***New York*** (3 Viewers)

[jamny]

I'm trying to get into JFK. First flight was cancelled. 2nd is delayed due to wind. Was supposed to get in at 5. Will be lucky to get in by midnight now.

Is it windy today?

weather.gov says there are 40 mph winds but I haven't noticed today.

Very windy in Queens right now. 40 sounds about right.

 

[kutta]

I'm trying to get into JFK. First flight was cancelled. 2nd is delayed due to wind. Was supposed to get in at 5. Will be lucky to get in by midnight now.

Is it windy today?

weather.gov says there are 40 mph winds but I haven't noticed today.

Very windy in Queens right now. 40 sounds about right.

Can you put a stop to that so I can get moving?

 

[fantasycurse42]

Company catered happy hour today...

Tons of booze and Carnegie Deli:

About 100 Carnegie sized Corned Beef sammichs, probably about 20 pounds (seriously) of potato salad and coleslaw, and enough desert to kill a gaggle of elephants.

I had to come sit down at my desk to stuff my face.

 

[RUSF18]

Always thought there was a difference between Irish and Jewish style corned beef. Wrong?

 

[shadyridr]

####in windy out there and could get snow this weekend?

 

[fantasycurse42]

Always thought there was a difference between Irish and Jewish style corned beef. Wrong?

No idea...

What I can say is we have about 15 pounds of potato salad and coleslaw, along with about 60 pounds of sammichs left over.

This was for 70 people. IDK WTF they were thinking... I'm taking some of this #### home.

 

[jamny]

Always thought there was a difference between Irish and Jewish style corned beef. Wrong?

No difference.

Just a cheap cut that Irish and Jewish immigrants made once they got here and beef was plentiful.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Always thought there was a difference between Irish and Jewish style corned beef. Wrong?

No difference.Just a cheap cut that Irish and Jewish immigrants made once they got here and beef was plentiful.

Bottom two rungs of New York society back in the day. The Irish bought from the Jewish delis on the LES.

TIL: in the UK what we call corned beef is called salt beef.

 

[jamny]

Always thought there was a difference between Irish and Jewish style corned beef. Wrong?

No difference.Just a cheap cut that Irish and Jewish immigrants made once they got here and beef was plentiful.

Bottom two rungs of New York society back in the day. The Irish bought from the Jewish delis on the LES.

TIL: in the UK what we call corned beef is called salt beef.

Yeah, the Irish were used to salt pork back home, as beef was mostly a delicacy and export in Ireland.

 

[Gawain]

JFK is a disaster until end of April.

They are redoing all but one runway.

Was delayed two hours flying out and coming back in.

 

[Koya]

Always thought there was a difference between Irish and Jewish style corned beef. Wrong?

From Smithsonian Mag:

The Irish immigrants almost solely bought their meat from kosher butchers. And what we think of today as Irish corned beef is actually Jewish corned beef thrown into a pot with cabbage and potatoes.

 

[Raider Nation]

Company catered happy hour today...

Tons of booze and Carnegie Deli:

About 100 Carnegie sized Corned Beef sammichs, probably about 20 pounds (seriously) of potato salad and coleslaw, and enough desert to kill a gaggle of elephants.

I had to come sit down at my desk to stuff my face.

You haven't been around as long as some of us, so I'm gonna do you a solid here. We outlawed the word "sammichs" back in aught six.

 

[RC94]

Always thought there was a difference between Irish and Jewish style corned beef. Wrong?

From Smithsonian Mag:

The Irish immigrants almost solely bought their meat from kosher butchers. And what we think of today as Irish corned beef is actually Jewish corned beef thrown into a pot with cabbage and potatoes.

How are you sober enough today to find that info out?

 

[El Floppo]

Company catered happy hour today...

Tons of booze and Carnegie Deli:

About 100 Carnegie sized Corned Beef sammichs, probably about 20 pounds (seriously) of potato salad and coleslaw, and enough desert to kill a gaggle of elephants.

I had to come sit down at my desk to stuff my face.

I had a client meeting at the office with catered lunch from Maison Kayser... except they didn't get me a ####### thing. so I sat in the meeting while everybody else ate... and kept sitting. ran out to Alidoro afterwards and inhaled one of their mongo, feed-a-family- behemoths. gotta say, I miss Alidoro when it was Mulampo's on Sullivan, with the sandwich nazi who would kick you out for trying to order off-menu.

 

[fantasycurse42]

BL, we discussed the Gowanus Houses last year... I'm not sure how long ago you moved out of the BoCoCa area, but they are a bad place.

