Only in New York

[Montana]

this thread is about things you'll only experience in NYC

*guys breakdancing on the train
*on the streets, guys drumming on a bucket and still it sounds professional

etc etc. add on please

[RandySavage]

--There is a barbershop quartet that sings in the Wall Street subway station during some friday afternoon rush hours... they're really good and get a LOT of donations from exhausted bankers.

--The city itself takes on a surreal gleam in the late afternoon - with the skyscapers shimmering in gold thanks to the setting sun. It is like no other man-made sight in the world.

[ZippyTheChimp]

Last week at the 59th St A subway station: an Asian man in suit and tie with a keyboard, singing an aria...he was very good.

[Gulcrapek]

^I wanna be on that car ;)

A few weeks ago I was on a train somewhere in Manhattan... I forgot where, but a mariachi band came in and did a few songs.

Also re: the silver guy, there are a few of them... that guy is in the TXSQ station a lot, there's one who does Columbus Circle sometimes, and probably another one somewhere.

[Clarknt67]

i'm amused by the homeless person on the train that asks me for fifty dollars. :roll:

[fioco]

Do you ever say Yes? If so, Which train? What time?

[billyblancoNYC]

- Walking along the street and seeing those Peruvian spacy performers, then a guy playing a steel drum, then a guy playing a bongo... all on the same block, even in 30-odd degree weather.

- Walking along the street and seeing 4 pretzel guys, each on a different corner, halal meat and white sauce guys right next to that, then some guy handing out strip club flyers and some guy selling what amounted to a load of crap (calculators, socks, etc). All on the same 4 corner intersection.

- Seeing a dog walker with about 10-15 dogs at one time, and not having one bit of a problem.

- Being able to walk from Times Square to the 6th Ave canyons to 5th and Madison Aves, passing by amazing brownstones in between, all in a matter, really, of minutes.

[dbhstockton]

Corny, but I have to add: The Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Rockettes! Radio City Music Hall! If you think you're too cool, just get over yourself and let the pure spectacle overwhelm you -- or read Rem Koolhas' "Deleious New York" and feel really hip.

[TLOZ Link5]

Last week at the 59th St A subway station: an Asian man in suit and tie with a keyboard, singing an aria...he was very good.

Dude, you've seen James Qi? He used to play all the time at the 77th Street Lex station.

I have to add the smell of horse manure outside the Plaza Hotel. Only in New York can it smell like doodie at a swanky city's swankiest intersection, outside of its most famous hotel. (Not that it detracts from the general splendor of New York, but still... :roll: )

[TonyO]

I go into my bodega this morning and the cook gives my dog all the deli meat-ends that are left over from the slicer. Only the finest for a NY dog, its Boar's Head!

[ZippyTheChimp]

I haven't seen him in a while, but for over a year along the Hudson River Park bike route, I would occasionally see this guy on a big-wheel unicycle. It was always in the late morning, he was always heading south, and carried a pouch. He appeared to be commuting. I have seen him as far north as Riverside Park.

[NYatKNIGHT]

On the subway a few weeks ago these three young kids, around 8-12 years old, put on the music and started doing their routine. But they weren't just dancing, it was really gymnastics. One kid was doing push-ups on one hand only - nothing else touching the ground, while the train was moving. Another was doing back flips, like 7 in a row slapping the roof with his hand each time, and back handsprings up and down the car. This train was crowded and they never stepped on a toe. The car erupted in applause, which is very, very rare. They made a killing.

[YesIsaidYesIwillYes]

Only in New York?

Waking up early, stepping out onto the streets while the sun's ascent into the sky provides a warmth and energy that reaffirms my faith in this atmosphere; unmatched anywhere.

That's what I miss most.

[Hof]

Once,a panhandler asked me for twelve cents.He was serious,too.Didn't tell me what it was for,just that he needed 12 cents.
I gave him a quarter,figuring that he would appreciate doubling his luck.He refused the quarter and wandered off down the street,looking for 12 cents...

[Clarknt67]

Do you ever say Yes? If so, Which train? What time?

I never said yes, but I admired his ambition.

