I lived on Long Island for a year when I was 4 (and then moved to San Diego). As I recall, there were a bunch of swings and a slide that were really fun.

Do u need me to connect teh L&T to my Brother, the Dept Head of Social Sciences at teh New School? I mean, he’s not all that inspiring, but BY GODFREY HE’S MY BROTHER AND I CAN MAKE HIM TAKE CARE OF L&T!

‘Cause I noes what hiz nickname iz and I’m entirely willing to go in front of the academic senate and tell them that his name is BUNNY-BUNNY.

So, let me noes. I never have any kind of shame when it comes to liddle gurlz.

New York is a hellhole. And you know how I feel about hellholes.

Go up to the Highline, the wonderful park built out of a long-neglected elevated rail line that extends about 10 blocks out of Chelsea almost into Hell’s Kitchen. (David Bowie was one of the people who helped raise funds for it, btw.) You can see the Hudson River from there as well, although a boat ride around the island is highly recommended as well. Oh, and use public transportation. We went there on a Sunday and parked at a parking meter, not noticing that one of approximately 11 signs along the same street covered in dense text, all saying something different, state that parking is prohibited on Sundays even at the parking meters, although the two dozen or so cars parked along the same side of that street as me were somehow not party to that law. Failing to read the street novel and violating the meter laws in Manhattan: $116.

Neue Gallery at 5th Ave and 86th Street.
Austrian and German art. Including some pretty famous paintings.

http://www.neuegalerie.org/

This may sound simple, but she should get to know the subway system. It only takes a week or two, and it is by far the quickest way to get around the city. Even if you can afford cabs, you’ll get there quicker on the subway. Especially if she’s going from South Harlem to Chelsea (you’ll see what I mean when you get there).

Seek out local places to eat in the neighborhood. They’re often cheaper and there are some wonderful treasures hidden away all over the city.

I would also recommend a trip to the International Photography Center (ICP). They always have amazing exhibits there and the book store is top notch. Have fun!

Yes.

BUNNY-BUNNY!

(person from rural Oklahoma timidly raises hand) Hello? I think there’s, like, Starbucks and stuff in New York. Isn’t there?

I lived downtown through the 80s, which were not as great as they were cracked up to be. NYC today is fun, safe and friendly, but, as you may have heard, expensive. Public transportation is great and if you get hungry at 4:00 in the morning you can get just about whatever you want (the latter is in my opinion a requisite for a civilized society).

Buy a bicycle. But buy a crappy bicycle because if you lock up a nice bike in Manhattan it will get stolen (that’s the worst thing about the city).

Sammy’s Romanian Steak House on the Lower East Side. Jewish soul food and a Neil Diamond impersonator. Bottles of Chopin encased in blocks of ice. Authentic schmaltz.

They have these museum membership packages that are worth it, especially the Met which is… DAMN.

Stay out of Queens because… Queens. Stay out of Brooklyn Heights because… dude.

Find a roommate you can trust who has already been in the City for awhile. Shop in New Jersey.

The Highline is sublime, I agree, a great place to go. The north end of Central Park is basically south Harlem, and is great, peaceful.

Also, they walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and hang out over there in the park to the north in the area known as DUMBO.

And when you guys are in town and treating for meals, check out the amazing and sort of batshit restaurant Shopsins in Essex Market on the Lower East Side. It’s tiny, almost a diner, open for breakfast and lunch Wednesday through Sunday, and Kenny Shopsin is…unique. There’s a documentary about him, I Like Killing Flies, you can see on Netflix. Here’s an article about him, with video of him making his mac and cheese pancakes:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/magazine/12food-t.html/

Get to know Central Park, lots of hounds to keep her from missing the boys too much,it’s a great place to hang out. Dean’s Pizza and Grom Gelato, both recommended by Wimsey the bloodhound as particularly tasty human food. As a New Yorker from the age of three, I recommend walking everywhere possible using many different routes, to get to know the City and discover new things.

How could anyone resist the BUNNY-BUNNY???

I know nothing of the NYC as I also have never been there but I love Hem, so thank you.

This may sound weird, but here’s the thing. I have lived in NYC for 30 years. NYC is not really a big city. It is a whole lotta little towns that when put together make a big city. Ask any NY’er. I have a friend who has lived in the Theatre district for 20 years and he has never been below 14th Street or above 86th. And it’s not that he purposely stays away, he just has found the “town” that he prefers. I live in Queens and I only go to Manhattan to work. Everything else is available to me in my own little town. So do not worry for her safety or contentment. She’ll find her little town where she feels safe and secure.

Regarding moving around I agree that the subway, by far, is the best way around town. And it is safe 24 hours a day. Truly. And we love to give out of towners directions so don’t be afraid to ask. We truly are nice people.

The Frick. I’ll never forget bringing an artist friend from Toronto there. He discovered Rembrandt’s “Polish Rider” hanging on a wall and sat, transfixed, for over an hour. Travel up north in Manhattan and visit The Cloisters. Amazing art in an amazing setting. Don’t forget the Museum of the City of New York. (Pretty close to where she’ll be living, so handy by…)

Unless things have REALLY changed (which they may have… it’s been 20+ years since I lived there) the small grocery/fruit & veggie markets are where you’ll find the best fresh produce. I second the suggestion that she get familiar with the subway system. Fastest way around town, and cleaner and safer than it was when I was a girl (who used it anyway).

I’m almost jealous of her! I was born and raised in NYC and adored it. Alas, it’s changed so much in so many ways that I’m no longer happy there. My “home town” feeling is gone… But Casey will be seeing it all with new eyes, and she’ll fall in love with it.

Keep us posted on all of her adventures!

Do tell!

