By Suzanne Zionts
New York University houses students from all over the country in its summer housing program. And after taking a bite of the Big Apple, many are hungry for seconds.
Brian Schroeder, 20, is going to be a junior at Duke University. He interned for a Broadway production company this summer and stayed at N.Y.U.’s Cliff St. dorm in Lower Manhattan. Schroeder immersed himself in New York City nightlife and culture during his two months in the city.
“The strength of Manhattan lies in its cultural diversity and the opportunities here,” he said. “Other great aspects of New York are the amazing array of theatrical productions and the networking that can take place inside and outside the office.”
The cost of living was the major drawback of living in the city, yet Schroeder plans to return next summer for a legal internship. He plans on again staying in N.Y.U. housing next summer, saying he enjoys the atmosphere.
“This ‘campus’ is definitely open to meeting more outside people. Duke is a very sheltered community compared to N.Y.U.’s diverse and spread-out campus,” he said.
Among Schroeder’s favorite places are Chelsea Market and Central Park.
“The city is anything and everything you want it to be,” he said. “You can find anything you want to do, and if you can’t find people similar to you in New York City, you are going to have a tough time in life.”
N.Y.U.’s summer housing program, which just ended, runs from the end of May to the start of August. The cost for housing, when a company is not footing the bill, is $150 if the resident is taking an N.Y.U. class and $225 a week if not taking a class. Most full summer classes (four or six credits) run $3,000 to $4,000.
Another resident of the school’s summer housing was Kerry Sweeney. She came from the University of Rhode Island for an internship. She will be going into her senior year this fall.
“I was completely impressed with N.Y.U. housing. I had two bedrooms and two bathrooms in my suite and I only had a roommate for half of the time,” said Sweeney. “It looked too good to be true.”
She felt that N.Y.U. was the total opposite of the University of Rhode Island.
“U.R.I. is in a totally rural area. It is among a bunch of farms with a quad and grass,” she said. “N.Y.U. has no real campus. You never know when you are on or off the campus.”
When she arrived she did not have a job. She spent her first few days in the city pounding the pavement.
“I applied for housing before I had an internship. I paid a deposit for three weeks and I tried to find an internship,” she said. “I went to the Empire State Building and looked for publications to work for.”
Sweeney ended up finding an internship on her first day. She interviewed with the editor and president of a company that publishes three men’s fitness magazines.
“I loved my job. I knew nothing about men’s fitness when I first started this job,” she said. “It was the best experience. I researched and edited and was published. I worked 240 hours and received six college credits.”
Sweeney feels like her experience in New York this summer was more valuable than anything she could have learned in a classroom. She plans on moving to New York when she graduates college.
“My favorite place in New York is definitely Soho. I love to watch the people,” she said. “It’s trendy and it’s calm too.”
Sweeney thought she would never be able to ride the subway. Her family and teachers were concerned about her safety, but she said that she never felt unsafe while in the city.
“I missed the beach and my family this summer,” she admitted. “It is also a lot more expensive here, even the Starbucks here are 50 cents more for the same thing, but this was still the best summer ever.”
Andrew Manser is also finishing up his summer in New York. He is going to be a senior at the University of Michigan. Manser worked for JP Morgan this summer. He was one of about 20 interns that were staying in N.Y.U. housing for free paid for by the company.
“The stock exchange was definitely my favorite part of New York,” he said. “The floor itself was not something you see everyday. JP Morgan allowed all the interns to go and see it.”
Manser spent his birthday at The Park on Tenth Ave. in Chelsea. However, he was disappointed that he couldn’t get upstairs to the third level without buying an expensive bottle of something.
His favorite locations in New York are the fountain in Lincoln Center and Columbia’s campus. He, too, plans on returning to New York after he graduates.
“The thing about New York I liked the least was certain New Yorkers don’t think there is anywhere else outside the city,” said Manser. “There is life outside of New York and people that live here tend to forget that.”
