You can spend the summer living rent-free in New York City, while getting paid to explore the world around Lower Manhattan.

Aerial of Lower Manhattan during the late afternoon
The Alliance for Downtown New York will is looking for an 'explorer-in-chief' this summer ©Eloi_Omella/Getty Images

New York is buzzing with things to do; from under-the-radar galleries to world-class museums, to food halls and rooftop bars, street art and literary treats. And this summer you could get paid to explore these charms, while uncovering many more. The Alliance for Downtown New York is searching for an 'explorer-in-chief' to live in Lower Manhattan rent-free from June to August, while documenting life in the city that never sleeps.

According to the Alliance, the ideal candidate has a "camera-ready personality, a keen eye, a distinctive voice, and the chops to produce compelling, entertaining content". If picked, they'll get to stay in a stylish apartment provided by tech brand Sonder, and will have access to co-working spaces, a library, sky lounge and a games room.

A view of Wall Street and New York Stock Exchange on a sunny day
The explorer-in-chief will stay in a stylish apartment just off Wall Street ©Lucky-photographer/Shutterstock

As well as living rent-free in one of the most expensive cities in the US, the 'explorer-in-chief' will enjoy VIP experiences at top attractions like the Statue of Liberty and One World Observatory, as well as the historic bars and trendy restaurants of New York's oldest neighbourhood. Once a ghost town after dark, Lower Manhattan has come alive again as the city's newest hotspot and unlikely food and wine destination, thanks to places like Eataly, the Augustine, and Dead Rabbit.

"From the indigenous Lenape Indians, to Henry Hudson and Herman Melville, to more recently Questlove, countless adventurous souls have explored this island and these streets and made them their own. We are looking for another adventurous soul to discover Lower Manhattan anew," said Downtown Alliance President Jessica Lappin. "There is so much to see and experience here; we are thrilled to provide a modern explorer and storyteller with the tools they need to share their own tale of discovery."

The competition is open from 2 March, 2020 to 15 March. To enter, you just need to upload a video to YouTube that is 60 seconds or less, showing why you should be picked. It's a full-time paid position and the successful candidate will receive a salary of $2250 for every two weeks of work performed. For more information and to enter, see here.

Explore related stories

CEZ_2016-Tanzania-5.jpg

Digital Nomad

See the incredible photos of remote African tribes captured by a COVID frontline nurse

Aug 4, 2020 • 4 min read