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Bonus Slideshow!

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Please enjoy a few of the photos I took when I was in the area.

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Peter Luger is perhaps the most well known steakhouse in New York. It has been around forever. Many celebrities go there. The scene is also quite unique with sawdust on the floors and gruff German waiters who do the ordering for you. Some might argue about whether it’s the “best” steakhouse or not. I think that most people would agree it’s worth the trip if you’re a visitor to the city who doesn’t mind spending a bit of money on good steak.

I thought my mission of helping was accomplished but one of the women in the group then asked if they could walk there. While Williamsburg is just a walk across the bridge it was probably more walking than they were looking for so I had to think again.

A few different steakhouses ran through my mind. There’s Del Frisco’s which is up on 6th Avenue and 49th Street. And just a couple of days before I had dinner at The Old Homestead Steakhouse at 9th Avenue and 14th Street. I have been to both of those places more than once and would definitely recommend them. Unfortunately neither of those places was in walking distance. Then an idea came to me.

A good friend of mine used to work at a place on Chrystie Street (near Delancey Street) called Sammy’s Roumanian Steakhouse. I have never eaten there but I have been inside at dinner hour to witness the live music, large family-style tables and frozen vodka…along with the steaks of course. Sammy’s is a place that is perfect for a group and also not very fancy or pretentious. Since there were a few people in the group and they were dressed in a casual manner I went with Sammy’s as the recommendation pointed the group west down Stanton Street to Chrystie Street.

At that point we went our separate ways. My wife and I had a nice dinner at a place called Antibes Bistro and then headed back towards Chrystie Street on our way to the Bowery Ballroom for a music show. It just so happened that we walked right by Sammy’s so we decided to peek in the window to see if the group we had sent over was there. The live music was playing, people were dancing, and we could see steaks and bottles of vodka on the tables. And sure enough our group was there. Some were seated at a large round table and a couple of others were dancing. It felt good to know that we had pointed some strangers to a good meal and a good time.

There’s a bit of irony of this scenario. Although the people asked to be guided to an “American” steakhouse they ended up at a Roumanian steakhouse that just happens to be in America. My first choice, Peter Luger, I consider to be more German than American in the style of the food, drink and the decor. The Old Homestead and Del Frisco’s are definitely more American-style steakhouses. That’s part of the beauty of New York though. You will often find many variations on a particular theme. Exploring all of those variations is a big part of the fun of the city.

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For food and drink we consumed the standard greasy (but fun) boardwalk food including pizza, fried shrimp and onion rings. You can get seafood and a beer at places like Ruby’s and Cha Cha’s. The kids had some cotton candy. Sadly there was no one actually making cotton candy so all of the vendors were selling cotton candy in pre-made bags. You can’t win ‘em all! There are other newer attractions in the area especially the Mets baseball minor league affiliate the Brooklyn Cyclones. The Cyclones play at a stadium that is right next to the boardwalk.

Unfortunately some of the places I have mentioned may not be around next year. Recent stories have indicated that the new owners of the boardwalk buildings may not renew certain leases. The new businesses might be more family friendly and help to improve the overall image of the area. While that would be a good thing, folks nostalgic for old New York are certain to be disappointed.

Coney Island is accessible via car by taking the Brooklyn Queens Expressway to the Belt Parkway East if you are coming from north or west of Coney Island. Beware of afternoon and weekend traffic in both directions! You can take public transportation as well. The D, N, F and Q subway lines go to the Stillwell Avenue station in Coney Island which is very close to the boardwalk.

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Fast forward to around 8:30 PM that evening. I’m standing on the corner of 2nd Avenue and 6th Street with my wife. I asked her, “What type of food are you interested in?” She answered, “Mexican would be fun.” At that point I opened up the Urbanspoon application on my iPhone and searched for Mexican food “near me”. At the top of the list was a place called Mayahuel which I could quickly see had 6 of 6 “likes” which translated to a 100% rating. I checked a couple of review snippets that called the place “hidden” and mentioned “come for the drinks”. It sounded good so we crossed the street and realized that the restaurant was right there on the other side of the street. We almost passed it up (it really is sort of hidden) but we found the door and were quickly whisked by a helpful employee through a cozy bar to a small table on the second floor of a brownstone. The time from, “What type of food…” to seating was less than five minutes.

