5 Places to Party Underage in NYC

If you’re underage in New York City, you might feel like you can’t have fun and take part in what the city has to offer you at night. However, that is not true. There are multiple ways to ease that pain.

From comedy shows to nightclubs those have18+ nights, you too can party till the brink of dawn!

1. Café Wha?

Cafe Wha line-up to watch Van Halen

Located at 115 McDougal Street, Café Wha is one of the original hangout spots in Greenwich Village. Monday through Thursday, you do not have to be 21 to enter. All you have to do is meet a $20 minimum (food and beverages), and you can enjoy live music. This place was once home to the legendary Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Springsteen, Woody Allen, and Lenny Bruce. So, you definitely know this place is not going to be a let down.

2. Terminal 5

Terminal 5, located at 610 W. 57^th street, is home to varying music artists we all love. This Hell’s Kitchen venue showcases the best of all music scenes to crowds of all ages. In fact, just a few weeks ago Miley Cyrus performed here. If you’re not into pop, and you want to hear more of EDM, Ansel Elgort also hosts a bunch of DJing shows here. So, just be on the lookout for tickets online, and go watch your fave singers perform.

3. Fat Cat

This pool hall and jazz club is hidden at the corner of Christopher Street. The vibe is very young, full of college students. The pool tables are in mint condition, and you also have ping-pong tables, shuffleboard, and backgammon to choose from. The place has a bar with beer and wine, but you only have to be over 18 to get in. If you’re not into the games and only want to relax and unwind after a stressful day at college, place yourself on the couches and watch some live jazz unravel in front of your eyes.

4. Webster Hall

Not to sound biased, but this East Village venue is my all time favorite. From the rustic vibe to the archaic architecture, this place has been around since the 1800s. It is divided into two rooms, Webster Hall is the main, big space and the Studio at Webster Hall is a more intimate venue. The place has 16+, 18+, and 19+ over shows and parties. Just recently I ended up watching Michael Malarkey and Troye Sivan perform here.

5. Bowlmor Lanes

This neon-lighted setting is super fun. Located in Times Square, and Chelsea Piers, it is open to crowds of all ages. Barring weekend nights after 10PM, this venue always has a place for people under 21. The best part is that bowling is never boring. So, grab a group of friends and hit the lanes one evening!

– Shreya Shah (www.instagram.com/shreya24x7)

Highlights of 2015

 

Last selfie of 2015

Hey guys!

I think you all have earned the right to peer into the best moments of my life this year, both the intimate and the not-so intimate ones. I’m going to start off with this summer. My summer was definitely very emotional- I went back to India to visit my family and friends.

A jolt of electricity went up my body as I spotted and waved at my beautiful mother, and handsome father and brother standing by the arrival section at the Calcutta airport. Sometimes you don’t realise how overwhelming it can be to run into important people you haven’t met in a long time. It was only in that moment, at the airport, that I realized what a “softie” I was at heart. No matter how much I try to say that emotions don’t run my life, it’s untrue. I’m emotional, I’m protective, and I’m a sucker for love.

Summer of 2015!

All this reminds me of the night of October 31st. Halloween was magical for me. Before I get into that you should know that I’m over-the-top with my words. I’m very enthusiastic about events, and believe them to be positives. Therefore, the word “magical” has been used. It’s not a fairytale- not even close to a fairytale ending, but nevertheless it was MY night.

A black dress clapsed my body as my friends helped me draw on my whiskers on my cheeks. You guessed it right- I was a generic cat! 🙂 My friends and I headed to the street where the Halloween parade would take place in Manhattan. After waiting for hours, and striking up conversations with the world’s largest human pizza and batman, we headed to a bar. As three young girls dressed up and having a nice time, we received all the attention. I have to say, it felt really good! At about midnight, we headed to a house party in Brooklyn. I happened to meet a guy at the party whom I really hit it off with. Today, I do not remember his name nor do I have his phone number. And, truth be told, I’m glad!

I feel like everyone deserves to have one mysterious night with a stranger. Just two people connecting over wine and the high of the night. It’s where you can be yourself and say whatever you like because you know you’re not being judged –  all your secrets are safe with the stranger!

Halloween night.

On the contrary, sometimes strangers grow to be the closest friends you’ve ever had. I happened to meet one of my best friends by accident at university. I was a part of the Orientation for the new international students, and I got put into the same group as her. We bonded over our lack of knowledge of campus whereabouts, and today she’s the closest friend I have. I’m not going to name her because I don’t know if she’d be okay with it, but yeah I could not imagine what this year would have been without her. Another friend of mine, whom I am very close to today, also happened to meet me by accident. I’m sensing a pattern here, LOL. If you want to be best friends with me just bump into me at an odd time, haha. Anyway, let me not side track. So I met, let’s call him “Evan”, at orientation two years ago. He was already a sophomore by then but he had to come for the meeting as he had missed out on his one freshman year. Today, I could not imagine a day in college without him. He taught me how to embrace my “immature, boyish” side by teaching me how to play video games, and he also taught me how to dodge casual flirts by guys I wasn’t interested in.

