One thing (or a few things) you couldn't live in NYC without?

[BobbyBubbi]

I've been doing a lot of research about moving to NYC recently (apartments, expenses, agents, transportation blah blah blah) and I was curious if NYC locals had any advice on living in New York I should know about (besides a metro card)? Vital maps, restaurant guides? publications? Things to avoid? Things you wish you knew before moving there?

Not trying to make this an obligatory "I'M MOVING TO NYC, PLEASE HELP!" thread, which I am sure has been discussed to death on this board, and elsewhere (city data forums, which has been helpful) but rather a place to discuss what living in NYC means and it's unique challenges, if that makes sense. Like what I should look for when moving into a specific building, advice on tenant and subway etiquette (things you see out-of- towners do that makes you groan: "tourist!")

I've decided on Manhattan. I know I'll be living in half a room, but I don't care, I want to be close to the theatre district, studio classes and work.

Thank you as always for your help.

[dramamama611]

If you have a smart phone, look at getting the Hop Stop ap. It will be a huge help in navigating the subway.

[broadwayguy2]

Bobby,
Mistake number one... Your reasons for settling on Manhattan. By the logic, cut Manhattan in more than half - ignore way uptown and way downtown - and expand it over to include Astoria and Long Island City. My commute to the theatre district from Astoria is 15 - 20 minutes... FAR less than my friends who live in many areas of Manhattan.
As far as maps and guides, go for ones geared toward your interests. There are too many to get a really definitive opinion... And you need great shoes. Your feet take a beating til your body adjusts.. Also make a point of subletting and walking around various neighborhoods, explore them all, explore them at different times of day and do so with an open mind. Whether for living or for playing, you will find that each neighborhood is entirely distinct, a city unto itself and you may fall in love with somewhere that you crossed off of your list long ago. It will happen eventually, as does to most, but really try to avoid sticking to one neighborhood too early.

[~~tiny3~~]

Unless you live in a pre-war with with concrete/solid walls, expect ALOT of noise. If you can't stand noise, don't move here.

Do a lot of shopping on Amazon - saves a ton of time AND $$$$.

Get to know every 99 cent store in town.

Yelp.com is helpful for finding cheapie restaurants,

Learn how to cook/assemble basics and stock a really good pantry, (esp. for winter - learn how make batches of soup to freeze) so you don't waste a lot of money on restaurant/fast food meals. It adds up really fast.

Get to memorize the IKEA NJ layout and go there once in a while )free shuttlebus fr. the Port Authority on wkends) ...Don't ever come home w/o a
coupla bags of frozen Swedish meatballs. Super cheap.

Ck Goldstarevents.com weekly at least for all kinds of entertainment discounts - theatre, boats, tours, music, etc ,

Hone your "hondeling" skills. Never pay full price for anything. Always ask (politely) for some kind of discount on anything. 9 times out of 10 it works. The NY way.

Stock up at Trader Joe's.

Don't waste your money on drinking out a lot with your rent money. Make cocktail parties at home. Waaaay cheaper and better.

You'll need a good A/C, and you'll pay a fortune to Con Ed every summer. Be prepared.

Good luck.

[sabrelady]

If u r in an older building- remember those movies w the noisy clanging radiators as the came on?
TRUE- a lot of older buildings cycle the heat and it is often cold in the aft until about 5pm when they come back on and they r super hot! A friends cat burnt herself that way.

[Gothampc]

Get used to roaches and mice. Buy yourself a Ratzapper for the mice. And bring lots of Tupperware. Every particle of food must be kept in Tupperware. And bring Tupperware to put your Tupperware in.

[FishermanBob]

Never make eye contact with anyone on the subway... ever.

[BobbyBubbi]

This is all so wonderful to know!!! Thank you all so much!

[~~tiny3~~]

batches of free ballpoint pens at TD Banks, also they give dogbones and snacks to your dog. I love me TD BANK. Also, you must also bank with the actors federal credit union, if your in the business, Free classes on Finance, Savings, career advice, etc. Very, very useful In The Actors' Fund Bldg, 47/7th?

FREE Hebrew Nt'l hot dogs with your super cheap beer at RUDY's dive bar ,

9th/43rd st

Empanada Mamas -open 24/7 (9

th/53?) for a super cheap, delish after drunk snack\

when you see a famous person walking along, ask them if they'll have a coffee with you. They probably will. Don't fawn, though. Just speak normally.

Central Park Official Tour - a must!

Sneak into some parades. You'll have fun and meet great people

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY , POPEYE'S FRIED CHICKEN IS ON wEST 40TH ST BET.7TH.8TH. after EATING YOUR CHICKEN AND BISCUIT go shopping at LOTS FOR LESS!

[~~tiny3~~]

batches of free ballpoint pens at TD Banks, also they give dogbones and snacks to your dog. I love me TD BANK. Also, you must also bank with the actors federal credit union, if your in the business, Free classes on Finance, Savings, career advice, etc. Very, very useful In The Actors' Fund Bldg, 47/7th?

FREE Hebrew Nt'l hot dogs with your super cheap beer at RUDY's dive bar ,

9th/43rd st. yES, ITS AN IRISH BAR..ONLY THE HOTDOGS ARE ORTHODOX,

Empanada Mamas -open 24/7 (9

th/53?) for a super cheap, delish after drunk snack\

when you see a famous person walking along, ask them if they'll have a coffee with you. They probably will. Don't fawn, though. Just speak normally.

Central Park Official Tour - a must!

