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Skateboarding => Travel Guide => Topic started by: RECK on September 27, 2012, 03:13:11 AM
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I'm flying from london to new york to meet with some traveling friends for 8 days next week
I'm staying just of on nostrand avenue in bed stuy http://www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/usa/new-york-city/62824/map/ (http://www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/usa/new-york-city/62824/map/)
iv heard very mixed reviews on this area with the majority claiming its unsafe at night, i obviously don't wana spend my nights locked up in my hostel and would much rather be out at some bars till the early hours. would it be unwise to walk/commute back to this place late at night. there will be 3 of us. i heard williamsburg and downtown brookyln are full of decent bars.
id quite like some suggestions for drinking spots, stuff to see and do
places to avoid?
tourist stuff to go see or avoid?
good food spots?
a good place to meet local skateboarders?
markets?
anything you can think of
getting really excited about this trip and want to get somewhat of an itinerary together, now its getting so close
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lived in W.Harlem for years and didn't make it to Bed Stuy much, so can't really give you advice on that part, but for the most part you'll be fine in that area. ? pockets here and there, but overall ok.
for street stuff, just spend the rest of the week on www.quartersnacks.com (http://www.quartersnacks.com) and study up re: where to go, what to wear, ettiquete, whatnot. ? for parks...you have 8 days, so may as well do the whole circuit...keeping in mind that early mornings at Chelsea and LES are best if you actually want to be able to shred without kiddie swarms. ? for local skaters, just talk to the doods at Chelsea who are all rad, or go talk to the guys at Labor, who are also rad. ? if you're in Brooklyn, go to Homage. ? a good skate circuit is going up to the Bronx park to warm up, then skate across the bridge to W. Harlem and skate down to 125, jump on the bus across the Triboro and get off at the first stop in Astoria and skate over to the Astoria park...then jump on the subway back. ? something like that.
tourist stuff: ? the Circle Line BOAT tour around Manhattan on the rivers is actually a cool tour...or just take the SI Ferry back and forth. ? living in Hamilton Hts, I was always partial to Covo down by the river, or there's Dino BBQ...also the Cloisters are a cool sight. ? hit Max Fish for skate tourist stuff.
Bars: always partial to Half King after Chelsea sessions...too many others to even mention
Food: again, way too much too get into it, but Mission Chinese would be good after an LES session
Overall, get on your board and skate around Manhattan all day. ? Likely you or someone has a smart phone, so you cant really get lost in the city anymore, which is a bummer, but also less stressful if youre visiting. ?
have fun, definitely miss NYC
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bedstuy is fine, especially on Nostrand, gentrification pretty much cleared all that up. Just dont act like a tourist or anything and you'll be fine.
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I haven't skated the entire metro area by a long shot, but I've covered a hellofa lot of Manhattan & I haven't found any area that I would consider "dangerous" for a skateboarder (unless a person was super clueless).
I'm sure there's some sketch somewhere, but so far I'd say NYC is by far the safest-feeling American city I've ever been in. This place rules.
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thanks hellman
il definatly have to check out chelsea, had never heard of it before, looks immense, cant wait to hit up the revamped les park as well.
il def have to spend a couple days cruising manhattan, just been salivating over the spot map on Qsnacks.....
cheers for suggestions, il make note
thanks for the reassurance Brooklyn zoo, some solid advice there. I'm a pretty street wise guy and shouldn't look to touristy
if any1 else feels like throwing some ideas at me that would be great
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if you want to buy a loosey just say "give me 1" or "let me get a fish" and produce 50 cents, if you are a white guy and ask for a loosey they will probably tell you they dont sell them.
There is a few chill bars off Nostrand ave, on Nostrand and Lafayette there is a place called the Black Swan they serve banging bar food and the atmosphere is pretty chill, if your looking for a cheaper alternative on Nostrand and Myrtle is this place called Project Parlor that's pretty cool, cheap drinks and a huge backyard and if you want to see photos of Jay-z when he used to work at a fried chicken place across from the Marcy projects pop in to Crown Fried Chicken on the corner of Marcy and Myrtle (few blocks down Myrtle from Nostrand ave).
