Melissa Kravitz (Publisher) studies Creative Writing at Columbia University while simultaneously pursuing a degree in Jewish Studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. She has interned at Good Housekeeping and Columbia’s School of Continuing Education. Melissa has worked at Inside New York since 2009. While being New York’s most fabulous resident consumes most of her time, she also enjoys running and biking, excessive amounts of shopping, visiting museums and galleries, reading chick lit, and befriending cute puppies. Melissa considers herself NYC’s ultimate pasta expert. Check out her website or follow her twitter.

Alexis Nedd (Web Editor) and NYC are in a relationship and it’s not even complicated. She loves the city’s diverse neighborhoods, fascinating denizens, and especially its food carts; she likes to imagine that New York loves her too. In addition to writing for Inside New York 2011 and 2012, she has worked as a food tour guide in the East Village and studies Psychology and Anthropology at Columbia. In her spare time she sits in bed and updates her twitter so everyone thinks she’s actually out doing fun things.

Amy Park (Web Editor) is a senior at Columbia University studying Creative Writing. New York City is the perfect place for Amy as she loves to stroll around the city looking for new places to eat, shop, and explore. She loves to cook, bake, and play the violin. Amy has been writing for Inside New York since summer  2010. Follow her column Amy Eats to find out the new places Amy has discovered. She is also a News Production intern at NBCUniversal and Book Production intern at Scholastic, Inc. One day, she dreams of writing her own children’s books and running a food blog of her own.

Katheryn Thayer (Assistant Publisher) likes streetmeats, unlimited Metrocards, and dinner parties. To fund her addiction to food (she’s a daily user) she has worked at a chocolate company and Natural Health Magazine. Her ongoing research projects include: the city’s richest pork ramen, most flamboyant restaurateur, and booziest frozen margarita. If she finds all three at the same place, she may never leave. And, just for the record, TLC>TDL @dirty_cheap

Krishna Hegde (Features Editor) is a junior at Columbia pursuing a joint major in Philosophy and Economics. Coming from Pittsburgh, Krishna enjoys New York for all of the amenities suburban western Pennsylvania is somewhat lacking in: among them Central Park, Film Forum, free concerts and lectures, and the ability to take long runs throughout the city. At Columbia Krishna is a Residential Advisor for freshman undergraduates, and contributes to several literary and political publications around campus. He hopes to work for an NY or DC-based think tank after graduating.

 

Mahima Chablani (Neighborhoods Editor) is from Pittsburgh, PA, which is actually not Philadelphia.  She’s a junior at Columbia College, where she majors in English and is pursuing a concentration in Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies. Last summer, she interned at Sony Music Entertainment, where she breathed all things Beyoncé and Britney.  During her free time, she enjoys playing the guitar, dancing, hiking, playing ping-pong, and following her feet through NYC.

Roger Li (Dining Editor) is a student at Columbia University, prospectively pursuing a degree in political science. Having come from San Diego, a city more famous for its picturesque beaches than its arts, he loves the diverse culinary scene of the Big Apple. In his spare time, Roger enjoys trying different ethnic cuisines, watching trashy reality television, and of course, writing for Inside New York.

 

 

Hannah Kloepfer (Nightlife Editor) is a student at Columbia University majoring in French and Francophone Studies and concentrating in History. She began performing as an actress and singer in regional and community productions at a young age and has been very active in the theatre community during her time at Columbia. Hannah has been seen both on stage and behind the scenes as an actress, singer, and producer in a number of productions on campus including the Varsity Show, XMAS!, and SPEARS. Be it as a student, artist, or young New Yorker, she tries to explore all facets of New York living and wants you to do the same!

