Flex, the handy dollar-for-dollar student account program accessed through Columbia University IDs, arrives to the new semester in full, well, flex.
An increased number of local restaurants and shops have signed on to accept Flex points, likely as a means to survive the area’s economic downturn by catering to hungry college students. The most recent vendors to take Flex are the Village Pourhouse on Amsterdam between 108th and 109th streets and the Rite Aid on Broadway at 104th Street.
Students can also use Flex to dine at Nussbaum & Wu, Chipotle, Panino Sportivo, Mill Korean Restaurant, Sip coffeebar and lounge, Cafe Nana in the Kraft Center, and Community Food & Juice (though it has yet to reopen after a massive fire last semester).
Campo, the Italian bar and restaurant that frequently hosts parties for student groups, also began to accept Flex in the spring. And The Heights, a popular drinks and tapas bar, continues to accept Flex. But be warned—students cannot use points to buy alcohol.
Students can also pay with Flex points at grocery stores—Westside Market, Milano Market, and the newly opened Whole Foods Market at the corner of 97th Street and Columbus Avenue all accept the points. Fairway Marketon 12th Avenue between 132th and 133th streets offers the added bonus of a five percent discount on the entire purchase if students pay with Flex. Plus, the Columbia Evening Shuttle—which leaves every half hour—can transport students to and from the giant supermarket at night.
On the retail front, Flex is accepted at University Hardware and Housewares, Ivy League Sationers, the CVS on the corner of Amsterdam and 96th Street, and the Columbia University Bookstore.
The Flex program is still evolving, so there may be new vendors to join over the course of the year. For now, it has extended its reach to a significant number of eateries and shops—which, if nothing else, provides students with welcome relief from John Jay.
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