Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with nyc and city

"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.

Neighborhoods in NYC

Wolfster — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 07:18:30 -0800

Mr Roger’s Neighborhood: NYC, introduce me to your neighborhood plus rental places NYC filter

I’ve lived in NYC for about 4 years and really enjoy living here.

Now I like my current neighborhood, but the apartment is very, very small and has a lot of problems. Because the rents are currently dropping (my landlord just offered to lower my rent for a few hundred dollars), I figure this is the time to upgrade.

I would love it if people share what they like/love/don’t like about their neighborhood and what they think I could get for a ballpark sum of $. Even if I can’t afford your neighborhood, please share! Pretend you are a broker for your neighborhood but also tell me about the warts (a broker, with truth serum!). Even if things that you like are not on my list – tell me about them, I knew nothing about this neighborhood when I moved here and have grown to enjoy it.

As a plus please let me know if it has some of the things I am looking for/not looking for although I still would enjoy the introduction to your neighborhood.

Below are things that I enjoy about my neighborhood, like/don’t like about my apartment, and my dream list.

Current neighborhood: UWS/near Lincoln center

Love:
• Hudson path along the water for walking
• Riverside drive for biking (no cars come from opposite lane, can get to GW bridge to ride out of the city, not much traffic)
• Very safe (sometimes I come home very late –not a problem)
• Can easily visit friends on UES
• Proximity to a few subway trains – 1,2, A, C
• Close to activities but not in the middle of everything (eg, Lincoln center free music in August; can walk to theaters ~ Times Square)
• It isn’t that loud compared to other parts of town
• There is a store/deli around every corner (if I need a cookie…I walk 10 feet)

Current apartment: In this neighborhood, I pay about $1400 and the rent will be lowered to $1200

Like: location

Don’t like:
• Very, very small (200 square feet) – I can’t take this anymore!
• The heating system is poor (this system that is either turned completely on or off in the winter…(baking, freezing baking, freezing)
• My neighbors are very, very young/college kids (I am fine with this age group, but I need to work, and they are dancing, drinking, hollering and living la vida loca at 1, 3, and 4 in the morning…too loud)

Where do I want to live?

Amt to pay: Up to $1500, but not much more, and I would love to get a 1-BR, but that may be delusional so …a large studio is ok. Are there buildings that have a normal heating/cooling system or keep it on rather than turn it off most of the day in the winter?

Features of neighborhood: 1) safe (can still walk around late at night), 2) still near activities or things to do (ie, I don’t want to ride a subway or boat for an hour to go to a play), 3) can still get to UES within 30 minutes/45 minutes 4) easy to bike (the highway is not surrounding me on all sides)

Not essential: I freelance and work from home – subway is not essential but makes things easy in the winter.

I like Manhattan, but I am open to Brooklyn and Queens as long as I am not commuting for an hour.

NYC Restaurant Recommendation

ruwan — Mon, 25 May 2009 06:11:50 -0800

NYC Restaurant Filter: Looking for a nice restaurant very close to Carnegie Hall for dinner on Wednesday night. (Or walking distance from Madison Sq Park would also work.) - Reservations a plus (we have a group of 6).
- One of our party is vegetarian, so should have some options for him. (aka no steakhouses unfortunately.)
- ~$25 entree range
- Asian, Thai, or Indian would be nice but isn't a requirement. Any recommendation would be helpful, thanks!

Ethnic Jewelry in NYC?

tk — Thu, 21 May 2009 18:22:17 -0800

I'm looking for a store in New York City (Manhattan and Brooklyn, ideally) that sells ethnic and sterling silver jewelry. The store could have clothes, accessories, or art, but it should have a significant amount of jewelry for sale. Can anyone help me out? I'm of course googling on my own, but this is the kind of place you would know when you see it, and I can't walk all the streets of NYC. Thanks for any leads.

Getting to Newark from Manhattan

greta simone — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 09:41:15 -0800

Cheapest way to get to Newark airport from the city? I have a flight out of Newark at 9pm Monday night. I'll be running around Manhattan most of that day with only a small overnight bag, so luggage isn't an issue. I'm trying to find the cheapest way to get to Newark from where ever in the city I can get to by subway. I took the Blue Van into the city, which was cheap, but I don't think they do pick-ups to take you back to the airport. I prefer something uncomplicated, meaning I don't want to have to take two trains and then two buses or anything like that, but also cheap, so no NYC cabs straight there. Something in the middle would be best. I don't know exactly where I'll be in the city when it's time for me to leave, but I'm open and can catch a train anywhere.
Thanks for your help!

Billy on the Subway

sdsparks — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:31:22 -0800

Would I be silly to bring a largeish bookcase on the NYC subway? So I just bought a bookcase off Craigslist, your normal Billy from Ikea, dimensions:
Width: 31 1/2 "
Depth: 11 "
Height: 79 1/2 "
I need to get it from Park Slope to the Lower East Side and I can't figure out if its crazy to bring it on the F train. I keep going back and forth. 80 pounds won't be too heavy for two people right? Will the subway officials let me enter the station with it? Will it be too obnoxious for other riders? Will the F train be too full at 10:15 AM? I don't want to be a nuisance, I just want to save 50 bucks off the man with a van. So, thoughts? Sorry if this is too specific for MeFi, fell free to delete it if that's the case. Thanks!

