New Haven, NYC or Palo Alto

[Liz.]

Hello, I have been applying to various graduate programs and haven't heard back until now but I still can't decide which city I want to live in. I have never lived in the US before and checked other forums to gain some more information about these cities but I would still appreciate some help. What is there to do in each, are they lively cities? I have some clue about NYC but not as much for New Haven or Palo Alto.

Edited December 28, 2023 by Liz.

[not_amorphous]

Hi! I'm a senior finishing up my undergrad near Palo Alto. There isn't really much to do around the area without a car, unfortunately. The Caltrain station nearest to campus is a roughly half hour walk from most residences on campus (including grad housing). And buying anything at the local restaurants, coffee shops, movie theaters, etc. in the area is very expensive. If you can get off campus regularly with friends with a vehicle, it can be a nice place to live. But there's no nightlife nearby (unless you want to go all the way to San Francisco). Most businesses close early, with only few fast food restaurants open late at night. And Palo Alto isn't really a very lively place to live.

[Liz.]

On 12/29/2023 at 7:42 AM, not_amorphous said:

Hi! I'm a senior finishing up my undergrad near Palo Alto. There isn't really much to do around the area without a car, unfortunately. The Caltrain station nearest to campus is a roughly half hour walk from most residences on campus (including grad housing). And buying anything at the local restaurants, coffee shops, movie theaters, etc. in the area is very expensive. If you can get off campus regularly with friends with a vehicle, it can be a nice place to live. But there's no nightlife nearby (unless you want to go all the way to San Francisco). Most businesses close early, with only few fast food restaurants open late at night. And Palo Alto isn't really a very lively place to live.

Hello, thanks for the help! I really appreciate it. These are definitely some crucial points to keep in mind. It is impossible to know whether I will have a friend with a vehicle so the whole thing sounds a bit concerning. Thank you for such a detailed reply.