Bijan Samareh (Associate Nightlife Editor) is a rising sophomore in Columbia College, and after many not-so-existential crisises, will most likely be studying English and Film. In his free time, he enjoys watching television, attempting to go on jogs longer than an OutKast song, and writing short bios in the third person. This is his first summer working at Inside New York, and he’s excited to spend his summer writing about New York’s hottest nightlife spots. He considers himself pretty “hip with the kids”. On any given night, you can catch Bijan at some of New York’s dingiest comedy clubs, where he hopes to make an appearance after he works out the kinks in his bit about a police force purely consisting of triceratops. After graduation, he hopes to make it as a playwright/screenwriter in the New York art scene, but publishing and journalism are cool too. @BijanSamareh

Claire Heyison is a senior at Barnard College, studying French and Arabic literature, and is currently INY‘s unofficial Connecticut correspondent and m-dash abuser. She has probably seen more of New York working for INY than she had in all her 20 years living right outside of it, and is extremely grateful to Inside New York for making her go out of her way to explore. When she’s not running around reporting on various events, desserts, and concerts she can be found reading on Metro North, blogging about teaching herself to cook, and eating Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake at The Little Pie Company.

April Kelly studies Art History and English at Columbia University. She’s absolutely in love with NYC and is so excited to be writing for Inside New York. After spending last semester in Paris, she’s thrilled to be back in New York where she can gallivant in the city she calls home. When not spending her free (or not-so-free) time strolling through Riverside Park, going to art museums, searching for her next cup of coffee, and trying to get off campus for exploring, she is often found spending way too much money at Strand books, getting rush tickets to a ballet at Lincoln Center, quoting Seinfeld, or perusing the Union Square farmers/arts/holiday markets.
Favorite venues include Strand bookstore, Lincoln Center, Union Square, Central/Riverside Park, Brooklyn Bridge, MoMA, Momofuku Milk Bar.

Ashton Cooper is a senior art history major at Barnard College.  She has written for publications including Blouin Artinfo, the Columbia Daily Spectator, and currently serves as the Editor in Chief of the Eye Magazine—Columbia’s only weekly magazine.
Favorite NYC Venues: The Gutter, Glasslands, Metro Pictures, Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, Vinegar Hill House, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Absolute Bagels

 

Audrey Yung is a sophomore at New York University, working towards a major in East Asian Studies and a minor in Food Studies. Originally from California’s Bay Area, she enjoys discovering new places to relax and get good eats, and loves finding new neighborhoods in the midst of New York’s metropolitan landscape. She’s an unapologetic tea junkie. Her favorite NYC venues are: Totto Ramen, Minamoto Kitchoan, Pommes Frites, Kee’s Chocolates, City Bakery Hot Chocolate, Panya, and hopefully many more to come!

 

Out maneuvering the quarter life crisis, Averi Israel thoroughly enjoys New York City living. As a junior at Columbia University, she loves all things film, theatre, and dance. When not writing for Inside New York, Averi can often be found working on her screenplays, singing along to musical soundtracks, or exploring the city and talking about life with her lovely friends.

 

 

 

Beth Tolmach is a sophomore at Barnard College, studying English and art history. She is an aspiring writer, a DJ at WBAR, and a zine maker. She loves photography, Indian food, and thrift shopping. Her favorite areas of New York include the East Village and the promenade in Brooklyn Heights. Favorite venues: Beacon’s Closet, Vatan Indian Restaurant, Creperie NYC, Teresa’s (restaurant in Brooklyn) and the Strand Bookstore.

Brianna Clark is a native New Yorker and this is generally the first thing she says when she is asked to talk about herself. She attends NYU Tisch as a Dramatic Writing Major.  She recently completed a minor in English Literature. She graduated from Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in 2010 with an advanced regents/arts-endorsed diploma in Drama.  She also studied at the Manhattan Theatre Club, the Stella Adler Studio, and the Public Theater. She is probably the youngest member of the Shakespeare Society. Besides her dog, for whom her love is paramount, Brianna enjoys Shakespeare, Hitchcock, Dorothy Parker and thinking until her brain hurts. Also,  in no particular order: fedoras, funny tee-shirts and  repartee. Good bargains and writing that makes your heart fall out of your mouth. Tenacity and needless suffering. Praise for working hard and praise for failing. If she could have one wish, she would play Hamlet. Favorite Venues: Sammy’s Noodle House, Astoria, Odessa Cafe, the West Village

Caroline Carlson is an American Studies major at Barnard College of Columbia University in NYC.  Her greatest interests aside from writing are music and food, and since starting college the city has not yet run out of places to feed those passions.  She hopes to one day find a career that allows her to combine the three, but for the moment she’s just enjoying the journey.  She also interns with the amazing people at StudioE9.

