The ultimate guide to summer interning in NYC, as told by the summer 2024 ASME interns.
Favorite coffee shop or cafe to do work
Tess A: I love Maman. Amazing coffee and very chill vibes for getting stuff done
Ethan B: Mudspot in the East Village
Henry C: Le Phin is my favorite if they have a table. If not, I'll plant myself in Ninth Street Espresso and begin weeding through transcripts
McKenna C: St. George’s in the West Village
Ava M: Pi Bakerie
Mattea V: Conwell Coffee Hall in FiDi! Good coffee, working Wi-Fi, and such a cool space
Favorite quick workday lunch spot
Tess A: Los Tacos no. 1. The tacos are literally unmatched. Get the adobada taco con todo and you will not be disappointed!
Henry C: FiDi is a haven for assembly bar quick-service spots. Sometimes I'll treat myself to a Chopt bowl or something quick from POKE BOWL, but they're normally overrun by far too many working professionals in their oxfords and loafers
McKenna C: My favorite quick workday lunch spot was Hearst Tower Cafeteria because it’s cheap and delicious
Ava M: Xi’an Famous Foods
Mattea V: I love a good bowl and there seemed to be endless options near my office in 7 WTC (sweetgreen, Cava, Just Salad) but on days I’m working from home, I love picking up THISBOWL in NoHo. It’s the Australian salad chain’s first and newly-opened international location, so go before rush or expect lines out the door, but it’s so worth the hype
Favorite place to grab dinner
Tess A: I Sodi. If you can get a reservation, it’s so worth it! The pasta is handmade, not too overpriced, and absolutely delicious.
Ethan B: B&H Dairy Kosher Restaurant
Henry C: The donburi at Benemon is delicious and remarkably affordable
Luke C: Soothr — Thai in East Village. It's a little on the pricier end, but easily the best Thai food I have ever had. Honestly, just ask the server what they recommend and order that.
McKenna C: My favorite place to grab dinner was The Penny Farthing because they have $10 burgers on Mondays and truly the best nachos ever.
Ava M: Soothr
Mattea V: If you’re willing to splurge, the fettuccine con funghi e prosciutto at Il Corso is out of this world. Quite literally the best pasta I’ve ever had in my life (+ great service)
Favorite place to get a sweet treat
Tess A: Little Cupcake bake shop. I’m a sucker for cupcakes, and they have the best ones!
Ethan B: Mia’s Brooklyn Bakery
Henry C: If I'm willing to chip in for some good ice cream, I'll go to Alphabet Scoop. Normally, though, a yummy bodega black-and-white cookie will do the trick
McKenna C: My favorite place to get a sweet treat was from Van Leeuwen Ice Cream because they’re kind of everywhere in the city. I’m from the Midwest so please, no judgment.
Ava M: The Cookie Odyssey
Mattea V: Erin McKenna’s Bakery is a dream come true for anyone with dietary restrictions. Pro tip: avoid the hefty price tag by ordering a baked goods mystery box on the app Too Good To Go. You’ll likely get 4x the amount of goodies for the price of one!
Favorite place to grab a late night bite
Tess A: Joe’s pizza 100% Open 24 hours and one of the best slices in the city. (and I don’t say that lightly)
Ethan B: Any and every Halal cart. My favorite is on 23rd and Lexington but I'm never over there anymore!
Luke C: For a late-night dining option in Neptune Diner, I love Neptune Diner. It's open 24 hours and has classic diner staples (burgers, fries, etc)
McKenna C: I would always grab a late night bite Ray’s Pizza and Bagel Cafe. They have the best service and cheap pizza
Ava M: Joe’s Pizza
Mattea V: Jerrell’s BETR BRGR is an incredible late-night vegan burger joint. Great burgers and fries, but the real star of the show is the strawberry oat milk shake. I’d go there every day if I could
Favorite weeknight post-work activity
Ethan B: Walking up to BAM to catch a movie
Henry C: I'm officially a regular at Casa Magazines, where I'll grab my favorite print editions before hopping on the M14D to meet friends in the East Village for happy hour (the Ama Raw Bar lychee martinis are amazing)
McKenna C: My favorite post-work activity was taking walks in the West Village. It was peaceful and fun to watch people enjoy their evenings having dinner with friends (I did this too by the way. I’m not a loser)
Ava M: Movie nights in Bryant Park
Mattea V: I love heading to Piers 25 & 26 after work to read a book and enjoy the sunset over the Hudson
Favorite weekend activity
Tess A: Citi Biking along the West Side Side Highway because it’s so calming and a great way to see the city!
