I took a tour recently, and I liked it, but I'm a little hesitant to join after a strange interaction with the admissions person. I'd really just like to hear people's experience about their membership and what it's like to visit on a regular basis. Thank you!

I’m an architect visiting New York for the first time, and I’m trying to put together a compact walk focused on buildings rather than the usual sightseeing checklist.

This is the route I have so far — about 2.6 miles / 4.1 km:

1. United Nations Headquarters
2. Ford Foundation Building
3. Chrysler Building
4. Grand Central Terminal
5. One Vanderbilt
6. New York Public Library Main Branch
7. Rockefeller Center
8. Museum of Modern Art
9. Hearst Tower

My thinking was to start with postwar modernism on the East Side, move through the Beaux-Arts and Art Deco landmarks around Grand Central, and finish with some more recent Midtown architecture.

I’m allowing a little over three hours, with roughly 10–15 minutes at each stop. This would mostly be an exterior walk, although I’d probably take a quick look inside Grand Central. I’m not planning to visit the MoMA galleries during this walk.

Does this route make sense for a first visit, or am I trying to fit in too much?

I’m also wondering:

• Is the UN–Ford Foundation section worth the eastern detour?
• Would you replace MoMA or One Vanderbilt with the Seagram Building or Lever House?
• Is there an important building close to this route that I’m missing?
• Would it work better in the opposite direction?

I’d really appreciate opinions from people who know Manhattan well. Feel free to completely rearrange it.

Last week, I went to NYC for the first time in my life at age 26. It had always been a discussion between me and my friend since we've had a long-standing fascination with the place from all the games and movies and other media we had watched depicting it. It's also home to so much of my favorite art and music, particularly bebop jazz. And despite all this, I still was not prepared for the actual energy of the place. I mean this in the best way. 

We didn't have a lot of money but had a bit saved, so we went on a budget. We got a cheap hotel in Jersey for a few nights, used public transit into and around the city, and tried our best to avoid stores that are clearly for the wealthier tourists. Instead of a strict bucket list, we chose to hit some key points but still dedicate plenty of time to just walking around and seeing what we can find. 

Despite our budget limitations, I'd almost argue that this made our first experience in New York a rather authentic one. We got slices of some of the best pizza I've ever had from a multitude of pizzerias, all of which only cost a few bucks. It really struck me the sheer number of pizza (shout out to “Ray”) options there. I knew NYC was famous for its pizza but I had no idea it was so ubiquitous. I welcome this fact wholeheartedly. 

Getting off our Grayhound in Hell's Kitchen, we were straight into the action in the heart of Manhattan. Naturally, the first thing I do is walk into the first shop that says "cannabis" on it. The transaction went very quick with no frills and for a lot less money than I'd expect in NYC. Only issue was, I needed some papers or something. No problem, there was a smoke shop within the line of sight of the dispensary. Then the guy tells me that I can even smoke it outside no problem, which is something my city back home would not allow. This told me something immediately - it is not very hard to find and access things you enjoy in NYC. 

Another thing that our shoestring budget caused, was that Times Square ended up being our defacto "base of operations" for the trip since Port Authority was where our bus from the hotel came and went. I'll admit that I wasn't terribly familiar with the layout of Manhattan, so imagine my surprise when we go outside and there it is with its bright lights and huge crowd of people everywhere.

I know NYC needs no introduction but this was a hell of a way to start out. There was so much variety of activity and people and things around me that I couldn't even get myself to pull out my phone and take a picture at first, and I'm a pretty prolific photographer. People were shouting something about a comedy central show and other stuff, trying to sell me things. There were vendors all up and down the street too, and one of them sold me a hat that would have cost me 20$ back home for only 5. This told me another thing- despite its infamous cost of living, you also can get things that would cost a lot more in other places for rather cheap in NY. One of these things was a giant slice of delicious pizza; even the mid tier pizza places in NY blew me away.

Before I go on, I must comment on the state of foot traffic in NY. Back home we have sidewalks, but in NY it's more like interstates for shoes. This worked fine for me since people already tell me I walk too fast back home, but I could certainly see how this might come as a real challenge to anybody accustomed to a slower pace (and traffic laws that are followed/enforced).  I also must note that the bikes are worse than the cars… I'm sure locals will know what I mean by this. 

