New York City Thread: Part III (Info in OP)

[Bluenote13]

So how did we ever manage to get by before all of these "upgrades"? Is an abundance of Star****s reall why people want to visit NYC?

No, but you have to have accommodations. You said you last lived here 36 years ago, no? Back then NYC took on about 15 to 20 million tourists a year.

If you're young and/or have money, NYC is still a great town, my favorite. But for the rest of us its a helluva great place to visit every now and then

 

[Bluenote13]

Joe you’re the man! We really appreciated your hospitality and helping us out, even giving us a ride to the ferry. Couldn’t ask for a better intro to the Big Apple.

Hard to believe a scarring moment from my childhood is now 25 years in the past. Maybe our rebuilds will sync up and we’ll get a rematch in 5 years

No problem, glad to help, next weekend I'm out of town so you had good timing ! The only thing now is my wife won't let me open those awesome wines until she's had the baby in October ! Just in time for opening night at MSG

A rematch would be awesome, if that happens, your next trip to NYC will be the finals and I'll get us great seats if you provide more fantastic wine !

 

[Boris Zubov]

No, but you have to have accommodations. You said you last lived here 36 years ago, no? Back then NYC took on about 15 to 20 million tourists a year.

If you're young and/or have money, NYC is still a great town, my favorite. But for the rest of us its a helluva great place to visit every now and then

No, I'm old, but not that old. I moved out of the city in 2007, been gone for good since 2009. NYC had plenty of tourists 10 years ago & we all managed just fine. Are we that concerned that a potential visitor might not plan a trip if there's a 3 minute walk to the nearest double espresso instead of a 30 second walk? Oh the humanity!

I remember when still living in Manhattan & the deluge was well underway, there was literally two Chase's diagonally across from each other in the same intersection. Obviously it was from Chase took over another bank like Washington Mutual or something, but it didn't make it less obnoxious.

The best part of visiting a city like Paris is stopping in a different tiny cafe every morning to taste the owners pastries or crepes. Or one of the thousands of family run bistros for a glass of wine & some onion soup for a light lunch. Shopping at small boutiques is way more rewarding than the mall, IMO. Bland corporate eateries & chains will never have the charm that family run places do. If I wanted H&M or Starf***s I could go to any mall in middle America, not sure why anyone needs to go to NYC to do it. I digress...I'm just an aging dinosaur.

 

[Bluenote13]

BZ, you and I would not do that when visiting NYC, but there is a TON of people who must find those kind of places comforting in a City that makes their head spin.

Which is FINE, leave all the good places less crowded for us !

 

[3rd Sedin]

No problem, glad to help, next weekend I'm out of town so you had good timing ! The only thing now is my wife won't let me open those awesome wines until she's had the baby in October ! Just in time for opening night at MSG

A rematch would be awesome, if that happens, your next trip to NYC will be the finals and I'll get us great seats if you provide more fantastic wine !

The timing worked really well. And wine aging for a couple extra months is never a bad thing!

If you got us great seats for the Stanley Cup I’d personally drive out to every vineyard I could find in the BC Okanagan and bring a greater variety down!

 

[dstoffa]

No, I'm old, but not that old. I moved out of the city in 2007, been gone for good since 2009. NYC had plenty of tourists 10 years ago & we all managed just fine. Are we that concerned that a potential visitor might not plan a trip if there's a 3 minute walk to the nearest double espresso instead of a 30 second walk? Oh the humanity!

I remember when still living in Manhattan & the deluge was well underway, there was literally two Chase's diagonally across from each other in the same intersection. Obviously it was from Chase took over another bank like Washington Mutual or something, but it didn't make it less obnoxious.

When a neighborhood becomes trendy, or a city becomes a desirable place to live, the cost of real estate goes up. You see it in home values and rents. And when it comes to a business, once their lease is up, the landlord will attempt to monetize and get his/her share of what is being observed. Can't say I blame them, but they do look at the world with rose colored glasses. The business model for the mom-and-pop establishments no longer works. They can't make rent with current pricing. They will lose all their customers if prices are raised, so they are essentially forced to close. The businesses that can survive in this climate are chains who can spread the cost of high rent to other locations. The independent establishment does not have this luxury.