 

Deborah Wecksell is a Film Studies major at Barnard College.  Besides immersing herself in celebrity gossip, Debbie loves to eat.  She loves to eat so much that she nicknamed her stomach “The Tank” because it is a bottomless pit that never allows her to be completely full.  Debbie enjoys observing the hipster community (no derogatory meaning intended), relishing in the resurgence of boy bands, and writing short stories.  Even though she hails from Long Island, she cannot wait to venture past Morningside Heights and experience New York.  Through her writing, Debbie hopes to prove that not all Debbies are downers.   Damn that SNL skit. Favorite NYC Venues: Madison Square Garden, Stonewall Inn (really interesting historical content from its beginnings), Soho, Lincoln Center, Union Square

 

Edwin Mejia is a student at Columbia University pursuing a degree in Electrical Engineering with a Minor in Music. He is really excited to explore the Big Apple for Inside New York because he doesn’t have much time to do it during the school year. He participates in Columbia’s newest all male A cappella group called Sharp, the Marching Band, Sabor: Columbia’s First Latino Dance Troupe, and the Columbia Bartending Agency. Both of his parents are Dominican and he was born in Bronx, NY but has moved to different cities like Miami, Orlando, and most recently Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. As an undergraduate, he hopes to take all that New York City has to offer before he runs out of time, graduates, and travels around the rest of the world.
@edmejia93

Emma Imber is an Economics student at New York University, with an unofficial second major in exploring the city’s dining and arts scenes. She looks forward to sharing her experiences through Inside New York. Feel free to check out her style blog at http://YoungandinStyle.com.

 

 

 

 

 

Emily LeVay is a student at Columbia University planning to dual major in Italian and another language. She also has an unhealthy obsession with food, traveling, movie marathons, wandering aimlessly in Central Park, and photography. A native of Williamsburg, Virginia, Emily is definitely ready to live it up in the Big Apple get out and explore all of the nooks and crannies of NYC (especially outside Manhattan).
@EmLaVay
Favorite NYC Venue: Brooklyn Botanic Gardens (absolutely GORGEOUS!)

Erin Marino  is a recent graduate of Columbia University with a major in Religion. When not job-hunting, you can find her exploring the cervices of New York City for new boutiques, budget-friendly thrift stores, and vegan cafes. Her favorite finds are 163 West 4th Street, which stocks an eclectic collection of accessories and home goods, and bakery BabyCakes, whose 248 Broome Street location is a vegan mecca worth the pilgrimage.

 

 

 

 

Gillian Fuller is a junior at NYU studying Media, Culture and Communications. She spent last semester in Paris and will spend next semester in Buenos Aires, learning Spanish (and eating a lot of beef….). She loves to travel, and LOVES food! She can’t live without the hazelnut meringues from Rocco’s on Bleecker St, iced tea sangria from Argo on University Pl, and long runs along the East River path.

 

 

Geetika Rudra  was born in Queens, raised on Long Island, and studies at Columbia. She’s a published writer, an honorary member of Coldplay, and lover of TV. If she had her way she would be a hair model, best friends with Julian Assange and feared by Sarah Palin. Geetika was dining editor for Inside New York 2012. Follow her on twitter or check out her blog.

