Where Is NYU Located? A Campus Guide for Prospective Students

Founded in 1831, New York University was built for the commercial energy of a growing metropolis. By 1835, it had established its home at Washington Square, and that neighborhood remains the heart of the NYU campus today.

So, where is NYU located? The main campus sits at 70 Washington Square South in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village. Unlike a traditional enclosed campus, NYU is woven directly into the urban fabric of New York City, with buildings and academic centers spread across multiple neighborhoods and a second major hub in Downtown Brooklyn.

This guide covers what you can find in and around the campus, transportation options, off campus housing, and how to plan a visit.

• NYU Campus Location
• Getting to NYU
• Living Near NYU
• Why You Should Visit NYU Campus
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Takeaways

NYU Campus Location

NYU’s main campus is centered around Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village, one of Manhattan’s oldest and most storied neighborhoods. The campus is roughly bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and Sixth Avenue to the west, though NYU’s academic buildings extend well beyond these boundaries.

Because NYU has no traditional campus walls, its presence shapes entire city blocks. Academic buildings, administrative offices, residence halls, and student facilities are interspersed throughout Greenwich Village, NoHo, the East Village, the West Village, TriBeCa, SoHo, and as far north as the Upper East Side. NYU owns or leases a significant amount of property in and around Greenwich Village, meaning the university’s footprint extends far beyond any single building or block.

Architecturally, NYU reflects the full diversity of New York City itself. The campus has no single unified style. Instead, its buildings span Greek Revival townhouses from the 1830s along Washington Square North, modernist concrete towers from the 1960s, and sleek contemporary structures like the 23-story John A. Paulson Center, whose glass facades are designed to open onto the neighborhood rather than close it off. The overall effect is a city-campus that grows vertically and integrates into the Manhattan grid, prioritizing transparency and urban connection over the traditional quad.

The neighborhood itself has a distinct character: tree-lined streets with names rather than numbered roads, independent cafes and restaurants, and a long history of artistic and intellectual life. It is one of the most sought-after residential areas in Manhattan since it’s vibrant, walkable, and culturally rich.

Main campus landmarks

Walking through the NYU campus means walking through New York City itself. One of the most significant buildings and spaces is Washington Square Park, the iconic open-air heart of the NYU campus. Framed by the Washington Square Arch, the park is a gathering place for students, musicians, chess players, and New Yorkers from all walks of life. Many of NYU’s academic buildings and residence halls directly border the park.

Elmer Holmes Bobst Library, located at 70 Washington Square South, is NYU’s primary research hub and one of the largest open-stack research libraries in the United States. Its dramatic 12-story atrium is immediately recognizable.

The Kimmel Center for Student Life is at 60 Washington Square South. This is NYU’s central student center, housing, dining, meeting spaces, student organization offices, and event venues. Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, located in the same building, is NYU’s premier performing arts venue, hosting concerts, lectures, and major events throughout the year.

The Brown Building (31 Washington Place), now home to the College of Arts and Science, is a building that was the site of the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, which claimed 146 lives and became a catalyst for workplace safety reform nationwide. A stainless steel ribbon memorial with the names of the victims wraps around the building’s corner.

The Row (Washington Square North) is a historic series of Greek Revival townhouses completed in 1833, today housing the NYU Silver School of Social Work and administrative offices. Painter Edward Hopper once lived and worked here, and NYU has preserved his fourth-floor studio.

Washington Mews is one of the last privately owned streets in New York City, owned by NYU. This charming, cobblestoned lane is home to several international houses and is a favorite photo spot for students and visitors alike.

NYU’s other campuses and affiliated sites

Understanding where the main NYU campus is located means also knowing that the university operates well beyond its Greenwich Village home base. Here are the other affiliated campuses of NYU:

Downtown Brooklyn — Tandon School of Engineering (370 Jay Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201) 

Located in the Brooklyn Tech Triangle, NYU’s Brooklyn campus is home to the Tandon School of Engineering as well as programs within the Tisch School of the Arts and the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. The campus is approximately 15–25 minutes from Washington Square by subway.

Kips Bay — Medical Corridor (550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016) 

NYU Langone Health’s main campus is located in Kips Bay, serving as the hub for NYU’s medical, dental, and health sciences programs. The NYU Dentistry Patient Care center is located at 345 East 24th Street.

NYU Abu Dhabi 

A full degree-granting portal campus on Saadiyat Island in the UAE, NYU Abu Dhabi is designed by Rafael Viñoly Architects. The nearly 40-acre pedestrian-only campus combines traditional and modern architectural elements across 24+ majors in the sciences, humanities, arts, and engineering.

