Creating an Outer Boroughs Sticky - Your Feedback

[Jacquilynne]

We've been trying out a new sticky format on the Manhattan Board for awhile now, and while it hasn't completely eliminated 'Coming to town for the weekend, where should I eat?', it also hasn't caused any problems, so we're going to go ahead and start working on these stickies for some others of the boards, beginning with our most active regional boards. This thread is for feedback on what should go into the sticky for the Outer Boroughs.

Check out the sticky on the Manhattan board ( http://www.chowhound.com/topics/444453 ) for an example, and then let us know:

1. What are the most repetitive (yet generally on topic) questions that get asked? Are there specific events or attractions people are always asking for recommendations near? Specific restaurants that have been discussed in great detail? We're not trying to totally eliminate these questions, just help people to find the information that already exists. The really general 'Coming to town for the weekend, where should I eat?' questions that are an issue on every board are a given for this list--you don't need to suggest them here.

2. Any board specific vocabulary, abbreviations or habits that people should know? On the multi-state boards, this might be the habit of using airport codes in titles to note the town, locally it might be that putting the airport code in the title means you want to eat near the airport. On Manhattan, we mentioned that prices there are generally higher than average so people should try to use clear cost descriptions if they have budget limits.

3. Are there any off board chowdown lists/groups that people should be aware of? How can they sign up?

If you've got any other feedback about the stickies, let us know that, too.

We probably won't be able to use everything that gets suggested, but we will try to incorporate as much feedback as possible while still keeping the stickies manageable.

-- Jacquilynne, Community Manager for Chowhound

[2slices]

i think keep the outer borough board so its all searchable at once, but a way to separate each of the 4. Tags would be good. When I'm on the OB board I'm usually looking for queens, but do like to see the other stuff when im scrolling.

[2slices]

I was gonna say maybe it's time to split up the outerboroughs board, but then I thought just leave the outerboroughs and start a Roosevelt Ave only board.

I'm about 60% serious

[mrnyc]

the best thing to emphasize on a sticky would be for newbies to please, please, please scroll down or use the search function & review the previous posts. then they can ask at least somewhat informed questions and we all will be much much more willing to help.

speaking of that, also remind posters to be as specific as possible. for example, vague terms like "inexpensive" or "moderate" are tough since everyone has a differing pov on that. give price ranges.

linking at least a few menu & transportation links would be helpful as well.

umm, thats all i can think of at the moment. frankly i dont think too many people bother with the stickies, you might make them in a bigger or bolder font too so they stand out better.

[aram]

Please don't take this the wrong way, but I really think it's a bit of a disservice to separate the other boroughs from Manhattan.

There is so much culinary stuff happening in all the boroughs. By separating Manhattan from the rest of the city, I think a lot of great places will be missed by Manhattanites who are scared of the other boroughs.

Good Food is Good Food.

It's a pain for me travel to Flushing, but i do it because the Chinese is so good there.

I'm sure that there are many Manhattanites that would benefit from daily exposure to other borough foodie joints.

[rose water]

While that's true, I'm not convinced that the Outer Boroughs-ites would benefit from the steady stream of tourist queries that fill the Manhattan board. I'm glad the separation exists.

[Bob Martinez]

Agreed, for exactly the same reason. The Manhattan board is virtually unreadable. The OB is a welcome contrast, filled with good information.

Of course this could all be fixed by setting up WIKIs where answers to frequently asked questions could be posted.

"What should I order at Babbo?"

"Staying in Times Square. Where should I eat?"

"Group of 20 something girls looking for trendy place."

"Need budget meal in the theater district."

This has been suggested repeatedly for years but hasn't been adopted. I'm hoping the CNET management has seen enough over the last couple of years to realize that this is desperately needed.

[janie]

I'm a regular on the outer boroughs board for many years, and I also intermittingly follow the Florida board because I travel there often enough and grew up in S. Florida...and yesterday, a regular on the Fl board, "frodnesor", kindly grouped all the best of posts that had been generated into one post, so that he could direct these sort of questions over to this link that had a listing for all these type of questions...I suggested to him that maybe the powers that be at chowhound could make it easier for him and somehow archive these best of threads into some sort of sidebar relative to each local board..perhaps this would be a good and handy reference that they could make more use out of. I agree with Jen that reading you instructions etc on a sticky would not really work in this case..people want to jump right in and post a question or see if they can find the answer quickly--by a menu system, not searching over and over again...

[prunefeet]

The ones I find most repetitive are the "where should I go for brunch in park slope" or "where should I go for brunch on Smith Street" posts.

[jen kalb]

yeah and I dont think that a sticky suggesting a search for "brunch park slope" or whatever on outerboroughs is going to reduce the flow. Maybe adding something general at the top of each board to encourage searching (with a method suggestion) in order to tap into the existing trove would make sense, but its just overly pedantic and time wasting to suggest specific searches for common items, when a sticky, wiki or such could deliver the info so much more efficiently.

