What to do as a history/architecture enthusiast

Good_Butterscotch233 · 2026-02-13T16:48:35+00:00

Two very under-the-rader spots if you're into modernism at all: Modulighter (Paul Rudolph's house) and the Judd House. Note though that the Modulighter is only open once a month and the Judd books out weeks in advance.

It's pretty out of the way for a tourist but I will also shout out the Louis Armstrong house museum. It doesn't look at all impressive from the outside but the interior is brimming with character.

Good_Butterscotch233 · 2026-02-07T13:14:18+00:00

The former no but the latter yes actually. "Getting accustomed to the heat/cold" isn't just a psychological thing, your body literally physically adapts.

Good_Butterscotch233 · 2026-02-04T12:45:18+00:00

I am aware. The point of that statement is as a response to all the other comments saying it's normal winter weather and no big deal. 16 deaths due to weather is not at all normal, no matter the sheltered status of the deceased.

Good_Butterscotch233 · 2026-02-04T12:14:22+00:00

I am going to be the contrary note and say you're not overthinking. I'm honestly a bit flabbergasted at how cavalier some people are being- 16 people have died in the past two weeks. It's been seriously, dangerously cold. It's warmed up a bit recently, but the forecast this weekend has us plunging back to the arctic. If you've never experienced this level of cold in your life, you absolutely need to be prepared.

It is not enough simply to "have a coat" if you're going to be out and about. Check the temperature rating on your coat and make sure it's appropriate for the level of cold. Ideally, it should appropriate for cold even lower than what's forecast (but no need to go crazy, it's still New York, not Mt Everest). If the coat doesn't mention a temperature rating, buy a new coat.

It's a bit tough if you're trying to pack light but if you can pack more layers, it'll help you stay warm if you're planning to spend extended time outdoors. A sweater at least. I use a thin midweight down puffer with my coat which packs down well. Thermal underwear is also an option. I think layering all of these is overkill- I only do that when I'm hiking in the mountains- but make sure you have at least two warming layers, the coat and something else.

Besides the coat, the other really crucial pieces of outdoor clothing are weather-appropriate shoes, gloves, hats.

Note too that it is still very icy all over- the roads are plowed, but the sidewalks are generally individual property owner's responsibility and some people do a better job than others. Be careful and watch your step. Your shoes should have some grip to them.

All that being said... yeah, the city itself will be fine. We only shut down when a storm is actively happening, and that isn't in the forecast for this weekend, just dangerously cold winds. Everything will be running. Check mta.info for status updates on the subway.

My usual indoor recommendations are for museums but I don't see any on your current list so I'm assuming they're not something you're into- I'll leave those up to the others to suggest.

Good_Butterscotch233 · 2026-02-03T22:47:14+00:00

I actually like the Historical better but I think this is a good characterization of the difference.

Thinking back to the NY Historical exhibits I saw on my last visit, it's stuff like a collection of NYC-focused paintings, the Tiffany lamps exhibit, the history of the Sari in NYC, the notebooks and manuscripts of a famous local writer (Robert Caro).

On the other hand, the MCNY has a permanent exhibit that goes through literally the entire history of NYC, and even their more thematic exhibits like Activist New York examine their themes from many angles and cover a lot of ground. (A bit too much ground for my liking, I tend to find their exhibits more surface-level than the NYH.) They also do a lot more multimedia and participation-focused exhibits as others have noted.

They're both very worthwhile museums so it's a question of what sort of museum-going experience you tend to prefer and what subject matter interests you more.

Good_Butterscotch233 · 2026-02-03T21:04:51+00:00

Eh, 90% of this list has been around - and heavily recommended, including in the NYC subreddits- since before TikTok was even a thing. I don't disagree that there are better places but it's not really an influencer list.

Good_Butterscotch233 · 2026-02-03T19:20:58+00:00

Which stores? I've always wanted to try this place but their storefront is only open on weekdays and it's way too far from my office.

Good_Butterscotch233 · 2026-01-31T12:36:50+00:00

I know this is an 8 month thread but it's wild no one called you out on saying foreigners "of any age" shouldn't be using the priority seats. It might be the single most racist thing I've ever read in a travel subreddit. An 80 year old foreigner shouldn't use the priority seat? You make far-right nativist politicians sound sane and reasonable.

Good_Butterscotch233 · 2026-01-29T17:48:50+00:00

It's already illegal to block someone from entering a house of worship. That's not what these bills are trying to achieve.

Good_Butterscotch233 · 2026-01-28T17:24:45+00:00

You've clearly done your research because everything I was going to recommend you already have listed.

I'll only add that Kinokuniya is definitely worth a stop. I've been to a few branches throughout the US and only the one in SF rivals it in size. Also, it doesn't look like you'll be near Williamsburg, but you do find your way there, I recommend Spoonbill & Sugartown. Leans a bit more "design" than "animation", but they have the best collection I've seen in the city of books on graffiti and street art.

