J1 New york

greentoymonkey

hey people im going to new york on the j1 visa this summer and was wondering what fire island is like? and ive also heard that woodside, Queens is nice if you want to stay near the ctiy?

If you could give me some advise id love it?!

sharkDawg

Fire island is pretty cool, was only there for a day, but don't think i'd liked to have lived there for the summer, i'd imagine accomodation would be pretty impossible too. I lived in Woodlawn (irish area on the Bronx/Yonkers border), nice area but a bit far from Manhatton. I was out in woodside visiting people quite a bit, its also an irish area although not as much, quite a bit closer to town too.

There should really be a new york ji sticky started!

greentoymonkey

what about work in ny?

sharkDawg

What type of work are you looking for?

greentoymonkey

Bar or restaurant?! I have like years of experience but my gf doesnt, would she find it hard to get work in these areas? I know in ireland the service industry doesnt usually need experience but just wondering bout ny?!

sharkDawg

greentoymonkey wrote: »

Bar or restaurant?! I have like years of experience but my gf doesnt, would she find it hard to get work in these areas? I know in ireland the service industry doesnt usually need experience but just wondering bout ny?!

I'd say you'll get bar work easily enough, not sure about your gf though, NY is very fast and people are very impaitiant. I'd say she'd have more luck going down the waitressing route, even if she doesn't have experience i'd put it down on the CV that she does, give a number of a family member and get them to say their a restaurant owner! The chances of them checking referances anyway would be very slim. The service industry is def the way to go, i know a few girls that made over a $1000 a week!

greentoymonkey

Cheers bud thats great stuff!! did you have accom or work organised b4 you went over?

sharkDawg

I was playing football over there so i got sorted with accomodation and a job, however i did find a better job for myself! If you plan on going to either of the Irish areas you'll get accomodation handy enough, people will go out of their way to help you if your in anyway normal. Ye will get work, but make sure you bring enough money to tide yourself over in case it takes a week or two. Also another important issue, when applying for your social security number go to one of the smaller social security offices, not the one in Manhattan, you'll get it much quicker that way.

bubba gump

Sharkdawg,
Thanks for all the info you've alrady given but i just have few questions if you dont mind answering them!
1. Which is better woodlawn or woodside in your opinion?
2. I was thinking of playing football over there too,is this a good idea (i.e. is it taken too seriously, getting in the way of drinking!!)
3.Where/How did you get that great job as a doorman?

Thanks

greentoymonkey

Any one know the website / email or even just the name of any good Irish pubs to work in? im goin on the J1 this summer and wna try sort out a job b4 i go over!

sharkDawg

bubba gump wrote: »

1. Which is better woodlawn or woodside in your opinion?

No problem, woodlawn or woodside?, its a hard one to answer they both offer different things, woodlawn is like a small irish town, virtually everyone that lives there is Irish, you can even get Brennan's bread in the shops! Its kind of a home from home if thats what your looking for. As i said previously its a nice bit from the city, bout 40-50mins on the subway depending on the time of day. Heres the main street in woodlawn . Woodside then is a bit more ethnic, still generally an irish area but also alot of spanish and asians. Its big advantage is that its only 20mins from grand central. I'd say if you end up playing football you'll end up in the woodlawn vacinity.

bubba gump wrote: »

2. I was thinking of playing football over there too,is this a good idea (i.e. is it taken too seriously, getting in the way of drinking!!)

No need to worry here, the actual games are taken quite seriously, alot of rivalry between teams, bragging rites etc.. but the sessions afterwards are crazy, we had a free bar after every game. We trained twice a week in van cortlandt park (public park), nothing to strenuous, but the heat and humidity make up for it! Actually there was one training session where only 8 of us turned up, the chairman said f*ck this we'll go to the pub, so we did, he took out the club checkbook and we stayed there for the night, good times.

bubba gump wrote: »

3.Where/How did you get that great job as a doorman?

I initially registered with a management company through the football, it just involved signing a few forms and presenting them with ID and SSN. Then they send you out to the managers of different buildings, you have an interview, they tell you the hours/days you would be working, you say "thats fine", you get the job. I went to 3 or 4 different buildings before i got the one that i was happy with. Almost every lad that i met over there was working as a doorman. It is a ridiculously boring job, but the money just can't be refused, and you could be lucky my friend was a doorman in Tom Hank's building on 5th, no lie. You also have to do a drugs test for any job in the US.

Hope that helps

bubba gump

Thanks for all that info Shark.
I suppose i will end up wherever the GAA club is!

greentoymonkey

u should be a travel agent sharky!! haha