Sneak into some parades. You'll have fun and meet great people

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY , POPEYE'S FRIED CHICKEN IS ON wEST 40TH ST BET.7TH.8TH. after EATING YOUR CHICKEN AND BISCUIT go shopping at LOTS FOR LESS!

[BobbyBubbi]

thanks Tiny!

And Thank you Goth for the tip about pests. We don't really have that problem in this super dry climate.

I had a question about water, does everyone buy bottled?

Also groceries, does everyone use a delivery service? I've looked at FreshDirect and they seem good.

Also, would anyone recommend getting a post office box? (With all the online shopping and all)

[AEA AGMA SM]

A post office box won't necessarily help with online purchases, since most delivery companies can't deliver to them.

NYC has some of the cleanest and best tasting tap water in the country. Subsisting solely on bottled water is not necessary. Get a reusable water bottle and a Brita filter if you're really concerned.

Plenty of people do not use Fresh Direct or other delivery services. Grocery shopping in general is different than in other parts of the country in that you'll buy what you can carry and do more smaller trips as opposed to one big weekly or bi-weekly trip like you would if you were living somewhere with a car.

In regards to pests, it will vary from building to building obviously, but one of the best ways to reduce seeing them is to keep your place clean. Avoid letting clutter build up (rodents will gladly start to nest in a pile of old bills/mail that you should just throw away. Don't let dishes sit in the sink for very long. I quickly got in the habit of just doing dishes once I was done eating, and even doing dishes while I was cooking to reduce the post-meal clean up. In six years I've never had a rodent in my apartment and have only very occasionally seen a roach, which will come from unexpected places; I once saw one crawling up out of the bathroom sink drain while I was sitting next to it on the toilet. I slammed the faucet on super fast to flush it back down and then closed the plug on the sink to keep it from getting any ideas of attempting a return. We also would dust our door and window sills with boric acid every once in a while to keep any from trying to sneak in that way (though I don't recommend doing that if you have a pet).

[SNAFU]

During the summer NYC has drinking fountain stations around the city actually using fire hyrants to promote NYC tap water. The only thing I don't like about it is the taste of the flouride. At home I have a Brita which takes care of that. At the shop where the building's pipes are in question I have a water cooler from Poland Spring. $41 a month for four five gallon bottles and the cooler/heater.
Everyone I know of uses Fresh Direct and loves it. I have my shopping cart,
a necessity if you don't go the Fresh Direct Route and hate going to the market every other day.

[Gothampc]

"A post office box won't necessarily help with online purchases, since most delivery companies can't deliver to them."

Actually post offices, in an effort to be more user friendly, are telling their customers to use the street address so that UPS and FedEx can deliver.

[FishermanBob]

"Actually post offices, in an effort to be more user friendly, are telling their customers to use the street address so that UPS and FedEx can deliver."

In the case of smaller boxes and packages, more and more, UPS and FedEx are using the post office to deliver the actual shipment to the recipient after FedEx and UPS drop it off at the local post office. The mail carrier would be going to the residence anyway so it saves $ on delivery people for UPS and FedEx and it is an area of increasing revenue generation for the USPS which is desperately needed since the volume of first class mail is off 30% from what it was 5-10 years ago.

[Gothampc]

The post office adopted a program called "street addressing" which allows packages to be delivered to the post office where your PO box is located.
Link

[sabrelady]

"I love me TD BANK. "

On behalf of the Toronto Dominion(CANADA Trust)Bank-
Thank You!
We luvs that Yankee $$$ ;D

[Anakela]

If you have a smart phone, look at getting the Hop Stop ap. It will be a huge help in navigating the subway.

Yes on the HopStop! I would also suggest Exit Strategy (tells you which door on which car of the train you want to be at in order to be closest to the connecting stairs, station exit, etc.) and Embark NYC (basically like HopStop, but with a list of train times I find it easier to use sometimes) as necessary transit apps.

As someone else said, get comfy walking shoes. If you're not a walker you will become one. :) I remember my first visit to NY the walk from Times Square to Grand Central left me winded, it was "so far;" tonight I basically walked from Bryant Park down to W 4th back up to Hell's Kitchen because it's nice out and I didn't feel like taking the trains.

I don't do Fresh Direct, but I do a lot of bulk/dry goods buying thru Amazon.

I use a PO Box not for the packages issue, but because I lived in a sketch situation (other people opening my mail) when I first moved out here. Plus, if you're going to be subletting any, having a po box is helpful because you won't have to change your address with every move.

Don't be a snob who refuses to use a granny cart - those things are lifesavers!

eta: having done the cross country relocation, I say sell everything you can! Shipping stuff is a pain, plus you don't know how your furniture will fit into your new place, etc. I thought I'd sold a lot of my stuff, but there were definitely things I didn't care about and didn't need to move with me.

[SNAFU]

Anakela, my granny cart (it took me a long time to buy one) is a freaking God Send! Who wants to carry 6 bags of grceries 3/4 of a mile? Everyone who sees you using one understands and has one themselves. Orare forced to the market more days then are needed.

[brdway411]

Jack's 99 cent world. You can find food, house wears and cheap meds (asprin, bandaids, toothbrushes)

[Anakela]

Anakela, my granny cart (it took me a long time to buy one) is a freaking God Send! Who wants to carry 6 bags of grceries 3/4 of a mile? Everyone who sees you using one understands and has one themselves. Orare forced to the market more days then are needed.

Right?!? I have a friend who till this day still *refuses* to use one, because they're "eww, they're for old people," so she does things like schlep three loads of laundry in a huge duffel bag across her back. Meanwhile I'm all can I get the big granny cart, the one with the extra basket and really wide wheels? :)