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personally i think solely skating parks during your first time to a major city is half assed unless it's some DIY mecca. you're there to immerse yourself not constrain yourself to a controlled environment.
if i were in your shoes I'd take the G train (runs through bedstuy) from bedford nostrand stop to Lorimer/Metropolitan Ave and skate the BQE DIY assortment which is under the elevated highway off Union street outside of the station. it's lighten up at night and you can connect with some locals there pretty easily. if it's late you can get drinks at Union Pool across the street which is typically packed with single girls after 10-11 especially thur-sat. it's a good spot to end a session and start the evening. Enids/Matchless & The commadore for hipster interpretted southern food would be the near by skate frequented bars.
from the L train you can get to 1st Ave in Manhattan from Lorimer or Bedford Ave quickly and hit Tompkins or 12th & A to link up with some people who may be heading downtown or uptown after dark to skate. Manhattan below 110th is really only suitable for skating after business hours unless you're just cruising around in traffic and skating spontaneously. lower manhattan would be your best bet at night as it's more compact and less of a bust than midtown before 11PM or so. you'll definitely find a shit load of spots you'll recognize pushing around and you can mark a few spots off via quartersnacks.com.
if you want to stay close to the hostel i'd go with the recommendations above but you can also take the G or a black car for $7 or so to Broadway in williamsburg and hit Trophy Bar or a new spot called "The Flats" on hooper. these are all spots that have good music and typically attract honeys. From Broadway you can jump on the J or M train along any stop and take it to Essex Street across the bridge for more night life around the lower east side, or just skate over the bridge which is an experience. the main LES bar scene bordered by delancey/essex/houston & allen streets can be kind of a shit show Friday nights but if you're in the right zone you can bar hop around and get into something interesting if you're not some shy introverted dude no homes.
PM if you have any additional inquires, I've been here for the past 10 years and have been skating new york most of my skate days.
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personally i think solely skating parks during your first time to a major city is half assed unless it's some DIY mecca. you're there to immerse yourself not constrain yourself to a controlled environment.
I've kinda stopped even bothering to say stuff like this because I've accepted that most people just want to skate parks, but it's good to hear someone else say it anyway...:)
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personally i think solely skating parks during your first time to a major city is half assed unless it's some DIY mecca. you're there to immerse yourself not constrain yourself to a controlled environment.
I've kinda stopped even bothering to say stuff like this because I've accepted that most people just want to skate parks, but it's good to hear someone else say it anyway...:)
i think it comes down to getting older/having less time to skate. i used to come to nyc and try to street skate for days on end and find spots and check them out. after a while i realized that you spend way more time trying to find the spots, get kicked out, find out its unskateable, etc and you end up not actually skating as much. nowadays i try to check out all the awesome parks that have a bunch of perfect cool shit to skate and i can get a few hours of skating in without taking the whole day. street skating is always a must, dont get me wrong, i'm just saying i can relate to wanting to check out some of the awesome parks. spending an afternoon at the OLD Les park would have been out of the question but now I'd love it
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Barcade in Brooklyn is worth checking out, reasonably priced bar packed with 80s and 90s arcade games.
Tip: New York bars have a thing called a "buy-back". If you are at a place for a few rounds, tip well, and don't act like a shithead the bartender, at their discretion, will pour you a free shot when you order your third or fourth round. It's not a guaranteed thing, more of special treat. And this more likely to happen at chill place than a meat-market like Union Pool.
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Barcades cool for a little bit, the bartenders can be cunts and the the "retro" games get old quick, only 25 cents though.
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Tip: New York bars have a thing called a "buy-back". If you are at a place for a few rounds, tip well, and don't act like a shithead the bartender, at their discretion, will pour you a free shot when you order your third or fourth round.
I've noticed this too - it's fucking awesome. It seems like the shittier & more dive-like the bar, the more likely it is to happen, too. The last few times I've ended up drinking twice what I'd intended due to this phenomenon.