Ethan B: Getting out to Union Pool or TV Eye for a show
McKenna C: My favorite weekend activity was going to Yankees games! My favorite team!
Ava M: Exploring a new neighborhood!
Mattea V: Checking out a new museum (almost) every weekend!
Favorite “hidden gem”
Tess A: If you’re Downtown, I recommend stopping my Poet’s House in Battery Park City. I’m a huge poetry fan and they house hundreds and hundreds of books of poetry that you can look through! It’s also very quiet and has tons of nice couches and spaces to get work done!
Ethan B: Mile End Delicatessen
McKenna C: I will not stop advocating for Ray’s Pizza & Bagel Cafe when it comes to sharing “hidden gems” (you can literally get a huge slice of pizza for like $5 or a bagel and coffee for $5😭). They also sell beer??
Ava M: Punjabi Deli
Favorite “tourist” spot
Tess A: The Met. It’s such a classic, beautiful museum with new exhibits that are always worth wandering through
Ethan B: Tompkins Square Park really is worth hanging around
McKenna C: My favorite tourist spot (if this even counts) was Time Out Market. There’s so much food to choose from!
Ava M: Brooklyn Bridge
Favorite place to get a good view of the city
Tess A: Dumbo/ Brooklyn Heights promenade. I love catching the sunset over Manhattan
Ethan B: Find someone with a rooftop in north Brooklyn!
Luke C: Randomly, I love nabbing the Q train around sunset for a fun view of the city (also conveniently is my train home to Brooklyn, so it's a commute with show)
McKenna C: My favorite place to see the city wasTime Out Market (sorry for the repeats). When you head upstairs to the bar/restaurants, there’s a gorgeous view of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan skyline
Ava M: Domino Park
Favorite outdoor market
Tess A: Artists & Fleas in Chelsea!!! They have so much funky and cool stuff! Try to go on a weekday because it can get pretty crowded.
Luke C: The Brooklyn Flea is such a cute weekend spot. Definitely pricier than a traditional flea market, but still fun to wander the booths on a nice day
McKenna C: My favorite outdoor market was the Brooklyn Flea Market. Although it could get a bit expensive, there’s so much stuff to look through
Ava M: Brooklyn Flea
Mattea V: HUGE fan of the Grand Bazaar located in the Upper West Side every Sunday. Good mix of clothing, art, and some food options, and I’ve found it to be more versatile week to week than the uber-popular Brooklyn Flea
Favorite park
Tess A: Battery Park. I’m biased because I live (and work!) near there, but the rolling green hills and stunning water views are unbeatable
Ethan B: Fort Greene!
McKenna C: My favorite park to visit was Washington Square Park. There’s always something interesting happening
Ava M: Prospect Park
Mattea V: It might be basic but I love Central Park. There are so many cute and quiet spots off the beaten path if you’re willing to search for them (or, like in my case, stumble upon them after getting lost in the trails)
Favorite vintage / thrift store
Tess A: 10 Ft. By Stella Dellas in Williamsburg. They have the best unique finds, and so much to look through, while also not being quite as overwhelming as other big thrift stores
McKenna C: My favorite vintage store was Cute Thrift Shop. I mainly just browsed their clothing options because of the price tags… I would definitely recommend if you have some dollars to spare!
Ava M: Awoke Vintage
Mattea V: I still dream of the $160 Balenciaga t-shirt I didn’t buy at 2nd Street’s Chelsea location
Favorite app used this summer
Tess A: Yelp! I love looking up a restaurant’s reviews on Yelp to see what’s good on a menu. It’s very reliable, and helps me avoid spending a ton of money on a meal I didn’t love
Ethan B: Transit app!
McKenna C: I recommend downloading TodayTix! It helped me find cheaper deals for all kinds of shows.
Ava M: Too Good To Go
Mattea V: Dice is awesome for keeping up with concerts and events that Ticketmaster doesn’t deem popular enough to tell you about
Favorite summer memory with other ASME interns
Tess A: I loved the first time we all met in person! It was so exciting to meet and talk to so many cool, smart, like-minded people that were going through a similar experience to me. We chatted for hours and I didn’t want it to end!
Ethan B: Living with Luke has been really lovely.
