iSchool students have the great privilege of going outside of the school for lunch. As we all know, New York City is pretty pricey, but you will find a good affordable place here and there if you know where to look. 

Around the iSchool there are a diverse amount of food places to eat, although not all are student friendly, a handful of them are pretty cheap and sell good food.

Students go all kinds of ways for lunch. Though there is no ultimate best spot to get lunch, there are many places you should stop by if you have a few dollars in your pocket. The iSchool is located in Soho, which is one of the most priciest neighborhoods of New York City. Aside from Times Square, Soho is a pretty touristy area, since there are many things to do and places to shop. Let’s just say that we wish it was more student friendly.

The most popular go-to lunch for iSchoolers is the one and only 99 Cent Fresh Pizza on Canal St, which many people may have mixed opinions on, but I’m guessing they are more positive than negative. Considering a slice is only $1 and the lines are always flooding out of the store, let’s say that their pizza is pretty average. My friends have had it many times since school started, and it is not bad, but I’ve had better. The only pro would be that it saves the iSchoolers a lot of money, so you should try it if you haven’t!

Kadiza Aktar, a sophmore, added, “The lines are very long, but it’s good pizza, it’s just the lines are very long so I just don’t go as often.”

There is another pizza place on Spring Street called  Famous Ben’s Pizza, but it’s not as popular as 99 Cent Pizza. Their pizza seems more fresh and healthy; the slices are less greasy and thicker in slices. A sicilian slice, which is a plain cheese slice, costs $4.25, which is not the most affordable lunch to buy everyday. Since they are still pretty affordable but not the everyday kind of affordable, you should try them out sometime!

Castle Bloodgood, a freshman, said, “99 cent pizza is actually disgusting but it’s so cheap, Ben’s Pizza is better but it’s like 5 dollars a slice.” 

Now onto CVS, one of the best stores, it is right across the street from the iSchool, which is pretty convenient just in case you need something for an emergency, or something other than food. They have a large selection of drinks and some foods, including candy, chips, and other junk food. Students mainly go there just to buy a drink or a snack for lunch or after school. Some even just like to hang out there and look around until lunch is over. Their shelves are usually not that full most of the time, but their staff is pretty helpful at the self checkout cashiers. They don’t have the best selection of foods but it works.  

Trader Joe’s, on the other hand, is located right next to CVS. I haven’t bought anything there myself but I’ve seen that the store is really big and the isles are very stocked. Everything they sell is like their own brand and they make everything look healthier, kind of reminds me of Whole Foods. Many students do go there but the lines are always so long, even though they have many cashiers, in my opinion, there’s nothing in that store to stand in a 20 foot line for. 

Sunrise Mart, a Japanese market, a couple blocks away from the iSchool, has a variety of affordable and reasonably priced Japanese foods, drinks, sushi, and more. The store is not that big, so it looks pretty crowded since they have many sections and shelves of food that are always heavily stocked. They have a little seating area when you first walk in and a second seating area up the stairs towards the back. They are pretty hidden and tucked away, but you will not be disappointed when you find them. 

Essen Fast Slow Food is a “spacious deli for breakfast and lunch” as google described. Some students have recommended it. They have an assortment of hot and cold foods like sandwiches, salads, and even vegan options! They’re place is always pretty clean and all the food is kept fresh. Though they do pay by the pound, that is always not a good sign for price. Many reviews on google have said that the people making the food often mess up your order, but the cashiers are very friendly. There are seating areas upstairs and a small area outside. This place seems very controversial, but go if you want to take the risk go and try them sometime.

Castle Bloodgood added, “Sunrise market is good, Essen is really good, but it’s too expensive to go more than like once a week.”

Overall, these are some options to go to if you haven’t tried, but of course these aren’t the only places around the iSchool! Don’t forget to at least try everything around the school so that you can recommend places to fellow students every year. Most of all, remember to not be afraid to try new foods..