I thought that the whole process was pretty amazing. It really was the first time I had experienced such “in the moment” synergy with a mobile application. When I started this site I hoped to bring my experiences and opinions about New York City to a wide audience. Back then (in 2005) we didn’t have the iPhone, Android or app stores. I think blogs and podcasts still have a strong role to play in helping people to prepare for (or perhaps reminisce after) trips. But these new mobile applications play an important part in creating enjoyable experiences too. Apps like Urbanspoon are location savvy, which is wonderful. They offer access to the “crowd” right in your pocket or pocketbook.  Twitter and Facebook also offer the possibility of near real-time feedback from your social connections too. In fact, after “checking in” using Facebook places at Coney Island I found out that an old friend had been there just before I was. Had I checked in sooner we might have met up. It’s all really great and something to consider before you travel to New York.

So you might be wondering how the restaurant was. It was good. We had a nice tortilla appetizer with salsa, salsa verde and guacamole. My wife had tacos and I had a nice plate of paella for an entrée. The drinks were definitely a highlight as mentioned in the review that I read on Urbanspoon. I even shot a photo prior to consuming the Blanco tequila flight that I ordered shortly after sitting down.

My Blanco tequila flight at Mayahuel

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We got their by car taking the Brooklyn Queens Expressway (BQE) to Tillary Street and then turning down Jay Street. You can also get there by taking the F train to York Street. If you’re feeling so inclined you can also walk over the Brooklyn Bridge to get there.

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Flickr Photo by Tomas Fano

It was recently reported that New York taxi riders have been ripped off by drivers to the tune of $8 million dollars. The New York Post reported as follows.

Cabbies have illegally scammed unsuspecting riders out of a staggering $8.3 million by manually switching the meter to rates that only apply when they are driving outside the city, officials said.

In a bomshell report issued by the Taxi and Limousine Commission this afternoon, the agency said it uncovered that drivers illegally overcharged passengers by switching the meter from Rate Code 1 (the default setting used for trips inside the five boroughs) to Rate Code 4 (a higher rate only used for travel in Westchester or Nassau counties when cabs leave the city).

Oh my. How disappointing. After all these years of improvements to the taxi system in the city there are still drivers looking to make a quick buck off of unsuspecting riders. The thing is, this kind of fraud likely affects locals as well as tourists. I’ll admit that I never pay much attention to the numbers on the meter if I’m in a cab. I pay even less attention if the trip is a short one. But something like this can easily turn a $4 trip into an $8 trip. It may not be a lot of money but stealing is stealing. And it likely affects the amount of money you would spend elsewhere. What’s a taxi rider to do? Keep an eye on that meter!

Flickr Photo by Thomas Hawk

In the photo above you can see the number 1 on the far left side of the meter. That means you’re being charged the “within city limits” fare. If you’re in any of the five boroughs of New York that’s what you should see. If you’re in the city and see a number 4 there then you are getting ripped off. If you notice something like that you should alert the driver and ask him to change the fare code. If the driver refuses or gives you a hard time tell them to stop the cab but only after you’ve captured the info from their license which should be displayed on the dashboard. You can dial 311, which is the city’s all purpose information and problem reporting hotline, to report the rip off.

As great a place as New York is you always have to be aware when spending your money. I must also state that these sorts of things go on all over the world. I remember being in Prague and having to tell the taxi driver, “Taximeter prosim,” so he would run the meter instead of overcharging me a flat rate for my trip. After all what’s fare is fare. [Pun intended ]

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More videos after the jump…

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The publicity team at the library dropped me a line recently to let me know what’s happening at the library during the fall season. They’ve got some interesting things going on including unique exhibits, discussions with artists, special film screenings, events for kids and more. What follows is a list of some of the more interesting events coming up for the fall season. Take note that some of the events take place at locations other than the main library.

Mapping New York’s Shoreline, 1609 – 2009
September 25, 2009–June 26, 2010
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
(Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street)

Mapping New York’s Shoreline, celebrating the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s arrival in New York Harbor, features a stunning array of maps, atlases, books, journals, broadsides, manuscripts, prints, and photographs drawn primarily from the Library’s Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division, augmented by items from other New York Public Library collections.

