FAQ: New to the Outer Boroughs Board? Read This First.

[The Chowhound Team]

Are you new to Chowhound? Or just to the Outer Boroughs board? Perhaps visiting from out of town? We've got some tips to help you get started.

If you're brand new to the site, you should read our Site Etiquette (http://www.chowhound.com/topics/367605) before you start posting.

This board is focused on discussing chow in New York City outside of Manhattan -- Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and The Bronx.

For tips on Manhattan, please see http://www.chowhound.com/boards/18
For other parts of New York State, including Long Island and Westchester, please see: http://chowhound.chow.com/boards/82
For New Jersey, please see: http://chowhound.chow.com/boards/81

We've divided up this thread into separate posts, just to make things neater. Please read to the end.

[The Chowhound Team]

FEEDBACK
If there's something you think is vitally important for new members of the board to know that we've missed, please comment on this Site Talk thread: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/458606

[The Chowhound Team]

OUTER BOROUGHS SPECIFICS

LOCAL VOCABULARY
Here are some things you might see referred to on the Outer Boroughs board:
BAM - Brooklyn Academy of Music
LIC - Long Island City
LIE - Long Island Expressway

LINKS
Best of Chowhound New York City: Best of Chowhound New York City: http://www.chow.com/digest/new-york-city/
Get transit directions: http://www.hopstop.com/

[The Chowhound Team]

AFTER YOUR MEAL
Most importantly, after your trip or your meal, thank the local hounds for their help by reporting back. Tell people which suggestions you used and how the meals turned out, plus add tips about any great places you discovered on your own. This helps make the board more useful for everyone who visits after you.

[The Chowhound Team]

STILL HAVE A QUESTION?
Chowhounds are a great resource, but help them help you by including some important details. Tell them:
- Where you'll be -- this board covers a very large area. Mention which Borough you're searching in or if you're willing to travel. Add a neighbourhood, cross-street or train line if you're trying to stay in a specific area.
- How far or how long you're willing to travel and how you're getting around. Have a car? Sticking with the subway? Let them know.
- What your budget is. Descriptions such as 'expensive', 'moderate' and 'cheap' mean different things to different people, so use dollar values.
- What types of cuisines you're interested in.
- Any other special circumstances (traveling with kids? vegetarians? non-chowhounds?) that will help

If you've done some of your own research, mention what you found so hounds can help fill in the gaps, rather than rehashing what you already know.

[The Chowhound Team]

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON THE OUTER BOROUGHS BOARD:

Here are just a few of the subjects that are common on the Outer Boroughs board, and some suggestions on how to find that information:

WHERE SHOULD WE EAT IN PARK SLOPE? Or other frequently discussed neighbourhoods?
The options in these neighborhoods get a lot of discussion on the boards. Try searching the neighborhood name -- and add the type of cuisine for more specific results -- for lots of information:
Flushing
Forest Hills/Rego Park
Sunnyside
Astoria
Woodside
Jackson Heights
Long Island City -- search LIC
Northern Blvd -- also search Northern Boulevard
Queens Blvd -- also search Queens Boulevard

LOCATIONS AND EVENTS
People often ask about where to eat near these attractions and events. Try searching for them by name, as well as any nicknames they might be known by:
Yankee Stadium -- search Yankee
Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) -- search BAM
US Open -- search "US Open" or "U.S. Open"
The 7 train -- search "7 train" or "7 line"

WHERE'S THE BEST STREET CART?
Or korean fried chicken? Or brunch? Or pizza? Or bakery? Or any other type of food?
Search terms to try: title:"best plus the name of the food" (example: title:"best pizza").

WHERE SHOULD WE GO FOR OUR SPECIAL OCCASION?
Search terms to try: anniversary, "special occasion", proposal, romantic, birthday
These might not all apply to your particular occasion, but they generally turn up the same kind of recommendations.

WHERE SHOULD I HOLD MY GROUP DINNER?
Search terms to try: "private room", "buy out", corporate, group, "holiday party", "large group"

[The Chowhound Team]

HAVE A QUESTION?
The Outer Boroughs board is a pretty active place, and a lot of questions have been covered recently--the Chowhound archives are a great resource.

Start your quest for an answer with a search of all the great info that's already out there. The search box is in the top right corner of the screen. If you're searching from this board, it should default to searching Outer Boroughs. Just add your keywords and go. On the search results page, you can change your search criteria to add more keywords, or change your sort order or the dates you're interested in.

[The Chowhound Team]

HAVE A HOT TIP?
If you've got a great tip or a recommendation for someone, dive right in and post it. It's great if you can include some details of why you like a place, but even those short tips on where to find a great sfogliatelle or banh mi are appreciated. To start a new thread, use the "Chowhound Discussions" menu in the navigation bar at the top of the page to go to the index of the board, and then choose the "start new thread" button.