Joined: 4/30/2006
Posts: 480
Location: the secret cow level
You might want to hit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, if only for the Arms & Armor section. It's like browsing a shop in Diablo II. Everything you can think of, they have. They also have the world's most valuable handgun.
I once read that there were plans for the rebuilding of the World Trade Center towers after they were attacked in 2001. I don't know if they even started yet. I would be surprised if it took billions of dollars worth of taxpayer's money to do it.
Bisqwit: I am sure the foundation part of the WTC is still there.
Joined: 11/18/2006
Posts: 2426
Location: Back where I belong
I have never been to NYC, and I know that baseball is far from a popular sport in Europe (although it has caught on well in some Asian countries), but for a true slice of American history I would suggest you try to take in a New York Yankee's game in their very historic ballpark. It has been in use since 1923 and this year is the last it is expected to be in use. As much as I dislike the Yankees, I would never pass up a chance to visit it, as it is a true piece of Americana.
Not regularly, anyway, and I don't like beer in general. Though I liked a certain lemon flavored beer I had in Austria. I have forgot its brand though.
EDIT: It was Radler. Thanks mr_roberts_z. Apologies for deleting your posts, but I cleaned up the thread a bit.
Just wanted to point out that Radler isn't a brand name. Any kind of mixed beverage which consists of beer and lemon and/or orange and/or herb lemonade can be called Radler.
I have never been to NYC, and I know that baseball is far from a popular sport in Europe (although it has caught on well in some Asian countries), but for a true slice of American history I would suggest you try to take in a New York Yankee's game in their very historic ballpark. It has been in use since 1923 and this year is the last it is expected to be in use. As much as I dislike the Yankees, I would never pass up a chance to visit it, as it is a true piece of Americana.
And if you like baseball, go catch the Mets too - as their stadium is closing as well.
I don't think I should even attempt to arrange my leave to overlap with July 4th. As such an American celebration, it's not a party I'm party to, anyway.
How fascinated would you be of the Finnish independence day? You know, if it wasn't dead boring.
Joined: 3/13/2004
Posts: 1118
Location: Kansai, JAPAN
Bisqwit wrote:
I don't think I should even attempt to arrange my leave to overlap with July 4th. As such an American celebration, it's not a party I'm party to, anyway.
How fascinated would you be of the Finnish independence day? You know, if it wasn't dead boring.
If you like fireworks, it shouldn't matter where you're from. New York has a gigantic fireworks display every year on the Fourth. There's also the Hot Dog eating contest at Coney Island, if you want to have your mind blown while your stomach turns a little bit. Last year's winner ate 66 hot dogs in 12 minutes.
yeah...read those numbers again
Hot dogs or no, Coney Island is a fairly pretty place. The Cyclone is a scary-as-hell roller coaster, although most of the fear comes from its advanced age, giving every rider the sensation that maybe THIS is the time the cars will fall off the track.
Other folks mentioned baseball - if you love the game or if you're just curious, New York's got plenty of it. Not just the major leaguers - there's a nice little park on Coney Island as well as Staten Island. If you don't care about baseball, I don't know what going to a game will do for you. But dear lord, don't go to Shea Stadium. The neighborhood is a nightmare, day or night, and once Shea is gone nobody is going to miss it.
I'm not sure what I can say about Times Square. It's full of bright lights, I guess, but other than passing through it for passing through's sake, there's nothing interesting to see there.
I'm not sure what I can say about Times Square. It's full of bright lights, I guess, but other than passing through it for passing through's sake, there's nothing interesting to see there.
Except occasional street performers, I suppose.
(Though this, which I had intend to reference with, took place at Union Square.)
Prepare to have the most unpleasant trip through security on your way back.
Wouldn't the most mad events take place when arriving, not when leaving? One wouldn't think that they'd be more concerned about terrorists coming to the country than of terrorists leaving the country :) Not to imply that I were one. Which I'm not. A terrorist, that is. :)*
*) Counter-false lie? Ref. many comedy routines…
I'm gonna take the bait here (since I can't tell if you're joking or not).
You'll get screened going out because we don't want you bringing on things that could allow you to crash or, worse, control a plane and use it as a giant missile. By "we" I mean "the guv'ment". There's no point in screening you going out because you could just get whatever you needed on the street.
You'll get screened going out because we don't want you bringing on things that could allow you to crash or, worse, control a plane and use it as a giant missile. By "we" I mean "the guv'ment". There's no point in screening you going out because you could just get whatever you needed on the street.
Ah, makes sense.
