Results tagged “askgothamist”

Hey Gothamist - Do you guys know what's up with the yellow cabs that have flowers painted on their hoods?

They also have 2,4 and 6 person tents available for rental - as well as foam pads and sleeping bags. Tents can be rented for 3 days or weekly, and require a deposit.

Sadly, all we do for birthdays is gather people at a bar, not rent out a room. While we've heard that Lolita will let you reserve the downstairs for free, we don't know enough people to warrant renting out a room at a bar. We'll open this one up to the masses. Gothamist readers, do you have any experience renting a bar out for a birthday?

Con Edison participates in a program called PowerWay, which means you can choose the energy supplier that you want, while still having Con Edison deliver the energy. Some Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) even offer incentives such as saving up to 7% on your energy bill for two months. Any problems with your electricity and/or gas will still be handled by Con Edison. You are not charged to switch suppliers, but may be charged $10 in some instances to switch back.

Dear Gothamist,

First off, congratulations on your refund! We are a firm believer that you should not feel guilty about treating yourself for a year of hard work. However, it's also very important to not overlook some important decisions you can make with this money.

3. To iron a light image onto a colored shirt, make sure you get the Dark T-shirt transfers.

Not only is that a struggle that every starving artist is facing, but also those who are just trying to pay the average housing cost in a city where rents are skyrocketing. As many of our friends and colleagues have had to do - get a day job and work on your art at night so you can pay the rent.

With Friday feeling like the first official day of winter, it's good to address the heating issues in your apartment. Now is a also good time to replace the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

One of the joys of the season is the tricky situation of who do you give gifts to without looking like a suck-up, and still avoiding not leaving other people out? Offices can make it more complicated with so many people (or so few) sharing close quarters.

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This weekend's New York Times real estate story for the "New York City real estate is strange" folder was about the extremes that push people out of their apartments which are otherwise quite lovely. We're not talking a change of financial situation, we're talking neighbor who drops-TVs- from-ladders/ plays-very- loud-music/ stomps-around- in-platform-shoes situation.

We feel your pain, but congratulations on your first place! Living alone can be great - you can express your personal style without compromise. However, it will also mean you'll be footing the bill for your creativity on your own. Some people will say that you should get rid of as much 'stuff' as possible. We are not of that school of thought though. Although it makes things simpler, your apartment should be a representation of you and the things you love.

The biggest event in New York City is the Village Halloween Parade, with around 45,000 participants. If you dress up, you are welcome to join the parade. And, as you mentioned, Webster Hall hosts the Village Halloween Parade after-party.

New York is a great place to run, whether you are a beginner or veteran. Not only can you explore the city in a whole new way, as this Brooklyn runner is doing, but it's something that you can do on your own time, at relatively low cost. There are several main parks in the city that are very conducive to running. In the Bronx is Van Cortland Park, the third largest park in New York city at 1,146 acres. It has been called the "cross country mecca" because of its wooded trails, and it hosts the National Cross Country championships every year. In addition, there is a 400-meter track and you can connect to the Old Croton Aquaduct Trail - taking you to all the way to Yonkers.

According to WebMD, the number one thing you can do to prevent a cold is to wash your hands frequently. Since colds are caused by a virus, antibiotics will not help to prevent, or alleviate your illness. A healthy and well-nourished immune system can help you to fight off viruses, so pay attention to the foods you are eating. Dark green foods will get you your vitamins A and C, salmon provides you with omega-3 fatty acids, and low-fat yogurt may stimulate the immune system. It is always ideal to get your daily vitamin intake through the foods you eat, but supplementing with vitamins is not a bad idea. (This is because there are additional nutrients such as fiber that cannot be adequetely replaced by a pill) However, there are mixed reviews as to whether large doses of vitamin C actually prevent colds. Some studies do show that they help to shorten the duration though. Regular exercise also boosts your immune system, so get out there and enjoy the crisp fall weather. A healthier body will bounce back quicker from illness than a less-healthy one.

The Autumn Equinox, marking the beginning of Autumn, is on September 23rd. What better time to check out the changing foliage throughout the state? I Love NY Autumn tells you when and what region you should visit for best foliage color. Depending on where you are in the state, the leaves will change anywhere from the last half of September to the first week of November. There are 23 types of leaves that you can find throughout NY State including Bitternut Hickory, Sassafras and Quaking Aspen. While you are checking out the leaves, you can also explore farms and wineries throughout the state. The site lets you browse for farms by region and product, as well as provides driving itinieraries.