So, all in all, it has been a fabulous year for me. And while I’m hesitant of not wanting to let go of all I have, I’m equally excited to see what the next year has in store for me. Cheers to 2015, it has been a hell of a ride!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Life

I’m not really a creative, poetic person; but I thought I’d give this a try. I was feeling a little low yesterday and I spilled my emotions on a piece of paper resulting in a dark, yet true, story. 

“Grief is in two parts; the first is loss. The second is the remaking of life.” – Anne Roiphe

Anger flashes in his eyes

Wearing black shadowy webs

He shouts, “How dare you leave me!”

His little brother watches from above,

Wishing it had not come to this.

Fate isn’t something you can mess with,

It isn’t something you can change.

Pain latches onto his mind

He sees the skies of his future darken

He can’t take this anymore.

He stands there brother less

Staring at the pale corpse.

The world is a labyrinth

Where he has lost his way.

But, one day he will wake up in the morning

And see the shining light

That will hold his hand

And help him travel

Through the wonderful journey

Of life.

~ Shreya, August 18, 2015.

Head VS Heart: The Inner Battle

Decisions are something we all have to make on our own, at some point in our lives. But the question is, do we decide with our heart or with our mind?

Our heart is an authentic faction that shows us who we are on the inside, what we really feel, and what we really desire. Our mind, on the other hand, is a logical and reasonable tool that helps us see the world in black and white. Some people might think that their emotions make them a monster; restrain them from doing the right thing; they make biased decisions. But, I don’t think that is true. Speaking solely for myself, my heart plays a huge role in decision-making.

I am always wrapped in my emotions. If I didn’t make decisions with my heart, I wouldn’t be staying in New York today; I wouldn’t be studying Psychology in college; and most importantly, I wouldn’t be living my dream. As the Fox in The Little Prince said, “ It is only with the heart that one can see clearly, what’s essential is invisible to the eyes.” If we never consider what makes us happy, we will end up living a depressed and unfulfilled life.

For others, the mind might be the driving force in making choices. It is without doubt that if we don’t think and plan before we make decisions, we are most likely to end up in a fix. Therefore, the two factions should work together in solving the problem. When we’re at the crossroads of having to choose between the heart and the mind, we should eliminate the fork in the road by merging the path. Like Nelson Mandela once said, “ A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.”

Smiles,

Shreya

Risky

Leave the labels for Clothes, NOT People! ❤︎

Break out of Stigma

Society has changed vastly in the past decade. A country has a black president, gay marriage is legal in certain places, and transgendered people are not looked down on. While these huge issues have found clarity, the everyday problems in society are still left hazy.

“Harmony isn’t created when everyone sings the same note.” We are asked to be unique and different in this world. But, they fail to show the irony of this situation ~ we’re supposed to be ourselves in a world where everyone seems to be a clone of the other! Before we can spread our wings and fly, we have to acknowledge that we’re chained to the ground. We have to uncuff ourselves first.

Today, if we wear short clothes, we’re too graphic and bold, if we don’t, we’re prudes. If we like to read, we’re nerds, if we don’t, we’re dumb. If we have “boy friends” we’re sluts, if we don’t, we’re sexist. If we wear make-up, we’re pretentious, and if we don’t, we’re ugly. If we smoke and drink, we’re addicts, and if we don’t, we’re plain losers (peer pressure). So trust me, in this world no matter what we do, we can never win. Forget about what others will think, because we can’t ever please everyone!

All I can say is; don’t shy away from individuality. Don’t conform, but don’t rebel either. There’s no point. We should just pave our own paths and walk on them with pride.

Leave all the labels for the clothes and shoes, spare the people because “Those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.”

– S

PS: Here’s a picture of me to show you that every teenager makes it through the constant judgement. Just be carefree.

Smile like me. Be carefree and happy.

BACK HOME AFTER A YEAR!!

Hello New York! I’m back to spend the rest of the summer here. My trip to India was so much fun. I stayed in the city of Kolkata, my hometown, for six weeks with my lovely family. Nilesh, my brother, and I were literally inseparable. He camped in my room the entire time. My parents went all out for me. They made me my favorite dishes; they took me shopping, to the movies, and most importantly, spent a lot of time with me. It’s been six days since I have been back and I still feel their absence around me. After all, home will always be home. My grandmother is here with me in New York right now, so I can hold onto her for the feeling of home. It makes me feel better. There are tiny things about Kolkata that build up to big things~ having Naan, Paneer, Tarka Dal (Indian bread, cottage cheese, lentils, etc) in the Dhabas (local food stalls on the roads), Chai (Tea) in Matkas (Pottery), going on long drives by the water front (Ganga River), and most importantly, doing all of this with the people I love: Mom, Dad, and Nilesh.

