Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with city

Private parks

londontube — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:11:41 -0800

Are there any other private parks like Gramercy Park in the world? Particularly in cities.

Alternatives to selling my car

Anonymous — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:58:29 -0800

SuperDumbIdeaFilter: Alternatives to selling my car... like leasing it? I'm moving to an urban area and will not be needing my car in the foreseeable future (save the occasional use that a car-sharing service would make sense for). I will be a bit poor during the transition period, which just underscores the fact that it does not make economic sense to keep my car: car payments + insurance + maintenance + gas + parking = ditch it!

Problems with this plan: I love my car. I don't want to get rid of it. I want to use it occasionally, at least down the road. In I'll be much more willing and able to afford the costs associated with it.

Is it really, really dumb to consider anything other than 'sell it'? I know just letting the car sit in a lot/driveway rotting and uninsured is a bad idea. A family member does need a car long-term temporarily (i.e. the mirror of when I need to not have a car). Could I lease it to them? Is that legally feasible (reasonably feasible, not just possible)? Is it a really horrible idea? Most likely they would pay less than I owe monthly, but I'm not averse to paying some of the monthly payment if I don't have to pay for all the rest of the associated costs (and eventually get the car back and paid off).

How ridiculously bad of an idea is all this?

(Please: no "don't mix family and money" -- I'm not ignoring that, but that's not what I'm asking about.)

email: cantbeartopartwithmysubaru@gmail.com

NYC suggestions?

shearkaty — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 06:44:25 -0800

My husband and I are visiting NYC just after Christmas for a few days. Where are some interesting, non-touristy places we should go? We'll be staying in Brooklyn. I never visited the city, but Shane has been twice. We love coffee shops, thrift/junk stores, book stores and art.

We also love to eat good food (who doesn't?) Any MUST GO places would be appreciated! (not scared of hole-in-the-wall!)

We're looking to run a little off the beaten path. Also, are broadway tickets worth the cost?

Which form of bobsledding is best for spectating?

rinogo — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:07:27 -0800

Which form of bobsledding is best for spectating? This weekend, northern Utahns have the opportunity of seeing the world cup of bobsledding/skeleton in Park City for free (http://bobsled.teamusa.org/news/article/28726) . If I only go to one event, which one should it be?

(I think I'd like to see skeleton most, but since that has already passed, what do you think would be most entertaining? Two-man tonight, or four-man tomorrow afternoon?)

Word for steel gates pulled down over storefronts at night?

jcruelty — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:03:51 -0800

Is there a specific word for those rolling, pull-down gates that cover up storefronts in old-school cities (Brooklyn, Barcelona) at night? Here's a picture of the kind of gates I mean. Grates? Doors? I feel like there has to be a more specific word. Spanish or English would be fine. Thanks!

Where Was I ?

Quillcards — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:34:51 -0800

Name that town or city About 15 years ago I was somewhere in France or Italy I believe and I was in a city.

I think it was south west or south of the Italian Lakes, (as in maybe a hundred kilometers from the Lakes) but that is just a recollection of a faint memory of looking at a map and thinking I might go there.

I was told that the river that runs through the city was once the border between France and some other country (the Austro-Hungarian Empire ?).

I recall light brown or tan stonework in a broad sweep of the river, but again it is a faint memory.

Any suggestions as to which place it might have been that I visited?

Teach em how to fish and they'll give us better cities, or something

stormygrey — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:34:01 -0800

Calling all planners, public admin. types, adult education gurus and other smarty pants: I need to develop a training program or at least a strategy for developing a training program for further planning on the local level, put the hard parts. Our office is charged with further the planning efforts of local (state and county) governments. We laid out the elements needed to successfully developing and implementing a comprehensive plan and then audited it to analyze our gaps. Then we looked at other agencies and they have similar gaps.

How can we train people in the areas of administrative capacity and what we are generally calling "community will" (political will, advocacy, etc.)?

Like, how to read a site plan submitted by developers, how should staff and appointed/elected officals communicate effectively, can a circuit rider type planner work, how would you develop a program like that, how do you do code enforcement with out a dedicated staff member. For the last one, its things like making politically difficult decsions, gaining consensus, or just plain how to implement your plan (what ever that may mean).

I know I am putting a lot of info out there, I don't want to box in the answers here. So have you attended or created training on items similar to these? Are you aware of awesome (perferably free) web based training/podcasts that touch on these issues. Feel free to throw in any new ideas that you see staff or officials messing up all the time. Thank you!

