Albert and Jen’s guidebook

We are on the F and G train lines. You can get off at either FT Hamilton Parkway or Church Ave. Sometimes at night the F train will skip FT Hamilton. Don't panic. Just get off at Church. It takes about the same amount of time to walk home (5 mins). If you are heading into Manhattan, make sure to take the F and not the G. The G train only runs between Brooklyn and Queens. Both trains are local—which means they stop at every stop (usually). If you want to get a free paper subway map (which is very helpful if you are new to NYC), just ask the attendant in the booth. They usually have them.

These are very safe and non stressful ways to get around NYC if you don't want to deal with parking or the subway. You can even reserve a car in advance if you know when you will need to use it. We use them to go to the airports. We also like these companies since the price is fixed, unlike a green (Brooklyn) or yellow (Manhattan) taxi who's meter will keep running even when stuck in traffic.

We have a car, and rarely use it to go into Manhattan (or "the City" as you will hear people say). Parking is really tough unless you know where to look. On Sunday, street parking is free and this is the only day we drive in. Be prepared to pay for an expensive parking lot on other days. We DO drive all around Brooklyn however. A car is great for that.

Tipping is customary in the United States, and especially in NYC. If you eat out, you should leave a 20% tip. This is often a shock for friends from other countries, but please know that the servers don't get a salary. They survive almost completely on tips. Taxi tips should be 18-20% as well. For take out food or delivery, we usually tip a little less; 10-15%.

New Yorkers get a bad rap for being rude. And it's true, we can be gruff, and sometimes really rude. New Yorkers are used to being crammed in on top of each other, so we have learned to live "privately in public." We don't make eye contact on the subway. We have private conversations in restaurants sitting right next to someone else (and they better not listen. Lol.), and we NEVER stand around in the middle of sidewalk blocking someone's way. But actually, New Yorkers can be super helpful and friendly if you just ask for help. We really like to make people welcome and safe in our city.

If you want to travel anywhere in Park Slope, just take the B67 or B69 bus. There is a bus stop at the end of our block. It's on Mcdonald Ave, corner of Greenwood. Both buses will run the length of Park Slope down 7th Ave. When they reach Atlantic Ave and the Barclay Center area, Park Slope is done. To come home, there is a bus stop just across the street on Mcdonald. For payment, you can use a Metrocard like you use on the subway, or use the new Omni system, which allows you to tap a contactless debit card to pay your fare.