 

 

 

Harley Werner is in her final year at New York University, where she is studying Political Science, Middle Eastern Studies and Journalism.  Born and (for the most part) raised in New York City, she has an eye for style and a good cocktail.  One day she intends to take on the world through investigative journalism, preferably hot spots in the Middle East.  The more chaos, the better!  When Harley is not busy being a serious college student (insert sarcasm here), she can be found enjoying life, eating food and living it up in the city that never sleeps.  Blog pending…

 

 

Jacqueline Burton is a Master’s of Urban Planning student at NYU Wagner, and is still pinching herself that she lives in NYC!  She’s originally from upstate New York, but has been living in New Orleans for a couple of years.  She made the jump from The Big Easy to The Big Apple to pursue graduate school and a start making a career out of her passions- food, cities, and writing.  A true “healthy foodie,” Jacqueline loves scouring NYC for all things gluten-free, vegan, raw, local, and delicious!  She’s also becoming quite the pro at finding bars that serve gluten-free beer. Between studying, eating, and writing, Jacqueline is an avid hula-hooper, so she can often be found on rooftops or in parks in Brooklyn dancing with a hoop.

 

Jenny Xu is a potential English Major at Columbia University. Originally from Lawrence, Kansas, she still hasn’t gotten over her initial excitement over living in New York and hopes to visit every single neighborhood in the city. When she isn’t wandering her way through the five boroughs and getting lost on the subways, Jenny tries to keep up with her daily editing gig at Spectrum, the online counterpart of the Columbia Daily Spectator, and eat as much dark chocolate and street food as possible.

 

Katie Barclay is a student at Columbia University. She has lived a short train ride away from New York City all her life but has yet to truly explore it. She hopes to get to know the incredible city that she now lives in. She loves music, art and Broadway and wants to become familiar with the local museums, Broadway shows and performing groups.

 

 

 

 

Katie Rietberg is a senior at Barnard College, where she is studying English Lit, Music, and Creative Writing. She first fell in love with the city as a kid, riding the LIRR in to see Broadway shows, ballets like The Nutcracker, and the giant blue whale at the Natural History Museum. This is her second year writing for Inside New York, and she’s excited to share more of her favorite spots and explore the other boroughs (she’s dying to visit Coney Island!). This summer, she’s also interning at How Am I Doing Productions, working on a documentary film about former Mayor Ed Koch and NYC in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Favorite places: St. Mark’s Place, the Union Square Strand Bookstore, Lincoln Center, the Alice in Wonderland statue in Central Park, and Tea and Sympathy in “Little Britain.” She’s also crazy about small cinemas like the Landmark Sunshine, Film Forum, and The Angelika.

Katherine Krauss is a student at Barnard College intending to major in Anthropology and French.  In her spare time, she enjoys spending time experiencing the unique New York culture and getting to know all of the French cafés in town.

 

 

 

 

 

Originally from Florida, Katherine Shen studies English with Film Studies at Barnard College and classical piano performance at the Manhattan School of Music. She also studied abroad in the UK at King’s College London where she became addicted to crumpets. Katherine thinks that New Yorkers are definitely, without a doubt, the nicest loveliest people in the world!

 

 

 

Kathleen Wisneski is a candidate for an American Studies MA at Columbia University. She interned for W. W. Norton last summer. She spends a significant amount of time in New York City being early to meet someone and finding a bench to wait on. En route to the aforementioned benches, she likes to read gory comic books on the subway. Sometimes she can drag a friend to a museum, and often a friend drags her to chiptune shows. This year, she’s been pleased to donate large swaths of time and small bits of writing to two NYC science/education institutions: channel Thirteen’s Nature and the World Science Festival. @writeneski.

Lynn Malka studies Politics and Creative Writing at New York University. A New Jersey native, she has a fierce loyalty to the Hummus Place since weekend trips into the city at fourteen years old. Being both 5’11” and an NYU student, Lynn is always on the hunt for cheap vintage and pants that are actually long enough. She is currently in the blonde stage of her hair dyeing addiction.

 

 

Luna Adler is a sophomore at Barnard College, currently studying English, creative writing, and film.  She originally hails from Charlottesville, Virginia and likes to frolick in Central Park whenever she begins to crave the smell of fresh tree bark.  In New York, she enjoys taking photographs, painting, photography, and eating all things chocolate.  She once jumped on a pogo stick 3,000 times without falling off and has always harbored the secret desire to be a pterodactyl.

