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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?

Dreammachine boutique, New York, early 90s?

Mutant — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 03:52:32 -0800

Did you use a dreammachine in New York, SOHO, early 90's? I'm trying to reconnect with some old friends, and have been racking my brain trying to come up with the name of a SOHO based boutique that allowed folks to use their dreammachines.

Their devices were mounted in IMAX like glasses with sound available from headphones. The boutique offered roughly a dozen reclining seats and beds for couples, with a variety of drinks available in a separate lounge area.

It was located on the east side of Broadway, just south of Houston but before Prince. In fact it was in either the first or second building south of Houston, not at street level but I can't recall what floor. The boutique sold time by the clock, or you could pay in advance for discounted blocks.

If you've used a dreammachine in the past, what are your feelings regarding the claims of persistent changes in brain function? Those claims caused a bit of a ruckus when the boutique was first opened, but I don't think anyone succeeded in closing it on those terms (business, of course, was something else).

The state achieved via these dreammachines was much, much more intense than results acquired by sitting in darkened a room with a cylinder spinning in the corner, so I'd especially be interested in hearing from anyone else who might have visited this boutique. I was a regular for perhaps one year.

Help The Empress Splurge!

EmpressCallipygos — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 05:48:45 -0800

NYC Filter: I'm getting a financial windfall in a couple weeks, and have decided to treat myself: salon, massage, and then taking myself out somewhere. but...I've been broke so long I don't know where to go. Help? I know where to take care of the salon and the massage, but the "going out somewhere" stumps me a bit. Ideally, the place I'm looking for is:

* Upscale without being "velvet rope" -- classy instead of exclusive
* Lively, but not loud -- I want to be able to hear myself think
* Not outrageously priced (I don't mean inexpensive, more like, I want to be able to say that the amount of money I spend was absolutely "worth it")
* Possibly a place where I could get a delightful gentleman approaching me for a chat, but a place that's so awesome in its own right that I won't care if it doesn't happen
* If it's got a fabulous view, perfect.
* Doesn't have to be a restaurant. In fact, just getting a drink would be great.

I just plan on looking and feeling fabulous and living in the high life for a night, and I'm looking for the right setting.

Thanks!

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.

Help me find the blackberry delicousness, please.

lorrer — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:23:12 -0800

Help me get Seattle-quality blackberries in the NYC area. Is there anywhere in Manhattan, the outer boroughs, or even Long Island where I can get really great blackberries? I have never found them, in the last ten years, at any store (not even Kirkland and Issaquah-based Costco!). Nothing has come close to the taste off the vine - not tart at all, almost overripe tasting compared to most fruits, somewhat sweet, and very rich & earthy.

I was back in Seattle a couple of months ago and gorged myself on them off the vine, and for the first time made pie with them on my own - and the pies were incredible. I'm hoping to find a source so that I can share the joy of ripe blackberries with my friends and family, and so that I can make delicious pies for fall and winter festivities.

Looking for information about kayaking near Gardiner, NY.

staveitoff123 — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 09:22:29 -0800

Looking for information about kayaking near Gardiner, NY. I'm thinking about buying a vacation property near Gardiner, NY in Ulster County and am looking for some info/advice about kayaking opportunities in the area, which would be a priority for me. I would appreciate specific info - thanks in advance!

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.

How to fix my crushing jet lag?

alight — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 00:31:41 -0800

JetLagFilter: Traveled from Beijing to New York 3 days ago, and I'm pretty sure my jet lag symptoms are getting worse, not better. How do I stop messing myself up and start improving things? I've seen a lot of posts on dealing with jet lag when flying to Europe or other destinations about 6 hours away from local time. I'm operating on a full 12 hour difference right now and I need some help fixing the damage I've done to my circadian clock. I spent 6 weeks in Beijing on a sleep schedule where I woke up around 9 am, and then worked from 10 am till midnight or so. Now my schedule needs to be about the same, but 12 times zones different.