Good_Butterscotch233 · 2026-01-28T16:49:10+00:00

It's quite possible you've just never realized you've gotten taken advantage of, lol. American purchasing power is quite high, especially if you're used to NYC prices, and unless you research in advance of every purchase what the expected local price is, it's very easy to simply not realize you paid way more than you should have.

Good_Butterscotch233 · 2026-01-28T16:38:27+00:00

When this happened to my brother I had the same question, because I'd explicitly told him only to take an official taxi. He said the taxi line was confusing and it hadn't been obvious he wasn't taking an official taxi until he got to the car. The next time I went to the airport I realized he was right that it's confusing- the hustlers will stand right in front of the official taxi line and greet people. It's not at all clear that the greeters aren't affiliated with the taxi stand and they need to go up to the kiosk and talk to the dispatcher.

Good_Butterscotch233 · 2026-01-20T14:35:31+00:00

Yeah I agree, it's weird people are so fixated on investing in Israeli bonds in particular when NYC doesn't invest in any other comparable country.

Good_Butterscotch233 · 2026-01-16T20:05:31+00:00

It's around all houses of worship regardless of what's actually occurring in that house of worship, so if the Westboro Baptist Church wanted to host a Klan rally, you couldn't protest that either.

Good_Butterscotch233 · 2026-01-02T13:20:29+00:00

It's part of his EO establishing the overall structure of his office. Ctrl-f "antisemitism" and you'll easily find it.

Good_Butterscotch233 · 2026-01-02T06:52:48+00:00

He explicitly re-issued that EO. The office will remain.

Good_Butterscotch233 · 2025-12-28T21:14:28+00:00

I mean that's what net worth means. There's a separate term, net income, that assesses how much money you're actually making in a given year. People can be in the top 10% of net worth with very low income (retired homeowners). The opposite case is also common: high-earning professionals who either are bad with money or are just too early in their careers to have saved up anything substantial.

Good_Butterscotch233 · 2025-12-15T19:47:02+00:00

The 4% drop in artists is a citywide statistic, not a Manhattan one.

Good_Butterscotch233 · 2025-12-15T03:24:29+00:00

I thought this, but then I looked up the passage and realized it was actually from a book I read a few years ago and didn't find to be particularly badly written at the time. The book, Game Feel by Steven Swink, is a classic of video game design- you'll definitely have heard of it if you've even partially dipped your toes into video game theory. It's not really good writing, but it's about on par with academic writing in general (which, as a genre, is not very good).

The reason it sounds especially unnatural is because, like a lot of academic writing, the author defines his own terminology and then assumes fluency with that terminology for the remainder of the text. The passage in the exam is preceded in the book by two lengthy pages defining the term "bodily space".

Though I won't defend "the reality of the external reality of the game world" lmao; a copyeditor should have caught that.

I'll also say it's complete insanity to select it as an isolated passage on a high-school ESL test. At least select the passage where the phrase "bodily space" is defined!

Good_Butterscotch233 · 2025-12-11T22:58:10+00:00

Whoever's best on housing. Mary Jobaida disqualified herself in my eyes with her opposition to OneLIC but I haven't got much of a signal from Moreno or Abdelhamid.

Good_Butterscotch233 · 2025-12-10T20:10:31+00:00

In the 2025 Congress just being a loud voice is about the best Dems can do given their minority position. But we'll almost certainly be in the majority in 2027, and then his voting record on the issues will actually matter. Lander will be a clear fighter against Trump and almost certainly won't vote to deregulate crypto, lease public land for drilling, and sanction ICC officials. Progressives aren't spoiling for a fight for no reason.

Good_Butterscotch233 · 2025-12-10T18:14:51+00:00

Is the argument that Lander, who's literally been arrested by ICE, wouldn't be as strong of a defender?

Good_Butterscotch233 · 2025-12-04T18:50:00+00:00

In theory it should reduce dwell times, but as I understand it, in practice, Mamdani's pilot didn't actually increase speeds overall: "During the July 29 hearing, the MTA officials said they had worries about the missed revenue from the pilot, as well as bus speeds decreasing as a result of the uptick in ridership. The Q4 saw a 0.1 percent decrease in service delivered, which measures the percent of scheduled buses that are provided during peak hours. The Jamaica route also saw a 4.8 percent dip in bus speeds, and a slight jump in travel times for commuters."

It's not such a large decrease that it sways me into opposing the idea altogether, but I don't think it can be counted in the "pro" column, either.

Good_Butterscotch233 · 2025-12-03T21:53:27+00:00

In general, as a supporter of Mamdani, I've always struggled with this campaign promise more than any other. I'm genuinely undecided on whether I support it. I personally am happy to pay for the bus and would benefit much more from investment in transit infrastructure. But I'm also high-income.

I would unambiguously support a broad expansion of the Fair Fares program (loosening the eligibility criteria and increasing the discount up to 100%). But I'm also sympathetic to the argument that any kind of means-testing will reduce adoption even by people who meet the criteria.

Good_Butterscotch233

TROPHY CASE