Tea anyone?

melangell — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:58:38 -0800

Where can I buy calamus root tea in Kansas City? I just moved to Overland Park and am still learning my way around, so please limit responses to places in or around OP (or easy to find from there). Thank you.

vegan junction city KS - "No results found"

mezzanayne — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 06:24:45 -0800

Vegan eats in Junction City, KS? I'll be in Junction City, KS today around 10am. I'm looking for a place with vegan options. So far (via Google) I've found 2 coffee shops that aren't open on Sundays, a Mexican restaurant that no longer exists, and a Chinese restaurant that doesn't open until 11:30am. I won't be in town long and I'll want to eat shortly after arriving. Fast food is always an option (I know that I can easily eat at Subway or Taco Bell) but a local sit-down place is preferred. Bonus points if it's got good coffee and/or is close to I-70 highway.

Happycow.net has nothing. Google is failing me. Please help me to find a decent vegan meal.

Thank you!

Does your (American) city keep transcript records of its city council meetings?

quodlibet — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:38:03 -0800

Does your (American) city keep transcript records of its city council meetings? In the beginnings of a dissertation, any help appreciated as I search out cities to study!

I am looking for American cities (of any size, at this point) that have kept records of their city council meetings where the transcript is logged and available (even if by purchase). I need to be able to identify the person speaking with their words. Videos of the council meetings are not quite good enough for my research requirements (but interesting to know as well). Thanks so much!

I'm as helpless as a vegitarian at a Kansas City barbecue

ochenk — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:44:09 -0800

I'll be heading to Kansas City in a week or two for just a few nights. It's on business, so I won't have any time to see the sights. But my colleagues are already talking about spending all night trolling for barbecue, because apparently, that's what you do in KC. But of course, I'm a vegetarian. I'd like to hang out with my workmates, but it's going to be a drag for me and for them if I'm eating dinner roles and water all night. So is it a lost cause, or is there usually enough non-meat fare that I won't be too conspicuous? Is there anywhere you suggest? I don't think I'll be able to talk them into marginal barbecue just because I'll have options. If I'm to hang for the night, the meat will have to be outstanding, as well as non-exclusive. And not that I'd be so lucky, but there isn't any good tofu/mock-barbecue, is there? Does that even exist? Is it worth the time?

"Let them eat bagels."

whimsicalnymph — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:08:15 -0800

Where can I find the best bagel in NYC? At the risk of starting a riot, I'd like to hear MeFites' opinions on where the best bagel can be found in NYC.

I have lived in New York over a year, and I have yet to eat a bagel (I think Super Size Me made me not want to eat them for a while).

I have a friend coming into town in October, and as part of her visit, I'd like to take her to a great NYC place, with the best bagels on Earth. No small feat, but I imagine if anyone knows where such bagels can be found, the people of AskMe will know.

Fun in Traverse City, Michigan in September?

ViolaGrinder — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:46:16 -0800

What should I not miss in Traverse City, Michigan, over a Labor Day weekend vacation--without becoming a dreaded "fudgie?" I am a 38yo single male heading north with my mid-50's mother and step-father for our first visit to Traverse City, Michigan to visit a friend of the family who's lived there for the last 5 or 6 years.

I'm especially interested in food and cooking, and wine (though I hear the local wines may not taste that great). Also enjoy nature and outdoorsy things. Sea kayaking sounds nice.

The opportunity to experience the workings of local agriculture or some kind of production/manufacturing sounds cool (is something noteworthy being harvested or produced in early September? Can we watch--or participate?)

I'm not necessarily interested in constant shopping (just a little will be fine), fudge, or things constructed solely for the amusement of tourists.

And if it matters, I'm gay and single--just in case anything amazing is waiting for single gay men in Traverse City.

I don't have to be constantly entertained. Sitting around with my family in beautiful settings conducive to talking, eating, drinking, and general bonding would be great. Thanks!

What city is this?

xmutex — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 10:59:42 -0800

Anyone know what city this is? I believe it's from the 1940s or '50s.

My friend's rant about Vancouver women are actually based on at least a sliver of fact?

porpoise — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 20:42:12 -0800

Walking down an uncrowded/empty street, someone of the opposite sex walking towards you. 10+ paces away, they're usually, or may not (sunglasses, distance), be looking at you (sunglasses, distance), 10 paces away, they look away from your direction, between 1 and 2 paces away, they quickly look to see if you're looking at them... ... in safe neighbourhoods, I don't parse as a credible threat, and I may or may not actually have been looking at them outside of acknowledging that someone is walking down the street towards me (the quick look at 1 or 2 paces is what usually catches my attention).

No, I'm not staring at these people, sure, sometimes I see someone pretty and appreciate but will refrain from staring. I'm usually scanning if I'm somewhere unfamiliar/interesting or tunnel vision if I'm doing, say, a grocery run or going from the bus stop to the lab/home.

