A slice of j1 advice – new york introduction

A SLICE OF J1 ADVICE – NEW YORK
INTRODUCTION
New York City, The Big Apple, The City that Never Sleeps, is the home to millions and a great place for your J1 summer experience. New York is comprised of five boroughs, namely, Manhattan, Brooklyn, The Bronx,Queens and Staten Island. This makes it easier when looking for jobs and

accommodation as most areas, are easily accessible.

New York has the largest population of any city in the USA.New York State has more places to go skiing than any other state in theUSA.The Statue of Liberty is in the state of New Jersey, not New York. TheFrench gave it to the people of the USA.

TRANSPORTATION

There are three main international airports in New York – John F Kennedy Newark and La Guardia. If you are arriving at JFK, the best and the quickest way to the city center is to take the shuttle train ($5) to Howard Beach subway station and then take the A Line to Manhattan. There are also airport buses that run between the airport and the city. The New York airport express service bus is reliable and quite fast and it goes straight to Manhattan. A onewayticket costs $13.00. The Q3 bus also goes to the city center – it’s not fast but the fare is only $2.00. If you are arriving in Newark, Olympia Bus run a service form 6am – midnight into Manhattan for approx $13, this takesbetween 30-40 mins. If you are arriving at La Guardia Airport, it’s best to take the airport buses to the city center. Again, the New York Airport Express bus is the quickest and the easiest and goes straight to Manhattan. The Fare is around $13.00. The M60, Q33 and Q47 buses run 24 hours and they do

eventually reach Manhattan but remember that they take their time (but onlycost $2.00!)
The subway is one of the quickest and cheapest ways of getting around NewYork City. The fare is $2.00 (subject to change). There are booths in everystation where you can purchase MetroCards, or you can use a MetroCard vending machine. These cards can also be used on city buses. Free subwayand bus maps can be obtained at any subway station. The subway is generally safe, however, use caution when traveling at night.If you are going further than New York, the Amtrak, Greyhound and cheap airlines are a great way to get there. If you are heading down to Ocean City,buses run from Port Authority daily. Greyhound have the most competitive price costing approx $64, this has to be booked 7 days in advance and takes about 7 hours. If you want to go down to Washington, the Washington Deluxe Bus Company run a service costing $20, this takes approximately 4 hours, dependent on traffic. If you want to fly, flight search engines such as www.orbitz.com usually have very competitive prices with flights starting at $100 for June. Amtrak also run a service from NYC to Washington and costs approximately $67.

SOCIAL SCENE

You will need all your energy for a night out in New York City, remember it’sthe ‘city that never sleeps’ so whether it’s a quiet night or an all night you are looking for, ‘ The Big Apple’ has it all.

Take a walk in China Town and enjoy the thriving district that offers you exotic shops, all kinds of restaurants and bars galore! Remember, like Ireland,the pubs and restaurants are non-smoking.

If you would like to experience some local bands check out Alphabet City’sMercury Lounge, 217 East Houston Street. If you are still rarin’ to go after all that, Webster Hall, 125 East 11th Street, is a four story disco theme park where you can dance to everything from 70’s music to techno or hip-hop.Tipping is such a major part of American life; many jobs rely mostly ontipping, in particular waiting staff and bar staff. If you’re in a restaurant agood guide is to tip approximately 15%-20%, in bars tip a $1 a drink and taxidrivers will also expect a tip.If you are shopping in America a sales tax will be added to everything, this tax varies from State to State! If you do decide to splash out just remember that anything electrical that you buy like ipods, laptops and cameras will not be covered by your insurance policy. In the case of an insurance emergency you should contact your local police and also contact the insurance company, have your policy number to hand. In the case of an emergency you can also call the SAYIT 24hr paging service on 011 353 497 15 86, this service is for emergencies and should not be used for flight changes.

Daytime entertainment is in abundance in New York City.For under $20 you can take a boat tour of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Brooklyn Bridge and much more, or head over to the Bronx Zoo

(which is only $11.00 or pay what you like on Wednesday), take a ride on the world famous Staten Ferry or just simply take the day to enjoy the hundreds of museums, art galleries and parks.

Definite areas to check out include Central Park, SOHO, Chinatown, Little Italy, Times Square, the Rockefeller Center, Battery Park, and of course 5th Avenue for all you shopaholics.If you’ve a head for heights, why not be one of the 22,000 people to take the daily trek up the Empire State Building – the 86th floorobservatory is open air and only 1.050 feet up!Take in a game with the New York Yankees – baseball doesn’t get any more real than this. The cheapest way to get to the Yankee Stadium,take the Number 4 Subway uptown and get out at 161 Yankee Stadiumand it only costs $2.00 one way on the subway!A trip to Woodbury Common is a must for shopping, buses run daily

from Port Authority with Grey Line, costing $38.