Lincoln Center: Celebrating 50 Years
October 15, 2009–January 16, 2010
The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
(40 Lincoln Center Plaza)

Lincoln Center: Celebrating 50 Years investigates the complex and symbiotic relationship between Lincoln Center and New York City over the course of a half century and the key role Lincoln Center has played in New York’s development as an international cultural capital. It is the first exhibition to focus exclusively on the evolution and influence of America’s first performing arts center, and features some 400 historic and contemporary objects including photographs, ephemera, correspondence, costumes, set pieces, props, and video recordings representing all 12 of the resident organizations.

Science, Industry and Business Library
Thursday, September 10, 5:30 p.m.
“Self-Recruiter® Changing the Rules: Lecture Series:Organizing & Managing Your Job Search”
In this presentation by author and career coach John Crant, you’ll learn how to plan, set goals, and manage your job search.

Big Jeff Halloween Routine
Saturday, October 31, 3 p.m.
Children’s Center at 42nd Street, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street, Manhattan

A spooky fun way to celebrate this most playful and imaginative time! Come on out and Boogie with the Boogieman, get turned into a toad by a Mean Old Witch, and sing along with the Jack-O-Lantern Blues. Recommended for ages 3 to 8 years old with parent/caregiver.

These are just a few of the many events coming up at libraries across the city. You can keep tabs on all the happenings at city libraries at http://www.nypl.org/calendar.

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Day 1 – Rockaway Beach

Rockaway Beach is exactly as I remember it from my days as a youth in Queens. There’s not much going on there except the boardwalk, the beach and the ocean. That’s fine with me. You’ll find many more locals than tourists at Rockaway. We went to Beach 108 St. which is usually quieter than 116 St. which is the last subway stop. The area in between 108th and 116th is even quieter since it’s further from the best parking and the subway stops. Lifeguards are on duty from 10AM – 6PM. When we were there two lifeguards (one in the chair and one at the edge of the surf) patrolled each stretch of beach. It’s important to note that the currents at Rockaway can be dangerous so it’s best to supervise kids very closely. Current aside the water was nice. I did some bodysurfing and we played with the kids at the edge of the surf. We drove to the beach and I think that’s the preferred mode of transport with the kids because you can leave and get comfortable much quicker than if you take public transportation.

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Day 1 – Evening
My Mom was kind enough to sit with the kids for the evening so my wife and I could have an adult night out. We walked around the West Village, grabbed a beer at WXOU Radio Bar then dinner at our favorite Brazilian restaurant Casa on Bedford Street. Casa is very small, but has a nice elegant feel to it. We love the food and always have a caipirihna or three. The one thing I noticed when walking around the village is that there are more closed storefronts than usual. Several restaurants that we used to go to are closed. There are still many great places to visit though. It’s also worth noting that Bleecker Street between 10th St. and Hudson St. has gotten much more upscale with several high end clothing and shoe stores. We capped off the evening with a stroll up Bleecker to Rocco’s Pastry Shop. My wife had assorted cookies and I inhaled a fresh cannoli. We also spotted TV actor Nicholas Tuturro in Rocco’s enjoying some sweets with his family.

Day 2 – Top of the Rock / Grand Central Terminal
Top of the Rock is one of those sights I’ve talked alot about but never actually visited. It’s a series of observation decks at 30 Rockefeller Plaza (aka 30 Rock) that was closed for many years and re-opened several years ago. Top of the Rock is notable because you get a great perspective on the Empire State Building and also have a great view of Central Park. You can book times in advance so we did that on the website. Kids under 6 are free so that was very helpful for our budget. Once you’re up at the top there are three different levels and you can enjoy the view from indoors as well as outdoors. The elevator ride up to the 67th floor is pretty unique and the kids loved it. We brought a two-person stroller everywhere and there were elevators that allow you to take the stroller to any level. There are also bathrooms up there so kids potty emergencies aren’t a problem. One interesting note about departing. The elevator down dropped us off below street level so we had to find an elevator (there are more escalators than elevators) to go one level up so we could exit with the stroller.

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We continued on the meet a friend for lunch at Grand Central Terminal. My older daughter loved the giant main hall. The ceiling is worth a look for astronomy buffs (my daughter loves stars) since the constellations are depicted on the ceiling of the terminal. I think that Grand Central is a great stop if you have kids because it’s free, there is plenty of room for strollers, lots of food options and there are bathrooms. The Transit Museum Annex is also worth stopping in on because they have some unique transit oriented souvenirs (like subway map rain boots and umbrellas) plus a few small transit exhibits.

