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Someplace to read, write, work alone at night in NYC

laptolain — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:29:54 -0800

Someplace to read, write, relax alone at night in NYC. I'm looking for somewhere to go where I can unwind alone. I live in Maspeth, Queens where it's mostly residential and after 8PM almost everything is closed. Any place in Queens, Manhattan or Brooklyn would be fine, I don't mind long train rides.

The perfect establishment is very dark inside but all the tables have sufficient lighting for reading/writing. There might be music playing or some kind of live band but it's not a club or frat hang out. I like all kinds of jazz so that would be a bonus. The train station should be a reasonable distance since it's getting pretty cold now. It's open till 3AM or later, never very busy and at no point will I be expected to get up and leave for new customers. I don't want to sit at the bar.

Beer, liquor, coffee and food are all fine but none of them are priority over the atmosphere. As cheap as possible is probably second to atmosphere. I'm looking for a place that's the opposite of where people go to get seen.

I found a few older, similar posts but they seemed focused on Manhattan.

Thanks :)

Applying to multiple temp agencies: List on resume?

raygan — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 09:46:42 -0800

JUST started at one temp agency. Should I put it on my resume for the next one I apply at? I've just this week started temping in New York City. I've been sent out twice in about four days by the first agency that I applied with, now I'm looking for other agencies to drop my resume off at. I understand that these agencies pretty much expect you to be getting work from several different temp agencies at once, but I'm not sure of the protocol. Should I put myself down as currently employed/list the other agency on my resume? Should I just mention it? Does it matter?

Any relevant tips are greatly appreciated; I'm quite new at all this.

Anyone Know of a Traveling Masseuse in NYC?

kayzie — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 12:24:28 -0800

I'm looking for an extremely reputable and professional massage therapist to visit an office in midtown Manhattan and give several (15 or so) 10 - 15 minute neck-and-shoulder massages to the individuals who work in the office. HELP!! I am an out of towner, and am providing this service as a thank you gift for a high-end client of mine, thus the experience must be stellar on their end. My Google results have been quite vague, and I'd be thrilled for any help you could give. Thanks!

Help me recession-proof my future, post-college life.

Muffpub — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 12:49:22 -0800

I'm 21 years old, about to graduate college, and the recession is freaking me out. I know there's no right or wrong answer to which course my life should take, but I need help focusing on realistic skills and places to live that I should be considering. I'm about to graduate from a major Ivy-level university with a degree in English and Political Science. I have no idea what I want to do with my life and will be dealing with ~$35k in debt, so I want to try to spend the next few years living frugally and carefully contemplating what I want to study in grad school before I make the plunge.

The problem is that I feel like all of my ideas of what my post-college life would look like have been soured by the recession. I would love virtually nothing more than to live in Brooklyn and try my hand at policy, academia, or nonprofits/social justice - but as far as the research I've done is concerned, the NYC job/rental markets are so incredibly tight it might as well be a death wish.

Recently I've tried to expand my search to other places, like Chicago, Boston, and DC, but even in these areas I feel like the cost of living stacked up against jobs I would want that actually pay something is daunting.

I've been trying to think about ways to make my predicament easier by
1 - Trying to cast a wider net geographically - looking at cheaper, faster-growing economies such as Austin, TX and parts of North Carolina for more, better-paying jobs and cheaper rents;
2 - Casting a wider net in terms of what jobs I' could apply to - but here I'm a bit clueless;
3 - Looking for skills that I could attempt to teach myself that might give me a competitive advantage. (I have some basic Spanish and HTML/CSS under my belt that could, maybe, give me a head start.)

I know this question is almost impossibly broad, but are these worthwhile strategies?

Is the premise of my fears valid - that life in a major city like New York, which is what I want more than anything, is unfeasible in this economy?

Where can I find a decent, urban-style quality of life - liberal, gay friendly, nightlife, art/music scene, public transit - with a realistic rental and job market? Is it all too much to ask?

Am I being overly pessimistic considering that I *did* go to a good school and made decent grades - or is it prudent to be this cautious?

Other factors to consider: I do *not* want to live with my parents. I'd really like to not stray any farther from the East Coast than North Carolina to to the south, Chicago to the west, or Montreal to the north. Programs abroad such as the Peace Corps, teaching English in Asia, etc interest me, but I worry that the economic crisis will just make life even harder abroad than it is here. Also I have EU citizenship and could theoretically move and work anywhere there, but again, I worry that life will be even harder there.

