NYU has two campuses in New York City. One in Greenwich Village around Washington Square Park and another in Downtown Brooklyn’s MetroTech area. While many students at NYU have a primary campus they call home, I have the opportunity to call both campuses my home. Dive into my unique journey and discover what makes each location special!
My Program: Interactive Media Arts
NYU Tisch School of the Arts’ Interactive Media Arts (IMA) program is an interdisciplinary bachelor’s degree that explores digital interactivity. Tisch is based in Manhattan, but the IMA department is located on the Downtown Brooklyn campus at 370 Jay Street. Several other Tisch programs are based in Brooklyn, including Game Design and Recorded Music.
There’s about an even split between the location of major classes. Most major-based courses are hosted in Brooklyn and NYU core classes are typically held in Manhattan. This can vary for different students. Often, there is flexibility with which classes can fulfill major requirements and some of those classes are offered in Manhattan or Brooklyn, depending on available resources. Additionally, if you pick up a minor or a second major, your classes may be more heavily based on one of the two campuses.
Commuting Between Manhattan and Brooklyn
First of all, NYU has a shuttle service that runs daily throughout the school year. There are seven shuttle routes throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn. Route A stops in front of the Tisch building on Broadway in Manhattan and 6 MetroTech, the main academic building for the Brooklyn campus. It typically runs about every hour. Sometimes during more popular class times when students may need to go back and forth more often, the shuttle runs every 20 minutes. This service is free to use with your NYU ID, and it takes you right over the Manhattan Bridge with a great view of the skyline! Learn more about the NYU shuttle system.
NYU Safe Ride, which runs nightly from 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. throughout the school year, is another resource. Through a smartphone app, any NYU student can call for an on-demand ride from any NYU location to another NYU location across Manhattan and Brooklyn. Students can travel around the city late at night and feel safer doing so with this free transportation service available exclusively to NYU students. A benefit of NYU’s location in New York City is that the campus spans quite a few neighborhoods. Because of this, people who live off campus but close enough to NYU buildings can also utilize the NYU Shuttle and NYU Safe Ride to get around the city.
Outside of university transportation, New York City has many public transportation options and is very walkable. Getting to Brooklyn from Manhattan and vice versa tends to take about 20 to 25 minutes, whether it is by subway or the shuttle.
Will I Miss Out by Only Being in Manhattan or Brooklyn?
The short answer is no! Despite this common misconception, you are never limited to just one campus at NYU. Students can always join clubs, pursue job opportunities, and take classes across Manhattan and Brooklyn. I love getting to expand my horizons, not only exploring more of New York but also meeting more people. Having lived in both Manhattan and Brooklyn, I had the opportunity to embrace both a large and small campus experience. I’ve appreciated my time on both campuses and I would not be where I am without this experience at NYU.
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