Doctor Recommendation in NYC

smartypanties — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 04:29:21 -0800

Can you help me find a great primary care doc and a ob-gyn who take Cigna in NYC!? Help! I keep losing my docs. Please help me find a great doc and girly doc who accept Cigna! My current docs are horrible.

What NYC hotel should I pick for a Christmastime visit?

objdoc — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 19:28:53 -0800

What interesting but not too hipster NYC hotel should I choose for a four-night near Christmastime stay in December? I'm heading to New York City in December for a work related conference near Times Square. We are also thinking about attending the Metropolitan Opera, and going to see The Nutcracker at Lincoln Center while in town. My partner plans to check out the Met and the Guggenheim while I am working, along with window shopping the Christmas displays around 5th Ave.

Last time we stayed at Le Parker Meridian which we liked well enough.

We'd like to find someplace interesting to stay, reasonably accessible to where we plan to spend most of our time. Caveat: we are late 30's but not terribly hip, even though we like architecture and design.

Price range: $350 or less, more only for something great

Where should I take my parents for Thanksgiving in NYC?

chinese_fashion — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 22:00:40 -0800

Where can I take my visiting parents and sister for a nice Thanksgiving meal in New York City? My parents will be coming up to visit me in NYC for the first time EVER, and I'm really excited about this. They don't leave Virginia much. I'd like to take them out to a nice place for dinner on Thanksgiving, and as a family, we're looking forward to the adventure of it. I've spent 31 out of 32 Thanksgivings in Southern VA with the fam, so this is a huge stretch for them.

They're not as adventurous with their palates as I am, mind you. I didn't know you could even eat beef rare until after leaving college. They like Chinese and Italian just fine, though. So I guess I'm saying that turkey and stuffing isn't necessarily mandatory.

My dad's got some issues with long subway/car rides. He's got a health condition that means he needs to be near a bathroom pretty often. Nothing's COMPLETELY out of the question, but I don't know if he could swing a trip to say, Coney Island or Harlem on the subway.

I live in Williamsburg and they'll be staying here/Greenpoint too. It could be as easy as going to DuMont or something, I just don't know what's open and who does what.

So I'm asking: any suggestions for a good Thanksgiving tuck-in in Brooklyn/Manhattan?

NYC Limo/Van Referral Needed

Man with Lantern — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 13:39:33 -0800

I'd like a referral for a service in New York City that can provide transport for six people, and luggage, from Penn Station to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. There are dozens - if not hundreds - limo services to choose from so I just need help separating the wheat from the chaff. Thanks.

Good used bikes in NYC?

jeffsimmermonTWC — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:50:07 -0800

Where can I find good used bikes in NYC? My girlfriend lives in DC, comes to visit me in NYC a fair bit. We'd like to start biking together in the city ... she's looking for a used/good enough bike to keep up here for her use on the weekends. Price range tops out around 400 bucks or so. She doesn't need the fastest thing on 2 wheels, just something to use to get around and have some fun with this summer.

Barring the "dude on the corner" approach which is just karmically a bad idea, do you guys have any suggestions?

How To Know If A Subletting Offer Is A Scam?

Anonymous — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 23:23:48 -0800

What's the best way to find out who owns an apartment in New York City? A relative of mine has been offered a sublet, but the circumstances seem very shady. I think my relative (who will be completely new to the "big city") is being scammed. I don't think the "owner" of the apartment is truly the owner. How does one go about finding out who owns property in NYC in regard to apartments? The apartment is in a well-known building in a high-end Manhattan neighborhood, which most likely has celebrity residents, so I don't know if that complicates things. Any help would be appreciated, as my relative is a complete novice at things like this, and I don't have any experience with it either, and I'd like to be able to give good advice.

Travelling to NYC for a week. Advise me how to keep my legs from running out of steam!

actionpact — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 09:24:27 -0800

I'm going to be going to visit my best friend in NYC for a week, in a week. Last time I went for a weekend, I wore Payless shoes and went cross borough and wound up limping and having cankles as a result. I am a lot more sedentary in Arizona than I used to be back east-- and I am looking for suggestions of how to keep this trip as painfree as possible. We'll be doing a lot of walking-- which is totally fine, but I know I need to get some kind of decent shoe this time. But I'm on a budget-- hopefully no more than $50-60 for a pair of shoes. What should I opt for? I am not big on athletic sneakers (Nikes and the like) but maybe they have good walking sneakers now, it's been forever since I bought a pair. Or maybe a decent pair of hiking boots or something would work. I would prefer them to be somewhat unobtrusive as I wear a size 10, but I can't order them online due to the timing. Can I get a decent pair of shoes at someplace like Kohl's? Or perhaps check out one of those shoe places-- DSW or Famous Footwear? Should I get some kind of insoles or is that just overkill?

