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bob page · Jan 12, 2012

MAY MEET-UP THREAD:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=473006

One can live in New York City for years and still only scratch its surface. Pretty much every block you walk down offers something new, be it a store, restaurant, event, or attraction. NYC is filled with rich culture and an abundance of history, all coupled with more-modern experiences, so depending on what you enjoy, there's always something to keep you entertained.

Parks:
-Central Park: A must-see. The park takes a few hours to walk through and you can easily spend a day or two exploring it (it's over 50 blocks long).
-The High Line: A newer park, just a few years old. Also a must-see. It's built upon abandoned above-ground railway tracks along the Hudson River. When you get up to the park, you walk alongside plants, flowers, and fountains as you get great views of the city.
-Union Square: A local hang-out spot that often hosts farmer's markets and performances
-Washington Square Park: In the NYU campus, there are often quite a few performances going on
-Battery Park: In downtown Manhattan, Battery Park offers great views of the Statue of Liberty
-The Esplanade: Connects to Battery Park and goes north along the Hudson to the World Financial Center. A great path for running and biking
-Governer's Island: You can take a free ferry here and relax. Less people than Central Park and has great views of downtown Manhattan
-Madison Square Park: Great views of the Empire State Building and home to Shake Shack!
-Fort Tryon Park - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Tryon_Park

Museums:
NYC has some of the world's greatest museums, so if that's what you're into, there's plenty of choices.
-The MoMA (Museum of Modern Art): Houses many Picaso's and Van Gogh's Starry Night. One of my personal favorites.
-The MeT (Metropolitan Museum of Art): Features a variety of paintings and sculptures, located on the east side of Central Park
-The American Museum of Natural History: Located on the west side of Central Park. Includes models of animals, dinosaur bones, and more
-The Guggenheim: A modernist museum that features art you won't find anywhere else. The building was also designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, which is a sight in itself
-Hayden Planetarium - http://www.yelp.com/biz/hayden-planetarium-new-york-2
-The Cloisters - http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-cloisters-new-york-2

Places:
-Empire State Building: If you don't know what this is then I don't even - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_State_Building
-Chrysler Building - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrystler_building
-United Nations - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Building
-Rockefeller Center - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockefeller_Center
-World Trade Center Memorial - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Trade_Center_site
-Wall St. / Trinity Church - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wall_Street
-Times Square - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Times_Square
-Grand Central Terminal - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Central_Terminal
-Statue of Liberty - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_liberty
-Ellis Island - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellis_Island
-Time Warner Center / Columbus Circle - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_Warner_Center
-Bronx Zoo - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronx_Zoo
-Flatiron Building - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flatiron_Building
-Chinatown

Shopping:
-SoHo
-5th Ave
-34th St
-Uniqlo - http://www.yelp.com/biz/uniqlo-new-york
-Nintendo World - http://www.yelp.com/biz/nintendo-world-store-new-york
-Video Games New York - http://www.yelp.com/biz/video-games-new-york-new-york

New York City is home to about 9 million people so tourists can be pretty intimidated sometimes. Even with all its people, NYC is one of the safest big cities in the world and you shouldn't be afraid of exploring (just don't act like an idiot). Here are some tips to remember if you're visiting the city:

-If some random person approaches you, it's usual best to ignore them
-Think of the sidewalks of Manhattan has highways. Do you slam on your breaks on the highway? I hope not, so don't do it on the sidewalk, either. Walk to the edge of the sidewalk if you want to stop and take pictures or else you'll piss off a lot of people
-Similarly, when on an escalator, stand on the right side and walk on the left side. Don't block the left side unless you plan on walking up
-New Yorkers are proud of their city and are usually pretty nice. Don't be afraid to ask for directions to NYPD or locals
-Carry cash. Many restaurants and cafes don't take plastic
-Wear good walking shoes!
-The MTA has many free subway map apps for iPhone and Android
-The IKEA boat that leaves from downtown Manhattan is free, offers good views of the city

-MTA Subway Map: http://www.mta.info/nyct/maps/submap.htm
-TripAdvisor Attraction List: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g60763-Activities-New_York_City_New_York.html#TtD
-TripAdvisor Top NYC Hotels: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g60763-New_York_City_New_York-Hotels.html
-Jetsetter NYC Hotel Flash Sales: http://www.jetsetter.com/invite/uncleguito
-HotelTonight App (great deals on last-minute rooms) - http://www.hoteltonight.com/
-Gothamist
-Nerd York City - Events Calendar

Weenerz · Jan 12, 2012

The "Greatest city in the world" has the worst people in the world. Rude fucks.

Maleficence · Jan 12, 2012

Most overrated city in the world more like.

