Urban New York returns! After its unfortunate cancellation last semester, the Student Affairs sponsored program is back to “spice up Columbia students’ social lives with the sights and sounds of the Big Apple.” Urban New York offers the opportunity to win tickets to see all those “cultural city events” you decided you would get to over break but realized once you returned that you were never going to. Registration begins this morning, and goes until Wednesday at noon. You only need to register once, so you might as well do it now really. Barnard students should happily note that they are now included in the automated lottery and can register using the online system. There are about 600 tickets available. Good luck!

You can read the full list here, and their e-mail after the jump, but here are some of Bwog’s highlights:

wd~50 Restaurant
April 20, 2011, 7:00pm
Listed in NY Mag’s Best Weird Food That Actually Tastes Good

New York City Ballet – The Four Seasons
February 27, 3:00pm
This was choreographed by Jerome Robbins, of West Side Story fame

Wicked
April 13, 2011, 8:00pm
This is a thing. You should see it. Everybody else has.

New York Yankees vs. Chicago White Sox/New York Knicks vs. Chicago Bulls/New York Knicks vs. Toronto Raptors/New York Mets vs. Washington National
We’re not running the risk of picking one favorite on this one…

Full email from Student Affairs below:

Hello! [Hello!]

In New York City there is a long and exciting list of things to do, and with so very many options (shows, restaurants, and musical performances) the possibilities are endless. In New York the sky is the limit… except for one thing… The student budget is not necessarily the cosmopolitan New Yorker’s best friend. That is why the Office of Student Development and Activities created the Urban New York program. This program gives students the opportunity to win free tickets to exciting excursions around the city.

Not only is Urban New York meant to spice up Columbia students’ social lives with the sights and sounds of the Big Apple but it is also meant to encourage comfortable faculty-student interaction. With generous contributions from the Columbia College Class of 1954, Columbia College, and the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, and Barnard College, over 600 free tickets to various events in the metropolitan area are available to undergraduate students of these schools each semester. Do not miss you chance to win one!

All interested students must register to enter a lottery that could win them a free trip to the ballet, a Broadway musical, a sporting event and more! Please note, Barnard students are now included in the automated lottery and can register using the online system . Check out our schedule and see what tickles your fancy. Urban New York has something for everyone and the planning committee is always open to suggestions. Registration takes but a moment and this is one lottery that you can actually win!

Please visit our website at http://www.studentaffairs.columbia.edu/sda/urbanNY to review the program schedule and policies! Online registration begins this Friday, February 4 at 9 a.m., and ends at noon on Wednesday, February 9 at 12 noon! Remember you can register anytime during this period but can only register once.

Good luck and get out there and enjoy New York City!

-The Urban NY Committee