The Best Underground Art Scenes

By underground art, I mean the less known. NYC is great because it’s full of up and coming artists trying to get their big break. Sure, you can pay big bucks for famous venues and artists, but why not find your own lesser known star to follow as they rise to fame. All of these adventures are free or very low priced, and are great entertainment at little or no cost.

If you’re looking for art, wander around the Chelsea Galleries. I’m taking around 23rd street and 10th ave, but that’s just a start. You’ll find galleries on every block – almost all FREE to the public. The artists also hand out cards featuring their work for you to take home. Most galleries have unique themes or motifs, and you’ll see all kinds of media from video to crayon, and everything in between!

How about the underground poetry scene? NYC has an amazing home for poetry, and you can find many established poets as well as many newcomers to the poetry scene at slams or poetry clubs. My favorite on the scene? Buddy Wakefield. I also want to mention my performance poetry professor, Erica Fabri, who performs throughout the city frequently. Check out the Bowery Poetry Club or the Nuyorican Poets Café. Some slams allow you to share your pieces too!

Looking for some great music? Check out Fat Cat Jazz Club. This 18+ club is a great hangout with cool music. The cover charge is usually only a few dollars and they have performers all day. Scheduled musicians are listed online, but jam sessions go from midnight to closing at 4am. Anyone is welcome to come and perform, and you get all types. While listening to music, meet some new people and play board games provided, pool, ping pong, or backgammon. Nothing like scrabble and good jazz!

How to Eat for $5 and Under

It’s easy to see how a lot of money gets spent on food in the city. The restaurants are often very overpriced, and once you add tip and tax, you around $15-20 a person. There are definitely those times when it’s worth it to have a great sit down meal, but it can’t be an everyday thing. My suggestion? Pick a few days and plan to eat out, but eat cheaply otherwise. That way, you have the extra cash to splurge.

The thing is, in NYC, eating cheaply doesn’t mean eating badly. I’ve found a few great ways to eat for just $5 or under. My first suggestion is to get a refillable water bottle and make sure it’s full before you leave. New York tap water is the best in the country, and cuts down anywhere from $1-$3 that you would regularly spend buying a drink. Even if you don’t want tap water, buying your own water bottles from a pharmacy or grocery store is much cheaper than buying them from street carts or cafes.

The first under $5 suggestion is rather typical, but good to keep in mind. Most fast food places in the city are absolutely competing for business so you’ll see lots of ‘value meals’ and specials. Popeye’s has a $3.99 chicken strips basket with side and drink. Wendy’s has cheeseburger/fries/drink combos for $3.99, and taco bell is always a cheap bet. Watch out for coupons too. You’ll often see people handing out coupons just outside the restaurant to get you to come in. Even though fast food is not quite the NYC experience, you’ll find the best deals in the city due to the massive crowds, so I included it on my list.

Next, the street vendors! Honestly, they have some of the best food you could find. Don’t just settle for the first one you see though, walk around the block and find the best deal. My favorite? Chicken over rice with a drink for just $5. You can also get gyros, wraps, hot dogs, sausages, burgers, pretzels, and falafel. Best thing? It’s all tax included, so the price you see is all you’ll be paying.

I’ve also gotta mention grocery stores. If you want something healthier and faster, many of the grocery stores and food markets have cafes. My favorite is Whole Foods Market. I love their pizza – heated fresh in a brick oven. It’s by the pound, but a typical serving usually costs around $3. That even leaves room for you to check out their desserts – the cupcakes at $1.89 each are best. They also have salad bars and hot food, if you want something else, and everything is healthy and fresh.

I always find the cheapest unique food in the ethnic districts. My tip is to look for places without tourists. Even if you’ll be pointing at the food you want because you don’t speak the language, you’ll get the best authentic food for your buck. I suggest Tai Pan Bakery on Canal Street. They have a range of Chinese buns and rolls, most at $1 each. I grab a steamed chicken bun and a hot dog roll (sort of like a large pig in a blanket). Only $2 total, and tax included. They also have mini-cakes for dessert, also just $1 each.

These fun eating out adventures drastically cut down on money you spend eating, and you can still get a wonderful range of great tasting food.

Unique Sculpture

You don’t need to go to the MoMA or Guggenheim for art. Downtown Manhattan features many unique and interesting sculpture designs as centers for public places. City Hall Park features rotating artists’ collections. My favorite sculpture is the Balloon Animal Flower sculpture by Jeff Koons.

Jeff Koons is an established artist who studied painting. While waiting for his art career to take off, he worked on Wall Street as a stock broker. He gained recognition in the 1980’s, and set up a NYC studio in SoHo. He is known for giant recreations of objects – especially balloon animals. His balloon animal sculptures are made from highly polished painted metal to give them the appearance of a clear, inflated balloon.

Jeff Koons’ sculpture, “Balloon Flower”, is the centerpiece for a park at the base of the newly reconstructed World Trade Center 7 building. The sculpture is mirror-polished red stainless steel and resembles a balloon twisted into the shape of a flower.

In my opinion, seeing this sculpture here is better than checking out work at the museums throughout the city. There is no heavy admission price tag (sometimes $20+), and you can touch and take pictures with this sculpture.

The South Street Seaport

I wanted to kick off my blog with one of my favorite places in New York City. The South Street Seaport is a designated historic district and is home to some of the oldest architecture in Downtown Manhattan. The seaport is home to the world-famous Bodies exhibit, the Seaport Museum, and many cruise lines. It’s been commercially designed to cater to tourists, but you can get the experience by avoiding the big ticket activities.

The seaport is a gorgeous place to just walk around. Beware! Many of the shops are stores are priced with tourists in mind. However, you can almost always catch some talented street performers. Just walk down Fulton Street. You’ll see your favorite mall stores like Abercrombie, Guess, and Gap, but they’re in quaint, historic looking buildings. It’s a welcome change from the city skyscrapers and cold metal. What I love most about the seaport is how different it is to the fast of Manhattan. If the cars and fast pace have your head spinning, this will definitely be the respite you need.

For the theatre student trying to see shows without orchestra ticket prices, the Broadway TKTS booth is hidden in the South Street Seaport. This is a great place to snag Broadway discount tickets, but you can only get them for the same day -no ordering in advance. You’ll find ticket prices reduced by more than 60%. You can call ahead or look online for which shows might be available.

In my opinion, skip the expensive restaurants and find the food court of Pier 17. You’re paying typical fast food prices now, but the food court eating area overlooks my very favorite view in the city – the Brooklyn Bridge and skyline. If you haven’t seen it, you need to. Pier 17 also has a three story outdoor observation deck that seems to be accessible 24/7. I’ve been there at all hours of the day and have never been told to leave. My suggestion? Make some hot chocolate and snacks and have a midnight picnic on the third level deck with your closest friends.

~Lisa

UNIQUE NEWYORK – An Introduction

To introduce myself, my name is Lisa and I am a Pace University student. New York City is the most engaging, exciting place to live. I have tried to venture out into the less-known, less touristy areas of the city to find the best locations.



In this blog, I wanted to write about some of the things I have found. Most of my adventures are geared towards college students living on the college student budget of basically no spare cash. I’ll send you to a lot of places that won’t charge admission or cost a penny. I’ll also take you to some of the seemingly expensive places, and help you get the experience for much less money. You’ll find a mix of paces here, ranging from suggested day trips to one of the city neighborhoods to non-tourist spins on stereotypical spots.

Of course, all of these places are best visited with friends, so get a group together, bring a camera, and learn a bit more about Unique New York!