5 Reasons Why I Love Going to School in New York

Here are just 5 reasons why I love going to school in New York- and trust me, there are definitely more than 5!

1. Manhattan is just a short ride away from the Bronx. Whether you take the Ram Van, the Metro North, the D-train, or maybe even the bus, there are so many ways to get in and out of Manhattan.  Not only does this allow you to participate in incredible internship and research opportunities, you get to explore the most incredible city in the world on the weekends for some pretty cheap prices!

2. Broadway and musical entertainment are all literally right there.  I'm a musical theatre freak, and I love going to see shows on Broadway.  As a student of a New York based university, I can show my Fordham ID and get student pricing on tickets to various shows, whether they're Broadway related or not.  Within the last year I've been lucky enough to see The Phantom of the Opera, Gigi, On the Town, and The Christmas Spectacular! Another huge perk of being a Fordham student is having access to the Lincoln Center campus, where there is always some type of performance going on that is Fordham related!  Plus, you only have to go to one place to see the ballet, the opera, or an art exhibit! I also recently went to see Jessie James Decker (wife of New York Jets wide receiver Eric Decker and mom of two really cute kids) at The Cutting Room and even got to grab selfies with Jessie, Eric, and Nick Folk (New York Jets kicker)!

Selfies with On the Town star and famous ballerina Misty Copeland and So You Think You Can Dance winner Ricky Ubeda!

My friend and I with Jessie James Decker, Eric Decker, and Nick Folk!

3. The food.  I love New York because anywhere you go you'll find some incredible food, even in the most obscure places!  Whether you're looking for a fancy dinner or a quick fix, you'll find something incredible on any street in the city.  Going to school in the city has really opened me up to trying new things, and I love going on adventures to new places!  Just a few weeks ago I went to Butter for dinner (shout out to my Gossip Girl fans) and it was mind-blowing how delicious the food was.  And I can't get enough of the Wafels & Dinges at the food truck across the street from the Lincoln Center campus. (Disclaimer: When you see the picture below, your mouth will water)

I warned you that your mouth would water!

4. Education + the City = Perfection.  It's pretty common for a professor to assign a project involving venturing into the city.  I've spent countless hours in the Metropolitan Museum of Art with friends who need to go see pieces for art history classes, and it's opened me up to a whole new appreciation for art and the vast history behind the donated pieces.  Last spring I even had a professor send me to see a movie at the Lincoln Plaza Cinemas, known for playing indie and cultural films, as a part of my final exam for the class!  There are also so many incredible internship opportunities available to students who go to school in New York, especially when you have an alumni network as incredible and well-rounded as Fordham's!

5. Holiday Celebrations.  It's no secret that New York goes all out for holiday occasions, and the city never disappoints.  The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is a staple to my family's holiday celebrations, and although we only watch it on TV I've seen the prep that goes into making those floats possible, and it's incredible!  Walking around 5th Ave during the Christmas season, which just so happens to be finals time, is also one of my favorite things to do on a study break, because even though I can't afford anything there, the window displays are always decorated to perfection!  There's ice skating at Rockefeller Center, the tree, the shops at Bryant Park, and so much more to go and see in the city during Christmastime, plus it gives you the opportunity to take a break from the books and enjoy the city that we are so lucky to call home.  In the Bronx, the Zoo and Botanical Gardens light up the night with beautiful displays for the holiday season! 

The Christmas tree at Tiffany & Co. on 5th Ave

My roommate and I at Rockefeller Center last Christmas season!

Weekend Update

Anna Romagnoli

This past weekend was the end of our spring break at Fordham. I spent this last week in West Palm Beach, FL with my two roommates. It was great to relax, enjoy the warm weather and spend time at the beach. Now that we are back, we are excited to enjoy spring and the rest of our last semester at Fordham!

My roommate and me enjoying the beautiful weather

Erica Restaino

Over Spring Break, I went on a Gabelli School of Business Study Tour to Santiago, Chile! In addition to exploring the city, we attended lectures at a Chilean Jesuit University and visited several companies. Since the Chilean economy is largely connected to its copper export, one of our visits was to Codelco's El Teniente Copper Mine, which is the largest copper mine in the world. It was quite the experience to go into a copper mine and see how the whole mining process works from start to finish. After the cold winter at Fordham, it felt so great to spend a week in the sun and the heat!

