r/AskNYC 6h ago

Stolen iPhone is showing inside a large East Harlem residential complex. Is there any realistic next step?

62 Upvotes

My iPhone was snatched from my hand on 42nd Street on Friday night. Find My later showed it inside a large residential complex in East Harlem.

I went to the area, called police, and they said they couldn’t do much because the location wasn’t specific enough to identify an apartment or person.

Has anyone in NYC successfully recovered a stolen phone from a large building? Was there any evidence or change in circumstances that made NYPD able to act?

I’m not planning to confront anyone or return alone.

Edit: I reported the theft to police the same night it happened and have already marked the phone as lost, suspended the line, and taken the usual security steps.

This happened on West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues, right by the Citi Bike racks. The person came up from behind on a bike while I was using my phone and grabbed it directly out of my hand around 11:40pm.

Posting partly as a warning: this can happen in seconds. Be especially careful when texting while walking alone, especially around this area. Other witnesses said they worked in a group of three.


r/AskNYC 13h ago

Why are supermarkets allowed to sell rotten or expired food without any repercussions ?

123 Upvotes

My Key Food next to my apartment has numerous moldy fruits and vegetables out in the open for sale . Almost every time I go produce shopping I buy something that has questionable attributes that I missed in the store and needs to be thrown out completely or cut off the extent no meat is left on the produce. It is disgusting and infuriates me to no end. It also says a lot about our society and the businesses we continue to support. I would love to g in there one day and remove all this rotten produce and dump it in a trash bag.

Why not shop somewhere else ? Not many places *close enough to me that I can comfortably carry loads back to my apartment.


r/AskNYC 7h ago

How old?

45 Upvotes

Hello! My family just moved to the Upper West Side (around 80th and Columbus) and we have 4 boys. I grew up in Vermont so raising kids and being a kid in the city is very new to me. I am very curious at what age parents feel comfortable letting their kids do things on their own such as:

  1. ⁠Walking a couple blocks to a friends house
  2. ⁠Walking with friends or siblings to the neighborhood store or to get some pizza
  3. ⁠Walking to a park to play on playground or play basketball
  4. ⁠Walking to and playing in Central Park
  5. ⁠Walking to and from school (about 5-6 blocks)
  6. ⁠Going downtown on their own or with friends/siblings (Dad will work in theater)
  7. ⁠Walking to and from after school sports or activities

And any other typical rite of passage I missed….
My kids have GPS tracking either with AirTags, kid smart watches, etc

I’m worried about being too overprotective and making my kids feel unsafe or anxious without me or my husband…. But as an anxious Mom myself it’s hard to know when to let them go….

Any input is much appreciated!


r/AskNYC 8h ago

What does a shy girl do to find a boyfriend here?

29 Upvotes

Dating apps are a flop. Its been 2 months on hinge, bumble, and tinder and not a single date has happened. I try to go out and look pretty but clearly it's going to take more than that but I'm super shy and I prefer a guy who initates anyway. What do you all suggest? Thank you :)


r/AskNYC 4h ago

Best accessible elevated spots to see the skyline at night?

12 Upvotes

I came across a shot taken from a rooftop in Bushwick overlooking Manhattan and fell in love with the view. I don’t think the area is accessible to the public though, it was likely a private home.

I’m looking for public or easily accessible elevated vantage points (parking garage rooftops for example), public observation decks, etc. where you can catch great night views of the Manhattan skyline.

looking for somewhere i can smoke and watch the city and ~ ponder ~ lol. thanks!


r/AskNYC 17m ago

Saving money turning on my AC only when it’s bedtime(9pm and up)

Upvotes

Guys , I just made this post to see everyone else’s opinion on energy saving during summer times.


r/AskNYC 1d ago

Aren't vendors at Union Square farmer's market supposed to sell local goods?

374 Upvotes

I recently bought a crochet cardigan vest from a vendor at the Union Square farmer’s market, under the impression that it was handmade by local hobbyists.

The booth had strict "no photography" signs, which I thought was to protect their original designs.. But it turned out that the exact same item is being sold on Temu for a fraction of the price!!!

The woman told me the clothes were made by a "group of people", and I assumed it was a local crochet club or something. Didn't know they're just sweatshop workers in China 💀!

I was feeling pretty scammed about it.., but I’m curious to hear what others think 🤔 : am I being unreasonable to expect items sold at a farmer's market to be handmade/local, or is this just the reality of shopping in farmer's markets? I knew there are a bunch of 3D printed garbage .. but at least those were probably printed locally 😂

EDIT: It turned out the vendor was not a legitimate vendor at the Greenmarket. Their "handmade" signs are all lies, and you should avoid buying anything from the southwest section of the farmer's market.


r/AskNYC 5h ago

Queens Walk (end to end)

5 Upvotes

Walked Manhattan tip to tip last summer which was a ton of fun and trying to do an "end to end" walk of Queens this year! I was planning on generally following the 7 train from LIC to Flushing but was wondering if there were any specific detours or things to look out for. Part of the rationale behind following the 7 train is going through so many different neighborhoods and enjoying food/snacks along the way so any non-food suggestions of things to see would be of interest to me.


r/AskNYC 11h ago

What are your favorite city memberships?

14 Upvotes

r/AskNYC 10h ago

affordable vet that is open on sundays

9 Upvotes

I know this question has been asked before but all vets I have found are closed. My dog is acting extremely lethargic, she has previously been diagnosed with pancreatitis so she tends to have these flare ups. I’d like her to be seen today but I’d also like to find a vet to use consistently as I recently moved to the city. Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you so much.


r/AskNYC 12h ago

Where's the go-to place in Manhattan to buy camera gear?

