Ooooh, I just remembered! I need to buy eutectic 63/37 solder.
Does anyone know of a good electronics store in NYC where I might find this? I have also at times seen really large discounts on HAKKO stations posted around here but they have been too heavy to ship, so I might keep my eyes open for something like that as well.
honestly your best bet's to have someone who lives in NYC order it for you and just give it to you when you come to NYC.
In terms of electronics, most of the stuff in NYC is consumer electronics.
For specialty stuff you will have to either know the small specialty shops (which i have 0 clue lol) or prob get out of the city and to the surrounding areas.
And most of the no name private shops that do camera trades and what not are pretty much a step above a pawn shop imo. B&H is known as one of the fairer stores in NYC, but its a "name chain". You can also try Adorama too to see if they're more competitive than B&H.
Radioshack is the name of the store which usually pops up with decent offers and discounts in the soldering thread. It appears they have stores in NYC. I will make a list of stores to visit:
-B&H, I will go there again and check if there is anything good in the Photography department and possibly HiFi, computer and electronics department as well
-Adorama
-Radioshack
Hmm, well you will certainly find "something good" in the photo dept. at B&H. B&H is probably the best photography store on planet Earth. Maybe Yodobashi Camera in Akihabara Tokyo, is just as good, but I doubt it. If you want something "good", you will find it at B&H, but you will also have to pay for it. Are you looking for a $6,000 Carl Zeiss lens? They have it. Maybe you are looking for a $22,000 Leica DSLR? They have that too. Maybe you are a down-market shopper? Well then maybe the $8,000 Canon is what you need? heh. $8K for a camera is not "down-market" anywhere except in Manhattan
B&H has all the super-expensive stuff, but you can also get a $100 point-and-shoot, as well. And the lighting dept. is sick. Also the video section in insane. Literally, it will make you crazy, because even though you didn't know that stuff existed, you will want to buy it all. Overall, I would say the prices on the camera stuff are very reasonable, I won't say "cheap", but they have very low profit-margins on the camera stuff. But, B&H makes their money back on all the other stuff, the camera bag, case, tripod, strap, etc. The prices on that stuff seem to be full-retail. So I think you have to be careful once you go beyond buying just the camera body and lens.
If you want tools, I would suggest Home Depot for soldering equipment. It's pretty cheap, but not super-high quality. Although they do carry brands like Bosch and Milwaukee.
Here is your list of stuff you want to do, and my opinions:
-Bubby's - waste of time and money. This place was made famous by John Kennedy Jr. who lived across the street and used to eat brunch there. The prices are high and the food is mediocre, and the wait is long.
-MoMA - Yes of course, world famous museum. The museum's collection was initially donated by Mrs. John D. Rockefeller Jr., who also donated the building (nice to have a spare building in midtown Manhattan, right?). When the wife of the richest man who ever lived makes a museum, it's safe to say it turns out to be pretty decent, and worth a look. Pro Tip: pay the entrance fee and skip the line. Do not try to go on Free Night, as the line goes around the block and up 6th Avenue to the Park. It's free, but the crowd will kill you. Literally, you might get trampled.
-WTC-memorial/park/site - worth a look, but depressing as f*ck.
-Broadway show - depends on the show. Also, Broadway shows have variable pricing like the airlines, so be a smart shopper. Pro Tip: go to the TKTS booth in Times Square and get 1/2 price tickets on the day of the show. Not all shows are available, but pick the best of what's on offer the day you go, for 1/2 price you will be happy with the show, most likely. Just remember the guy next to you probably paid $200 or more, to see the same show. See here:
https://www.tdf.org//-Buy cheap gear - depends on your definition of "cheap". Also depends on what you need for "gear". If you need a $5,000 telephoto lens to take pics at the world cup for the Sporting News, then you are in luck, 'cuz B&H sells those. They sell them to professional photographers, but they will sell one to you as well.
-Radioshack: Do not waste your time. This store is a joke. Well, it would be a joke, if the joke wasn't funny. And if the joke was actually an insult.
If you PM me your hotel location (give me the cross streets), and your age (approximate) and dinner price range, and your other traveling companions, i.e., wife, children, parents, grand-parents, etc., I can give you some well-tailored suggestions on where to eat. Do not put this info in this thread, obviously, b/c it's too personal.