Manasa Reddy is a student at NYU Stern Business School pursuing a degree in business and political economy. She studied her sophomore year in London and first semester of junior year in Shanghai but left a piece of her heart in the Big Apple. While in NYC, she enjoys eating cheap cart food, getting lost in the West Village, and watching obscure street talent. Before she becomes a jaded investment banker, she hopes to enjoy her time at NYU writing for Inside New York.
Favorite venues–I love the downtown area. My favorite cafes in the West Village are Doma Cafe, Grounded, and Tea & Sympathy. Shopping in the Meatpacking District is amazing especially the new Sephora that opened!

 

 

 

Maya Asheri is a senior at Columbia University where she is majoring in American Studies and religion. Israeli born and raised, she served in the IDF as a legal and foreign news correspondent. Later, she worked as an editor of hardcore news in a daily newspaper, before flying off to unite with her true love, New York City. Beside the Columbia libraries and Facebook, Maya frequents most often the music, dining and bar scenes in the city and loves concerts, theater, pop culture, and good political satires. Despite having the worst sense of direction ever bestowed upon human kind, she enjoys exploring the streets on foot, or people-watching on the subway. She believes that puppies and kittens can bring world peace. Favorite NYC Venues: Beauty Bar, Riverside Park, The Highline, Terminal 5, Union Pool, The Knitting Factory, The Bowery Ballroom, South Street Seaport, The Staten Island Ferry, MoMA, The Public Theater, The Ding Dong Lounge, Fat Cat

Meredith D’Angelo is a student at NYU double majoring in English and French with a minor in Creative Writing. When she’s not reading piles of books for class, she can be seen giving campus tours, baking her signature peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, or taking in a Broadway show. Visit lapetitenewyorker.tumblr.com for even more food, theatre, and fun! Favorite NYC Venues: Bite, Dos Toros, Greyhound Bakery, and Upright Citizens Brigade. @meredangelo.

Monica Carty grew up in New Jersey, the state loved and beloved by many New Yorkers. Currently a sophomore at Columbia College, she is studying Political Science and Sustainable Development, but her major seems to change every couple of minutes. In her free time, she enjoys visiting New York’s great museums appreciating some of the world’s greatest and finest art. Yes, it may seem like this young lady is quite classy. But she has her guilty pleasures, like listening to One Direction on Spotify. Her current favorite TV show is Downton Abbey (shout out to the fans of the Dowager Countess). Favorite NYC Venues: Terminal 5, The Housingworks Bookstore on Crosby Street, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

 

Natalie Sikorski does not believe she is a native of anywhere, and enjoys the freedom of being able to settle and call everywhere home. Never settling anywhere for too long, she lived between the US, Germany, Greece and Poland, and traveled Having lived in New York for the last five years she is struggling to fight the urge to flee the city, in search for something new. However, the abundance of nooks that the city offers keeps surprising her, and will hopefully keep her happily exploring for a few more years . Natalie is an avid equestrian, and would like nothing more to escape entering the real world for a few more years, preferably living on a beach.
Favorite Venues: The water taxi beach, Beco, Crescent and Vine, Taverna Kyklades, Cloister Café, and Fada

 

Neetu Verma is a New Yorker at heart; born and raised in the outskirts of the city and now attending NYU, she could not imagine being any place else! She is currently a sophomore in the Liberal Studies Program studying English and Journalism. She has a growing passion for writing which began when she realized how much of an impact writing could make. Her favorite activity is exploring the vast amount of eateries, cafes, and venues that this cultural hub has to offer, with her journal at hand of course! She hopes to one day teach and inspire future writers, but right now she is still learning and being inspired on her own journey, taking in New York and all its opportunities.Favorite Venues: Café Rocco, BLT Burger, Washington Square Park, Salam Café, East River Parks.