YES, YES, YES! Helen is SO right about the “small town” feel that you can get there. Your neighborhood becomes your town. And the thing about NYC is, that makes it different from anywhere else on the face of the earth, is that your little town has EVERYTHING in it that you could possibly need or want. Oh, to be young again and seeing New York for the first time…

That’s really right. When I’d venture down from CT with friends who’d either grown up in NYC or we were visiting friends of friends it was exactly that, a whole lotta small towns…

Bennie’s Burritos on Greenwich Ave just east of the 8th Ave Subway – tell ‘em Jim in Tampa sencha.

Oh, gawd… I forgot about food. Tokubei 86 for Japanese food. I brought a friend’s mother, who was Japanese, there. She involved herself in a long discussion with the waiter in Japanese about something on the menu. Her meal arrived, and she called the waiter over and told him to tell the chef that it was just as good as her mother used to make in Japan.

You know where you stand in a hellhole

I was the mother-chaperone on a theater trip for a dozen sixth graders and their amazing teacher. We stayed near the theater district and did a lot of walking. One rather staid young girl noticed a ‘fancy’ woman walking with a man. She asked, “Is that a prostitute?” I said, “Um, I kinda think so.” The girl said, “Thank you, Mrs.Mom, for showing us real stuff.”

I’m sure that girl’s parents are still pissed. I’m still proud. Life happens. Ya know?

The Bronx is up & the Battery’s down.
The numbered avenues run north – south.
The numbered streets run east – west.
Houston St is pronounced House-ton, not like the city in TX.
Cheap easy thrill is riding the Staten Island ferry out to SI & back. Great vista of the island of Manhattan plus close up view of Statue of Liberty.
Agree with all the above vis subway system.
Check out the Temple of Dendur at Metropolitan Museum of Art. Outrageous.
Have to see Guggenheim many times.
Hang out in the Village during the day & at night.
Have fun!!!!

Please tell her not to go to law school, if those are the plans. Just stop. Ask Paul Campos why.

i too am a beach kid transplant so i can relate.. speaking of the beach, the a-train goes all the way out to the rockaways which ain’t la jolla but it’s still pretty sweet to get away to and then be magically back in the city when you’re done. i especially like early morning surfs in the winter. super peaceful and different than the usual beach town. and one more thing re: the ocean. there isn’t one in the city so if you’ve spent your whole life using the beach for direction get ready to be sure you’re walking west when you are in fact going east. if you get turned around just walk a block to get your bearings..

also when walking anywhere, stay to the right. especially on stairs or escalators.. don’t ride a bike. too dangerous and life in the city is much better at the speed of a brisk walk. don’t have a car either. they get trashed and alternate street parking sucks big time and will make you an angry person. become one with the subway and strive for maximum efficiency when using it.

more on the subway; don’t speak to anyone if at all possible. wear headphones and read, preferably with sunglasses on. be polite and conscientious, but try and avoid interaction with strangers if possible. only weirdos talk to strangers on the train. fortunately, there are way less weirdos than there used to be underground and no one really steals ipods or phones anymore so it’s basically safe but maybe take a cab after 9pm if only because the trains are fewer at night.. never take the bus.

i know nothing about the bronx. only been once or twice. mid town is pretty lame too. chelsea is great even if super douchey these days but it still has teh gays in large numbers. befriend teh gays. they will teach you more about the city than anyone..

beyond these essentials do whatever you want to. there really are no rules and you can reinvent yourself endlessly. nobody cares in new york and that can be terrifying or liberating depending on the person. the latter are the ones who end up sticking around for a while.. above all embrace it! i swear it will make you a better person even if it’s not ultimately your cup of tea. plus, the superiority complex you’ll get over peeps like your dad is good for the soul and will be with you forever.

also, too, rec league soccer is awesome. but no slide tackling yo!

Central Park.
Museum Mile on the East Side and the Museum of Natural History on the West Side.
Prospect Park in Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Botanic Gardens and the Brooklyn Museum.
Greek food in Astoria, Queens, Indian food in Jackson Heights, Queens, and Chinese/Afghani/you name it in Flushing, Queens.
Counterfeits: watches on Canal Street, bags from the African street vendors who lay their wares on a sheet on the sidewalk so they can roll it up fast when the cops come.
There’s a great craft fair in Lincoln Center in September. There are also a lot of holiday markets in pockets around town, usually in pocket parks or smaller parks, like Bryant. Usually great jewelry and interesting handmade goods.
Hot apple cider and donuts at the Greenmarket.
The best street vendors for jewelry and trendy accessories are in Soho, around Broome and Spring off Broadway. These are often up-and-coming designers who sell the stuff they make. Many other sidewalk vendors just sell someone else’s stuff.
Red Hook Park has great vending trucks, including a lot of Mexican food, though the park itself can be hit or miss.
The IKEA in Brooklyn has a water taxi from Wall Street. It costs $5, but if you buy something at the store and present your ticket, you get it back.
L&T Casey and Mrs. Tbogg should go for bra fittings at Orchard Corset (Orchard Street, Lower East Side, just around the corner from Economy Candy and Toys in Babeland) and/or the Town Shop (Broadway in the 80s). Orchard Corset is unlike any store they’ve likely seen, with no merchandise on display, just a lot of boxes on shelves and a Hasidic man who stands behind the counter in the very narrow store and asks you your bra size. You know you’re not wearing the right one when he cocks his head to the side and asks you, “Are you happy with that bra?” Then he scurries up a ladder, pulls down some boxes, and sends you behind the curtain with his wife, who will feel you up while she’s putting you into the bra. Be sure to get there early on Sunday morning (closed Saturdays and Friday afternoons), because tour buses will pull up bearing ladies from Harlem who swear by the shop once they get out of church.
The Fashion District is worth a look, not just the fabric stores along 7th, but the beads, buttons, notions and trimmings stores along 6th.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been in NYC, but I’d suggest these places:

Odeon in Tribeca for a late night drink

Luna Restaurant on Mulberry St. in Little Italy (if it still exists)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Museum of Natural History

St Mark’s Place … is it still cool?

