Peoples Xpress — Local services in New York

• Update - June 2024* I am pleased to announce that it is STILL one of the best rates in town! I haven’t travelled since last June and the owner Driss is still accommodating and has a variety of denominations (which I often struggle to find with other merchants).

Definitely the best rates I've found so far in NYC! I usually use another merchant (recommended by another friend) but this time the rates they gave me were poor and I was not happy! I am glad I did more research and discovered Peoples Foreign Exchange instead. I called before heading down to make sure the currency I needed was available and if they had a range of denominations (this is not always easy to come by) - which he did! the owner Driss is very humble and helpful. It is a small space "inside" the Vegan Cafe , but don't let that fool you! or would you rather a "fancy" store that charges you more?! To each their own, but I will choose a genuine and good value...

The currency store is inside the vegan store. At first I walked past it because it wasn't very obvious. Once inside, it is a small stall with a man working and there were people lining up to exchange their money. I asked for the rates, then went to Citibank to compare. Turns out the rates at Peoples is better and I would be getting more than what I would get from the bank.

Tip - bring cash for the exchange; I went during 3-4pm and it was less busy than 2pm. $10 fee for the service for all 3 currencies I needed to exchange - it was $5 per currency type at Citibank, so it would have costed $15 total at Citibank compared to $10 at Peoples.

Quick and efficient exchange; but less "official" looking than other institutions I've been to. It felt more like a hole in the wall type of currency...

I tried everywhere to get Suriname Dollars for my upcoming vacation. My bank did not trade them, AAA did not trade them, CitiBank did not trade them, and the local exchange places around the Grand Central area did not trade them. But a teller in one of the banks told me about Peoples Foreign Exchange in the lobby of 60 E. 42nd Street. And BINGO!!!!! They had them. And not only did they sell me them at a fabulous rate, the guy behind the counter was truly helpful, informative and also very nice to this simple little customer just wanting some money to enjoy a vacation in Suriname. Forget my local bank from now on. Off to 60 E. 42nd I go for...