ACCOMMODATION
It’s a really good idea to book in to a hostel in advance for a few days for when you first arrive in New York. This will give you the chance to check out some places to rent while getting a feel for the city. The Chelsea Center Hostel on 313 West 29th St. will cost you approximately $30-$35 and is central.Places like the Bronx and Brooklyn are much cheaper to live in whencompared to Manhattan, however if you are going to work in Manhattan you need to take traveling expenses into account.

New York City is comprised of five boroughs, namely, Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island. Each of the boroughs is comprised of many neighbourhoods and sections, some of which are described below. Travelling within and between the boroughs is relatively easy thanks to New York City's extensive public transportation system, which includes subways and buses.

Avenues run north south starting at First Avenue on the East Side and ending at 12th Avenue on the West Side. Streets run east west, from First Street in lower Greenwich Village to 220th Street at the northern edge of Manhattan.Fifth Avenue is the dividing line between the East Side and the West Side.Building numbers increase as they move away from Fifth Avenue.
Greenwich Village: West Village

Fifth Avenue to the West Side Highway, Houston Street to 14th Street This is home to many of NYU's faculty, staff, and students, the historical area surrounding Washington Square Park is dotted with brownstones, row houses, tree-lined streets, quaint cafés, and restaurants. Also located in this area are a number of jazz clubs, piano bars, and art galleries.

Greenwich Village: East Village

East of Fifth Avenue, First Street to 14th Street East Village is known for its reasonably priced housing and St. Marks Place and this area of the city is again home to many NYU students with plenty of restaurants and shops to be found.

Union Square

Fifth Avenue to Park Avenue South, 14th Street to 18th Street
This neighbourhood, once the site of union workers' rallies and factory lofts, has become in recent years a comfortable and desirable place to live and is only a few blocks from Washington Square Park. It is the site of the popular Farmer's Market, fine restaurants, and shops.

SoHo

South of Houston Street to Canal Street, Lafayette Street to West Side Highway
Originally an industrialized neighbourhood of cast-iron factories built at the turn of the century, SoHo (South of Houston Street) underwent a major transformation as artists began to inhabit the empty loft spaces in the early 1970s. It is now home to many artists, galleries, and fashionable boutiques and restaurants and is just a few blocks south of the NYU campus.

Chelsea

West 14th Street to West 34th Street
One of the city's most popular residential neighbourhoods, it offers a wide variety of apartments from brownstones to pre-war elevator apartment houses. This area has been growing in appeal, with many new restaurants and stores.

Gramercy

East 14th Street to East 34th Street
This area, surrounding Gramercy Park, was the site of some of the oldest luxury apartments and clubs in the 1880s. It is quieter than the lower streets of the Village, but still within walking distance of the campus. It is also conveniently located near the NYU School of Medicine and the College of Dentistry.


Other Manhattan Neighbourhoods

Downtown

Located below First Street, downtown includes the financial district (Wall Street, South Street Seaport, World Trade Centre, World Financial Centre), Chinatown, Little Italy, TriBeCa, and the Lower East Side.

Midtown
34th Street to 59th Street, both east and west

Upper West Side
59th Street to 96th Street, west of Central Park

Upper East Side
59th Street to 96th Street, east of Central Park

Harlem
96th Street to 145th Street
Brooklyn
Brooklyn, with its famous Brooklyn Bridge, offers many different types of dwellings, from studio apartments to houses with yards. Neighbourhoods in Brooklyn include downtown, Brooklyn Heights, Brighton Beach, North Brooklyn, Institute Park, Park Slope, Prospect Park, South Brooklyn, and Coney Island, known for Nathan's famous hot dogs.

The Bronx
The Bronx is home to the New York Yankees and the Wildlife Conservation Society (formerly the Bronx Zoo). Rich in ethnic diversity, the Bronx has large Hispanic and Russian communities. Neighbourhoods in this borough include Riverdale, Van Cortland Park, Pelham Bay Park, and the South Bronx.

Queens
Queens has a mix of ethnic neighbourhoods, with large Greek and Asian communities. Neighbourhoods in Queens include Flushing, Corona Park, Astoria, Long Island City, Hunter's Point, Jamaica, Ridgewood, and Southern Queens. New York's largest airports, La Guardia and JFK International, are in Queens, as are Shea Stadium (home of the Mets) and the USTA National Tennis Centre.