The best part of visiting a city like Paris is stopping in a different tiny cafe every morning to taste the owners pastries or crepes. Or one of the thousands of family run bistros for a glass of wine & some onion soup for a light lunch. Shopping at small boutiques is way more rewarding than the mall, IMO. Bland corporate eateries & chains will never have the charm that family run places do. If I wanted H&M or Star****s I could go to any mall in middle America, not sure why anyone needs to go to NYC to do it. I digress...I'm just an aging dinosaur.

I wonder how many of those family run business actually OWN instead of RENT. That would explain a lot. An establishment in NYC that owns the building would not be impacted by sky-rocketing rents.

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

When a neighborhood becomes trendy, or a city becomes a desirable place to live, the cost of real estate goes up. You see it in home values and rents. And when it comes to a business, once their lease is up, the landlord will attempt to monetize and get his/her share of what is being observed. Can't say I blame them, but they do look at the world with rose colored glasses. The business model for the mom-and-pop establishments no longer works. They can't make rent with current pricing. They will lose all their customers if prices are raised, so they are essentially forced to close. The businesses that can survive in this climate are chains who can spread the cost of high rent to other locations. The independent establishment does not have this luxury.



I wonder how many of those family run business actually OWN instead of RENT. That would explain a lot. An establishment in NYC that owns the building would not be impacted by sky-rocketing rents.

The other thing that never gets taken into account in these discussions is that in instances where the business owners are also the real estate owners, frequently it's the real estate that represents the nest egg. Are we really going to get all up in arms over yet another Starbucks when we find out the reason it appeared was that the Jamaican hardware store owner who worked there for 50 years only able to sock away a couple thousand a year each year then sold it for multi-millions and retired?

 

[GordonGecko]

The only thing now is my wife won't let me open those awesome wines until she's had the baby in October ! Just in time for opening night at MSG

That's what you think - wait 'til she realizes the diet continues while nursing....

 

[Bluenote13]

That's what you think - wait 'til she realizes the diet continues while nursing....

Thankfully, she's not nursing, tried it with the first one, missed way too much sleep, the both of us.

 

[dstoffa]

The other thing that never gets taken into account in these discussions is that in instances where the business owners are also the real estate owners, frequently it's the real estate that represents the nest egg. Are we really going to get all up in arms over yet another Starbucks when we find out the reason it appeared was that the Jamaican hardware store owner who worked there for 50 years only able to sock away a couple thousand a year each year then sold it for multi-millions and retired?

Yep. A good friend of mine has an aunt who owns vacation rental property upstate New York. Seasonal rentals on lots (meaning large chunk of, not individual lots) of land. The value is in the land, not the business. If you bought the land and had to float a note to do so, you couldn't make ends meet. If you bought the land for cash, there are better places to invest that kind of change. The value is in subdividing and developing the property. So yes, the value of the real estate also comes into play.

 

[egelband]

The Rock is now a Stone, but still open (albeit probably under new management since the "good old days." It's not "old school" anymore...

And there is a "Rock" on W33rd St, next to Stout. I believe they were "old school", too at one point. But they now have a rooftop deck if I am not mistaken. This one is still probably the most "old school" one left.

Is that the same place that had the good brisket sandwiches and the old guys drinking at like 830am?

 

[Boris Zubov]

Is that the same place that had the good brisket sandwiches and the old guys drinking at like 830am?

That sounds like it could be one of a thousand Irish bars in NYC from the 50s to the late 80s.

 

[dstoffa]

Is that the same place that had the good brisket sandwiches and the old guys drinking at like 830am?

That sounds like it could be one of a thousand Irish bars in NYC from the 50s to the late 80s.

Nothing like having a Screwdriver with your morning bagel before getting to the office...

 

[mike14]

Due to the shitty start of season schedule, it looks my only chance to see the Rangers is when they play the Devils at Prudential.
We'll be staying on Long Island with easy access to the N/W subway trains. What's the best way to get from there to Prudential and back, how long is the trip, and am I going to have any issues wearing my Rangers jersey (normally I wouldn't ask the last question but you read some crazy stories on here about fan interaction....)?

Cheers

 

[Greg02]

To be clear, you're staying in Long Island City, not on Long Island, right? Probably want to take the N/W to 34th St/Herald Square, walk to Penn, and then take NJ Transit to Newark Penn. It shouldn't be hard. Depends on train timings but figure about an hour fifteen minutes.