Broad daylight murder there a few days ago at 3 in the afternoon. I'd be a pig in #### if they ever got rid of those projects. You've got this neighborhood here that has exploded into one of the best for a family in all of NYC (prob most comparable to the UWS, but I actually prefer it here) and these ####ty projects (also Wycoff)... If these two projects weren't here, this would be the best neighborhood on Earth.

 

[fantasycurse42]

Company catered happy hour today...

Tons of booze and Carnegie Deli:

About 100 Carnegie sized Corned Beef sammichs, probably about 20 pounds (seriously) of potato salad and coleslaw, and enough desert to kill a gaggle of elephants.

I had to come sit down at my desk to stuff my face.

I had a client meeting at the office with catered lunch from Maison Kayser... except they didn't get me a ####### thing. so I sat in the meeting while everybody else ate... and kept sitting. ran out to Alidoro afterwards and inhaled one of their mongo, feed-a-family- behemoths. gotta say, I miss Alidoro when it was Mulampo's on Sullivan, with the sandwich nazi who would kick you out for trying to order off-menu.

I'm usually on the vendor side, so a lot of client lunches I do, I'm typically presenting. I never eat during these meetings where I suply food. If I'm doing a lot of talking I just don't feel comfortable with it. If I'm occasionally on the client side, I'll almost insist the vendor eats bc I know the feeling of being in a room full of good lunch and not touching it.

 

[BobbyLayne]

BL, we discussed the Gowanus Houses last year... I'm not sure how long ago you moved out of the BoCoCa area, but they are a bad place.

Broad daylight murder there a few days ago at 3 in the afternoon. I'd be a pig in #### if they ever got rid of those projects. You've got this neighborhood here that has exploded into one of the best for a family in all of NYC (prob most comparable to the UWS, but I actually prefer it here) and these ####ty projects (also Wycoff)... If these two projects weren't here, this would be the best neighborhood on Earth.

Time to start spending Sunday's going to open houses in Little Neck.

The shooting is the first murder of the year in the 76th Precinct, which encompasses Red Hook, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill, and parts of Gowanus. One murder took place in the area during 2014.

When's the last time a white person got shot around there? 1978?

 

[BobbyLayne]

Oh, there was that reporter who got murdered by his Craigslist boy lover in Carrol Gardens. 2009? That dude was caucasian. And that pizza owner four years ago that was stabbed RIGHT IN THE STREET IN BROAD DAYLIGHT!!!1! Another white man taken down by random violence.

You need to get out while you can, FC42. Port Washington branch line will get you in the city within 30 minutes.

 

[fantasycurse42]

Gowanus remains one of the most crime-ridden housing projects in the city, with 62 index crimes in 2013 a category that includes murder, rape, robbery and assault.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Gowanus remains one of the most crime-ridden housing projects in the city, with 62 index crimes in 2013 a category that includes murder, rape, robbery and assault.

Gotta suck for African Americans amirite?

 

[BobbyLayne]

Back on topic...

So one of the original aims of this thread was to share recommendations about NYC, chiefly restaurants. But for non-residents visiting this thread, they're usually just trying to get their arms around how to plan a visit to Manhattan.

I'm going to copy/paste a series of emails I have been exchanging with a high school buddy/groomsman who is visiting with his wife & 3 kids, with the personal stuff redacted. Some of these are responses to specific questions so it's out of context, but I think it will help first time visitors:

A week should be perfect for you and the family to enjoy the city. I find people who only stay 3-4 days try to pack too much in; always better to go slow and take things in rather than rush around trying to fill an itinerary.

For sightseeing, the double decker buses are a nice way to knock out the major stops. I always strongly recommend Ellis Island over Statue of Liberty - both can be done on the same ferry, but linger at the former. Related - it's a bit out of the way, but the Lower East Side Tenement Museum is an amazing experience. Both will be highlights of your trip.

There are of course several amazing art museums that are worthwhile - Guggenheim, Metropolitan, and MoMA are my personal favorites - but for 10 and under nothing beats American Museum of Natural History. Also, the balloon inflation is on the four blocks surrounding AMNH (Central Park West, W 77th St, Columbus Ave, W 81st St.) If you like smaller museums, the Frick Collection is amazing. Neue Galerie (near the Met) should be on your list as well - relatively new, specializes in German and Austrian art. You should also check out the Whitney Museum of American Art, which is re-locating to the Meatpacking District May 1. It will be right next to the High Line, which is a must see as well.

Restaurants - although I still love Zagat's guides for both dining and shopping, Yelp is an incredible online resource for planning. Can be tough doing meal planning on the go. NYC is relatively expensive but the dining options do run the full spectrum - you can find affordable places to eat if you plan it out.

