Queer in Tuscaloosa, Blacksburg, Newark, Bronxville, Austin, Houston, or Iowa City? Is there good public transportation?

[dbstella]

Hi All,

I'm from California, fairly liberal, openly queer, car-less, and just applied to schools all over the country for my MFA in creative writing, including Sarah Lawrence, Rutgers, University of Alabama, Iowa Writers' Workshop, Virginia Tech, University of Houston, and University of Texas.

I'm wondering if these cities/colleges are accepting? And is there a queer scene at all, either at the college or in the city?

Further, I don't have a car, and I've never traveled to any of these places. Are there other means to get around? Could I bike, take the bus, walk? Or is everything spread out?

Thank you!

Also, if anyone has any favorite spots in any of these areas, feel free to share.

Edited December 20, 2017 by dbstella

[ltr317]

I assume you're referring to Sarah Lawrence in Bronxville and Rutgers U in Newark.  Both campuses are pretty accessible by public transportation.  For SL, the Metro-North train is convenient to get into NYC (where you can do anything).   It's just a short taxi ride from campus (or you can bike) to the station.   SL has been a liberal place for decades and you shouldn't have any problem fitting in.  Rutgers-Newark is also easy for transportation.  The University has a shuttle bus to the Newark train station where you can hop onto the PATH to get to NYC for entertainment.  The school has a large minority population and being a state university has a open acceptance policy. 

[dbstella]

@ltr317 Thank you, thank you! And yes! Those are two of my favorite programs. Hoping to get in!

[khigh]

Austin is very queer friendly and nothing really beats their music scene. 6th Street is famous for the partying and ACL and SXSW are so much fun. Public transportation is not the best, but if you live near campus, there is so much to do. If you end up at UT, let me know. I lived in ATX for a year and loved every minute of it. 

[dbstella]

@khigh I will! Thank you so much for your suggestions!