Tompkins Square Park (used to be pretty seedy) and the Horseshoe Bar which is right on the West side of it.

Pretty much anything in the East Village was awesome, but then there was ‘Rent’ so it’s probably all awful now.

Come to think of it, those aren’t my suggestions for the L&T Casey and Mrs. TBogg, those are the places I plan to visit next time I go there.

A quick gloss on live music.

Best buskers are in Washington Square Park.
Concerty venues: Bowery Ballroom, Irving Plaza, Roseland, Terminal5.
Mercury Lounge, Webster Hall for smaller acts.
Rodeo Bar for americana, rockabilly, killer margaritas and no cover.
Paddy Reilly’s for bluegrass, punk-irish and Guinness.
Otto’s Shrunken Head, because it’s Otto’s.

I’m sure I missed a ton of places and we haven’t even talked about Brooklyn.

Just hope they have fun, TB. And, you know, not get shot or anything.

Thank FSM the odds are good.

I hear that several NYers are gay-friendly and/or comfortable with the darkies, so all I can do is hope for the best.

Breaker, breaker! NBC twits announce Paul Ryan as Gus Fring’s running mate! Oh God,.what an orgasmic moment for Obama and sane people everywhere. This is gonna be fun.

To repeat what others have suggested: learn the subway. Get a metro card and ride ride ride.

Once you get the hang of it, take the L train from Union Square to Bedford Avenue in Willamsburg. It’s low key and young and reminds me a little of North Beach in San Francisco.

And you can walk back to Manhattan across the Willamsburg Bridge.

When you get back to the Manhattan end of the Bridge, stay on Delancy until it turns into Kenmare, take a right on Elizabeth, and stop at Lombardi’s. Yeah, it’s touristy, but you can brag that you ate a coal fired pizza.

Make your way up to Washington Square where they have beds planted with Upstate NY natives like wild roses and Black Eyed Susans; it’s quite beautiful. Fantastic people-watching.

Find your way to the N/R train at Broadway and 8th; take it uptown back to Union Square. Stop in at Strand Bookstore and see if you can make it through all 18 miles of books.

If you have to shop, go across the street to the Shoe Mania at Broadway and 14th and have a shoegasm. They’re open late.

A nightcap at the W Hotel bar and…

That would be a good day in New York for me.

Paul Campos is a twit. If the kid wants to go to law school let her go. So long as she knows the odds are against her getting rich doing it, just because someone conferred a J.D. degree on her, she’ll be okay.

EXCERPT: WIKIPEDIA–So you know it’s true!!!

“Graduating from Joseph A. Craig High School in Janesville in 1988, Ryan was voted prom king and “Biggest Brown-Noser” by his fellow classmates.[14][15] In college, he briefly worked for Oscar Mayer as a Wienermobile driver.[16] He also returned to Camp Manito-wish YMCA, working as a staff member and counselor during his college summer vacations. Ryan went on to graduate from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, with a BA in economics and political science in 1992. He also studied at the Washington Semester program at American University and was a member of the Delta Tau Delta social fraternity. Following his studies, Ryan briefly returned to Wisconsin and worked as a marketing consultant for an earth-moving company run by his relatives.[13][17]

Ryan was 16 years old when he found his father in bed, dead from a heart attack at age 55. Ryan’s grandfather and great-grandfather had also died from heart attacks, at ages 57 and 59 respectively.[18]”

I don’t know…. Ryan’s not getting any younger. Given his family history, the excitement could kill him!

Oh, and avoid Times Square at all costs. It’s tourist Hell. I liked it better when when it was hookers and peep shows.

Call me old school…

Don’t step foot into any grad. program unless you’re getting fully funded.

/partypooper

A very good winter coat…

DON’T GO!!!!!!!!!!!

Zombie eyed granny starver is about to meet real grannies. I can’t wait to make mincemeat of this asshole.

If you want to escape from NYC, the area near the Poconos in NE PA is closer and cheaper than VT. Also, OUTLETS!

I have been in NY twice. Sorry, but my big takeaway was “What the hell does leaning on a horn, when the light is red, get you?ⁿ_

Looooong time lurker, mostly because my snark-fu is weak compared to you and your commentariat. But I too made a move, long ago, to NYC after a couple of formative decades in SoCal (albeit LA… sorry). So here goes.

1) Transportation

-When one’s work/school/residence life spans Chelsea to South Harlem, yeah, gotta learn the subway. Takes too much time (bus) or money (cab) to traverse those distances day to day any other way. One way of losing West Coast subwayphobia is to learn the ride one will need to take during a weekday. Maybe not during rush hour, necessarily, but at a time where there will be folks, including transit police, around to help. Better then, than when one is coming home late after work or studying and tired, distracted, and grumpy.

-Buses have their merits too. They’re fine for shorter trips. Even now when I go to NY, I’ll sometimes ride the M4 or one of the other big north-south lines just to watch the neighborhoods change. As a student, it was cheap entertainment, since it was the price of a subway token (now MetroCard fare). And there will be days when there’s a track fire on whatever subway line she usually takes or it’s so ungawdly hot and humid that the idea of descending into the even hotter and stickier maw of the subway is… hey, where’s the bus stop again?

-Nonstop transcons mostly land at JFK and Newark. From JFK, the AirTrain to the A train is the way to go. From Newark, it’s the AirTrain to the NJ Transit train into the city and from which one can easily connect to the subway. Cabs from either airport are quite pricey–okay for that occasional 3AM arrival, but public transit is way cheaper (and often faster).

-Generally, I would agree with what has been said about avoiding eye contact and keeping to one’s self on public transit. Popping in the ear buds is also reasonable, but low volume. Total situational awareness is nearly always a good strategy in NY.