Other ideas:

Staten Island - Yeah, no. There are interesting things. Chinese Scholar's Garden (sculptures) at Snug Harbor. Richmondtown is a wonderfully preserved period village. I dated a S.I. girl for six years and know the island deeply. But just no. You can take a roundtrip on the Staten Island Ferry to kill an hour, get a NY Harbor perspective, and it's free.

Queens - Again, many interesting sites, though spread out. Science museum, Queens Museum of Art has an amazing model of the entire city, Corona Park and the 1964 World's Fair Pavilion - both near the Billie Jean KIng USTA complex and Citifield - are all cool day trips, but imminently missable.

Bronx - The New York Botanical Garden is pretty amazing. Not sure when the Holiday Train show begins, if it's that week you should go. Great Italian food along Arthur Avenue right outside NYBC. Bronx Zoo is nearby. It'll be a little cold to take in Wave Hill or Pelham Park. The Cloisters is a pretty cool museum with pretty neat tapestry and amazing vistas. But all of these worthwhile ideas are close to a full day trip, so you have to decide if your family would enjoy it.

Brooklyn - Oh, hell yes. This was my home for eight years and I would love to be your guide for a day on this excursion. Walk the Brooklyn Bridge, eat in DUMBO or Brooklyn Heights. New parks with many activities along the East River. BMA has some great collections, Prospect Park is comparable to Central Park, Brooklyn Academy of Music is the finest avant garde venue in the city. I could write a book on things to do.

Chinatown - plan on half day to stroll through, do some shopping, maybe grab some dim sum. Not far from Lower East Side Tenement Museum.

SHOPPING - SoHo is a nice half day, as would be Fifth Ave between 42nd and 60th. These are both presuming you're prepared to drop some serious coin.

OK, so for the sightseeing stuff, they have these double decker buses they imported from London. As far as I know it's one company so it shouldn't be hard to find online. Not sure if it makes sense to purchase in advance - there's no issue with availability but might be a discount? 1/2 day, 1 day, 2 days - whatever you do, that takes care of the major touristy stuff (from north to south: Central Park, Rockafeller Center, ESB, Macy's, Greenwich Village/Washington Sq Prk, Wall St, et al).

So, figure 1-2 days of sightseeing.

You asked about visiting the UN - tight security AFAIK and not much in the way of touristy stuff. I have never had guests visit. Columbia University is far west side, could be combined with a visit to Grants Tomb. It's an urban campus without any real stand alone attractions. Same for NYU, which we think of as the Purple Blob which ate Greenwich Village. Many other Universities but those are the most prestigious. New York is very dense and there are no park like campuses in Manhattan.

Shows - lets table for now. Matilda is a great show for kids 7 and up. The Lion King is a classic. Many long running shows & revivals if you have one in mind (Chicago, Once, et al). I have some good online resources for discount tickets, and tips/tricks on how to score last minute deals. A lot will depend on what's running - we'll have a better sense what to shoot for in the fall after the new season begins. I live in a theater building and have good connections for off-Broadway and Off-off Broadway.

Accommodations - I live in Hell's Kitchen, which is midtown west & borders the theater district. Where to stay is a major decision & I'm not sure how much help I'll be. Yotel is new/near and we have many budget - its a relative term - hotels, both old and new, nearby. Times Square or near TS will be more expensive. If you find one that fits your budget let me know and I'll give you the lowdown on convenience factor. Also, Google the bedbug report - tells you if the hotel has had violations. I joke a lot but I'm being serious here.

Mass Transit - week long metro cards for both buses & subways (5 x $30, everyone taller than 44" needs one.) General rule: north - south take trains, east - west hoof it or take buses. Taxis are more expensive AND take longer than subways. Citibike share is awesome but probably not an option with your youngest (is he four?)

The Grid - 200 years ago they laid out the plan and north of 14th it couldn't be easier. City blocks run east-west and take 1 minute to walk between (going north-south); Avenues run north-south and take 3-4 minutes to walk between (going east-west). Everything is numbered - just keep your eye on the Freedom Tower or ESB to stay oriented. The old Kings Highway - which the Continental Army scampered up after getting their asses kicked in the August, 1776 Battle of Long Island (Brooklyn) - cuts diagonal across the grid from The Battery all the way up to the Upper West Side. Today it's called Broadway. Below 14th the streets are still a grid, but the Financial District and the Village don't always line up because they were separate plans which predate the master plan.

Some suggestions on itineraries...

There are issues with availability and wait times for Ellis Island/Statue of Liberty and the 9/11 Memorial. Buy both in advance online to reserve your spot and avoid a lengthy queue. Those are both downtown along with Wall St. That's a full day for those 3 things.

