- The grocery store franchise closest to you is possibly overcharging, so sometimes groceries become a sort of Halloween style I buy fruit from here, pantry things from here, etc etc
- Lots of free things to do with a library card!! so many museums have discounted / free admission, the Met for example allows you to do a suggested donation when showing a library card
- Obvious but tap water is 🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻 no need to buy fancy water when going out to eat (and on this note I always carry around a reusable water bottle and one of those little electric fans bc the temperature outside never matches the subway)
- There is no greater joy than getting a blanket and a book and people watching on Sheep Meadow/the Mall/ at any park
- Explore the other boroughs!!
- It’s so cliche but you can stumble upon so many fun restaurants, events, bars, shops, concerts, museums, etc etc by just strolling around
- In tandem with the above I sometimes check the Time Out NY website, the New York Times daily newsletter, New York Magazine. The New Yorker, etc for inspiration and info about things going on
- Citymapper is your bff for navigating the subway/bus/transit/walking/etc and is great with keeping you posted on any delays
- On this note also always check an MTA app or citymapper etc to see if trains are running, can save you time and sanity
- So many free concerts and events at places like the 92nd Street Y, in Bryant Park, SummerStage in Central Park
- If you like TV you can go to tapings of shows or get paid to be part of the studio audience on websites like 1iota or Shadow Casting and Productions
- Also can get lots of free things from pop ups that different brands host throughout the city, my roommate usually finds them on instagram
- Join the free rewards program of your favorite coffee place / grocery store/ etc
Feb 21, 2024
Related Recs
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i do think anyone visiting NYC for the first time should go to times square and a musical, empire state building etc just for the novelty of it, and here are some other things that may be fun! (also search “new york”/“nyc” on pi.fyi, i did it for “london” and found a lot of cool stuff!)
- definitely go to moma or the met! also the guggenheim has an amazing jenny holzer exhibit on until sept 29. skip amnh!
- NYPL Polonsky Exhibition - everything from the original winnie the pooh to a beautiful mini leaf-shaped Quran! (you could get coffee, go to the whitney then walk the high line and take the subway to the NYPL main branch for the exhibit!)
- staten island ferry in the afternoon - to see the statue of liberty! however, do NOT go during rush hour (6-9:30AM and 3-8PM) it sucks for locals when tourists add to the crowd during that time and the boats will be crowded enough with commuters that the experience sucks for you also lol
- picnic in central park! you could do lunch, or broad nosh bagels is like a block away from the 59th st station, sometimes if i’m around in the morning, i get breakfast from there and eat it in the park. at least have a bagel at some point
- cool bookstores: the strand, p&t knitwear, housing works (soho)
enjoy your visit!! :)
Sep 11, 2024
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i've transcribed our conversation for your reading pleasure.
parks:
- Rockefeller park
- Central Park, but not if you don't like crowds and are looking for a peaceful walk (you can also rent a bike nearby and ride it through the park)
- not necessarily a park, but the Highline. used to be a railway, is now a place for gardening and walking. beautiful views, lovely walk.
- Robert F. Wagner Jr. Park, river views, great for picnic
- Battery Park, very zen place to be, suggest you go at dusk to see the sun set over the city skyline. you can also see the statue of liberty from there
brunch:
- Gee Whiz Diner, dope pancakes, bomb eggs benedict
- Sarabeth's, stunning pancakes
- Pick A Bagel, you can get any kind of bagel to go/to stay, absolutely delicious
lunch/dinner:
- Shake Shack, great burgers, best attraction is the fries, can't go wrong with fast food
- Gee Whiz Diner, again, incredible grilled cheeses
- Golden Unicorn, stunning Chinese cuisine, godly dumplings
- Lombardi's, historic pizza place
- Benihana, Japanese food, you get the chef cooking in front of you experience
activities:
- Museum of Natural History, if you are a fan of archeology/paleontology/or just science in general
- South Street Seaport, occasionally there are seafood stands, but otherwise its a nice walk and a historic location
- Pier 25, great minigolf, can also play volleyball here
- If you like sports, Chelsea Piers, its also right by the Highline so you can kill two birds with one stone
- if you have money and want to do some shopping, check out Williamsburg
- take the ferry to Ellis Island, it stops at Liberty Island so you can still see the statute of liberty up close but you don't have to get off if you don't want to deal with the crowds. Plus Ellis Island is also pretty cool, you can search up if your relatives came through Ellis Island
Apr 16, 2024
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food-wise:
* have pizza, pizza is good. not sbarro's.
* have a bagel. The best bagel you can have is a fresh (untoasted) everything bagel with cream cheese (plain, *maybe* scallion) and lox (or some similar salmon product) with red onion and capers.
* go to chinatown (or better yet to flushing). wander around until you find a place that you haven't read about online, a place where they barely speak English, order whatever they say is good. if you get soup dumplings: use the chopsticks to put a dumpling in the spoon. poke a hole in it. let the soup and steam vent out a little. then eat the dumpling. It is too hot to eat any other way.
parks are good.
shopping is fun. if you're not in the mood to spend, just try thrifting or going to a sample sale.
stuff that's kind of conventional and kind of touristy but good anyway:
* broadway. enter some lotteries, try the tkts booth, see a show. off-broadway shows are good too, but there's something about a big production... you gotta see one.
* the holiday markets
* ice skating (especially if her bf is in the mood to propose by the big christmas tree, that's a big cliche here)
* the bronx zoo, the met, moma, the brooklyn botanical garden, the frick, the intrepid museum, the tenement museum, lots of museums and shit.
Feb 21, 2024
Top Recs from @gabobinson
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- Sporcle, I love the blank map quizzes and what a perfect way to realize ooo I don’t know enough and I need to learn more
- Poptropica for when you want to go on a little quest
- Condé Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure bc how else will I learn about what chic people are up to??
- this may not count but youtube dot com to watch BBC live lounge
- Merriam Webster bc those divas have a magnificent cross word
Mar 10, 2024
Call me Kylie Minogue bc I can’t get this out of my head diva!! I think about it on most days and cannot stop hearing every beautiful, somber, heartbreaking, yearning line!! I want to print it out and put it everywhere !! I want to lay on the floor and wallow in it!!
Feb 16, 2024
I havent a clue what this is called as I’m currently perusing Reddit to consult with the experts but I think this is so magnificent
Feb 13, 2024