2) Weather

-A sturdy pair of shoes or boots that are reasonably water resistant and with traction is a godsend when (or even more after) it snows. It’s not Boston or Minneapolis, by any means, but falling on one’s tuchas in the snow is no fun and neither are wet feet.

-Casey will undoubtedly acclimate after her first winter–NYC usually doesn’t get crazy cold like the aforementioned places–but the virtues of a hat, scarf, and gloves/mittens, in addition to the requisite layers, cannot be overstated, especially below 25 degrees.

-Having said all of that, it was not the winters, but the summers that nearly did me in. Heat with serious humidity just doesn’t happen much in California. A fan is remarkably helpful if student housing lacks AC. So are double features at the local second run movie house or wiling away an afternoon in a museum.

3) Fun on the cheap

-Speaking of museums, just about every one of the bazillion of them in NY has a night or afternoon each month that’s discounted or free. When I lived there, I knew that schedule (every Friday, first Thursday night, third Saturday, whatever) for pretty much every museum in the city. Museums often offer student discounts, too.

-Not sure if student rush tickets still exist, but that’s how I got to see performances at Lincoln Center for very cheap. And then ride the train back uptown with a bunch of folks in tuxes or black dresses and their instrument cases, since many of the musicians lived in Inwood, a bit north of where I lived.

-As mentioned, riding one of the longer bus lines is a good way to get a sense of how the neighborhoods change and get a sense of the city.

-The Staten Island Ferry is free (and right off the subway)–a good way to clear one’s mind on days when urban bustle is getting a little old.

-And then, of course, when Dad comes to town. (I meant fun on the cheap for Casey…)

My parents, who grew up in Hawaii, were likewise a bit stressed when their daughter moved to the big, bad apple. It definitely took me awhile to get used to getting around without a car and the sort of low-grade vigilance that is part of living in NY. But it’s still a great place to be a student and there’s some truth to being able to make it anywhere if you make it there.

I just clawed my way out of grad school in Manhattan and have some tips that worked for me:

- Unless you’re getting an unlimited subway MetroCard, get the EasyPay which hooks into your credit card and automatically replenishes your fare, this saves you a ton of time looking for machines or buying new cards.
- Get a debit card with one of those banks that refund your ATM fees, New York can be a maddeningly cash-only city and you’ll be paying $3 ATM fees constantly otherwise.
- Music tastes vary, but http://www.ohmyrockness.com has an exhaustive list of local shows for anything that could be called indie, and http://toddpnyc.com is the biggest DIY promoter for basement/loft shows like you see on Girls. Also, Jazz at Lincoln Center has a great After Hour’s set which is $5-10 for students Tue-Sat http://www.jalc.org/dccc/c_afterhours09.asp and has cheap drinks & food Tue-Thur that’s worth checking out at least once just for the view of Trump’s phallus across the street.
- Speaking of which, Nougatine at Jean Georges in the Trump Tower has a $25 lunch, which is probably the cheapest Michelin star meal in the city.
- If “South Harlem” means Upper East Side, then you’re stuck amidst the college kids with business degrees who now have to get someone’s coffee for a living, which means lots of yelling and vomit on the weekends. There are two decent bars in the area: the Auction House which only lets in patrons over 26 and Phil Hughes Bar which only has patrons over 66. It’s also fun to take the tram near Fordham/Rockefeller over to Roosevelt Island, which is where Jennifer Connelly was ascared to death by water in that movie. As mentioned above, you’ve also got Museum Mile to tide you over, which means The Met, Guggenheim (contemporary), The Whitney (modern), Neue Gallery (german expressionism), Frick (classic figurative), Cooper Hewitt (design), Jewish Museum (self explanatory). In the winter, when the ducks go somewhere, Central Park has two very accessible skating rinks (and a third in Bryant Park). In the summer those same places usually have evening movies or concerts.
- If “South Harlem” means Upper West Side, then you’re stuck with over-literate and entitled Columbia kids, but you’ve got some nice options for live jazz: Smoke (expensive), Lenox Lounge (mid-range), Showman’s (mediocre music but great atmosphere, ask for free food with drinks), Dinosaur BBQ (delicious food, music on certain days), St. Nick’s Pub (out of the way). On the West Side you’re close to the Greenway, which is an excellent jogging/biking trail that runs all the way down to Battery Park.
- Chelsea is extremely posh an expensive, but it’s worth checking out the gallery openings on the first Thursday of each month (if only for the free drinks) which happen through the entire pier-side portion of that neighborhood. The formal Chelsea Pier itself has a driving range where you can fore into the Hudson river.
- Find a farmer’s market and a flea market near you; spend a day at a bath house (Mermaid Spa in Brighton Beach for Russian, or Spa Castle in Flushing for Korean); go to an All You Can Eat/Drink Sushi Buffet; see The Room at midnight at Village East Cinema (and then go to the Sly Fox Polish bar across the street); see the Guttenberg Bible at the NYPL; go to the Meditation Room at the UN building; see one show at the Comedy Cellar or UCB; don’t go to Times Square ever.

