Berklee Blogs follows Kayleigh Mill, a Music Business major and participant in Berklee’s Summer Internship Program in New York City. In today’s post, Kayleigh lets us in on her top tips for surviving and thriving in New York City…

 

Getting Around

#1 – Look up (and figure out) subway directions BEFORE you leave

#2 – Know the difference between going downtown and uptown

#3 – Local trains stop at every station; express trains DO NOT

#4 – The traffic on even numbered one-way streets go East; odd traffic goes West

#5 – The city is a grid, avenues go North-South; streets go East-West

#6 – 30-day passes can only be swiped once every 18 minutes

#7 – It takes longer to get there than you think

Eating

#8 – There will ALWAYS be a $1 pizza place. And yes, it will be delicious

#9 – The food trucks are better than you think; and cleaner.

#10 – There are restaurants for every culture…don’t be afraid to try something new

#11 – Look at the ratings that are posted on every restaurant; A and B are good, “grade pending” means a failing grade…

#12 – If you’re on a budget, stick to bagels and small falafel places, or cook at home

#13 – Mid-town is full of tourists and the prices rise accordingly

 

Staying Safe

#13 – Don’t walk alone

#14 – If you must walk alone, stick to popular streets (a good bet is 2-way streets)

#15 – The Lower East Side is actually pretty safe

#16 – When dealing with catcalls, pretend like you didn’t hear them, don’t look at them, and keep walking

#17 – Make a wide berth around shady characters

#18 – Remember that cell phones are easy targets for thieves

 

The Music Scene

#19 – Open mics happen in various cafes and bars every night of the week, and they’re a great way to get gigs

#20 – The East Village has the best venues, all within walking distance of each other, a lot them free

#21 – “Free” means there’s a drink minimum

#22 – Just like any other big city, busk whenever you can (even on the subways)

#23 – Play as much as possible, form a relationship with other musicians, and make sure the audience knows where to find your music when you leave the stage

 

 

Read Kayleigh’s Other Posts:

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Work-Life Balancing Act

Dealing with the Stress

Securing an Internship in the Music Industry

What I do and What I learn

Working for Free- 5 Ways to Make it Worth it

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Be sure to follow Kayleigh via Twitter @musikleighalive

 

BIO

Kayleigh Mill is in New York for the summer with two internships in the music industry. She’s been at Berklee for two years with one to go until she graduates with a Music Business degree, and has embraced the opportunities the college has to offer. While at school, she runs the Berklee Songwriters Club as well as the Ski/Snowboard Club, is on the board of the Berklee Fitness Club, and writes for The Groove.

After graduation, Kayleigh plans to move to New York to pursue her entrepreneurial ambitions, as well as experience as much of the music industry as possible. You can read her full blog at musikleighalive.wordpress.com or email her at kmill@berklee.edu.

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