Day 3 – Staten Island Ferry / Battery Park
My daughter was excited to get a look at the Statue of Liberty up close so we headed to Lower Manhattan for our final outing of the trip. We decided to skip going directly to the statue in order to avoid long lines. Going right to the Statue of Liberty and seeing her from very close up is well worth the wait. But we also knew that the kids might not hold up well on a hot day in a large crowd of people. It was a good choice because when we got down in that area the line to get on the ferry to the statue was very long. Instead we hopped on the Staten Island Ferry for free and caught a glimpse from the harbor. When we got to Staten Island instead of rushing to get the ferry to come back (which departs almost the same time as you arrive) we stayed an extra 30 minutes and enjoyed the view of Manhattan in the distance. There’s a nice outdoor deck area where you can grab a bench and admire the harbor. It’s important to note that when getting on the ferry you want to make a beeline to the side of the ferry that faces the statue if you want to get the best view. There is an upper level where you can go up to as well but that wasn’t an option for us since it wasn’t stroller accessible.

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With the time we saved not waiting to get on the ferry to the Statue of Liberty we strolled around Battery Park and Wagner Park which is just to the west of Battery Park and hugs New York Harbor and the Hudson River. We were treated to an impromptu modern dance performance which we stumbled upon while walking along. Here’s something else that’s important to know. There are public bathrooms in Battery Park that had very long lines. If you walk further west to the outdoor restaurant called Gigino you will find bathrooms there that get less traffic and may be a bit cleaner. Plus there’s a great patch of grass there where you can admire the harbor view.

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Getting Around With Kids
Having a car was very helpful for us during our trips since we were staying outside of Manhattan. If you’re in Manhattan and traveling with kids then the subway is the best mode of transport for long distances. A sturdy stroller is invaluable if your children are very young. I saw lots of people with flimsy travel strollers. I think the streets are a little too rough and the pace a little too fast to bring a cheap stroller. We have a travel stroller that we’ve gone to other cities with but those are places where there is less walking, the streets are better paved and the pace is slower. So I say bring the full on stroller for the kids if at all possible. If you are driving in then prepare to pay for parking. If you can find an easy parking spot on the street then go for it. But rather than driving in circles for hours it’s best to bite the bullet and spring for a parking garage. This can cost anywhere from $20 to $50 per day. Most places have early bird specials on weekdays where you get a much reduced rate if you arrive before 10AM. You can use http://nyc.bestparking.com/ to research locations of lots and find lots that have special deals going.

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Citi Field

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Amagansett Beach

Montauk Lighthouse

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I really love producing this blog but circumstances make it impossible to keep up with right now. When I started blogging and podcasting here way back in 2005 my first child was yet to be born and I was living on the doorstep of the city. Times have changed. I’m living further from the city, have two children and am also going to graduate school at night. That all adds up to little opportunity to do something interesting and no time to post updates. So that’s the bad news.

The good news is that I’m leaving the site up. So if you’re new to the site by all means explore the content. There’s a lot of good stuff here. More good news is that I am maintaining the site and domain because I know the day will come when I can get back into it again. There’s more good news in that people can feel free to leave comments here, as I will be watching the posts or email me at rob[at]newyorkminuteshow.com with any questions. I can’t promise the best answer but I’ll always do my best to help.

Finally, I am completely open to guest posts by bloggers and podcasters who know a thing or two about New York City and have something to share. If you’re one of those potential bloggers think of it as a great way to promote your own site. As long as the content is relevant and helps my audience I’m glad to include it here. Just email me to get started.

Thank you all and have a great holiday season.

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According to the official announcement on MLB.com, “No more than 60,000 fans will be allowed to attend the event, which Bloomberg said he hoped would be the largest concert in the history of Central Park’s Great Lawn.”

Concert goers must have a ticket to attend the event. Tickets will be distributed starting at 9AM on July 2nd at four locations throughout the city. This is going to be a super hot ticket so you might as well start camping out now if you want to pick some up.

