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One thing that jumps out for me is the broad range of information nyc.gov gives me. It's helpful stuff, but I'm less interested in the Mayor's bio and more interested in "Do I need to move my car today?"Update: Rachel just tweeted about a new parking app that aims to answer that question. http://t.co/ggzg2vVJ (Great idea. Thanks.)What if one corner of the site gave me information I can use this afternoon -- or information that I didn't know I needed (i.e. If you move to NY and bring your car, you have 30 days to pick up a NYS drivers license).What if I could plug in my zip code and curate a module in the top right-hand corner of NYC.gov? It might show me up-to-the-minute news about alternate side parking, any changes to services in my neighborhood, when and where my neighbors meet to talk about our neighborhood, plus the police blotter from local precinct.

Without a doubt, NYC has some of the best sights and experiences to take enjoy. There is so much to see, and you are never at a loss for something to do. Being “The City That Never Sleeps”, New York City lives up to its name, as it is 24/7 hustle, bustle and excitement. The best way to enjoy NYC to the fullest is to store your baggage, shopping bags and luggage in one of the Knock Knock City host locations for a few hours. Once your bags have been safely dropped off and stored at one of our locations, here are a few ideas and suggestions for where to head next within the city:THESE ARE PERFECT FOR THE TIRELESS AND BRAVE:#1. New York Hop On/Hop Off Sight Seeing Ferry: Explore Manhattan and Brooklyn by land and sea as this convenient ferry tour takes you to some of the most well-known sites in the city. To learn more about these tours visit Gray Line New York#2. Madison Square Garden: Whether you are searching for excitement through a sports game or concert, Madison Square Garden delivers on levels you only imagined possible to create your perfect outing. For events and times visit Madison Square Garden | Official Site | New York City#3. Brooklyn Heights Promenade: Integrate history with beauty as you take in one of the finest views of New York City from the breathtaking Brooklyn Heights Promenade. To experience this photographic masterpiece visit Historical Sign Listings : NYC ParksTHESE ARE PERFECT FOR THE CURIOUS:#1. 9/11 Memorial: Take a moment to reflect and remember that infamous day in September 2001 when the course of history changed forever, and heroism prevailed. For more information visit National September 11 Memorial & Museum#2. The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Take your imagination on a journey through color, beauty, and interpretation as you make your way through this creative cultivation of artistic genius. To learn how you can experience visit Met Audio Guide Online#3. American Museum of Natural History: Take a trip back in time as you find yourself in the midst of dinosaurs, mummies, and presidents in this fantastic presentation of historic proportions. To buy a ticket for this trip visit American Museum of Natural HistoryTHESE ARE PERFECT FOR THE HUNGRY:#1. Daniel: From elegant and exquisite interior decoration to the indulgent European cuisine and wine cellar, Daniel is by far a dining experience of culinary masterpieces. To make your reservation visit Michelin Starred Cuisine by Chef Daniel Boulud#2. Bleecker Street Pizza: A slice of heaven served on a plate, Bleecker Street Pizza offers one of Italy’s most well-known dishes right in the center of NYC. To learn more about their menu visit Best Pizza in New York City#3. Serendipity 3: Satisfy your sweet tooth at this sensationally satisfying and delectable discovery right in the middle of the action. To find the perfection of your choosing visit Serendipity 3

