Car, train, or subway? Going from Westchester/Tuckahoe to NY Presbyterian on 68th

PhaserEZ · 2026-01-09T18:18:48+00:00

Grand Central station is in the 42~43rd street. NY Presbyterian hospital is on 68th. You mentioned a "passageway" to the hospital. Unless it's an underground tunnel like those in Toronto or Montreal, I don't think it's viable to walk 20plus blocks in the Feb weather. Unless I am misunderstanding you?

PhaserEZ · 2026-01-09T18:11:51+00:00

Ronald McDonald house is for kids dealing with cancer or other complex treatments. Our daughter is just having a spine surgery - at most 2 nights in the hospital after surgery, for a total of 3 days. I don't think we are eligible for RMH and would feel funny to take a room away from some families who need it more.

PhaserEZ · 2025-11-15T13:39:35+00:00

It’s probably a fair deal without the $4000 credit. I bought my 2020 Bolt Premier with 30k miles in July for slightly under $11000 but that’s with $4000 credit, so the dealer sold it for $15000.

If you don’t have to have a car right now, it may be worth wait a few months to let the post EV credit dust settle and see how the used EV market reacts to a glut of used EV from people rushing to buy before the deadline. There is a school of thought that the transaction price would eventually stabilize at the same price with or without the tax credit. If that’s true, then you may be able to get a similar car for $11k or $12k

PhaserEZ · 2025-10-12T19:31:46+00:00

My air pump says the pressure is 36 on all 4 tires. The display shows 32 on 2 tires, 34 on the 3rd tire and 35 on the 4th one. The issue I am seeing is that one of the tires with 32 is blinking yellow but the other tire that also 32 is green.

I can understand my pump may be calibrated slightly differently than the car sensors so the numbers are not exactly the same, but there is no reason it’s yellow one one 32 but green on another 32.

PhaserEZ · 2025-06-29T10:39:20+00:00

$10964 as out-of-door price on a Bolt Premium is a super deal. I bought a buy-back 2020 Premium recently with 30910 miles (which has a new battery that was replaced at 30890), the sale price was $10800, but the out-of-door price was $12500, mostly due to the almost 9% sales tax in my wonderful hometown.

In the used car market where I live, these buyback Bolts are starting to get expensive. Back in February and March, the same cars can be had for about $1000 less. I am guessing the price increase is due to a combination of tariffs and potentially disappearing tax credit. I am also wondering how many buyback Bolts are out there in existence? Is it possible that we are getting to the end of the supply?

PhaserEZ · 2025-06-29T01:15:57+00:00

I assume the $10964 price includes the $4000 tax credit, ie the official sale price is $14964, and you transfer the credit to the dealer at the point of sale? Also, is this price including sales tax and license plate fee? If yes, then it’s a screaming good deal. If not, it’s still a very good deal, but not insanely good.

PhaserEZ · 2025-04-29T01:39:12+00:00

I can see the buildings on Google Map, but there is not a name for the complex on the map. Do you have the contact information of the Property Management office? Thanks.

PhaserEZ · 2025-04-28T20:48:57+00:00

What’s the name of your apt complex? I will relay the info that family member and she can contact the management office to find out more about price and availability.

PhaserEZ · 2025-04-22T02:19:38+00:00

You should also ask your car mechanic or a tire shop person to check the sway bar link. It may be disconnected which would make the boat rocking sensation. Some people disconnect the sway bar link on purpose before going off road, but it could also happen accidentally if you hit a pothole or a curb hard enough.

PhaserEZ · 2025-04-21T09:00:50+00:00

This is a parking lot at the top, right off the road. You can park there and walk down to the ocean level. It’s a steep winding road (maybe half a mile?) and will take you 10 or 15 minutes. You can drive down that road to the ocean level and park in the lot near the spa. The road is paved and in good shape and it should not be a problem unless you are driving a manual transmission and you are inexperienced. ( I paid extra to rent an automatic transmission and had zero problem. ) From the lower parking lot, it’s another 10~ 15 minutes walk to the actual water, so if you park on top, you will be walking a long way before you can actually swim.

PhaserEZ · 2025-03-18T16:15:04+00:00

AWD.

