All the Stupid Questions

People who say that "There's no such thing as a stupid question" are kidding themselves. There are stupid questions. But sometimes, a stupid question needs asking. For example, if you're moving to Manhattan for college when you've been to the city without your parents exactly once in your life. (the knowledge I had of the city was very limited).

I have decided to show you all exactly how stupid questions can get, by posting some of the questions I had about moving to the city.

1. How do you know where an express train stops vs. a local train? Hell, how do you know which way a train goes? How do you make sure you don't miss your stop?

Well, the MTA has a website that will show you a map of the subway system: http://www.mta.info/maps/submap.html Buses are mapped by :http://mta.info/nyct/maps/manbus.pdf

The numbers and letters next to the stop tell you what trains stop there. If you like, there is an app called HopStop that will tell you how to get places on the go, and they have a website as well. I like the app called NextStop, because it tells you if something has gone wrong on a selected train line, so you know when to take the bus. As far as being sure you're on the right train, most platforms will say "uptown" or "downtown", as well as marking whether its an expres or local on that track. Plus, the trains themselves say on the sides. You won't miss your stop so long as you pay attention, they announce "Next stop: 68th Street, Hunter College" or whatever the next stop is. If you think you won't make it before the doors close, just shout "Excuse me!!" and start walking for the door. People will move.


2.  Which are better: subways or buses?

Subways tend to run more frequently than buses. Also, some buses stop running late at night or have reduced frequency on Saturdays and Sundays. I take the subways more often than I take the bus. They're more reliable and more predictable. Plus, the underground stations are warmer than bus stations in the winter.
However, I like taking the bus better two times : beautiful days, and at night.
When it's beautiful out, I like being aboveground and enjoying a pretty day. At night, you can get a few sketchy characters hanging out in subway stations. I prefer not having to walk down a poorly lit set of stairs into an underground room at night. I'd rather stay aboveground and take a bus.

3. What are the best places to do my shopping?

TRADER JOES. TRADER JOES. TRADER JOES. Trader Joe's is the most affordable grocery place in the city. They have almost everything you need, as far as food is concerned. They carry mostly generic, Trader Joe's brand products, but don't worry - its delicious. There are 2 Trader Joe's near the dorms - one on 21st Street and 6th Ave, and the other on 14th Street and 3rd Avenue. The 14th Street location is in the first floor of NYU, so it's always packed with NYU kids. I recommend going to the 6th Ave location, because it is larger, better lit, and a little less crowded. You can take the M23 ( the bus that runs on 23rd street) right over there. I will warn you though, if you go around 5, when adults are getting out of work, the line does wrap around the store. But don't worry - it moves fast. Also, Trader Joe's sells a lot of organic food, which tends to be pricier than non-organic, so just pay attention to what you pick up if you're watching your budget.

The only shortcoming of Trader Joe's is that there are some items they don't carry, or that they over-charge for. They don't carry ramen, or many varieties of soda, or seltzer. For things like that my friends and I tend to head down to the K-Mart on Astor Place, which is 2 stops downtown on the 6 line.

If you want convenience, at 23rd Street and 2nd Ave is a grocery store called Morton Williams. It's more expensive than the other stores, so I don't really shop there. But it has the staples, and it is good quality food. Sometimes if I'm lazy I'll get eggs or milk there.

For produce, we tend to have stands set up along the sides of the road. While black-market produce may sound sketchy, its normally cheaper and better quality than what you can buy in the grocery store.
Union Square (14th and 4th) has a greenmarket that's really excellent in the fall as well.

OH! And recently, a Fairway opened up on 30th and 1st, and I buy dates there. (the dried fruits, not the social outing.)

4. Is there an efficient way to carry all my heavy groceries?

Hire someone else? Bring a packmule? Invent a teleportation device?

Not really, I'm sorry to say. I know people who invested in a yaya cart (also known as a granny cart, a babushka cart, its the metal carts that little old ladies use to push their groceries) I try to remember to bring a re-usable bag that can slip over my shoulder, but I invariably forget it. You can put soda or heavy cans in your backpack and that makes them less cumbersome. But really, you just have to shop for what you can carry, and then either make due or shop more often.

5. How do you know what neighborhood you're in?

People talk about Manhattan and sub-divide it into neighborhoods. Which can get really confusing, since there's very little official information available on these "neighborhoods". So most people have their own little definition for where a neighborhood begins and ends.  I found this map that explains it pretty well.