 

[mike14]

To be clear, you're staying in Long Island City, not on Long Island, right? Probably want to take the N/W to 34th St/Herald Square, walk to Penn, and then take NJ Transit to Newark Penn. It shouldn't be hard. Depends on train timings but figure about an hour fifteen minutes.

Correct. Long Island City/Astoria.

Many thanks. Doesn't sound to painful.
Will just have to find tickets

 

[will1066]

Correct. Long Island City/Astoria.

Many thanks. Doesn't sound to painful.
Will just have to find tickets

On the walk from Herald Sq to Penn Station, stop and peek into MSG studios. It faces directly across Penn Station's main entrance.

 

[JimmyG89]

Walked past the Garden the other night and saw that the bar next to Flying Puck (Harrington's) is also closed and the inside torn out. I believe the same person owned both locations.

So in 2019, there will be four bars in and around MSG/Penn Station that will close or are closed. Rent for these places must be through the roof. There are some other really nice locations near by that won't be closing anytime soon, but it would be nice to have more options.

 

[NYRFAN218]

Correct. Long Island City/Astoria.

Many thanks. Doesn't sound to painful.
Will just have to find tickets

You can also take the N/W to 34th and take the PATH as a cheaper alternative. The PATH station is connected to the MTA station at 34th so you wouldn’t have to walk the extra block or so. You’d take the Journal Square train to the last stop and then switch for the Newark bound train there.

 

[dstoffa]

You can also take the N/W to 34th and take the PATH as a cheaper alternative. The PATH station is connected to the MTA station at 34th so you wouldn’t have to walk the extra block or so. You’d take the Journal Square train to the last stop and then switch for the Newark bound train there.

Do realize that the PATH is slow as compared to NJ Transit. What's a 15-20 minute ride on NJT from Newark Penn to New York Penn (and vice-versa), can take up to three time longer via PATH. Considering how much I'd be paying for entertainment that night, I'd not worry about saving money on the fare. Time is money.

 

[NYRFAN218]

Do realize that the PATH is slow as compared to NJ Transit. What's a 15-20 minute ride on NJT from Newark Penn to New York Penn (and vice-versa), can take up to three time longer via PATH. Considering how much I'd be paying for entertainment that night, I'd not worry about saving money on the fare. Time is money.

The 3 times longer would only be if service went completely off the rails which could happen with NJT too. PATH is usually my go to when going out there and I’d guesstimate off the top of my head it usually takes me 30 mins during rush hour. After the game is rough though because PATH service at night is seemingly non existent.

 

[Crease]

The 3 times longer would only be if service went completely off the rails which could happen with NJT too. PATH is usually my go to when going out there and I’d guesstimate off the top of my head it usually takes me 30 mins during rush hour. After the game is rough though because PATH service at night is seemingly non existent.

I go to Newark regularly and after getting burned by PATH a couple times I now stick with NJT.

Just 33rd St to Journal Square on the PATH takes longer, and then you have wait for the transfer. And sometimes the only option is Journal Square via Hoboken and/or World Trade Center and by the time I've gotten to Newark I've got dysentery and there are no more oxen.

 

[True Blue]

Correct. Long Island City/Astoria.

Lots of great restaurants. Though I feel like Astoria is still old school, while LIC is the latest hipster take over location.

 

[BklynTerp]

LIC is for rich people. Astoria might be old school in some ways but it’s packed to the brim with recent college grads and young professionals

 

[dstoffa]

The 3 times longer would only be if service went completely off the rails which could happen with NJT too. PATH is usually my go to when going out there and I’d guesstimate off the top of my head it usually takes me 30 mins during rush hour. After the game is rough though because PATH service at night is seemingly non existent.

After a game, and particularly a night game, I want to get home as quickly as possible. Taking the PATH back to 33rd St is a a very slow cheaper alternative. The few times I've done it, I've had to wait at JSQ for a train to 33rd St. Including wait times for BOTH the WTC train to JSQ and the 33rd St Train at JSQ, total travel time was over an hour. Sorry, not an option for me after a night game.

I will agree that on the way out, wait times are negligible, and travel times are much more palatable. And if I am starting my journey downtown (even down in the Village), PATH is a no-brainer.