Table of Contents & Excerpts

Chapter 1: Getting a Feel for the City

New York City Rules of Thumb
1. Follow the locals: for discount shopping; getting out of the subway on weekends when exits are closed; and road traffic – the crowd knows the ropes, road signs and more better than you do. Follow them.

Chapter 2: The Language

The Coffee Verbiage
The most confusion of all comes in ordering coffee: not at brick and mortar restaurants, but from street vendors and local delis where people who are running to the office in the morning get their first taste of coffee for the day.  Note that in restaurants it is “you”, the customer, who prepares your own coffee, and in delis and at street vendors, it is “they” who prepare your coffee for you – sorry, no exceptions.
Okay, this is how it works:

Chapter 3: Transportation

Since you and your car are not the only couple looking for a resting place on the streets, drivers will compete with you for parking spots. Many do not play by any rule of courtesy and will cut in front of you when they see you’ve been waiting for a spot. Just don’t be surprised. Parking on the street is a scarce opportunity, so it can be a bit cutthroat.

Chapter 4: Finding a Place to Live

Finding the Apartment
You have only a few types of housing from which to choose in New York City: condos (apartments), cooperatives (apartments), lofts (big apartments), boarding houses (apartments with the bathroom down the hall), and apartments.  If you have access to the Internet, this is where many of the brokers have a presence.  There are a few major sites to view, and each Real Estate rental office has its own (you’ll learn which these are when you see the site that I mention next.)  The best site for apartment rental information currently is www.craigslist.org.  You can also view www.villagevoice.com and others, but they are not as comprehensive as Craigslist.

Chapter 5: Furnishing Your Living Space

Furnishing Your Living Space
You may find that friends will want to give you furniture for your place because they are upgrading theirs.  On the other hand, if you want to do things on the cheap, you have another option that locals know about and utilize.  Go shopping in your neighborhood (or the Upper West Side) on the streets.  It is legal and preferred in New York City to leave your unwanted goods along with your trash on the sidewalks.  Many cities do not allow this, but it is a shopper’s paradise for New Yorkers.  Get a friend with a car, truck or van and go shopping during the trash days.  Go out the night before and have fun.  Landlords toss out furniture when they are getting apartments ready for a new tenant.  There are actually items you can truly use for your apartment!

Chapter 6: Getting Around in the (Neighbor) Hood

Getting Around in the (Neighbor) Hoods:
If you spend much time in New York City, you will learn one rule of thumb already mentioned – always check it out!  That goes for gathering information from signs, especially telephone numbers on posted signs.  For example: a superintendent posts his number and name on the wall of the building in which you might be interested.  You don’t know it, but the number is so old, the super doesn’t have that number any more – but, it is posted, as it should be.  No one changes the sign.  The residents know how to get around these things, but visitors need to dig for the information they need.  Don’t be surprised by what is (or is not) on signs.

Chapter 7: Cutting Costs

Cutting Costs
Make-up: Generally a woman will take advantage of this offering, but it is available to all.  You can put on your daily make-up at the Sephoras in town.  One of my young, struggling model friends put me on to this.  But, since the secret is out, purchase the latest cosmetic sensations at Sephora!  They have the largest selection anywhere.  They’re great!  (You will also see my friend on some of its products.)

Chapter 8: Sights, Sounds and Critters of the City

Of the smaller critters one may find trying to cohabitate with you in your apartment are beetles, roaches and mice.  Living here has taught me how to deal with them, and I won’t keep the solutions from you.

Chapter 9: Safety Issues

True Stories of NYC Samaritans
Up in the building where I work, it is often hot waiting for the elevators, so tenants open the windows.  There aren’t any window guards or screens, and you can open them all the way.  You don’t have to feel a breeze to have a paper fly out of the window if you set it on the ledge.  This happened to my boss; however, the paper was an envelope with a check inside that he was going to hand deliver.  He had his return address on it, but it floated away from the building and up a few blocks, and then it was gone.  He was distraught and went out looking for it, but he couldn’t find it.  He came back to the office and discovered a person on the street retrieved the envelope and took the time and trouble to get into the building and personally deliver that envelope back to his office!  How many of us would have gone that far to help a stranger?  But, that happened in New York City.

Chapter 10: Welcome to New York City!

Welcome to New York!

[Back to top]