I’ll go back to India next summer, so until then I should focus on my college work, my life here, and my friends. I am looking forward to spending the next month here, doing lots of things in the city! If anyone has any suggestions on what I can do in the city, please feel free to leave a comment. Hope everyone is enjoying their summer.

Signing off,

Shreya

DEVIN DAWSON: THE BOY TAYLOR SWIFT IS OBSESSED WITH

 All the T Swift fans out there, I have news for you that is going to blow your minds! Now, I’m sure you all are aware of Taylor being “obsessed” with the new mash-up of her songs “Style/Blank Spaces”. Devin Dawson, the boy in the mash-up, sang the part of Style flawlessly. Devin, a single and flirty youngster spoke to me about everything-and that he loves the ladies! 😉

1. When did you realize that you loved music?

I started playing bass at age 11. Something about it just drew me in and I had no choice but to fall for it. I picked up songwriting shortly there after, and began to learn to play guitar as well. I started playing piano, and learned a little bit of drums from my brother. Singing came last, and was most definitely the hardest I’ve ever had to work for something. Still working hard everyday to improve and hone my skill. Some people are born vocalists. I would not consider myself one. I just work hard to learn what I want to learn.

2. What made up learn how to play the guitar?

Well I was drawn toward songwriting like it was what I was meant to do. Writing songs on bass get old really quick, so I picked up the guitar and began to expand my horizons. I think an old neighbor had an old guitar they sold me in a garage sale. The rest is history, as they say.

3. First song ever sung?

Come away with me – Norah Jones.  The first song I ever learned how to play and sing at the same time.  It was so bad the first time hahaha.  I have come a long way.

4. Do you have any other hidden talents?

I really enjoy cooking. It relaxes me, and who doesn’t love to eat? Plus ladies love it. It seems that’s the real reason for almost everything I do haha.

5. What do you like to do when you’re not singing or playing the guitar?

I bar-tend on weekends. Other than that I am either writing, playing, or singing 24/7. I like to play a competitive sports video game every once in a while. But other than that and just chilling with friends, it’s music, music, and music 100% of the time.

6. How do you feel after Taylor Swift saw the mash-up of Louisa and you? What reaction are you getting from the crowd?

I feel so thankful. We have been so overwhelmed with support, and we couldn’t be happier about it. We would have been happy with her just liking our version of her songs, but the fact that she wanted to share it with the world is so amazing. We are so grateful for her. We are getting nothing but positive feedback and it is blowing our minds. We honestly haven’t received one bad review or negative comment. The support from everybody has been so amazing!

Just Another Girl In Another World

Since this is my first post, I want to tell you all a little about me. After all, why read something written by a complete stranger right? My name is Shreya and I am 19 years old. I am currently a freshman in college and I am originally from India. College has been a great experience for me so far and it couldn’t get better, but it is my past that has shaped me to become the person I am today.

As I look back on the 18 years of my life, I realize how fortunate I have been growing up in such a cosmopolitan city and experiencing the different traditions that it offers. I have had the privilege of experiencing the various festivals ranging from the famous Durga Puja to Diwali. Kolkata has nurtured me to be a child of both, the East and the West. The city used to be the capital of British India and has western influences embedded in its fabric together with the eastern philosophies and mysticism. The incessant energy of this unique metropolis and the rainbow of colors it offers have been instrumental in influencing my life experiences. I love the comforting spicy aroma of the street foods that waft through the air, the constant din of the centuries old tramcars, the rhythmic Bollywood songs, the thundering cheers of the cricket and football matches, the sweet sounding lilt of the Bengali language.

In spite of growing up in an overcrowded vibrant city, I consider myself a quiet girl who has lived a very sheltered life. At this juncture in my life I want to live independently and I believe studying in America can make that happen. That is why I moved from India to the United States of America for college. That was a big transition in my life. And I have leaned to adapt to it perfectly.

However, everyone has fears. And right now, I have the fear of not doing well enough. This is why I have started his blog. I want to be able to express myself. I want to be able to share my thoughts with the world. I want to relate to all the 18 and 19 year olds out there who are just as scared but determined, like me, to make a name for themselves. So, I hope you become a part of this journey with me, and I hope you have a hell of a ride.

Please do comment or give my post a thumbs-up if you like it. 🙂