Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with york

Where is this powder coming from?

JakeWalker — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:48:56 -0800

What is the name of the technology that produces powder (that verifies authenticity, I suppose) when you bend a drivers license or other ID card? My friend has a New York Drivers License (maybe not the newest one, but still pretty new). If you bend the license, it releases a kind of powder, presumably to verify its authenticity. I'm really curious about the technology (and not because I'm trying to make a fake ID, it is just an interesting technique), and I'm having a hard time googling for more info. Does anyone know what this security technique is called? What other states use it? Where I can find out more?

Motorcycle Helmets in New York

LongDrive — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 07:52:16 -0800

What shop in New York City has the largest range of Motorcycle Accessories, specifically helmets? Currently visiting family in New York from Australia, and really want to pick up a Nolan Motorcycle Helmet this week. Nolan's own site has a pretty poor/non-existent retailer list, and due to the the limited time I am here, I turn to the hive.

I have a car, and can go pretty much anywhere in Long Island/Manhattan, so if anyone knows of a shop that has a huge/wide range of helmets in store, it would be most appreciated! Thanks!

Brooklyn, Brooklyn, take me in

thinkingwoman — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:37:52 -0800

Brooklynfilter: Does anyone have any experience with the Holiday Inns that have cropped up in Park Slope (Union St. and Butler St.) over the past few years? Planning a trip to revisit the old hood in Brooklyn (Park Slope), and thought we would splurge on a hotel for this visit. I used to live near the Union Street location (between 3rd and 4th) but can't recall that part of Butler St. (between 3rd and 4th)

Has anyone had any experience with either of these hotels? We don't need fancy, but clean and unsleazy would be nice.

Any other recommendations would be much appreciated. If there's anything in Cobble Hill/Carroll Gardens/Boerum Hill/Windsor Terrace, we'd be open (also, I would be very surprised). Downtown Brooklyn or downtown Manhattan would be okay, too, but I doubt we could afford anything palatable there.

How can I "show them around" in the rain?

SirNovember — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:47:14 -0800

How can I show a couple relatives the neighborhoods from Brooklyn Heights to Prospect Park this weekend – it’s going to be cold and rainy!

Cheap Bus NYC-DC

mixer — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 15:48:43 -0800

Cheap buses from NYC to Washington D.C.? The question's been asked and answered in the past, but I'm wondering if that information is outdated. Thanks!

Unique men's clothing resale in Manhattan or Brooklyn?

4midori — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 22:01:16 -0800

Recommend unique, affordable men's clothing resale stores in Manhattan or Brooklyn? Hipster ok, or vintage. I'm looking mainly for short- and long-sleeve collared shirts.

Big Apple and No-neck monsters

Lame_username — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:40:53 -0800

What are some cool things to do in New York City with a toddler? She will have her third birthday in a few weeks and loves animals, arts & crafts and other kids. We are temporarily looking after our city-smart niece while her parents go on a one week vacation. She lives in Chelsea. Like many NYC kids, she has a busy schedule of play dates and classes, but we hope to do some special activities to spoil her. We took her to the Carousel and the Children's Zoo last time we had her and she loved that. The other big hit we've found is the Children's Museum near Chinatown. Her parents mostly don't feed her candy or sugar (but are OK with the idea that we don't have no stinking rules), so a cool mega-candy store would be fun too. We usually take her to Billy's Bakery for a mega-cupcake, but a little variety would be cool.

I was thinking about the Bronx Zoo, but wasn't sure if that would be too much (and if I'd get lost!) From answers to past questions, I'm looking in Tmie Out New York Kids. We have her starting next Wednesday, if there are date specific ideas.

