Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with manhattan

Hit by a fence

zackola — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 08:28:11 -0800

So I was biking home from work last night and was hit by a fence. It was very windy and a portion of the fence at Grand St. and Center St. in Manhattan blew over onto me. I'm mostly fine, a little bruised but annoyed because it tore my fancy rain jacket. I know I'm going to get a lot of IANAL responses but I wanted to see if anyone had suggestions of things I could do to possibly be remunerated for the jacket by the city. Here's a picture of the bloodthirsty fence after I extricated myself and my bike from it. Any advice much appreciated.

Izakaya in New York

Tanizaki — Fri, 03 May 2013 14:12:59 -0800

I will be traveling to Manhattan this weekend. I would appreciate recommendation for izakaya or other Japanese eating/drinking establishments of note. Happenstance takes me to Manhattan this weekend. I will be arriving on Saturday night. I would like to visit an izakaya or other Japanese drinking and eating establishment. If it is a place full of Japanese staff and customers and you can barely order without speaking Japanese, that is exactly the place I am looking for. I came across this review of NYC izakaya but I cannot discern from the page which shops might be up my alley. The more informal and earthy, the better. Midtown would be preferable if at all possible.

Any local MeFites are welcome to join me, I might add. Thank you very much.

Where should I live in New York?

naoko — Wed, 01 May 2013 18:41:22 -0800

I'm moving to New York and don't know a lot about neighborhoods. Where should I live? My boyfriend just got a new job, we are moving in together in New York - he is moving in June and I am following some time in the next several months (September-ish?). I currently live in DC (U Street area) and he lives in Cambridge, MA (between Harvard and Central Squares) (we both really like our current neighborhoods a lot, fwiw). His new office is around 5th Ave and 34th Street.

Things we don't care about at all:
- Doorman
- Fancy in-building facilities like a gym. Washer and dryer in the building would be nice but that's about it.
- Shiny perfect new appliances

Things we do care about
- Near a subway stop and a not horribly long commute for him to get to work
- Feels like a "neighborhood" - an area with some personality and character, has affordable bars and restaurants and culture-y things to do (movie theaters? funky bookstores? live music? I don't know exactly, but that sort of thing), and where other young-ish people live (we are both 28). It doesn't have to be the hippest area, just somewhere that's not boring commercial wasteland. Basically we want to give ourselves the best possible shot at falling in love with New York.

Based on the 40xrent=salary rule that I've seen in other threads about NYC apartment hunting, our budget is around $2500 (note: this only takes into account his salary. I am currently in a (low-paid, but paid) internship in DC and do not have a job lined up in New York yet). I don't really have a great idea of what different neighborhoods are like and what that amount of money gets us. My sister (who lives in the West Village) is pretty convinced that what we want is Williamsburg, and from what she says it sounds appealing, but I'd love to hear other opinions. I floated East Village/Lower East Side and she said I might find it a bit on the noisy side but that it might be an option. Other ideas appreciated too! Boyfriend and I are headed to New York this weekend to take a look around and get a better idea of what's what, so any guidance going into that would be much appreciated!

Question Part B:
Since my boyfriend will be moving there several months before me, does it make sense for him to get a sublet until we can move into our real apartment together? Or will the hassle of finding a sublet and moving in and then finding a permanent apartment and then moving again outweigh saving some money by having a smaller place until I get there? I hear so many horror stories about New York apartment hunting that I wonder if the peace of mind and less drawn-out process of only having to find a place once might be worth it. Then again, that puts a lot of pressure on us to find that more permanent apartment really soon. Also, if I can find a job before I move then our budget can be bigger. I've been mentally going around in circles on this and I just don't know.

Help me, a mid-twenties licensed adult in NYC, finally learn to drive!

yaymukund — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:55:09 -0800

Help me learn to drive! What's a good driving school or private instructor in NYC for a mid-twenties guy who's never been comfortable driving? I have the next 10-15 days and $500 to get as many hours behind the wheel as possible. A bit of context: I will be traveling to a Ohio for one month where I'll basically need to drive to work daily. My past experiences with driving instructors were both when I was 16 or 17:

1) my dad doing his best to teach me, but I could tell he was nervous/frustrated and it made me nervous/frustrated in turn.

2) a crochety and sort of racist driving instructor who put me on Rt. 70 on my first day because he believed everyone my age learned how to drive while playing Grand Theft Auto. (Hey, buddy, have you even seen anyone play GTA??)

Anyway, I'm nervous and excited. I realize it's very short notice, but I'm also glad to have this opportunity to get over my fear. Thank you!

Manhattan optimization assistance needed!

