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What's to see in New York? (locals please)
Flyingman
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So in August I'm going to New York alone and staying in a backpackers hostel for a couple of weeks. Just chilling out and taking in the sights, I'll be moving to NYC permanently in a few years but I thought I might go suss it out a bit first.
I'm from Brisbane Australia and I'm 20 years old, which, sadly, is under the legal drinking age over there. This means going out and doing the whole clubbing thing is out of the question. While I've heard fantastic things about how kindly NYC women treat Australian men, this is not the only reason I'm making the visit. I want to see as many of the sights and hit the streets for 2 whole weeks. However, if any locals want to invite an Aussie traveler to a private party then I won't refuse ;-)
So a couple of questions for you guys.
- What do I absolutely HAVE to witness, apart from the obvious, I want a local's opinion.
- Where should I eat? Who has the best of what?
- NYC women look fantastic and sophisticated. Can I have one?
P.S. You may remember I made a thread regarding what I need to do to move to New York? Well I spoke to the right people and discovered what I need, I'm finishing a degree then getting one of those professional visa doodads that says I'm smart and the US needs more of me.
Cheers HA
I'm from Brisbane Australia and I'm 20 years old, which, sadly, is under the legal drinking age over there. This means going out and doing the whole clubbing thing is out of the question. While I've heard fantastic things about how kindly NYC women treat Australian men, this is not the only reason I'm making the visit. I want to see as many of the sights and hit the streets for 2 whole weeks. However, if any locals want to invite an Aussie traveler to a private party then I won't refuse ;-)
So a couple of questions for you guys.
- What do I absolutely HAVE to witness, apart from the obvious, I want a local's opinion.
- Where should I eat? Who has the best of what?
- NYC women look fantastic and sophisticated. Can I have one?
P.S. You may remember I made a thread regarding what I need to do to move to New York? Well I spoke to the right people and discovered what I need, I'm finishing a degree then getting one of those professional visa doodads that says I'm smart and the US needs more of me.
Cheers HA
Flyingman on
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The Statue of Liberty is, well, a long walk up a lot of stairs for not that great a view.
The Met and the Museum of Natural History are both excellent to visit. MoMA is ok, if you like modern. Havent been to the Gugenheim.
St. Marks in the Village is still pretty 'colorful' though its been cleaned up a bit since the early 90's - same goes for Washington Sq. Park., probably still want to keep a finger on your wallet, though.
I havent been to Ground Zero - I think at this point its a large construction site - and I was always of two minds about it, anyhow. On the one hand, it feels like its making a tragedy into a tourist trap, but on the other, I've visited other battlefields like the USS Arizona without remorse.
Central Park is a great park, if you like parks.
The Bronx Zoo is a good zoo, the Botanical Gardens are pretty cool, and I believe both are accessable by subway.
I've been told that the Empire State Building is a great place to view the enourmous sprawl of the city - I worked there for a while, but never went up to the top. Same with the WTC - went through them lots of times, went under, never went up. One of my few regrets in this life.
Coney Island isnt much to see anymore - if you want a proper boardwalk I'd recommend the Jersey Shore, like Ocean City.
Boston is a four hour train ride away, Philly about 1.5
You can get up to the Birkshires by bus, I think you can do the same with the Adarondaks.
tell what youre interested in and maybe we can help more
PSN: TheScrublet
I know the design scene is huge in New York, it's why I'm moving there. But as far as events and places to be, I wouldn't have a clue, if you guys could clue me in as far as design and digital/traditional art goes I'd be pretty ecstatic.
The MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) is the place to start. As I recall, they've got quite a few Picassos, as well as a wide range of other moderns - and they usually have at least one modern show going on. When I was there it was the horrible photo exhibit of the Khmer Rouge executions - photos the KR took before executing its Enemies of the State. I still remember the face of one of the kids who was going to be executed - I have never, in my life, seen someone more despondant and terrified as that kid.
There are also a bizzillion little gallaries tucked away - like most things in New York - NYC is the city of hidden treasures. Just when you think, meh, I'm in a rut, you come around a corner, you run into a buddy who says theres this thing that you'd love down in Christopher Square, you just gotta go look.
I wouldnt move there for all the money in the world (though, I might actually be able to afford the rent), because I've got a family, and I'm in my late 30's. But oh, when I was 17, NYC was the center of the universe.
Aye, I had a friend live there for a year way back when he was young. He's in his early 40s now, he told me this "as an Australian there are two things you can be sure of, you will never run out of women and if you know your way around a bar, you'll never be out of work." Sadly I'm not in contact with him any more as I would love to know a lot more about NYC than women and booze.