[Mr. Particular]

Are you sure "Manhattan"/"Outer Boroughs" is the best way to to separate the NYC boards? Personally, I would prefer one board for Brooklyn and Queens (they are connected on Long Island), another for Manhattan from Harlem on down, another for the Bronx and upper upper Manhattan, and another for Staten Island. Maybe even one for North Jersey. I just feel that this would reflect geographic and cultural realities a bit better.

Also, isn't the term "Outer Boroughs" itself somewhat...dismissive? It sounds old-fashioned to me, and I grew up in Manhattan--I rarely hear it anymore, maybe from out-of-towners. Besides the excellent quality of some of the dining to be had in the "Outer Boroughs", it is inarguably true that some close-in "Outer Borough" nabes (Williamsburg, for example) are culturally AND GEOGRAPHICALLY more "Inner" than, say, Inwood, as well as being more relevant culinarily speaking. But maybe the out-of-towners are an essential piece of your audience and you don't presume to educate them?

[abee]

I'm not sure that keeping brooklyn and queens together makes a lot of sense. At a few certain points they're really close together and easy to get to, but at other points they're both so big that talking about one has nothing to do with the other.

[Mr. Particular]

Yeah, I think you're right. Although the current system has taught me a ton of things about Queens restaurants I'll probably never go to. And that's priceless... : )

[LaLaGoGo]

Yeah, being from Brooklyn, I feel like this is a dis; like if you're not in Manhattan, you're not part of NYC.

What's also bothersome is now I have to comb multiple boards on one site to find what I'm looking for and post to multiples as well. My boyfriend is in Manhattan, I'm in Brooklyn. Like I won't cross a river to try some new market or restaurant? If something great is just off the PATH train in NJ or over in Nassau or Westchester, we'll never know.

C'mon, Chowhound, foodies go the distance.

[Jacquilynne]

One thing I want to clarify (and I'm posting this in every thread, it's not specific to this one) is that we're not looking to elevate specific topics or answers to sticky status, or even link them within the stickies. Nor are we looking to completely eliminate repetition from the boards. Repetition is still good--it brings out new answers (whether from new posters or about new restaurants) and ensures that things are updated. A single sticky (or otherwise annointed as official) thread for a given popular topic wouldn't do that job as well.

From the perspective of the new user, we're trying to help them find the information that's already out there, as well as help them craft a good question that will get them the information they need if they can't find it.

From the perspective of our regulars, we're trying to cut back a moderate amount on the repetitive questions, as well as help to ensure you get the information you need, rather than having to ask a bunch of clarifying questions every time someone new comes along.

[Helen F]

Some other perennials:
7 train
Shea
U.S. Open
Yankee Stadium

[rose water]

Yes, absolutely--where to eat near Yankee Stadium is frequently asked. Greatest hits at Spicy Mina's and Sripraphai often come up as well. People also ask about Arthur Avenue recommendations relatively frequently. There are some excellent old thread on all of these topics that people should check out (ideally before posting).

[Linda]

these questions come up particularly for queens:

the best...

dim sum
dumplings
korean fried chicken
pizza slices
bagels
taco trucks / street cart food
bbq
hamburger
bakeries - then broken down by ethnic cuisine (Italian, Chinese, Korean, etc)
diners
brunch

the best in this type of cuisine:

chinese
korean
japanese/sushi
indian
thai

then, there are the neighborhood specific ones, particularly:

Flushing
Forest Hills/Rego Park
Sunnyside
Astoria
LIC
Woodside
Jackson Heights

or the specific streets/areas of interest, like:

Northern Blvd
Queens Blvd
along the LIE
Jamaica courthouses
Queens Center Mall
PS 1

[jen kalb]

to me its whistling in the wind giving people search advice in a sticky. It would be better to create a handful of sticky threads on each board for things like best pizza, best steak, best thai, theater district choices "lunch near the Brooklyn Museum" "dinner around BAM" and and party/event locales which would accumulate a lot of the repetitive request info.

[pitu]

as usual, jen kalb has it right
and due to human nature and the many ways people find their way to threads, I have low expectations for stickies to cut down the tedious repetitions. but seriously, thx for trying!

other frequent repetitive Qs:
I have a car for the weekend, where should I go?
I have parents coming, where do I take them?
what should I order at
al di la
Spicy Minas
Sriphaipai
The Ballfields

3. other sites
http://www.hopstop.com
to get subway/bus directions

http://menutopia.com/ChangeMarket.m?selectedMarketId=129
for Brooklyn/Manhattan menus

http://www.menupages.com/
for citywide menus

[oolah]

A word of warning: tread softly and be prepared for loooong discussions when you ask for pizza or steak recommendations in Brooklyn.

If you want the best pizza, just go straight to DiFara. Yes, you'll have to wait. Sometimes an hour. Yes, it's worth it. (uh-oh did i just get myself in trouble?)

And, no, there is no good Indian or Chinese in South Brooklyn.