Narrative Priorities — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 09:22:28 -0800

I need to rent a ZipCar minivan to drive upstate with a bunch of friends. Which location should I pick it up from so as to maximize how quickly we get out of the city and minimize both sketchiness and inconvenience? I don't drive very much in Manhattan, nor do I spend a whole lot of time in some of these neighborhoods. I'm hoping you guys will have better info than me!

We'll be picking the minivan up on a Friday morning around 10AM and dropping it off that Sunday night, possibly after dark. We specifically need a minivan, we'll all be coming in from Brooklyn or Queens, we'll have luggage to deal with, and we'll be driving up to the Catskills.

The locations I'm considering are:

Riverside Drive @ W 135th
Pros: Close to the subway, less time driving in Manhattan
Cons: Long subway ride and multiple transfers for people from Brooklyn, not much else there, possibly sketchy/deserted at night?

W 42nd @ 12th Ave
Pros: Maybe less sketchy? Not as long of a subway ride?
Cons: Lots of walking or dealing with a crosstown bus, probably a lot of traffic

W 14th @ 8th Ave
Pros: very easy subway ride, lots of people around even at night
Cons: That's a LOT of Manhattan to be driving through afterward

Any any all thoughts, strategies and anecdata are welcome!

What's cool in Manhattan on Wednesday?

Karmakaze — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 09:03:19 -0800

A friend of mine and I have managed to both get this Wednesday (27-March-2013) off from work. She lives in Long Island and I live in New Jersey, so Manhattan seemed like a good middle ground to get together. The point is mostly to hang out and see each other, but we'd also like to visit whatever interesting things that might be around. My cleverest thought at this point is the Museum of Natural History, or to just wander and let serendipity happen. Are there any cool happenings Wednesday afternoon or evening I should keep in mind? Especially nifty lunch spots we might not have thought of?

Help me plan a unique New York City bachelorette party

rachaelfaith — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 10:10:24 -0800

I could use some input on how I can pull off the bachelorette party I have envisioned, in New York City, in late May of this year. Keywords: fun (not raunchy), slumber party, karaoke, good food, overnight. My cousin pulled a fast one on me and moved her wedding up by a full year. I'm scrambling to plan the bridal shower (a whole 'nother beast) and a bachelorette party. Most of the bridesmaids and a few friends are in the North Jersey/NYC area, so holding it in Manhattan is the primary choice. The party will be held either 5/31 or 6/1.

I have envisioned a night that goes something like this: Eat some delicious food, go to a karaoke bar and sing drunken anthems, maybe hit a bar or club after, end the night at a location in which I can turn into the greatest slumber party, complete with blanket forts, snacks and cupcakes and air mattresses or shared beds, fluffy slippers, silly little-kid blankets, et cetera.

I suppose the most important questions are:
1. Where can I construct a slumber party? Are there any hotels you might know of that would work with me on this? I considered AirBnB, but I would have to clear it with the owner beforehand, and possibly come in a day early to decorate... This is my main concern.

2. Where should I bring a group of 5-10 mid to late 20's women for a not-too-expensive, not too 'adventurous' (I think some of them are picky about worldly cuisine) dinner? Maybe a tapas place? I would consider Blue Ribbon Bakery for the general ambience and food type but it's not ideal in terms of loudness and large parties.

3. Which karaoke bar can accommodate large-ish parties? Sing Sing on St. Marks is my go-to, but maybe I'm missing out on other great options. Private rooms are ideal.

4. Any suggestions on other clubs or bars to go to? None of us are into the club scene, nothing super exclusive, nothing snobby, nothing aimed at the college crowd. Just a decent place we can get drinks and dance a bit before ending the night.

5. Any other alternative ideas or activities that might work for this group would be wonderful. Bride-to-be is 26, girly, loves romantic comedies and coming of age movies, comfort food, getting dressed up, baseball. Not into overdone NYC bachelorette things like Lucky Cheng's. Can handle some raunchy fun but nothing overt. Probably not into the 'spa' thing but will go for occasional pedicures.

Help!

Help me identify a neighbourhood to stay in Manhattan for a vacation

valdesm — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 04:26:59 -0800

My family is going on vacation to New York in june for 9 days. We want to find a nice apartment in airbnb, but we have no clue on what would be an appropiate neighbourhood. My parents are over 60, don't speak the language, and want to do all the tourist-y things, so location is very important. My brothers and I are laid back and want to enjoy city life so we are looking for a neighbourhood with interesting things to do. I also worry about my parents feeling secure; we are Spanish so in this regards a small amount of night life is preferable to quiet residential neighbourhoods with empty streets at night.