I have (my own) pessimistic assumptions, but my question is; do you (as in, the 'they' in the fpp) engage in this behaviour and I am very curious as to the motivation/intended end?

No, I don't by habit turn to look at people's faces laterally as they pass by.

Local politics that isn't really local

Weebot — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 20:41:24 -0800

Which municipal district has the largest constituency? I was looking through some of the City Council districts for Los Angeles and New York, and they're pretty large (about a quarter million and 150,000, respectively), and I was wondering if someone would know off the top of their heads which cities and/or counties have extremely large constituencies.

I know that LA County's Board of Supervisors have 2 million people districts which I think may be the biggest non-Senate legislative districts in the country, but I want to know if there are any other large ones.

The City That Confuses The Hell Out Of Me

Juliet Banana — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 11:54:44 -0800

If you've ever lived in or visited Chicago and had a good time without getting hopelessly lost, you are cordially invited to post in this thread. Needed: an explanation of the grid system, tips and tricks on navigation, and recommendations for how to find the underground music scene, awesome beers, weird things to explore, and the best Chicago-focused blogs. THE GRID SYSTEM: Whenever someone explains this to me I hear "It starts at State and Madison and blah blah blah blah blah and then you'll know exactly where you are!" Pretend I am a five-year old who was dropped on my tender infant cranium.

HACKS: I bought the Moleskine city notebook which is really helpful because I can pour over maps on the El without looking like a total tourist. I'm also thinking of buying a small cheap compass because I have no sense of direction and I'm too shy to ask the classic question "Which way is the lake?" My boyfriend is getting handed a dollar so he can get one of the CTA Tracker apps for his iPhone. Any other recommendations?

BLOGS: A focus on music, especially local/weird/electronic, is nice, and so are blogs that categorize/tag posts by neighborhood. I'm currently reading Cream Team, Chicagoist, The Chicago Weekly (I really like the focus on non-mainstream arts&music, and neighborhood catagorization), and Gaper's Block. Is There a Cubs Game Today? is a single-serving site, not a blog, but invaluable for a Wrigleyville resident like myself.

PLACES TO CHECK OUT: Metafilter let me know that Hopleaf existed, so I'm sure there's lots of wisdom to be shared.

BACKROUND: I've spent time in Chicago but never lived here, I live spitting distance from Wrigley Field, I will likely work in The Loop, yes I will be at the meet-ups, I like booze and electronica and lowbrow art and limited-run/old/obscure movies, I really liked this previous question though I am 21+, I do not drive and hence will be reliant on the CTA, I am kind of nervous about not knowing anything about the local underground music scene and how to penetrate it.

Help! My landlord is trying to scam me!

Anonymous — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 14:29:48 -0800

Help! My landlord is trying to scam me! Okay, so, when I first signed my lease, my landlord had me sign a "rider" that basically said the following : Although the amount on the official lease is $1800, the actual rent on the apartment is $2150. However, as long as I pay my rent on-time, I get a "discount" of $350.

This is obviously a ploy to get around the rent control laws of my city. If not for the "rider," my apartment would be rent-controlled since it is under $2000 a month.

Anyway, I renewed my lease in June, and he wanted me to sign another "rider" along with it, since the original "rider" was only valid for the term of the lease. I kept putting it off, and ultimately I forgot to send in the new "rider."

Months later, he calls me and bugs me, so finally I bring it into his office.

A few days later, he calls me and tells me that my last rent check bounced, and that I need to write him a new check and pay the $350 late fee. I knew this was absurd, because I have plenty of money in my account. A quick call to my bank confirmed that my landlord never tried to cash the check, and that it never bounced.

I called him back, and he yelled at me, insisting that the check had bounced, and that he has the "bounced" check which was "returned" by my bank with stuff written on it. He threatened me with eviction if I didn't send in a new check along with the $350.

Tomorrow, I am going to the bank to get an official letter stating that they never recieved the check and that it never bounced. I called his office to say that I will be bringing in this letter, but his secretary was instructed to tell me "not to bother, since he won't be in and that I don't have an appointment." Obviously, I'm going to bring in the letter anyway and leave it with his secretary.

But I'm wondering what happens next. Over the phone, he threatened to evict me! I don't want to lose my deposit, and I don't want my credit effected. I don't even want to leave my apartment. He's obviously mad at me for taking so long to bring in the "rider," but I wonder if it's really in his interest to evict me over this, especially since I've been a good tenant and have always paid my rent on-time.

