Ventajas
Rockefeller has an amazing sense of community at every level of the university's operations: the mail clerks are old friends with the Nobel Laureates, the techs hang out with the post-docs and younger PIs. The relatively small campus reinforces this friendliness, along with the wonderful faculty club and excellent public lectures and concerts, which take place every week. Everything at Rockefeller, from the ground-breaking science to even the most minor event is done with an incredible level of quality and care that surpasses any other university that I have spent time at for scientific meetings including Ivy League institutions. The high ratio of professors and research scientists to their apprentice technicians, grad students and post-docs provides an incredible environment for intellectual growth and professional development. The benefits and compensation for regular employees as well as graduate students are significantly better than any of the larger NYC universities. The the small nurses office for employee walk-in appointments was more pleasant and professional and medically knowledgeable than 9/10 doctors I've ever visited in NYC.
Desventajas
The location is not great for commuters.