Millennium Brooklyn is unique in many ways, especially since it allows every student (with parent consent) to go outside for lunch. Arriving on time to school grants every student the privilege to walk out the doors, during their assigned lunch periods and purchase food.

But, with the freedom of outside lunch comes spending money on expensive Park Slope restaurants. According to the Millennium Brooklyn student handbook under the category “Meals,” students can “eat at many of the restaurants and delis within walking distance of MBHS.”  The handbook also gives 14 options of “places to get lunch.” All the prices range from about $5-$7.

Brian Friedman, a physical education teacher and athletic director stated, “it’s a shame that no local business has come forward with an affordable lunch option directed right at high school students, with big appetites and low budgets.” 

Seohee Kim, a sophomore stated, “when I was a freshman I was so excited that I could go out for lunch everyday, but that got old very quickly. All my spending money has gone too buying food which is really annoying.”

Likewise, Emily Santiago, a junior, stated “After three years of spending money on food everyday, I noticed I was always broke at the end of the week. So now I pack lunch even if I go out for lunch, so I’m not spending all my money on food.”

A more experienced upperclassmen, Anita Tunduwani, a senior, stated “honestly, after four years of eating out for lunch, you find the spots that are affordable, and then the other ones you save as a special occasion.”

Going out for lunch does have it’s perks, but all in all many students have confirmed that it leaves them with little money.