I'm sorry to ask so many different questions in one, but any guidance from anyone who has graduated from college and felt completely overwhelmed/demoralized by grim economic conditions would be really helpful. Trying to figure out just how bad this recession is/will be is like staring into an abyss, and it makes planning and predicting my future, and how hard things may get, very difficult. Please, feel free to share your stories, perspectives, advice on what you would do in my situation, anything at all.

NYC freelance get-together?

toomuchkatherine — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 15:38:00 -0800

I remember reading an article in 2008 about an informal gathering in New York of people who do various kinds of freelance work; they met in a coffee shop, I believe. I think it may have been in New York magazine or the NYTimes, but I can't find it. Does anyone else remember this? Or know of a gathering that meets this description? Finding the article would be great; finding a venue to socialize with other freelance types (I'm a writer and sometime online consultant-type) in NYC would be just about equally good. I'm less interested in networking, though that's always nice, as in talking a little bit of shop and meeting interesting people.

How do I make sure I can attain reliable temp jobs in New York City when I'm not traveling?

idledebonair — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 08:39:23 -0800

I need help navigating New York's temp agencies This post is for a friend, and he writes: "I've recently begun performing with a band that tours about five months out of the year. When I'm not on the road, I need to be able to pick up odd jobs so that I can pass the time and pay rent until it's time to go back out. I've been told that temping is probably the rest solution for someone in my position.

I'm reasonably skilled, college educated, and a quick learner. I don't have any delusions that temping will bring good money, but I would like to keep away from minimum-wage territory. I know that there many temp agencies in the city, but I just don't know how to go about finding the right ones. Any advice from people who have been in similar situations would be greatly appreciated."

How much do PHP developers in NYC get paid?

defreckled — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 14:26:43 -0800

What's the going rate for a PHP developer in NYC? I'm not actually defreckled but am borrowing this account.

I work as a PHP developer in NYC with a couple of years experience. A contract agency wants to pay me $50/hour on a contract (1099) basis and my friends think I'm being ripped off. What is the going rate for developers in this area? How much do people get paid full time?

What are the best printing companies in Manhattan?

Optimus Chyme — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 07:11:50 -0800

What are the best printing companies in Manhattan? I thought that of all questions, this would be the easiest to Google - but it seems like I can't find any letterpress printers uptown, and most of my results for printing in general are for Kinko's and such.

I'm looking for both offset and letterpress printing companies. Uptown is preferred, but I'll take anything reasonably close to there, including the other boroughs and NJ. Thank you!

Finding a summer job in New York

goingonit — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 07:49:54 -0800

What are good ways of finding temporary non-retail jobs in NYC? My girlfriend has the summer free before starting grad school, and she's going to be spending it in New York City. What can she do while she's there? She'd like to take a break from working in academia (so research assistant is out), but would rather not work retail if possible. She's got lots of tutoring experience, and a fair amount of clerical experience, and is a fast typist.

-How hard is it going to be for her to find something to do for 2 or 3 months?
-Where are good places to look? Craigslist? Temp agencies? Something else?

Thanks!

Jobs for a Tech-Savvy Historian/Teacher

ocherdraco — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 21:38:06 -0800

What are some good places to work in NYC for a tech-savvy medievalist who also has experience teaching history and politics to middle and high schoolers? My best friend from college would like to move to New York, and as I live here already, I (rather selfishly) want to do everything I can to help him make that happen. Right now, as his first post-college job, he's in the middle of a year long teaching fellowship at a British school (and doing quite well with it). He's teaching history to 13-year-olds (last term it was WWI; this term it's the Middle East from the fall of the Ottoman Empire), and American Politics to 17-year-olds. So, he's looking at teaching jobs (at private schools, as he hasn't yet got credentials) and programs like the New York City Teaching Fellows and Teach for America.

But he's into many things besides teaching: at school (we went to an Ivy League college) he majored in medieval history, did tech support for other undergraduates, studied the similarities between the shift from oral culture to print and the shift from print to digital, and created websites and content management systems. He's the kind of person who comes up with ideas about how things work and then makes them work better based upon his ideas. He draws connections between things that are seemingly unconnected in such a way that both things seem more illuminated by the explanation.

At various points he's thought about studying law (a la Lawrence Lessig's Center for Internet and Society) or information studies (the field that has blossomed out of library sciences), and he's also thought about writing about the connections between history and current revolutions in technology for magazines in the vein of Wired.