Count Dookkake · Jan 12, 2012

CommonSense · Jan 12, 2012

Weenerz said:
The "Greatest city in the world" has the worst people in the world. Rude fucks.

Not even remotely true. People in LA and Boston are much more assholish in general.

Spent 4 years in the Epic Building outside Penn Station. Great place to live in your 20's, not so much afterwards.

Slo · Jan 12, 2012

GAF, tell me the best place to get trashed and hear good live music in NYC.

number47 · Jan 12, 2012

THIS IS JUST FUCKING MANHATTAN.
overrated.

wait, theres like 3 places out of manhattan

bob page · Jan 12, 2012

CommonSense said:
Not even remotely true. People in LA and Boston are much more assholish in general.

Spent 4 years in the Epic Building outside Penn Station. Great place to live in your 20's, not so much afterwards.

Yeah, the people in Boston are MUCH worse from my experience, they don't even help with directions if asked.

number47 said:
THIS IS JUST FUCKING MANHATTAN.
overrated.

Brooklyn's section is coming later today.

Sho_Nuff82 · Jan 12, 2012

For Mexican in Manhattan, I can wholeheartedly recommend Blockheads Burritos. My brother manages at the one on 107th and Amsterdam.

Got to love the cervezas:

Damn good burritos and guac too.

joelseph · Jan 12, 2012

I would expect nothing less from NYC kids.

echoshifting · Jan 12, 2012

Maleficence said:
Most overrated city in the world more like.

Nah, not really. I don't even like New York that much. There was an infographic in a recent National Geographic comparing it to other cities that was pretty convincing. Both Paris and London score higher for culture - barely - and London scores slightly higher in human capital, but overall it is at the very least the most influential city in the world.

fallengorn · Jan 12, 2012

Should link to the food thread: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=387673

CommonSense · Jan 12, 2012

bob page said:
Yeah, the people in Boston are MUCH worse from my experience, they don't even help with directions if asked.

Brooklyn's section is coming later today.

If you don't mention Cheapshots I'll kick your knees, sir.

defel · Jan 12, 2012

Check out http://www.230-fifth.com/ rooftop bar. Its free entry, drinks are expensive but the $14 you pay for your cocktail will be more than worth it when you see the view. Perhaps the most amazing bar in the world.

aorange999 · Jan 12, 2012

I have a feeling this thread will backfire but the restaurant recommendation thread should be linked to, best advice for NYC food on GAF.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=387673

Edit: beaten.

Dude Abides · Jan 12, 2012

I'd add St. Patrick's, St. John the Divine, the Flatiron Building, and the Woolworth building to "places."

And maybe Herald Square.

Maleficence · Jan 12, 2012

echoshifting said:
Nah, not really. I don't even like New York that much. There was an infographic in a recent National Geographic comparing it to other cities that was pretty convincing. Both Paris and London score higher for culture - barely - and London scores slightly higher in human capital, but overall it is at the very least the most influential city in the world.

So you just said I was right?

If London is higher for culture and human capital, and NYC is higher for influence, when by those accounts it shouldn't be, doesn't that indicate NYC is overrated? What were the other metrics?

America is a great marketing machine. Hence it being overrated and more influential.

soundscream · Jan 12, 2012

Weenerz said:
The "Greatest city in the world" has the worst people in the world. Rude fucks.

Count Dookkake · Jan 12, 2012

Stinkles · Jan 12, 2012

Scotch eggs at Breslins, flatiron district. DO IT.

Esch · Jan 12, 2012

cold
smelly
yankees fans
yankees
abundant crime
expensive housing and cost of living
nasal accents

Something Wicked · Jan 12, 2012

Too many guidos and hipsters

EschatonDX said:
cold
smelly
yankees fans
yankees
abundant crime
expensive housing
nasal accents

Ugh, I don't see how anyone with any sense of dignity can say "coffee" as "cAAAAAWWWffe." Granted, the Long Island accent is even worse.

Neuromancer · Jan 12, 2012

Last time I went to New York I got into a verbal altercation with a crazy homeless guy. Good times!

(I shouldn't even have engaged him but he was harassing a young lady.)

bob page · Jan 12, 2012

Something Wicked said:
Too many guidos and hipsters

The guido's would be visitors from Jersey, good sir.

EschatonDX said:
cold
smelly
yankees fans
yankees
abundant crime
expensive housing and cost of living
nasal accents

-Not as cold as the Midwest
-Yes
-Yes
-No, it's the safest big city in the US
-YES
-NO, that'd be the Midwest

Dragon · Jan 12, 2012

By far the most fun I've ever had was in the various Beer Gardens in Queens. Shooting the shit, drinking beer outside on picnic tables in the middle of a city is amazing.

bob page said:
The guido's would be visitors from Jersey, good sir.

