go to chinatown. better yet, go to flushing. find a spot that seems like it serves dumplings. ask them for a seat. if they answer in clear English without an accent, *run*. order soup dumplings. they might be the first thing on the menu. they'll probably be pork-based. you'll get a basket of dumplings, a big spoon thing, a plate, and some chopsticks. Pick up a dumpling with the chopsticks and put it in the spoon. poke a hole in the dumpling with the chopsticks. super hot soup will pour into the spoon. let that happen. then, after you think it's probably not going to burn the shit out of your mouth, eat the dumpling and drink the soup. do not leave NYC without enjoying this. unless you keep kosher, in which case, I have other, less good recommendations.
I feel like this place isn't about people but about recommendations, right? forget the influencer, forget the individual, just browse and talk about cool shit and whoever says something good, that's good. that's what I liked about reddit, back when I actually liked reddit. I haven't found many people I want to follow, and I'm not really looking.
for a while, when I wanted something expensive, I would think to myself, "oh, let me just look for a cheaper version of it." I end up settling for something that isn't good in any of the ways that made me want the expensive version. Throw that out. You can get fantastic pieces for cheap, you can thrift a wardrobe you love, but if you're trying to find a cheap copy of something expensive, it's not going to work.
