Sunday, July 21, 2024

Universities In New York & Nearby

 Such a mix of old and new, suburban and urban surroundings makes this area not just a college town, but also a place that keeps evolving.

When I took the trip to the East Coast of the United States, I visited a few colleges and universities and understood more about local culture and education, Education matters, and it needs to be reinvented to advance human society continuously.


Columbia University in New York City: As I lived in the city center of New York, there was plenty of time for me to stroll over Central Park, different cultural plazas, and local libraries & museums, I saw a few city colleges and universities in the downtown areas. 


Columbia University was located in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, Known for its business, journalism, the liberal arts, etc When I stopped by the streets near the campus, in the late afternoon. Lots of people gathered around, advocating human rights and other political issues. The gate of the school was locked as it was the summer break. Looking into the campus, elegantly designed architectural buildings stood around, and shades of strong trees made the surroundings greenery. 


Columbia University was founded in 1754, making it one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the United States. The college has a free atmosphere for political debating and anthropological knowledge exchanges. The other day, I stopped by the nearby area, but the gate was still guarded and locked. So my impression was that the school was free and traditional at the same time, I believe it would keep reinventing itself to embrace knowledge abundance and urban sophistication.


New York University (NYU): I hung around in the Broadway area, Mahantton quite a few times this summer. New York University was also located in the city center, near Washington Square, which was one of the tourist hot spots.  I saw many people taking a break at Washington Square, taking the photos of beautiful fountain, listening to music, and buying snacks and drinks from the colorful food trucks. Many hop in and off buses passed through the streets, carrying tourists to sightseeing the city. It’s a good place to relax on the weekend.


NYU was founded in 1831, located primarily in New York City's Greenwich Village neighborhood. New York University has an open campus, connecting with the commercial areas without fences. Their academic buildings were spread around the different streets, I passed through the gift shop and book stores, and a few buildings of NYU colleges. Honestly, I feel it’s big and small at the same time, as I couldn’t find its main campus. Isn’t the Greenwich Village hidden inside the Big Apple New York City?


Yale University, New Haven Connecticut: On a rainy weekend, I took the train to visit Yale University in the city of New Haven, Connecticut. The city looks considerably new as its name implies. The streets were very quiet and I saw few pedestrians. After about a mile and a half of walking, I headed toward the campus of Yale University as there were quite a few castle-like buildings standing on the street. Yale was founded in 1701, making it one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the United States.


Yale University is renowned for its extensive and impressive library system,  The museums were not open on that day, so I was a bit disappointed. But one of the main libraries was opened, and welcome people to visit. There were different study rooms that were lit up by the beautiful lights, they looked very warm and pleasant on rainy days. There was an exhibition hall that introduced some female and male professionals who made contributions in certain areas. One Asian ancestor came here to receive education about a hundred years ago and made contributions to bridge the gaps between Eastern and Western cultures. I also visited a small garden inside the library, a very nice environment. 


Besides the Yale campus with its rich history and classical buildings, New Haven also has its own city college with a modern look and quiet neighborhoods. Such a mix of old and new, suburban and urban surroundings makes this area not just a college town, but also a place that keeps evolving.









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