Walking the Brooklyn Bridge & exploring that borough is another day. Maybe this is the Sunday after you arrive.

Chinatown could be combined with the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. That could also be combined with exploring Soho & GV/West Village OR The Whitney Museum + The High Line + galleries of Chelsea. This is old low rise New York, mostly 6 story buildings. This is MY New York, the one that seduced me 16 years ago and never let go. A 1-2 hour walking tour is a lot of fun - I can recommend a guide.

Balloon inflation of the parade is the night before Thanksgiving, Macy's parade is the next morning, turkey & traditional meal in the afternoon. So this is another day. AMNH could be a full day or a good chunk of it - that could be your Wednesday.

That suggested outline is 5-6 days already so I'll stop now.

We have lots of time to plan. Are you guys planners? Or loosey-goosey go with the flow, let's figure it out after we land travelers? You're German! Of course you plan.

I think, in general, loose itinerary planning with lots of time padded in works well. It's nice to have some time available for spontaneity or to allow yourself to linger if you are enjoying something. New York is not a city but rather scores of neighborhoods. Each has its own characteristics and ethnic flavor with unique stores and restaurants. Even people who live here love to dedicate a day to just learning & exploring a new neighborhood.

Plus, kids. They're the best thing in life, right? But #### do they ever screw up the best of intentions. So everything will take a little longer than you figure. No sense stressing about it, just go with the flow.

Airports - no preference as they all suck equally and take roughly the same amount of time to midtown. Gun to my head, EWR > JFK > LGA.

General geography:

Manhattan is the city. The other four are outter boroughs (Bronx, Brookkyn, Queens, Staten Island). Big sweeping generalities: Brooklyn is cool, the other three wish they were. White people are blithely unaware of anything above 96th St.

Uptown - anything north of 59th St. Two general classifications are Upper West Side (progressive, liberal, Woody Allen) and Upper East Side (conservative, Republican, Bernie Madoff).

Midtown - 34th St to 59th St. People work here. Tourists overrun this. Neighborhoods like Hells Kitchen on the west or Murray Hill on the east but generally its tall buildings and commercial ventures.

14th St to 34th St - Chelsea on the west, Madison Park in the middle, Gramercy/Kips Bay in the east.

Below 14th Street - downtown. This is old New York. The Battery is the tip. The Finacial District and Battery Park City are above that. Continuing north, TriBeCa, City Hall & Chinatown are next. From left to right above that, Hudson Sq/West Village, Greenwich Village/Soho, Lower East Side/East Village. This is the soul of New York; if there is anything authentic left in the ever changing and ever evolving city, you'll find it here.

Some other landmarks to orient yourself to:

Central Park runs from 59th St to 110th St, from 5th Ave to 8th Ave. ESB is 34th St/5th Ave. The Freedom Tower is all the way downtown. None of these are easily combined destinations.

(Also, Columbia U is FAR UPPER west side - 116th St - and Grants Tomb is 122nd St.)

American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) - Central Park West, W 77th St, Columbus Ave, W 81st St. It's the whole block.

 

[RUSF18]

JFK is a disaster until end of April.

They are redoing all but one runway.

Was delayed two hours flying out and coming back in.

Considering I'm sitting in a ####load of traffic on my way to JFK I wouldn't mind a delay at this point.

 

[Gawain]

JFK is a disaster until end of April.

They are redoing all but one runway.

Was delayed two hours flying out and coming back in.

Considering I'm sitting in a ####load of traffic on my way to JFK I wouldn't mind a delay at this point.

"John F Kennedy Intl (KJFK) is currently experiencing departure delays of 31 minutes to 45 minutes (and increasing) due to runway in use."

Wish granted?

 

[RUSF18]

JFK is a disaster until end of April.

They are redoing all but one runway.

Was delayed two hours flying out and coming back in.

Considering I'm sitting in a ####load of traffic on my way to JFK I wouldn't mind a delay at this point.

"John F Kennedy Intl (KJFK) is currently experiencing departure delays of 31 minutes to 45 minutes (and increasing) due to runway in use."Wish granted?

The app is still showing up as the flight being on time, but I know that's unreliable. I'll probably hustle my fat ### to the gate only to see them announce a delay as soon as I get there.

 

[fantasycurse42]

Gowanus remains one of the most crime-ridden housing projects in the city, with 62 index crimes in 2013 a category that includes murder, rape, robbery and assault.

Gotta suck for African Americans amirite?

Not sure what this has to do with anything...