On a less pleasant note, but surely an "only in NY" moment, I stepped onto the train and noticed a homeless person, laying on his side back to the car, with is hand stuffed down the front of his pants obviously pleasuring himself.

I wouldn't mind if that imagery left my head someday.

[fioco]

Clarknt67, I was teasing you about the handout, but you're right about images that make an impression. Not long ago I was scurrying through the underground maze at Union Station with an armload of small parcels. Along one of the corridors I saw a small shop/newstand in a most unlikely spot and stopped to buy a bottle of water. The proprietor gave me a large bag for my parcels and asked if I had time for a story. I said yes.

An old woman, somewhat haggard and confused, had stopped into his store. She looked at him plaintively as she said: "Father." She was old enough to be his mother. But again she said, "Father," with even greater persistence. Then the shopkeeper asked if I understood. I did not. He asked if I had time for him to repeat the story. And he did.

By the look on my face, it was obvious that an explanation was necessary. In his country (near Pakistan) when a person is in trouble or needs assistance, he/she needs merely to address someone as kin (mother, brother, sister) and help is freely given. The shopkeeper said if I was ever in need, I could come by his store and he would help me. That man at Union Station taught me something about New York I will never forget. Had I been in a hurry I would have missed a piece of life itself.

[Gulcrapek]

Yesterday the father and I were driving through Park Slope. We came to a red light at around 15th St. An old guy comes up to my window and my father rolls it down, the guy says something unintelligible to me but the father deciphered that he wanted to go to Carroll St. So he said "Hop on in!"

So we drive this guy down to Carroll St, he has a conversation with us about how things are getting so expensive, and insurance and stuff, and when he came to the country in 1946 and stuff. It was rather odd but cool.

[RandySavage]

I love this topic and thought I'd revive it. I had lunch in Central Park on this beautiful day and got a few "only in New York" moments (I'm not a good photographer, unfortunately).

The aforementioned Dog Walkers. It's great to see so many different dogs getting along.
http://img22.photobucket.com/albums/v65/RandySavage/101_0119.jpg




Where else can you watch a mini-sailboat race in a conservatory pool with mature oaks and 750-800+ foot skyscrapers rising above you. (Carnegie Tower, Cityspire, etc.):
http://img22.photobucket.com/albums/v65/RandySavage/101_0120.jpg

[ThuRsDaY]

When I went to NYC last summer I saw a guy sitting in a chicken cage on the sidewalk. Boasting something about animal cruelty, but he didn't speak english so I didn't understand. Only in New York.

I also saw a group of asian guys in Chinatown, one in a penguin costume, one with a camcorder walking around. I believe they were trying to do a show like the MTV Jackass show.

[krulltime]

I was taking the #2 train yesterday from wall st. at around 4pm and there was this teenager who started anouncing that he was selling chocolate bars (he was carrying some boxes full of them) and said that he was not raising money for any school program and it wasn't for any sport event or any community...that he was just selling this to keep the money to himself.

He sold about 2 bars to 2 people.

Only in NYC!

[NewYorkYankee]

I was taking the #2 train yesterday from wall st. at around 4pm and there was this teenager who started anouncing that he was selling chocolate bars (he was carrying some boxes full of them) and said that he was not raising money for any school program and it wasn't for any sport event or any community...that he was just selling this to keep the money to himself.

He sold about 2 bars to 2 people.

Only in NYC!

I saw this same guy when I was in NY, I was on the 5 train. He said "It was to keep him out of trouble" one lady snickered and said "HA! Keep jim out of trouble", no one gave any so he went to the next car.

[krulltime]

:shock: Yeah thats what he said. Was he african american?

[NewYorkYankee]

:shock: Yeah thats what he said. Was he african american?

yeah, were talking about the same guy I'd say. I guess that's his "Career" LOL :roll:

[RandySavage]

Chances are it was NOT the same guy. "To stay out of trouble" is just the latest spiel that these young entreprenueres use. Before that it was "to raise money for the basketball team."

I see Candy Kids at least once a day all over Manhattan.

[krulltime]

Here are some interesting stories I found by people'e experiences in NYC:
(I thought they are kind of cute)

From the New York Times:

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After being away from the city for a long time, I recently went for a walk with some friends in Central Park, where we could enjoy the true glory of springtime in New York.