Remember - this is approximately the neighborhoods. Some people might define it differently.

Eventually you will spend enough time in some of these neighborhoods that you'll recognize them on instinct. A side note - Murray Hill is sometimes called "Curry Hill" now, since there has been a recent influx of Indian people, making the entire area smell like curry from all the FABULOUS restaurants.

5. Does where you sit matter?

I think it does. In small classes, like your Macaulay Seminar, it doesn't matter too much since you'll have to participate and interact with your professor anyways. But in larger lecture classes, sitting towards the front means that you'll have a better chance of the teacher knowing who you are. One of the best things about college is the lack of assigned seats, so hop around and see what works for you. I like to sit on the right side of the class, two or three rows from the front. Unless I'm exhausted and I feel like I might fall asleep, then I book it to the back of the class. It's rude enough to sleep in class, but its even worse to do it in the front seats.

6. How long is the commute from the dorms to Hunter? How can I be sure I get there on time the first day?

STORY TIME. My first day, I was TERRIFIED that I wasn't going to get to my class on time. I left an hour and a half before it. I got REALLY lucky though - in the lobby of the dorms, I ran into my peer mentor. She was headed up to class! So, I got to tag along with her and make sure I didn't get lost on my way up to the school. She even helped me find my classroom. :) So, for all those who don't know yet if they'll be as lucky as I was, here is how it works:

It takes about 30 minutes to get to Hunter, if you walk at a decent pace. My friend who walks quickly can make it in 20.

You walk down to 23rd street from the dorms, and then walk along 23rd street until you hit Park Avenue. (The 6 is technically part of the Lexington lines, but the stations are on Park.) This walk takes about 10, maybe 12 minutes. Then, you get on the uptown train. it should take about 10 minutes on the train, but you want to leave a few extra minutes incase you have to wait. Add in some time to get to whatever floor you class is on, in whatever building. ( If your class is in 17 North Building, you'll need a few more minutes than if it's in 3 West). The subway lets out next to Thomas Hunter Hall, in front of the West building, and there is a direct entrance to the West Building through the basement.

You can also take the M15, which is a select bus that stops on 25th street (literally in front of the dorms). That takes a little longer though, about 40 minutes if there's not too much traffic. The uptown bus runs on 1st avenue. It stops on 68th street, and if the bus driver doesn't announce it, you get off when you see the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Since you're on 1st Ave, you'll have to walk to Lexington Avenue along 68th street. The M15 downtown will pick you up on 68th and 2nd Ave,  and drop you off either on 28th or 23rd, depending on your preference.

A note about select buses: you need to get a ticket before you board a select bus from one of the machines next to the little plexiglass shelter. If you don't have that slip that prints out, its a $100 fine.

If you have an hour to kill, you can walk. Just walk up to 68, then over to Lexington. I prefer to walk home sometimes, its a nice way to unwind.

8. Got any cool tricks that are gonna blow my mind?

MAPLE.

Madison, Park, Lexington. The order of the named avenues, from west to east, spells MA.P.LE. It's a handy thing to know.

The tourist guides have maps. Pick one up, study the map, its' really helpful. There's no shame in having one hanging on your wall like I do. In fact, if you mark off important spots in cool pens, it looks pretty artsy.

Odd numbered Avenues run north, Evens run south. 

There is a subway stop every 10 blocks, if not more frequently.

If you're a little lost and need to figure out cardinal directions, look at the skyline. More often than not, the World Trade Center Tower (Rector street)  is south, and the Empire State Building (34th street) is north. If you can remember the location of a few really tall buildings, you're less likely to get lost.

The first few times you travel below Houston (pronounced Howston) street, do it with a group, a map, and plenty of time to figure out where the hell you are and where the hell you need to get. Going from the grid to the maze that is the southern portion of Manhattan can be really confusing. This rule goes double for the first time you go to the West Village.

Ask. For. Directions. Yes, this is NYC, famous for it's unfriendly people. Yes, people are busy. But 99.99999997% of the time, they will at least tell you how to get somewhere. Everyone's gotten lost, and there's a lot of sympathy there that will make them point you in the right direction. Just pay attention the first time, they likely won't stick around to repeat it.

9. What do I do if I have a question that might be a bit stupid, but I really need the answer to?

You ask it! If you put a question in the comments on this post, I will do my best to find an answer, regardless of how silly it seems. At risk of sounding like a teacher : if you've got the question, someone else probably does too.