"New York is my Campus, Fordham is my School"

So if you've been studying up on past blog entries (as I hope you have!) you know that Fordham's Rose Hill campus is in the Bronx borough of New York City.  The culture of the Bronx is vibrant and unique, but I'll bet you're all wondering how to get to the "traditional" NYC: Manhattan!  Well, I'm here to tell you, then.

I had a girl from Ohio come for a tour at Fordham that was wondering "whether there was anything to do" here at school.  She wanted to make sure she wouldn't be "bored."  Well, let me tell you, Fordham is one place that you will NEVER be bored.  We have tons of activities going on around campus, things to do in the Bronx, and of course, Manhattan is right next door.

Maybe you want to catch a game...

The new Yankee Stadium

...or see some art.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

(It's donation only - you can pay only 25 cents, if you like!

And one time, I went to a masquerade ball... for free!)

You could catch a Broadway show...

Times Square... home of Broadway!

(You can get discounted tickets every month through Fordham: only $10 or $15!)

...or see your favorite band in concert

Madison Square Garden

Splurge on some shopping...

Saks Fifth Avenue

...or save on a walk through the park.

Central Park

(There's an entrance to the park right near the Lincoln Center Campus... it's super convenient)

You can explore downtown...

SoHo section of Manhattan

...or head on uptown.

 Upper East Side (I think)

(The Upper East/West Sides can be super expensive to live in, but there are some great, affordable restaurants!)

Or maybe you just want to go right on ahead and check out another borough as well

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Brooklyn Bridge

(These are my friends and me!  I'm the one in the Fordham hat.  This is a great, FREE way to spend a nice day in the city).

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Whatever suits you, there's an outlet for it.  But I still haven't touched upon the modes of GETTING to the city.  There are three main ways to get to Manhattan and back, and I like to classify them like this...

FASTEST     -       SAFEST      -     CHEAPEST

FASTEST: THE METRO-NORTH RAILROAD

Metro-North Train

The Metro-North train leaves from right outside the southwest gate of Fordham's campus - it's literally 20 feet away!  You can look up the schedule online at http://www.mta.info/, and it will take you to Grand Central Station (located in midtown) in about 20 minutes.  It can cost upwards of $4.00, which is why it isn't as popular, but when you need to get to midtown quickly, it's the way to go.  It's also a great way to get back at night because it is so close to campus.

SAFEST: THE FORDHAM RAM VAN

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One of Fordham's Ram Vans

The Ram Van is considered the safest mode of transportation because it leaves from the Rose Hill student center (McGinley) and goes straight to the Lincoln Center campus.  Therefore, it is completely run by Fordham and takes you from one campus to the other.  Ram Vans leave every half-hour, and it costs $3.00 per trip.  Depending on traffic, vans can take anywhere from 25 minutes to an hour, so watch out during rush hour!  However, it is so convenient, and it gets really popular when it's cold out, especially!

CHEAPEST: NYC SUBWAY (THE D TRAIN)

 Inside a typical D train... located 6 blocks from Fordham's campus

The final mode of transportation is the NYC subway, which tends to be the most popular among Fordham students.  The D train runs down the West side of Manhattan, and it is located six blocks up Fordham Road.  The 4 train is located a little bit further, and it runs down the East side.  Luckily, there are buses that stop right outside Fordham's gates that will take you directly to the subways - they even give you a free transfer, so you pay once!  Subway rides cost $2.25, making them the most cost-effective, and it usually takes 30 - 45 minutes to get downtown (depending on where you want to go).  However, you can get anywhere you want on one subway ticket by transferring, making it easiest to get to downtown destinations.  I take the D or the 4 train to my internship twice a week, and it is so easy once you do it a couple times!

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So there you have it... all you need to know about transportation to Manhattan.  Of course, there are endless things to do downtown, so it's great to know how easy it is to get there!

And if you are the girl I gave the tour to from Ohio... needless to say, you will NEVER be bored if you are a student at Fordham.

What kinds of things do you want to know about in Manhattan?  Comment here or email Courtney anytime at schiessl@fordham.edu... she loves questions!