We passed by couples making out on the grass and children flying kites, and stopped at Belvedere Castle, where we watched families feeding ducks in the lake.

Suddenly, the bucolic scene was interrupted by laughter and wild applause coming from behind us. Turning around, we saw a classic New York scene: an ambitious rat had hurled itself into the lake, darted out to the middle, snatched the piece of bread out from under a duck's bill and sped back to his hole before the bewildered duck even knew what hit him.

Upon reaching dry land, the rat was met with cheers from the gleeful crowd.

It's good to be home.

Orli Cotel

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As I walked in Midtown Manhattan on a lovely spring day, I saw a mime all in silver - face and hands in silver makeup and silver-colored clothes - standing statue straight and statue still. He didn't seem to blink his eyes as I watched him for a time.

I stood in awe as I admired his ability to be perfectly still as he appeared to be an inanimate object. He had a tip bucket at his feet, and I felt I must reward his talent. I went up to him and put a couple of dollars into the bucket.

As I backed away with admiration in my eyes, his right hand moved to his face, and he blew me a kiss. No other part of him moved, and within seconds he was back to his statuelike stance. That was a memorable kiss.

Jeannette Ollodart Marx

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Last fall, Rocko Coltrane and Wasabi Mae, two dogs of mixed breeding, visited New York City from the leashless wilds of Taos, N.M. They savored the myriad scents of Chinatown, chased squirrels in Central Park and mingled with their pedigreed city cousins in many of the most happening dog runs. The highlight of their trip, however, came at 2 a.m. on the day of their departure.

To escape a downpour, their master ducked into a chic bistro on Park Avenue around 20th Street, leaving the hounds soggy and waiting on the sidewalk. Perhaps it was Rocko's blue eyes, or Sabi's three legs, that moved the headwaiter to clear a space for the curs to curl up in the dry vestibule. But it was surely something in the nature of the New Yorker that prompted another patron to buy the dogs a steak.

Andy Rosenberg

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Many years ago, my Venezuelan father-in-law was visiting his friend Placido, who had moved to New York from Caracas. Placido had just returned from Dallas and was wearing a 10-gallon Stetson hat and cowboy boots. Walking down Fifth Avenue, they were approached by a tall Texan who yelled out, "Hey, little buddy!"

He then lifted the hat off Placido's head and, turning it around, said, "You've got it on backwards."

Upon arriving home, Placido gave the hat to my father-in-law.

Bruce Polatnick

[TonyO]

The rat story is great.

Yesterday I had one. The Hare Krishnas are pretty common in the east village so I didn't even think twice to look when I heard their typical singing and chimes-ringing. I just happened to take a look at where the noise was coming from and there they were, about 7 Hare Krishnas piled in a white Minivan with Jersey plates.

[krulltime]

NYC MEN: KIDS IN A CANDY STORE

By BRIDGET HARRISON

WHEN I first moved here from London three years ago, it took me barely six weeks before I wrote a column titled: “What Is Wrong With New York Men?

We’re all still asking the same question.

I’m onto the thorny topic again after reading an article in this week’s New York Observer about the tough time English women have dating American men.

The article suggests that Brit girls, who like to get drunk, snog and shag (and tend to be a bit lax in the waxing department) scare New York guys.

The article was spot on, but it left out one vital point: American women don’t find dating New York guys any easier than we Brits do.

I have four female American friends who’ve already thrown in the towel and, fearing singledom forever, have fled the state altogether.

And get this: within weeks of leaving, they all successfully hooked up with great guys from places like Seattle.

Meanwhile this city is now so famous for containing attractive single women who can’t find a nice guy, it’s become a cliché.

Even a male friend of mine who recently moved here from London was shocked by the way men behave in this town.

“Blokes here behave like misogynist heathens from the Stone Age,” he said.

“If they sleep with a girl, they don’t bother to call. They resent girls who try to pin them down; they think it’s normal to have several dates on the go at once. What is going on?”

It’s this.

New York is a honey pot for intelligent, successful women — meaning not only do we outnumber the guys, but they can afford to have ridiculously high standards.

