Touring New York...Suggestions! and other New York City, NY General Tips

Favorite Thing: No fanny packs (also known as hip bags). They look ridiculous. Use those money bags that you wear under your clothes. Fanny packs emphasize the hips.

Kids on leashes are embarassing.

You don't really need a visor in New Y'ork City. The buildings provide shade enough.

Always layer your clothes, no matter what season you're in.

Don't point and stare. Staring is considered incredibly rude in New York. It may be a culture thing, but please don't do it in New York. You might get hurt in the process if someone considers you aggressive.

If you're going to take photographs, make sure you're not obstructing street traffic, pull yourself over to the side first. If you're videotaping friends or family on the streets, watch where you're going. Other people are walking too! It's not polite to take picture of other people without asking, they may get violent.

It's illegal to film/take pictures on NYC public transportation (ie the subway! It's illegal!)

When asking other people to take a picture of you, beware. it's easy to run off into a crowd with someone else's new digital camera.

Not everyone cares about where you're from, so try not to broadcast it by overly emphasizing your accent in an incredibly loud voice while wearing a local state college sweatshirt. (Yes, people *do* actually do this and i'm just so embarassed for them).

NYers are like the British in that we like our queues (our lines). We respect lines so no pushing or cutting. You may get hurt in this process as well.

Nyers are not necessarily aggressive, we just like the way we operate. Try to remember that and try to keep up and you'll be just fine.


Leave a Comment

Favorite Thing: Tips for Women (and Men) on What to WEAR when Visiting New York!

Now, I'm not an elitist, but these are just a few tips to help you 'blend in' even though no matter how hard you try, you will never actually blend in if it's your first time visiting.

1) NO WHITE SNEAKERS! PLEASE! They're embarassing for us to look at and embarassing for you to be seen in them! White shoes get incredibly dirty and we will know you're not from around here wearing such an impractical pair of shoes. And sneakers? You're not jogging around Manhattan are you? No. You're touring, so wear comfortable shoes but NOT sneakers, much less white ones.

2) Women. Scrunchies died with the 80s, so please lay them to rest. You don't know how many times we've cringed at women wearing SCRUNCHIES (mind you, I'm talking about scrunchies not hair bands)

3) White tube socks are a no.

4) Don't try to be too trendy, you'll look foolish. Jewelry minimal. One trend at a time. Women here don't actually resemble Sex and the City. We are not walking Carries, so if you show up trying to pull that look off, you'll lose.

5) sports clothing. get rid of it, unless it's the yankees (YES!) or the mets (NO!). and don't even THINK about wearing the Red Sox in manhattan. Even if you think it's funny.

6) Bring a decent looking tote bag to hide that digi cam rather than taking one of those tiny little purses (unless you're meeting someone up for drinks, in which case, yes, cjg1, you can take along that little coach wristlet.

7) don't wear flip flops. they're impractical. your feet will look hideous after an hour (nyc dirt...what can I sya?) and they don't offer enough support.

8) If you're taking the subway, remember that you'll be up and down stairs and skirts provide easy viewing access for people waiting on the track. If you must wear a skirt, keep it longer or wear something underneath.

Fondest Memory: Dealing with NYC temperatures...Layer, Layer, Layer.
Summer: It's incredibly, ridiculously humid in New York but freakishly freezing indoors from the blasting airconditioners, bring a light sweater to museums and such.

In the winter, the complete opposite, they crank up the heat in apartment buildings and office buildings so you feel you're in the tropics. I, personally, think they do it to be funny. So be prepared for all extremes in all seasons.

Leave a Comment

Favorite Thing: New York City is made up of five boroughs. The one you're probably thinking of as symbolizing all of New York City is Manhattan. That's the 'main island'. The others are the Bronx (directly north of Manhattan), Staten Island (the floating garbage dump, which is directly south of Manhattan), Queens, east of midtown and Brooklyn to the lower east of Manhattan.

Many tourists rarely head outside of Manhattan, and usually, if they do it's either to visit friends or family, or they take the wrong line or forget to get off. My tip to you, check out the other boroughs, specifically Brooklyn. Take the train to Brooklyn and be rewarded with a grand skyscraper scene of Manhattan, both out to Brooklyn and back to Manhattan. Or take the Staten Island ferry for a lovely scene of downtown Manhattan. Walk the Brooklyn bridge, get some exercise, remember that scene of Carrie from Sex and the City on the Brooklyn Bridge. Go imitate her, get outside of Manhattan and enjoy New York City.

(and this is all coming from a Manhattanite. Hey! I can appreciate borough life too!) lol


Leave a Comment

Favorite Thing: Craigs List
http://nyc.craigslist.com.mnh
This is a fantastic site for EVERYTHING, particularly part-time/full-time jobs, temporary housing in shared apartments, sublets, summer stays, nanny-housing, etc. Also a place to schedule meet-and-greets if you're new to the city, or as a wannabe eBay, place ads, find products, check out classes, things to do, etc. If you want to get a feel for New Yorkers without actually meeting one, check out Craigslist and see the diversity of personalities in New York!


Leave a Comment

Favorite Thing: Hop Stop
http://www.hopstop.com/?city=newyork
Enter your address, enter your destination and hop stop will give you exact, precise details of how to get there using NYC public transportation, whether by foot, subway or bus! It will also give you the expected travel time and travel options! It's a lovely tool for new New Yorkers! :-)


Leave a Comment

Favorite Thing: Overheard In NY

http://overheardinnewyork.com/

Overheard in NY is not exactly *helpful* in designing an itinerary for places to go/see/visit in New York, but more of an induction into New York culture. The original Overheard (there is also a London Overheard website), Overheard in NY is a collaboration of overheard quotes in New York City. Seriously, New Yorkers say the 'DARNDEST' things! A quick look through the quotes will show the actual diversity of NY. If you can make it here, you can seriously make it anywhere!

For example, one of today's quotes:
Conductor: Ladies and gentlemen, we apologize for the delay. I promise it will never. happen. again.

I love New York. So. Very. Much. :-)


Leave a Comment

Favorite Thing: NY Metro
http://nymetro.com
One of my favorite sites ever. Restaurant listings, event calendars, special trunk and sample sales, you go to NY Metro to find out the latest in fashion, beauty, luxury living, apartments, rentals, real estate, classifieds, NYC singles, and more! It's like a more elite Craigslist, I guess. I love checking out the Look Book, where NY Metro picks up random streetwalkers and interviews them on their fashion choices and how this correlates to their lives (work, family, etc). Sometimes the people they choose are just so ridiculous and full of themselves that it's just so funny. Checking out sales and events at museums and art galleries is another favorite past time on NY Metro.

Definitely check it out for a NY feel before you come. There's even a link for NYC tourists, which gives people a watered-down version of hardcore NYC living.


Leave a Comment

Favorite Thing: "So you've smoked since you were sixteen, your first word was 'f*ck', you can spot a tourist from a mile away and you laughed when your non-native-NY friends needed to buy fake i.d.'s for college (You've had one since your freshman year of high school). You also understand the value of fashion, first impressions, and a good cup of coffee. You have an inherent hatred for New Jersey; the people, the garbage, the accents. And your idea of a good time has nothing to do with Rockefeller Center or Times Square.

Ah, the joys of being a New Yorker...
We're sorry that we're better than everyone else, but let's face it, we just are."
Quote from the Facebook Group Mission Statement: "Hey! I'm actually FROM New York".


Leave a Comment