Some of us in all our mining gear

Danielle Smith

While I was sad to see Spring Break end I was happy to get back to Fordham to see my friends. Before my parents headed back home after dropping me off at school we stopped at Palumbo Bakery on Arthur Avenue for delicious pastries!

We love all the colorful treats

Weekend Update

Amazing architecture

Megan McLaughlin

This weekend I headed to one of my favorite spots in NYC: the Cloisters. Located at the very top of Manhattan in Fort Tryon Park, the Cloisters is a medieval museum housed in five medieval French abbeys reassembled into a single building. It's like a tiny piece of Europe that’s accessible by the A train.

Who says you can't eat cheap in New York?

Madeline McDermott

On Friday, I used an Amazon local deal to get half-off brick oven pizza in Manhattan at a restaurant named L'asso. Afterward, I went to support my friend and fellow Ram Nicole do stand-up comedy at The Village Lantern in Soho.

Caroline McCue
This past weekend, I went to the New York Philharmonic at Lincoln Center!  My Grandma is a big fan of the Philharmonic and had two extra tickets.  I brought my best friend and roommate, Lauren.  We got all dressed up and went to dinner at PJ Clarke's, right across from the theatre.  The Philharmonic was an orchestra made up of mostly string instruments and it was truly beautiful, the music was so relaxing!  It was a great night filled with friends, food and music, and I would recommend going before you graduate!

Enjoying a beautiful performance

Caroline Lebranti

Loved catching up in Philly

One of the best parts about studying abroad is becoming friends with people from schools all over the country. This past weekend I took the bus down to Philadelphia with a couple of friends to have a study abroad reunion. Lucky for me, Fordham is so close to great transportation options that visiting them is almost too easy! We did all things touristy like visited the Philadelphia Museum of Art (and ran up the Rocky steps), went ice skating at Penn’s Landing, saw Independence Hall, and even went to a Kevin Devine (a Fordham alum!) concert at the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia. It was a great weekend and made me realize how easy it is to take weekend trips out of NYC. Places like Philly or New Haven and plenty of skiing or hiking trails in upstate New York are about two hours away, and Boston and Washington DC are about four hours away. It’s unlikely that you’ll ever find yourself sick of NYC, but it’s nice to know that the option to get away is always there!

College students love the snow too!

Claire McGonigle

After track practice on Saturday, my friends and I wanted to spend a little time together and relax so we decided to play in the snow! After a busy week of school work, it was fun to be together and do something silly. Another group of people were building a fort so we all decided to get a snowball fight going which was great!

That One Year We Learned to Cook...

Yum!

Family dinners with friends!

This past fall, I moved into Walsh Hall for my junior year and opted not to get a meal plan because each room in this apartment-style residence hall has its own kitchen. My roommates and I were eager to learn how to live like *real* adults and prepare each meal ourselves.

The challenge over the summer before move-in was coordinating who would bring what – we didn't understand what we would need and quickly realized we needed to figure out some system of dividing the purchases to avoid all bringing the same thing. Even so, when we settled in at the start of the year, we still somehow managed to each bring pans but forget to bring a paper towel holder…

Fresh pasta from Arthur Ave.

Staying cozy during the snowstorm.

My friends and I heard anecdotes from others about how difficult sharing an apartment could be, but we never really felt the stresses of having both private and public space to take care of, especially since we were already so close before moving in together. We quickly figured out a schedule as to when each person would be responsible for making dinners, washing dishes, cleaning various parts of the apartment, and even making the communal pot of coffee in the morning! It suddenly felt like we were our own little family, and, when our own families came to visit, they were always pleasantly surprised at how responsibly we managed our home away from home.

Dining hall trip!

Every so often, I still stop by the Marketplace – the buffet-style dining hall in McGinley – for a quick bite if I’m in a rush between classes or if I’m meeting a friend. In some ways, I really miss the convenience of on-campus dining (and I really did grow quite fond of the steamed veggies over rice at the vegan station!), but having my own kitchen and being able to make my own meals inevitably made me feel a lot more capable of taking care of myself. This year, my roommates and I learned to grocery shop, pick out fresh produce, make tons of healthy meals, and really bonded over this new level of maturity that we’ve reached.  

Burger night!

Sitting down for a “family” dinner at the end of a long day of classes will always be one of my most cherished Fordham memories.

