This. I lived in Midtown East for two years when I moved to NYC. Housing was affordable and can be brand new if you live on the West side instead. Ended up moving down to Greenwich Village and been there nearly two years. Despite rent being easily 1.5x what it was in Midtown and having more of a commute I wouldn't go back.

That being said I think Midtown is a pretty decent option for first year or two in NYC.

To me, downtown areas have more of a neighborhood feel, maybe it's the narrower streets and higher concentration of housing vs. office space. I agree it's also worth the money to live down there. I also think Flatiron/Gramercy is a great neighborhood as it's fairly close proximity to the Village/LES/Soho, yet also close to Midtown if you work there. The area also has great restaurants.

i work from home so for me, that's the most important

Heading down for Easter weekend. This thread has helped a lot with the planning.

if you can afford to not live in midtown you have to be crazy to.

I used to live in LES and moved to Gramercy a few years ago. I think it's a nice compromise. Still sort of a neighborhood feel and slightly less douchey than Murray Hill. I can walk to the EV and LES pretty easily and get slightly more apartment for the money. Also a bit quieter at night than alot of the LES madness. Plenty of good food options and bars within walking distance and not many huge soulless office buildings.

Basically I agree with everything you said.

I'm planning on moving temporarily for work (Vivint) to Newark, NJ in 3 weeks.

WTF, i have never been over there/ have no clue.



What are my best options of playing poker over there?

Other than home games, you can jump on 78 West and be at Sands in a little over an hour, which spreads 1/2 to 5/10 NL, and 3/6 Limit (with sometimes bigger games on Saturday night). Two hours south to AC, which obviously has everything.

doing a bar crawl for my b-day. any suggested bars good for this type of thing?

^ What neighborhood?

Did an early walk-in dinner at ABC Kitchen on Saturday. Have been 3 times previously and know reservations are nearly impossible these days but I showed up with my GF at 6 PM and there were plenty of seats at the bar. Great meal as always, the seafood there is always incredible. Without a doubt my favorite place in the city in the tier just below the 3-star Michelin places.

Am going to Annisa this Friday and am going to do the 9-course tasting with my GF doing a vegetarian version. Really looking forward to it.

Please post a TR of both versions.

Will see if I can pull it off. This isn't for a special occasion so the GF will likely let me get away with it.

There's a livingsocial deal ($52) today for a 1.5 hour beer cruise from Manhattan by Sail, and most reviews on yelp seem to be super positive. Anyone been on one before?

i need a roommate or new place to live starting may 1st!

In New York visiting my brother, who hasn't been here long. Any recommendations on unique "New Yorkie" spots in mid-town, preferably east side, not too pricey?

Luke's Lobster 7th street/1Av-ish was awesome, prices a bit too high though. Definitely a lunch place.

Anyone know where I can find some free parking in/around the Stuytown area where I dont have to move my car every other day to dodge the street sweeper?

whats your budget?

consider west village...strongly

Village is the best but pricey. I would actually recommend anyone with an I-Banking job (or other job with crazy hours) live close to work in Midtown their first year and move after. Also much easier to find a solid place at a relatively decent price when you have weeks to look as opposed to a couple of days.

Went to Annisa last Friday with my GF to try their tasting menu. Opted for the 7-course tasting with pairings which was $95 for food and $55 for wine. Girlfriend is a vegetarian so we had separate menus. Was a great meal overall and definitely recommended for the price. Tasting menu was made up mainly of regular menu items sized more appropriately so not quite the same vein as the 3-star tasting places (Jean George, Per Se, Le Bernadin, etc.). That being said thought the meal was perfect to sit in that level just below (similar to Gramercy Tavern, Blue Hill, etc.)

Details on meal below.

Amuse
Regular: Chicken Liver Mousse with Whole Grain Mustard, Currants and Chives
Vegetarian: Avocado Mousse with Radish and Himalayan Salt

Course 1
Regular: Bay Scallop Crudo with Crispy Caviar, Bottarga and Uni.
Vegetarian: Soft Boiled Peanuts and Edamame with Herbs and Korean Chili
Pairing: Muscadet

Course 2
Regular: Seared Foie Gras with Soup Dumplings and Jicama
Vegetarian: Eggplant with Two Turkish Chilis in Yogurt Water
Pairing: Reisling

Course 3
Regular: Duo of Arctic Char with Savoy Cabbage, Pine Nuts and Dill
Vegetarian: Roasted Heirloom Carrots with Kumquat and Roasted Cumin Chickpeas
Regular Pairing: Chardonnay
Vegetarian Pairing: Pinot Gris

Course 4
Regular: Broiled Spanish Mackerel with Garlic Fried Milk, Satsumaimo and Korean Chili
Vegetarian: Sauteed Alba Mushrooms and Chives over Brioche
Regular Pairing: Pinot Gris
Vegetarian Pairing: Light Italian Red (GF didn’t catch the wine)

Course 5
Regular: Lamb Tartar and Lamb Tenderloins with Puntarelle, Capers and Anchovy
Vegetarian: Cauliflower Gnocco with Hazelnuts and Sheep’s Cheese
Pairing: Grignolino

Course 6
Regular: Cheese Plate with 6 Varieties
Pairing: Port

Course 7
Dessert 1: Poppyseed Bread and Butter Pudding with Meyer Lemon Curd
Dessert 2: Lemon Custard with Milk Pudding
Pairing: Muscadet

Best courses in my meal were the dumpling which has creamy foie gras inside and grilled on top and the mackerel which paired phenomenally with the chili. As for my GF, her carrots were out of this world. The poppyseed bread pudding was also phenomenal for dessert.

Sounds awesome, will need to do that this summer.

Just locked down my place for the summer - mid to low 90s on 2nd. Anyone familiar with the area? I know it's quiet etc., and I'm fairly familiar with the city, but if anyone has any sort of recommendations for the area I'd appreciate it.

i'm around that area pretty often, anything you're looking for in particular? feel free to PM.

My experiences with low 90's around 2nd were never quiet - haven't hung out there in a long time, but thought that was a really popular nightspot?

Just kinda generally curious I suppose. Local bars/restaurants, etc. (and now I'm curious if it's actually more happening than I believed).

Edit: Also, if anyone has experience with the Holland Court Meat Market at 93rd and Lex, I'm always on the lookout for a good butcher.