Hostels in New York

http://www.whitehousehotelofny.com/

http://www.hostels.com/new-york/usa
http://www.jazzonthepark.com
http://www.bigapplehostel.com/

http://www.chelseahostel.com
www.hostelworld.com
Columbia University offers sublets of rooms and apartments during the summer, which is open to the public to search at this Web site:

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ire, then click on the word "Subletting" on the left side of the screen.
Click on "I want to sublet" and follow directions. Click on "Housing Search" and fill out the search form and you'll get your results. Contact people directly by e-mail.

You can also try NYU, which may also have rooms available for the summer at 212-998-4622.

If you are looking for accommodation in New York City it can be a bit daunting, your best bet is the local newspapers-New York Times, VillageVoice, New York Daily News and The Irish Echo (classified section). Alsoyou could try real estate agents, however agents charge for their services andcan be quite expensive. The local colleges provide listings of their studentswho are subletting for the summer. Columbia University is extremely helpful in providing housing options www.columbia.edu/cu/ire. Accommodation in the boroughs is usually advertised in shops, delis, supermarkets etc within the local area.
Some Hostels include:
Hostelling International, 891 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10025

www.hinewyork.org Phone: [phone]

Central Park Hostel, 19 West 103rd Street near Central Park West

http://centralparkinn.com/ Phone: [phone]

Big Apple Hostel, 119 West 45th Street www.bigapplehostel.com

Phone: [phone]

Jazz on the Park, 36 West 106th Street (between Central Park West and

Manhattan Avenue) www.jazzhostels.com Phone: [phone]

Chelsea International Hostel, 251 West 20th Street (between 7 & 8 Ave)

www.chelseahostel.com Phone: [phone]

Manhattan Youth Castle, 1596 Lexington Ave. (between E. 101st & 102nd St.)

Phone: [phone]

Check out Columbia University's website they sublet for the summer period.
http://www.columbia.edu/


JOBS

Generally in New York City, walking the streets and scouring the local

newspapers will prove the most successful in securing employment. A little

research before you go will make a major difference, many employers now

have on line recruitment, you could be sorted with a job even before you

leave Ireland! The best way to make money is waiting and bartending,

where tipping is mandatory (if you are over 21!!).

Remember your accent is the key to getting the big tips so use it to your

advantage. Irish bars and restaurants are definitely worth looking into before

you leave Ireland. If Irish Bars are good enough to cash your pay cheques

don’t forget to tip the barman, 10% or at the very least buy a drink at the bar!
Some bars and restaurants worth looking into are:
Connollys Pub, 14 East 47th Street (Between 5th and Madison)

www.connollyspubandrestaurant.com Phone [phone]

Dublin House, 225 W 79TH St (Cross Street: Between Broadway and

Amsterdam) Phone: [phone]

Irish Times, 1803 Second Avenue (at East 93rd Street) Phone: [phone]

Kinsale Tavarn, 1672 3rd Avenue (between 93rd and 94th Streets) Phone: (212)

The big stores such as The Gap, Banana Republic, Abercrombie

and Fitch, Old Navy, Macys’, Bloomingdale’s are worth a visit, they hire

hundreds during the summer season.

Here is a listing of some of the bigger stores in new york,

http://www.abercrombieandfitch.com
http://www.oldnavy.com/
http://www.thegap.com/
http://www.bananarepublic.com
http://www.macysjobs.com

http://careers.nordstrom.com

SKECHERS USA

Time Square

NEW YORK, NY 10036
Telephone: [phone]

140 W. 34TH STREET

NEW YORK, NY 10011
Telephone: [phone]

150 FIFTH AVENUE

NEW YORK, NY 10011
Telephone: [phone]
www.allstarjobs.com


Job sites

www.allstarjobs.com

www.craigslist.com

www.nyjobsource.com

www.nycareers.com

www.manhattanjobs.com

www.irishecho.com
www.emigrant.ie
www.villagevoice.com

INFO & TIPS

Buy a 7 / 30 day subway card, 7 day passes are €21 and can be used on

buses too.

Tip between 15%-20% on your restaurant/bar bill or cab-fare. $1 per drink

otherwise.

Minimum wage is $7.15 p/h, except in tipping positions where it's $2.83 -

$3.09 p/h

If under 21 don't look for bar/waiter/waitressing work. It's not legal to

serve drink as a minor.

Take the FIRST job you get, the first 3 weeks are the most expensive of the

whole summer, you can always leave when you get another one.

Negotiate when you're taking an apartment, it can't hurt & may save you a

fortune.

GET AIR CONDITIONING!

Buy an air mattress from Sport-Mart.

Kit out your apartment with 2nd hand stuff, it’s amazing what American’s

throw out!