Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with newyork and york

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.

Parents coming to visit in NY. Where should I take them?

falameufilho — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 22:23:07 -0800

Parents coming to visit in NY. Where should I take them? My parents are coming to visit me in New York for a week in late March. They are in their 60's, have been all over the world and like to try new things. I want to take them to see some great stuff around the city, but there's one problem - they don't speak a word of English. They have been many times to NY in the past so all the obvious touristy stuff has been done already.

An example of what I'm looking for: last time they were here I took them to the ballet (Kirov) and to a couple of lowbrow shows (Fuerzabruta and Blue Man Group). They loved it all.

So, what can I do with them that they'll like and will be able to enjoy even with the language barrier? I know you know the answer, hive mind.

P.S.: I'd like to avoid Broadway musicals if possible. They would probably like it, but I fucking hate musicals. Thanks!

What's a not so expensive place to eat on a Sunday night, 9PM close to Madison Square Garden?

falameufilho — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 12:29:39 -0800

What's a not so expensive place to eat on a Sunday night, 9PM close to Madison Square Garden? I know you want to say Korean - but it's not an option. I have some guests I need to take to dinner at around 9PM tonight close to MSG. I wanted to take them to Korean, but I just found out they're a little picky with "exotic" food (I know). So I want to play it safe - steakhouses, Italian, chain restaurants. The problem - what's open on a Sunday night so "late"? Everything I am looking at Yelp or Menupages closes at 9PM.

Help!

Need advice on somewhere to go on the Thanksgiving weekend in the greater New York area

falameufilho — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:02:03 -0800

Need advice on somewhere to go on the Thanksgiving weekend in the greater New York area. Hello, hive mind. Me and the wife are expats living in New York City, so we don't have any family to visit on Thanksgiving. So we're feeling like doing something different that weekend - like getting out of the city, breathing some fresh air, taking a couple of days off from our ridiculously small apartment, you get the idea.

So here are the constraints:

1) It must be reasonably close to the city
2) It must be reachable by public transportation - train, bus, etc (I don't feel renting a car unless absolutely necessary)
3) It must be reasonably cheap
4) Not being crowded is a big plus
5) If we can see some nice fall foliage that's great as well (it might be too late for that, but maybe we're lucky)

That's about it. Thanks, hive mind!

Letterman and SNL in New York

falameufilho — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 20:50:09 -0800

I've recently moved to NY and I'd like to go see David Letterman and SNL live. What's the easiest way to get tickets?

Mixtape Filter: Songs about NYC

sprocket87 — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 06:55:50 -0800

Indie songs about New York? I'm looking for songs about or making reference to New York, as in the City. Not looking for classic songs like "New York, New York", but stuff more in the modern & indie realm.

A few I already have in mind:

- LCD Soundsystem - New York I Love You, But You're Bringing Me Down
- Interpol - NYC
- NOFX - Olympia, WA
- Beastie Boys - An Open Letter to NYC

What else ya got? Thanks :)

Jesse

I want turkey meat between two slices of bread

grumblebee — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 17:49:57 -0800

Where can a guy get a good turkey sandwich (the carved-right-off-the-bone kind) in NYC? When I first moved here, I used to go to delis and ask for a turkey sandwich. They'd carve hot, chunky, juicy bits of turkey right off the carcass and pile them high on rye bread. Now most of those places seem to be serving thin deli slices. Boring!

I want a REAL sandwich!

Is that asking too much?

Same-day alterations in NYC?

Vidiot — Fri, 14 Oct 2005 06:12:20 -0800

Same-day or while-you-wait clothing alterations in NYC? (Bonus points if they'll do it on Saturdays.)

What do the various New Yorkers think of NJ?

MiguelCardoso — Tue, 23 Nov 2004 02:12:01 -0800

What does New Jersey mean to a New Yorker - and does it mean different things according to what borough you live in? [More inside.] On a recent episode of The Sopranos, during a meeting of "Mafia" bosses, one guy justifies his reneging on a debt to Tony Soprano, when reminded he's a "made man" and a boss, by saying "Hey, he's from New Jersey...!"

For the benefit of foreigners (to whom New Jersey is a little bit Sinatra and a little bit Springsteen), just what is the status of New Jersey to New Yorkers? Is it considered provincial or suburban or somehow beyond the pale?

I sort of get the "bridge and tunnel" snobbery but I wonder if this snobbery - if it exists beyond the world of fictional organized crime - is even deeper and more distant with regards to what is nominally a different state. What are the stereotypes in play here?

For instance, would someone from Brooklyn look down on someone from New Jersey, you know, if they were prejudiced and unenlightened in general? Thank you for any answers - they will greatly enhance understanding of The Sopranos, Sinatra's Hoboken monologues and much besides! :)