Nick Pierce is a student at Columbia University majoring in creative writing (fiction). He was born and raised in Manhattan and likes to view his day-to-day experiences as the real life incarnation of the TV show Gossip Girl. He has been a literary intern for The New York Sun as well as Esopus Magazine. In his free time, Nick enjoys finding good food around the city, running, weightlifting, reading and writing. He’s very excited to contribute to Inside New York.
Favorite NYC venues: Sushi Seki, Peter Luger’s, and Pacha NYC.
When Rachel Caron-Delas was accepted at Barnard College, she went overnight from a 6 to a 1 — the subway line, that is, not the dress size! A native New Yorker from downtown Manhattan, she chose to be a sociology major at Barnard so as to perpetuate two passions: inveterate people-watching and the Big Apple itself.  She is hoping to be discovered some day among the masses of young, aspiring writers and to work for a cultural publication, which would enable her to share her insights into and interest for the arts, lifestyle and travel — and maybe even to afford a room of her own. When she’s not dodging homicidal New York taxi drivers, she’s often busy scribbling cryptic personal notes on napkins, books and skin, always readily available. And if she resists the temptation to splurge one more time at MUJI (where she can find a more conventional medium for her notes), she’ll eagerly devote the savings to explore new venues with friends or to indulge in the artistic heritage of her native French culture.
Favorite NYC venues: Anything below 14th Street! ie. the West Village, the Brooklyn Flea (in Williamsburg), Ceci-Cela Patisserie (they have the best French pastry); the IFC, Sunshine and Angelika (they screen the best movies), Strand Bookstore…

Sam Horoski is a student at Columbia University studying Psychology and English. A dancer since the age of four, she loves to spend her weekends attending ballet performances at Lincoln Center or taking dance classes at Steps on Broadway. When she is not dancing, she enjoys gallivanting around the city in search of the tastiest desserts or just hanging out in Union Square. She cannot wait to share her love of New York City with Inside New York.
Favorite NYC venues: Lincoln Center, Union Square, the Joyce Theater, S’MAC, and ABC Kitchen.

 

 

Simone Marie Martelle was born in Minnesota, but raised in Toulouse, France.  She received her BSc. in International Relations from the London School of Economics and her MFA in Playwriting from Columbia University’s School of the Arts, and is pursuing her Masters in Journalism at Columbia’s Journalism School this coming fall.  As a playwright, Simone has been fortunate enough to work under the mentorship of Pulitzer-Prize winning playwright David-Lindsay Abaire and you can find out more about her plays at www.simonemartelle.com.  Sime has interned at the New Group theatre company, WOR 710 Radio, Conde Nast Traveler Magazine and, most recently, in the editorial department of Bon Appetit magazine.  For more about her, visit http://the-outside-observer.com/
@ScullySimone

Samantha Henderson is a student at Columbia University majoring in English and minoring in Women’s Studies, but you’ll probably only ever find her doing hours of Russian grammar or trying to figure out what her next meal will be (probably Indian). Apart from scouring the city for everything edible and potable, the native New Jerseyan is an avid museum, flea market, and thrift store junkie. She is also always down for a Staten Island Ferry ride. Right now, she’s most likely purchasing a Peach Tea Snapple from one of her many beloved food cart vendors and reading an email from her editor at Spectrum, the blog of the Columbia Daily Spectator. @slamhenderson
Favorite venues: taco cart on 110th & Broadway, Villa Mosconi, Indus Valley, Any HousingWorks, Uncle Nick’s, Kefi, Indian Clove (Staten Island)

Sara Cervantes is a junior studying English and American Studies at Columbia College. One of her favorite things to do is to walk around the city, getting a feel for the different characters of various neighborhoods and relying on her own sense of direction to get her back to a 1 train stop. She additionally is passionate about food, and is fond of both trying eateries in the city (she specializes in creperies) and culinary experimentation in her own kitchen. More locally, Sara can often be found at Columbia’s student-run radio station where she regularly hosts radio programs. Her love for music is inextricably intertwined with her love for the city and often takes her to tiny record stores and dingy music venues (a recent favorite is Cake Shop in the LES). You can read her absurdist, angst-fueled tweets.
@takingbacksara
Favorite places: Cake Shop, Ding Dong Lounge, Il Laboratorio Gelato, Bleecker Street Records, Dinosaur BBQ, Williamsburg Waterfront, Shake Shack

