![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2759f03aff2a24ed11746f340f11187988-curbed-teen-jobs-with-locations.rsquare.w700.jpg\")
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\n Photo: Courtesy of the subjects; NYC Parks; Google Maps\n <\/p>\n
School\u2019s out and New York City is expensive \u2014 a Starbucks refresher is at least $6, a fro-yo much more, and a movie? Forget it. The answer to this dilemma might seem obvious \u2014 get a job! But when I went to skate spots, public parks, high schools, and malls to find teens who would talk about their summer jobs, most told me they couldn\u2019t find one, and it wasn\u2019t for lack of trying. \u201cDo you know anyone hiring?\u201d one Jackson Heights teen asked me. Many employers won\u2019t hire kids younger than 18, they said, and even fast food restaurants demand prior experience. Of the six teens you\u2019ll meet below, three got their jobs through city programs, two work in retail, and one has an unpaid internship. Some would rather be working at NVIDIA or the U.N. than at the mall, but they said they feel lucky to have any job at all.<\/p>\n
Before heading off to SUNY Albany in September for his freshman year, Ethan Stephen will spend his third summer as a lifeguard at Fox Pool<\/a>, a free outdoor city-operated kids\u2019 mini pool at P.S. 251 in East Flatbush. \u201cI\u2019m not gonna lie: When I chose to work at this pool, I thought it\u2019d be easier because it\u2019s a mini-pool, but it\u2019s an insane amount of kids!\u201d says the 18-year-old, who lives not far from the pool, near Newkirk Plaza.<\/p>\n Eight hours a day, Ethan, who just graduated from Avenues<\/a>, a private school in Manhattan, patrols the shallow 40-by-20-foot pool to make sure no more than 30 swimmers are splashing around. \u201cBut kids try to sneak in, and it\u2019s hard to manage,\u201d he says. He blows his whistle to warn rule breakers; the park ranger stationed near the pool entrance provides the muscle and throws out kids who won\u2019t cooperate. The worst days are rainy ones. Ethan has to sit outside on the deck all day under an umbrella, guarding the pool for when the occasional kid shows up, and he\u2019s not allowed to be on his phone. He has yet to save a drowning child from the three-foot-deep waters or administer CPR, though he has pulled some from the pool who were struggling.<\/p>\n The hardest part of the job, he says, was getting the job. He had to pass an exam that included a speed test. Only lifeguards who can swim 440 yards in six minutes and 40 seconds qualify for a coveted beach job; <\/strong>the cutoff is 7:40 for a pool job, the one he wanted. Before that, he had to take a training course<\/a> at a gym near Columbus Circle, which included lap swims and sitting in a classroom every week for eight months. \u201cThe classes aren\u2019t fun,\u201d he adds. \u201cIt\u2019s not something you want to do after school on a Thursday.\u201d<\/p>\n But it was worth it, he says. He earns $22.75 an hour \u2014 far more than what his friends make at their $17 per hour minimum-wage jobs. Last summer, working seven days a week, Ethan says he earned about $15,000, 90 percent of which he saved to pay his college tuition. What does he spend the remainder on? \u201cI\u2019m always out,\u201d he explains, \u201cso I\u2019m usually always eating out, which isn\u2019t cheap.\u201d<\/p>\n And then there are the perks of the job. There\u2019s a basketball court next to the pool, so Ethan can shoot hoops when he\u2019s on break. And he likes the kids he has gotten to know over the years since he\u2019s there every summer. \u201cThey\u2019re cool. It reminds me of when I was a kid,\u201d he says. \u201cI feel like kids these days are on their electronics more than I was, so it\u2019s nice to see them outside.\u201d<\/p>\n \n Syrus restocks the minibar with a fruit stick. Syrus Johannesen, who is 18 and just graduated from the High School of Art and Design<\/a>, says it\u2019s nearly impossible to get a summer job applying cold. Even entry-level positions seem to require two years of experience these days. He got his previous job as a cashier and sales rep at a Koreatown skin-care boutique because his sister worked there and got him an interview. The Washington Heights teen got this summer\u2019s job \u2014 a gig at the 11 Howard<\/a> hotel in Soho \u2014 through the city\u2019s Summer Youth Employment Program<\/a> (the largest of its kind in the nation, providing more than 100,000 jobs for New Yorkers between the ages of 14 and 24). It was a bit of a process, he says.