With a population of 50,000, The Little Apple is not the biggest town ever. But, CNN's Money Magazine rated Manhattan as one of the ten best places to retire young.

But what about a place to live in while young, when looking toward beginning employment, rather than ending it?

Manhattan actually holds more fun, cheap places than most students would expect. Not all of these hot spots are well-advertised, but that's the fun of it. That is what makes them Manhattan's best-kept secrets.

1)    CALL HALL DAIRY BAR

My Spanish II teacher talked about Call Hall every single day. Not even kidding. Though the class made fun of her when she wasn't listening, one trip to Call Hall will make it clear: this little business is worth talking about.

Call Hall offers a daily menu of breakfast, lunch and dinner items, cheese and meat gift boxes and the item the small business is most famous for across campus: locally made ice cream, in more than 35 flavors.

Kimberly Yates, a Manhattan resident, said her family buys all of their eggs, meat and cheese at Call Hall.

"It's really inexpensive, it's available and it's local," Yates said. "The fact that it's local is really the biggest thing for me; we're not driving cows across the country."

Margaret Fober, a visitor from South Carolina, said she could only visit a few places in Manhattan since she was here for just one day.  She picked Call Hall as one place to visit because she'd heard good things about the shop earlier this year.

"I think a lot of people are interested not only in the local foods movement, but also in eating healthy, and I tend to feel like this ice cream is made in a healthy fashion," Fober said.

Yates said she agreed.

"Yeah, not a lot of chemicals and additives," she said.

"And it's delicious; yum," Fober said with a laugh. "If they can figure out a way to pump the calories out, they've got me."

Call Hall Dairy Bar is located at 144 Call Hall.

2)    BIG BLUE RIVER

The Big Blue River, or Blue River, as it is commonly known, is a useful area for a myriad of outdoor activities.

The river itself is available for swimming, canoeing and more. A tree on one point of the river offers a rope swing. Also, it can be relaxing to simply grab a friend and an inner tube and float down the river.

Alongside the river, trails offer opportunities for trail bikers, walkers and runners, while jumps and ramps in cleared areas are great for BMX bikers to practice their tricks.

The Blue River flows along the southeast side of Manhattan, behind Aldi, 140 E. Poyntz Ave., and discharges its waters northeast of Manhattan at Tuttle Creek Lake.

3)    T*H*E BAKERY

Whether you're craving a monster cookie during the stress of finals or a warm cinnamon roll to start your day, T*H*E Bakery is the place to go.

In addition to its many to-go items, T*H*E Bakery offers decorated cakes, special-order items and deliveries with online ordering.

Also, with every $2 purchase at T*H*E Bakery, customers receive a coupon for 50 cents off any movie rental at Quik Cats Van Zile or Quik Kats Kramer.

Robin Hochella, graduate student in counseling and student development, said she uses coffee and tea from T*H*E Bakery to help her stay awake while doing homework.

Hochella said she has also experienced T*H*E Bakery's array of foods at city events.

"I really enjoyed the cookies, and the cinnamon buns with the icing are awesome," she said. "They're huge but delicious."

THE Bakery is located in the lobby of Derby Dining Center.

4)    DOLLAR TREE

While this store is not unique to the city of Manhattan, it may be new to some incoming students.

The beauty of Dollar Tree is super-simple: every item is only $1.

While this may sound like a store that only offers corny, cheaply made items, Dawn Nelson, a Manhattan resident, said she finds many useful household items at Dollar Tree, from Febreeze air freshener to ice-cold summer treats.

A few examples of items offered at Dollar Tree: picture frames, flip-flops, scissors, face wash, window cleaner and plastic silverware.

Dollar Tree is located at 624 Tuttle Creek Blvd.

5)    WARNER PARK

This 82-acre park is definitely one of Manhattan's best-kept secrets. Whenever I go with friends, it is a surprise to encounter more than one person per hour.

With the exception of a few amenities – a covered shelter, grills and man-made trails – the park has been left mostly undeveloped. In fact, it offers one of the largest expanses of undeveloped open space in Manhattan, according to the parks and recreation department.

Novelty attractions include a stone table with three attached seats, hilly, forested trails reminiscent of those found in the Rocky Mountains and, currently underway, a life-size replica of a mounted U.S. Calvary trooper.

Warner Park is located at the end of Warner Park Road in southwestern Manhattan.