Ticket Distribution Outlets

• Bronx:
  Yankee Stadium
  E 161st St. & River Ave., Bronx, NY 10451
• Queens:
  Shea Stadium
  12301 Roosevelt Ave., Flushing, NY 11368
• Staten Island:
  Home of the Staten Island Yankees
  75 Richmond Ter., Staten Island, NY 10301
• Brooklyn:
  KeySpan Park
  1904 Surf Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11224

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1. The Brooklyn Anchorage of the Brooklyn Bridge;
2. Between Piers 4 and 5 in Brooklyn Heights;
3. Lower Manhattan at Pier 35 (north of Manhattan Bridge);
4. The North Shore of Governors Island.

The falls will be on display from June 26th to October 13th, 2008. You can get a good view of the spectacle by taking either the Staten Island or Governors Island ferries. Both ferries are free so the experience will be light on the pocket book.

The project was designed by Olafur Eliasson and is being financed by the Public Art Fund. More information and photos are available at http://nycwaterfalls.org and via the press release.

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I liked the post about the Brooklyn Bridge trip. It also made me think of a question to you. Is it possible to make a walking trip, crossing Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan, walk up to Manhattan Bridge (my map shows it’s only a few blocks) and come back to the Manhattan borough using Manhattan Bridge.

You can most definitely do this. In fact, when you are walking across the Brooklyn Bridge from Brooklyn you see a sign for the Manhattan Bridge walking path as well. Based on the map below I estimate the distance of the trip to be about 2.5 miles, assuming your starting point is at City Hall in Manhattan.

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Tour Map

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In other news. I will be out and about in the city this weekend with video camera in hand. I hope to capture a couple of short videos to share with you here really soon.

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To try and keep down the cost, we are considering staying outside of the main island and traveling in and I wondered what your thoughts of this are? Is it worth it to save decent money or should we just bite he bullet and make the most of our few days?

It really depends on what deals you are able to find within a decent proximity to the city. Some people stay over in Secaucus, NJ which is about fifteen minutes by bus to Manhattan with a little traffic. To the north of the city there is a Residence Inn by Marriott in White Plains that offers rooms with kitchens and is a couple of minutes walk from the Metro-North train into Grand Central Station. The ride is about thirty to forty minutes.

There are some other options in Queens as well if you stay at a hotel near La Guardia airport. The ambiance isn’t that great though and public transport from there is limited. The Best Western City View hotel in Long Island City might be a good option as well. It is close to Manhattan and is about half a mile from the Number 7 train into Manhattan. Take a look at Jersey City hotels as well. There is convenient access to lower Manhattan from there via the PATH train system.

I would advise that you shop around and see if the prices you find are considerably less that the deals available in Manhattan hotels. I would compare the outlying hotels with ones in Manhattan that are outside of the Midtown hot zone, especially avoiding from Times Square up to Central Park. Once you have a comparison that includes the lesser price hotels in Manhattan you can start to figure out if the travel time and cost will be worth it.

In general, I’d recommend staying someplace where you can catch a train into town, rather than relying on the buses. Bus service to outer areas can take a long time if there is traffic and might not run as frequently as the Metro-North or New York City subway trains.

We will also catch the start of the US Open Tennis and again wondered if you had any particular tips for getting tickets/visiting to see the stars in action.

The U.S. Open is a great sporting event. I’ve attended several times and always enjoy it. I believe that tickets for the event go on sale in May or June. You can typically buy them online via Ticketmaster. You can set up an alert on the Ticketmaster site to remind you of the on sale date. My advice is to know the date when tickets go on sale and be online and ready to buy at the time when the tickets go on sale. They do go fast! I remember that they have special early on-sale dates for American Express credit card holders. So keep an eye out for that if you happen to have one of those cards.

If you want to be able to relax and mingle with the players I recommend going for a day session early in the tournament. There are a lot of matches going on at that time. There are certainly a lot more players around. And during the day it’s easier to recognize the different tennis pros and personalities walking the grounds there.

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In another recent episode Frank gives you a glimpse of his ride on a subway train.

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Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year.

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• The Rink at Rockefeller Center
• The Pond at Bryant Park
• Wollman Rink in Central Park
• Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers
• Kate Wollman Rink – Prospect Park
• World’s Fair Ice Skating Rink – Flushing Meadow Park
• Parks Department Ice Skating Rinks

Music by Orange Park.

