With a new school year comes a whole new crop of people in Manhattan. Here are five tips that will make your transition into the Little Apple a little easier.
1. If you’re underage, maybe skip Aggieville.
Sure, Aggieville is great if you’re of age. There’s a different bar for every different kind of person from the laid-back atmosphere of Auntie Mae’s to the frenetic, pulsing party of Johnny Kaw’s. But for the under 21 crowd, Aggieville just doesn’t have much for you unless you enjoy two-stepping at Dirty Dawg’s or grinding away at Tubby’s.
If that’s not your scene, maybe look at making alternative weekend plans instead of being stuck in an uncomfortable and unpleasant night out.
2. The Varsity Truck loves you.
Something that gladly welcomes the drunk and sober of all ages is the Varsity Truck. A Manhattan institution that’s coming up on four years old this fall, the Varsity Truck can get you something sweet and savory after a hard weekend study session or an equally hard night in the ‘Ville. Plus, they always have classic movie and TV shows playing so you and your friends can take a load off and relax.
3. Aggieville parking is limited.
This only applies during the day. After 5 p.m., you can park as long as you’d like until 6 a.m. the next day. However, it may be really tempting when the parking garage is full and all of the parking lots around campus are filled as well to find a spot in the ‘Ville so you can rush off to class.
As long as you aren’t on campus all day that should be fine, but drivers parked anywhere for more than two to three hours (depending on the spot) are subject to be ticketed not once but multiple times in one sitting. So if you want to save yourself some dough, be sure to keep track of the time.
4. Keep your cellphones in your pocket when you’re driving.
This may be a no-brainer for most people, but Manhattan has a strict cellphone ordinance when it comes to driving. All phone activity must be completely hands-free within the city limits. Your phone can’t be up by your ear, you can’t text, tweet or check email and you especially can’t play Pokémon GO while driving, even if you’re driving by a Pikachu. Either get some kind of Bluetooth speaker or wait until you’ve arrived at your destination.
5. The Manhattan Public Library is a godsend for the broke college kid.
Cheap and free entertainment is hard to come by and with Netflix raising their rates a couple dollars and Hulu discontinuing their free service soon, the college student’s pocket is taking a beating. That’s where the library comes in. Not only are they always adding new books to their collection but you can also borrow movies and select video games from there for free.
Sure, it’s no Blockbuster in its prime, but if you’re in a pinch, a good free book and a movie can fill your weekend.
So whether you’re chowing down on a Mac ‘N Cheese Grilled Cheese from the Varsity Truck or scouring the library for your new favorite book or movie, take solace in the fact that it takes a while to become a Manhattan expert. Eventually, though, you’ll get there. Everyone does.