What can I do to avoid being scammed, evicted, or losing my deposit? Would his "rider" even hold up in court? Does eviction effect your credit rating? Is this worth lawyering-up over? My deposit was $1800, but I have no idea what a lawyer would cost.

I live in NYC, if that makes any difference.

If you like, you can email me privately at dontwannabescammed@gmail.com.

I'm spending a week in Tawas City, Mi - what should I see/do near there?

mikeo2 — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:59:36 -0800

At the end of the month, I'm traveling to Tawas City, Michigan to meet some family. I've never been to Michigan before. I'm hoping some recommendations can be made on local, "must-see" places to hit up. I'm most interested in natural beauty, biking, fishing, and food. Any advice is appreciated!

Help me find a good afterschool program?

RajahKing — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 13:11:07 -0800

How do I look for an afterschool program for my soon to be preschooler? This is a bit Brooklyn-centric, but advice from knowledgeable parents anywhere would be helpful.

My daughter will enter preschool (called pre-K in NYC) this September, on the public school calendar. Pre-K runs from morning to about 2:30, but she'll need to go to an afterschool most days M-F, some days for just an hour, some days until 5:30.

So, my questions are both concrete and general:

1. Do you know any decent, affordable after school programs that would serve a public school located near Atlantic Ave and Flatbush?

2. How much do after school programs that include pickup from school cost per week / per month, etc, in Brooklyn?

3. Is there any way that I can find these places online and give them a call? I have a couple of suggestions from the school itself, but that's just two.

Any other advice on this topic is much appreciated. Thanks from a sometimes clueless dad.

What great town Web sites are there? Or what should be on one?

wackybrit — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:44:19 -0800

I have an opportunity to produce a kickass community Web site for my town. What cities already have wonderfully interactive, community Web sites I can look at for inspiration, or what do you think a killer town Web site should have or be like? I recently bought my town's domain name (in its .co.uk variant) but despite having 15,000 residents, my town is not very well represented online, although the residents are heavy Internet users (on Facebook especially).

I have plentiful spare time and resources and I'd like to do it for a challenge, for something to do, and as a way of engaging in local life. In my previous life I sold a couple of tech businesses I developed, so I can do almost any sort of custom development for this.

I am at the very earliest stage. I have the domain and.. that's it. I'm figuring out what to offer. I have not yet done any local market research (although I'm sure that would be interesting, I think the local populace will need to be led by the nose..)

So I want to get some initial ideas by seeing other kickass community/town Web sites. Can you recommend any? Further, if you can't or if you were in my position, what would you put on or develop for a kickass local community/town Web site? What do you think I should be doing?

Just so you have a rough idea where my imagination is flying, I sorta want to get people posting and interacting.. so something like Craigslist mixed with a no-sign-in-necessary Twitter.. vague, I know.

The best urban rehab projects

amusem — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:06:50 -0800

Seeking success stories of land decontamination and rehabilitation in urban areas. I'm having a hard time with my search. I'm not familiar with this field.

In other words : Fairly recent examples of industrial urban wastelands that have been reclaimed and transformed into lively neighborhoods, parks, campuses, etc.

Examples from the US or Europe if possible.

Thank you !

Not just looking for a university

parmanparman — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 05:55:21 -0800

I am considering the City on the Hill, i.e., an independent municipality of working thinkers with heavy access and participation in city life, politics, and education. Is there a difference in the terms "Intellectual Center" and "City on the Hill"? What are some historical examples of a City on the Hill that are lowland cities? if you believe there is a distinction in terms: What are some modern examples of a City on the Hill and what are only Intellectual Centers?

Lost in Weblation

Post-it Goat — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:33:34 -0800

Can anyone identify this webcomic? I remember reading it maybe 6-7 years ago. I think it was a single-panel black and white strip with sort of blocky art. Mostly it was about a guy (I think based on the author) who lived in some big city or other, and it had sort of a melancholy feel with a lot of the strips just being romantic statements about city life, and others were probably about an unrequited crush or something. I remember it having a sort of "Lost in Translation" feel. The guy who did it was speaking English as a second language and what I liked about it was how strange the dialog was because of that...I want to say he spoke Spanish, Portuguese or Italian. I'm not sure if it was popular or how I ran across it. Vague, I know. Any guesses?

Event alerts?

4chrisd — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 07:28:36 -0800

Where can I get an RSS feed of ALL upcoming events, conventions, concerts, etc. for a particular city? I live outside of Dallas, Texas and I'm always finding out about great conventions or events in the city after it is too late to attend. Is there a website that gives me me the heads up on these events? Like if there is a Pizza Convention coming in April 2010 I want to know about it now so that I can make plans to attend. Help!