Every day from fourth to eighth period, the majority of Baruchians venture outside the glass doors of Baruch College Campus High School and take flight out into the real world for 45 minutes to consume sustenance.
As high school students, we are often in pursuit of nourishment for our growing bodies; however, being situated in the Flatiron district poses a financial threat to the pockets of the youth. In between the new Pressed Juicery, which sells sickeningly-expensive açai bowls, and constant costly Starbucks runs, one might feel their wallet being beat on and drained more and more every day.
Rejoice! For we, your 411 Press fairy-food-godmothers, have come to the rescue with this list of cheap eats, all within walking distance from our school.
Mikes Cart
Starting off strong, a fan favorite and perhaps the closest to school, is Mikes Cart. It’s just across the street – ideal for quick lunch runs. The blue truck in front of the Sony building is hard to miss and has both stellar prices and portion sizes that will leave you satisfied.
Mike and his crew sell delicious tacos with several meat options for $2.50 each, burritos and burrito bowls for $9.00—a steal when compared to the nearby Chipotle—and our pick: the $3.00 grilled cheese.
DiDi Dumpling
If you’re in the mood for cheap Asian food, look no further than DiDi Dumpling. A small lo mein costs no more than $4 – and small is truly an understatement as they have large portion sizes.
We recommend you drench your noodles in the provided sauces.
Little Italy
This list would not be complete without one of the most reliable and prevalent NYC foods: pizza. As far as we know, there are two habitable pizza places near Baruch: Andiamo Pizza and Little Italy. Sadly, only Little Italy makes this list as Andiamo Pizza pizzas come in at around five dollars per slice – way too expensive. At Little Italy, you can get any pizza slice of your choice for only three dollars — and there are many options!
711
For Baruchians in search of even cheaper pizza, we recommend checking out the 711 on 23rd and Park, which has an amazing deal of two pizza slices and any 20 oz. Coca-Cola or Pepsi products for only $3! Folks, these prices cannot possibly be passed up.
Salt and Pepper
Salt and Pepper is arguably the most popular deli amongst Blue Devils, and one can often find it frequented by all grades and sometimes teachers getting their lunch.
Although by our standards, Salt and Pepper’s more popular items, such as the Bacon Egg and Cheese Sandwich and the BLT (which are both around $6) are not cheap enough to make the list, they do have a cheap supply of one of the most reliable foods known to mankind: ramen. They also have a hot water dispenser so one can cook their own noodles right there in the store.
The Halal Kitchen Cart
Behold, the finale of this list is our personal favorite – the Halal Kitchen Cart. There are many food carts serving Halal dishes in the school’s vicinity, but the one on 23rd between Park and Lexington near Kung Fu Tea has our hearts. A chicken-over-rice complete with a salad, fries and a drink costs a mere $8.
Chicken can be substituted with a variety of tasty alternatives such as lamb, shrimp, fish, or falafels and rice can be substituted for pita bread. The sizes here are large and perfect for splitting with a rat friend.
After countless dollars wasted and trips to places that require spending more money than we have, we can now share advice with fellow broke Baruchians: stop getting your daily Starbucks and instead, head over to Mikes for an iced coffee. Stop breaking the bank at Whole Foods, Pret a Manger and Cava. Support local carts, spend less and enjoy more!