However, I am a barman at the moment and I would love to be able to go check out some famous night spots, but my age prevents me from trying any of the wares, which makes it all a bit pointless I guess
For food grab a Zagats book they're pretty accurate and break down food by neighborhood and type. Their shopping book is ok too. Nightlife is the city is sadly almost all 21+ though(even without drinking). For art shows and stuff pick up a copy of the Village Voice or The Onion(both are free all over)
Well, just having an accent is hot. I just love women with accents - there are few accents which arent hot, and Oz is a pretty good one - so as long as you dont go too Crockodile Dundee on them, you'll probably be eye-balls deep in women simply for your Oz accent. If you're insane like most of the Ozzies and Kiwis I know or have seen, you shouldnt have too much trouble meeting women - forward works well with New Yorkers in general - and you guys really are nuts. Jumping off perfectly good bridges, playing with all sorts of gawdawful critters - my son has these videos, Chased By Dinosaurs - where theres this nut Ozzie wildlife guy who goes back in time to swim with supersharks and chase down dinosaurs and so forth - and of course its all computer animation - but I'm thinking to myself "If this guy really could go back in time, he'd actually do all this crazyass shit! Ozzies are goddamn nuts."
New York women are a joy. I love the brassy, tough New York native girl - a lot of guys who havent spent any time in New York hate them. They're in your face, they'll say whats on their mind, and they've got an opinion, goddamn guarantee if they disagree with you they'll argue it out. Friend of mine back in college was a born and raised New Yorker, who dismissed where my wife was from (one county north, Westchester) as "Canada". She's a sweet girl, but a lot of people just cant stand her because she's New York. She talks over the end of your sentance, she's loud, she'll tell you flat out you're full of shit.
Dated a New Yorker - a punk rocker - who was onced flashed by this guy on the subway. She wasnt pissed off that this guy had just whipped it out at her, but that she hadnt brought her knife along so she didnt have anything to whip out in response.
is there anywhere you can just walk in that is close to TImes Square where I won't be robbed and it's safe for me to get drunk?
Also, how bad is the crime, really? Is it exaggerated? Will they spot me coming from a mile away and seek to rape/sodomize me?
I made a TD for iphone and windows phone!
Yeah this is interesting. I'm alright when it comes to self defense, but it's not like I want to be jumped by a gang or anything. That's part of the reason I'm leaving where I'm living now
I can handle myself too, but...you know, guns n' stuff.
I'm just wondering, before I go there how bad it is/isn't?
Also I wanted to ride around on the subways so I was wondering about that as well.
I made a TD for iphone and windows phone!
Get some korean BBQ too, I just had some tonight, it was fucking awesome.
And UCB theatre is pretty cool, if you like Improv. Recently they were even doing episodes of the colbert report and SNL because of the writer's strike.
Clubs in the city are pretty much like clubs anywhere, you either like it or you don't. I usually only go to ones I can get in for free.
Edit: Or if you want to drop some serious money on a dinner, go to Morimoto, it's run the old head chef of Nobu, the guy who is on Iron Chef. Fucking top notch food.
skate, halo 3
SO what is the crime like? Exaggerated?
If I walk around like I do in my own city--confident/know where I'm going/don't mess with me--will i be safe or will I somehow still stick out like a sore thumb from Canada?
I made a TD for iphone and windows phone!
In fact, my first day there, there was a riot in Washington Square Park, though I forget the reasons.
This was back in '89
I was back for Spamalot (which is wickedly funny) with my wife and sister-in-law, and there wasnt ever any question of our safety. (more later, they're testing circuits and I've got to shut down)
Guggenheim does lots of modern art type shows. It's different from most museums in that they usually dedicate most of the place to a single artist or style at a time.
Whitney is a good American art place with a decent amount of modern stuff
MoMa is self explanatory. Also check out their other place PS 1 in queens. It's their more local "out there" art gallery. In the summer they do parties and stuff outside too.
When I was transfered there, everyone said 'oh its horrible, oh your gonna be mugged and raped and killed and floating face down in the East River.' Ok, whatever. First, these people dressed nice and looked like some kid from Ohio - which they were, essentially. I dressed in ragged clothes off-base, and nobody gave me a second look. I didnt look like I had any money to steal.
New York was the biggest city I'd ever been to - it was a city that was more crime ridden than St. Louis, far bigger than Baltimore. I had no troubles.
I got the New York attitute - you dont fuck with me, I dont fuck with you. You're being wierd, yeah, whatever, welcome to New York. Hey, theres this giant monkey climbing the Empire State Building. Huh. So, anyways, like I was sayin' about the Yankees...
My attitude didnt shout 'Mug me, I'm a tourist from Des Moines!'
You just have to be aware of your surroundings, and if something doesnt feel right, its probably not right. That goes for any city - Boston, which, for most areas, is extremely safe, you have to be aware of your suurroundings.
Do people get killed and mugged and solicited by TVs in New York? Sure, there are 8 million people in the five-borough area, and 20 million if you count the surrounding counties. Sure to be a few bad apples in the Big Apple. You just need to keep your wits about you.
"Hey! I'm wakin' here!"
-Dustin Hoffman "Midnight Cowboy"
"I like his movies, except for that nervious fella thats always in them."
-Ned Flanders, on Woody Allen
You can bring girls there, It's not like a strip club, it's just a bar. Bringing girls to bars is great because other girls see you with them. ;-)
Crime ain't so bad, if you aren't trolling for hookers at 3 AM in the south bronx, you should be fine.
skate, halo 3
My summer in New York was made a million times better because of that site.
Ideas for so many different things to do, maps included.