I haven’t had time to read through everything people wrote here, but I came to NY as a fresh (acne)-faced kid from Oregon and quickly learned to love the place – like in two days. Fortunately, I had a roommate from the city so that was a good intro. So find someone who knows the place.
I would second the suggestion to get a bike – it can save oodles of time and money and most of the city is pretty flat (except for the hills in Washington Heights – oof!). Plus one of my greatest thrills was to ride from Queens when I was living there over the 59th street Bridge into Manhattan – you really feel like you are coming right into the buildings.
Is the Met still pay what you want? Pay a penny. My art history teacher told me to do that and I did it.
Find my good friend’s band Les Sans Culottes, a faux French band from Brooklyn. They seem to be away for the next couple of weeks, but they are one of the best times you can have. http://www.lessansculottes.com/les_dates.html.
Food? Anything I can tell you would be out of date, but I generally found the famous places (like Sammy’s Roumanian) kind of sucked (Katz’s was still pretty good).
NYC is the best place in the world to be in summertime if you can stand the hot sticky thunderstorms because the whole city is out on the streets and there are oodles of free events. The best music in the world is at Summerstage in Central Park although you do have to get there early. And rent a rowboat afterwards.
Go to the Cloisters on a Sunday. It’s the only place that ever made me feel like I might want to go back to Church.
Actually, since she’s kind of liberal/progressive, she might want to hook up with the folks at Riverside Church who do genuinely good works in a non-sectarian manner.
And stay away from my friend Gil. He’s a heartbreaker for young women.

I’ve only been to NYC twice in my life, and these are the most educational and fascinating tidbits I’ve ever seen about the place. Wish I’d had them at hand years ago. (Don’t stop.)

I just returned from a trip to NYC myself. Had an evening free, and took in a Broadway show.

This is serious, and no fooling around. They and you MUST go see ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS at the Music Box Theater. It is only playing through the end of the month, and by intermission my face physically hurt from laughing so hard. I ordered a ticket on line for about $100. Pricey by Twin Cities standards, reasonable by Broadway, but very worth it.

You’re welcome.

Pretty sneaky of Romney to make his announcement on Saturday morning, knowing the controversial decision would be overshadowed by the news that TBogg’s daughter is moving to New York.

Of course you’ll have a bad impression of New York if you only focus on the pimps and the C.H.U.D.’s.

Unfortunately, this month is the least desirable to be in NYC due to heat and humidity and we have had a long hot summer (for NYC). I would reccommend staying out of the subway system for the vacay trip. The platforms feel like its 120 and by the time you get where you are going, you just feel damp all over. I have to use it to go to work, but walking or a cab is preferable. (Exception-the Shuttle between Grand Central ((a must see))and Times Square. Times Square is fine and pretty amazing today and very tourist friendly, unless you are bothered by crowds.

A good way to get aquainted with the city is to take the tourist buses. You can get off and on when you want and if you want to explore an area further, you just get off and catch another bus later on. My girlfriends and I did a half day to Brooklyn a few years back, and it was so interesting to see another borough.

I second the idea of a Circle Line tour and/or the Staten Island Ferry (its free) and you can see the Statue of Liberty without the hassle of security to board the tour boats to Liberty Island (although Ellis Island is a must see some day). I also strongly second the High Line.

There are so many inexpensive places to eat, such as breakfast and lunch at the bodegas, lots of good Irish Pubs (Brendens on 35th between 5th and 6th and convenient to Macys and Herald Sq-a nice hang out area-you will her most every language on the planet) and for good reasonably priced meal-Savilla in the West Village right off Christopher Street-a nice Spanish traverna.

One other thing – City Island. Take the subway to the Bronx, bus to City Island. Looks like New England but with a NYC accent. Rent a sailboat & cruise Long Island Sound (if you sail) or get a spot on a Harlem Yacht Club boat – usually takes a six pack of good beer.

Food: The best supermarket near her is Fairway at 132nd & Riverside (added bonus is cute firefighters shop there en masse all the time). But there’s no reason to cook. NYC is chock full of diners that serve everything and do it well for a reasonable price. Find your favorite diner and go there at least 4 times a week (“Seinfeld” was not exaggerating, people eat at diners all the time). Ask the locals (around school, work & home), they know all the best deals. For example, my wife worked near 9th Ave. in the 50s and she found out that area is full of cheap, wonderful Thai places. You can get a great lunch for $7. That’s the biggest secret of NYC: eating well doesn’t have to kill your budget. Avoid eating in Midtown east of 8th Ave and west of 5th — it’s bound to be a tourist trap and/or godawful chain restaurant. Avoid Starbucks, there’s a better alternative on every block (coffee carts in the morning). Don’t be afraid to try a food cart especially if there’s a crowd, they have some of the best cheap food. Best cupcakes are Sugar Sweet Sunshine on Rivington. Bagels are overrated.

Services: everything can be delivered — food, groceries, dry cleaning, medicine, etc. If she doesn’t have laundry facilities in her building or even if she does and she doesn’t want to be tied to watching a washing machine, you can get your laundry done (they charge by the pound, fold it brilliantly and deliver if you don’t want to haul it). There are a million versions of every service, if you don’t like one use a different one.

Parks: the best part of NYC in my opinion — lots of wonderful parks. Of course there’s Central Park, but every neighborhood has their own park. My favorite was Fort Tryon up in the 190s — beautiful views of the Hudson and the George Washington Bridge and a great botanical garden. You can walk the whole length of Manhattan on the west — there’s a path that goes from Battery Park to the top. Riverside Park stretches from west 78th to 158th and the part at 153rd is a hidden gem. And it’s not just sitting, a lot of the parks offer ice skating, soccer fields, basketball, etc.

Transportation: subway, subway, subway (and buses). Use the subways to go up and downtown, use the buses to go crosstown (very few subways go crosstown). The subways are 24 hours, but the service is spotty very late (e.g., there might be one train every 30 minutes at 3:00 am). Cabs are ever present, but don’t use them during the day if you can (subway will be faster). Have your walking shoes ready because if you can walk to something in 15 minutes you will (in lieu of hauling your ass down into the subway). If you aren’t sure of where you are, stand out of the way until you figure it out. NYers biggest pet peeve and why they seem rude is they hate people stopping in front of them when they’re trying to walk somewhere. The city is a grid above 14th Street, have a map with you for anything below 14th. Get a subway map; it’s an easy system, but it will seem confusing at first. Know which exits at your subway stops close early/open late (e.g., if you get home after 10:00 pm, you may find that the exit closest to your apartment is closed). Some subway stops have limited access on the weekends. Broadway Ave starts on the west but as you go downtown it ends up on the east side. The FDR is the highway that runs up the east side of the island, the Henry Hudson (or West Side Highway) obviously on the west. For airports, obviously LGA is the closest, but don’t be afraid to use Newark if you can save some bucks (you can take a bus into the city). Avoid JFK if possible, unless you like 2 hour subway rides/long & expensive cab rides.

