<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Wow, thanks so much to the many people who so kindly responded to my query about my son eating gf while taking a college campus tour. 
I tried to summarize by college area.   Laurie

GF in New York City
Babycakes  is in lower Manhattan, but not too far off a 
subway stop. The cupcakes were worth it. www.babycakesnyc.com
Baby Cakes is at 248 Broome ST, about 1 1/2 miles from NYU. 
 
 
Risotteria    www.risotteria.com
270 Bleecker Street and about 1/2 mile from NYU--it serves gf pizza, panini, risotto,
and salads. Cupcakes are among the desserts. It’s part of the
Gluten-Free Restaurant Awareness Program (GFRAP)
 
There is a Whole Foods at 95 E. Houston St. that just opened recently, 
also within walking distance of NYU in Union Square.
 
Columbia University:
the Whole Foods at Columbus Circle 
 
"Havana" something or other-I don't recall the full name-but it is almost directly across the street from Columbia Univ. right on Broadway. Students up there will surely know what I am referring to. It used to be called The West End Café. It is a popular spot and he can surely get rice and beans and probably chicken as long as there is no soy sauce in the marinade. There is also another place called "El Malecon" on West 97 St. and Amsterdam Ave. that is very very popular and within walking distance. There is always a crowd and the food (Chicken, rice and beans etc.) is terrific-don't order the soup as usually they put pasta in it-but ask-the staff are very nice and the coffee is the best.
There are no specific restaurants in the Columbia area that have GF menus. You have to check the restauant menus and ingredients. The closest restaurant to Columbia that does have a GF menu along with a regular menu is "Sambuca" on W. 72 St. and Central Park West (Google them). It is not within walking distance however. You'd have to take the subway. Also, reservations are needed and they are a bit pricey, but the food on the GF menu is very very good.
There are currently no GFRAP restaurants near Columbia University. But there
are places to get sushi. They're all over the area--and certainly on
Broadway, where many students hang out.
 
GF in Boston
In Boston, try Legal Seafoods.  They have a GF menu 
and wonderful food, but might not be considered inexpensive. They have a GF clam chowder. Boston-based Legal Sea Foods introduced gluten-free menus in its 31 restaurants.  Legal Sea Foods worked on making substitutes: chick pea croutons for salads; corn meal for frying, and chick pea crumbs for baking, instead of flour.
 
Harvard
Try Fire and Ice on Harvard Square. It is a unique dining experience where 
you select the uncooked food and sauce (the GF ones are so marked) and it is 
cooked on a central grill. The GF meals are put in a sautee pan and done in 
the kitchen. The also serve rice and GF tortilla chips.
 
We also had a wonderful breakfast at the Sheraton right on Harvard’s campus.
 
There is a P.F. Changs, Legal Seafood, Jakes dixeland bbq, all in Boston.
 
GF in Princeton
Princeton will be easy. On Route 1 there is a fabulous Whole Foods in Princeton that has a large prepared foods area and seating. All prepared foods have a label displayed with all ingredients which makes figuring out what is gf very easy.. The store is not within walking distance to campus. You would definitely need a car There is also
a Wild Oats I believe on Route 27. Both carry gluten free foods.

A big plus about Princeton for celiacs is that the head of food service has 
celiac disease. 
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(I looked at the following suggested sites and they were very useful and include more restaurants than are listed above. - Laurie)
http://www.mapbuilder.net/UserMap.php?UserName=davemarc&Map=GlutenFreeNYCDining
 
http://www.geocities.com/glutenfreenyc/home

 
Check out a blog site, www.celiacchicks.com for more 
info on places to eat in NY.
 
have you checked out www.glutenfreerestaurants.org . there are 13 nyc 
restaurants in nyc.

Visit the Celiac Web Page at Http://www.enabling.org/ia/celiac/index.html
Archives are at: Http://Listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?LIST=CELIAC