Wow. That is hard to describe. First of all, it is incredibly expensive. My husband and I live in a 650 square foot apartment in Chelsea, which is a neighborhood in Manhattan, and we pay $4,000 a month rent. This rent is typical in much of Manhattan, unless you rent in a four story walkup. There are lower rents in Harlem, but that is starting to change.It’s loud. Noise is everywhere. The traffic, beeping horns, the subway trains, sirens, loud people. It takes a while to adapt.Work. It's a hard working city. Many people put in very long hours, whether to make those large corporate and law firm salaries or working three jobs just to get by. It makes the city incredibly busy and focused.Diversity. Well over 800 languages are spoken here, and the dress, habits and food are from almost every world culture. As a gay man, I feel safer here than anywhere I've ever lived.Speaking of safety, NYC is the safest large city in the US and one of the safest large cities in the world. I walk around Manhattan, from Harlem to the Financial District, anytime night or day, and have never felt unsafe.It's a walking city. We don't own cars, and if we can't walk we use the trains. $2.75 and you can go anywhere, even to the beach. I ride trains almost every day. Crowded and not a great system compared to European systems, but it goes everywhere.You entertain out in the city. People do not have friends “over” very often, because apartments are so small. You meet in restaurants, bars, parks, etc.Oh, and the parks. Union Square. Washington Square, little Stuyvesant Park, Madison Square, the list is long and they are wonderful places to stop and rest and be entertained. And of course, Central Park. What's not to like? You can spend a whole Sunday afternoon there walking and eating and going to the zoo and being entertained for free.The weather is changeable, and there is snow in winter and humidity in the summer. But Spring and Fall are delightful. There are flowers everywhere and the breeze off the Hudson River in my neighborhood is sweet.Water. Rivers, beaches, long strolls along the seaport. Seagulls. NYC is surrounded by water.Food. It's the best. From food trucks to fine dining, you can find about everything here.Culture. Incredible museums (MOMA, Natural History, the Met, Whitney… ), you could never see it all. Wonderful small galleries. Opera, symphony, dance. And of course Broadway. Theater is just extraordinary. And the libraries: some are architectural gems as well as storehouses of knowledge.I’ve lived in Charlotte, DC, Philadelphia and several smaller towns. But nothing (in this country) compares to NYC. I retired here (no Florida or resort condo for me), and I wake up every morning feeling incredibly fortunate to live here. And, yes, I do realize this answer is Manhattan-centric. And there are four more exciting and dynamic boroughs (well, maybe Staten Island’s not exciting!). But, it's what I know.A word of advice: don't ever forget the expensive part. It’s best to have a job in hand when you come to live here, and expect to work hard. I am fortunate to be retired, but most people work very hard to live here. Cheers!

HOW I GOT TIM FERRISS, JAMES ALTUCHER, AND PAT FLYNN TO BE MY MENTORSHaving mentors is a game changer. People can confuse “mentors” to mean learning from some old guy who speaks only in proverbs. Mentors can be anyone who has been in similar shoes before, gained experience, and can help you on your journey. Roy H. Williams had a great quote;“A smart man makes a mistake, learns from it, and never makes that mistake again. But a wise man finds a smart man and learns from him how to avoid the mistake altogether.”This is the question that I’ve been trying to solve for the last three years. To my luck, I’m extremely grateful to have successful entrepreneurs like James Altucher, Tim Ferriss, and Pat Flynn as some of my mentors.What’s my secret? Simple. I read their books. I listen to their podcasts. I consume their work.Another illusion about mentorship is that the “mentor” has to be right by the “mentee” holding their hand. But if a mentor is someone who has been in similar shoes and is willing to help you out, aren’t books and podcasts technically a form of “mentorship”?Take James Altucher as an example. He is a famous investor, author, and entrepreneur most known for his authentic writing style. James has over 20+ years of experience over me in areas like business, writing, and life. I’ve consumed a signNow amount of James Altucher’s work including his most recent book, The Choose Yourself Guide To WealthThat book single handedly inspired me to develop a daily practice and improve myself in four main areas of my life: Emotionally, Physically, Mentally, and Spiritually. James’ Podcast Episode 21 titled, College Is A Scam, was the tipping point for me to drop out of school. Ep. 23 with Steve Scott, an author of over 40 e-books, sparked my interest to write my first book which is up on Amazon right now! Ep. 90 with Jack Canfield, co-author of Chicken Soup for the Soul, helped me reflect on my life identify what I truly wanted in life.When a prolific author writes a book (or appears on a podcast) and distills their knowledge into a condensed piece of art, it’s time to pay attention! I would even argue a few life-changing books would be more useful than an entire year of college classes. My favorites are:a) How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegieb) The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph by Ryan Holidayc) The Happiness of Pursuit: Finding the Quest That Will Bring Purpose to Your Life by Chris GuillebeauOn top of consuming their work, I took it a step further and started my own podcast. This gave me a chance to interview brilliant people every week including, Charlie Hoehn (Former Director of Special Projects for Tim Ferriss), Ryan Porter (Tech Entrepreneur & Youth Speaker), & Dave Fontenot (Hackathon Leader).You can learn ANYTHING from the BEST people in the industry for less than the cost of your next lunch at Chipotle. Podcasts are free (including starting your own). YouTube is free. Quora, Reddit, or any blog on the internet is free. Online college courses are free! Scott Young got an MIT education at the comfort of his own home. He also made a bunch of MIT students incredibly envious from the amount of money and time he saved. Books are dirt cheap, especially on Kindle. Online Courses are embarrassingly affordable (most are free). Make the world your classroom and keep track of your learning with Degreed!To say that James Altucher and other mentors had a big impact on me is a huge understatement. Although I never met James, Tim Ferriss, or Pat Flynn in person, their mentorship has been one of the biggest factors in accelerating my learning.If you want to have your own high-class mentors, start with these three basic steps:1. Go find 3 people in your space that you admire and want to learn from2. Consume their work: Books, Podcasts (See if they have been interviewed on other podcasts), Courses, Blogs, Video.3. Use their advice and take ACTIONBonus step: Send your new mentors an email telling them how much they have changed your life. They will seriously appreciate you, trust me.