Miscellaneous: Find bathrooms along your daily route — you are bound to have to take an emergency dump/piss at least once and you don’t want to have to bring a change of clothes; I think there’s an app/website about NYC bathrooms. Carry a small bottle of Poland Spring with you — a small bottle of good tasting water. Bring wipes with you, never telling what you may accidentally touch. The reason most people don’t make eye contact on the subway is people in NYC try to carve out any amount of privacy they can. Yes, you’re on a subway car with 50 other people, but just bring a book to read or headphones and go into your own space like everyone else. There are crazies, but there’s also cops everywhere (but be aware of your surroundings at all times). There are parts of every borough that are awesome (e.g., if you didn’t go into Queens, you wouldn’t be able to visit the fantastic Bohemian Beer Garden). The museums are great, my favorites are the Natural History Museum and the Tenement Museum. Carry cash, you’d be surprised how many places don’t take cards. The alleged rudeness of NYers is vastly overstated. The city has its own rhythm, when you find the groove everything will be fine (and you’ll find most people are nice). Become friends with your building’s super — they’re invaluable assets. “Tips” (i.e., a little light grafting) goes a long way. We greased the wheels with our super and got a better apartment. Go to the Strand bookstore at least once a month. Sunday brunch is the most holy time of the week. Don’t go in the ubiquitous electronics stores, they’re scams (go to J&R or Best Buy instead). As some other commenters have said make sure you have a good pair of Wellies and other rain gear (you might want to carry a poncho in your bag). Have a good heavy coat. Within two weeks you’ll be bitching about the annoying tourists. The pigeons and squirrels are not afraid of anything. Finally, those cute little animals you see playing on the subway tracks are rats.

nice thread ny’ers! i wanted to add one more little meta-tidbit. you’ll notice much conflicting info here; take the bus! don’t take the bus!! and that’s the thing. nyc is so big and diverse that everything is true at the same time. we humans like to speak in absolutes and take comfort in routine and predictability and you can find that in spades here. people keep exact routines for decades, never wavering but you’ll also find that things you were certain of aren’t nearly as cut and dried as you thought so i have found that regularly challenging your preconceived notions is essential.

so give the bus a try. eat food you think you hate every once in awhile. try out music that’s not your style. over time you’ll find your routine and love it, but always step out of it from time to time and see what else is out there. because there’s literally everything under the sun here. good luck!

AND good sturdy boots. Cold, slushy and damp is winter in NYC, and any where she goes on foot, she needs real boots. You’re going to have to order them from Bean’s – not a chance on earth any place in SD is going to have what she needs. Also, real gloves (not mittens).

My advice? Discover the city on your own. Neighborhood restaurants and quirky shops to tell dad about. Attend off broadway shows often. Cheaper, intimate, informal, and fun. Buy tickets in Times Square day of performance.

We’re going in on Thursday to see the terra-cotta warriors. I used to go to Patelson’s (Half Price) Music, but they’re gone.

The first time we went to NYC, we made a special trip to the Whitney so I could see George Tooker’s painting, The Subway, but they had it stuck away in a closet somewhere (I bought a poster of it instead).

You can always just go to the Port Authority, then step out into a rich tapestry of humanity on 42nd street. I once remarked that it was the asshole capitol of the world, but since then I’ve seen more of the world and suspect it may not be completely true.

Folks lend a hand in a hellhole.

Also, Casey should get on the mailing list for Improv Everywhere. Their annual Black Tie Beach event is August 18: http://improveverywhere.com/2012/07/27/save-the-date-black-tie-beach-2012/

To repeat what others have said – subways are your friend. If she doesn’t get an unlimited card, keep in mind that bus transfers are free from a subway ride (essentially you get one subway entrance and one bus entrance or two bus entrances per paid fare)For bikers there is a bike path down the entire West Side along the Hudson.

South Harlem is an up and coming neighborhood, new stuff is appearing all the time, restaurants and shops. (There is a stretch in the 90′s where she can find Whole Paycheck, Trader Joes, Michaels crafts, Home Goods, and Marshalls but go up ten blocks and there is one of the best Ethiopian restaurants – gentrification in a nutshell.) Coffee carts are fast and fresh and almost universally have the nicest people manning them – not a big fan of the baked good though. Donut Plant, the original is on the lower East Side where they make the donuts, but there is a branch in Chelsea on 23rd in the Chelsea Hotel – not cheap but amazingly good donuts. You can go there after trying Rickshaw Dumplings on 23rd just east of Sixth. From there she can try checking out the Italian supermarket and food market Eataly by Madison Square Park. In the park she will find the well loved Shake Shack and realize why many of us bemoan the lack of In’N'Out (no comparison in MNSHO). Chelsea Market on 16th and Ninth is fun for food shopping and eating, if not cheap – definitely try the chocolates and chocolate chip cookies at Jacques Torres and the brownies at Fat Witch, but easy to grab something for the Highline. Neighborhood Greenmarkets are great but if she will be in Chelsea on weekends, she should hit the Union Square GreenMarket on Saturday (and as a plus it is just a couple of blocks from The Strand Bookstore). I will also second the greek food in Astoria suggestion. Korean ingredient shopping is in the 30′s in midtown, and there is a really fun Korean food court there. And But there are great restaurants in every neighborhood – ask and explore. And second the recommendation of Fairway, they also have a great selection of produce – the Greenmarkets and Fairway for that.

