COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES
The City College of New York
138th St. at Convent Ave.
212-650-7312
OK, if you’re a particular brand of laid back, check out CUNY. With an array of computer classes and GRE and LSAT prep courses, you’ll be ready for back to school…wherever that may be.
Columbia University
2960 Broadway
212-854-1754
This is the high-priced call girl of Manhattan universities—more expensive than your run of the mill streetwalker, safer and pleasurably enlightening without a doubt, and with continuing education programs in auditing and actuarial science (that’s assessing financial risk for businesses) to name a few, you’re bound to learn some useful techniques.
Cooper Union
30 Cooper Square
212-353-4195
Here they have professional courses in everything from architecture to automation, including the oh-so-sexy botanical art & illustration or finance classes dealing with eBay. If you’re feeling the pinch, there’s also a series of free lectures and book signings to try on for size.
Fordham College of
Liberal Studies
At Lincoln Center,113 W. 60th St.
212-636-6000
Instead of trekking it out to the Bronx campus, most of the humanities courses are also offered at the UWS campus. As a way to educate working adults and part-time students, the college offers “credit for life experience” which can jumpstart an undergraduate degree with up to 32 credits.
John Jay College of
Criminal Justice
899 10th Ave. (at 58th St.)
212-237-8000
Train your CSI fantasy with courses in criminalistics and forensics. But don’t forget the yoga, meditations, retirement planning, computer, language, public speaking and film classes offered as well.
New School
66 W. 12th St.
212-229-5630
You want to learn? Well the New School is hardly new at teaching, they’ve been doing it for nearly a hundred years so they know where it’s at: classes in media studies, film, foreign language, writing, visual and performing arts (both for credit and non-credit).
New York University
Address varies by school
212-998-7370
Maybe NYU used to be only for those who dressed in black and drank coffee as if it were, um, another popular drug, but now it’s for everyone. And to prove it, they have the Gallatin School of Individualized Study, offering students a chance to design their own program across disciplines.
Pace University
1 Pace Plaza
800-874-PACE
Join the Lunch and Learn Lecture Series aimed at those who are retired or retiring. Courses like “creative arts” and the “book review club” will make you feel like you’re 50 again.
Parsons School of Design
66 5th Ave. (at 13th St.), sixth floor
212-229-5590
Degree programs, certificate courses and non-credit classes in digital, graphic, interior and architectural design as well as fashion studies.
Pratt Institute - Center for Continuing and Professional Studies
144 W. 14th St., room 209
212-647-7199
A whole helluva lot of courses so you can make some money the creative way. Pratt offers the kinds of artsy classes that your parents would yell at you for enrolling in at college. The kids are really cool and have great parties too.
ART, MUSIC, DANCE & THEATER
American Musical & Dramatic Academy
2109 B’way (at W. 73rd St.)
212-787-5300
AMDA offers programs lasting four semesters and resulting in a Professional Performance Certificate of training or B.F.A and B.A. degrees in conjunction with the New School. Train your voice or learn to kick ass the theatrical way (with swords!). And then do it all in a musical.
The Art Students League of
New York
215 W. 57th St. (betw. B’way & 7th Ave.)
212-247-4510
An unstoppable crime fighting team, these superheroes will not rest until the city is safe from anyone with uninked skin.
Brooklyn Museum
200 Eastern Parkway, B’klyn
718-638-5000
A year-round schedule of programs including tours, gallery talks and art classes. Ever wonder what you were looking at hanging on those hallowed walls? Then the aptly titled “Looking at Art” course is a must.
Brooklyn-Queens Conservatory of Music
58 7th Ave. (Lincoln Pl.), B’klyn
718-622-3300
Students can choose a bachelor’s or master’s degree program as well as instrument and voice lessons for adults, teens and children at either the Queens or Brooklyn campus. Special music theater program offered for young adults.
International Center of Photography
1114 6th Ave. (at 43rd St.)
212-857-0001
Get yourself to the darkroom and maybe you’ll make some pretty calendars. Classes in materials, techniques, portraiture and documentary run for either one, four, five or 10 weeks.
Lotus Music & Dance Studios
109 W. 27th St. (betw. 6th & 7th Aves.)
212-627-1076
With teachers from India, China, Hawaii, Tahiti, Philippines, Africa, the Middle East, Spain and the United States, you’re sure to be able to find some kind of dance that doesn’t make you look like a fool.
Manhattan Graphics Center
481 Washington St. (betw. Spring & Canal Sts.)
212-219-8783
Fully equipped printmaking studio featuring three etching presses, a silkscreen area and a complete darkroom. One class here and you’ll be tagging “baby girl” onto trucker hats for tourists in no time.
Merce Cunningham Dance Co.
55 Bethune St. (at Washington St.)
212-255-8240
Weekly classes for dancers of all levels. Professional training and international programs available.
National Academy Museum & School of Fine Arts
1083 5th Ave. (betw. 88th & 90th Sts.)
212-996-1908
Offering classes in fine arts beginning every eight weeks for students of all ages and skill levels. Scholarships available.
People’s Improv Theater
154 W. 29th St. (betw. 6th & 7th Aves.)
212-563-7488
It seems ironic that being spontaneously funny is something that can be taught, but if that’s true then there’s no better place to learn it than here.
Tribal Soundz
340 E. 6th St. (betw. 1st & 2nd Aves.)
212-673-5992
World music store offers various music classes including belly dance drumming, didgeridoo and beginning blues harmonica. Also sponsors frequent world music events.
FILM & VIDEO
New York Film Academy
100 E. 17th St.
212-674-4300
With filmmaking, acting and screenwriting courses, they got it all. Expect to see lots of other fresh young faces at the three locations (Union Square, Soho, Times Square), all eager to get their start.
Manhattan Edit Workshop
80 5th Ave., Suite 908
212-414-9570
Manhattan Edit Workshop gives students the technical and artistic knowledge to become professional video editors with a six-week workshop that combines Final Cut Pro and Avid to get you ready with all the basics.
The School for Film & Television
39 W. 19th St, 12th fl.
212-645-0030
An accredited film acting school with a primary focus on film and television performance. A full-time, two-year professional training program for film and television performance, plus a highly popular summer program.
WRITING
Gotham Writers’ Workshop
555 8th Ave. (at 38th St.)
212-974-8377
writingclasses.com
Don’t tell us you’ve missed the yellow boxes and ads everywhere. People actually DO become writers, go figure. So try it at the leading creative writing school in NYC and beyond (online). Choose from 150+ classes, and 10-week workshops begin just about every week.
Mediabistro
494 Broadway (betw. Spring & Broome Sts.)
212-929-2588
They don’t just have job postings. They offer professional development classes for media professionals, from journalists to web designers, filmmakers to novelists. And stick around for their mixers, it’s great to get a bit confessional with other wannabe writers and if you are lucky, some real ones might stop by.
LANGUAGE
Centro de Educacion
de Trabajadores
413 W. 46th St.
212-765-4634
Classes are offered in English, basic computer skills and preparation for INS citizenship exam. But for those seeking to learn Spanish, native speakers teach all levels of classes.
French Institute Alliance Francaise
22 E. 60th St.
212-355-6100
Working every day to further divorce NYC from the rest of the country by teaching the proper French way of saying, “I’m better than you.”
Queen Sofia Spanish Institute
684 Park Ave.
212-628-0420
As pretentious as the French Institute, but far more practical. Learn the Queen’s Spanish while munching on some olives. Yum.