Weekend Update

Linda Mule

This weekend, I had the ultimate lazy Saturday! Upon waking up to a still snowy campus, I took a 2 PM Metro North (Saturday and Sunday CityTicket is only $4!!!!) to Grand Central with my friends to check out to the most popular brunch spot in all of SoHo: Jack's Wife Freda. After only a few stops via the 6 Subway, we arrived at the cutest little cafe. We were seated among the hustle and bustle, and knew what we wanted immediately. I ordered the spicy shakshuka, an Israeli breakfast dish of baked eggs in a spicy sauce, and delicious lattes. We were served promptly and ate rapidly. After our late lunch, my friends and I made our way back on the Metro North for the quick trip back to Fordham where we watched movies and enjoyed the heat of the Residence Halls (who were busy preparing for the Super Bowl festivities for Sunday- wings anyone?).

My delicious shakshuka and latte

Nicole Pieri
It's been extremely cold in New York for the past few days so I spent this weekend mostly trying to stay warm in my dorm. On Friday and Saturday, my roommates and I had movie nights. On Sunday, I spent a lot of the day in the library reading and writing for some of my classes. There's a possibility of a snow day coming this week, but this weekend gave me the opportunity to stay ahead on my work.

Not a bad view

Kaitlyn McWha

This weekend, my friends and I got together and watched the Super Bowl in one of my friend's dorm rooms. We had tons of snacks, and we also ended up ordering a pizza! Fordham always has a lot going on, but sometimes it's fun to stay inside on a cold night with some good friends. I had a great time watching the Super Bowl with my friends on Sunday, and I already cannot wait for next year's game!

Our little watch party

Weekend Update: Thanksgiving Edition

Sara Power

Unfortunately I was not really home for the holidays; however, I definitely made up for it throughout my Sunday! I spent the morning picking out a tree with my family and then travelling back to the Bronx, where my roommate and I got into the Christmas spirit! We've filled our apartment with ivy, holly, cinnamon sticks, bows, miniature trees, you name it! These rams are ready to spread some Yuletide cheer as is the rest of campus, which is currently wrapped up like a present. Christmas is a wonderful time of the year, but Fordham has a particularly infectious holiday spirit that is sure to get every student excited!

Even a little Christmas tree can spread a lot of cheer!

Allison Misciagno-Bergin

This weekend, my friends and I hosted "friends-giving" in our apartment. We cooked all sorts of delicious thanksgiving food: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and more. We also made custom appetizers with ingredients from our favorite Arthur Ave stores like Casa de la Mozzarella. Overall a great time spent celebrating with friends.

Some of our delicious Friends-giving food!

Deirdre Hynes

I spent the holiday weekend in New Jersey with family, enjoying a delicious Thanksgiving dinner, quality time with my little cousins, and some free time before the last few busy weeks of the semester!

You're never too old for arts and crafts!

Weekend Update

Heather Richards

This past weekend I took a bus to Washington DC to visit my family. They flew in from Chicago to see the Andrew Wyeth art exhibit at The National Gallery of Art. We spent the weekend exploring a couple of museums, eating food, and hanging out together at the house. I really enjoyed the opportunity to see my family, sleep in, read, and explore DC!

A good book and a hot drink make for a very relaxing day

Nicole Pieri

This weekend I focused most of my time on finishing school work before Thanksgiving break. It was very relaxing to stay on campus with the beautiful fall scenery and take my time with my work after a busy week. I was able to finish my work and catch up on my sleep, which was much needed, so it was quite an enjoyable weekend!

I love exploring our beautiful campus

Erica Restaino

This weekend, I met up with some friends from high school. We all go to different colleges in NYC, so we like to meet up every so often. This weekend, we went to Ellen's Stardust Diner. At Ellen's, the waiters and waitresses are aspiring actors and actresses trying to get onto Broadway, so they sing while you eat. It was a ton of fun, and the food was great!

The talented staff at Ellen's Stardust Diner

Club Spotlight! Fordham Student Culinary Council

SCC Members during their Club Fair!

One club that is unique to Fordham is the Fordham Student Culinary Council. They serve as a liaison between Sodexo, Fordham’s food supplier, and Fordham’s students. Because members of the club serve as liaisons between the company and the Fordham community at large, they actually get paid! The members have a choice between receiving either Declining Balance Dollars (also known as DCB; students can use these at any of our retail locations on campus like Cosi or Panda Express) or a check for their work. Within the club, there are five different committees: the Marketplace, Marketing, Nutrition, Sustainability, and Retail. Each of these committees consists of a group of students to discuss innovative ideas for how to improve their specific areas. 

