A J1 to the Big Apple might seem like a million miles away from the beach hopping J1 that is appealing to so many rain trodden Irish students, but rest assured, this is a J1 experience that you'll never forget. Most commonly known as the city that never sleeps, the United States largest and most diverse city might have you thinking "Where do I begin?"

There is plenty to choose from, whether it’s the National Parks of Upstate New York, the beaches of Long Island or the beautifully landscaped Central Park. Whatever you're after, New York is ready for you! Most visitors will feel they've done it all before, simply because New York is so familiar to anyone who has ever seen a movie or watched television. New York, the ultimate in skyscraper architecture, has since long lost the title of city with the tallest skyscraper, but remains with distance the city with the most interesting skyscrapers in the world. The city is home to numerous museums, parks, trendy neighbourhoods and shopping streets

New York City is made up of five boroughs - Staten Island, The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan, but many visitors never leave Manhattan. There is a lot packed into this tiny area: the 24-hour pasta restaurants of Little Italy and the bustling sidewalks of Chinatown, the jazz clubs of Greenwich Village and the theatres of Broadway; and of course the iconic sights of the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building and Times Square.

Climate: New York has a humid continental climate; spring and autumn can range from cold and snowy to hot and humid. The state enjoys pleasantly warm and humid summers, with temperatures of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher recorded on average 18 to 25 days.

Culture: New York City is one of the most important cities for film, visual art, dance, theater, and music. The city has more than 2,000 cultural organizations and more than 500 art galleries. New York's food culture, influenced by the city's immigrants and large number of dining patrons, is diverse. Jewish and Italian immigrants have made the city famous for cheesecake, bagels and New York-style pizza.

Transportation: New York is the only city in the United States where more than half of all households do not own a car. 120,000 daily cyclists and more pedestrian commuters makes it the most energy-efficient major city in the United States.

The New York City Subway is the largest rapid transit system in the world that remains open 24 hours per day. New York City's public bus fleet and commuter rail network are the largest in North America. For more information on public transportation in New York:
http://www.ny.com/transportation/
http://gis.nyc.gov/doitt/cm/CityMap.htm

The sooner you have your job and accommodation set up the better!! One of the best ways to search for a job in New York is on the Internet and also by checking out local newspapers.

Living in New York is really expensive so keep this in mind if you plan on spending the summer there. Your best bet is to check before you go as a lot of families move out of the city heat to the Hamptons for the summer so they rent their apartments out. Just make sure you have good landlord references if you are going to do this

In general the cheaper areas are Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. Some of our previous J1’ers recommend the Village Voice, a free weekly newspaper in New York City, published every Tuesday.
http://www.villagevoice.com

If you find yourself stuck for a place to stay, remember there are plenty of short-term hostels to stay in. Also check out college housing offices, campus websites and university bulletin boards for summer sublets and dorm rentals.

Here is a list of resources to help you with jobs
http://www.collegegrad.com/job/summerjobsinnewyorkcity.shtml
http://www.coolworks.com/new-york-jobs/
http://www.jobsny.com/
http://www.newyorkjob.com/
http://www.neny-schooljobs.org/
http://www.employmentguide.com
http://www.wnyjobs.com/
http://www.jobs4nystate.com/
http://www.ajb.dni.us
http://www.jobweb.org
http://www.hotjobs.yahoo.com
http://www.monster.com
http://www.jobster.com
http://www.j1jobs.com

Accommodation:
http://www.newyork.craigslist.org/roo/
http://www.metroroommates.com
http://www.roommateclick.com
http://www.new-york-apartment.com/
http://www.easyroommate.com/
http://www.studenthousing.org/
http://www.ihouse-nyc.org/s/707/start.aspx
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/housing/docs/summer-residents/interns.html
http://www.nyu.edu/summer/housing/
http://www.villagevoice.com/

While you are in New York, there are touristy things that you just need to do.

A trip to Ellis Island is one of the nicest things you can do while you are there it gives you a really great connection to the city.

Museum of the city of New York is spectacular; it is one of the forgotten gems of the city and traces a beautiful history of Manhattan.

If you can, take in a Sunday mass at St Patrick's cathedral on Fifth; it is an experience of the mass that you have never had before.

If shopping is your thing NYC is the place for you. The city is your oyster with shops such as Hollister, Abercrombie and Fitch and Macys to Century 21, Tiffany's, Marc Jacobs and Michael Korrs to mention a few. If you are looking for the bargains outlets such as Jersey Gardens are only a bus journey away.

Gay Pride Week and March – June: Rainbow flags flutter in Greenwich Village during New York's Lesbian and Gay Pride Week, with numerous events arranged to commemorate the Stonewall Riot. Highlights of the week's festivities are a massive rally, the dance on the pier and the culminating march. Website: http://www.cnypride.com

Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular: Independence Day is celebrated throughout the States but nowhere more than in New York City. Although many locals leave to spend the holiday on Long Island or Upstate New York, thousands of others stay behind to watch to Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular. This is the probably the biggest and best firework extravaganza in the country that ends up in a massive party. More than 10,000 fireworks explode from barges along the west side of Manhattan, synchronized and choreographed to music. It starts at sunset and the best place to watch it from is the banks of East River Website: http://www.ny.com/holiday/july4

Central Park SummerStage: Summer Stage is one of New York's greatest institutions, and every summer Central Park is filled with music, theatre, opera and dance. There is a different performance every Saturday and Sunday afternoon, and also usually on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings, and most are free. Bring a picnic if you don't want to pay for overpriced beer and French fries. For a list of events visit the Summer Stage website. Website: http://www.summerstage.org

US Open Tennis Tournament: The top names and seeds vie for victory in the final Grand Slam event of the season in New York each year. Singles, doubles, men's and ladies, and mixed doubles make up the five separate tournaments within the championship. Held annually at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens, the event dates back to 1881 when it was played in the State of Rhode Island as a men's singles event only and it was not until 1968 that The US Open took the shape and structure that it has today. Website: http://www.usopen.org

Broadway on Broadway A quintessential New York City event, Broadway on Broadway is the theatre season's annual kick-off event where live shows from almost every play and musical on Broadway, as well as sneak previews of shows for the new season, are performed on a giant outdoor stage to an audience of more than 50,000 Website: http://www.broadwayonbroadway.com

New York Fashion Week - September: The fashion gurus, gorgeous models and Hollywood brass pop into the Big Apple to check out the latest on the catwalk for next year's Spring Collection. All the top names will be displaying their stuff but it is almost impossible for the general public to gain access to the event. Venue:The Museum of the City of New York;

For general information on NYC visit:
http://www.nycvisit.com
http://www.iloveny.com
http://www.nyctourist.com
http://www.mustseenewyork.com

The above tops provided by Go4Less are intended as a guide only. Go4Less accept no responsibility for any jobs or housing accepted by students through these contacts.