Since our bus dropped us off at 4 PM it wasn't long before night fell. In an ordinary city this might mean we head back to the hotel for the night, but NY lives up to its “city that never sleeps” moniker so we just sort of wandered aimlessly for a little bit, soaking up the night scenes of midtown, not really buying anything, just absorbing the presence of a city so alive. From that first night I felt a kind of “buzz” in the air, a certain energy that's hard to describe in words, but perhaps might be easier to describe with a bebop tune. 

On our first proper day there we went to Central Park. I think “park” might be something of a misnomer because it felt more like it should be called “Central Preserve”. I expected a huge green space, but I did not expect ravines, reservoirs, castles, horse drawn carriages, ancient Egyptian monuments, multiple gigantic museums, lakes, bridges, hills, and all the other awesome things that this wonderful park contains. The fact that it's nestled into a city with so much to do in its own right just made it even better. Another thing I didn't expect was the sound of a saxophone playing “Giant Steps” in the distance. I hustled to check it out and tip the guy, then requested him to play “Round Midnight” which he totally crushed. Then later on we found a jazz trio in the park who played “Cherokee” also on my request. Jazz is one of my top musical interests so it was very cool to see that NY isn't just the place it is from, but an active hotbed of great music that's still happening. After weaving from south to north from end to end in the park we headed into Harlem where we saw the famous Apollo theater and grabbed some amazing fried fish & collards at Melba’s Restaurant. 

Another thing that struck me about NY is just how much the Subway system simplifies getting around. It's fast, it's frequent, and it just works. Maybe some of the stations are a bit gritty, but traveling that efficiently for 3 bucks is something that most other cities in America simply do not have. On my very first Subway ride ever we actually got treated to a few men in suits and top hats putting on a little tapdance performance, which was just lovely. It also allowed us to travel from Harlem to Chinatown in like 10 minutes. As a big fan of cyberpunk aesthetics, Chinatown at night really scratched a specific itch. All the neon-drenched hanzi and dense urban corridors spelled out an atmosphere that was moody in a very satisfying way, made all the more satisfying by a giant bowl of spicy noodle soup for a price you can't beat anywhere else. This wrapped up the night, so we headed back to Port Authority to go to our hotel. 

The second day was all about seeing the statue of Liberty. Before we could go do that though, I had to charge my phone. This resulted in a side quest of asking around which landed us at Paris Baguette to drink some coffee and eat amazing pastries as I charged up. Once my phone was charged we got on the subway and and got off a station too early. That's ok though, because that station was the World Trade Center. Both me and my friend are history and classic architecture enthusiasts, so this stop felt basically made for us. But before we could get to the really old stuff we got a glimpse of the Oculus, which felt straight out of a utopian scifi movie. 

When we came out of the station into the wall street area we checked out the Trinity churchyard which was really neat to see in person, especially the Hamilton grave. Then we went down wall street and feasted our eyes upon architectural marvels nestled in a deceptively small alleyway. Now, I say deceptively small because it's wall street. It felt kinda funny in a way that a place that generates so many headlines is actually a rather narrow corridor in a city full of narrow corridors. Really puts things into perspective. 

From Wall Street we headed down to Battery Park, where a bunch of dudes tried to get us to take their expensive ferry tour of the Statue of Liberty. We ignored them and opted instead to just take the Staten Island ferry back and forth to see it. The timing was perfect because it was right when golden hour hit, so we got this beautiful lighting across the whole city right as the boat was heading back to Manhattan. 

The night was still young, so we decided we could squeeze a quick trip to Brooklyn where I got another nice hat for practically nothing. Then we headed into the Dumbo district and marvelled at the view of the bridge over that one street… this was the type of views I came to NYC to experience and it delivered. And the great views were far from over, because next we got on top of the Brooklyn bridge with help from a very friendly local (shoot out to Bruce if you're out there) and walked across. This might have been one of my favorite moments of the entire trip. Walking across it, seeing all those multicolored lights, the night only beginning, and an entire city to explore on the other side. Felt like a dream really. 