Trying to refute this is a bad project is just silly. 62 major felonies in a complex of 2,200 people is a rate of 1 in 35. Usually this kinda stuff is measured in the per 100,000 with a few hundred being on the high side. This project has an average of 1,591 per 100,000 - That is a gigantic crime rate.

I have little concern for myself, but I would be much happier if that project wasn't 6 blocks from my son's school, or 3 blocks from where my wife and her friends might go hangout at night, or just wasn't there.

 

[fantasycurse42]

JFK is a disaster until end of April.

They are redoing all but one runway.

Was delayed two hours flying out and coming back in.

Considering I'm sitting in a ####load of traffic on my way to JFK I wouldn't mind a delay at this point.

"John F Kennedy Intl (KJFK) is currently experiencing departure delays of 31 minutes to 45 minutes (and increasing) due to runway in use."Wish granted?

The app is still showing up as the flight being on time, but I know that's unreliable. I'll probably hustle my fat ### to the gate only to see them announce a delay as soon as I get there.

Where you off to?

I actually prefer LGA.

 

[RUSF18]

JFK is a disaster until end of April.

They are redoing all but one runway.

Was delayed two hours flying out and coming back in.

Considering I'm sitting in a ####load of traffic on my way to JFK I wouldn't mind a delay at this point.

"John F Kennedy Intl (KJFK) is currently experiencing departure delays of 31 minutes to 45 minutes (and increasing) due to runway in use."Wish granted?

The app is still showing up as the flight being on time, but I know that's unreliable. I'll probably hustle my fat ### to the gate only to see them announce a delay as soon as I get there.

Where you off to?

I actually prefer LGA.

Salt Lake City, and back tomorrow. All for a 20 minute pitch in the morning.

I'm in Hoboken now so there's a lot of EWR in my future but direct options to SLC are limited.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Gowanus remains one of the most crime-ridden housing projects in the city, with 62 index crimes in 2013 a category that includes murder, rape, robbery and assault.

Gotta suck for African Americans amirite?

Not sure what this has to do with anything...

Trying to refute this is a bad project is just silly. 62 major felonies in a complex of 2,200 people is a rate of 1 in 35. Usually this kinda stuff is measured in the per 100,000 with a few hundred being on the high side. This project has an average of 1,591 per 100,000 - That is a gigantic crime rate.

I have little concern for myself, but I would be much happier if that project wasn't 6 blocks from my son's school, or 3 blocks from where my wife and her friends might go hangout at night, or just wasn't there.

Sorry, let me speak plainly:It has nothing to with you. Even if you lived on Wyckoff or Baltic - and correct me if I'm wrong, but you're a country mile away north of Atlantic/west of Snith - it's completely ####### irrelevant to your life. You don't even live like a New Yorker - you climb into your car and drive to a parking lot on your weekend errands. The odds of you walking/jogging/biking anywhere near Gowanus house are infinitely minute.

ETA: OMG - your family comes within a 1/4-1/2 mile of it! Don't know how you sleep at night.

You complaining about crime at NYCHA would be akin to me complaining how my African basil fish sucks at tree climbing.

 

[fantasycurse42]

We'll agree to disagree here. IDK what having a car has to do with anything... My bro/SIL/nieces lives in Philly, mother in NJ, SIL/BIL/niece/nephew in NJ, aunt in Westchester, grandfather in Rockland, MIL/FIL out in Bergen Beach. During the summer we go to the beach or take weekend trips (which a lot NYers do). A car is convenience for me as opposed to using a combination of Zip Car and taxi.

 

[RUSF18]

JFK is a disaster until end of April.

They are redoing all but one runway.

Was delayed two hours flying out and coming back in.

Considering I'm sitting in a ####load of traffic on my way to JFK I wouldn't mind a delay at this point.

"John F Kennedy Intl (KJFK) is currently experiencing departure delays of 31 minutes to 45 minutes (and increasing) due to runway in use."Wish granted?

The app is still showing up as the flight being on time, but I know that's unreliable. I'll probably hustle my fat ### to the gate only to see them announce a delay as soon as I get there.

Still waiting to pushback on account of said runway issues.

Empty seat next to me...excellent. But the only problem is there have to be about 14 5 year olds in the rows surrounding me screaming at each other about whatever is on their iPad. And about 4 parents.

 

[fantasycurse42]

JFK is a disaster until end of April.

They are redoing all but one runway.

Was delayed two hours flying out and coming back in.

Considering I'm sitting in a ####load of traffic on my way to JFK I wouldn't mind a delay at this point.

"John F Kennedy Intl (KJFK) is currently experiencing departure delays of 31 minutes to 45 minutes (and increasing) due to runway in use."Wish granted?