Suggestions on things to do in Manhattan are very welcome; we have an open mind and no preconceptions about the city (at least as few as possible taking into account that we're talking about New York). We all have a science/technical background, enjoy cultural events and night life.

What are some Toddler-friendly places in Manhattan?

Alison — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 09:26:32 -0800

My husband and I are taking my nearly 2 year old on her first trip to New York. We're going to be there to buy books and fabric, but this will take less than a day out of our three day trip. We've been to New York dozens of times, but never with a kid in tow. We'd like some suggestions for toddler-friendly shops, sites, and restaurants that we can use to break up our errands. She's a well behaved kid, well-versed in visiting museums and sit-down restaurants, and is pretty good at handling new things, but she's still a toddler and thus unpredictable at times. We're trying to avoid breakables, long lines, and places where the occasional toddler tear would ruin the atmosphere.

We will be staying in Chinatown and our errand destinations are mostly in Midtown, the Garment District, and Soho. If the weather is friendly enough we will visit the Central Park Zoo or walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. She would probably enjoy a good toy store if the weather is poor. Foodwise, she is one of the least picky eaters I know and likes to try new things.

On one specific note, I would pay good money on a casual Izakaya in the Midtown area, one with tatame-mat cubicles where you can close the door for some privacy.

Men's Tailor on the UWS of Manhattan.

The Whelk — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 18:17:29 -0800

Need recommendation for a tailor on or near the UWS of Manhattan, NYC . Standard stuff, mostly altering off the rack shirts, pants, and jackets, nothing too extreme but should be familiar with vintage and custom-mades. Would prefer quality over speed or cost.

Looking for a printer in Manhattan

avocet — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 11:39:43 -0800

Looking for a solid, reliable printer in midtown Manhattan (preferably). I'm designing a program for a memorial service that will be taking place there next month but I'm located out of town and don't have any NYC designer contacts. The files will be ready well in advance so we won't need superquick turnaround. Can the hivemind recommend anyone? Thanks!

Manhattan on Saturday

pilibeen — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 14:01:03 -0800

Can you recommend some things to do in Manhattan this Saturday. Particularly interested in a bagel spot for breakfast, late lunch/early dinner restaurant, museums, interesting film theaters, and any other ideas. I'll be in Manhattan this Saturday to see The High Line and eat food.

The High Line is around Chelsea...can you recommend a great bagel spot to stop at beforehand? Other interesting sites nearby? Also thinking about seeing either the Guggenheim or the MoMA while in the city, and possibly a movie if there is a really cool theater I should check out.
Other ideas needed are good snack/street food places while roaming, and looking for a great late lunch/early dinner without reservations and vegetarian friendly.
The more walking and less cab/subway travel the better.

Any other ideas specific to this Saturday or just in general would also be great. Thanks!

What's the best place to live on a low budget given a life-consuming job in Manhattan near Madison Square Park? And how low can I go both before and after unintelligible-but-critically-important-tax-stuff?

ch3cooh — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 22:50:27 -0800

What's the best place to live on a low budget given a life-consuming job in Manhattan near Madison Square Park? And how low can I go both before and after unintelligible-but-critically-important-tax-stuff? I've lived happily in Boston for two years on $300/month for all expenses beyond rent/utilities/internet. I love to cook, I bake bread, I bike everywhere, and most of the things I do for entertainment are cheep if not free. I really can't see ever spending more than $500/month on food and entertainment. So, I'd ideally like a nice kitchen attached to a shoebox containing a bed, a toilet, and a shower; an 8 minute walk through a garden full of sunflowers from my place of work. That said, I'm actually not married to living in Manhattan; however, a fast commute (ideally less than or around 30 min, certainly less than an hour) is definitely one of my highest priorities.

My prospective job in NY is one that I'm passionate about, but it's going to pay pretty poorly. Actually, the first prong of my question is "At what salary cut off should I turn down (or threaten to reject the offer if the salary isn't higher) the job? I don't care about 'what my time is worth' -- I mean this first question in terms of needing to know a minimum estimate for what I might live comfortably on, either living in or commuting a reasonable distance into the Manhattan area. Also, I honestly don't understand the tax system in NY, so please answer this question with 2 numbers: (1) how much money I'll actually get per month?, and (2) how much the job offer salary would need to be in order to result in that monthly paycheck?

My second question is then, where and how are the best places to look for housing given this circumstance? Where in terms of areas of NY, and how in terms of good sites to use to track down specific housing opportunities.

Any and all help/suggestions/insight appreciated. :)
And thank you so much!