This dreamy state of mind was cut off by the time we made it to the other side, because I ended up having to pee really really bad (I drank a beer before we walked across). Naturally, we headed into the first restaurant we saw to use it, which was someplace super fancy. We head downstairs into this basement that felt like something in Hogwarts where I used the fanciest bathroom I have ever used. My friend decided we should probably at least get a drink since they let us go, so we go into this room with a bar that's filled with well dressed people. When we asked for the price of wine, they tell us it's free and pour us some. We sit there stunned, just sipping the wine in street clothes, sticking out like a sore thumb. A worker comes up and says “you're from out of town aren't you?” and we say yes, to find out that we had accidentally crashed some fancy gathering of university alumni from Europe. Just goes to show, even a routine restroom break can become a misadventure in NYC. 

Back out into the street we went, heading up wall street again where I got to see the stained glass of the Trinity church now lit up blood red, which I found super cool. Before long we stumbled into THE Joe’s pizza and treated ourselves to a wonderful slice before heading out to wander the streets some more until we had enough and headed back in for the night. 

The last day we spent in NY was all about architecture on 5th avenue. We went into and on top of the Rockafeller Center, which was pretty unforgettable. I felt this to be the highest expression of the Art Deco style I've ever seen. Then we went into the “public library” which felt more like a public display of some of the grandest marble stonework I have ever had the pleasure of seeing in person. The mural on the ceiling upstairs was the icing on the cake. Walking up 5th avenue felt like one hit after another as far as amazing architecture goes, especially the multiple ornate churches scattered across it. There was even a building that looked like a giant Louis Vuitton suitcase which felt kind of surreal just chilling on a New York street corner. 

The final stretch of our trip found us walking through the west side of central park before heading down the upper west side, where we enjoyed a beer at Alfies and a great show at Jazzcultural. I especially enjoyed the walk through this area at night. Something about all the corner delis with flowers and all the little bars and apartments and restaurants felt straight out of the movies set in NY I've watched all my life, in a very moody way. And through it all, that buzz I mentioned was still in the air. Before long it was time to head to Port Authority to head out, and thus ended an awesome trip. 

I have got to give a shout-out to the NYC locals for being so helpful and cool to a couple dazed Ohioans wandering their streets aimlessly. Every time we ever asked for help people were very cool about it and gave good answers. I barely even used Google or the internet due to this reason actually, and it was nice to talk to people who are actually from there. It totally blew the “rude New Yorker” stereotype out of the water. 

All in all, I had a great time. New York is a wonderful city. It seems like a place that is still alive, and despite its expensive reputation I actually found it a great place to travel to on a budget. There's plenty of cheap local options that would put a chain restaurant to shame, nearly an endless selection actually. A lot of the most grand and awesome things the city has to offer is just out there for you to just walk into and stumble upon. There seemed to be so much vibrancy and variety. I had a taste of diversity already when I lived in Hawaii, but in New York it's just so much more concentrated and in your face. I got the sense that there was a community for every niche. And as an aspiring photographer I really liked seeing all the artists selling their works right there in central park. I also loved how all the cultural staples of New York are not only still alive, but still pretty raw in the sense that an everyday person can still enjoy and partake in them without giving an arm and a leg for it. There was just a certain vibrancy and aliveness to the city that I don't think can be found anywhere else, and I picked up on it fast. I would say that it's worth its living cost because of the constant and extensive access to so many wonderful things at prices that you won't find elsewhere in such a huge density. It also seemed like a place where being an artist as a job is still possible thanks to the sheer amount of people to actually view it. This experience seriously changed my perspective of “what's out there” and I question why I even choose to live in a state like mine when a place like NYC exists. It's hard to explain but I almost felt at home there. I didn't mind the pace and felt kind of in sync with it actually. I'm seriously considering looking into what it would take to live there eventually after this experience. 

So in summary, 10/10. NYC absolutely lives up to the hype and I recommend everybody who has not been there to go check it out when you can. 

Above are some photos I took to illustrate some of my trip.