Henry C: Our final wine night in FiDi! Such a sweet way to wrap up the summer, barely covered by the outdoor dining box as the rain poured down.
Luke C: All of the ASME interns got semi-weekly drinks, often at fun intern spots in the East Village after work. It was super fun to kick back and hear what the other interns were working on — especially because we're all going through similar, exciting (and sometimes scary!) experiences!
McKenna C: Awww my favorite summer memory with ASME interns was with Mattea, Henry, and Alyssa (non ASME participant). We had such a fun night out!
Ava M: I loved getting to see everyone at our in-person ASME lunches! It was really cool to see the inner workings of so many different newsrooms and then pick each others' brains afterwards about what we found most interesting
Mattea V: I somehow got on the guest list for one of my favorite artists (Sen Morimoto), and Ethan, who I had just met, made the hour-long trek with me to TV Eye–even though he didn’t know any of the music–and we had a blast! Shout out to Ethan for helping me finally check that off my bucket list after seven years <3 oh, and every outing with Henry and McKenna!
Favorite article you wrote or project you worked on
Tess A: I was so excited to pitch and write two articles about two things I know a lot about: makeup and college. I’m currently writing “TK things you shouldn’t bring to college” and “TK tips to help your makeup survive the summer heat.” Check them out soon at RealSimple.com! :)
Ethan B: A history of a popular seasonal beverage, coming soon to newsstands
Henry C: There are way too many articles that I've loved for me to run through, but one of my favorites was about NYC's "brat" bump in nightlife. I got to chat with some of my favorite DJs and club producers (Ty Sunderland, Luis Fernando), and really dig into something most of my coworkers didn't even know existed https://www.fastcompany.com/91168818/nyc-nightlife-is-getting-a-brat-bump
Luke C: Though I feel inclined to say my favorites were talking to big A-listers, I'd have to say my favorite project was interviewing the director of an HBO docuseries about the infamous baseball player Pete Rose. I had the chance to watch a screener of the series ahead of time, and I really enjoyed what he put together, so I was genuinely interested in the director's experience and felt I was able to connect with him on a personal level
McKenna C: My favorite projects included working on a whole bunch of holiday stories for the 2024 winter issue of The Pioneer Woman Magazine!
Ava M: I loved writing this piece (https://www.inc.com/ava-mandoli/this-entrepreneur-has-60-co-founders-why-tim-tkachenko-wouldnt-have-it-any-other-way.html) about a running club made by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs. It was such a fun way to connect my love of running to Inc. Magazine's mission of providing resources, advice, and inspiration to U.S. founders!
Mattea V: Inc. kept me busy this summer, and I wrote so many pieces I’m proud of. One I really enjoyed was about an indie swimwear brand founded by two former Lululemon employees called Left on Friday that secured uniform deals with two Olympic teams (who were about to face off in the women’s beach volleyball quarter finals). It somehow all came together in less than 24 hours- ask me about it sometime! https://www.inc.com/mattea-vecera/how-an-indie-swimwear-brand-secured-uniform-deals-with-two-olympic-teams.html
Favorite part of the ASME internship program
Tess A: The weekly lunches. It was so amazing to be able to meet and hear about the careers of so many talented people at so many different magazines. Also, my internship! I’ve loved it so much
Ethan B: The support and mentorship that the program has given us all!
Henry C: The lunch at Vox was an all-time high. We got to chat with the Culture editors at a digital publication I've been reading since I was in high school, and then my mentor toured me around the New York Magazine office upstairs
Luke C: Though this wasn't necessarily my favorite part, I think an underrated aspect of the internship program was the training at the beginning. It can be a bit long and sometimes feel repetitive, but as a whole I think I got a lot of context for what to expect heading into the internship and a ton of advice about how to make the most of this incredible opportunity
McKenna C: My favorite part of the ASME internship program was meeting all of the lovely people in our cohort<3
Ava M: Getting to meet a group of young people that are so passionate and excited about magazines! It was so fun to hear about everyone's experiences and projects at their respective publications. Being around such an enthusiastic group of fellow interns made me more motivated than ever to pursue journalism as a career
Mattea V: Having the opportunity to attend the weekly media lunches was truly invaluable. I learned from and felt inspired by every publication and media professional we met. Also, my mentor! Madi is everything I want to be and more and I cannot thank this program enough for matching us. I love you ASME!
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