Getting to Know the Northeastern NYC Area
About 200 miles away from Northeastern University’s Boston campus lies Northeastern University New York City. Centrally located in the Upper East Side neighborhood of Manhattan, this campus hosts the NYC Scholars Program, where first-year students can begin their Northeastern journey. Huskies can also find themselves near this campus for other opportunities as well, like a co-op in a fun new bustling city. With the new thrilling announcement of Northeastern New York City, here’s a couple of recommendations on things to do around the different boroughs from a NYC local!
Get a Library Card
A library card is a great way to explore the city and many of its iconic attractions for free. Not only does it grant you access to all the books you can imagine, it includes access to the Culture Pass! The Culture Pass allows you to reserve spots for museums, parks, and more completely free of charge. It’s a great opportunity to visit famous institutions, like the Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) or the Museum of Modern Art (The MoMa). I often find myself stopping by numerous art museums on weekends, simply because I can! You can even grab free tickets to the various botanical gardens in the city. A NYPL, Brooklyn, or Queens library card is an underrated, and free, tool!
See a Broadway Show
Broadway musicals and plays are some of New York’s biggest attractions, and for good reason. Not many people know the tricks to get cheap tickets, and there are two main ways. You can enter a digital lottery for the show you desire to see and test your luck on getting selected for heavily discounted tickets. The other option requires a little more dedication! You can show up in-person to the specific box office of a theater and purchase discounted “rush” tickets. They often open at 10:00AM, but be wary of the popularity of the show you’re trying to see! Some fans begin lining up at midnight, while others show up ten minutes before the box office opens. I’ve had success on both ends of the spectrum, where I waited 4 hours in the cold to get a chance to see Lea Michele in Chess and where I got to the box office 2 hours late to see Ayo Edebiri in Proof. The more popular shows are a little harder to get, but you never know until you give it a try!
Complete a Food Crawl
There’s an endless number of options of places to eat in New York. Sure, we’re known for the best bagels and pizza, but you can find any cuisine in the world here. Make a day out of eating and gather a group of friends to complete a food crawl! You can check out one of New York’s many Chinatowns (my favorite is the one in Manhattan) for cheap and good eats. Visit the East Village/Lower East Side for some of the best bakeries around! I love grabbing a quick treat at Hani’s bakery + café and Mary O's Irish Soda Bread Shop. A food crawl is an easy way to visit famous spots, explore a new neighborhood, and eat great food from different cultures!
Take the NYC Ferry
While the subway is the mode of transportation most New Yorkers choose, the NYC Ferry is an underrated scenic option! It’s a surprisingly useful and quick method of transportation that goes to a variety of places across the city. It’s a great way to see beautiful views of the NYC skyline while getting to your destination. You can take it to Rockaway Beach (Yes, we have beaches), Governor’s Island, or even Williamsburg. One of my personal favorite routes goes from the Seaport to Brooklyn Bridge Park!
Go to a Sports Game
With over 14 professional teams in NYC, there is certainly no abundance of sporting events to attend. Catch a baseball game at Citifield to watch the Mets (The Yankees are a wrong and evil choice), or jump on a train to watch the New York Sirens play hockey across the river. Visit the World’s Most Famous Arena, Madison Square Garden, to see the Rangers and Knicks play in the heart of Midtown. There are endless options across the boroughs, and you can score cheap tickets on the day of! Even if you’re not a huge sports fan, the atmosphere in New York is fun to be around and experience at least once.
Visit Free Pop-Ups
Lines are common in New York, and some of them are worth waiting in! Brands frequently host free pop-ups in various neighborhoods, with many in SoHo. While they may seem like a touristy thing to do, they’re fun and free! You might walk away with free food, make-up,, or really anything. They’re often a fun experience, with games and activities inside to make it worth your time!
Whether you’re taking classes through the NYC Scholars Program or on co-op in New York City, there’s never a shortage of things to do! There’s so many different wonderful neighborhoods to check out and immerse yourself in. You’re surrounded by a vibrant Northeastern community in one of the greatest places in the world.