One of my friends, Allie St. Angelo, serves on the Executive Board as the Nutrition Committee Co-Chair. As the Nutrition Co-Chair, she has biweekly meetings with Sodexo management to talk about updates from her weekly committee meetings. Her group is in charge of making campus have as many nutritious and healthy options as possible. She also works with Melanie Ordway, Fordham’s registered dietitian. The dietitian is one of Fordham Dining’s many resources to help students live a healthy lifestyle.

The famous Smoothie Bike!

She told me about one of their upcoming events. In a couple of weeks, they will have a Thanksgiving Dinner in the Marketplace. They will set up tables with different traditional Thanksgiving foods as well as fun Thanksgiving-themed activities. They might even bring out the Smoothie Bike! This is a bike that powers a blender, so you can make a smoothie while you exercise. Personally, I can’t wait for the SCC Thanksgiving dinner. SCC always puts on delicious, fun events that I look forward to. Last year, I even won a Google Nexus 7 tablet during a Scavenger Hunt that they put on!

Another fun event put on by SCC - a cupcake decorating contest!

Follow @fordhamSCC and @fordham_dining on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to hear about what they’re doing and see pictures of all their events!

All photos in this article are courtesy of @fordhamSCC on Instagram.

Weekend Update

It's never a bad idea to bring home cupcakes!

Danielle Smith

This weekend I took a trip back home to Long Island to visit my family. To get home I generally take the Ram Van into the Lincoln Center campus and then walk to Penn Station. On my walk to Penn Station, I passed a Baked by Melissa where I bought cupcakes to surprise my family (and have a few myself)! I loved spending time with my family and they were especially grateful that I brought home cupcakes.

Expressions Dance Alliance takes on the Botans

Gianna Rosamilia

This weekend Expressions Dance Alliance had their biannual photo shoot for their recital at the end of the fall semester. Some of the girls from the company got together and walked over to the Botanical Gardens to take pictures to promote the show, "Dreamers". The Gardens are absolutely beautiful this time of year. The weather was perfect, and it was an incredible day to spend outside with everyone. Not only did we take some awesome pictures for flyers and footage for our promo video, but we got to enjoy the gorgeous scenery of New York's Botanical Gardens, which is free to enter with a Fordham ID! EDA's show this semester takes place at 8 PM on November 21 and 22 in Collins Auditorium, and features student-choreographed lyrical, jazz, contemporary, and tap dances!

Great food, great sights, and great fun!

Emily Tanner

This past weekend I went to ‘Broadway Bites’ in Greeley Square Park! It features a bunch of different vendors of the yummiest food in NYC, from Italian to Mexican to Thai, even some baked goods! It’s called a ‘pop- up market’ and will be on Broadway until November 15th. I had a super fun time in Manhattan with my friends trying all of the different cuisines and just hanging out in the best city in the world.

We loved the laser show

Kirsten Simons

This Friday after work, some friends and I went to get dinner at City Bakery in Chelsea. We had incredibly delicious hot chocolate with our meal and then headed to Brooklyn for the New York Festival of Lights. The festival took place under the Brooklyn Bridge, and it was incredibly fun. The festival featured art from several different artists, all of which centered around lights of all kinds, everything from Christmas tree lights and lasers to fluorescent lights and projections on the side of the bridge.

A beautiful trail at the Botanical Gardens

Anna Romagnoli

This past weekend I took a study break in the Botanical Gardens right across the street from the Rose Hill campus.  It is free for Fordham students and a great place to go on a walk or run and enjoy the fall weather!

Weekend Update

Beautiful decor in Ed's Chowder House

Caroline McCue

This weekend I made time to meet my grandparents in the city and meet them for lunch in Lincoln Center!  One of the best parts of Fordham is its proximity to Manhattan!  I hadn't seen my grandparents since Easter, so it was awesome to reunite with them!  We went to a great restaurant about 5 minutes away from the Lincoln Center campus called Ed's Chowder House.  It is on top of the Empire Hotel and is absolutely gorgeous!  Here, I had their signature clam chowder and a side Caesar salad.  Seafood always reminds me of my home of Massachusetts, so it was awesome to be able to catch up with them and have a taste of home at the same time.