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I’ve seen many great shows at The Garden including, Billy Joel, Billy Joel & Elton John, The Who (giving away my age here) U2, and now The Police. Here’s a clip from the show last night. If you come to New York City I definitely recommend seeing a music show at MSG if at all possible.

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Includes music by Natalie Gelman and a shout to the Regional Music Show.

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Show Links
Columbus Circle
Angelo’s Pizza
Time Warner Center
Buckingham Hotel
Holiday Inn Midtown
Le Parker Meridien
Ritz Carlton Central Park

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I’m announcing via the blog, and soon via the podcasts, that I’m going to let The New York Minute Show go dormant while I focus on another project. The site will stay as is. I will still moderate comments and leave all files and feeds available as usual. There just won’t be any new content.

The good news is that the mission continues. I’ve decided to heed the same advice that I give to many others and focus. Lucky for you the focus will continue to be on New York City.

My mission is a simple one. Transfer my knowledge and passion for the city over to you. The new destination I’ve been working on is over at http://www.newyorkismykindoftown.com. I’m not finished with the branding yet but the guts of the site is in place. Please have a look and let me know if you find it useful.

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This video was actually shot in 2004. I have shown a small clip of it previously but now technology has allowed me to pull the full seven minutes together into a reasonably sized file.

What you are looking at is the Macy’s Fireworks Spectacular on July 4th, 2004. This video was shot from a bridge in Greenpoint, Brooklyn looking out towards the East River. I love the fact that you can hear all the explosions. Enjoy!

Quicktime Video File

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• City Area Beaches
• Coney Island
• Rockaway Beach
• Pools
• Floating Pool at Brooklyn Bridge Park
• City Park Public Pools
• Kayaking
• NYC Downtown Boathouse
• Music
• Iroquois by HER & Kings County

Listen Now

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This is a view of the Hudson River and New Jersey from the 40th floor of the Hearst Tower at 57th Street and 8th Avenue in New York City. You can see the outside of the building during my recent Midtown Walk video podcast.

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Video from the Blubrry Jam To Fight Cystic Fibrosis. This was a musical concert event held at the Canal Room on April 7th. Featured performers were HER & Kings County and Brother Love.

Comedy podcasters Keith and the Girl emceed the event. Jerry Cahill of the Cystic Fibrosis podcast thanked the crowd for their support. A good time was definitely had by all.

© Robert J. Safuto - visit The New York Minute Show for more great content.

© Robert J. Safuto - visit The New York Minute Show for more great content.

• New York City brunch tips
• Florent
• B&H Photo Video store – link.
• Jacob Javits Convention Center – link.
• Hudson River Park – link.

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SHOW NOTES

• Tribeca stands for TRIangle BElow CAnal Street.
• Two nice hotels – Tribeca Grand and SOHO Grand.
• Tribeca Film Festival
• Canal Street and West Broadway – map.
• Also check out – Show #60.
• Accessibility in New York City.
• Plan ahead by doing extra research.
• Call the hotel.
• Review major sites and events you plan to attend.
• MTA Guide to Accessible Transit.
• Music by The Apple Bros.

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[tags]New York City, NYC, Travel, Podcast, Tribeca, Tribeca Film Festival, Hotels, Handicapped[/tags]

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Upstairs you’ll find great architecture, fine dining options and bustling crowds. Downstairs you’ll find lots of more casual food options including the world famous Oyster Bar.

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We’re bringing together podcasting, a New York Charity and a New York musician for a great cause. Blubrry, Brother Love and The Boomer Esiason Foundation are teaming up to raise money to benefit the Exercise For Life Scholarship fund.

The campaign, running from March 15th to May 15th is called The Blubrry Jam To Fight Cystic Fibrosis.

Cystic fibrosis is a debilitating lung disease that ultimately proves fatal, cutting the life span of those afflicted to 37 years. This campaign is raising funds to help provide financial support for young people living with this disease.

You can support us by making a donation online via PayPal or by attending our musical benefit event in New York City on April 7th. The live event will be a great show and features Brother Love performing in his usual awesome style and playing songs from his new CD. Every paying entrant to the event gets a free CD.

You can find out more, make a donation and buy tickets to the live show at www.blubrryjam.com.

Thanks in advance for supporting this very worthy cause.