The app is still showing up as the flight being on time, but I know that's unreliable. I'll probably hustle my fat ### to the gate only to see them announce a delay as soon as I get there.

Still waiting to pushback on account of said runway issues.

Empty seat next to me...excellent. But the only problem is there have to be about 14 5 year olds in the rows surrounding me screaming at each other about whatever is on their iPad. And about 4 parents.

You've got no chance with those kids... I wouldn't say anything unless they get out of hand or one of them is kicking my seat.

Appreciate the empty space next to you, put your headphones on, and relax.

 

[BobbyLayne]

We'll agree to disagree here. IDK what having a car has to do with anything... My bro/SIL/nieces lives in Philly, mother in NJ, SIL/BIL/niece/nephew in NJ, aunt in Westchester, grandfather in Rockland, MIL/FIL out in Bergen Beach. During the summer we go to the beach or take weekend trips (which a lot NYers do). A car is convenience for me as opposed to using a combination of Zip Car and taxi.

Ever read The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs? Or how about Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Persig?

Have you traveled much outside of North America? Just curious.

There is connectedness to the city - more correctly, to the specific neighborhood - when one walks around the place you live. When you spend much of your day as a pedestrian, you see and interact not only with your neighbors but the shopkeepers, or young chefs who left Manhattan to strike out on their own, or old timers who will tell you IT'S ALL SOUTH BROOKLYN, or the drummer from the band you caught the previous Wednesday, or the quasi-famous playwright who just penned his third smash hit but moves easily around without any measure of recognition, or the carpenter you call when you custom built in fashioned, or fellow parents who are navigating this tricky landscape in a shared experience. In the same way driving a motorcycle is a vastly different experience than a road trip in a car, your view of your surroundings is starkly different when it's interwoven into the daily fabric of your life. If you have traveled extensively, not as a tourist but as a curious seeker of cultures different from your own, I think you get what I am driving at here.

I get the impression you live in a bubble. Maybe it's comfortable, and understandable you would never want to leave it. But IMO your urban experience would be greatly enriched if you understood this isn't Cincinnati. Because honestly, you're not a Brooklynite or a New Yorker. You're just a guy whose mail is delivered to an urban zip code.

But no worries, pard. There are many ways to live life and none is greater or lesser than another, only different one from the other. I'm being somewhat judgemental here, a tad snooty, and you have every right to treat me with disdain and dismissal. I was hoping to open up your mind to possibilities, but have elicited the exact opposite reaction.

 

[fantasycurse42]

Yes, I've been to Switzerland twice, Germany, Sardinia, England, Mexico a bunch, Antigua, Aruba, Puerto Rico 3x, Guadeloupe, Bahamas, and Belize.

I've spent 30 of my 31 years either in or within 30 minutes of this city. When I was 13 my best friend and I visited my Dad who lived in Carroll Gardens (my parents are divorced), when he fell asleep we snuck out and went to Washington Square Park where we bought weed from a Rasta in a Subway (sandwich place, not trains) at 1am. I am as much this city since being a little child as anyone else, and I'm talking about those of us from here, not transplants. I've played pickup games on the West 4th court, baseball leagues on Randalls Island, walked the Brooklyn Bridge when the MTA went on strike in 20 degree weather, went jet skiing up the East River past the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges and took a swim in front of the Statue of Liberty, my wedding was in Dyker Heights, and my son's first "amusement park" experience was Nellie Bly Land. There are very few restaurants/bars past or present in my neighborhood I haven't had a slice, meal, or drink at and there might be more in my neighborhood per block than most places on Earth. In my late teens through mid 20's I frequented every nightclub this city had to offer from the end of the run at Tunnel, to SF, to Marquee, Pacha, all the way to Pace Bars down in the Financial District, to Bar None, and ####### Webster Hall… I am this city!

However, with a growing family, moving to the suburbs close by might make more sense to us and it is what it is. I'll be here for at least another couple of years, and if it was completely up to my wife, we would prob never leave. She has lived in Brooklyn for all of her 32 years.

Wanting my neighborhood to rid itself of a crime ridden project doesn't make someone less NY, it makes them rationale. Having a car doesn't make someone less NY, it means they've chosen to use their disposable income in ways other chose not to.

 

[El Floppo]

now imagine the crime ridden project is black.

 

[BobbyLayne]

NYCHA is 334 complexes, 2,602 buildings and 178,895 apartments - that's 400K on the lease, and another 200K residents off the lease. Average rent = $434 per month, which is 30% of household income. Average income for a family of four in NYCHA is $17,360. The Federal Poverty Line for NYC is around $32K. Tearing down affordable housing is not going to happen. Putting the poorest of the poor on the street solves nothing.

