Best Bites Near City College

Where to eat! by Ashley KalstekThe semester has barely started and you're already sick of saran wrapped bagels with peanut butter and overpriced granola bars on campus. How many times have you been forced to add on a Kind bar you didn’t even want to make the credit minimum at school, anyway?Freshman and transfers, it’s not you: “The food at school is truly horrible,” says Jazmin Rosa, an ad/PR major. “Aside from the Japanese food bar, everything is rubbish. Especially the buffet and frozen yogurt toppings—yuck.”But Harlem offers so much more than Academia Coffee and the NAC food court, and you can find good food just a short walk from campus! Many City vets have found that a walk up Amsterdam or Broadway can solve their foodie issues.Here’s our guide:Clove1592 Amsterdam Ave., Open 11 AM to 10:45 PM dailyYes, Indian joints are plentiful in this area but this place is literally across the street from City. It offers an all-you-can-eat-lunch buffet from 11-3 for only 10 bucks and is the real deal. Outdoor seating available and the staff is super friendly and accommodating.The Grange1635 Amsterdam Ave., Open 11:30 AM to 3:30 PM for lunchYou can’t afford to go to this bistro every day on a college budget, but everything is delicious! It has a small but tasteful selection of after-class craft beers and cocktails perfect for of-age students. You taste the farm fresh ingredients on their burgers and The Grange even offers an awesome beet burger for vegetarian students! The light, airy décor meshes with the farm-house theme.Filtered New York1620 Amsterdam Ave., Open 7:00 AM to 7:00 PMFiltered Yelp, Filtered FacebookFiltered is kind of on the pricey side ($3.50 for a small iced coffee) but offers Stumptown coffee and Rishi tea (note, high quality) which makes it worth the money. This coffee shop also holds the title of being the only one in its class (heh, get it?) in the immediate City area. While Filtered mainly serves beverages, it does carry snacks such as Megpies, Marker Coffee Cookies, and Dough Loco donuts. Free wifi and cozy seating a plus.Subs Conscious 1625 Amsterdam Ave., Open 7:00 AM to 9:00 PMAt this small soup and sandwich chain, the food is nothing to write home about but it offers $1.50 off for its soup/sandwich combo during lunch hours and a 10% discount for City faculty. No discounts available for students as of yet but talks are in the works. The real reason Subs Conscious is included in this list: its dollar iced coffee. No, this is not a joke. Yes, you should be on your way.Agave398 W 145th St., Open 8:00 AM to 9:00 PMAstrid Perez, a 22 year old City College student and Dominican Republic native, recently found Agave, which gave her a taste of home and delicious bites during her school day. “It’s like a Mexican/Dominican restaurant, and the food was great,” Perez says. “I had monfongo, and I don’t trust any place that makes monfongo because it usually isn’t made well. But, in Agave, it was delicious…small, but great. I want to go back now!”And of course, the Halal man on 139^th makes five-dollar platters of chicken and rice at a moment’s notice. Although not as aesthetically appealing for your instagram, your stomach, wallet and heart will thank you later.