NYU Shanghai 

NYU’s newest degree-granting campus in Shanghai opened in early 2023 in Pudong’s Qiantan district. The 114,000-square-meter facility features four interlocked structures set around an academic quadrangle.

Global Study Away Sites 

Beyond its three degree-granting campuses, NYU operates 10 global academic centers where students can study for a semester across various cities: Accra, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Florence, London, Madrid, Paris, Prague, Sydney, Tel Aviv, and Washington, DC.

Each site offers its own academic pathways, guaranteed housing, and partnerships with local institutions, from taking courses at the Sorbonne in Paris to shooting 35mm film at Prague’s renowned FAMU film school. Internships, day trips, and experiential learning placements complement classroom instruction at every location.

Getting to NYU

NYU’s location in the heart of Manhattan means it is extraordinarily well connected. Whether you are arriving for the first time or commuting daily, there are multiple easy ways to reach the main Washington Square campus and the Brooklyn campus.

Public transportation options

Subway is the most practical way to get to and around the NYU campus. The closest stations to Washington Square include:

• West 4th Street–Washington Square Station served by the A, C, E (8th Avenue Line) and B, D, F, M (6th Avenue Line). This is the most central stop for the main campus.
• 8th Street–NYU Station served by the N, Q, R, W (Broadway Line), just steps from Washington Square Park.
• Astor Place Station served by the 4, 5, 6 (Lexington Avenue Line), a short walk east of campus.
• 14th Street–Union Square Station served by multiple lines, convenient for buildings in the northern part of NYU’s footprint.

For the Brooklyn campus, the best subway stop is Jay Street–MetroTech, served by the A, C, F, and R trains. The 2, 3, 4, and 5 trains stop at nearby Borough Hall.

NYU Shuttle Buses run seven routes from 7am to midnight during the academic term, connecting Washington Square, the Medical Corridor, the Brooklyn campus, and several residence halls. The service is free with a valid NYU ID.

A Safe Ride on-demand van service operates overnight between NYU locations. Routes and real-time tracking are available through the Passio GO! app and the Safe NYU app.

Bus service within Manhattan is also available via several MTA lines including the M1, M2, M3, M5, M6, M8, M10, and M21.

Getting there by car or other means

NYU strongly recommends using public transportation since parking in Greenwich Village and Downtown Brooklyn can be challenging and expensive. Several parking garages operate near both campuses, including facilities on Thompson Street, Mercer Street, and Bleecker Street near Washington Square, and on Jay Street and Myrtle Avenue near the Brooklyn campus. Some garages offer NYU ID discounts.

For those arriving from out of town, all three major New York-area airports serve NYU well: LaGuardia (LGA), John F. Kennedy (JFK), and Newark Liberty (EWR). From any airport, options include taxis (with established flat-rate fares into Manhattan), public transit (most affordable), and private shuttle buses. From Penn Station, the A, C, or E train runs directly to West 4th Street. From Grand Central, the 6 train to Astor Place is the most convenient option.

Biking is another popular and sustainable option. Citi Bike docking stations are located near all NYU locations throughout the city. NYU Federal Credit Union members can access a discounted Citi Bike membership for $5 per month.

Living Near NYU

Living near the NYU campus means living in one of New York City’s most desirable and dynamic neighborhoods. Greenwich Village has a distinct, human-scaled feel compared to the rest of Manhattan with its winding, named streets, pre-war brownstones, and neighborhood cafes that give it a community character that students find both energizing and livable.

Students regularly venture beyond the immediate campus area. The NYC subway, which runs 24 hours a day, makes the entire city accessible. Popular nearby destinations are just a short subway ride to the south. The Brooklyn neighborhood, practically in the backyard of the Tandon campus, are also favorites.

Places to check out near NYU

With New York City as your campus, the options for exploration are essentially endless. Here are some of the best spots to discover near NYU.

Parks and outdoors

For green space and outdoor escapes, students are spoiled for choice. Washington Square Park sits right on campus and is perfect for studying, people-watching, and relaxing between classes. A 20-minute subway ride brings you to Chelsea Piers, where waterfront picnics, sunset walks, and jogging paths line the Hudson River.

Just nearby, the High Line offers a unique elevated perspective on the city and the Hudson from its perch above Chelsea. For those spending time at the Brooklyn campus, the Brooklyn Heights Promenade is practically next door, offering some of the most spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline in the entire city.

Food and markets

For food and markets, Chelsea Market is a bustling food hall inside a converted factory building, perfect for a foodie afternoon after visiting Chelsea Piers. Near the main campus, Artichoke Pizza and Kati Roll are beloved budget-friendly spots popular with students. Over in Brooklyn, Dumbo is home to the Brooklyn Flea market and a thriving food and arts scene, all walkable from the Brooklyn campus.

Arts and culture

On the arts and culture front, the Whitney Museum of American Art is just a short walk away in the Meatpacking District. NYU’s own Grey Art Gallery at 100 Washington Square East is free and open to the public, and the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts on campus hosts major performances throughout the year.

NYU’s historic buildings are cultural landmarks in their own right as well, with the Brown Building, The Row, and Washington Mews all telling stories that helped shape New York City and the world.

Why You Should Visit NYU’s Campus

No guide, website, or virtual tour can fully capture what it feels like to stand in Washington Square Park surrounded by the energy of New York City and the NYU community. The campus’s integration into one of the world’s greatest cities is one of its most distinctive qualities, and it is one that reads very differently on paper than it does in person.

Visiting helps prospective students understand whether that urban immersion is genuinely energizing for them, or whether a more enclosed campus environment might be a better fit.

NYU offers several ways to visit and experience the campus firsthand through NYU campus tours. Student ambassador-led Washington Square Campus Tours showcase NYU’s academic buildings, Greenwich Village, and the surrounding neighborhoods that make up the campus.

Those interested in the engineering side of NYU can join an in-person Brooklyn Campus Tour through the Downtown Brooklyn campus in the Brooklyn Tech Triangle. For those unable to visit in person, NYU offers virtual campus experiences covering New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai.

Open Houses and Information Sessions are also held throughout the year, bringing prospective students and families together with current students, faculty, and admissions staff.

To schedule a visit or explore virtual options, contact the NYU Office of Admissions at 400 Lafayette Street, New York, NY 10003, by phone at +1-212-998-4500, or by email at [email protected].

Visiting a campus is just one piece of the college admissions puzzle. For students who want to approach the process with a clear strategy, our Senior Editor College Application Program is an invaluable resource.

The program helps students build a strong, well-researched college list and develop a competitive overall application, so that by the time they set foot on a campus like NYU’s, they already have a strategic sense of where it fits in their broader admissions plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is NYU’s address?

NYU’s main address is 70 Washington Square South, New York, NY 10012. The Admissions Center is at 27 West Fourth Street, and the Brooklyn campus is at 311 Bridge Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201.

2. How big is NYU?

NYU has no traditional enclosed campus. Its buildings are distributed across Greenwich Village and surrounding Manhattan neighborhoods, with more than 50,000 students and over 5,000 faculty members.

3. Can I visit NYU before applying?

Yes. NYU offers in-person tours at both the Washington Square and Brooklyn campuses, plus virtual options. Schedule through the admissions website or email [email protected].

4. Is parking available at NYU?

On-street parking is limited and subject to alternate-side rules. Private garages operate near both campuses, some with NYU ID discounts, but public transportation is strongly recommended.

5. What landmarks are near NYU?

Nearby landmarks include Washington Square Park, the Whitney Museum, the High Line, Chelsea Market, Chelsea Piers, and SoHo. Close to the Brooklyn campus are Dumbo and Brooklyn Heights. NYU’s own Brown Building, The Row, and Washington Mews are historic landmarks in their own right.

Takeaways

• NYU’s campus is New York City itself. Rather than a traditional enclosed campus, NYU is woven into the urban fabric of Greenwich Village and beyond, with buildings spanning multiple Manhattan neighborhoods and a second major hub in Downtown Brooklyn.
• Washington Square Park is the heart of it all. The iconic park, flanked by Bobst Library, the Kimmel Center, and historic landmarks like The Row and Washington Mews, serves as the true center of student life and academic activity.
• NYU is remarkably well-connected. Multiple subway lines, free NYU shuttle buses, Citi Bike access, and proximity to all three major NYC airports make getting to and around campus straightforward for commuters and visitors alike.
• NYU extends far beyond New York. With degree-granting campuses in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai, plus 11 global study-away sites across four continents, NYU offers one of the most internationally expansive college experiences in the world.
• Ready to make NYU part of your college list? Building a strong, strategic application starts long before you set foot on campus. Work with an AdmissionSight expert to craft a competitive application and find your perfect-fit school.