Stefan Countryman is a third-year Columbia student working towards an applied math degree from the engineering school and an English degree from the college. He grew up in a diplomatic family, moving every three or four years, and consequently, he has no idea where he?s from. He is passionate about literature and film, and is currently attempting to write his first extended work of fiction. If you took an introductory calculus class in the last two years, you might have had him as a TA. If he filled your assignments with angry notes scrawled in red ink, he apologizes. He was tired. In his free time, he likes to feel guilty about having free time.
Favorite NY Venues: Prosperity Dumplings, New York Shaving Company, Bohemian Hall Beer Garden

Vipul Singh is a Masters student at Columbia University, focused towards the working in the intersection of Databases and Cloud Computing. Too much geeky stuff  One can find me around, with a camera mostly . I LOVE photography and wandering around- discovering random places and talking about them; I love to talk- so much as so that i was nicknamed ‘ramdom jazz’ by some friends! Have co-authored a book and currently just in love with the city!

 

Past Contributers:

Alice Preminger (Staff Writer, INY 2012  & 2013) now studies at Brown University in Providence (after spending a year studying English Literature and Psychology at Swarthmore College, and a year at Columbia University,) A native of Connecticut, she could not be happier to live in New York City, and spend her summer working with Inside New York. When she’s not out exploring New York City, she enjoys reading, theater and playing with dogs in Central Park. She hopes to pursue writing, and incorporate it into a future career.

 

Andrea Garcia-Vargas is a Columbia University senior majoring in English and creative writing. When asked, “Where do you come from?” the best answer she can muster up is, “It’s complicated.” As a Colombian-born U.S. citizen who lived most of her life in Ohio’s sleepy suburbs but spent middle school in Switzerland and traveling around Europe, Andrea is no stranger to exploring new places. But she admits that New York is one of the hardest places to get to know, and she looks forward to learning more about it this summer, particularly about Harlem, the Lower East Side, and The Bronx. When she’s not editing and managing the Columbia Daily Spectator‘s opinion page or reading the New Yorker’s Book Club picks on Low Library steps, she loves munching on pistachio macaroons at Financier Patisserie, going to The Fat Cat jazz club, and eating kyochon chicken with honey sauce in K-Town. @AGarciaVargas

Courtney Ho is a junior at Fordham University where she studies Economics and Mandarin. Often identified as an “overenthusiastic carnivore,” she is very open-minded about food and has consumed everything from bull testicles in Beijing to croissants in Paris. She enjoys watching Food Network and dreams of being an Iron Chef when she is not reading The Economist. In addition to writing for Inside New York, she also writes for the culture section of The Ram for Fordham University. When she is not watching Food Network or analyzing graphs, she practices Krav Maga and Brazilian Jiujitsu.

 

Grace Mattingly (Sales and Marketing Associate, INY 2013) likes to think of herself as a Jackie of all trades—and by that she doesn’t mean someone who is merely indecisive. Torn between working at Inside New York, doing sociology research, acting, bartending, and gaining life experience this summer, she has resolved to do them all. Her hobbies include anything that involves being the center of attention—including teaching, public speaking, and acting. Being a sufferer of high achiever’s guilt, she also enjoys finding excuses to have fun—such as reviewing the arts and entertainment for various on campus publications. Chicago–born, Grace is missing Lake Michigan this summer.

J.P. Poole grew up in the lush Pacific Northwest.  Four years ago, she took a Greyhound bus across country to move to NYC, toting only a rucksack and a tattered copy of Whitman’s Leaves of Grass.  She has a cultivated pallet for coffee, a decent sized collection of soul records, and hopes to one day own a bed frame.  After earning her degree in creative writing at Columbia, she has since retired to Williamsburg.  Her musings can be found at americanaasphyxia.com.