Where in New York City would be a good place for him to work, besides the teaching possibilities mentioned above? I'd greatly appreciate any answers, and particularly those that are creative and non-obvious.

How does one make a living teaching spirituality and meditation?

Stagecraft — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 14:01:24 -0800

How does one make a living teaching spirituality and meditation? Hello hive mind. I have a question for you.

After a recent bout of soul searching, I realized that what I really want to do in life is share my spiritual out look with the world. I would also like to earn a living at doing this. I live and work in New York City and there are a plethora of spiritual centers, but from what I can tell I have one problem. Most if not all of the teachers are well established and have at least one book under there belt. I have not written a book, nor do I want to write a book. I feel that what I have to teach is important and can do a lot of good. What I would like to know, is how a new spiritual/meditation teacher can get there foot in the door and do some good in the world (and make a living at it)…all without having to write a book.

I thank you for your insight.

Yes, that's me, your friendly temporary employee!

sondrialiac — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 15:29:28 -0800

Have you worked for a temp agency in New York City? Which one? If you had a decent experience with a temp agency, please tell me which agency. It doesn't have to be the best agency in the world, just decent.

I am looking for office work ASAP. I am qualified to work as an office manager and have a 4 year degree.

If you could give me an idea of what they offered you per hour, that would also be appreciated.

Please help me resolve this mess I made for myself at work.

Anonymous — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 14:31:37 -0800

Please help me resolve this mess I made for myself at work. Short version (for a much longer version, see below):

From 2002-2006 I worked doing Java web development with someone who became a close friend. I was paid below market rates with a vague verbal agreement that I would be taken care of once the software started turning a profit. Now we're trying to make an agreement. He's offering me 5% of his LLC web consultancy. I have a number of questions that I'm hoping people can help me answer:

1. Who should I speak with to help me find the potential advantages/disadvantages of this agreement? A lawyer? An accountant? Both? Someone else? Any specific recommendations? I'm in NYC.

2. Here's a specific question I have: I'm under the impression that as a 5% member of an LLC I would be responsible for 5% of the tax liability of the business. Is it possible I could pay taxes without receiving any cash if the business decides to reinvest the profits? What if the business then folds?

3. What other questions should I be asking of my friend before signing any agreements?

4. Any other advice? What questions do I need to consider before moving forward?

Private advice can be sent to resolvethismess@gmail.com.

Long version:

I would like to preface the story below by stating that I understand that I was incredibly foolish/naive in my actions below. I also am under the impression that were this to go to court, I likely would have difficulty in receiving any compensation. Luckily, both my friend and myself are attempting to do "what's right" and come to a resolution we can both feel good about.

From 2002 to 2006 I worked doing web development with someone who quickly became a good friend. He and his father are the only two members of a web consultancy LLC. He does most (95%) of the work, with his father participating in some of the IT management.

I built several Java-based web sites as a subcontractor for the LLC which drew from a unified code base I created. He participated in design discussions and limited code development. I was paid under a flat fee arrangement. The projects all took much longer than anticipated and it was recognized that I was very much underpaid. Over the course of three years I received just over $30K in payment in total. This was my primary source of income and I was able to subsist on savings from previous work. We verbally agreed that the company would attempt to compensate me for my efforts. It was agreed that since I wasn't being paid market rates, this wasn't "Work for Hire" but something else. It was our vision/hope that we were one step away from having a turnkey solution and we would be reaping the rewards for our efforts to continue to refine the codebase to be flexible for many different client needs.

While it was clear at the time that we needed to make the nature of this future compensation agreement explicit, we never did. Eventually, we agreed to move to an hourly compensation arrangement because while it seemed that we were just one step away from really turning a profit, I needed to start making some real money. The project went over time and he eventually had to ask me to stop work since he could no longer afford me. This essentially put an end, or at least a hold that has persisted through today, on our working relationship.

It was at this point that we began to get explicit as to what each of us understood would be appropriate compensation for my past effort. That was about a year ago. We have had very many difficult discussions and have disagreed as to what appropriate means. After many discussions, we were narrowing in on a solution that looked like the following:

- For the next 10 years, I would receive 5% of revenue derived from licenses and upgrades sold for software that derived from code that I built.
- In the event of a sale of the company within 10 years, I would receive 5% of the portion of the sale whose value could be attributed to the software that I built.

The problem with this solution is that it seemed open to different interpretations (especially concerning the sale of the company) and thus ripe for dispute. In an effort to address these issues, my friend proposed a new solution that seems a bit less prone to subjectivity:

- 5% ownership of the LLC, as a silent member.

