𝔉𝔯𝔞𝔤𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔰 🌱

Notes on New York

12 min read

Untitled (Washington Square Park), by Beauford Delaney

Sometimes I swore I smelled pierogis on the wind, as I passed by the sing-song voices of the ladies outside “The Spot,” intermixed with the honking and groaning of traffic on Fresh Pond Road. I was perhaps not calm. But, I was home.

Fresh Pond Road, the main thoroughfare of that little corner of Queens, is home to Poles, Ukrainians, and Albanians, along with the Latine community being slowly pushed out from neighboring Bushwick. I rarely understood the singsong voices mingling around me. But it hardly mattered - spring had sprung, and everyone was smiling.

As I hopped down to the street, and ducked under a great long cement-smoothing tool now reconstituting the adjacent sidewalk, I wondered: what the fuck was I doing there? I’d been there for seven years, and for seven years, I had been planning to leave. But something kept me there - something alive, something special, something intense, something real. It was only when it was done with me, shaping me, pushing me, that I could finally let go.

A bustling local grocery store.

It’s hard but it’s fun. It’s fun but it’s hard. It’s one of one. The rats, the clothesline towers, the subway art. John Wilson’s inspiration; the Empire State Building; sauna stories. I could go on. But, here are some notes on New York.

I was biking on my way back from a beach rave. The mesh shirt (I’m always behind on rave fashion) was in my bag, but I was still wearing a black tank, sweat-thru from dancing and then sweat-thru again from all the bicycling. People were out on their morning exercise, and even though it’s New York, there weren’t many people around, so some of them waved hello as I biked by. I waved at one guy, but just as I did so, I got close enough to read his shirt. It had a large, yellow frowny face on it and the words “I HATE YOU” in all caps. His face turned in what I understood to be a wry smile, and as I flew by, he waved back.

For visitors

Here are some options to consider for your visit in Manhattan, beyond the classic skyscrapers, Broadway shows, and museums:

  • If you just walk along Broadway between Columbus Circle and Chinatown, or even just between Herald Square and Chinatown, then swing down into the financial district, you’ll get a good sampling (Herald Square, Flatiron, Times Square, etc. - and this intersects with many of the things elsewhere on this list as well)
  • Explore community gardens in the Lower East Side, then check out the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space. Alphabet City has some good stuff - Bullet Space, The Library, Mast Books, and more, and a good spot for a notably-creative and reasonably-priced sandwich in the area is Sunny & Annie’s deli
  • Also nearby, on a cold day, go to the Russian & Turkish Baths, then check out Lady Wong and East Village Books nearby, and close things out with some sake at Accidental Bar
  • Get some hand-pulled noodles on Doyers Street in Chinatown, then get dessert in Little Italy, or on a hot day, ice cream at the Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory
  • Chinatown is really the best. For example, in the evening or even after a show, get some cheap skewers at the BBQ cart at Grand and Crystal (unless it rains) Or for dinner, go to Vanessa’s Dumpling House and pray for a table
  • See some weird music at Downtown Music Gallery
  • Any of the parks will do, and Central Park is great but can really eat up your day. If you do, I like the rambler and the conservatory garden, but just exploring is worth it. Smaller parks can definitely serve through out the day, though, like Tompkins Square, which is near some of the other things listed here. Washington Square Park is a little much but is a great place to pick up on the NYC energy, for better or worse (if you go there, make sure to also drop by the Music Inn)
  • I love to get cronuts at the original Donut Pub at 7th and 14th
  • The High Line is both oft-recommended and a must-do if you are in Manhattan on a nice day
  • Another fun walk is along Greenwich Ave between the Whitney and Washington Square Park. This can be tacked on to the end of a southbound walk on the High Line
  • Earth Room, Broken Kilometer, and Dream House are all great long-term art installations (before you start, check out Mercer Street Books as well)
  • If you are in midtown (and I have to say, it is largely missable), my favorite area is K-town, and Food Gallery 32 is my go-to there. Kentuckians will also want to check out Jack Demsey’s, the UK bar
  • If you go to Times Square, check out Max Neuhaus’s drone art installation underneath one of the sewer grates, you might need to bend down to hear it
  • If you do go to a Broadway show, my favorite nearby food is Cha Pa’s for some good pho
  • Staten Island Ferry at sunset is also a classic, 40 minutes round trip, pretty good view of the Statue of Liberty and Lower Manhattan
  • Going uptown to check out the Met Cloisters is highly recommended (and be prepared to walk up the hill)…and it could be worth it to get some Lighthouse seafood on the way up or back

From a friend of a friend: Chinatown is not to be missed. Specifically a Veg Curry Mee Soup ay New West Malay. [Ed: this is near the Chinatown ice cream place I mention above.] Then go to nearby Columbus Park and sit watching elderly musicians perform old Mao hymns.

There’s honestly so much but hopefully this is a nice start for Manhattan. Don’t even get me started on restaurants.

Outside of Manhattan, some other general highlights (see further down for Ridgewood/Bushwick recommendations):

  • Getting food in in the Flushing and Jackson Heights neighborhoods of Queens
  • The best cheap date I ever organized was in Williamsburg: Oasis mediterranean, Spectacle theater movie, then a drink at Duff’s
  • John Cushing big band at Fiction Bar/Cafe, if you’re there on the right night
  • The Rockaway beaches, the Coney Island Boardwalk, Brooklyn Botanical Garden + walking in Prospect Park
  • Walking around Greenwood Cemetery (parrots! look it up) then watching the sunset at Sunset Park
  • Trinidad Golden Place
  • Bed Stuy Aquarium (not a real acquarium)
  • Issue Project Room
  • McCarren Park is a favorite, and Diamond Lil is a good spot near-ish by - Paulie Gee’s, too
  • Beacon (DIA!) and Cold Spring, if you want to get out of the city (Bull Hill, Bear Mountain, and Breakneck Ridge hikes)
  • Governor’s Island is a day trip but is fun when they have stuff going on in the summer, especially if you rent a bike or bring your own

Some other random tips:

  • Get pizza at pretty much any slice shop, just look at the Google rating and avoid ones that focus on the price
  • If you like mystery novels, go to the Mysterious Bookshop, if you like romances to to the Ripped Bodice, if you like zines go to Quimby’s, if you like cookbooks go to Bonnie Slotnick
  • For late night food that can accommodate a larger group without a long wait, try Dim Sum Palace
  • For when you need to use the bathroom, after 5pm: walk into a bar, go straight to the back, use the bathroom
  • For when you are looking for someplace to hang after dark that isn’t a bar: Qahwah House (or the Chai Spot if you are in Lower Manhattan)

Event calendars and communities

Click. Click. Click. I’m on the train; reading a Ringer article about the end of Colbert’s Late Show. Click. Click. It can’t be what I think it is, right? I look over. It is. She’s clipping her nails on the train. Now, look. I love to break social norms on the train - in particular by eating. But personal hygiene is where I draw the line. Never mind that she’s twice my age, at least. I guess at that age you don’t have to care what anyone thinks. I look again. Actually, maybe not that old. Some gray hairs, but she’s probably around fifty. No excuse then.

Ridgewood, my favorite neighborhood

The outside of a cute little bookstore.

See also: Little Things

It would delight me if you chose to visit or live in my favorite neighborhood: Ridgewood, Queens. I lived there, first for a few months at Onderdonk and Seneca, then for a few years at Madison and Fresh Pond, and loved the community and people. Here were my haunts:

  • Topos
  • Ridgewood Commons (then known as Woodbine)
  • Aunt Ginny’s
  • Gottscheer Hall
  • Low Cinema
  • Nowadays
  • Valentino’s
  • Ridgewood Reservoir
  • Grace Land
  • Cozy Corner
  • Ridgewood Community Garden
  • Rudy’s
  • TV Eye
  • New York Grill
  • Rosa’s
  • Brother’s Wash & Dry
  • Cassette (fka Sundown)
  • Las Chilangas (get their birria)
  • Papusas Ridgewood
  • Felafel Bites
  • Hetman Fine Foods
  • Nomad Cafe and Eatery
  • Super Pollo
  • Bakeri
  • Julia’s
  • Variety
  • While In Kathmandu
  • Cachapas y Mas
  • Seneca Food Garden

I recommend avoiding any business that has investment from Kermit Westergaard, the neighborhood’s premier gentrifier, the most notable one being Rolo’s.

There is a pigeon leaving footprints on the window sill nearest my bed.
Through clenched teeth he whispers information I should already know.
I tell him that I don’t know. He tells me that I’m stupid. “You’re not even trying” he spits, gesturing and implying. I am looking the wrong way.
from Act 1 of “Birdsong” by Jordan Germ, in Mild Ulcer #2

And in nearby Bushwick, here are some other recs:

  • Xanadu Roller Arts
  • Wonderville
  • Maria Hernandez Park
  • Arpera Guacoco
  • Ornithology
  • Molasses Books
  • Bunna Cafe
  • Ichiran Ramen
  • Boyfriend Coop
  • Casa Caribe (pizza)

I was out on the street the other day, fresh pond road, and there were a bunch of guys yelling at each other. It was hard to tell who was mad at who really, and one guy seemed to be running away, well, on an electric scooter. The other guy kept yelling at him, calling him, after each challenge, “my n----.” But the thing is, the guy was white, and so, I donno, not allowed to use that word. Or at least that’s how I understand whether we white guys can say that. Anyway, he kept going on way longer than he needed to. When I stepped back out with my grocery store sushi, he was gone.

NYC housing

Finding quality, affordable housing in the city is notoriously difficult. The best way to find a good spot, especially on the cheaper end of things, is to talk to people. The next-best place is probably still Craigslist, the Listings Project, Gertie’s, Polish craigslist, then Facebook groups and Streeteasy. Or roaming around the neighborhood you want to rent in, looking at signs - though that seems to happen less and less.

When checking out an apartment, check the water press, that there is hot water, ask about bed bugs, the windows and heating, if heat comes up from lower apartments, etc., and if there have been any repairs recently. Use the resources below (for rent increases) to see also if the landlord is a good one, and how many other buildings they own.

If you plan to stay long-term, affordable housing lotteries are also worth considering.

A flatiron-shaped building with a flowershop's name written down its face.

When I was first was looking for a place alone in NYC, I looked into co-housing options. Joining an intentional community Facebook group is probably the most effective option. But some others I looked at, which were generally more expensive, included SharedEasy and Outsite.

A handwritten notice on the wall of a bar asking patrons not to leave trash on the street.

If you want to live in Ridgewood, hmu. I have a spreadsheet link and know some people. I also know of a big Signal thread for lots of things above and beyond housing.

If you are looking for a moving service, Transdimensional Moving is run by a friend of a friend.

Housing issues

You’ve found a place, it’s been a year, and your rent is going up. How do you know the increase is legal? Or how do you know whether the way improvements/repairs are being handled is legal? Here are some resources:

And if you run into trouble:

Other random tips

Incomplete

  • Read Hell Gate!!
  • Bring an umbrella
  • If you are new to the city, start by trying grocery stores. Get your commute down pat. Then try and find a weekly activity that you like. Go to a park, even if it is cold or raining. Don’t be afraid to ask someone to hang out. And most of all, focus on yourself and your needs
  • It can be tricky, but there are public tennis courts that don’t require a pass, for example Jackie Robinson and he Chelsea Piers. We would also book late-night courts at the McCarren Park tennis center

Services I recommend:

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