Posts Tagged ‘museum discounts’

Niche-ing New York City: Surrounding Yourself with Talent (Affordably!)

Monday, July 7th, 2025

One of the best ways to find and develop your own talent is to experience it. Living in New York City, talent surrounds us, envelops us, everywhere we go. It poses for pictures with fans just as it passes us unnoticed on the street; it exists at the top of the tallest skyscrapers and under our feet in basements and subway stations. It may be easy to miss, but it’s not hard to find when you look for it. Here are some accessible and affordable ways to surround yourself with talent in the city:

Student Rush/Lottery Broadway Tickets

My roommates and I after rushing tickets for Shucked. Only $40 for great seats!

Whether or not your niche is musical theatre, Broadway is a must-see experience for everyone – but not everyone can afford $200 tickets. Thankfully, many shows offer day-of rush tickets which, if you’re a student willing to wake up early and wait in line at the box office, can get you in for under $50. This rush schedule is a helpful tool to gauge the time and days you should get in line to secure those rush tickets. Similarly, there are online lotteries that you can enter to win tickets under $60 (including Hamilton, which offers $10 tickets – a steal!)

Script Readings

If you’re an aspiring actor, screenwriter, or playwright, script readings are a great way to experience a panel of actors and a new screenplay for free! Script Club NYC is a group that gathers for table reads at Roots Cafe every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., and writers have the chance to submit their new piece to be read in front of an audience at an upcoming Wednesday meeting! Similarly, The Drawing Board meets every 4th Monday and are taking applications for more actors, observers, and submissions.

Discounted and Free Museum Tickets

At the MoMA. Highly recommend!

Up-and-coming artists can only benefit from experiencing art up close and personal at some of the world’s most encompassing and renowned art museums – for cheap! The Metropolitan Museum of Art is pay-what-you-wish for all NYC residents, which includes out-of-state students of a NYC school. The Museum of Modern Art offers $17 student tickets every day of the week, but all New York State residents are eligible to reserve free tickets for Friday evenings from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The newly-reopened Frick Collection also offers $17 tickets to students, and pay-what-you-wish admission is offered every Wednesday from 2 to 6 p.m. NYC Tourism has a great guide to help you find more deals like these!

Free Summer Music and Dance Classes

Whether you’re a musician yourself, a dancer, an avid listener, or find your talent in niches like stage production and event management, the city’s parks are a great place to experience free music and dancing this summer! Parks across the boroughs are hosting huge artists like Grace Jones and Janelle Monáe, popular indie artists like mxmtoon, Still Woozy, and Men I Trust, and talented jazz bands like The Jimmy Heath Big Band and The Captain Black Big Band. You can also find DJ sets and dance workshops to live music. Secret NYC has an all-encompassing list of the lineup this summer!

As we’ve learned thus far in Niche-ing New York City, practicing your talent goes hand-in-hand with surrounding yourself with talents – those of your friends, your mentors, and complete strangers – and learning from those around you. Finding your niche can be difficult for a multitude of reasons: maybe you feel like you’re good at everything or you’re good at nothing, or maybe you simply haven’t heard of your talent yet, haven’t experienced it, examined it, felt a rush of adrenaline and goosebumps down your arms. In future articles, we’ll look at affordable ways to dive head-first into your talent and get your hands dirty, but for now, seeing the beauty and talent in the city around you is a great way to start!


I highly recommend the teriyaki beef rice burger from Kyuramen. Check it out and get 10% with this coupon and your student ID from Monday-Wednesday!


By Lauren Male

Lauren Male is a senior at Pace University majoring in English and Communications, with a minor in Journalism. She is pursuing Pace’s M.S. Publishing program. When she’s not reading, Lauren can be found trying new coffee shops, thrift shopping, and spending all of her money on concert tickets.


For over 25 years, the Campus Clipper has helped college students in New York City—and later in Boston and Philadelphia—save money and succeed in city life. We offer a digital coupon booklet with discounts on food, clothing, and services, plus an Official Student Guidebook with real advice on how to navigate college life in a big city. Our internship program lets students build skills, earn money, and publish their own e-books. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @CampusClipper, and sign up for our newsletter to get deals straight to your inbox. To access the digital coupons, scan the QR code on our printed card—available in dorms, student centers, and around campus.