Halloween in New York

Neonshock — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 16:42:22 -0800

My boyfriend and I are flying into JFK from the UK on Halloween (landing approx 12 noon). Hive Mind! I command thee to besearch your crystal ball and telleth me some spooking goings on I simply can't miss on that fateful eve! Its my birthday early November so I decided to pop over the pond as I have never been to the US. I only just realised we land on halloween, it seems very exciting since we dont really 'do' H'ween over here.
Id like to dump our stuff, go find some costumes (possible? and where?) and head out to go be very childish and eat 'candy'. We are both mid-twenties, we like dance music and clubs, are pretty much up for anything different and will have a plentiful amount of cash available.

So, New Yorkers, where do we go? And what do we do? Am I misguided in thinking that there will even be anything to do? Please educate me.

"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.

Seeking a Painting

thanotopsis — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 19:44:37 -0800

My grandmother had a painting hanging in her bedroom for many years, and I'd like to find a print of it. Hoping that someone here can identify it for me. This was a scene of New York, around the turn of the century. Featured prominently in the background is the Flatiron Building. In the foreground of the painting is a couple crossing in the street, dressed in black, arm in arm. The man is wearing a top hat and suit, and the woman is dressed in a full black dress. I think there may be a carriage on the street behind them.

My grandmother passed away last spring, and while listening to Debussy's Claire De Lune (her favorite song) today, I flashed back to sitting in her room, staring at that painting, while listening to her play downstairs on her baby grand piano. When I worked in New York City, this song haunted me, and it's all tied up into my feelings for my grandmother, this painting, and this song.

Thank you, ahead of time, for helping out.

New York for the Young

ashaw — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 09:06:24 -0800

Help planning a 5 Day trip to NYC - Do you know of any secret delights that New York City has to offer? I need recommendations/advice on everything from where to stay to where to go. Much more details inside. Just to spark some ideas, I'm a twenty year old single british male traveller who has clichéd hipster young adult interests like: music (open mic, gigs, records), antique fairs, flea markets, good cheap vintage/secondhand clothes, coffee shops, cheap carnivorous food, literature, art, film as well as all the usual tourist traps (brooklyn bridge, statue of liberty, modern art museum etc).

I'm very much boggled by my research, NYC is huge and I don't know where to stay which is relatively cheap ($80 a night would be pushing it) and in a good location to get to all the areas. I know the US hasn't got the travellers mentality to hostels, so any recommendations would be excellent.

Would be great if someone could tell me if there is a sightseeing tour which can hit most of the tourist spots leaving more time to do the more unique, quirky stuff. I've been told the Lower East Side and Williamsburg are all good places to spend some time.

Remember the cheaper the better and bearing in mind I'm not of drinking age, so alternatives for night life would be really great.

help me thrive with a car in nyc

jak68 — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 20:07:15 -0800

NYC parking filter - I need to know what you know. I'm going to have a car in manhattan around 125th street.

I didnt want to have a car up here but i'm stuck with it now.

Can you help me make my car-in-NY experience a bit more bearable?

I will learn the alternate side of street parking rules in my neighborhood. But -- is it true that once the street cleaner passes by, you can go park your car back where it was, even if the official time slot for no parking (for instance, 8:30-10) isnt over yet? The street cleaner doesnt come back, does it?

Is it true that the street cleaner comes by at around the same time for a given street, each time that it comes by? For instance, if I observe it coming by at 9:30AM on a given street, will it come by around 9:30 AM again the next tues or thurs?

So could I just sit in the car a bit before the expected time, wait to see the cleaner, drive around the block and park once more where I was once the cleaner has left that street?

Is it worthwhile to park waaaay far away like in queens even tho i live in manhattan? I hear the parking rules are much less oppressive there, with alternate side parking only once a week instead of twice.

Is it worth finding out "good parking neighborhoods" along the #1 subway train going uptown, parking up there and taking the subway back?

So what kinds of things did you do to survive NYC parking? Can it actually become bearable?

thanks!

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.

Help me find a good afterschool program?

RajahKing — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 13:11:07 -0800

How do I look for an afterschool program for my soon to be preschooler? This is a bit Brooklyn-centric, but advice from knowledgeable parents anywhere would be helpful.

