NYU offers 22 residence halls and two graduate communities, but if that is not your cup of tea, you can always look outside campus as well. One thing that sets NYU apart from many other colleges is that freshmen are not required to live on campus.

For those NYU students choosing to live away from Washington Square, expect to pay high student rents, unless you have several roommates. For slightly less expensive housing, you can look to Hillside Avenue, though it is about 10 miles off-campus.

Closer options include Greenwich Village, but here you can expect to pay north of $3,000 a month in rent. Conversely, you can also look at East Village, Chelsea, and Gramercy areas if you are looking for proximity to campus.

Of course, more Manhattan neighborhoods are open to you if you are willing to take the subway to classes and live further from campus. As a result, many NYU students can be found in Queens, Jersey City, Brooklyn, and SoHo.

And because the cost of living off-campus at NYU can be pricey, it may be worth it to consider living with a roommate or two to help offset some of that financial burden.

Dining

If you are looking for some good eats while in NYC, casual is key. By Chloe offers a variety of vegetarian and healthy options if you’re a bit of a health nut, or, if you’re not feeling the health bug, you can stray to Joe’s Pizza for the self-proclaimed, best slice in New York.

If you are looking for some variety, Tortaria is an NYU student hot spot for Mexican foods and fantastic margaritas, or Mimi Cheng’s is a good option as a start-up cafeteria for Chinese food.

The Grey Dog is a great study spot, as it is open all day and offers a great variety of sandwiches and salads in a casual environment. And if you’re looking for a great falafel (there are many places you can check out within walking distance from campus), but you should certainly touch base with Mamoun’s Falafel, as it’s supposed to be the best $4 you can spend in New York.

Transportation

Moving around the NYU campus can be overwhelming if you have not made the trip from off-campus before, but the trip is as easy as a hop on the subway.

The Sixth Avenue subway (B, D, F or M train) will get you to campus, as will the Eighth Avenue Subway (A, C or E train). The stop you will want to get off at is West Fourth Street-Washington Square Station.

From here, you walk east on West Fourth Street until you reach Washington Square. Note that the A, E and F trains all run late at night to accommodate your late-night studying.

Of course, the NYU campus also offers bus routes and safe ride van services for all your on-campus needs.

Parking

Odds are, if you’re attending NYU, you don’t have a car, as locals will tell you the best way to get where you need to go is to commute via public transportation or to walk.

There are also over 2,300 parking facilities in NYC, so you are bound to find a spot in a garage, if needed. Expect to pay top dollar as well as surcharges and taxes.

Safety

NYU, being in the heart of New York City, takes student safety very seriously.

The campus has “Campus Alerts” through which students will be notified if they ever need to shelter-in-place if there’s criminal activity on campus or any such events occur.

In addition, there are officers designated to campus at all hours of the day, just to ensure students feel safe while on campus.

NYU also has a mobile safety app that all students can download to assist with reporting incidents, calling 9-1-1, and performing any other safety tasks that you may otherwise not know how to do. Basically, it is your one-stop-shop for all things safety on the NYU campus.

Shopping

Looking to shop until you drop? Well then NYC is certainly the right place for you!

Just a mile from campus, you can find the Chelsea Market, which has great finds and a place that you can spend hours on end.

If you are looking for more of a mall, you are not going to find a better one than The Shops and Restaurants at Hudson Yards, which is just 2 miles off-campus. It is a multi-level shopping center that is sure to take up a good chunk of your day.

The Market NYC is also located within a mile from campus and is the best place to find inexpensive jewelry.

Finally, Vintage Thrift West is a half-mile from campus and offers some unique, designer finds at an affordable price. So, if you are looking for nice apparel with a unique feel, this is the spot for you!