<\/p>\n First, back in March, he had to fill out a long application form at school, which included providing six forms of documentation and registering with the U.S. government\u2019s Selective Service System. Then came the multi-hour online training on topics such as work etiquette \u2014 mostly common-sense stuff, he says. \u201cThere was an hourlong course explaining AI, the different types of models and their purpose, which I feel was not necessary,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n It didn\u2019t end there. \u201cAfter that, I got some emails saying that I didn\u2019t do my stuff even though I did, and they said they were going to kick me out of the program, and I got really scared. But I redid my stuff so I\u2019m still in the program,\u201d he reports.<\/p>\n Syrus, who majored in film in high school only to discover he hates the industry (\u201cI\u2019m done with film forever!\u201d he says), suspects he got assigned to the hotel because he indicated an interest in international affairs. Like all SYEP jobs, the gig will provide 25 hours of work a week at $17 an hour for six weeks. While saving for tuition, he also needs the money, he says, to buy thrift-shop clothes and snacks \u2014 like his daily cookie from Duane Reade. He also loves to travel with his family; he has visited more than 20 countries, including Liechtenstein, Iceland, South Korea, Spain, Poland, and Brazil. His mom, an artist and a flight attendant, provides the plane fares, but she expects him to cover his other trip expenses.<\/p>\n When we first spoke, Syrus had yet to start the job and said he wouldn\u2019t know exactly what position he would be assigned (bellhop? front desk?) until his first day. He only knew he was supposed to show up in a black button-down shirt and black pants. \u201cIt seems like a nice hotel,\u201d he said of the 207-room 11 Howard, which he had only checked out online. \u201cI\u2019m also low-key expecting it to be boring, I\u2019m not going to lie. And slow. But I don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n We spoke again the day after his first shift. He was assigned to the hotel\u2019s food and beverage department. \u201cI had to refill minibars,\u201d he explained. He spent the afternoon restocking rooms with chips, protein bars, cookies, gummy bears, and Altoids, along with beer, wine, and Champagne. He was tempted to do some snacking, he admitted, \u201cbut I didn\u2019t.\u201d His overall job is assisting the food and beverage manager, and the hotel has a restaurant, a caf\u00e9, and room service, so he expects his duties will vary over time and will include helping at events like an annual barbecue for staffers.<\/p>\n With its Scandinavian d\u00e9cor, lounge, and library, the hotel is larger and prettier than he expected, he says, and he loves the vibe. \u201cThey\u2019re very polite, and I\u2019m very polite too, so it\u2019s nice to have a ton of people smiling and introducing themselves to me,\u201d he says of his fellow staffers.<\/p>\n I asked what his dream summer job would be. An internship at the U.N., he said. But that\u2019s a possibility for next summer: \u201cI\u2019m just grateful to have a job!\u201d<\/p>\n \n Adam sells fragrance dupes at the Queens Center mall. Adam Mohamed, who is 18 and just finished his freshman year at Baruch College, would love to have landed a business internship this summer. Instead, the Corona teen is working at a fragrance kiosk at the Queens Center mall between the Auntie Anne\u2019s and the Apple Store.<\/p>\n The business, Alt. Fragrances<\/a>, sells dupes of pricey perfumes. The best seller, his personal favorite, is Crystal<\/a>, a $39 mock version of Baccarat Rouge 540<\/a>, which typically sells for $350. \u201cI\u2019m pretty new, but I\u2019m doing all right,\u201d says Adam, who makes $17 an hour and works 30 hours a week. \u201cI usually make my sales goal.\u201d He doesn\u2019t earn a commission, but he is expected to do about $70 in sales per hour.<\/p>\n This is Adam\u2019s first job, and it wasn\u2019t easy to find. The day-camp gig he had considered paid only $10 an hour \u2014 not enough to help pay for college. He learned of the kiosk opening through a friend of a friend working at Alt who, on a group chat both were on, asked if anyone was looking for work. \u201cThat\u2019s the only reason I got this job,\u201d he says. \u201cIf there wasn\u2019t this opportunity, I probably would not have a job this summer because of how difficult it is.\u201d<\/p>\n He saves the majority of his paycheck for tuition, but it\u2019s tempting to spend a lot when you work at the mall. Some of his co-workers blow most of their earnings at Starbucks and Auntie Anne\u2019s (\u201cWho doesn\u2019t love their pretzels?\u201d he says.) He spent his own first paycheck at H&M buying new pants for work.<\/p>\n His employer provided his shirt \u2014 a black polo with the company logo. It\u2019s 100 percent polyester, however, and the kiosk is located directly under the mall\u2019s sunroof, so it\u2019s sweltering. He and his co-workers pooled their money to buy a fan, and another spent his own money customizing a cotton shirt with the Alt logo. \u201cThe sunroof is really annoying!