Beginner questions on New York City

3. I understand I better not rent a car but should use the metro and cabs. How do I recognize if a cab driver is cheating me with regard to the fare? Is it possible at all if you've never driven yourself in that city?

Is it OK to ignore beggars or do I need to equip myself with a lot of change to avoid being harassed by them?

Hi there

I reckon there are some threads about NYC already but since none of them seem to deal with "beginner questions" I figure I'd better open a new one.

I love big cities. I can walk hour after hour in say Paris, London, Barcelona, Frankfurt etc. and just "inhale" the atmosphere. Now I'm tinkering with the idea of my second trip to the US and visiting New York City. But there are quite a few things which I don't know. Maybe you could tell me about them.

1. My preferred way of lodging is to rent an apartment for one or two weeks and buy my food in stores like the locals do. Is this possible in NYC? Where can I find these offers then? Probably, try this link: http://www.mlx.com/new_york_apartments_resources/New_York_City_short-term-apartments-rentals-new-york-city-rent-buy I can't vouch for quality or price. I just put the words new york city short-term lease apartments into Google.
If I need to go to a hotel, which ones would you recommend if the Ritz is not an option? There are dozens of hotels, and Manhattan is pretty large. You've got to narrow down to an area before anyone can tell you anything meaningful. I have no problem with just the basics but I also don't want to experience roaches, non working toilets etc. Oh yes, I'd also like a safe neighborhood. Of course. There are choices so you need to be more specific about price in order to narrow this down. If I want to get shot I can have this here, too.

2. What areas of the city should better be avoided? Bowery, much of Harlem. Any area can be dangerous, most areas can be safe during the day. I realize that's vague but Manhattan is not homogeneous. I will most likely travel alone and carry a camera. Would this make me an easy target somewhere in NYC? Don't wave it around, don't yak about how expensive it is and don't wave money around. Otherwise, you should be fine.

3. I understand I better not rent a car but should use the metro and cabs. Don't rent a car, parking is outrageous. It's not called the metro, it's called the subway. How do I recognize if a cab driver is cheating me with regard to the fare? Like shapeless said, this isn't too bad of an issue, so long as you use a yellow cab. Don't use gypsy cabs (unmarked, unlicensed, no medallion), as price and quality are very variable. One way you can be cheated is if the driver takes the long way to anywhere, but it is not in their best interests. It's in the driver's best interest to pick up more fares quickly as he gets more for the first fraction of a mile than for any other mile fractions. But a meandering drive can still happen. Drivers almost always ask you how you want to go (e. g. which highway or road) and which intersection or corner as streets are long and intersections are wide. If you are not taking a cab during rush hour, it usually pays to go via a highway (West Side Highway or the like) if the trip is a long one, otherwise, it pays to go via regular streets. Streets go East-West and avenues go North-South although down in Greenwich Village that rules goes kerflooey. Is it possible at all if you've never driven yourself in that city?

4. Is it OK to ignore beggars or do I need to equip myself with a lot of change to avoid being harassed by them? The beggars here only say nasty things to you if you avoid them. Not sure how far they'd go in NYC... Ignore them. Hard luck stories are all the same and most of them are meaningless (yeah, I'm a hard case), you don't want to give these people your money so that they can buy drugs or alcohol. Don't offer money or you can be followed. If you are followed, try to find a police officer, or duck into a bank. If neither option is available, find a crowd of people. Shapeless is correct to try to avoid eye contact.

5. Are there any taboos I should be aware of? Things which I should not do or which I should not talk about in NYC? Not that I can think of. In the airport, be aware that joking about terrorism and related topics can get you searched, but that's not just going to happen in NYC.

6. Is there a noteworthy German community in NYC where I could go and say Hi? If so, where is it? I have no idea. Try this link: http://www.germanyinnyc.org/index.php?section=guide&sub=fooddrink&parid=1 Again, I can't vouch for quality or price.

Thanks in advance
Thomas