The damage: Departed Beijing around 11 am on the 15th, laid over in Shanghai, then arrived at LAX around 11 am on the 15th (again) Made it to NYC around 11 pm.
First night: Went to sleep around 3 am, woke up at 3 pm. Spent most of the day indoors, recovering.
Second night: Bed at midnight (as soon as I was tired enough) and wide awake at 4 am. Felt really disoriented and confused, but tried to spend as much time in daylight as possible.
Third night: Bed at 8 pm (exhausted!) and awake at 1:30 am, feeling sure it was actually 1:30 pm.

It's now after 3 am here, and I doesn't seem like I'll sleep again tonight. I'm expecting to get tired again by 5 pm, which will make things worse, not better, right?

I've never taken a sleep aid in my life, and I'm not sure that this is the time to start. (Maybe it is? YANMD, but maybe you have a really convincing argument?) Things like Benadryl knock me out in a way I find really unpleasant. Also not one for supplements in general and have never tried melatonin. I'm much more interested in zero-cost solutions like suggestions on what kinds of schedules to gradually force myself onto, whether or not short naps are beneficial, and ways to make me sleepy when I should be and alert when I should be without drugging me or tweaking me out.

What should my next few days look like?

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?

What to do in Ithaca

cheerwine — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:19:32 -0800

We're going camping in Ithaca, NY this weekend. What should we make sure to do while we're there? My girlfriend and I are going car camping in Ithaca, NY this weekend. She's never been camping, so we're trying to balance the hiking/cooking on a fire aspects of it with an equal amount of hanging out in the city/winery tours. We're not too familiar with the area. I've e-mailed a bunch of wineries blindly to get details on touring them, am looking into local farms and found a few places that look like fun downtown, but we're open to suggestions. Any specific wineries that you would recommend? Hiking trails? Cool thrift stores? Other fun things to do?

We are both vegetarians in our early 20s. We like thrift stores, book stores, quirky sort-of tourist things, etc. I'm more outdoorsy than her, but we can both hold our own on a hike. We wouldn't mind driving a little while for something particularly awesome, but I'd prefer stay as close to Ithaca as I can.

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!

Most romantic hotel in New York?

Falconetti — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 08:24:14 -0800

What is the most romantic hotel in New York? My girlfriend and I are celebrating our one-year anniversary in about a month and I wanted to surprise her with a night at a hotel in New York. We both live in New York, but she has mentioned before how she always wanted to stay at a nice hotel in the City. I thought booking a room for a night would be fun. What hotels would be the best for a romantic night celebrating an anniversary, especially for people who are young(ish) and actually live in the City (well, I live in Brooklyn)? I would like to keep it under $450, but all suggestions are welcome.

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.

Free Early NY decisions

KRS — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:37:20 -0800

Free source for older New York Court of Appeals opinions (PDF OK). I want to read decisions written by Benjamin Cardozo while he was on the New York Court of Appeals (New York's highest court). I know they're available on Lexis or Westlaw, but these are VERY expensive. My Google-fu has failed me for a free source (electronic, OCR or PDF) for these.

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?

DIY LLC in NY

meeotch — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:55:06 -0800

Has anyone successfully performed do-it-yourself LLC formation in New York (NYC)? Personal experiences with any kits or (especially) free templates that are out there? I've seen the Nolo site, as well as the stuff at ilrg.com To my eye, it definitely looks like the kind of thing you can do on your own, particularly if you're just one person, and not a partnership. (I do have a lawyer, and an accountant, and I will consult them - so please hold those sort of comments.) I'm looking for personal experiences here, and intend to get to the point where I feel I feel competent before putting myself in the hands of expensive professionals.

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!

Can I get someone else's credit report?

a22lamia — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 09:14:56 -0800

How do I legally get a copy of my ancestors credit report? An estranged relative died last year. I was the first member of my family to contact the county (in NY) about the death. They sent me all of my relative's bills including many credit card accounts in order for me to settle the estate under the small estate program. Shortly thereafter another relative decided he wanted to take care of the estate and I sent all of the paper work to him. Well he didn't end up taking care of it and now I've got certified letters from the county coming to me and have been warned that I'll be hearing from the funeral home soon regarding their bill.

I have all the information I need to settle the estate except the credit card information. I can't call the relative with it because it will start a new round of drama where he will promise to file and not do it again. How do I legally get a copy of the credit report?

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.