Also, is there anything I can do now before my trip to gear up for so much walking? I have been exercising daily and playing DDR weekly, trying to build up more stamina and that seems to be helping. Perhaps some evening long dogwalks are in order as well. I often get shin splints when I walk for long distances though or run, so is there any way to minimize this before I go? Even suggestions on stretches I should do every day while I'm there is well appreciated.

NYC Location for Hip Young Woman's Celebration Needed!

citystalk — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 10:42:07 -0800

NYC Location for Hip Young Woman's Celebration Needed! Help me find the perfect place! A super exciting moment in my BFF's life is happening in the winter, revolving around her career taking a mega leap. I want to throw her a 50-60 person party at a location that represents her - a wacky, loveable, beautiful, brilliant, accomplished feminist in her late 20s. The people who come will be anywhere from 16-30, so not-so-adult, quirky locations wanted (except the ultra played out Dylan's Candy Bar, lol...but along those lines) that will look good on an invite and will be an enjoyable experience, too. Interactive experiences a plus but not a must - there will be lots of high heels, more than likely, but also a lot of sporty women! Doesn't have to be a restaurant, can be a shop, an arcade, a quirky store, a bar...wherever celebration, "girlie" and fun can be one!

Teach me some Street Smarts

dantekgeek — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 16:28:49 -0800

StreetSmartsFilter: Lifetime suburbanite moving to the big, big city (NYC). What do I need to know to keep myself safe and sane. General urban living tips will likely also prove very helpful.

Where to watch the Cricket World Cup Final?

ruwan — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 17:59:04 -0800

Where can I watch the Cricket World Cup Final this Saturday in Westchester? Hopefully near White Plains, because I don't want to have to go into NYC. (Failing that what are some places in the city that will be showing the game?) (I know about 8 Mile Creek, but I'd be a little nervous supporting Sri Lanka in an Australian pub when that's who we're playing against...)

Brooklyn sights for grown-up arty types

pomegranate — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 08:02:50 -0800

Weekend trip to Brooklyn in October to hang out. Anything you recommend? Restaurants, galleries, shops, hang-outs, etc. I think we're staying at a B&B in Park Slope. I'll be 5 months pregnant by then so we won't be bar-hopping but we do want a nice, mellow trip with a focus on the country's fourth-largest pseudo-city. We may go to Manhattan to meet some people for lunch one day but other than that it's all about laughing at hipster costumery, eating great food, and buying local handmade goods/art. (Think http://designsponge.blogspot.com/ in terms of aesthetic.) Please share your secrets.

Does anybody actually meet anybody else in this town?

kenoshakid — Sun, 20 Aug 2006 08:38:50 -0800

I've been living in NYC for three years, and am feeling the most acute loneliness I've felt since middle school. How are you supposed to actually meet anyone in this town? I've been told that the first year or so in NYC is tough, but three years on and I still have very few friends. Everyone here is "busy," and if they sense that you're not a "busy" person, they think something is wrong with you and shy away from you.

It's really weird, because where I used to live (in the midwest) I always had a lot of friends, and this wasn't an issue. However, I move here, and I find the social patterns are totally different. None of the ways that I used to meet people work in NYC. Additionally, nobody hangs out at their houses, so you can't just go over to a friend's house and expect people to be there hanging out.

I need to find out how to meet people here. The loneliness is killing me. I'm really bad at the bar thing, although I know that's how a lot of people meet each other.

How the hell do you meet and make friends in this town?

I should mention that I'm interested in places where I can meet men as well as women, which pretty much rules out a lot of tech/internet meetups.

(Also, I'm in my late 20s and single, if that sort of thing matters)

Where to watch the 2006 World Cup in New York ?

doogyrev — Wed, 24 May 2006 18:39:02 -0800

WorldCupSoccer(Football)inNewYorkFilter : A Mate of mine will be in NYC for the most important sporting event of the last 4 years. Where to watch ? He'll be attending a conference at Jacob Javits Convention Center 655 West 34th Street at 11th Avenue, NYC.

As much as it amuses me that'll he potentially miss some of the key games (England & Oz) thought I try and help out with some recommended places to drink and be merry.

Similar Question here. Looking for other options

Parking ticket

MrMulan — Fri, 12 May 2006 05:46:13 -0800

I just got a ticket for parking at a commercial meter in NYC. Can I leave the car there for the rest of the day or do I need to move it?

Go Go Go!

Jon-o — Sun, 04 Dec 2005 20:10:24 -0800

Hey, NYC MeFites. I need some help getting around. What's the fastest, cheapest way to get from 88 East Broadway to 520 12th ave? Can I do it in a half-hour?

New York City Seeing

Hands of Manos — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 16:52:02 -0800

If you had one day to spend in New York City, what would you do? My wife and I are going to be in New York City to see a broadway show, then we have the entire next day to spend doing whatever we want to. So if you had one day to do anything you wanted to, what would you do? (A good place to eat in the Manhattan area? A really cool thing to see?). We are not looking to do the touristy thing like "see the statue of liberty" but things that are really cool.