96 percent of all shooting victims and 97 percent of all shooting suspects in the city were black or Latino (breakdown is around 75/21). Put another way, black males are 25 times more likely to be shot in NYC than white males. Over 70% of shooting victims have a prior criminal record; 90% of shooting suspects have prior arrests. Criminals shoot, rob and assault other criminals far more often than venturing outside their own enclave or socio-economic structure to seek victims.

I don't care if you're dropping your kid at Gowanus Houses Day Care, the world of BL/EF/FC42 doesn't intersect with the NYCHA world and never will.

Worrying about NYCHA crime affecting our lilly white livex is completely irrational.

 

[BobbyLayne]

ANYWAYS...

Anybody else using über? Rules.

Couple taps on the phone and I have a car service ETA (usually couple minutes or whatever time I requested.) You can specify a pickup address or they'll pull the GPS from your phone. Automatic payment linked from the app to my debit card.

Easy peasy.

 

[fantasycurse42]

http://i.imgur.com/P4xLXk3.png

The arrow points to a place where there is a major felony committed once every 5-6 days... The red line is a path my wife and her friends like to go out at night (at least 4 bars and restaurants in that little strip they like) until 11,12, sometimes 1am... 1-2x a week there is a rape, felony assault, or robbery happening one block away, this concerns me knowing how close it is to my wife at night when she goes out with her girlfriends. FTR, her best friend was once punched in the face and had her phone stolen on Hoyt and Pacific.

It isn't irrational to say I wish this ####hole wasn't located right there. I'm well aware it isn't going anywhere, I'd just feel more comfortable for my family if it was gone, that's it.

 

[fantasycurse42]

Yes, I enjoy Uber... I just checked my card out of curiosity, I've used it 113x since 1/1/14.

My chief complaint over the last few weeks is actually waiting as yellow cabs pass by. At least 3x in the last two weeks, I pinged it from my office, went downstairs, and then waited for 5-6 minutes while a bunch of yellows went by.

But yes, it is a great service... The surges (which are guaranteed when raining and at least half the time between 5-7pm) are annoying... My cap is 1.5x before I say #### it.

 

[fantasycurse42]

Also, an FYI... The customer gets a rated by the driver the same as the driver gets rated by the customer. If your score falls, less drivers respond to your requests. If I like a driver who is really nice, running througn yellows, etc. I'll throw him a few bucks on top of the ride.

I'm currently a 4.6. I'm told you don't want to fall below 3.5-4 range or nobody will pick you up.

 

[Nick Vermeil]

Also, an FYI... The customer gets a rated by the driver the same as the driver gets rated by the customer. If your score falls, less drivers respond to your requests. If I like a driver who is really nice, running througn yellows, etc. I'll throw him a few bucks on top of the ride.

I'm currently a 4.6. I'm told you don't want to fall below 3.5-4 range or nobody will pick you up.

Where do you see that rating?

 

[fantasycurse42]

Also, an FYI... The customer gets a rated by the driver the same as the driver gets rated by the customer. If your score falls, less drivers respond to your requests. If I like a driver who is really nice, running througn yellows, etc. I'll throw him a few bucks on top of the ride.

I'm currently a 4.6. I'm told you don't want to fall below 3.5-4 range or nobody will pick you up.

Where do you see that rating?

You don't see it, only they see it when you ping for a ride.

You can ask a driver what your rating is, they'll tell you. Some actually enjoy talking about the rating.

 

[BobbyLayne]

NYCHA annual parking pass = $35

per year

 

[BobbyLayne]

Just for giggles i swung over to this interactive crime map

http://maps.nyc.gov/crime/

and compared my old neighborhood

347 Pacific St - Brooklyn; 2 blocks north + 8 blocks south (State St down to DeGraw) and 5 blocks wide (Court St to Nevins St)

I then compared that NYCHA ridden wasteland to my current neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen, centered around 43rd/10th and extending a slightly larger sized North-South and East-West boundary (51st to 40th, 11th to 8th)

Imprecise, anecdotal findings (note the areas being compared are a portion of each respective precinct):

• Murders - pretty much non-existent in both areas (but one in Boerum Hill last Saturday).
• Rape - couple per year in each neighborhood; pretty rare event in either area.
• Robbery - from eyeballing the high crime corners/blocks, about 5-6 times as likely to be robbed in Hell's Kitchen (e.g., our bad blocks/corners have 20+ crimes while BH doesn't have more than 4).
• Assaults - not on the interactive map, but from viewing stats it looks to be far more common in Boerum Hill than HK. My Irish neighbors are going to be crestfallen when they hear this news.