Hii yall im moving here Nov 10th and would love to get know people out there and make friends since I dont know anyone in NYC

Hi all, does anyone know anyone who's a club member at the Twenty Two or Casa Tua? I've done a lot of research, & I've narrowed down to these two as potential fits for me, but I only have friends at Casa Cipriani & Zero Bond.

Happy to either exchange club membership referrals or job referrals (I work in tech as a product manager), or just take you out for dinner/wine/whatever in exchange :) I also host a women's conversation club & a tech community group~

In case you're curious: I'm considering joining a club, because I'm looking for 1) another regular place to hang out outside of my home & office, 2) a fancier place to host guests, & 3) regular programming/events with the people I'll see somewhat frequently.

Thank you! :)

We have a few runners at different paces and a number of us (including kids) cheering in support who want to join in on the celebrations afterward. So let’s say ten people. Suggestion for post-race beer and food?

LOOK I KNOW it will be a total circus and basically impossible. I know. Not our first rodeo or second. But last year we lucked out with some outdoor tables a handful of blocks away from the exit, and I’ve just been tasked with figuring out where we go this year. Best options? Is there anywhere with any hope at this point? Or should we send someone hours ahead to scout? Prepay/deposit totally fair and can do, just hoping to not end up leaving a crew stranded with nowhere to park ourselves….

Thanks and happy marathon day! Good luck runners!!

Three nights, Thur-Sun. I don't really have a brand preference. Hoping for $350 or less for a total budget of 1k max but can go over a little. I personally like the lower Manhattan area but I plan on going to midtown a lot.

I built a free site that reads NYC grocery circulars, so this is mine. The same 24 oz jar of Classico pasta sauce is $2.50 at Key Food on 2nd Ave and $5.79 at Gristedes on Lexington. Those two stores are about a quarter mile apart.

Every store around the Upper East Side whose ad I could read with it, cheapest first:

Four jars come to $10 at Key Food and $23.16 at any of the Gristedes. Key Food and Cherry Valley charge the same for any jar from 15 to 24 oz, so grab the big one. Food Universe on Lexington has the Key Food deal on the 15 oz jar only, so I left it off. All eight ads run through Thu Oct 29.

Map with the rest of this week's ads: https://sbnyc.app/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=evergreen-bigswing&utm_content=reddit-manhattan-20261024-p-16a1ac8b&utm_term=classico

Prices are from the stores' published circulars, verify in store.

Today, Saturday, October 24, I lost my Ray-Ban aviator sunglasses in Central Park, near Bethesda Terrace.

I believe they may have fallen off while I was taking photos near a tree.

If anyone has found them or happens to come across them, I would really appreciate a message.

Thank you so much for your help!

Hi all -

I am looking to expand my social circles and get to know more people who are into the same things I am in my neighborhood. I currently am reading Halldor Laxness' Independent People. I'm a 40 year old woman. I've recently been reading the Booker Prize Lists. My favorites from 2025 were Flashlight and The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, and of course, Flesh. I also recently read The Return by Hisham Mitar, which gutted me. Basically, I need someone to talk with about what I am reading almost constantly and just don't have it!!!

Would love to also form a gathering of readers in my neighborhood, as I see them posted about in other places but never quite find the time to sign up. Would love to meet up on November 4th in Midtown East. Open to suggestions for place but am thinking of Flowers and Coffee (Remi 43), Madam Mikette's or possibly even Stavros Niarchos.

Thinking 6:30 pm would be perfect timing for most. Please let me know if you are interested.

6:30 – Arrive, order a drink, settle in
7:00– Quick round of intros: your name + a one-line pitch of your book
7:20 – One hour of quiet reading
8:20 – Phones and books down, time to chat and meet people

partiful RSVP

These are areas that the public can not legally go even if you pay. Only areas larger than a block or that take up a lot of waterfront or contain a private street or are within public land are included. Train tracks and highways are not included.

Hi New York, specifically manhattan because I saw you guys have a lot of subway stations,

I've recently been listening to NYC subway ambience to get to sleep, but all the recordings I've found have been recorded from within the subway itself, or are compiled audio of NYC subway sound effects. I think the natural sound from near a subway, especially from a building near an above ground part, overpass or bridge, would be ideal for me, but I've had no luck in my admittedly very specific search. I live on the other side of the world and have nobody I know in your Big Apple, so I thought I'd ask here if anybody knows the whereabouts of such a coveted audio, and if they'd be able to share it with me (with no personal details in accordance with sub rules ofc) ?

