewood area (google map the Publix on Rosewood Dr. for an idea of where this is) and near Five Points (which can often be a little undergrad-y). Looking across the river in Cayce/West Columbia is a good, affordable place to be as well as the Melrose Heights neighborhood. As far as sketchiness goes, I'd definitely avoid anything past the intersection of Garner's Ferry and Rosewood Dr...urban sprawl quickly becomes trashy out Garner's Ferry way. Anything north of Elmwood is also going to be iffy, I think. Other than that, I think it's a very safe city with distictly different neighborhoods and a laid-back vibe. Five Points is great for bars, the Vista has some great restaurants, and Devine St. has some really cute boutiques. There's a little independent movie theatre (the Nickelodeon) downtown, lots of good coffee shops, and two excellent used bookstores (Ed's Editions in Cayce has a huge selection, and the bookshop in Five Points has a friendly resident cat). It's not a very big city, but I'm from a relatively small college town and I feel like I've definitely moved up.
PM me if you have any specific questions.
irishcoffee got a reaction from koalaroo in Columbia, SC