New York Links
These links to New York-related resources have been selected by me, Twang, for no better reason than that they create a guided tour of My New York. This list is by no means comprehensive -- check out Clay Irving's incredible site (first on the list below) for your ultimate one-stop Big Apple Internet index.
New York on the Web
This is it. Clay Irving's New York City Reference index has hundreds upon hundreds of links to Web and gopher sites covering every imaginable topic relating to New York City, from gay and lesbian resources to Internet providers to a company that sells Chinese green tea, all neatly arranged by subject. There's also a small section of Long Island links. Bookmark this one, and start here next time you need NYC info in a jiff.What's the alma mater of both New York Conference hosts? It's Columbia University in the City of New York -- and they do teach you to say the "New York" part before you've even attended your first Lit Hum class. I loved it so much I went back for grad school (but don't tell anyone -- bitter griping about Columbia is a required tradition among alumni). ColumbiaWeb features, among other things, course schedules, admission info, University publications, and links to the Columbia CWIS as well as nearly every home page on the Columbia server.
The Columbia area (the neighborhood called "Morningside Heights" or the "Upper-Upper West Side" by realtors, "South Harlem" by realists) is also home to the magnificent Cathedral of St. John the Divine. The Web site, like the building itself, is still under construction, but has available general information on the Cathedral and its history, and a calendar of events (don't forget to bring Fluffy to the Blessing of the Animals each fall). The interactive online tour, when finished, promises to be especially cool; in the meantime, I recommend you head up to Amsterdam and 112th and take the real "vertical tour" (phobia alert: it's dark and very, very vertical) -- the site tells you how to sign up.
Who says New Yorkers won't get involved? Last summer, I was blading down by the 79th Street boat basin when I suddenly found myself on the ground with a dislocated knee. Several pedestrians immediately came to my aid: a young couple who went off to call the ambulance, and a nice lady who stayed to make sure I didn't faint before it arrived. I haven't had the heart to return to the scene of my mishap -- but luckily, the New York City Inline Skating Guide features lots of other skating routes, along with information on skate clubs, stores, and "skater friendly" business estabishments.
About a month after I moved to New York, a naive little thing, I scored big -- a boyfriend who was In a Band. A real band, one that was enjoying a measure of fame in the downtown scene. Steve used to take me to hang out at a new, hip little club where he played; I remember thinking this is it! This is the big city and I'm Holly Golightly -- wheee! Since then, I've grown up a lot, and so has The Knitting Factory; it's expanded from its tiny space on Houston Street, and sponsors music both live and on its successful record label. Now ten, years later, I can visit the Web site for schedules and their CD catalog, and relive the times I could say "I'm with the band" -- the best four weeks of my life.
One of my favorite quotations about New York is currently in the conference banner:
Neil Simon moved to LA about fifteen years ago, then moved back after a year. Asked the difference, he replied, "When it's 32 degrees in New York, it's 78 in Los Angeles. When it's 102 degrees in New York, it's 78 in Los Angeles. There are about two million interesting people in New York -- and 78 in Los Angeles."So what's my point? Well it is about 102 degrees in New York as I write this. But mostly, it's to create some kind of context for the next link: INTELLicast's New York Weather reports. 4-day forecasts from your favorite local TV weather reporters (including my idol, Al Roker) and radar images are available here.
How cool is New York radio? So cool that the best local station is in New Jersey. An "independent free-form radio station," WFMU-FM 91.1 is famous for its alternative and sometimes frankly bizarre programming, and infamous for its elusive signal. I don't question pals who have their stereo antennas wired to coat hangers and taped to the ceiling -- I know they're just trying to optimize their reception, and it's always worth it. The Web site includes sound clips, schedules, and a catalog of merchandise and rare recordings.
Sometimes, when I want to torture myself about my choice to live in New York, I pick up the paper and read the classified ads for apartment rentals. You know, "cozy studio, shower in kitchen, 5th floor walk-up, $1800." Thanks to the magic of cyberspace, I can now drive myself crazy without getting newsprint all over my fingers. As it was in New York long before the Web, the best listings can be found at The Village Voice -- unfortunately, cyber-rents are no better than market. Should you luck out and find a charming, affordable parlor-floor brownstone 1BR w/WBF, you might want to check out TenantNet for its tenants' rights resources before signing the lease -- and after signing, when you come home one day to find your upstairs neighbor's bathtub on your futon.
One of the freakiest things I ever saw in New York was in the north part of Central Park. My then-beau and I were wandering in the woods one spring day when we saw a little clump of litter under some bushes. It turned out to be a crude voodoo doll -- a plastic babydoll with its limbs torn off and strange stuff written on it and wire wrapped around its little head. Neither of us would touch it so we poked it with a stick for a while, and George took some pictures. Anyway, check out the beautifully designed Central Park web site (created by an Echo New York Conference member); it details some of the more pleasant aspects of that little spot of greenery where New Yorkers gather to enjoy rollerblading, free concerts, picnics, and unusual religious practices.