Long Island has its fair share of guidos.

Count Dookkake · Jan 12, 2012

SolKane · Jan 12, 2012

new yawwk

Rubbish King · Jan 12, 2012

Weenerz said:
"Greatest city in the world"

It's also so strange that America seems to have the 'greatest' everything

I know its not a BAD place but greatest city ever?

[spoier]Fuck off America, you bigheaded bastard[/spoiler]

bob page · Jan 12, 2012

Dragon said:
Long Island has its fair share of guidos.

I don't really think anyone considers that to be part of the city, though.

StriKeVillain · Jan 12, 2012

One of my favorite spots to eat whenever I'm in the city is at La Casa del Mofongo. If you ever want to try some delicious Hispanic good you definitely need to hit 'em up. It's up in Washington Heights.

Rocket Scientist · Jan 12, 2012

I approve of this thread. Needs flashy banners in the OP thought!

Timedog · Jan 12, 2012

I believe there was a thread devoted to New York pizza/food a couple years back. You could probably get some good info out of that.

Also, apparently that slice harvester blog guy who's tried every slice of pizza in manhattan said that Pizza Suprema, a slice joint steps away from Penn Station, had the best pizza in that burrough.

echoshifting · Jan 12, 2012

Maleficence said:
So you just said I was right?

If London is higher for culture and human capital, and NYC is higher for influence, when by those accounts it shouldn't be, doesn't that indicate NYC is overrated? What were the other metrics?

America is a great marketing machine. Hence it being overrated and more influential.

I happen to have it right in front of me, lessee...

Political engagement (tied with Washington D.C. and Brussels)
Cultural experience (beaten by London and Paris)
Information exchange (tie with London)
Human capital (beaten by London)
Business activity (beaten by Tokyo)

Other cities shine in specific areas, but cumulatively the only city to come close is London, and it doesn't have the political influence or business activity to trump New York in the overall contest.

Incidentally, the top five are:
1. New York City
2. London
3. Tokyo
4. Paris
5. Hong Kong

Note that this is an expression of its influence; attach too much importance to any one metric and it becomes too subjective. It's called the Global Cities Index.

Unhandled Exception · Jan 12, 2012

I get the feeling that the people who claim their city is the greatest in the world have never actually traveled to many other cities, let alone out of their own country.

SolKane · Jan 12, 2012

EschatonDX said:
abundant crime
expensive housing and cost of living

NYC is one of (if not the) safest large cities in the US, although place was a hell-hole a couple of decades ago. I'm with you about the cost of housing though.

joelseph · Jan 12, 2012

Tashbrooke said:
It's also so strange that America seems to have the 'greatest' everything

I know its not a BAD place but greatest city ever?

[spoier]Fuck off America, you bigheaded bastard[/spoiler]

Don't lump the rest of America in with NYC people please. We don't like them either.

Dragon · Jan 12, 2012

bob page said:
I don't really think anyone considers that to be part of the city, though.

I'm just saying there are plenty of people from Long Island that infest the city on Friday and Saturday nights. Especially the east side.

And Queens and Brooklyn are both parts of NYC and are on Long Island if you want to get technical

.

bob page · Jan 12, 2012

Rocket Scientist said:
I approve of this thread. Needs flashy banners in the OP thought!

Yeah, I actually already made them but they're on my home PC- they'll be up tonight.

Angry Fork · Jan 12, 2012

MTA is full of corrupt incompetent assholes and NYPD is full of ignorant douchebag slime buckets who hate anyone they think might threaten their former dudebro failed football jock status. The 2 main cons of NYC imo. The high rent sucks too but it's not a deal breaker.

Hopefully this thread also turn into a meet-up thread so I don't have to be forever alone anymore and can meet some new people. I'll also add there's not much to see in the Bronx except Yankee Stadium, the Zoo and really hot puerto rican girls.

aorange999 · Jan 12, 2012

Tashbrooke said:
It's also so strange that America seems to have the 'greatest' everything

I know its not a BAD place but greatest city ever?

Fuck off America, you bigheaded bastard

Not American but live in NYC and I'm well travelled to metropoli around the world, Mumbai, cape town, london, Paris, Mexico city, Rome etc etc and NYC seems to have the whole major world city thing down the best out of what I've seen so far.

JORMBO · Jan 12, 2012

I love NYC. Wish I had enough money to live there. People are always so nice when I visit.

Aside from the first person I ever met when going to NYC. He just told me to fuck off then walked away. Other then that jerk I've had people go out of the way to help me find where I'm going.

I think I might go back in the summer and just aimlessly walk around. Did that for 3 days once with a friend and saw so much.