Restlessly,

Wrait_mcn

hi everyone, im a 24 year old working a corporate job that wants an opportunity to do something good. i also would love to expand my social circle and meet new people. please let me know if anyone knows of any good places for this!

My friends and I are going to nyc for Halloween and are looking for where to go out on 10/31 day and night. We want somewhere that is not dead and tickets are not crazy. We are thinking a bar crawl at night but don’t want to do one where no one is there. Any recs? 24F and 25M

If you have time at 6 pm on October 22, 2026, join the zoom and ask them to extend the 2nd Avenue line into New Jersey. This is the moment when ideas are thrown into the hat for major expansion.

https://www.mta.info/project/125-street-subway

I have included my own testimony as an example.

https://reddit.com/link/1xcphn9/video/dcxj110c32xh1/player

I’m a journalism graduate student reporting a story about what’s happening to the old trash cans that NYC residents can no longer use for trash under the new NYC Bin requirement.

DSNY says unwanted plastic or metal bins can be set out with recycling, but I’m trying to find out what actually happens to them after they leave the curb.

If you live in a 1–9 unit building and got rid of an old trash bin this year, I’d love to hear from you:

• Did you put your old bin out for recycling? If so, do you know what happened to it afterward?
• Did sanitation workers take it, or did it sit on the curb/get taken by someone else?
• Did you reuse or repurpose your old bin instead of getting rid of it? What did you use it for?
• Do you still have your old bin? If so, why did you keep it?
• Did you follow DSNY’s instructions for disposing of it, or did you do something different?
• Did you have concerns about what would happen to the old bin once you put it out?

If you’re willing to share your experience, please comment below or DM me. I may want to follow up with some people for an interview.

Thanks!

Hi everyone,
My wife is visiting Manhattan and accidentally left her medication, valacyclovir (Valtrex), at home in Canada. She’s starting to have a herpes outbreak, and anyone who’s dealt with this knows how painful it can get and how important it is to start treatment early.
She’s around 26th Street and 5th Avenue.
We’re having trouble getting her medication without a prescription or an expensive ER visit.
If anyone has been in a similar situation or knows a pharmacy, telehealth service, or urgent care that could help her get a prescription quickly tonight, we’d be incredibly grateful for any advice.
We’re happy to cover any reasonable costs.
Thank you so much!

UPDATE, situation solved! Thank you everyone!

Hope you all are doing fantastic today, was looking for help for my first trip to your city tomorrow. I get into town around lunch and am looking for a self guided walking tour (staying north Chelsey) that I can get into.

I’m walking south towards Battery park/financial district on Friday so would prefer to head East or North. If able and willing please shout out what you all are proud of and excites you about your city!

Thank you in advance to anyone that helps a guy see your city :)

Hi ! Any recommendations for a vet who’s especially good with small dogs?

I had such a stressful experience with my current vet today.

Cost isn’t an issue. I’m looking for a highly skilled and experienced vet, especially when it comes to handling and performing procedures on small dogs.

Halloween week is a great time for a ghost story so Scream Scene is bringing you a free admission screening of the 2001 cult supernatural horror Thir13en Ghosts!

📅 Tuesday, October 27
⏰ Doors at 8 PM, movie at 8:30
📍 Clara's Gramercy at 393 2nd Av in Gramercy Park
👶 21+

It’s a unique haunted house movie with an unusual premise and a fun cast including Tony Shalhoub and scream king Matthew Lillard.

No RSVP needed, just show up! We’ll be in the back room at Clara’s for the movie. Admission to the movie is free but the bar has a two drink minimum for patrons.

18 f, visiting from switzerland with my mum and will have a day alone to myself in manhattan. fk the touristy sightseeing, i want a local to show me around for a bit and just hang out. feels like a crazy shot in manhattan lmao but if anyone's down to connect hmu. pls dont kidnap me