Good boots are important for winter, I’m not a fan of GWPDA’s Bean choice but that is a matter of my foot and their last not being compatible. She wants waterproof not resistant, and insulation is important. Do NOT go the UGG root – they are not waterproof and they lose traction in the ice or wet. She might consider getting a pair of NEOs. They are modern galoshes and can be used over more comfortable shoes – sneakers, uggs, etc. Which can be helpful if you going to classes/work etc. and do not want to be in warm boots in heated spaces. Something else she should learn is layering – multiple layers of clothing is warmer then one and you can strip off layers depending on how the buildings are heated. Thinsulate is your friend. (I do love both Bean and Land’s End for down coats, but thinsulate is thinner and easier to layer without becoming the marshmallow puff man). Especially if she is going to try to bike as much as possible. There are throwaway umbrellas for sale on almost street corner when it rains, but a folding rain poncho or rain coat is probably a good investment (they can also be used in winter over ‘water resistant’ outerwear). She will want a good fan year round. Much of New York heating is uneven so air circulation is a good idea year round.

The Metropolitan is still pay what you wish. And yes, there are ‘free’ days or nights at practically every museum. There is a theater under thirty program for theater tickets. Someone should know how to join, but being long over thirty…TDF is your friend for that as well. Live music is all around. It is worth perusing Time Out and the Voice until she develops a network that lets her know who is where.

A few DON’TS for surviving in NYC:

1. Avoid the aptly named Ozone Park for housing. Let’s just say that when the jets dump their excess fuel before landing at Kennedy, they sometimes miss the ocean.

2. Don’t rent a basement apartment. While this isn’t true of all areas, there are many neighborhoods that experience flooding on the PB/OB scale when the fall and spring rains hit. Why invite trouble?

3. Don’t leave your laptop unattended in libraries, and make sure it is insured with your renter’s insurance–even if you have to pay a bit extra. Grab and run thefts of laptops and small electronics by the “local color” is one of the biggest on-campus crimes at universities. It often goes unreported in local crime statistics if the campus in question has its own “security force.” Back your notes up at least once per week, and make sure you need codes to access any personal info–like bank accounts, and anything with your Soc. Sec. and contact info on it.

4. Don’t walk/run/club/travel alone at night. Take a buddy. Go with a group. The City can be risky enough for women who are alone during the day. I can’t recommend carrying weapons such as guns or mace unless you are familiar with using them–really familiar–not just a few hours at a shooting range. You are just as likely to injure yourself as an attacker. Brass knuckles are illegal; however, a roll of quarters wrapped in duct tape can double as a passable substitute–and extra laundromat money. For inflicting even more pain, I recommend wrapping a Cosmopolitan in duct tape. Only damn thing that rag is good for–unless you need 10 tips for looking thinner during sex.

5. Practically speaking: UGGs are not going to cut it in NYC winters. My personal choice is a lined rubber riding style boot with Vibram-type soles. Dog poo and road dirt wash right off. Thinsulate underwear is good; silk is better–especially for wearing under dressier suits & slacks. Fitted Polarfleece gloves with leather “grippies” are better than the OJ Simpson leather variety. Forget LuLu Lemon jackets: When you layer them over other stuff, you’ll look like a sausage.

Even if most of the L&T C’s classes are in Midtown, the main NYU campus is down by Washington Square and she’s likely to have to trek down there from time to time. When she does, she’ll be right by the late Steve Gilliard’s fave split pea soup at Cozy’s Soup & Burger, and there’s nothing like a bowl of that soup and a grilled cheese sammich on a raw fall day.

Oh, and some notes on life in the city. Probably as a function of the fact that most of us live in places that are smaller than a good sized walk-in closet, we tend to go out a lot just to hang out rather than stay home or drop by a friend’s place. So part of learning the city is finding comfy places to have a cup of coffee or a beer while you’re reading a book. And yes, it’s fairly common to see someone sitting at a bar just reading the paper or a book.

Also as a function of living in rabbit warrens with small kitchens, a better strategy for grocery shopping is to buy just a couple of days worth of fresh produce on your way home from work rather that a once-a-week mega shopping trip. And there’s always Fresh Direct, which is like the only successful attempt at an online supermarket.

A very lovely song from Hem, btw.

So, I’m not really edub but using his login! My daughter, same age, lived for a year in SoHa, 113th St. You can be cool and call it that! Now she lives further towards Midtown after a couple of years in Morningside too. It was safe enough, easy to park there if you ever have a car there. She really didn’t have any problems; her building was a conglomeration of many different types of folks. There are lots of restaurants near Columbia, and a couple of good book stores. As others said, don’t run through Morningside alone or at night. Walking the streets seems fine. I love the restaurant Community. It’s kind of happenin’ although a little pricey. Well, it is NYC. If you visit, don’t miss Barbuto. Way downtown but fun! I always told my daughter if it got really late to just take a cab. They really aren’t as expensive as you’d think. My child adds “Cafe Amrita on 110th St” as a best tip. Have fun! I grew up in Queens and left as fast as I could, but now I’m back all the time!

L&T Casey will find her own way, of course. A lot of her life in NYC will be defined for her by time (that is, there won’t be much of it when she’s not studying) and location(s — of school and her apt., also of friends’ apts.). As people have noted, NYC is a city of neighborhoods (very crowded neighborhoods, by most Americans’ standards), but as a result, living there is very intimate, in some ways like a small town. (That’s why I’ve always said, NYC is a better city to live in than to visit.) Avoid Starbucks and support the non-chain coffee shops and other eateries. (Even if she doesn’t drink coffee now, she soon will.) Same goes for bars — there are so many wonderful small bars. (New Yorkers, not least law and other grad students, drink a lot, btw.) Of course get to know the subway system, as well as buses. (But having spent much of this morning stuck in a cab (or rather, “car,” since we set out from Brooklyn) in SoHo because of the Iron Man competition, I urge underground habits.) The whole public transportation system is unrivaled ANYWHERE in this country and almost anywhere in the world. My guess is that a year from now she’ll find herself living in Brooklyn and taking the subway into Manhattan for school and other stuff.