While 5% of profits is obviously a lot less than 5% of revenue, they're two very different pies. Currently, no additional licenses have been sold of the software we built and there's no guarantee there will be. Alternatively, he just won a $30K hosting agreement. I find it appealing in that it seems cleaner and more transparent.

Any advice you have in answering the questions listed above would be greatly appreciated.

When will I be able to confidently ask for mayo?

doift — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 16:56:35 -0800

[Rambly-what-should-I-do-with-my-life-filter] Useless Master's degrees! Impending weddings! Mild-to-moderate homelessness! Help me figure out my next step before I resort to prostitution or, worse, telemarketing. This spring I finished a master's degree in museum studies and fashion history. This program in particular. I knew going in that there weren't a ton of jobs in that field specifically, and so have availed myself of a pretty diverse bunch of internships and part-time jobs (archives, museum registrar's office, etc.) to try to make myself more broadly employable. I live in New York, the museum capital of the country. I am willing to move pretty much anywhere for a job. However, after spending several months looking for work, it's become painfully clear that there really aren't that many jobs, period, in any branch of what I'm trained to do: museums/archives/conservation labs/etc. If I loved the work, I'd be more willing to put in the time to make it, but I don't know if I'm as crazy as about it as is necessary. I like the work, but the low pay, job shortages, museum bureaucracy, etc, all give me pause. Like many people, I went to grad school because I couldn't think of anything better to do. That was mistake #1.

Mistake #2 is the result of a familial culture in which it was always understood that as a student, school was my job. So I didn't do any of the customer service/retail/office/food service jobs that most people do during high school and college. I had scholarships, so I didn't ever need to. So now I have no experience in any of those things, and my few recent attempts to get any of those kinds of jobs have been met with mockery.

Mistake #3 was getting engaged. I'm very happy to be getting married, but due to annoying circumstances, my fiance is 2000 miles away and will not be able to move to the same time zone until I have a job, and therefore a reason to live in a particular place. This adds an extra level of time-based pressure, because we're really sick of having the Midwest between us.

Also, my lease ended in August, and I'm currently sleeping on my brother's couch. This is getting old. In New York, it's very difficult to get approved for an apartment or even a sublet without a job, and I'm hesitant to up and move elsewhere, when the few jobs I'm remotely qualified for are mostly here.

It doesn't help that all of this is making me something of an emotional wreck. No one wants to hire someone who starts sobbing when asked if she wants mayo on her sandwich, because she's come to wonder if she even deserves mayo.

So I turn to you, Internet. How do relatively smart, easygoing, pleasant-to-work-with kids get decent jobs these days? At this point I'm willing to do anything that pays the rent. Short of prostitution. I'd be a terrible prostitute.

Help me become employed in NYC - Preferably in Publishing

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 05:49:19 -0800

I'm in an unusual situation and it's proving extremely difficult to change things. Short version: I've been out of work for five years mostly due to severe depression, anxiety, and an abusive relationship, and have been trying to establish myself since recovering with no luck. I'm a bookworm with a degree who seeks an entry-level publishing position, but will take other (hopefully related, but not an absolute requirement right now) positions in the interest of establishing a recent job history for myself. (Extra long version inside...) I graduated magna cum laude several years ago, but initially, my attempts at finding a job in my industry of interest at the time (advertising) didn't work out. Part of the problem was my lack of formal experience, and the other was that I was trying to enter into a creative position, when few of those are advertised. Those that are advertised are difficult to get without a portfolio, and I didn't have one at the time. I've since learned how to use Photoshop, ImageReady, do webdesign, and other sorts of transferable skills. I did not spend the last few years idly.

I'd suffered from some form of depression and anxiety for some time by then, but it hadn't affected my success up until that point. After graduation though, I slipped further and further into it, became isolated, and to the point of being suicidal multiple times. I had intense social anxiety for some time then too. To the point that I was afraid to go out places or even to do simple, everyday things such as ordering from a food menu or making phone calls to just about anyone. What didn't help matters was entering into an ultimately abusive situation with someone I'd dated. He physically, verbally, and sexually assaulted me. That sort of thing wrecks the old self-esteem, and mine was already wrecked from the start.

I got out of that abusive situation about a year and a half ago, and have not only recovered since then, but totally changed. As of last fall or so, something clicked into place and I felt like a new person. I'm in a much better place now. I'm supported and loved, but more importantly, I've gained this love for myself, and real confidence for the first time in my life.