A lovely night spent in Bryant Park

Allison Misciagno-Bergin

This weekend, it was my friend's birthday and we all went into the city for sushi. It was a nice break from the hectic pace of classes and internships before midterms began. We ended up getting some Ben and Jerry's and sitting in Bryant Park talking for a few hours. It was truly a beautiful sight with amazing friends. It's crazy to that that this park is only 20 minutes away by train from the comfort of my dorm room.

Looking forward to our production of Spamalot

Cerisse Gabion

This weekend was a theatrical one for me. I was recently cast in the ensemble for The Mimes and Mummer's production of Spamalot and we just had our first rehearsal and read-through on Saturday. It was an absolutely hilarious and fun-filled time and I am looking forward to working with my talented cast-mates to put on a great show in November! After that, I attended a Verbal Essences show, one of Fordham Experimental Theatre's umbrella clubs that focuses on Spoken Word performances. To have been in such an intimate environment like the Blackbox Theatre in Collins Hall and being able to listen to some of my peers pour out their emotions in beautiful poetry was a great way to end my Saturday.

Shannon Donovan

Great food, great location

This weekend I went home to spend Columbus Day with my family.  We went out to breakfast at the Irish Coffee Shop on McLean Avenue in Yonkers.  It was great to catch up with them and enjoy a delicious meal.  Just 10 minutes away from Fordham, this is one of the endless food options to explore here!

Caroline Dunn

Enjoyed a great meal and even better company at Dig Inn

I took advantage of Monday’s holiday and went home to Philadelphia for the weekend. I returned to NYC Monday afternoon just in time to meet up with my sister for lunch. She lives on the Upper East Side but works in finance about five blocks away from Grand Central. We tried a new restaurant called, Dig Inn Seasonal Market. Dig Inn is designed in a similar layout to Chipotle in which customers choose the individual components of their meal. The restaurant offers farmer-to-table options that are locally grown and serviced in house. Customers have the option of choosing which proteins they would like served on either a green, like arugula, or a grain, like brown rice. Meals also include a choice or two or three hot or cold sides. Dig Inn’s sides change seasonally, featuring spaghetti squash and pumpkin quinoa for the fall. With most meals costing just $10, Dig Inn is a quick, affordable and healthy spot to grab lunch while in the Grand Central area or near their eight other Manhattan locations.

Fordham Foodies

Our late afternoon snack from Palombo's

One of Fordham's identifying features is of course the fact that it is located alongside Arthur Ave (aka the best Little Italy has to offer). However, food can get costly and so most students choose to venture into its heart when parents visit. For those of us working on a budget, there are still some awesome places on Arthur Ave, and just off it, to get some grade-A Fordham grub. Here are a few of my favorites!

Palombo's is ram-renowned for its desserts. They have quite the array, ranging in traditional Italian delicacies to the more run-of-the-mill brownies and cakes. It's one of the more affordable places on Arthur especially since they offer students a 10-15% discount off their final orders! Just last week, I caught up with my sister who also attends Fordham, over coffee and cake. With outdoor seating, it is the perfect place for a late afternoon meet up.

Simon's sweet potato fries in all their greasy glory

Next on my list is Bellini's: just off Arthur but just as amazing as its better-located fellow eateries. A particular favorite for students there is the Penne Alla Vodka slice, which is essentially your typical pizza amped up with pasta (ACTUAL PASTA) sprinkled on top. Yes: it is indeed as amazing as it sounds.

Just a block or two over from Bellini's is Simon's Deli, home to the best milkshakes the Bronx has to offer. Options include your classic chocolate and vanilla but can get as inventive as Cap'n Crunch or Vanilla Apple Pie. It doesn't hurt that they also have some of the best burgers around, not to mention their sweet potato fries.

Life lesson from Pugsley's: "Pizza is good, but love is it"

Last on my list is the heart and soul of Fordham students' dining experience: Pugsley's. The act of dining there is quite the experience. The walls are adorned with random pieces of art that seem to encompass the quirky spirit that students so associate with their college experience. It is quite literally, the stuff of sitcom legends, our very own MacLaren's Pub. Though it is closed during the summer, it is one of the first places students line up at to reunite in the early fall over a slice of pizza or their legendary chicken roll.

These are just a few of the Fordham hot spots for eating off campus. In order to find out more, you'll just have to adventure yourself!