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places to avoid? I wouldn't say there's anywhere to avoid really. I mean, you wouldn't end up deep in the hood of the Bronx or some shitty housing projects unless you where trying to. Personally, I'm not a fan of touristy areas like Times Square but I get that at least seeing these spots are pretty essential to some folks.
good food spots? Artichokes Pizza is pretty dope if you're looking for a good pizza spot. Basically, street food and brunch is what's up in NYC. I like the deals they have at some spots for happy hour - if you go to the Charleston in Brooklyn during happy hour you get a free pizza if you order a beer. Beer + Pizza = 3 bucks. Athom cafe, Little Skips, and Cafe Grumpy are a few coffee spots I like. Oh yeah, I'd say a good food spot is just walking down Bedford in Williamsburg. If you want some bomb ass Russian go to Coney Island, if you want some Polish food go to Greenpoint.
a good place to meet local skateboarders? Tompkins is the meet up spot but it's really just flatground at a tennis court in a central location. The new LES Park is dope and Tribeca is also sick. Most all the other parks are a trek out of the city - like an hour or so to get there.
markets? Walk around Chinatown. The foods good, the markets vast, and the Chinese pastry shops are cheap and delicious.
Bars: Max Fish has been shitty to me for as long as I can remember but it's where skaters like to hang out at. Sweet Paradise was one of the very few bars I liked in Manhattan. Union Pool and Barcade in Brooklyn are popular but Barcade's usually boring - people staring at arcade game screens - and Union Pool tends to be a meat market full of more swordfish than tuna. Tropy Bar is cool, Broomies is tight, Lone wolf is Mellow, but all these places might be far out from where you're staying. The Commodore is a good one for staying close to the L train in Williamsburg. Oh, and Bushwick Country Club is definitely worth going to from wherever you are - Whiskey and coke slushies.
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sweet paradise is gone and in addition to the buy back thing, it also helps if you bring your empties/glasses back to the bar when getting another drink.
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In the "bang for the buck" food department, I gotta throw out my latest find: Prosperity Dumplings in chinatown. Four decent-sized dumplings for a buck. That's dinner for a fucking dollar.
Good shit in this thread. I'm taking notes...
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COME DOWN TO THE LITTLE CEASARS ON NOSTRAND AND CHRUCH WE BE FLIPPIN PIES ALL NIGHT JU HEARD?? NAH BUT REAL FAMS WHAT YALLS NEED TO DO IS STAY IN WHAT IS BETTER KNOWN AS LITTLE CONNETICUT AKA TRUSTFUND PLAYLAND AKA STAY THE FUCK HOME YA HEARD B? WILLIAMSBURG BOY TOYS GET VAMPED FREE MAX B
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sweet paradise is gone and in addition to the buy back thing, it also helps if you bring your empties/glasses back to the bar when getting another drink.
Lame.
What the fuck is this buy back thing you guys are going on about? In my experience if you got a local spot and you tip well then the bartender tends to hook it up from time to time anywhere. Maybe more often in NYC since shit seems a little more lax than with bars here in LA but still.
The American tipping standard is dumb. In other countries I've lived they'd hook it up just because we became cool with each other, not because I gave them an extra buck every time I ordered something.
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when theres 50+ people crowding around the bar, people tipping tend to get served more often/hooked up better
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when theres 50+ people crowding around the bar, people tipping tend to get served more often/hooked up better
I think that's bullshit. Yeah, maybe if it's not your local spot and you tip well it'll make a difference but when it's that many people you think they even notice? Are you gonna wave it in the air or just make sure they see you slap a $10 bill on the table?
I've worked as a bartender before and think it's funny how people thought it ALWAYS worked liked this in the States. The look on some guys faces - who were tools that left me tips like this - when I didn't serve them any faster or hook it up was priceless. Call me old fashioned but if I like you, I'll hook it up. If I don't, you can tip me and I'll appreciate it but I'm not going to do you any better. There's obviously a happy medium.
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Don't go to Governor's Island. Free ferry but shit is bornt! Worst chili dogs available for purchase
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when theres 50+ people crowding around the bar, people tipping tend to get served more often/hooked up better
I think that's bullshit. Yeah, maybe if it's not your local spot and you tip well it'll make a difference but when it's that many people you think they even notice? Are you gonna wave it in the air or just make sure they see you slap a $10 bill on the table?
