So You’re Going to The New School, Part III
Welcome to NYC
Congrats — you’re officially a New Schooler! You, like many of your friends, are probably spending a good portion of your summer preparing for The Big Move to college; advice on this topic isn’t hard to come by. But you’re going to The New School, so, like your educational experience, the advice you’ll need is a little different than the generic. To help you transition into life in New York City, we’re breaking it down our advice into three parts: Before You Arrive, Campus Culture, and Welcome to NYC.
Welcome to the last post in our “So You’re Going to The New School” series! If you haven’t read the previous two installments, we highly recommending starting there (links above).
Now that you’re making your way to campus, what would #NewSchoolSpirit be without some merch to go along with it? It’s like getting sorted upon your arrival to Hogwarts! Well, not really, but we love a good HP reference.
The New Store
Show your pride with our classic crewneck or a tote that’ll get ’em talking. In addition to our online shop, you can now visit us in person on the first floor of the University Center!
And if you’re interested in winning free merch, you should check out the…
#NewSchoolSpirit Photo Challenge!
Post your best NYC/back to school posts to Instagram tagging @NewSchoolHousing & #NewSchoolSpirit before September 1st for your chance to be selected! One winner will receive a New Store merch prize pack.
Summer in the City
It’ll still be very summer-y once you get here, so what do you do once you and a pal make plans to hang? Behold: the free and cheap of NYC.
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art: entry is pay what you wish, so you’ll be a regular in no time!
- Smorgasburg Food Festival: the largest weekly open-air food festival in America—bon appetit!
- The Museum of Modern Art: New School students get free admission!
- The Downtown Boathouse free kayaking: New York isn’t cheap, but if you do your research you can definitely find free activities like this! Don’t miss out, the views are stunning.
- NYC Parks free summer movies: one of summer’s greatest perks. Make the park your living room for the night, you won’t forget it!
- Central Park bike rentals: what better way to explore this massive stretch of greenery than to do it while getting a workout?
- The Highline: this railway turned elevated park influenced urban design around the world…and its basically in your backyard!
Parks
Speaking of backyards… well, people don’t really have those here, but when you just need a moment to catch your breath or clear your head, check out these green spaces!
- Union Square Park: ample seating, decent acreage, lots of people watching opportunities and nearby eateries — highly recommended.
- Washington Square Park: featuring little nooks to hideaway from the crowds, the fountain and arch are obvious crowd pleasers, and there are always lots of artists and performers — you should definitely make a habit to visit often.
- Stuyvesant Square Park: quiet and recently renovated — a staple for those living in the first-year Stuyvesant Park residence across the street.
- Madison Square Park: a bit more of a walk from campus, but Shake Shack alone is worth it. It also has great public art installations!
- Hudson River Park: a serene place to run, do yoga, pretend to be around actual nature, etc. Top notch waterfront views.
- Jefferson Market Garden: a hidden gem that people love to take wedding photos in. Cute!
Cheap Eats
New York is expensive, yes, but where there’s a will, there’s a way.
This little Ma and Pa shop (Mami, Papi—get it?) is the cutest grab-and-go place around. Their prices are student friendly and it’s literally right behind the Welcome Center at 5th & 13th.
Pizza: Little Italy vs. Joe’s vs. Bravo vs. Champion
There is no true winner, because we all just eat our favorite and it balances out somewhere in the middle, but feel free to make your rounds—you can’t go wrong with any of these classic New York slices.
It’s fresh, fast, and filling, and they strive to offer all of this for less than $10/meal! Plus, they take New Card Cash. Holllllaaaa!
The late night hot spot. Stuy kids will be well acquainted, living just around the corner. Warning: the red sauce is spicy! 💃
P.S. Many local businesses and restaurants take New Card Cash, once loaded onto your New School ID!
Nightlife Under 21
Check out all of these venues and businesses that offer 18+ shows and nightlife events!
Welcome to New York, and to our community!
We hope that this series of posts has been helpful as you prepare for the magnificent journey ahead of you! Be sure to keep up with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube and feel free to reach out with questions—we’ll be happy to point you in the right direction!