My daughter will enter preschool (called pre-K in NYC) this September, on the public school calendar. Pre-K runs from morning to about 2:30, but she'll need to go to an afterschool most days M-F, some days for just an hour, some days until 5:30.

So, my questions are both concrete and general:

1. Do you know any decent, affordable after school programs that would serve a public school located near Atlantic Ave and Flatbush?

2. How much do after school programs that include pickup from school cost per week / per month, etc, in Brooklyn?

3. Is there any way that I can find these places online and give them a call? I have a couple of suggestions from the school itself, but that's just two.

Any other advice on this topic is much appreciated. Thanks from a sometimes clueless dad.

Have a few hours in New York city and need a shower.

nicknd23 — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 16:31:31 -0800

I am flying through New York City and have a seven hour layover. If I head in to Manhattan and go for a long run around central park/midtown is there a place to access public showers? Or, should I buy a day pass to a gym to do this?

Recommend casual button-down shirts for sale in NYC

Spacelegoman — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 12:28:20 -0800

Please recommend good quality button-down shirts for sale in NYC for a slender guy - I'm looking for something casual that can be worn tie-less and untucked if I'm in the mood, but still well made with good fabric and cut, i.e. at the level of Thomas Pink or w/e but casual. Priced up to around let's say $200 a shirt, although if it's less that's even better. Thanks!

Home Sweet Brooklyn

Unred — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:39:40 -0800

When is the best month to move in New York?? Seriously! We all know moving in June is the worst because of all the kids leaving college and moving here. People aren't leaving their apartments in January and February, so that's not good either. So, when is the optimal time for a person to get the best deal on a rental in New York?

place to stay near blue hill at stone barns?

davidvan — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 15:01:24 -0800

Looking for hotel or B&B to stay in near Blue Hill at Stone Barns restaurant. Just on night, midweek. (Pocantico Hills, New York) going there for dinner in a couple of weeks, and are looking for a clean, cheap place to crash. Doesn't have to be super nice.

What's a 14 Year Old Boy to Do In NYC???

musofire — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 07:38:11 -0800

My 14 year old stepson is bored in New York. What should he do? How about Montreal? My 14 year old stepson can't think of anything fun to do in New York. I know, I know. Me, I would go to the Natural History Museum. The Museum of Television and Radio. Ellis Island. The Cloisters. I would walk around. I might go swimming at the Y. I might even sign up for a language course.

He has rejected all of these. What other things are there to send a 14-year-old boy off to do by himself? He has no friends in New York, and I'm in Canada.

Also, he'd like to come back and spend some of the summer with us, in Montreal. Aside from the Just For Laughs Festival and La Ronde, what other fun things am I missing for him to do?

How do we pick our wedding location?

mittenbex — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:17:26 -0800

We both live in New York. His family lives here and he was born/raised here. My family is in Michigan where I was born/raised. I've been here two years. We're talking about getting married. How do we pick where to get married? We'd like to get married in a Catholic church. Our concerns are that obviously one of our families is going to have to do some major traveling to get to the other's part of the country.

We don't want the wedding to be lopsided with a mess-load of people showing up from the family who lives by wherever we pick with like, five people showing up from the traveling side.

It would be quite a bit cheaper to marry in Michigan not only because prices are lower there but because I have connections with a photographer and DJ.

Also, having spent my first 23 years of life there... I am very familiar with venues and vendors near my hometown. Whereas I don't have any experience with any potential reception sites etc. around here.

BUT ... we do live in NY. So as far as meeting with vendors - we could do that at our leisure rather than try to cram everything into one trip back to Michigan. And it would definitely be easier to complete all of the requirements for marrying in a church close to home for us.

Thanks!

*Alternately... we HAVE thought about possibly trying to pull something off between our two hometowns. Somewhere in PA probably. That way no one's family has to make a huge trip but everyone would have to do a little traveling. But most people shot down this idea.

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.