Maleficence · Jan 12, 2012

echoshifting said:
I happen to have it right in front of me, lessee...

Political engagement (tied with Washington D.C. and Brussels)
Cultural experience (beaten by London and Paris)
Information exchange (tie with London)
Human capital (beaten by London)
Business activity (beaten by Tokyo)

Other cities shine in specific areas, but cumulatively the only city to come close is London, and it doesn't have the political influence or business activity to trump New York in the overall contest.

Incidentally, the top five are:
1. New York City
2. London
3. Tokyo
4. Paris
5. Hong Kong

Note that this is an expression of its influence; attach too much importance to any one metric and it becomes too subjective. It's called the Global Cities Index.

Thanks.

I can see actually how NYC would be considered the biggest city from a business and political point of view, but I don't really care too much of that when considering the greatest city. It would still have to go to London for me, Culture and History is far more important to me than business and politics which are constantly changing. That's just me though.

Still, go London

jasonng · Jan 12, 2012

Sho_Nuff82 said:
For Mexican in Manhattan, I can wholeheartedly recommend Blockheads Burritos. My brother manages at the one on 107th and Amsterdam.

Got to love the cervezas:
Damn good burritos and guac too.

Blockheads is exclusive to NYC? I love their rednose bulldogs.

I recommend Bareburger for your burger needs. They serve various grass fed/organic meats including ostrich, elk, bison, and so on. They have various styles for your burger of your choice. Also doesn't hurt that they have great import beer on the cheap. Best onion rings I ever had here.

Definitely check it out!

bob page · Jan 12, 2012

Maleficence said:
Thanks.

I can see actually how NYC would be considered the biggest city from a business and political point of view, but I don't really care too much of that when considering the greatest city. It would still have to go to London for me, Culture and History is far more important to me than business and politics which are constantly changing. That's just me though.

Still, go London

From what most people say about NYC being the greatest city comes from the fact that there's just SO MUCH to do here. It's a world in its own.

jasonng said:
Blockheads is exclusive to NYC? I love their rednose bulldogs.

I recommend Bareburger for your burger needs. They serve various grass fed/organic meats including ostrich, elk, bison, and so on. They have various styles for your burger of your choice. Also doesn't hurt that they have great import beer on the cheap. Best onion rings I ever had here.

Definitely check it out!

I actually went to BareBurger a few weeks back- the meat was delicious. I liked their fry & pickle platter, too.

Angry Fork said:
Hopefully this thread also turn into a meet-up thread so I don't have to be forever alone anymore and can meet some new people. I'll also add there's not much to see in the Bronx except Yankee Stadium, the Zoo and really hot puerto rican girls.

That's the plan, good sir, seeing as the other bar thread was old and shitty.

echoshifting · Jan 12, 2012

Maleficence said:
Thanks.

I can see actually how NYC would be considered the biggest city from a business and political point of view, but I don't really care too much of that when considering the greatest city. It would still have to go to London for me, Culture and History is far more important to me than business and politics which are constantly changing. That's just me though.

Still, go London

I completely agree based solely on personal preference. I much prefer Paris or London myself as well. Still, New York's influence is undeniable. I edited a wikipedia page into my post, and the other surveys on the page put it at the top as well.

Maleficence · Jan 12, 2012

bob page said:
From what most people say about NYC being the greatest city comes from the fact that there's just SO MUCH to do here. It's a world in its own.

How is that any different from any major city? London especially.

Tobe · Jan 12, 2012

im going to nyc this february and i dint plan correctly so im not going to see the bowl with the family, anywhere i can watch it and drink where its not that expensive? i dont want to watch it alone in the hotel room. also what is the drinking age in there? 21?

bob page · Jan 12, 2012

Tobe1 said:
im going to nyc this february and i dint plan correctly so im not going to see the bowl with the family, anywhere i can watch it and drink where its not that expensive? i dont want to watch it alone in the hotel room. also what is the drinking age in there? 21?

Yeah, drinking age in the US is 21. I'll post up some bar recommendations when I get home later.

Maleficence said:
How is that any different from any major city? London especially.

It's hard to explain unless you've been to NYC. At least compared to other big cities in the US, there's no comparison.

neojubei · Jan 12, 2012

CommonSense said:
Not even remotely true. People in LA and Boston are much more assholish in general.

Spent 4 years in the Epic Building outside Penn Station. Great place to live in your 20's, not so much afterwards.

yup

mercenar1e · Jan 12, 2012

echoshifting said:
I completely agree based solely on personal preference. I much prefer Paris or London myself as well. Still, New York's influence is undeniable. I edited a wikipedia page into my post, and the other surveys on the page put it at the top as well.

NYC is overrated, i live in Brooklyn btw

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