Btw, I spent a good deal of yesterday on subways (while visiting my daughter in the city — we had lots of tasks to get done in different parts of Manhattan, having set out from Brooklyn). The train cars are air-conditioned and comfortable, but standing on the platform on a sultry summer’s day (humid downpours yesterday), waiting for your train, is like being in a sauna. Unbelievable. Great day, though. It really is such a beautiful place, New York. And needless to say, it’s the variety and hubbub of people that make it truly great.

Also: don’t hesitate to ask people on the street for help. New Yorkers are very friendly and helpful, contrary to popular lore about them.

Oh, and there are lots of soccer leagues. L&T Casey may be too fresh from high-level soccer to be satisfied by these, but my daughter and her boyfriend (both serious Div III NESCAC players a few years back) have enjoyed playing, including indoor soccer.

- From all the recommendations above, there are obviously a zillion (shitload in the local patois) of great places and restaurants and museums — I’ll spare you my favorites since half the fun will be discovering new ones for herself.

- Touristy thing: As others have mentioned the Circle line 3-hour tour is a great introduction to Manhattan island. Just note that there have been problems recently with the Spuyten Duyvil (is that not a great name for a place where tidal currents meet?) railroad swing bridge which enables the boat to cross into the Hudson from the East River — so it may just be a giant semicircle instead. You can call ahead to check if that’s important. For a more posh and pricey tour you might try the Yacht Manhattan brunch cruise when you come to visit. [http://www.zerve.com/SailNYC]

- If by South Harlem you mean the West Side then depending on how far east or west the destination in Chelsea or Midtown there are subway trains that go down either 8th, 7th, and 6th avenues, and are easy to understand.

- The best NYC advice I could give is that friends are the most valuable survival aides one can have short of family (if they happen to be neighbors that’s even better but kind of rare). It’s a good idea and reassuring to have travel-mates in any new city, especially at night. Maybe the student housing she’ll be in will have some means of making a connection in this regard. (John Jay also has a lot of young cops attending at any given time — from a father’s perspective this could be a good or bad thing.)

- We even have beaches if she gets homesick — (A-train to Rockaway Park, #2 + a bus to Riis Park, B or D train to Coney Island)

- I’ll second what others have said above about asking New Yorkers for directions or help, but beware, if you ask for an opinion you may open up a floodgate.

- Water right from the tap is drinkable and better than most places I’ve ever been — a Brita pitcher will help remove any rust from the pipes.

- Regardless what the signs say, it’s 6th Avenue not Avenue of the Americas, it’s the Triboro bridge not the RFK, it’s the Queensboro to people from Queens or the 59th St. Bridge to Manhattanites, but if you call it the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge you’ll be deported.

- It’s a pity that the East River ferry up to Yankee Stadium is no longer in operation for their Rangers game. This what us old New Yorkers do: we kvetch about how it used to be and point out all that’s gone now. Like how in the old days a couple of years in the city would be a crash course in Yiddish. Now it seems that at least three quarters of the inhabitants of Manhattan are auslanders from places like, well, San Diego.

If nothing else, NYC is an adventure. Hope she has a ball.

Ok. So I’m going to be going to grad school in the same area, living in the same area (albeit not in student housing but with my gorgeous wife-of-three-days) and feeling equally lost. ALSO, I can get her in to the Met for free. So she should hit me up!

Ya know, I’ve worked and traveled to NYC for many years, and this is the best list I’ve ever seen of how to live/what to do in Fun City US of A. Seriously, I’m bookmarking this page.

And only because I like teh Boggs, I am letting you know that this is teh best fucking Irish pub/restaurant in NYC. Releatively cheap good beers, and inexpensive, delicious sammiches. Closes after 8pm, so you don’t get the drunken poseurs sticking around. It is the only place Mrs. Caepan and I must stop in whenever we’re there. I don’t like to tell people about it, because I don’t want the place ruined by tourists.

“dazzling big city urbanites”

Well, I’m hardly one of those (heck, I don’t have any saddlebags, let alone Gucci ones), and it’s been a number of years since I spent any time in the soon-to-be-Atlantis that is Manhattan, but here’s a couple more things that might be worth looking over, if indeed they still exist:
Brooklyn. The whole place, but especially BAM and the Brooklyn Arch (aka ‘A poifect place for da boids to poich’).
Chinatown (best explored with a friend fluent in Mandarin, if not Cantonese; some of the best eating places are in little alleys off the main drag, but that’s true in most cities).
Whatever has replaced SoHo and Washington Square as the hip/trendy/artiste sort of place. People watching is a great way to pass the time, and lots of fun for us small-town country boys (and presumably girls). Street festivals are a definite plus – they’re one of the few places in Manhattan where you can buy things that aren’t marked up 300%.
I haven’t been down in the tunnels for years, but that used to be my preferred way to spend at least part of the day – you never knew what sort of incredibly good street performer you’d run into, and always being self-consciously ignored by the locals, who had a reputation to uphold. Plus you can go anywhere for cheap, and the ridership was always a great (if sometimes uncomfortably disturbing) part of the trip. I generally went mainly to the AMNH (oh, man – I could spend all day, every day there), but that whole row is pretty wonderful, and Central Park just across the street. Just be wary about eating out in NYC; in most places, both the food and drink are somewhat, shall we say, overvalued. On the other hand, the crash stands are usually pretty great, if perhaps a bit tough on the delicate system. Hope she has good time!