There’s plenty of great nature within an easy train ride of NYC. you’ve got the Catskills and Adirondacks for mountains, sandy beaches on Long Island, and rugged New England coast within three hours by amtrak.

For making friends in different fields, try hanging out in the student neighborhoods like Morningside and Greenwich Village. There are lots of other out-of-townsra looking to make friends, and they attract lots of people with different interests.