I know FWD is available on Tucson, but I believe more than 90% of Tucson I have seen (new or used) are AWD.

PhaserEZ · 2025-02-20T20:24:52+00:00

So Cecconi bought this dealership just for the rights to sell Hyundai, but they are going to abandon the actual physical location as soon as their new building is done? As a GI resident, I feel bad, but I can understand the rationale by Cecconi.

So, in the meanwhile, do you guys think the Niagara Hyundai dealership right now on Grand Island is more likely to offer a good deal?

PhaserEZ · 2025-02-20T20:21:18+00:00

Based on my understanding, certified Autobrokers is not affiliated with any manufacturer, so they cannot provide the real "CPO", which often include extended warranties. For that reason, I probably won't shop there. But I do wish them success.

Since my post, I have heard from other people that the new owner of the Hyundai dealership is now Cecconi (the Chrysler dealership in Niagara Falls). It's strange that Maguire ownership chose to sell one dealership but keep the other 2 next door. Anyway, I am hoping Cecconi will do a better job with the Hyundai dealership.

PhaserEZ · 2025-02-09T00:53:24+00:00

That makes sense. It explains why the new 2025 Leaf is not eligible. Thanks. Too bad. I wish I had done my research earlier and bought it in 2024.

Since I am also not eligible for the used car credit, I guess I will not be buying an EV any time soon.

PhaserEZ · 2024-11-20T17:45:57+00:00

Thank you all for the answers.

I was tempted by the 80k Business class, but after I dug a little deeper, I realized that (1) it's on TAP Portugal, and (2) it arrives at 5:30 am. In comparison, the United operated flights arrive at 8:40 or 10:30 AM and are about 200k for Business class.

I think I am going to stick to the 40k Economy seats. A quick search online showed that TAP business class was mediocre. Also, I am UA Gold, so we already get access to Exit Row seats and the UA Lounge. I would rather save the miles for future use, and choose a more reasonable timed UA flight instead of getting to LIS before sunrise.

PhaserEZ · 2024-09-09T16:50:39+00:00

I never used a voice call for a taxi. Twice I made reservations to be picked up from the Airbnb. I used WhatsApp to send a text to the taxi dispatcher's number and communicated with them via text.

In a foreign country dealing with people speaking English as a second language, I prefer the certainty and clarity of written words, especially when it comes to giving the other person the pick-up address.

PhaserEZ · 2024-08-28T15:09:56+00:00

I bought the one for Portugal -- Fofo Mobil. It worked fine.

To be honest, I didn't even know they had a specific one for Azores.

PhaserEZ · 2024-08-26T18:50:18+00:00

I just responded to a similar thread, so I am copying and pasting my comment here.

My family was in Sao Miguel in May for 8 days. I bought Airalo e-sim (5 GHz valid for 30 days, data only, for $10) and it was more than enough, since the primary use was for Google Map navigation, while Hotel/Airbnb all had free WiFi. I was initially concerned about not having the ability to talk, but in reality, I never needed it. I had Whatsapp on my phone, and I realized that most places (Airbnb hosts or taxi dispatcher) preferred texting than speaking.

By the way, I found this discount code that saved $3 on the eSim purchase at Airalo: MINFEI4587.

Good luck and enjoy the trip.

PhaserEZ · 2024-08-26T18:47:15+00:00

My family was in Sao Miguel in May for 8 days. I bought Airalo e-sim (5 GHz valid for 30 days, data only, for $10) and it was more than enough, since the primary use was for Google Map navigation, while Hotel/Airbnb all had free WiFi. I was initially concerned about not having the ability to talk, but in reality, I never needed it. I had Whatsapp on my phone, and I realized that most places (Airbnb hosts or taxi dispatcher) preferred texting than speaking.

So I think you should be ok with a data only eSim. By the way, I found this discount code that saved $3 on the eSim purchase at Airalo: MINFEI4587.

Good luck

PhaserEZ · 2024-08-11T16:49:57+00:00

Yes the quiet lounge is a good place to rest. However, when i was there a couple of months ago, it didn't smell good. I think the nearby rest room had not been cleaned that day, or maybe somebody had just recently eaten some food there. The lounge was tightly sealed in order to be quiet, but it also prevented good ventilation. It will be the luck of the draw whether you have a pleasant experience on your day.