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Costs for just about everything including food, housing and transportation are high. Taxes are high too. At 8.625% the sales tax in New York City is probably higher than anywhere in the country.

A new report confirms that taxes in New York City are higher than anywhere in the United States. The New York Post wrote an editorial on the topic yesterday. The news is not good.

According to their editiorial, “New York state and city taxes consumed $9.02 of every $100 earned during the 2003-2004 tax year – far above the big-city average of $6.16. “No other city even comes close” to New York, the report concludes.” Ugh!

The upside, if there can be one, is the fact that the city provides many services as a result of these tax dollars. The Parks Department alone spends a considerable amount maintaining our many city parks including Central Park. Tax money also goes to paying for our many Public Schools and Libraries around the city.

In a city like New York the taxes need to be high in order to support the massive services required by over 8 million residents.

Should you avoid moving to New York City due to the high taxes? I say no. Instead you should plan ahead. Learn about budgeting for personal finance. Create a budget and include taxes as one of your major expenses. This will help make your plans realistic and increase the chances that your experience in the city will meet your expectations.

© Robert J. Safuto - visit The New York Minute Show for more great content.

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In the past I’ve mentioned taking the JFK Air Train from the airport to save time and money. But in what situations should you skip the Air Train? I’ll let you know my opinion.

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[tags]New York City, NYC, Travel, Podcast, Restaurants, Tipping, Airport, Transportation[/tags]

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http://www.onnyturf.com/subway/

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Strolling through Bryant Park I found out that the Wi-Fi access was down and the free ice skating rink was turning into a lake. Over in Times Square the post-matinée crowd was filling the streets and enjoying the respite from winter.

Lucky for you I had my new Samsung BlackJack with me to help record the events of the afternoon. The resulting video podcast is a bit low-fi, but the scene comes across real good.

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[tags]New York City, New York, NYC, Times Square, Bryant Park, Travel, Video[/tags]

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I just love watching the lights flick off at midnight. That’s the New York geek in me I guess. I’m also a big fan of Christmas lights. We made sure to walk our neighborhood often during this Christmas season so my daughter could check out the lights.

The picture above shows the Empire State Building from the New Jersey side of the Hudson River during one of our walks. Click the image to see more photos taken by my wife on that night. Frankly, the Christmas lights in my old neighborhood in Queens put the folks in my new neighborhood to shame .

[tags]New York, New York City, NYC, Empire State Building, Lights, Christmas Lights, Travel, Photo[/tags]

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Show Notes

• Recent News
• 44 Million Visitors to New York City in 2006. Why did (or why will) you come to New York City?
• NYPD subway sting operation. Bags with cell phones are bad news.
• New Year’s Tips
• Go out (especially to restaurants) early.
• Don’t pay in advance for all you can drink events.
• Be flexible and consider going to a show.
• Saint Patrick’s Day 2007
• Falls on a Saturday.
• Tips in the forum.

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Lots of diggs are a great way to help raise the profile of this site. So I would appreciate it if you could take five minutes of your time to Digg The New York Minute Show.

I have no doubt that Santa will take note of this kindness and reward you accordingly

[tags]New York, Digg, Podcast[/tags]

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Part two includes the walk from 51st to 59th Streets and includes sights such as Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Cartier, Trump Tower and The Apple Store.

Background music comes courtesy of Australian singer/songwriter Bianca Jade.

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[tags]New York City, NYC, New York, Travel, Fifth Avenue, Shopping, Sights, Apple Store, Cartier, Trump Tower, Plaza Hotel[/tags]

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There are many challenges in dealing with a growing metropolis. The top three in the list that the city planners came up with should come of little surprise to anyone familiar with big city life:

1. The city will get BIGGER (as in a lot more people).
2. The infrastructure (the rails, the roads, the bridges) will get much OLDER.
3. The (already strained) environment will be AT RISK.

Kudos to the Mayor and the planning team for getting started on this effort. Unfortunately, identifying the problems is a lot easier than being able to take successful action to avert a crisis. So there’s a lot of hard work ahead. But lord knows that if any city can rise to a challenge than New York surely can. It’s all about the people.

The city has launched and official PLANYC2030 site to provide information and keep interested parties abreast of the situation.

[tags]New York, New York City, NYC, Plan 2030[/tags]

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