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Discounts great for N.Y.U., but locals have issues

A sign for a Sullivan St. hair salon notes it offers N.Y.U. students 20 percent off on any kind of barber work. Photo by Sergei Klebnikov
A sign for a Sullivan St. hair salon notes it offers N.Y.U. students 20 percent off on any kind of barber work. Photo by Sergei Klebnikov

BY SERGEI KLEBNIKOV and LINCOLN ANDERSON  |  It’s expensive to be a college student — no more so than in New York City, where the cost of living is already so high.

However, local merchants around New York University both help their own businesses and help out students by offering exclusive discounts — that don’t happen to include non-university-affiliated locals. 

These discounts are primarily geared toward university students, though N.Y.U. faculty and employees are sometimes also included.

Discounts provided by local stores and restaurants definitely help N.Y.U. students living on a budget. However, as university spokesperson John Beckman pointed out, it’s not an initiative by N.Y.U., and it’s not something it even tracks in any way.

“Discounts are made by businesses themselves, without consultation from the university,” he noted. “For that reason, N.Y.U. doesn’t have anything like a comprehensive understanding of what businesses are offering by way of discounts.”

Nishat Chowdhury, owner of the Baburchi Indian restaurant, at 90 W. Third St., explained that he started offering deals several years ago, to help cover his costs, including rent. Non-university-affiliated locals also get discounts and benefits, he noted. But when school is in session, “everything is about the students,” he said.

Chowdhury offers a 40 percent discount for the “N.Y.U. community” at lunchtime, and a 10 percent discount at dinner.

Village Stationery, at 552 LaGuardia Place, offers a 5 percent discount for N.Y.U. students. Nadim Cheudhury, the store’s manager, said that he has been offering it for a long time, and that it’s “helpful for students.” He noted that in addition to N.Y.U. students, the discount is also applicable to other college students — since few faculty ever use it. He also pointed out that “there have been no complaints from locals,” about it.

Next door, the Subway sandwich store, at 550 LaGuardia Place, also offers a 5 percent discount to any students, including those from N.Y.U. 

“I’ve had the discount forever,” said manager Ahmed, who didn’t give his last name. “It definitely helps business.” He added that students are usually happy to see the sign, since most other Subway locations don’t give discounts.

Frozen Peaks, a fresh frozen yogurt store, at 154 Bleecker St., that opened two months ago, offers a 10 percent discount. 

“It helps students keep a low budget and pay for college,” said employee Kayla Ciara. However, she added that locals have come in and inquired about the exclusive discounts. You can find similar deals and discounts through this website https://smartoffers.net/.

J. Crew, Banana Republic, and other popular clothing department stores all have N.Y.U. discounts, as well. Various local hotels in the area provide discounts to those looking for accommodation near N.Y.U., such as family members in town for students’ graduation.

This summer, through N.Y.U.’s Museum Gateway Program, students even get free admission with their student IDs to “some of New York City’s best cultural institutions,” including the Frick Collection, the Museum of Modern Art, the New-York Historical Society and the Whitney Museum of American Art, among others. 

N.Y.U. faculty and employees also enjoy discounts on AT&T, The New York Times, Verizon wireless service and Apple computers, according to the university Web site.

Although some locals may feel that the merchant discounts are unfairly bestowed upon the students, Beckman added that after speaking with colleagues from various offices within the university, annoyance over the special offers apparently hasn’t been a big issue.

“No one has heard of resentments among our neighbors over the discounts being offered by local businesses to N.Y.U. students,” he said.

However, Lois Rakoff, a member of Community Board 2, said she feels the N.Y.U. discounts create a division between the university and the community.

“As a resident who uses the stores, the salon, it’s almost like a barrier between local residents and N.Y.U.,” she said. “I think local residents should get a discount, too. And it’s not just for students — it’s for faculty, staff, anyone who shows an N.Y.U. ID. It means that if I go to the beauty parlor and get my hair cut, I don’t get a discount, but an N.Y.U. student does get one.”

Martin Tessler, a former C.B. 2 member, said the issue really goes beyond the N.Y.U. discounts. The neighborhood’s residential population has gotten younger, with more children, but there aren’t stores here to support their needs.

“All these stores cater to the N.Y.U. students,” he said. “Nobody caters to the residents who live here. There’s no children’s shop around here. The issue is that the stores are solely oriented toward the N.Y.U. students. Eighth St. east of Fifth Ave. is all food shops, which cater to the students. 

“We need establishments that cater to the existing residential population — the year-round, permanent residential population — not the students that come in for four years.

“They took away Silver Spurs,” Tessler noted of the popular diner on Broadway that closed in December. “A lot of our people ate there, especially seniors. It was there for 34 years. The seniors were crying, they really relied on it.”

Tessler said he hopes the Village Alliance business improvement district can work to address what he sees as the neighborhood’s retail imbalance.