Travel Question of the Week

[The East Village Inky]

Thanks to all those who contributed some general questions about things to do / eat / see / experience in NYC for inclusion in the Zinester's Guide to NYC.

Here's a new challenge. I suspect we all travel pretty close to the bone budget wise. But, were you to have one splurge in NYC, what would you want? What's special enough to merit a little extra expense on a special occasion (or on a special someone?) A fancy French meal? An eyelash extension? The most deluxe vibrator of them all? Please lay em on me - and if you're inclined to give an indication of how much you'd pay for this treat, lay that on me too. I know this ain't The Price is Right, but only because I'm not Bob Barker.

[Stephanos]

decent beer:P

[The East Village Inky]

Stephanos said:

decent beer:P

Okay, Mr. Thirsty. It's possible to throw a lot of money at such a worthwhile item in this town, despite the ongoing hipster fascination for Pabst Blue Ribbon...

[Amazing Sunflower]

The two times I visited New York, I splurged on books. This was before I knew about ordering books online, so if I saw a book I wanted, I needed to buy it right away, because I might not be able to find it at home.

It might be fun to splurge on a play or a Broadway musical. I don't know if I actually would in real life, but it's kind of fun to fantasize about.

I think perhaps I am just no good at splurging!

Well, and to a small town gal, taking public transportation in NYC feels like splurging! Big city transport is convenient, but pricey!

[The East Village Inky]

Chantel G. said:

It might be fun to splurge on a play or a Broadway musical. I don't know if I actually would in real life, but it's kind of fun to fantasize about.

I think perhaps I am just no good at splurging!

Well, and to a small town gal, taking public transportation in NYC feels like splurging! Big city transport is convenient, but pricey!

You know, there are Broadway shows worth splurging on, though even the half price ticket booth constitutes a splurge. We have our ways though. I'm shelling out to see Ruined next week. It just won the Pulitzer Prize and is extra exciting b/c it was written by a neighbor - a female neighbor of color, to boot! Go, Lynn Nottage! One sad thing for American theater, but great thing for NYC playgoers is that few tourists opt for a serious play without music, which means tickets to something you might actually want to see are usually available the day of, for deep discounts. (and of course when I say you, I mean I)

the subway fare is going up yet again...but jump in any nyc cab and the subway starts to feel like the bargain it is.
of course, now all the cabs come w/ a tv installed in the back seat. Feh! Look out the window! You're in NYC!!!

[Aj Michel]

I'm not much of a "splurgy" type either. (And wow, "splurgy" sounds dirty, doesn't it?) However, I'd like to know about bookstores, comic book stores, and record stores where I could get imported books and albums and even magazines. That's my idea of splurging.

Oh, and not a true splurge, but how about the best pizza slice in each area of Manhattan? E.g. Midtown, the Village (East & West), Murray Hill, etc.?

[CocoaPuss Zine]

i would splurge on clothes. not necessarily a $500 bag, but a lot of good decent clothes that are affordable and stylish. perhaps $50 for a dress.

i would also splurge on a tattoo.

[The East Village Inky]

I'm with you, AJ, except I'm always the first one in line to throw down my 45 bucks for this crazy 4 story Korean bathhouse in Queens! And tomorrow I'm blowing 17 bucks a pop for one my kids and I to go on one of the Tenement Museums tours. It's not lost on me that there was probably a time when rent for the apartment we'll be viewing was 17 bucks (or less) but the T. Museum always puts on a good show, and given that I habitually give the Met and the Museum of Natural History like 1/20th of their "suggested donation", I have a little reserve to tap for this one, which is right up my daughter's alley. She's never been and it would be a shame to deprive her just because it costs the same as a poorly cooked slab of salmon at one of the many bistros near our apartment. Though if she loves it, we may have to become members.

CocoaPuss, I was HOPING someone would ask about tattoos. I haven't been inked since a yin yang went horribly wrong (or wonderfully appropriately right, given the imbalanced personage who has sported it for the last 25 years), but I do view w/ interest all the different shops and the sort of work they do.

keep em coming!

[Aj Michel]

OK... along the museum lines... which of the "big" museums are worth splurging on for the admission cost? The Met, MOMA, the Natural History Museum ("squid and whale" place), Guggenheim, Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum, etc. If I had only $XX and could go to ONE major art museum, which should it be?

[CocoaPuss Zine]

oh yeah one more thing. if i leave something in a taxi or on the bus how will i get it back? i probably won't but is there a number i can call for lost and found? i really like phone numbers and not having to look them up. nyc seems confusing. it's hard to know which burrough you are in and which one the airport is in and which one times square is, etc etc. maybe listing the burroughs and giving 5 major things that are in each one. that would be the hugest help for me.

[Alex Wrekk]

i'd say beer too. I remember being pleased with the selection at the Belgian Room... I even mentioned it in one of my zines.

[The East Village Inky]

Aces! All of youse!

AJ, for sure i am going to share all my tips for getting in free or cheap, and I'll tell you right now, for my money, the only ironclad admission price that is always worth the annual splurge is MOMA, though I've got a good little secret about that one too, for anyone who can convince the info desk that he or she is an artist (my illustrations in BUST magazine did the trick there.)

CocoaPuss, I will give you those numbers...and let me tell you, once when I was getting out of a cab, I left my red craft fur purse on the back seat b/c I was so preoccupied w/ luggage and sleeping children. I called the taxi commission, but meanwhile, I remembered the driver's name b/c she'd told us how she was a native new yorker (it was obvious) married to a Sikh (her last name was Singh), and that she lived right near LaGuardia where she picked us up, and that she shouldn't have picked us up b/c she should have been home preparing to take her niece to the Radio City Xmas show. I had coincidentally just seen the Radio City Xmas show (for free, natch), so we had a lot to talk about. Anyway, I looked HER up in the phone book, and called her house. the next day she brought my purse back at 6am!!!

Also - my eldest child left her entire backpack on the F train and we got it back due to a helpful token booth clerk's willingness to spring into action.

Alex, I could go for a beer right now! Might stave off this swine flu-ish feeling...

keep em coming and prepare for another question of the week soon.

[Denise]

I'd pay $100 on awesome korean food. ha! and considering the fact that I am a broke college student who only has a little over 100 bucks right now, that IS a splurge.