Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
streets on the train. A taxi costs $2.50 at entry, plus 50¢ for every fifth of a mile, 50¢ for every minute of idling, 50¢
more between 8pm and 6am, and a $1 more for rush hour. If it's an odd hour, or you're in an unfamiliar place, by
all means hail a cab, but it's my least favorite way of traveling.
3 Free & Dirt Cheap Resources A to Z
Disability Services
The mayor maintains an office (
212/788-2830
) that provides free advice to visitors with
disabilities on how to get around the city. The major subway stations have elevators, but city buses are better pre-
pared for those with disabilities. Every city bus is equipped to carry a wheelchair.
Emergencies
The number for emergency police, fire, and ambulance service is, of course,
911.
For none-
mergencies and just about any city government function you can think of, call
311
(out of town callers can
use 212/NEW-YORK [639-9675]). Other emergency numbers include the
AIDS Helpline
( 800/AIDS-NYC
[243-7692]),
Animal Bites
( 212/676-2483),
Poison Control
( 800/222-1222 or 212/764-7667),
Suicide Pre-
vention
( 212/673-3000),
Traveler's Aid JFK
( 718/656-4870), and
Safe Horizon
(formerly Victim Services;
212/577-7700). Among the city's 24-hour emergency rooms are
Bellevue Hospital Center
(462 First Ave.;
212/562-1000),
New York Downtown Hospital
(170 William St.; 212/312-5000),
St. Luke's/Roosevelt Hos-
pital
(425 W. 59th St.; 212/523-4000), and
St. Luke's Hospital
(1111 Amsterdam Ave.; 212/523-4000).
GLBT Resources
The
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center
(208 W. 13th St., btw. Seventh
and Eighth aves.;
212/620-7310;
www.gaycenter.org
)
is a meeting place for more than 400 organizations.
Most of the online calendar lists events with charges, but there are a few freebies, like the free lending lib-
rary and archive. GLBT information can also be found in the free monthly
Next
(
www.nextmagazine.com
)
for
gay men,
GO Magazine
(
www.gomag.com
), aimed at a lesbian audience, and the free weekly
Gay City News
(
www.gaycitynews.com
)
. You can find copies stacked up in bars, clubs, stores, and sidewalk boxes throughout
town. If you don't want to risk getting a little ink on your fingertips, their websites are also good sources of in-
formation. The
Gay and Lesbian National Hot Line
(
888/THE-GLNH
[843-4564];
www.glnh.org
)
offers peer
counseling and information on upcoming events. It's open Monday through Friday 4pm to midnight, Saturday
noon to 5pm. Also see p. 153 for the
Gay Men's Health Crisis;
their hot line is
800/AIDS-NYC
(243-7692).
Legal Aid
Any person familiar with cop shows knows that in the U.S., an accused person has ”the right to consult
with an attorney and to have that attorney present during questioning, and that, if he or she is indigent, an attor-
ney will be provided at no cost to represent her or him.” Another freebie! See p. 155 for
Legal Services NYC
(
646/442-3600;
www.legalservicesnyc.org
)
.
Moving
“Man with a Van” signs are ubiquitous on city streetlamps and bulletin boards. For small moves, I find
that's as good a way as any to go. For the online version of those streetlamp flyers,
www.citymove.com
is a help-
ful site. Movers bid against each other so you get decent prices, and movees critique the jobs so you know which
companies to avoid.
Newspapers & Magazines
New York has three major dailies. The
NewYorkTimes
is the legendary paper of re-
cord, and the
DailyNews
and
NewYorkPost
are tabloid style and always entertaining. Two free daily papers,
AM-
NewYork
and
Metro,
can be found near subways in the mornings.
TheNewYorker,NewYorkMagazine,
and
Time
Out New York
are weekly glossies with extensive information on city goings-on.
Pharmacies
Duane Reades are ubiquitous in NYC, with some 250 branches. Locations with 24-hour pharmacies
include 1279 Third Ave. (
212/744-2668
), 250 W. 57th St. (
212/265-2101
), and 2522 Broadway (
212/
663-1580
). Two of the city's Rite Aids also offer 24-hour service: 301 W. 50th St. (
212/247-8384
) and 408 Grand
St. (
212/529-7115
).
Post Ofices
The
Main Post Office,
at Eighth Avenue and 33rd Street (
212/967-8585
), is open 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week. Check
www.usps.com
for other city locations; note that New York post offices generate long
lines—try to time your visit with a morning or afternoon lull, or make use of the automated machines.