There are many ways to do this. Your lease is set to expire in the summer, when rental prices are higher. That's likely a major reason why the landlord does not want the apartment back now and why they aren't being responsive to your inquiry.The best way is for you to simply find a replacement tenant, of good quality, who will take over your lease for a term of one year and four months, and at a slightly higher rental rate than you are now paying. Then contact the landlord. This time, instead of asking for an early termination of your lease, tell them you would like to assign (not sublet) the lease to a new tenant, who will pay a higher rent and also sign a 1 year renewal, or a new lease for one year and four months. Assuming the new tenant meets the landlord's qualification criterea, they will be very happy to accomodate you. Bottom line: landlords are responsive to opportunities and much less responsive to problems. You can solve your problem by presenting it to the landlord as an opportunity for them instead of a problem for you.

BetaBeat is based in NYC, so they have a home-town advantage.  FYI, for another source of NY area tech news, see www.nyconvergence.com

I have lived in New York three times - once in Brooklyn (2 yrs), and once in Manhattan uptown (1 year) and once for a work stint in Union Square.  I also lived right across the bridge in Jersey for two years and in Detroit, L.A., and Atlanta.For many many people that live there and that don't, New York is the center of the universe.  There is no place like it, no place with more to do, more phenomenal restaurants, more intelligent people, more, flavor, more culture, and an energy that just can't be found anywhere on earth.  That being said, New York is tough.  It can be a grind.  And despite the millions of people invading your personal space on a regular basis, it can be lonely - especially when all your cool friends that you hung out with every night in your 20s move to Jersey and Westchester and get married in their 30s. New York is not for everyone. You should try to appreciate wherever you are at that moment and drink it all in, but a lot of New Yorkers buy into a certain mindset and they all develop this cult like loyalty and love for the city that seems to pass judgement on anyone that would ever consider leaving it.  So, get away from those people for a minute and ask yourself some of the following questions:Do you find yourself fantsizing about moving to New Jersey so you can have a car, and a bigger, more affordable apartment?Do you not care that you can buy rice pudding in Nolita at 2:30 in the morning because you are never in Nolita at 2:30 in the morning and don't like rice pudding?Do you fear that you are jeopardizing your future retirement since you spend more than you really should on an apartment just to avoid roaches, rats and bed bugs and don't contribute to your 401k?Do you wish you could wash your own underwear rather then send it to a laundry service, or want for a washer dryer in your own apartment?Do you make less than 100k a year?Do you love love love to drive and hate not having a car?If you had a gazillion dollars and could live anywhere would you chose New York?Did you have to think about that last question or did you answer yes without hesitation?Everyone values different things in life.  New York has a million things to do at any time of the day or night.  But if you aren't really taking advantage of those things, they don't add to your enjoyment of the city.  Also, if you value space, and quiet, and ease of daily living, and practical spending habits, New York blows the big one.  In New York, more than any other city in the US that I have lived in, the amount of money you have has a direct and substantial impact on your quality of life.  It's the difference between living in a hovel or a doorman building with no bugs!  I have come to realize that I do love New York, but I much prefer it on an expense account and on a short term basis.  At least, based on all the salaries I have had thus far in life.  If i hit it big and can afford to live like Mr. Big, well that's a different story.  But don't feel bad if you recognize that it isn't the city for you.