The economics of small manicure/pedicure spas in NYC

unionsquarepark — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 21:42:04 -0800

What are the economics of the tons of small manicure/pedicure spas and their employees in Manhattan? There are multiple places on many blocks, and when I pass them there always seems to be at least a dozen technicians in each, most of whom are just waiting for the next customer. How are these stores and people making money with so much competition and what looks to be a lot of downtime for each employee? In my experience, this situation is common in many parts of Manhattan. Does anybody know what someone working there makes? (I know tips are a large percentage of their income.) I've done some research on this, but I feel that the information I'm seeing is for higher-end facilities.

Super, you're super. Please take my money

TravellingCari — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 12:19:36 -0800

My Super is wonderful. I want to give her cash for (what I consider) to be going out of her way but she actively refuses it. Suggestions, especially as we're in the midst of holidays of various flavors. Thanks to MeFi help with location and packing tips, I moved in September. Love my building and my super live-in Super who really goes out of her way to take care of the building and residents. We stop to chat to her when coming or going and she does the same.

I almost never have packages delivered home because I work odd hours, but I've had to pick up a package once. I offered her a few $ and she wouldn't take it. Another time she came to snake a messy toilet for the second time in a week (and then subsequently fixed it so she wouldn't have to again). First snaking, I wasn't home. Second one, I was and again offered her $ but she adamantly refused. Due to time in and around the service industry, I know a polite refusal from an adamant one and this was definitely refusal to take. She even asked why I felt the need to give her something and I told her I'd felt she'd gone above and beyond. She said she didn't think so.

I figured this would be resolved via an envelope in the mailbox/with rent envelope under the door and I'd give her $$ that way, but no dice. Any suggestions or should I really just let this go? It's nice to be in a bldg where staff don't have their hand out - but she's so good I'd like to give her something.

If it matters: Manhattan. About 25 apartments in the building. Non doorman. She's super for a few bldgs on the block. I've never met the landlord.

Thanks

How do I find a quality language tutor for myself in NYC?

lxs — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 09:39:36 -0800

How do I find a quality language tutor for myself in NYC? I'm a young adult living in Manhattan and am looking for a language (French, specifically) tutor for myself. I am totally overwhelmed by the sheer number of totally generic posts on Craigslist and sites that come up on a Google search (most of which are for Ivy grads looking to tutor Upper East Side kids for $100+, which is not what I need). I've also emailed a few college departments and not come up with much. Is there something I'm missing? Does anyone know of a good source to find quality tutors in New York City? Better yet, if anyone has recommendations for specific tutors, I'd be glad to hear that as well.

Thanks!

30 minutes or more

roomthreeseventeen — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 12:50:53 -0800

I'm looking for a Manhattan gym that either has no treadmill time limits, or so many treadmills that it doesn't matter. And yes, I realize I can run outside, but it's cold and dark and sometimes I am just not motivated.

I wanna go to New York City Cuz they tell me it's the place to be

ricochet biscuit — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 18:22:51 -0800

Something New-York-esque to do in early March? I will be in NYC for a weekend in early March 2013 (the 1st through the 3rd, if it matters) with a companion and looking for what local mefites might recommend we do. Some Broadway show? Some restaurant we shouldn't miss?

Background: we are a couple of Gen-X Canadian city dwellers. She has been to New York only once, for several days earlier this year; I have been a half-dozen times when I was younger -- most recently about nine or ten years back, but usually lacking either time or money. The obvious touristy things (Empire State Building etc) have been dealt with, and now we are looking for something else. We are not really looking for $300 dinners or noisy live music, but are open to any suggestions. I have seen this previously, but some of it is very summer-specific.

We will be staying on the Upper West Side and are flying home early Sunday afternoon, so it is really Friday afternoon and evening and all day Saturday we have at our disposal. She is mostly a lurker on MeFi, so a meetup is not something I am trying to engineer but if on happens to be going on that weekend HINT HINT, I am sure we could swing by for a bit.

Because right now I look like I did it myself with pinking shears.

DestinationUnknown — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 09:31:00 -0800

Where in Manhattan could I get my hair cut next week? I'm hoping someone knows a good walk-in/no appointment needed salon. When I lived in New York I usually just went to Jean Louis David (don't laugh, they were always perfectly fine*) or someplace near where I lived that wasn't that great and I probably couldn't find now if you paid me. I'm possibly going to be in the city next week and I recently got a sort of whack haircut that I would like to have remedied while I'm there.

I'd like to find a place that isn't trendy or edgy or pretentious, but where the stylists know what currently looks fashionable. And I'd like it to be inexpensive, say no more than $50 for the whole thing. If that even exists. I haven't lived there in years.

My cut is nothing unusual - past my shoulders, all one length except for long side-swept bangs and a few little layers/pieces framing my face - but the last person who did it made it needlessly complicated. I just want to have it trimmed and sort of re-shaped or cleaned up. (And blow-dried.) My hair is a pain but not, I think, too difficult - it's thin and fine and inconsistently wavy, and I always wear it blown straight.

*And maybe they still are, in which case if anyone knows please tell me. They get pretty bad reviews on Yelp now though, so I'm thinking they may have declined over the years.

Needle out of haystack

bleep — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 08:48:05 -0800

Can you suggest a low-key but memorable place to eat in Manhattan? Preferably close to a park and a movie theater. For Wednesday. Thanks for your help. Preferably "American" style food if possible.

Cool Places to Work in Mid-Town Manhattan

JPowers — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 17:41:22 -0800

This non-New Yorker is looking for personal recos for an awesome place (coffee shop, library, resturaunt) to work from in mid-town Manhattan tomorrow. Requirements: cheap WiFi, not too far from a subway drop, and doesn't mind me hanging out for basically 10 hours on my laptop. I know, I could Google or Yelp this. But there are just too many choices to go through. I prefer personal recos.

Am I able to walk across any of the East River bridges today?

cuban link flooded jesus — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 07:09:39 -0800

Am I able to walk across any of the East River bridges today? I know they are currently closed to traffic, but I am wondering if I can walk across the Brooklyn, Manhattan or Williamsburg Bridges.

Anyone know if that is possible this afternoon?

At this rate I'll be a doctor at 65...

telegraph — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 16:51:56 -0800

I'm an adult working a full time job and I have my BA already. I'd like to start working toward medical school by taking an evening class next semester in NYC. I do not want to stop working and enroll in a post-bac pre-med program. Help me figure out my options. I graduated with my BA in Computer Science a few years ago. Since then I've been working full time but have always had in the back of my mind that I might want to go to med school. I'm not getting any younger and I have a sudden windfall of free time in the evenings, so I'd like to dip my toe in the water by taking one of the pre-med courses I'm missing (practically all of them except the math and english requirements).

What are my options? Have you gone this route or investigated it? So far I know that Hunter allows non-degree students to enroll pretty easily and it seems like they offer a fair number of sections in the evening, but I'm concerned that as a non-degree student I won't be able to get into the intro courses I need*.

I'm emphatically not interested in advice about whether or not I should go to med school. Right now I need practical guidance about the best way to enroll as a non-degree student in a college level introductory biology, chemistry, or physics class in NYC, preferably in Manhattan or Brooklyn.

*I did take AP Bio, Chem, and Physics in high school but my understanding is that I need to retake the courses at the college level for them to 'count' towards my pre-med requirements.

Need a vet on the west-side of Manhattan

ThePinkSuperhero — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 12:16:08 -0800

I need a veterinarian in Manhattan (Washington Heights, UWS or Inwood preferred). Please come inside if you have a good one. A few thoughts:

*This is for a chihuahua and a grey tabby cat. We moved from Queens and want someplace closer to home. Easy access from A/C or 1/2/3 trains very important.
*I would prefer one that is not outrageously expensive for routine visits, shots, etc., though I'm not willing to sacrifice quality care, of course.
*One that does boarding for small dogs and cats would be nice.

Why is N.J. transit so delay-prone?

Borborygmus — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 11:04:12 -0800

Why is N.J. transit rail so bad, so delay-prone? Last week, I spent an hour and a half on a stalled New Jersey transit train from New York City at 9:30 pm on a Thursday night.

The weather was fine, but the rail line blamed signal problems. I don't ride the train every day, but someone said this happens every three weeks. It seems to happen to me every 20 trips or so.

Does anyone know the cause of these delays and who should be held responsible for them? They seem manageable. It's not like weather caused unexpected problems.

Indeed, when weather causes a delay for the airlines, they don't apologize and refund fares. But they do when its their fault due to technical issues. The airlines should hardly be a model for customer service though.

Some people blamed the unions. Are they the reason?

I know N.J. Transit is one of the most frequently used rail systems in the U.S., and service is better than a lot of places in the U.S. and the world. But the rail system also services the economic capital of the U.S., New York City.

When I was stuck on that stalled train, I did a quick calculation on the massive loss of productivity due to the signal problems. 100 people in a car, 8 cars, times 90 minutes. That's 1200 hours lost, or 150 days, or 30 weeks. That's more than a half-year's worth of work for one person.

I also know that N.J. transit wrestles with Amtrak over priority on the rail lines going into New York, and that many passenger trains across the country suffer delays because the freight companies own the lines, so passenger trains get delayed. But I'm mainly interested in N.J. Transit functions.

Any insights from rail enthusiasts? Thanks!