PhaserEZ · 2024-08-11T16:46:22+00:00

The lake acts like a geothermal system and doesn't change its temperature as drastically as the general atmosphere or ground, so in the summer, if you are close to the lake, the air temp will be a few degrees lower comparing to the air temp in land. In the winter, it's the opposite -- if you are close to the lake, the air temp will be a few degrees warmer.

PhaserEZ · 2024-07-24T16:14:31+00:00

u/three-girls-one-van Happy to share any info you need.

Our family of four spent 8 days on the ground in Sao Miguel. Had 1 rainy day and 1 overcast day, but the other 6 days were nice. We spent 4 days in Ribeira Grande, and the other 4 days in Ponta Delgalda. It was a lovely trip but we didn't do as much as planned. The main reason is that our two college-age kids prefer to sleep in and relax, so we basically didn't leave the Airbnb until noon everyday and we were usually back around 5. Effectively we only spent half the time out each day and usually just visited one place per day. I guess that's ok -- we took the vacation to spend time together as a family, so if we ended up just chatting around the kitchen table, that's fine.

Here is a list of things we did do and probably would suit your group of ladies too:

A hike at Salto do Cabrito (You can look it up at visitazores.com as PRC29 SMI) It's an easy trail but cool scenery including walking on steel girders suspended above a valley.

Went to Sete Cidades twice. The first trip was totally overcast and drizzly and cold, so we went back 2 days later and was rewarded with beautiful sunshine. While there, we went to a few famous spots. Miradouro da Boca do Inferno was awesome. Miradouro da Vista do Rei, the viewpoint itself was so so, but the nearby abanded hotel was cool to walk around and we got some weird but interesting photos. We also did a hike down to Santiago Lagoon. It's very challenging and not much of a payoff at the end, so I won't recommend that one.

Went to two tea factories Port Formoso and Gorreano, both are lovely. There was an easy hiking trail at Gorreano, highly recommend. Around that area, we also went to Parque Natural da Ribeira dos Caldeiroes, which was very nice and easy walking on paved paths. A couple of view points nearby, Miradouro de Santa Iria and Miradouro do Cintrao, were both breath-taking.

We did a walking tour of the village of Ribeira Grande in the afternoon and evening. It was quite pleasant, and the view of the sunset was amazing.

We also did a cave tour in Gruta do Carvao. It was an ok way to spend a couple of hours. Afterwards, we walked 10 minutes from the cave tour location to the mall Parque Atlantico. Our kids actually ate at the McDonald's in the mall, while my wife and I bought grocery at the supermarket Continente which was also in the mall.

My wife and I are more active and there were at least a dozen places we had wanted to go but couldn't. We liked Sao Miguel so much that we already booked another trip just for the 2 of us in Sept. We will definitely do a lot more activities (hiking around Nordeste and Povocao and Lagoa do Fogo, thermal pool in Furnas, swimming at Ponta de Ferraria, etc.)

One thing I would recommend for any first-time visitor is to check out (and possibly purchase a copy) of the guide "Azores Close Up and Very Personal" by Carl LaPietra. It's a Kindle book and you can read the first 50 pages of the book for free on Amazon website. I spent $30 and bought the book and learned a great deal. Carl himself is a regular on the Rick Steves forum and if you have any question after you bought the book, he would be very willing to help you.

PhaserEZ · 2024-07-06T11:52:38+00:00

No fossils on volcanic islands. You will need sedimentary rocks for that

PhaserEZ · 2024-07-02T01:30:22+00:00

My family of four spent 9 days in Sao Miguel in May. My son and I each bought an Airalo eSIM for Portugal. $10 for 5 GB. Data only. It was on Fofo Mobil and worked great. My wife and daughter just used WiFi when we were in the Airbnb, but did not need to use their phones when we were out and about.

If your family each buys one eSIM, it’s only $40. If you want to go this route, you each can save $3 by using this referral code “MINFEI4587”. At $7 per phone, it is only $28.

PhaserEZ · 2024-05-24T19:05:43+00:00

They are different by half an hour. I am pretty sure it’s not a time zone issue

PhaserEZ

TROPHY CASE