I've worked as a bartender before and think it's funny how people thought it ALWAYS worked liked this in the States. The look on some guys faces - who were tools that left me tips like this - when I didn't serve them any faster or hook it up was priceless. Call me old fashioned but if I like you, I'll hook it up. If I don't, you can tip me and I'll appreciate it but I'm not going to do you any better. There's obviously a happy medium.
sounds like you weren't a very good bartender
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I'm just not a fan of the American tipping standard. Tipping didn't begin in the U.S.A. and at one point was actually banned in 6 states. Read some history on it.
It's the employers way of shafting the employee and the customer but with Consumerist Capitalism so rampant people have accepted it and taken it to the extreme. It's not even about good service anymore - it's there's an obligation to tip for sub-par service and leave even more if the service is actually good. It's gotten to a point where everyone expects a tip for everything and amounts go undefined. How much do you leave for the bell boy? The taxi driver? Some kid who shines your shoes? The guy who holds the door open for you? At least put a dollar sign on it if that's how it's gotta be....or wait, then the illusions gone.
I don't see how people can't see "the man" is shafting them both yet it creates animosity between the customer and the employee. You can't just get along with the bartender, you HAVE to pay them. It's like if you go to a coffee shop you've been going to everyday for a year and everyday you leave dollar then one day you don't, well, they're not your friend anymore. Everyone's relationships turn into a semblance of strippers dancing for dollars. People should just get paid what they should get paid.
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Up here in canada, the service industry is paid around minimum wage.average tips will take their hourly rate to a somewhat liveable wage. If they want to go the extra mile and provide exemplery service, then they deserve the extra money that comes.its an incentive, and also promotes accountability. probably why you hear more about shitty service in europe and australia as opposed to north america.
U've travelled, the american system triumphs globally.(unless someone flat out refuses the extra money due to pride or whatever).if no one is tipping and you give 5$ for a 4$ drink, people are going to notice/be thankful/give more.unless the server is a pile of shit, then they're a pile of shit.it would seem that travels easily as well.
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I'm just not a fan of the American tipping standard. Tipping didn't begin in the U.S.A. and at one point was actually banned in 6 states. Read some history on it.
It's the employers way of shafting the employee and the customer but with Consumerist Capitalism so rampant people have accepted it and taken it to the extreme. It's not even about good service anymore - it's there's an obligation to tip for sub-par service and leave even more if the service is actually good. It's gotten to a point where everyone expects a tip for everything and amounts go undefined. How much do you leave for the bell boy? The taxi driver? Some kid who shines your shoes? The guy who holds the door open for you? At least put a dollar sign on it if that's how it's gotta be....or wait, then the illusions gone.
I don't see how people can't see "the man" is shafting them both yet it creates animosity between the customer and the employee. You can't just get along with the bartender, you HAVE to pay them. It's like if you go to a coffee shop you've been going to everyday for a year and everyday you leave dollar then one day you don't, well, they're not your friend anymore. Everyone's relationships turn into a semblance of strippers dancing for dollars. People should just get paid what they should get paid.
seems like if you feel that way you shouldn't work in the service industry (especially one where most of your income comes from tips). when you worked as a bartender and someone gave you a big tip did you lecture them on the history of tipping, and the sociopolitical ramifications of their actions? and explain to them how, by giving you a big tip, they were actually getting shafted by the man, in the ass?
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I'm just not a fan of the American tipping standard. Tipping didn't begin in the U.S.A. and at one point was actually banned in 6 states. Read some history on it.
It's the employers way of shafting the employee and the customer but with Consumerist Capitalism so rampant people have accepted it and taken it to the extreme. It's not even about good service anymore - it's there's an obligation to tip for sub-par service and leave even more if the service is actually good. It's gotten to a point where everyone expects a tip for everything and amounts go undefined. How much do you leave for the bell boy? The taxi driver? Some kid who shines your shoes? The guy who holds the door open for you? At least put a dollar sign on it if that's how it's gotta be....or wait, then the illusions gone.