We found a comprehensive list here, of sessions and walk-ins throughout the NYC region. There is contact information, directions, as well as class times and fees. One thing we did notice, however, is that the Forum section where they have comments and reviews of the sessions, did not work. We would've loved to be able to see people's opinions.

According to the woman at the Attorney General's office, no, you are not entitled to that information. It is logical that you would want that before a potential tenant moved into your apartment, in order to check their credit history and financial status. However, if they are already in the apartment, then you have to just settle with a cell phone number AND an alternate phone number. (Cell phone numbers have this funny way of getting cut off). This alternate number can just be their home number.

We actually have had Salvation Army pick up items we wanted to donate when we lived in Astoria. To arrange a pick up of donations, call 1-800-95TRUCK. One thing to keep in mind, however, is there is really no guarantee with them. When we lived in East Flatbush, they didn't have a driver anymore for that area so we were stuck. If you have time, you can try to spread it out over a few weekends of making trips to the donation centers. Or rent a car for a day. Perhaps you can attend to other errands at the same time, or find other people in your same situation that would be willing to chip in to cover rental costs.

If you are not lucky enough to have a kegerator, you might want to pick up a keg of beer for some celebrating. It seems like the largest places with the most selection are going to be outside Manhattan, but we did find out that Heartland Brewery sells kegs, and they have locations all throughout the city. (And we find their beer mighty tasty).

After doing some research, we were able to find a couple other options for miniature golf around the city in addition to Randall's Island and Coney Island.

noisy pitbulls known for chomping on body parts. Occasionally they let 'em run around the hallways and up and down the stairs unleashed.

We understand the hesitation of finding a potential roommate on Craigslist and roommate services. You really never know what you are going to get, and sifting through all the people offering free rent in exchange for you walking around naked can really get exhausting. The best thing that we can advise, is start getting the word out there. Mention to everyone you know that you are seeking a roommate. You never know who will know someone who knows someone looking for a place, or has an empty room. At least you have some sort of remote connection to the person, and a place to verify their character. The New York Times has an article about services for finding roommates in NY, if you choose to go that route. They also offer some tips for wading out potential disasters, such as meeting at a coffee shop or other public location before deciding whether they should be brought into the actual apartment, and requesting references.

I have a really puzzling situation that seems to arise often when I ride the subway. You know how the conductors tell us to "step aside and let 'em off"?

We had a hard time finding anywhere where it said what the specific open container and public drinking laws were, so we called our local precinct and got the scoop. Ultimately, open containers of alcohol in public places is illegal. Drinking in public is considered an administrative violation and if you are caught you will get a summons. This is with the exception of certain situations such as restaurants where it's within a determined distance of the building, etc. We have also found Coney Island does not seem to adhere to these open container laws. We are assuming that they have special permits for beverages on their property. As far as brown bagging your alcoholic beverage, the law used to be that if it was concealed it was ok, but that is not the case any more.

Zipcar is a great option for people who want the flexibility of having a car to drive without actually owning one. It's a car share program with cars available throughout NY and NJ, as well as several other cities throughout the US. Anyone who is 21 or over with a license and a clean driving record can become a Zipcar member after paying a one-time application fee of $25. There are several different ways to have a membership, including Occasional Driving Plans ($50 annual fee and $100 deposit) as well as Extra Value Plans (10-15% driving discount, $50-$250 monthly commitment, and the higher commitment plans include rollover).

You're under the weather, and New York is a big place, with tons of doctors. Again, as with finding a vet, we would start by asking around for referrals. But that still doesn't always get you what you need, especially if you need a specialist. You should consider talking to any doctors you already have a relationship with. We were surprised to get a quick and easy referral to an internist by our gynecologist. (Turns out we didn't really like them all that much, but it still helped to narrow down the search when it initially seemed overwhelming.)

We would always start by asking friends and coworkers for referrals and checking out the reviews of various clinics on Citysearch. The Humane Society of the United States gives a thorough checklist for choosing a veterinarian, including things such as the state of the facilities and special interests of the veterinarians there (and when we say special interests, we mean things like geriatrics, not that they knit in their spare time).