Julia Kott (Editorial Intern, Summer 2012) is a senior at Wilson High School in Washington, DC. She loves dogs, thai food  thrifting, and adventures. She is excited to explore New York this summer.
Favorite NYC venue: Beacon’s Closet.

Maria Guryeva is a visiting student at Barnard College, Columbia University from Moscow State University in Russia. She is studying Journalism and Public Relations and loves to dance. Maria always dreamt about coming to New York City and finally her dream came true when came to the city in January 2012 for a wonderful 8 months! She will definitely come back. She has interned for Cosmopolitan Magazine in Russia and in New York.

María Cristina Fernández Hall lived in Mexico for sixteen years. She came to New York City to study Creative Writing and Political Science at Columbia University. She likes poetry, guitars and the beach. Recently she has taken an interest in translation. She knows that if airplanes were cheaper, the world would be lived so differently. Favorite spots here are: Barrio Chino, Riverside Park, Cafe Regio and The Donut Plant.

 

Mirit Sands is a student in the Joint Program with Columbia University and the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. She is studying Psychology at Columbia while also pursuing a degree in Bible at JTS. Mirit is a Resident Adviser for the Office of Residence Life at JTS as well as a Hebrew School teacher for first graders on the Upper West Side. Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, Mirit loves listening to music, attending festivals and concerts, watching and playing sports, working with children, and giving back to her community. She is very excited to be spending her first summer in New York as she plans on exploring everything New York has to offer.

 

Nafeesa Dawoodbhoy is a junior studying comparative literature and philosophy at New York University. She currently works as a writer for INY, an RA and the editor of the Brio, a comparative literature journal. She is on the E-board of the Feminist Society and is training to be an abortion doula so yes, she feels strongly about advocating for women’s reproductive rights.  She dabbles in poetry, cooking and collecting stuffed animals. She plans to enter academia and face post PhD life, with a hope that a higher understanding of the world will be worth the possible starvation and/or hiding out in the mid-west.
Favorite venues: Cubbyhole, Solas, L’orange bleu, Lillie’s

Natalie Telson is a sophomore pursuing undergraduate degrees at both Columbia University and the Jewish Theological Seminary.  Natalie, hailing from Orange County, California, attempts to explore the NYC in contrast to her beach-town home lifestyle.  Natalie loves the rich and vibrant culture New York has to offer. From the Met to the Highline, there is always something to explore, and it always has a story behind it.
Favorite Venues: The Highline, Chelsea Market, Central Park
@NatalieTelson

 

 

Sigrid Sandholt Hansen’s semester as a visiting student has been less like Gossip Girl than she thought it would be.  She had a great time though, and she especially loved her creative writing classes.  S reads a lot of books while studying comparative literature at home in Denmark. She writes book reviews of some of them for www.kultunaut.dk. However she’ll never admit that it is more fun to review poorly written books. Indian culture is one of her biggest passions, but sometimes she thinks she’d rather stay in NYC than India. Here it’s possible to find Caribbean Indians, Hindu temples and more Holi color festivals than in South East Asia.S has one goal for her last month in NYC: to see everything the city has to offer. Twice. S does not want to leave the city at all, so you’ll probably see her around town writing undercover for INY.

 

Tom Taylor The question, “where do you go to school?” is a surprisingly difficult one to answer in passing, if not least to explain that Abu Dhabi is not in India but rather in the Middle East. Tom studies Public Policy at NYU Abu Dhabi, though is originally from Adelaide, Australia. Recently he spent a semester in Paris and spent last summer working on writing and performing a musical in New York. An aspiring vegetarian and a pathetic tweeter, Tom is happiest digging through one dollar bargain-boxes or revelling in the success of completing an ‘expert’ level sudoku puzzle in one sitting. Find me on twitter and we can start a long-lasting, 140-words-or-less friendship.
@tomlmtaylor