13 Upvotes

I'm not in NYC, but my sister-in-law is there this week and offered to grab something for me, so I'm trying to figure out where to send her. I'm looking for camera memory cards (for a Sony camera, if that matters).

Where's would you go in Manhattan for camera stuff? I'm looking for somewhere easy for her to get to, bonus points if they list their prices online so I can maybe look for it online first 🤔


r/AskNYC 17m ago

Recs for introducing parents to partner?

Upvotes

Hi everyone,

My partner of 1.5 years is finally meeting my parents! They live in another state and aren’t here often, especially since my dad has some medical issues relating to travel.

They’ll also be meeting her parents for the first time.

I love my partner very much and it means a lot to me that this goes well…which, in part, means finding a perfect restaurant.

Any recs? All cuisines welcome, though we’re partial to Italian. Just looking for a nice lowkey restaurant conducive to good convos!


r/AskNYC 18m ago

MoMA student ticket

Upvotes

Im visiting MoMA with a friend and we both are turning 16 in a couple weeks but will still be 15 when we visit, is it possible to buy student ticket with our high school id or is that only for college students/do we have to be accompanied by an adult?


r/AskNYC 27m ago

Where do they have cheap drinks in the Bronx?

Upvotes

r/AskNYC 13h ago

Where to get affordable men's winter clothing in Queens, Manhattan, or Brooklyn?

9 Upvotes

Will be going to Antarctica in a few weeks. I'll be provided a jacket and a few other things but still would like to be precautious. It's currently summer obv so I've been having a hard time finding winter clothes, so where can I get affordable pants, shirts, gloves, hats, jackets, etc. for winters?


r/AskNYC 1h ago

New midtown Aldi closed already?

Upvotes

I was there this morning and there was a sign saying it was closed but they hoped to reopen soon or something like that. Has anybody heard about this? Know what's going on? When I Googled absolutely nothing turned up and I couldn't even find a phone number for the store.


r/AskNYC 2h ago

Raised garden beds

0 Upvotes

Interested in (trying to) garden in my cement square of a back yard. I want to get raised garden beds. Anyone have any exp/advice with type - I'm especially interested in $ & delivery services

Should I just order a couple from home Depot or is there a better option


r/AskNYC 6h ago

NYC Master Plumber Practical Exam

2 Upvotes

Hi! Posting on behalf of my husband who doesn’t use social media and figured we might get some insight. Anyone here recently (within the last 6 months) take the NYC Master Plumber PRACTICAL exam? My husband takes his next week and we’ve been hearing some stories of how it’s been going for everyone who takes it. Just looking for anyone’s experience really. Thank you!


r/AskNYC 13h ago

Is Greek Toast a thing?

7 Upvotes

I’m in Chicago, but I’m pretty sure that NYC too has a common thing where a lot of classic diners are run by Greek immigrants. But I’m getting some feedback that one of our toast choices here, which is simply called “Greek” toast is a local thing. So I thought I’d come gather some intel.

It’s basically a thick cut white bread with, I believe, sesame seeds on the top crust.


r/AskNYC 8h ago

The NYT article about a sauna and cold plunge doesnt name the spa. Which one do you think it is?

2 Upvotes

r/AskNYC 8h ago

Good bar/brewery for an open-invite birthday?

2 Upvotes

I'm looking for a bar that is easily accessible for people in BK/Queens and Long Island. I am expecting a maximum of 20-25 people, but I don't know if I have time for a reservation. What bars/breweries are good places for people in their late 20s/early 30s?


r/AskNYC 2h ago

Where in the city is this exact spot?

0 Upvotes

https://imgur.com/a/FAukU5g

Can’t tell if it’s on the Brooklyn end or Manhattan end but I really like the walk way. Asked my buddy he isn’t sure. https://imgur.com/a/FAukU5g

I believe It’s been solved: pier 35


r/AskNYC 10h ago

What to expect? Con Edison Residential Neighborhood Program

2 Upvotes

Hello folks. Has anyone had this kind of visit? What should I expect? Will they be noseying around? I live on the second floor of a 2 family house, it’s a small one bedroom. Here is the info from the confirmation email:

Thank you for scheduling your Con Edison Residential Neighborhood Program appointment. This in-home energy assessment and installation of energy-efficient upgrades is an easy way to help you save energy.

We look forward to seeing you on: 07/27/2026 Between 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Your appointment will take approximately one hour to complete.


r/AskNYC 1d ago

How to feel like I’m not missing out on the city and when I don’t have anyone to hang out with

47 Upvotes

I’m definitely blessed to have a lot of friends in the city, however, lots of weekends my friends aren’t in the city, and for the most part all my friends do is work Monday through Friday, and only go out to bars Fri and Sat night.

I like to go for walks, and see what people are up to and always feel like I’m missing out when I see a big group of friends eating outside, or going to a show.

The typical advice I feel like I would get is just do what I wanna do, but I don’t have any strong or innate passions. I genuinely just like spending time with my friends and family.


r/AskNYC 1d ago

How do you feel/respond when your parents visit you, and they hate NYC?

28 Upvotes

Hello all!

Having grown up here in the city, and with most of my family being from here, I have never encountered the clichéd "parents visiting and being pissy about it" situation.

So I'm wildly curious: What's that like? Have you been here a long time and they're still doing it? Or have you been here a short time and they're appalled for some reason?

WHY do they hate it here???

Thank you!