\u201d says Mohamed.<\/p>\n Time can drag when there are few customers and he\u2019s manning the kiosk solo, he says. To get more shoppers, he tries handing out scent cards or calling out, \u201cHey, you want to smell anything today?\u201d But most people walk by without acknowledging him. I ask how he keeps his spirits up. \u201cI don\u2019t, really,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s a job, at the end of the day. I\u2019m getting paid for it. That\u2019s what keeps my spirits up, bro.\u201d<\/p>\n The job does have its upsides; it\u2019s relatively easy once you learn the product, he says, and it\u2019s fun to advise customers who don\u2019t know what they want. Since it\u2019s seldom busy, he doesn\u2019t mind if someone tries 30 scents before making a purchase. \u201cWhen they\u2019re gonna wear it every day, it\u2019s nice to know that you actually succeeded in getting them something they like,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n But what\u2019s his dream gig? An internship at a big tech company: \u201cA job is about enjoying where you\u2019re at \u2014 that is my goal. Getting a job at Google, NVIDIA. Getting a job somewhere I feel comfortable. Here, well, I\u2019m under the sun.\u201d<\/p>\n Brigitte Lloreda, who is 17 and just finished her junior year at the\u00a0Academy of American Studies<\/a> in Long Island City, loves hanging out with her little niece and nephew. So when it came to finding her first summer job, she knew she wanted to work with children. The first week of July, she started as a teaching assistant at A Child\u2019s Place<\/a>, a pre-K program in Woodside, a job she landed through the city\u2019s Summer Youth Employment Program<\/a>. She chose it from three other options because of the early hours and its proximity to her home in Flushing.<\/p>\n Every morning, Brigitte hops on the 7 train and arrives at the school by 7:40 a.m. She\u2019s finished by 2:30 and has the rest of her day free. She thought she would spend her afternoons with friends, but during her first week, except for the afternoon of the Colombia-vs.-Switzerland game (she\u2019s Colombian), she went straight home to take a nap. \u201cWorking with kids is really tiring!\u201d she says.<\/p>\n The school day has a strict schedule: coloring time, playtime, bathroom time, activity time, affirmation time (\u201cI am beautiful! I am safe!\u201d), recess, bathroom time again, lunch, nap time, and snack time. She assists the two classroom teachers with whatever needs to be done. Activity time is her favorite because that\u2019s when she gets most involved with the kids. The first week was Ladybug Week so everyone made ladybug crowns and bracelets. Next is Tiger Week.<\/p>\n Going in, Brigitte feared the kids might be disrespectful.\u00a0\u201cAnd I was worried the teachers might not like me because I\u2019m young and they\u2019re older,\u201d she says. \u201cBut honestly, the teachers are not that old and they care a lot about the kids and the SYEP workers.\u201d<\/p>\n She gets a kick out of the children, who call her Miss Brigitte. Her favorites are the outgoing students who ask a lot of questions, but she loves them all. \u201cThey\u2019re in their own little world,\u201d she says. \u201cThey experience life differently, like they were just born. And it\u2019s interesting \u2014 certain kids have manners, and some don\u2019t. You can tell how their home life is.\u201d She especially loves the preschooler who approached a fellow student who was crying and encouraged her, \u201cDon\u2019t forget to breathe!\u201d<\/p>\n She earns about $425 a week for about 25 hours and plans to put half into savings. \u201cI like the idea of maybe moving out or buying myself a car or something important,\u201d she says. With the other half of her earnings, she plans to go\u00a0shopping at stores like Target, Primark, Easy Pickins, and A\u00e9ropostale, along with the occasional splurge on a Manhattan or Brooklyn restaurant for a friend\u2019s birthday. The place has to be affordable, offer a decent menu, \u201cand have, like, a cute aesthetic so we can take cute pictures,\u201d she says. Their most recent choice: Superfine<\/a> in Dumbo.<\/p>\n Beyond the money, Brigitte appreciates the discipline she\u2019s developing. \u201cIt\u2019s a very good job for someone my age to have,\u201d she says. \u201cIt teaches me to be patient. They\u2019re not my kids, so I have to be respectful and not yell!\u201d<\/p>\n \n Theo edits videos in his room for an urban-culture publication. Theo Locke has his dream job: a video internship with a magazine devoted to NYC graffiti and hip-hop culture. The downside? He\u2019s paid mostly in swag. He doesn\u2019t mind. \u201cI\u2019m not working there for the money, just the fun,\u201d he says. His second summer job as a lifeguard brings in the cash.