The nearest NYCHA complex is 20+ blocks away in Chelsea. We do have a lot of actors, musicians and similar shady characters.

Let's go to the videotape; what do the numbers say?

COMPSTAT 2014 (every precinct publishes every month)

17th Precinct (HK - Manhattan):

• 0 murders (zero every year listed...6 back in 1990)
• 11 rapes
• 64 robberies
• 46 felony assaults
• 124 burglary
• 634 grand larceny
• 30 GLA
  909 total
  

76th Precinct (BH - Brooklyn):

• 1 murder (13 back in 1990...from memory I know it was 4 2001, 1 or 0 every year since)
• 5 rapes
• 85 robberies
• 101 felony assaults
• 96 burglary
• 293 grand larceny
• 51 GLA
  632 total

Hell's Kitchen population is around 29K, the Boerum Hill population is just under 90K. On a per capita basis, it would appear I'm ETA: 3 times 4.5 times (I should stop now) as likely to be a victim of crime in HK as my old neighborhood of BH.

FTR I honestly can't remember the last time I had anything more than a fleeting thought about crime, my personal safety or the whether my two children are at risk.

Anyway, there it is. Time to hop in über.

 

[fantasycurse42]

I give up, you win, housing projects (especially those with big crime indexes per capita) are good for the community.

 

[shadyridr]

Yes, I've been to Switzerland twice, Germany, Sardinia, England, Mexico a bunch, Antigua, Aruba, Puerto Rico 3x, Guadeloupe, Bahamas, and Belize.

I've spent 30 of my 31 years either in or within 30 minutes of this city. When I was 13 my best friend and I visited my Dad who lived in Carroll Gardens (my parents are divorced), when he fell asleep we snuck out and went to Washington Square Park where we bought weed from a Rasta in a Subway (sandwich place, not trains) at 1am. I am as much this city since being a little child as anyone else, and I'm talking about those of us from here, not transplants. I've played pickup games on the West 4th court, baseball leagues on Randalls Island, walked the Brooklyn Bridge when the MTA went on strike in 20 degree weather, went jet skiing up the East River past the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges and took a swim in front of the Statue of Liberty, my wedding was in Dyker Heights, and my son's first "amusement park" experience was Nellie Bly Land. There are very few restaurants/bars past or present in my neighborhood I haven't had a slice, meal, or drink at and there might be more in my neighborhood per block than most places on Earth. In my late teens through mid 20's I frequented every nightclub this city had to offer from the end of the run at Tunnel, to SF, to Marquee, Pacha, all the way to Pace Bars down in the Financial District, to Bar None, and ####### Webster Hall… I am this city!

However, with a growing family, moving to the suburbs close by might make more sense to us and it is what it is. I'll be here for at least another couple of years, and if it was completely up to my wife, we would prob never leave. She has lived in Brooklyn for all of her 32 years.

Wanting my neighborhood to rid itself of a crime ridden project doesn't make someone less NY, it makes them rationale. Having a car doesn't make someone less NY, it means they've chosen to use their disposable income in ways other chose not to.

i grew up in Dyker Heights. Where did you get married?

 

[fantasycurse42]

Dyker Beach Golf Course...

My wife also makes me drive over there to walk through the neighborhood Christmas time for the decorations.

 

[kutta]

BobbyLane is kind of being a ####. Which is weird because he's usually so nice and helpful.

 

[shadyridr]

Dyker Beach Golf Course...

My wife also makes me drive over there to walk through the neighborhood Christmas time for the decorations.

cool now you know where this story took placehttps://forums.footballguys.com/forum/index.php?/topic/703904-run-or-hide/?p=16523290

 

[BobbyLayne]

BobbyLane is kind of being a ####. Which is weird because he's usually so nice and helpful.

I think you're right, pard.

 

[RUSF18]

JFK is a disaster until end of April.

They are redoing all but one runway.

Was delayed two hours flying out and coming back in.

Considering I'm sitting in a ####load of traffic on my way to JFK I wouldn't mind a delay at this point.

"John F Kennedy Intl (KJFK) is currently experiencing departure delays of 31 minutes to 45 minutes (and increasing) due to runway in use."Wish granted?

So it ended up taking about an hour to takeoff yesterday. Always great when after already waiting a while, they say you're about 20th in line to go. They said it was because only one runway was open due to wind, which I know someone else mentioned on their inbound flight a couple days ago (think you said something earlier about cleaning?). Anyway, where did you get that quote from so I can check on it later? I'm scheduled to leave here at 7 and land at 11:20, both NY time. Thanks.Edit: or I could have just clicked the little link in the quote. Ok, back to finding a new wall to soak in this hotel room...