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A List of Student Savings on NYC Cultural Treasure Troves

Saturday, July 10th, 2021


As a college student in New York City I realized that I had access to infinitely more than I had while in high school in Maryland. Suddenly I could eat anywhere, stay out  late, and spend my time doing just about whatever I wanted to do. The way I saw it, as long as I got my assignments done and went to class, I could really do whatever. 

Admittedly, the overstimulation that comes with moving to a bustling metropolis like New York City did not result in much exploration on my part. I found that being a sane human person–eating decently, sleeping enough, keeping my room tidy, maintaining clean clothes, and acing classes– was demanding enough. Furthermore I did not have an unlimited amount of money to spend. I often spent too much when I would eat out or buy a shirt from Forever21 or something. As a broke college student it didn’t take much to break my budget. 

All of these factors coalesced into an interesting and unexpected phenomenon: I became a hermit. I would go to class, eat at a cafeteria, come back to my dorm and sleep, not reemerging until it was time to eat again or do homework. Yes, I was engaging with people in classes, and–thankfully–maintaining relationships with my roommates and a few hall neighbors. But other than a party here or there and a few consumeristic weekends, I found I wasn’t able to engage with people or with the city in a substantial way. 

I had a hard time reconciling the person I was back in Maryland with the person I was in New York. Back home I was constantly exploring. I would subway around DC with friends and we would spend the day visiting museums, monuments, statues, and parks with live music. I would go to the movies constantly, often going by myself to catch matinees. The only time I got to engage with culture like that in NYC was when it was related to a class assignment. The arts had become academic. 

Besides, the culture here was so expensive, I told myself. New York movie tickets were about twice the price as those in Maryland. Museums charged steep admission fees and there wasn’t much free public green space to enjoy. With time, some friendly recommendations, and some personal exploration I found that this was not at all true. I found pockets of the arts and of culture in the downtown Manhattan area (and other places) that were free or discounted with a student ID. 



Here are a few…

The Metropolitan Museum of Art: This museum is known for offering a little bit of everything. Here you can experience art and culture from various time periods and corners of the globe. 

“Pay what you wish” policy with a NY (student) ID. $12 for non-NY students with a university ID. 

The Museum of Modern Art: This museum is a host to all kinds of contemporary art, a large portion being performance art. 

Free for students at select NY schools with ID. $14 for non-NY students with a university ID

The New Museum: This museum is known for its rotating, often groundbreaking and experimental exhibits that center themes like liberation, LGBTQ+ movements, and civil rights.

Free for students 18 and under with ID. $12 for students 19+ with a university ID


Image Credit: https://www.nordenson.com/projects/new-museum-of-contemporary-art

Cinépolis Luxury Cinemas: It’s the movies! What more can I say?

$8 movie tickets for students with a university ID

[Based on my in-person ticket buying experience]

*NYU: Free talks, panels, film screenings, art exhibitions, etc. are at your disposal as an NYU student. Join a few mailing lists and discover some of the amazing cultural moments happening on campus (and now virtually) each week. Here are a few programs to look for: Center for Multicultural Education and Programs (CMEP), Steinhardt Studio Art exhibits, Brittany Hall exhibits, and NYU Gallatin exhibits. 

Other New York colleges and universities are sure to have similar programs and bustling cultural scenes as well. Also ask around for any semi private university green spaces and other university libraries.

*Brooklyn Museum [not in Manhattan]: On the first Saturday of every month, the museum is free to all and hosts several surprises like live music, vendors, and special exhibits.

Free for students 19 and under with ID. $10 for students 20+ with a university ID 


By: Taylor Custis

Taylor Custis is a recent graduate of NYU where she made her own major because it sounded like a cool thing to do. She enjoys stories of all kinds, ethnic foods, and spiritually charged candles. She is currently located in Queens and is embarking on a career in written and visual storytelling.


For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourages them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing, and services.  At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

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