As for employment, most people won't give me the time of day, especially given the almost total gap in my resume between college and now. The only thing I've done since then has been minor freelance writing in the form of letters for a friend of the mother of my abuser.

I've called temp agencies, only to be given the run-around, being told "we'll call you", and of course, never being called and never even being asked to come interview.

I don't have any references. I've had a total of one formal paying job - just over a year of office work in college. Part of the reason for this was having to put in long hours commuting to school, not being able to take jobs without possibly affecting some government payments one of my parents was receiving, which would have led to being cut off and possibly not letting us afford to eat if it came to pass, and graduating early.

The depression, isolation, and social anxiety, plus lack of money made volunteering not really an option (I couldn't even make phone calls. I was so deathly afraid of phone calls that I'd leave mine occupied or off the hook for significant chunks of the day), so no references from that either.

I've got a degree in literature, a solid minor, a great work ethic, and lots and lots of desire to work in publishing. I did a whole lot of research and soul searching and I've decided that I want to be an editor of trade books. I've been applying to editorial assistant positions and rotational type gigs, but only one has responded. I interviewed for that position last year and did not get it.

At this point, I'm extremely poor, in debt, in need of a new wardrobe after losing a whole lot of weight (came off with the emotional baggage), and simply need a good job to get me started, even if it's not an editorial assistant position right away.

Most editorial hiring managers won't even look at me. I've attempted to get into some of the companies and present myself as a candidate, figuring if they met me and I could answer some questions, it might make things a bit easier and make me memorable enough for follow-up. I tried calling HarperCollins and they "don't do" informational interviews. How do I get to know anyone there? Or at other companies, many of which are similar?

I know that most editorial assistant ads are considered to be entry-level, and also that it's nigh impossible to land one without tons of internships. But it's not totally impossible. I've read of editors that took chances and of people whose first jobs in publishing were steps up from entry-level. I know that I can shine if someone would just not write me off into the black hole of HR immediately due to a gap in my resume.

I'm no longer a student, so many internships are off limits, and anything I do get has to be paid, or at least offer a stipend that I can combine with part time work.

As far as part time, retail work goes, I've tried going that route as well. The local video store, supermarket, Macy's, and other retail outlets have decided not to call me. Some people have told me that perhaps they saw my degree listed and felt I was overqualified, or that I'd leave soon if hired. I apply to office positions often as well.

I also never quite learned the art of networking. I was so cripplingly socially anxious and depressed during college that it probably wouldn't have made much of a difference if I had, and so I don't really have any professional contacts, and not many personal ones left either. My family doesn't know anyone in publishing either.

So mefites: Please offer me your best advice on becoming employed in NYC with such a history. I'll be commuting, but that's not really an issue. Extra tons of bonus points if anyone has advice for breaking into publishing as a non-student with only a clip or two (one from a journalism-related program ten years ago), a literature degree, lots of desire, drive, passion for books, a good (albeit outsider's) grasp of the industry, a lifetime spent as a grammar nazi, and acceptance that I'll have to work my way up.

Please understand that this is an extremely frustrating situation, especially now that I've recovered and am filled with such energy and drive to just get out there and establish myself already. I've had one too many virtual doors slammed in my face and I'm sort of at wit's end.

Apologies for my inability to be more succinct, but I thought it best to try and include as many details as possible due to this being an anon post.

Private responses at askmefifollowup@hotmail.com

Thank you for any advice that you guys might have.

Can a non New Yorker get an NYC webdev job?

Clay201 — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 19:07:11 -0800

My friend seeks a job as a web developer in NYC. He's gotten the impression that no one will interview him if he's not already a resident of the Big Apple. Is this accurate? My friend is basing this assessment entirely on Craig's List ads; he hasn't looked on other sites and he hasn't done any cold calling or pounding of the pavement. The ads usually have a line such as "no out of state applicants please." Is this attitude shared by tech employers in New York City in general? If so, what's the reasoning behind this policy? (I think I can see some logic to it, but could use a more definitive answer than my own half-educated guesses). Also, if you have any advice, generally, to offer on how to get hired as a web developer in New York, please feel free to dispense.

How can I get a short-term job in NYC?

names are hard — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 17:48:40 -0800

How can I get a short-term job in NYC? I am 20 years old, here until mid-August and having trouble (obviously) finding work. I've had some interviews at face-to-face canvassers and the like, but I want to consider other options. Any ideas to get me much needed money. I'll do anything.