<\/p>\n In the hierarchy of NYC summer jobs, a creative internship ranks highest \u2014 at least among students at Frank Sinatra School of the Arts<\/a>, from which the Washington Heights 17-year-old graduated last month. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of stigma in going to work at fast-food places like McDonald\u2019s,\u201d he says. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t say you\u2019re judged, but you do get poked. It\u2019s, \u2018Oh, you\u2019re working at Taco Bell for the summer.\u2019 But the people saying that usually aren\u2019t working at all.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s true of some of his friends, Theo explains, who get money from their parents and don\u2019t need to work. \u201dBut I feel a job is something you should get going at pretty early,\u201d he says, adding that he started working when he was a high-school freshman. \u201cYou want to figure out if you\u2019re capable of working the mundane nine-to-five because, unfortunately, that\u2019s probably where your life is going.\u201d<\/p>\n Compared with his lifeguard gig, he\u2019s a lot more excited about the ten-odd hours a week he puts in at Living Proof<\/a>, a small publication he has been reading since its 2022 launch. He landed the internship after seeing a job post on the magazine\u2019s Instagram page. After submitting a 90-second Reel \u201cof my friends doing street art and hip-hop-related stuff,\u201d he received a prompt reply. \u201cIt was pretty cryptic. They sent me an address in Chinatown and said, \u2018Come to the office tomorrow at 9 a.m.,\u2019\u201d he says. He met the publication\u2019s two founders at the interview and was starstruck. And when he landed the job, \u201cI was incredibly stoked,\u201d he says. \u201cI told all my friends, and they were all super-jealous and said, \u2018Damn, I should have done that!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Theo\u2019s main job is to create short Instagram Reels based on the magazine\u2019s celebrity interviews, but he also gets to attend parties and photo shoots where he meets his favorite NYC graffiti artists. \u201cRecently, they had a collaboration with Reebok, an event I did the videography for,\u201d he says. \u201cThey had a gift bag for me \u2014 a free hoodie, two pairs of sneakers, books, and past special editions of the magazine.\u201d He occasionally earns cash \u201cwhen I do something especially good,\u201d but seldom more than $40.<\/p>\n I suggested maybe Theo could sell the sneakers. But it was too late. \u201cI\u2019m wearing them right now,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \n Barra shows off her \u201cslime hands.\u201d Barra Levy-Mazie, an 18-year-old who lives in Windsor Terrace, hoped to find a job close to home this summer. What she landed was a part-time gig at the new FAO Schwarz at the Nordstrom near Columbus Circle<\/a> \u2014 an hourlong train ride away. But she\u2019s grateful to have a job at all.<\/p>\n She first tried applying for work at neighborhood shops and grocery stores, hoping to get hired as a barista or fro-yo-shop employee. She walked around filling out applications in person or applied online and then followed up with phone calls and visits. Zero response. \u201cAn ice-cream shop ghosted me; a frozen-yogurt place ghosted me,\u201d Barra says. \u201cLots of ghosting.\u201d She considered a second summer working at an overnight camp, which was a lot of fun but the pay was terrible. \u201cFour weeks after tax is $430,\u201d she says. \u201cYou\u2019re on the clock 23 hours a day, you get no sleep, you\u2019re responsible for so many kids.\u201d She also considered babysitting, which pays better \u2014 typically $20 to $25 an hour. \u201cBut it\u2019s short hours, so you don\u2019t make enough,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Then she learned through a friend of her parents that FAO Schwarz was hiring a team of 20 for its new location.\u00a0An application and a short interview later and Barra was hired. \u201cI was lucky my parents were asking around and heard of the job,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/999ba84b22b7b628d4d18c1c99067edaca-syrus-1.rvertical.w570.jpg\")
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\n Photo: Courtesy of the subject\n <\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/9abf74c2e5ca475047091741bdd3be7836-Adam-.rhorizontal.w700.jpg\")
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\n Photo: Anne Kadet\n <\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/aa09a242175519e28616bc6d4e75b89fcb-A1BA992B-1159-4F27-B8AA-73F9A5DBFFE7-1-2.rhorizontal.w700.jpg\")
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\n Photo: Theo Locke\n <\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/a088cadb0c2c9f9a76a2e1e4f70afb5f7f-Barra.rvertical.w570.jpg\")
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\n Photo: Courtesy of the subject\n <\/p>\n