Where is the best area to commute from to New York City? -

New Jersey? Staten Island? Brooklyn?Queens?Bronx?New York State? Connecticut?Long Island?In terms of crime, house prices, schooling, quality of lifeMany Thanks

I would personally have to recommend staying in NY if you want to commute. Commuting from CT is NOT something you want to have to do every morning. Specifically I would say either Staten Island, Queens or Long Island. As far as the 5 boroughs are concerned, Queens and Staten Island is much better than the Bronx or Brooklyn. If I had to rate the boroughs (excluding Manhattan) in terms of all of the things you listed, it would be 1.Queens, 2.Staten Island, 3.Brooklyn, 4. the Bronx. The thing about Staten Island and Queens though, is that the closer you are to the city, the crappier everything is most of the time. The few exceptions are the really expensive gated neighborhoods that tend to be in those places. And plus, the public schools don t tend to be that great, even in decent areas. For my money, Long Island is a pretty safe bet. If you threw a dart at a map of Long Island, 8/10 it would be a very good place. The crime is extremely low, the schooling is top notch and the quality of life is pretty sweet. Plus, the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) takes you right into Penn Station and is a lot cleaner and safer than many other railroads. But Long Island, particularly Nassau County which is closest to NYC, is known for having some of the highest property taxes in the country. However, Long Island is probably the best area in NY in terms of raising a family. Plus, you can probably snag a good deal on a foreclosed home here and make a big profit once the market heats up again. So if you have a safe job, and want a place to call home for at least the next few years, then LI is your bet.

There are some good spots out in Queens. Even relatively far out, there is still convenience to local buses to get to the subway, express buses, and a few branches of the Long Island Rail Road, and you can be in Manhattan from your door in an hour or less using various combinations of those options. As far as schools, again, there are options. You can find some of the better public schools in the city in some of those farther reaches of Queens. Some good options out there if you investigate a bit.

Well New York has relatively low crime rates now thanks to good policing. Connecticut is nice.

Xmas eve, and day Boston 2009. Best hotel? -

my son (21), and myself are spending Xmas in Boston (24th, 25th and 26th.) any thoughts of best downtown hotel that offers some kind of Xmas activities (fun) or close to them. I know it s limited but want best activity options for Xmas eve, and day to do some fun stuff.

There are loads of activities taking place in Boston near Back Bay, Copley Square, Newbury Street, etc. I d recommend The Midtown Hotel, Boston Park Plaza Hotel and Towers, The Lenox Hotel and The Colonnade Hotel. I ve been to Boston once during the holidays and it really does give New York a run for its money.

Pickings are mighty slim for Christmas Day. This area closes right up on Dec. 25th. You could get theater tickets for Christmas Eve and the 26th, though. Try ArtsBoston.org. Chinatown might be open. Churches (I like Trinity Church in Copley, it s beautiful). Ice skating at the Frog pond on Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day. The Public Garden, Boston Common, and Comm Ave Mall are all lit up with lights. The outdoor parts of the Freedom Trail are open. Gardner Museum is open Christmas Eve, they have great decorations up in their courtyard. Movie theaters are always packed on Christmas. As to hotel -- it depends on your budget. The better the hotel, the better the concierge will be. Sometimes they can arrange special activities just for you. (My nephew and I spent Christmas in London once. THAT place closed down for 2 days, even the Tube was closed. But the Concierge arranged for my nephew to help cook christmas cookies with the chef in the hotel restaurant.) Make sure you line up your Christmas Day dinner and lunch in advance. Only the hotels and Chinatown are usually open. Good luck.

USF or UCF harder to get into? academic reputation? -

The University of South Florida or the University of Central Florida? which one is better academically? I know the Fall 2009 freshman class for USF had an average GPA of 3.81, but I don t know about UCF...That means it is hard to get into right?

USF has a better national ranking as better name recognition than UCF. The school is also older, and more established. USF offers more curricular programs, a larger class selection, and more advanced degrees. The GPA requirements for both schools are high. UCF s is at approximately 3.6, while USF s is between a 3.7 and a 3.8. You may have been denied by USF, because the school is currently experiencing a surplus of applicants. Because of this surplus, USF can be significantly more picky about the applicants they choose. Common requirements are as follows:1.) participation in competitive classes. High grades in regular classes are great, but high grades in honors and AP classes are far better.2.) participation in extra curricular activities. Most colleges expect participation in two to three clubs, teams, study groups, or other organizations.3.) Volunteer hours. 200 hours are common, but more are better.Don t worry about not getting accepted into USF. You can re-apply if you really want to go there, and will most likely get in later in the year, but if the school does not matter to you, FSU and UCF are both fine schools, and you will get a good education there too.

yeah dude, i live in orlando, it depends what classes you took and what your gpa came out to, i got a friend who graduated and basically took easy **** classes in highschool but graduated with a 3.8 and the dude got into UCF, USF is nice school but UCF is ranked #2 in Florida after UF, both got good academic reps though, so dont count neither out, if you got at least a 3.7 then you gots a good chance.

USF is better maybe they are full.USF is surrounded by red light cameras so you will get several $125 tickets.It gives me tingles to know professors at USF have no choice but pay.I graduated with 121 credits and paid cash when they were almost giving away degrees.Taxpayers subsidized 50% so I am thankful.In the UK cameras have created the side effect of tag theft.Now womyn cannot cry their way out of a ticket.Anderson RD and Waters AVE WWaters AVE W and Dale Mabry Highway NWaters AVE W and Hanley RDWaters AVE W and Sheldon RDGunn HWY and Anderson RDBrandon BLVD W and Grand Regency BLVDBloomingdale AVE E and Bell Shoals RDDale Mabry HWY N and Bearss AVE WSligh AVE W and Habana AVE NBruce B. Downs BLVD and Fletcher AVE E56th ST and Riverhills DR56th ST and Fowler AVE56th ST and Whiteway DR56th ST and Bullard PKWY aka Busch BLVDFowler AVE and Riverhills DRFowler AVE and Gillette AVE