(I presume you meant "coming in" in the last sentence.)
You'll get screened going out because we don't want you bringing on things that could allow you to crash or, worse, control a plane and use it as a giant missile. By "we" I mean "the guv'ment". There's no point in screening you going out because you could just get whatever you needed on the street.
Ah, makes sense.
(I presume you meant "coming in" in the last sentence.)
I meant it as "going out of the airplane/airport", i.e. the paradigm of the airport.
Joined: 3/13/2004
Posts: 1118
Location: Kansai, JAPAN
Circle Line! I forgot about that. That's a great trip. A little pricey, but you're on the boat for hours and you get a fantastic view of Manhattan, all 20 of its connecting bridges, and the Statue of Liberty. It's especially worth it in summer because it will cool you off. New York can get pretty muggy in July and August.
Joined: 8/1/2004
Posts: 2687
Location: Seattle, WA
For what it's worth, I will be in Dublin from the 17th to the 19th if anyone wants to join me for a few rounds before I head off to Athens. IM LOOKING AT YOU, LDC.
Any guidelines on local customs? Such as tipping. We don't tip in Finland. (People get paid for their work, by their employers, from the money we pay.)
One thing I know about the American culture is that if you get into a conversation with an American, you should pay attention to his/her name, and use that name from time to time when you talk with him/her. I have been told that some may even consider it rude if you never speak to them by their name.
OTOH, I have to admit that I don't know what the customs are for using first and last names. That is, if you are talking to a John Smith, in which situations you should use "Mr. Smith" and when it's ok to just say "John".
Joined: 11/18/2006
Posts: 2426
Location: Back where I belong
moozooh wrote:
I guess the safe way is to call him mr. Smith until he suggests the otherwise himself.
That's usually how I work with it. If it's someone I'll be seeing regularly, and that person is not in a position of power (ie boss, Senator, dominatrix, etc), I'll flat out ask them if they prefer to be called by their first name or by Mr(s). Smith. To address Warps assertion that you should use the name of the other party regularly in conversation, I personally have never felt comfortable doing it, and I also have very rarely had it done to me. As long as you are directing some sort of question or statement directly towards the other party, and it's obvious that's who you're talking to, no name is needed. If you're being ambiguous about who you're addressing, use the name a couple times to be safe.
As for tipping, it's a hotly debated issue here too. Generally, if it's a restaurant where you are served your food (by a waiter/waitress), tipping 10% is pretty cheap (poor college kid status), 15% is standard, 20% is generous. Fast food doesn't qualify as sit down dinners. Room service usually gets about 5%, delivery (ie pizza) is kinda a toss-up. If you had specific questions about when and where it may or may not be appropriate to tip, I could try to help you out.
Of course, all of this is dependent on the service you receive. Many food-service people make minimum wage, and their wages are subsidized by tips. But if they do a shitty job, they deserve minimum wage IMO.
Oh and although I've never been to NYC, I can assume it's a little like Philly in that many people are busy. And because they're busy, they may be blunt, or sometimes downright rude (most often though, they don't mean to be). However, if you run into an asshole, I apologize for Americans in general. We're really not that bad most of the time.
Joined: 3/13/2004
Posts: 1118
Location: Kansai, JAPAN
Tipping is kind of a big deal in the States and New York in particular. You're unlikely to be confronted by someone you undertipped, but you might get some pretty serious stares.
Rule of thumb: 15% for waiters. If you feel like they were special, by all means give more, but nobody can complain if you go 15%. Some people apply that to the before-tax price, some to the after. Sales tax in New York City is fairly high, somewhere beyond 9%, so that might be a big difference.
Other suggestions, which may or may not come up:
Tip $1 per drink for bartenders. If you drink particularly expensive drinks, you might need $2, but for a beer or most cocktails, one is fine.
Taxi drivers, barbers, maids, bellhops/doormen who help you carry things will all expect tips. To be frank, I"ve never really known how much to give them. Maids I tip daily, but small, maybe $1 per day. Taxi drivers and barbers, I might go 10%.
Tip jars are EVERYWHERE. I never tip counter staff in a major chain shop/restaurant, personally, but I will tip in a really small place sometimes. For example, I love this little Japanese place called Otafuku on 9th St between 2nd and 3rd Aves which specializes in takoyaki & okonomiyaki - I always tip them. In those cases, a dollar or two is usually fine.
Tour guides sometimes look for tips. I only go for it if I felt their presentation was particularly good...or if absolutely everybody else on the bus/boat gave them a tip. >_<