Where should I throw my birthday party?

libertypie — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:30:29 -0800

I'm 22 and from out-of-town. Where should I throw my birthday party in NYC? A bunch of friends are congregating in New York for my birthday in July, and I'd love to show them a good time, though I lack connections or much familiarity with the city. I'm open to any ideas, really, though I'd love a spot where my friends and I could hang out and get rowdy where it's not too expensive. Is there anywhere outdoors that one can drink booze without breaking the law? Any bars that are big enough for about 20 people to settle in where we won't have to pay for a private room? This all may be a pipe dream- wouldn't be too much of a hassle out West where I'm from, but I know big cities are quite different. Thanks, Hive Mind!

Where to car camp with a dog either a) along I-90 in OH or NY, or b) along the northern shore of Lake Ontario?

binocularfight — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:23:49 -0800

we're two women driving from milwaukee, wisconsin to central vermont with our dog, and we'd like to car camp along the way. we need a camping place that's dog friendly, not loud and obnoxious, and isn't run by religious fundamentalists (we're clearly total homos). any recommendations on sites? we're not sure about the route yet - our two options are going up through michigan and canada and then back down through northern vermont, or going the way we always go, which is straight across I-90. our hope is to leave home around 6am, and drive for about 12 hours, which will give us enough time to set up the tent before it gets dark, and give our poor dog (and ourselves) some much needed exercise. so if the campground has access to a clean lake/pond, trails or any other fun exercise-type thing, that's an added bonus. for the route through canada, driving for 12 hours will land us somewhere around kingston on the northern shore of lake ontario. taking I-90 will get us to new york state, somewhere around buffalo.

also, we'd like to not have to travel too far off the highway. however, we also don't really want to stay in a campground that's incredibly crowded, with only a couple trees and a bush between campsites. ideally, we'd like our accomodations to be no more than a half hour off the freeway, but if there's something really amazing out there that we should know about that's further, by all means, share away.

finally, on the way back, we'll definitely be traveling the I-90 route, as we'll have an extra passenger w/o a passport. so any recommendations on sites between 9 and 12 hours from montpelier would be awesome (for the record, this is basically the state of ohio).

in your response, i'd love to hear why you like this particular campground. thank you so much for your time and assistance! after the trip, i'll post about where we ended up and how it was.

Exploring NYC one lunch at a time.

sesquipedalia — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 21:19:21 -0800

Taking my IT dev job to the librairies and coffeeshops of NYC for a couple of weeks (accompanying my wife, who's in a program at NYU). What are the best places to work, to lunch, and to explore in the relatively-immediate vicinity? So, I can work wherever I have internet connectivity, which is good. So I've been able to come along with my wife to New York from our home in the far Midwest and live near NYU for a few weeks. Great! Now... how do I make the most of it? O hive mind, can you help point me to:

* Good, comfortable, friendly coffeeshops near NYU that don't mind laptop warriors -- places with good wireless, non-cramped tables, enough electrical outlets to go around, great and not overpriced coffee, and an atmosphere you can spend a bunch of hours in at a time without wigging out.

* Cheap, yummy, and "only in New York" places to grab lunch within a 20-minute walk or so of said coffeeshops. I don't need or want anything fancy, just things that most of the country has only pale imitations of compared to New York. Examples: banh mi in Chinatown, real New York-style pizza, deli (Katz's?), custard tarts at Chinese bakeries, real bagels, black & white cookies, etc. Especially things that can be taken out & eaten outside.

* Other neat things in the vicinity I might not think to explore and/or find on my own.

* Bonus: favorite reasonably nice (~$100/two without wine) but fairly down to earth restaurants also nearby for a night out on my wife's birthday.

Thanks, all!

Whats the deal with spray tans?

Unred — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:11:56 -0800

What do I need to know, as a very pale girl, about getting a spray tan? I have to wear a dress for a wedding in about a month, and I'm a little worried about my alabaster skin distracting the wedding guests. I've never gotten a spray tan, but think it'll look better than smearing on self tan. Any stories/tips to share?? And any recommendations for NYC tanning salons are appreciated.