I don't see how people can't see "the man" is shafting them both yet it creates animosity between the customer and the employee. You can't just get along with the bartender, you HAVE to pay them. It's like if you go to a coffee shop you've been going to everyday for a year and everyday you leave dollar then one day you don't, well, they're not your friend anymore. Everyone's relationships turn into a semblance of strippers dancing for dollars. People should just get paid what they should get paid.
seems like if you feel that way you shouldn't work in the service industry (especially one where most of your income comes from tips). when you worked as a bartender and someone gave you a big tip did you lecture them on the history of tipping, and the sociopolitical ramifications of their actions? and explain to them how, by giving you a big tip, they were actually getting shafted by the man, in the ass?
I don't work in the service industry but have obviously worked in it before. That's what makes it annoying is having a job where I get paid what I should get paid yet obviously going out and frequenting establishments that fall under "the service industry". When someone left me a big tip I took it but on rare occasions I didn't. It's a pretty long discussion that I have on a fairly frequent basis which everyone gets except for Americans. No matter what you say, it just doesn't process in most of their brains - especially people who haven't traveled and those who work in the service industry.
Someone might leave me a big tip and expect something special but I'll put it like this, go to a strip club and leave a big tip. Are you gonna expect her to suck your dick? That's my metaphor for it. I have a job, I do it well, I get paid what I should get paid and it should be that way for everyone. Don't throw money at me and expect me to suck your dick.
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I'm just not a fan of the American tipping standard. Tipping didn't begin in the U.S.A. and at one point was actually banned in 6 states. Read some history on it.
It's the employers way of shafting the employee and the customer but with Consumerist Capitalism so rampant people have accepted it and taken it to the extreme. It's not even about good service anymore - it's there's an obligation to tip for sub-par service and leave even more if the service is actually good. It's gotten to a point where everyone expects a tip for everything and amounts go undefined. How much do you leave for the bell boy? The taxi driver? Some kid who shines your shoes? The guy who holds the door open for you? At least put a dollar sign on it if that's how it's gotta be....or wait, then the illusions gone.
I don't see how people can't see "the man" is shafting them both yet it creates animosity between the customer and the employee. You can't just get along with the bartender, you HAVE to pay them. It's like if you go to a coffee shop you've been going to everyday for a year and everyday you leave dollar then one day you don't, well, they're not your friend anymore. Everyone's relationships turn into a semblance of strippers dancing for dollars. People should just get paid what they should get paid.
seems like if you feel that way you shouldn't work in the service industry (especially one where most of your income comes from tips).� �when you worked as a bartender and someone gave you a big tip did you lecture them on the history of tipping, and the sociopolitical ramifications of their actions?� and explain to them how, by giving you a big tip, they were actually getting shafted by the man, in the ass?
I don't work in the service industry but have obviously worked in it before. That's what makes it annoying is having a job where I get paid what I should get paid yet obviously going out and frequenting establishments that fall under "the service industry". When someone left me a big tip I took it but on rare occasions I didn't. It's a pretty long discussion that I have on a fairly frequent basis which everyone gets except for Americans. No matter what you say, it just doesn't process in most of their brains - especially people who haven't traveled and those who work in the service industry.
Someone might leave me a big tip and expect something special but I'll put it like this, go to a strip club and leave a big tip. Are you gonna expect her to suck your dick? That's my metaphor for it. I have a job, I do it well, I get paid what I should get paid and it should be that way for everyone. Don't throw money at me and expect me to suck your dick.
it must be fun having conversations with you
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Who can say? Maybe it is if you're somewhat of a traveled person who can carry on an informed conversation. If you're some insular individual who get's easily butthurt, no, probably not.
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i have travelled quite a bit, which has no impact on the fact that tipping is a part of our culture. if i go to places where tipping is not customary, i don't tip. if you want to work as a bartender and not be tipped move to Iceland
i just think it's lame that someone working as a bartender in Los Angeles - a profession where people literally live off their tips - would be unappreciative and snub their noses at people being generous. and then on top of that try to intellectualize it in some pretentious sociopolitical critique. we're not in Iceland. if you're my bartender and i'm tipping you in the upper end of the tipping scale, then yes, i would expect upper echelon service whenever possible. it's the free market at work. it's also just basic etiquette. customer takes care of you, you take care of your customers.
