Not to get him mad or anything.. but.. ignore everything he said.
No college campus is New York City.
If you went to Asbury Park, you would be on the boardwalk block.. there is no need to go walk and see the "sketchy" areas. So that advice can be ignored. If you just want to see the ocean and take a dip.. anywhere south of Asbury is fine. If you want nice dining with an ocean view.. try something in Long Branch... which has the same advice as Asbury.. you'll be on the boardwalk so ignore all thoughts of sketchy areas. If you really just want a beach, and possibly a view of NYC.. try Sandy Hook.
As for not having a college feel.. there is nothing wrong with the college avenue campus where the train station is. You walk anywhere near that path I laid out and you will see an old eastern college campus. Its not Princeton.. which is nly 17 miles away.. but that is in a class by itself.. so much so highly regarded Chapel Hill was made to emulate the feel of Princeton.
In Rutgers you have a major state school that grew up around an existing commerce center.. a steamship line port for bringing coal to New York City via the Delaware and Raritan Canal. Cornelius Vanderbilt got his start running a hotel and steamship line here. In Princeton, and in most state schools, you have a town that grew up around a college.. to serve it.
We're urban, suburban and even "rural" in our different campuses all in and surrounding New Brunswick. It is hard to see it all and much of what you'd see is identical t every other college campus you have ever been on.. in one way or another. But Rutgers is set up to people to get what they want out of it. In my time I organized my schedule to have as many classes on the old College Ave campus as possible. I also took classes over at the womens college (wink-wink, nudge-nudge) and every campus in various years. But for me, I very much got that college town feeling. Since Rutgers went to war with the frats, I am not sure that is possible any longer.. but I loved it.
