Um. Columbia is IN Manhattan, and parts of Brooklyn aren't that far away. If you're worried about convenience, Columbia is convenient to lower Manhattan - right near several subway lines, both express and local - and the Upper West Side is also really nice in its own right. And as for Brooklyn, the commute is NOT that bad. Sure, some parts of Brooklyn are far out, but not all. And Manhattan isn't the center of life in NYC anyway. Brooklyn has a lot of great stuff of its own, and you won't need to get to Manhattan for much, if anything, should you choose to live there.