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i have travelled quite a bit, which has no impact on the fact that tipping is a part of our culture. if i go to places where tipping is not customary, i don't tip. if you want to work as a bartender and not be tipped move to Iceland
i just think it's lame that someone working as a bartender in Los Angeles - a profession where people literally live off their tips - would be unappreciative and snub their noses at people being generous. and then on top of that try to intellectualize it in some pretentious sociopolitical critique. we're not in Iceland. if you're my bartender and i'm tipping you in the upper end of the tipping scale, then yes, i would expect upper echelon service whenever possible. it's the free market at work. it's also just basic etiquette. customer takes care of you, you take care of your customers.
Good on you, traveling broadens your horizons. This is true, tipping is part of the culture. But so is super sizing your McDonalds meal, owning a gun, and religious nazis like the Westboro Baptist Church-I'm providing extremes but still. I'm living in this country and there's things I love and hate about it but that doesn't mean I can't have a strong stance or opinion on it. There's obviously things I love and hate about other countries as well.
I think where it got to me was living abroad and going to a place, not tipping, but the service was always better plus the folks there hooked it up. If I tried to tip them they would take it as an insult and I've grown to view it the way they did to a certain extent.
You're seeing it all wrong, I wasn't unappreciative or snub my nose at people just because of my overall view on it. It was my job and I knew how it worked - this was ages ago mind you. People aren't necessarily being generous - you HAVE to tip right? Unless it's extremely shitty, you tip. And you completely missed my analysis of it apparently. Leaving a tip at all, as it was meant to be, was for upper echelon service. You didn't tip for customary, expected good service. It was for when your server went above and beyond but now you tip for sub-par service and leave even more for upper echelon service or because you're trying to put a $ sign on it. Why can't the owner just add a dollar onto the prices and give it to the employee?
I don't think basic etiquette need involve money. You hold the door open for a lady, should she give you a dollar? That's basic etiquette right?
So if the customer takes care of you, you take care of the customer, where does this leave the employer? A little closer to the top .01 percent?
Since you're bringing up the "free market" I'll just throw out the 3 models psychologists have created to try and "naturalize" consumerism:
*Human nature + free markets = consumerist capitalism
*blank slate + oppressive institutions + Invidious ideologies = consumerist capitalism
*human instincts for trying unconsciously to display certain desirable personal traits + current social norms for displaying those mental traits through certain kinds of credentials, jobs, goods and services + current technological abilities and constraints +certain social institutions and ideologies + historical accident and cultural inertia = early 21st century consumerist capitalism.
If we're going to carry on this debate, let's deep into it. Pick your model and explain.
That's funny. I love how people just say "if you don't like it then you can geeeeeet out". I have to be here for work, and yes, I tip fine when I go out.
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like i said, it sounds like you were a crappy bartender. it also sounds like it would be a chore to have a conversation with you
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Fortunately, it was never exactly my aspiration to serve people alcohol for dollar bills in America. It would be if intellectual conversation causes your brain to make your mouth go "durrrrr".
Good day sir.
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floops a disney animator, ur a shitty and pompous ex-bartender.go bacc to australia with the other meetheads
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Oh really? Well shit, if he's a Disney animator then I take it all back and my personal views have changed. I'm 9 years old and so terribly sorry. Speaking of Disney,I have to say, I'm a fan of the old Disney toons though. Calling me an "ex-bartender" is a far stretch and I'm not from Australia. It could have been a good debate if ever a counter argument had been offered.
Fabulous use of "ur", "bacc", and "meetheads" - I understand those are hard words to spell. I commend you on your grammar, capitalization, and extensive vocabulary though.
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but I'll put it like this, go to a strip club and leave a big tip. Are you gonna expect her to suck your dick? That's my metaphor for it
If you're going to a strip club, tipping big & not getting your dick sucked (or at least an HJ), you're going to the wrong strip club or you're just a mark.
The rest of this was pretty well covered by Mr. Pink in the beginning of Reservoir Dogs I think...: )