Guys here can skip around like boys in a candy store, while we have to make do like housewives with ration books during WWII.

The result: We get a city full of fussy, arrogant men who think they hold all the cards — and a lot of disheartened women who think they deserve better.

For example: My friend Paula recently broke up with a banker after she told him she wanted to be treated like she was something special.

To which he responded: “I find you really attractive and I have a great time with you, but I can’t do that right now. I’ve just got a lot going on.” He’s 32.

Which leads me to another point. In New York, dating must be relegated to an allotted slot — along with walking the dog and working out. It doesn’t leave much time for romance.

I’ve just spent a month trying to meet up with a guy who keeps putting me off because of his work commitments. (He’s the one who I gave my email to at a party. He took over a week to get in touch). My excitement about our first meeting has long gone — as, I’m sure, has his. But what does he care? There are plenty more like me around.

But it’s not just the skewed demographics and insane working hours that are the trouble. It’s the pressures of living in a highvoltage city where most of our currency is in the superficial.

It’s hardly normal to live in a world where women should always wax and men should have wads of money.

But we think it is.

And so around and around it all goes.

The guys who have the goods can be even pickier.

The women who think they deserve men who have the goods become frustrated.

Compounding the problem: We all think about this stuff way too much.

Bad dates, lack of dates and occasional great dates have become an allconsuming obsession in this city.

So by the time we poor suckers get out on a date it feels more like a job interview.

The sad thing is, I believe most guys in this city might be half-decent if they lived in Milwaukee — not Manhattan. Hell, I might even have married one of them by now.

Because when you get down to it, here’s what’s wrong with New York men:

They live in New York.

Copyright 2004 NYP Holdings, Inc

[krulltime]

Even a male friend of mine who recently moved here from London was shocked by the way men behave in this town.

“Blokes here behave like misogynist heathens from the Stone Age,” he said.

I wonder if this will become a stereo type?

[krulltime]

Restaurants dealt a rude awakening
Forced to make concessions or take stands in the face of diners' lapses in etiquette


By Lisa Fickenscher

Sebastiano Cappitta doesn't want to complain. So what if his customers come to his restaurants with grocery bags under their arms and ask him to store them in his walk-in refrigerator? He even smiles when he puts their fresh-cut flowers in a vase so that they don't wilt during the pasta course.

But when customers walk through the doors sipping a bottle of Poland Springs water or a frothy Starbucks cappuccino, he gets upset. After all, he sells similar items. He's equally irked by people who talk on their cell phones while they're being seated.

"Where I grew up," says the native Italian who owns casual eateries Acqua, Isola and Bettola, "people would tell you that a restaurant is not a park."

Mr. Cappitta doesn't admonish his Manhattan customers. He doesn't want to lose them.

New Yorkers have always taken pride in their reputation for being demanding consumers. Lately, however, restaurateurs say this signature trait has morphed into a new level of rudeness. Neighborhood eateries like Mr. Cappitta's are most likely to suffer when it comes to such bad manners, but even some of the city's top-rated establishments are noticing a decline in restaurant etiquette.

Politeness has been waning for the past 25 years, according to etiquette consultant Margaret Delvecchio of Baldwin, N.Y. "By the time someone notices this is happening, it's already too late," she says. "Now, all of a sudden, there is a critical mass of rude behavior."

Most restaurateurs are choosing to be as accommodating as possible. They can't afford not to be. Turgut Balickci, like Mr. Cappitta, owns three restaurants on the Upper West Side--Bella Luna, Pasha and Bella Sguardo. His customers will often shop at Zabars or Fairway before dining out.


Freezer burn


"They have meat, fish or cheese and don't want to keep it under the table," he explains. While Mr. Balickci graciously takes their bags, he says he can't help thinking, "Ten years ago, no one asked for such a thing. They went shopping and went home."

A decade ago, New Yorkers didn't balk at wearing their best for a fancy meal. Today, dressing up for the theater or dinner is considered as quaint as wearing a tie to work.

These new habits are taking a toll, especially at some of the city's top-rated restaurants, which lately have been losing their appeal. Just look at the ones that have closed recently, including such institutions as La Caravelle, Lespinasse and La Côte Basque.

