Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with newyork and nyc

Getting to Atlanta on the Chinatown bus

greta simone — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 07:11:08 -0800

Please tell me about your experience on the Chinatown bus from NYC to the southeast. Should I put my friend on it so she can get home? I have had a friend visiting me in NYC this weekend whose flight to Atlanta today got canceled. All the flights that the airline can reschedule her for will make her miss her Christmas plans.

So I looked up buses at gotobus.com and found a bus that leaves Chinatown run by Horse Run Tour. I am assuming this is the Chinatown bus, as it's the only bus leaving from Chinatown that I could find.

I have read previous threads about the Chinatown bus but they either seemed like they were from people who hadn't necessarily taken one or by people taking a different route (i.e. possibly run by a different carrier).

For what it's worth, we have already looks at tons of other options, and they are either too expensive or won't put her in Atlanta on the day she needs. Also, this trip says 14 hours to Greyhound's 23, so we figured it would be better.

Could you tell me if this bus is reasonably safe and reliable or any other experiences you have had?

Help her tell her story

shothotbot — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:11:34 -0800

What is a good screenwriting class in NYC? Mrs. HotBot has extensive storytelling experience (edited major comic books, done TV production work) and wants to write some screenplays. I think the thing she most wants is the structure of having to write on a weekly deadline. What are some good screenwriting classes in NYC? If I can sign her up as a Christmas present, all the better.

Superficial Dentistry

boots — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 06:15:30 -0800

Help me find a dentist in NYC with an office on a high floor of a classic skyscraper. I need to find a dentist, and the most important criteria is that their office have an awesome view. I've read that during the depression, desperate landlords signed cheap 99-year leases with dentists to carry them through the lean times, and that many of them survive today in Rockefeller Center, the Chrysler Building, the Empire State Building, the Woolworth Building, etc. If my dentist had an over-the-top art-deco lobby and 85th-story views, it wouldn't be such a drag going twice a year.

So far I found these guys Empire State Dental who are on the 52nd floor of the Empire State and seem sufficiently cornball. This blog entry has photos of the view from a 69th floor dentist office in the Chrysler Building, but doesn't identify the dentist. Anybody know who that might be?

I'm grateful for any additional suggestions.

Christmas movies set in NYC

greta simone — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 12:02:33 -0800

Christmas/Holiday/Winter movies set in NYC? Hello all and Happy Holidays!

This is my first Christmas as a New York resident and I want to get in the spirit by watching Christmas movies set here. I can think of a few off the top of my head, but just for the sake of discussion, please give me your favorites, be they classics, modern classics, weird or obscure.

I'd even like to know those that are just set in winter in the city, but aren't necessarily holiday themed (like Stillman's Metropolitan, which I love).

Thanks!

New York City Wedding Planner

L'homme armé — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 01:51:13 -0800

Can you recommend a good wedding planner for a New York City wedding? Can anyone offer recommendations or advice about finding a good wedding planner who works in Manhattan?

I'm looking for someone
(1) to make sure the day-of goes smoothly
(2) to help separate the wheat from the chaff on vendors, locations, and service providers - but with freedom to pick our own vendors independently if we want to
(3) to allow us to plan the religious part of the ceremony completely independently
(4) to reduce our stress by making sure we don't forget anything
(5) to respect the vision that we already have for the wedding and make it happen - we need help with implementation details, not the overall design

We strongly prefer traditional/elegant to trendy. We are willing to spend money to get someone good.

Any thoughts, warnings, suggestions? General advice about picking a planner or other sites where reliable reviews of wedding planners are posted would also be helpful.

Hotel and food recommendations for a solo traveller to NYC

une_heure_pleine — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:52:42 -0800

Visiting New York for the first time (from Australia) in a couple of weeks. Will be travelling solo, and am looking for hotel and food recommendations. (I did search, but the answers are a few years old now, or aimed at different budgets)

I'm perfectly happy with my own company most of the time, especially during the day. Even so, I'd like to meet a few people to go for a drink or dinner some nights, as I'll be there for two weeks. In the past when I've travelled solo, I've stayed in dorms. I'm a bit older now (late 20s) and have less tolerance for all-night boozing and general grottiness.

So, any suggestions for either a hostel with private rooms that's friendly but not party-central, or a budget hotel with a sociable common area where I might meet people? Budget is ideally no more than $80 per night but could stretch for the right place. Private bathroom is nice but not necessary.

Alternately, suggestions for other places to go/things to do where I might meet some people to hang out with for a night?

Also, I'm interested in checking out a couple of the better restaurants in town. I'm expecting to have to do this alone unless I randomly meet another foodie. Any ideas for restaurants in $30-for-a-main-course bracket where I'll be treated like a human being despite being there alone? My preference is for high quality, innovative food, rather than just wherever is hot right now.

quiet beachy birthday romance

pearl228 — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:41:49 -0800

Awesome, romantic getaway in proximity to nyc? Secluded, autumn beach spot preferred... So, I'm looking to take my man on a sweet trip outside of the city for his birthday this weekend. I can rent a car, or we can take a train then rent a car. I was thinking Montauk, which remains a possibility, but would prefer something a little more unexpected if I can figure it out.

Does anyone have any specific suggestions in terms of towns, transport, lodging, and things to do when we're not taking long walks on the beach..?

Thanks in advance!!

Get me outta here!

The Straightener — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:16:40 -0800

Escape from New York! (By car during the New York Marathon.) What time of day would be optimal to leave Williamsburg, Brooklyn by car tomorrow to get to the Jersey Turnpike without committing suicide after hours stranded in gridlocked traffic?

Help us find a good World Series bet...

Towelie — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 07:59:47 -0800

World series bet: Philadelphia/New York office 'rivalry'…ideas? We have six offices - with the Main Office in NYC and an office in Philadelphia.
(Staffing is about 9-10 in NYC, and 3-4 in Philly) We have four other offices (each with similar staffing levels.)

Any ideas on a 'good bet' - this is mostly for fun/morale reasons. I'm thinking that it'd be interesting/vested for our other offices to pick/align with the split over the worlds series…and have an interesting bet…

I just can't think of something beyond cheesesteaks/cheesecakes or wearing phillies/yankees wear (for one day) that would be interesting.

NYC not for tourists

HotPatatta — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 07:33:14 -0800

If you only had one year left before moving out of New York City, what would you make sure to see and do before leaving? I'm looking for tips on shows, shopping, music, tours, parades, expos, festivals, restaurants, exhibitions, food carts, bars, activities, green spaces, hidden gems--anything else that's unique to this city. Let's say prices are not a concern.

Where can I find photos of NYCHA housing developments?

Joey Joe Joe Junior Shabadoo — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 08:42:38 -0800

I'm looking for photos of NYCHA public housing - particularly, the interior of apartments and communal areas. Where can I find photos like this online? I have no idea where to begin looking - I've found photos of building exteriors quite easily, but I'm having remarkable difficulty finding photos of the interior.

Photos of public housing in NYC is a priority, but if those are too difficult to find, I'd be interested in photos of similar public housing developments in Chicago, or other large cities. Floorplans would also be of interest, but again, no idea where to begin looking.

Herpes blood test in NYC

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:22:05 -0800

Where to get a herpes blood test in NYC? I have been in an exclusive relationship with a man for the last few months. Previous to our getting together, he was married for 10 years to a woman with genital herpes. They always took precautions to abstain when she had an outbreak to prevent her passing it to him. But, as he assumed they would be married forever, he did not worry about it too much.

He did not realize until his most recent doctor visit that it was possible to contract herpes even when avoiding sex during an outbreak. After his doctor visit, he told me about this issue, sincerely apologizing for not bringing it up earlier, as he didn’t realize there would be any risk.

Neither he nor I have ever had any symptoms/outbreaks, but we want to get tested just to make sure. We are both recent transplants to NYC, and neither of us have health insurance or a GP (his recent doctor visit was before he moved). I called both Planned Parenthood and NYC Department of Health, and neither provides blood tests. They will only test current lesions.

So where is a free/cheap/sliding-scale clinic that will provide blood tests for both a male and a female in NYC?

The Accidental Docent

The Whelk — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 09:08:37 -0800

On Tuesday I'll be showing a new arrival to New York City around for an hour or so in the late afternoon. He's interested in the city's history, particularly the Bowery/Lower East Side. He has seen all the major tourist stops and I'm completely ignorant of the latest cool/interesting/weird spots downtown and most places have the lifespan of mayflies. Any ideas on how to prepare an awesome, emergency walking tour? A) I'm pretty well versed in the city's history, but not on a "and at this house in Blankity Blank so and so" level. Awesome stories needed so I don't end up waving at Webster Hall and going "And this is where The Masses spoke and -uh- it was important."

B) Cool and/ore interesting buildings, odd public art, and kick-ass murals?

C) Dinner in Soho after this, so staying within walking distance a plus.

Must-see in NYC?

np312 — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:33:17 -0800

What are the absolute must-see plays or performances happening this month in New York City? I'm going to be in NYC the last week of October. I go about twice a year and every time I'm there I try to see as much amazing theater as I can. However I'm out of the loop this season and don't know what's really great. (Last year I saw "Equus" "Fuerza Bruta" and "Black Watch." I enjoyed all of them.)

I shouldn't have any trouble getting tickets to even sold-out performances due to my business connections, but I don't know what is worth seeing, and I don't want to waste my few city evenings on anything mediocre. It doesn't have to be Broadway or even off-Broadway-- just truly memorable.

I heard "At Steady Rain" was 'meh,' but heard good things about "Our Town." What do you recommend? Thanks!

Looking to up my presentation skills in NYC

kenzi23 — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:04:30 -0800

I'm looking for a job doing presentation graphics (in law firms, possibly financial firms); this is about 30% of my current job at a law firm. I'm one of very few "experts" at my firm which isn't very technologically advanced in this area, so I'm afraid that my skills won't cut it in the outside world. I need advice on how to upgrade my skills. I want to upgrade my skills so that I can show a better portfolio and talk about those skills with more confidence.

I'm pretty strong in all the Microsoft Office products and how they integrate, especially in Powerpoint and Visio. I also am quite skilled and experienced in Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign.

Since we don't really use Powerpoint to its full potential at my current job, I want to learn more advanced skills, and I feel like I need to improve my Excel skills to integrate better with Powerpoint. From the job listings I have seen, I think I should learn Flash, but what else is essential for a presentations job?

I'm in NYC so if you have any recommendations for places to get the kind of training I need, I would love to hear them.

What to follow on Twitter

greta simone — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 12:04:22 -0800

NYCtwitterfilter: Recommendations for NYC/Brooklyn related things to follow on Twitter. I finally joined twitter only after it took me some time (and many AskMeFi threads) to realize that I don’t need to use it for ‘social networking’ but can use it to keep up with fun finds in and around the city. I’m still a little slow on the uptake though, and need help with finding things to follow. What I’m interested in following:

-Food trucks
-Sales (for already affordable clothing/home/music/online stores, not Barney’s etc, because even things on sale there are too expensive)
-Free/cheap events (movies, festivals, shows, readings, etc)
-Music (shows, bands, clubs, etc)
-Other free/cheap/fun stuff (drink specials, food promotions [ie Free ice cream cones, etc], flea markets, farmers markets)
-Any other recommendations you might have.

I’m mostly just interested in being able to sign in at 4:00 on a Friday to look and see what I can get into for the weekend.

I just moved to the area, will be living in Brooklyn shortly, mid-twenties female with average indie leanings of music, movies, books, style. I should emphasize that I have very little expendable income (social worker), so I’m interested in things that are cheap.

Thanks!

Sunrise in the New York City?

exhilaration — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 05:31:09 -0800

Where's the best place to watch the sunrise in New York City, preferably Manhattan? Since this is for my honeymoon, the more romantic the location, the better. :)

Ferris Bueller, you're my hero

Diagonalize — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 10:17:58 -0800

How can I channel my inner Ferris Bueller and have one great day, except in New York? It's my little brother's very first trip to the East Coast! He's coming to see me in Boston, but he also really wants to see New York while he's out here. I've gone looking through a ton of the old NYC touristfilter questions, but trying to combine all of those great suggestions with my limited understanding of New York and an extremely ambitious timeline is proving daunting.

Mostly because of limited funds, we were hoping to make this a one day affair; we take the Chinatown bus out there, see whatever sights we can manage, stay up all night, and then take the first bus back in the morning. I've never taken the Chinatown bus before, so please talk me out of this if it seems like a tremendously bad idea.

My brother is a lot like Cameron: sarcastic, funny, fairly disinterested in most things, but still an all-around good guy and generally more easy-going than Cameron. The only thing I know for sure he wants to see is Times Square (I know). We're both in our early- to mid-twenties, kinda square, but still adventurous, and this East Coast trip is supposed to be his big last hurrah before becoming a grown-up. “Life moves pretty fast”, so how can we have one great day in New York, on the cheap?

Bike riding in the Hudson Valley!

kmtiszen — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 09:51:39 -0800

Perfect autumn bike rides in New York's Hudson Valley. I imagine the Hudson Valley can be quite beautiful during the fall, so I was thinking about taking my bike out there for a day or two. Can anybody recommend some leisurely, daytrip-type routes that would let me enjoy the fall foliage along with some of the area's quaint little towns?

I'd prefer something within an hour's drive of Manhattan, but I'm always open to other suggestions.

Thanks in advance!

Exterminator in NYC

alice ayres — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 14:59:33 -0800

I need a recommendation for a reputable exterminator in NYC. I would like a recommendation for a reputable exterminator in NYC that also would not break the bank. Maybe if the exterminator has experience with closing holes that would be very helpful. I believe that the cause of this sudden infestation is critters are coming from nearby residents.

My hope is that someone has a great exterminator specializing in mice + roaches that he/she can vouch for.

No! I wanted a sharp card, not a card sharp

shothotbot — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 20:23:34 -0800

I am looking for a super-cool card store in NYC. Mrs. HotBot has not wised up lo these ten years and she loves cool and cards. Where can I get her a cool card in NYC? I need to get it the same day - no special orders. And I am not thinking Papyrus - I am thinking albino monks with a small tea salon/cool card emporium on some street I have never heard of.

Housing dispute lawyer in NYC?

Anonymous — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 06:29:50 -0800

Can anyone recommend a good lawyer in NYC for dealing with housing issues, specifically a dispute over a security deposit with a former landlord? I'm currently wrangling with a former landlord who's refusing to return my (substantial) security deposit. I believe this will end up in Housing Court. I know I don't need an attorney for Housing Court, but I'd really like to have someone giving me advice and walking me through the process as well as helping me prepare and file all the necessary paperwork. I don't mind spending some money to do this, as the deposit in question was fairly large. Any recommendations?

Anonymous because I prefer not to have legal things associated with my username and Google-able by people I know.

Help calculate the calories in my favorite NYC street food: lamb over rice.

falameufilho — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 10:38:10 -0800

Help calculate the calories/fat in my favorite NYC street food: lamb over rice. So, I am watching what I eat, but there are certain things I'd like to indulge on once in a while, as long as I know the size of the crime I am committing, I think I am ok.

One of these things is lamb over rice. If you ever had it (and if you live in NYC you probably have) this is a styrofoam container filled with:

1) About 3-4 cups of cooked yellow rice
2) A good portion of what I think is chopped gyro meat, I cant really quantify it, but it looks like 1/2-1 cup
3) A very tiny lettuce salad
4) All this covered on a white sauce that's either Tzatziki or Tahini, but I think it's the former (it may be something else).

(I am talking about this)

First, I'm having a hard time quantify the amount of gyro meat that go into these things. Is the sauce really tzatziki? Also does anyone have any idea of the calorie/fat count of any of the meat and sauce?

Thanks!

What you call "free AMC access" was invented by guys like me to sell nylons.

zoomorphic — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 11:59:27 -0800

I am crazy-excited about Mad Men season 3 airing this week. Unfortunately, my friends and I are frugal New Yorkers who don't get extra channels like AMC. Are there any bars in NYC that play Mad Men where we could actually hear the show? Or are there places where we could rent a TV and a room without going broke? Last year I bought all the seasons on iTunes and watched (agape!) on my little laptop, but I'd love to see season 3 episodes a) the night they air, and b) on a larger teevee screen. This is mainly because I want to gather loads of friends together who are equally obsessed, and maybe have a dress-up theme party.

I know that Times Square is playing the first episode this Sunday, but that only takes care of the first episode. Bars often play certain shows if you request them, but the TVs are usually small and in loud areas.

This hope seems a little dim, but I thought I'd invoke the Hive before I resigned myself to my small, lonely laptop screen. If anyone figures out this conundrum, I will take your secret identity to the grave.

I love Brooklyn in the summertime

Viola — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:07:17 -0800

I have a question similar to these two timely threads about what to do in NYC, but with a Brooklyn twist. My family is coming mainly to see yours truly, and we've decided to kick it mainly in my hood, Brooklyn. What should we do? My lovely family is visiting me from Thursday morning until Sunday afternoon, and we'll be located in the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn. Mom and step-dad honeymooned in Manhattan a bajillion years ago and haven't been back since, while my 16 year-old sister has never visited. Here's the deal: they operate at a Southern pace. They don't like rude people or crowds or loud noises and they really don't like walking more than a few blocks. They've expressed a profound lack of interest in museums and Times Square--I usually see them once a year, so the trip is mainly to hang out as a family. As a die-hard Brooklyner who stays out of Manhattan unless absolutely necessary, I wouldn't mind taking advantage of the more laid-back borough and just walk around some pretty neighborhoods.

I got the parents tickets to see Billy Elliot on Saturday while I take my sister to see Animal Collective at Prospect Park, and we're all going to the Brooklyn Flea market as well. For restaurants, we'll probably go to Grimaldi's, Lucali, and the Vinegar Hill House for brunch. That's all I have planned before my mind draws a blank.

Where else should I take an out-of-town family for a Brooklyn-filled weekend? Bonus points for really low-key itineraries like, "take them to X neighborhood, walk around the brownstones/park/gardens, visit neat stores on Y street, eat at fabulous Z restaurant."

As for money, I saved them a boatload by hooking them up with a free loft for the vacation, but that doesn't mean we'll be dining at the Brooklyn equivalent to Per Se.