Tag Archives: NYC

Alternative Thanksgiving Plans in NYC

Now that Halloween has passed, we are onto the next holiday…Thanksgiving! I myself am not from the East coast and can rarely go home for the holidays, so here are some things you can do to celebrate the festivities while away from home and family.

FIT Residential Life Thanksgiving Feast

Res-life always hosts a Thanksgiving dinner for students that stay in the city for the holiday. Take advantage of a free meal and hang out with friends on campus.

Thanksgiving Day Parade

This Nov. 28th will be the 92nd annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade celebration. Come celebrate an iconic and historic NYC event along with the rest of the city either in person or live on TV. If you want, you can go the night before to watch the balloons get inflated as well.

Bryant Park’s Winter Village

Bryant Park is a wonderful place to stroll through and take a look at all the holiday gift and food shops. This is a great place to look out for that perfect present or to get a cheap bite. There is also the the skate rink which as free admissions but costs $20 to rent skates. It gets cold on the ice so make sure to bring gloves and a jacket.

Friends-giving

Gather a group of friends to have a home cooked (or ordered out) “family” meal. You can make it a potluck to make the menu easier on whoever is hosting, but make sure to contribute something to the group.

(Window) Shop around on black Friday

There are so many online and in store deals to take advantage of. Check off all your Christmas list items or just peruse. You can also stop by the famous Macy’s window displays at Herald Square along your way.

Volunteer with New York Cares

New York Cares is the largest volunteer network in NYC that has opportunities in all 5 boroughs. It requires a quick and simple orientation but after that you are free to sign up for as many volunteer opportunities as you’d like, spanning from gardening to child and senior care to tax prep.

Explore the changing season at Central Park

Get a breath of fresh air at one of the many parks around NYC. Central Park will be showcasing the full force of Autumn with its beautiful foliage. Grab a bite to eat and walk around to one of the many locations in CP, such as the skate rinks, the CP zoo, the boat launches, or the Bethesda fountain.

Visit a Zoo

Prospect Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, and Central Park Zoo are all open the day of Thanksgiving. Tickets for all three locations are $13 (unfortunately they do not offer a student discount). View animals such as exotic birds, sea lions, red pandas, grizzly bears, and snow leopards.

First Summer in NYC – Loved It!

This last summer was the first that I ever spent fully in NYC. Normally, I head back home to Seattle, WA and work while staying with my family, but not this summer. I worked full time as an intern at Tory Burch and moved into my first ever off-campus apartment in Chelsea. This summer gave me a taste of what life would be like after school – my own apartment, full time work, class-free schedule, and a summer social life.

Staying in NY for the summer was a tough decision because I rarely get to see my family and friends as things are now. Ultimately, I want to move back to the west coast for work, and I made the decision to stay in NY in hopes that it would accelerate my journey to find work back home. With every job I have in the industry here in NY, I become that much more valuable to my future employers, so the more work I can get for myself, the more likely I am to be hired elsewhere.

Living in NY for the summer was a dream, other than the weather (I am not a warm/humid weather person in the slightest). As I said, I continued work at Tory Burch with my wonderful team full time. Working full time in an office environment and a team that I love was a new experience for me entirely, but I can’t wait to get back to working full time once I graduate. Not having classes also meant that when the weekend rolled around, I could actually relax and have fun without having to block out any time to work on homework. Basically, I actually got to have a life out of FIT which was new for me.

NYC is also a wonderful place to explore with friends over the summer. There are so many events going on that you can find something to do without even planning on it. Looking back on my time here over the summer, it has made me realize that I want to live in NY after graduating because I feel that the city is meant to be lived in when you are young, and if I left to go back home, I don’t think that I would ever come back to live here. NYC is willing to give you the life of your dreams if you let it.

NYC Pride 2019 near the Stonewall Inn

Far Rockaway Beach

NY Yankees Game

Pizza with friends in the park

Sexual Assault Awareness Walk + Resource Fair

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April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and FIT, as well as SUNY, is joining the One Love Foundation campaign to go “Around the World for Yeardley” in honor of Yeardley Love and other victims and survivors of relationship abuse. SUNY campuses across the state will organize campus Yards for Yeardley campaigns with the goal of reaching 50 million yards.

The walk will begin and end in the Breezeway, with a loop around the FIT block. There will be giveaways, prizes, and snacks for participants! Be sure to take a lap and enter to win a prize via your raffle ticket!

Make sure to stop by the Sexual Assault Awareness Resource Fair taking place from 9 am – 4 pm in the Breezeway. Join the FIT community as we take a united stand against sexual assault.

International Dance Festival

FIT will showcase the college’s dance and cultural curriculum at the International Dance Festival on April 18th at 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm.

Performances include:

Andrea Beeman (FIT faculty member) and Bani Ray, performing a fusion of Middle Eastern dance and classical Indian dance
Dana Manno and PAKA, Afro-Caribbean dance
Meira Goldberg (FIT faculty member) and flamenco ensemble (dancer, singer, guitarist)
FIT Gospel Choir
Korean Dance Group

This event is open to the public. Register here.

Welcome New Students!

FIT sent out their decision letters as of April 1st. Let me be the first to congratulate all of you who have been admitted to FIT. This is a very special moment and you should take a second to appreciate it. Attending college is a very rewarding experience that not everyone is lucky enough to be a part of. Your hard work and effort have gotten you here. Continue on with that and there is no telling where your life will take you.

Make sure that you confirm your spot within your intended major at FIT with the tuition deposit. You don’t want to be late with that, or else your spot might be taken by somebody else. Also, snap a photo of you with your acceptance letter and post it with the hashtag #FITwelcome to show off your pride. I remember receiving my admittance packet and being so full of happiness. I knew where I was finally going to go to college, and I was going to finally be living in New York City. This is definitely a moment that you should share with your family and friends.

Whether you’re staying close to home or heading across the country, FIT is excited to have you. You will make many new friends while here and will learn more than you could have imagined. This is what you have been dreaming about.