The venerable survivors in that category have been forced to take drastic dress code measures to stay afloat. About a year ago, Le Perigord and La Grenouille reluctantly dropped their tie requirement for men. "As it became more evident that we were irritating our customers, we backed down," says Charles Masson, whose parents opened La Grenouille 42 years ago.

The change was shocking to some of the restaurant's longtime patrons, but Mr. Masson told them that the alternative was empty tables.

As it is, up to 40% of La Grenouille's reservations are not honored, particularly on Saturday evenings. "That is a matter of consideration," says Mr. Masson, whose restaurant has begun accepting walk-ins to offset the no-shows.

At Le Perigord, the changes are more painful to proprietor Georges Briguet, who is a self-described stickler about dress codes. He hasn't been to the theater in two years because he last sat next to a man wearing a T-shirt. Now, Mr. Briguet seats men wearing blazers, and even those who come without ties and with open shirts.

These customers are ushered away from Mr. Briguet's loyal patrons. "I don't want to offend the people who are dressed elegantly," he says.

Proper attire is also a problem at restaurants that don't require a jacket but are still exquisite enough to merit one. "We advise people that they can't go into the dining room with jeans and sneakers," says Tocqueville co-owner Jo-Ann Makovitzky. "Then they show up in flip-flops, shorts and a knapsack and think it's perfectly fine."

Some restaurateurs are taking a stand where they can. Sherry Delamarter co-owns six family-friendly restaurants in Manhattan, including Cowgirl, which offers outdoor dining. At a recent management meeting she insisted that her staff enforce the no-pets rule. "We have more people saying they'll hold their dogs on their laps," says Ms. Delamarter. But, she adds, "You have to be as strong and firm as they are."


Sex scenes


Fido in the lap beats fondling at the table, as has been the case at Cafe des Artistes. Blame it on the enticing murals of nudes or the 91/2 Weeks sex scene that was filmed at the restaurant. Whatever the reason, over the past several years, more people are engaging in sex at the restaurant, says Jenifer Lang, its co-owner.

In February the restaurant's secluded back room was the site of several rendezvous for an "affectionate" couple ordering champagne and oysters each Friday at 2:45 p.m.--that is, until the maître d' offered to make them a reservation at a nearby hotel and demanded that they clean up their act.

"People are getting more bold, feeling more entitled," says Ms. Lang. At the same time, she says, it takes a certain amount of finesse to interrupt such encounters and to do so without humiliating guests. She concludes, "You can't make a scene."


Copyright 2004, Crain Communications, Inc

[krulltime]

Proper attire is also a problem at restaurants that don't require a jacket but are still exquisite enough to merit one. "We advise people that they can't go into the dining room with jeans and sneakers," says Tocqueville co-owner Jo-Ann Makovitzky. "Then they show up in flip-flops, shorts and a knapsack and think it's perfectly fine."

Hey there is nothing wrong with that! :?

....Just kidding. That is trailer park proper attire..better get used to it. Now days everyone wants a piece of the apple.

Fido in the lap beats fondling at the table, as has been the case at Cafe des Artistes. Blame it on the enticing murals of nudes or the 91/2 Weeks sex scene that was filmed at the restaurant. Whatever the reason, over the past several years, more people are engaging in sex at the restaurant, says Jenifer Lang, its co-owner.

Ha! I have to make a reservation. Pronto. Can I have whipped cream with that?

[JACKinNYC]

I once saw a big man with a scruffy beard, he was about 6'3" and maybe 200 pounds, and he was wearing a summer dress.

[Ptarmigan]

Only in New York, indoor rock climbing place in a skyscraper on Broadway. :wink:

[BrooklynRider]

Guy selling candy on the 3 Train. Said it wasn't for a school team or uniform. Claimed if we didn't buy the candy he'd be forced to go out and rob people.

[NewYorkYankee]

Guy selling candy on the 3 Train. Said it wasn't for a school team or uniform. Claimed if we didn't buy the candy he'd be forced to go out and rob people.

Did anyone buy so they wouldnt get robbed?! :roll: