PhD in Urban Planning: Virginia Tech (at Alexandria); U of Florida or Texas A&M (Blacksburg: 2014, apartment)

[Lfungericht]

Hello friendly city-data community.

I got accepted into University at Buffalo-SUNY (Buffalo, NY) *edit: Already declined UB, University of Florida (Gainesville, FL), Texas A&M University (College Station, TX) and Virginia Tech (Alexandria, VA) for grad school (PhD in Urban Planning), fall 2014, and having really hard time on deciding where to go to.

On Virginia Tech, I applied for the Alexandria Campus (Washington Alexandria Architecture Center). But I will have the opportunity to attend to the Blacksburg campus too.

I am from the south of Brazil (temperature on winter get around 32F, lived for a semester during fall/winter 2003 at Yosemite National Park CA; and had no problem with snow).

I am married, 33 years old, have a dog (schnauzer), and I am a professor at a local University (will be on a sabbatical leave for the PhD studies). Income around 45k.

So, I am gathering the most information I can get, since it will represent al least the next 4 years of my life. If anyone can give any thoughts on:

1-comparing the universities;
2-comparing the cities (Alexandira/Blacsburg, Gainesville and College Station)
3-general information about day to day living, like: commuting: public transport/car, walk-ability, grocery shopping, city life after 5pm (not bar and clubs per se, but in general), housing, safety, weather, cost of living, etc...
4-what to do? Nearby activities, place to visit, place to travel to on a weekend.
5-any other information

I know it is a lot of information, and I am researching the forum as well, as other online informations.

Thank you all very much for your time and attention, really appreciate any information you can give.

Best wishes,
Luiz Felipe.

[slowdog101]

[quote=Lfungericht;34463309]1-comparing the universities;
quote]

When considering a PhD program, as important as the reputation of the different universities is the reputation of the person who will serve as your dissertation advisor.

[lqda4]

If you focus your study in Transportation, Florida has a very strong Transportation program.

[greekchampion04]

45k a year will not get you very far in Alexandria. Will you have a housing stipend or anything?

[wmatacritic]

aside from COL, none of those other cities compare to Alexandria when it comes to density, public transportation, walkability, nearby attractions or history. The Florida and Texas cities will have milder winters however.

[spencgr]

[quote=slowdog101;34463367]

Originally Posted by Lfungericht

1-comparing the universities;
quote]

When considering a PhD program, as important as the reputation of the different universities is the reputation of the person who will serve as your dissertation advisor.

You are going for grad school, not choosing your "forever" home. Fucus on the university, the program, and the professors.

How to choose a graduate school for an Urban Planning degree. | The Urbanist Dispatch

[HokieFan]

Originally Posted by Lfungericht

1-comparing the universities;
2-comparing the cities (Alexandira/Blacsburg, Gainesville and College Station)
3-general information about day to day living, like: commuting: public transport/car, walk-ability, grocery shopping, city life after 5pm (not bar and clubs per se, but in general), housing, safety, weather, cost of living, etc...
4-what to do? Nearby activities, place to visit, place to travel to on a weekend.
5-any other information

In case you're not aware, Alexandria is roughly a 4 hour drive from Blacksburg. You'll need to pick either Alexandria or Blacksburg - commuting between the two cities is not recommended.

Based on your salary of $45k, I would eliminate Alexandria from the list. Alexandria has all the amenities you're looking for but the housing is pretty costly. Blacksburg will have a lower cost of living.

How much can you spend on rent each month?

[FindingZen]

Practically speaking, it would make sense to me to study in an area where you will have the opportunity to put your knowledge to work in internships. Blacksburg is a large town/small city which I would figure to not have many opportunities to do so. College Station would at least put you near San Antonio and Houston. From Gainesville, you could access Jacksonville. Buffalo itself could use some help from what I understand although I'm not sure the city has the financial or political support to make that happen; but I can see how the weather might not appeal to someone from Brazil.

So in theory, Alexandria might be the best choice in that there are seemingly constant developments happening in DC/Northern Virginia and probably towards Baltimore as well. $45K will indeed be low to live on here, however. Virginia Tech likely has a graduate student housing division that may help you find a like-minded roommate if you are open to that.

As DC itself is rather small, I consider Alexandria to be essentially an urban extension of it. A person living solo in Alexandria can get by without a car in the city limits or traveling to DC. The bus coverage is very good and the trains will give you easy access DC and other suburban areas. Alexandria as a whole is safe. Some people exercise mild caution in the West End but I believe it is more property crime than physical threats. When looking for a place to live, note that some "Alexandria" addresses are actually out in neighboring Fairfax County. Odds are if you see apartment rentals for $1200 or less, that is where they are located.

[Lfungericht]

Originally Posted by greekchampion04

45k a year will not get you very far in Alexandria. Will you have a housing stipend or anything?

Thank you all for your responses! It is really helping.

After reading about Alexandria cost of living (I won't have any other additional stipend, at least not for the start), and most important, after talking to some currently grad students. Blacksburg seem the best fit if I choose VTech. More faculty with research in my field, the support of a full campus, etc... And maybe I could stay for one semester at the Alexandria Campus for some specific training.

After graduation I will come back to Brazil to continue my academic career at the University I currently work on.

As so, it is now basic between Blacksburg VA (Virginia Tech), College Station TX (Texas A&M) and Gainesville FL (University of Florida).

Oh, and I will be moving with my wife and a dog, so no chance for getting university housing or roommates. :/

[ChristineVA]

What will your wife do? What are her likes/dislikes? She may go crazy in Blacksburg.