u/racoontosser

Hi! Looking for a short or long term furnished sublet beginning 1 Sept or at latest 1 Oct. Looking to stay through end of the year, maybe longer. UWS, HK preferred, but open to more neighborhoods too. 20s queer male studying in midtown.

Please let me know if there are any leads!

I’m looking to buy a big power bank to bring to the US from China. I realize 160wh is the largest size you can bring on a plane. Wondering if there are any recommendations for Taobao 160eh 100W power banks? I didn’t see a lot for sale at that specific size, but also I can’t read Chinese so it’s a bit confusing to me to understand what I’m purchasing.

Currently in mainland China but will fly back to the US from HK after taking the train from Guangdong. I know Chinese security has tightened considering power banks, I’m wondering is same with HKG international terminal.

I’ll fly home with two power banks one 40.000 wAh and one 50.000 wAh. Delta says they give permission for 40.000. Will security be checking bags for this? How likely am I to have to surrender one or both?

Looking for cool rings or bracelets. Contemporary or traditional. I like stones too. I’m a tourist and wanna buy local products.

I’m trying to book hotels in 丰顺 through ctrip and AMap since there seem to be more options than trip.com but every time I put my phone number in and the verification code, suddenly it crashes. Any work arounds?

I’m departing between spending 24 hours in one of the famous 24 hour spas in Guangzhou and finding a 2 night stay at one of the various hot spring resorts in Conghua, such as Imperial Springs. The thing is I’m a solo traveler and it feels a bit ridiculous to stay at such a fancy resort by myself.

I want a relaxing experience after a month of chaos where I can just relax be pampered and eat good food.

Anyone done both of these and have a recommendation?

I’m not able to signup with my US passport as USA isn’t an option for the passport submission. Are there any other ways I can create an account and purchase things on Taobao while in China?

I have a soft spot for streetwear but am interested in anything unique and quality made. I’ll be visiting Guangdong province for two weeks this month and want to find some statement pieces to add to my collection.

Also needing some basic tees, socks, underwear if there’s any recommendations for that too.

I’ve visited Dongshankou (东山口) before. I’d revisit but also interested in brands from Shanghai and other cities with stores / being sold in concept stores in Guangzhou.

This isn’t completely Housing Lottery related, but I figured a lot of low-income applicants and tenants could find this information helpful.

I recently won a 40% AMI studio at the Melar and wanted to share some tips I learned about saving money on moving costs and other expenses.

Here I’ll explain some of the programs, plus more, that I’ve taken advantage of to save 2,466.72$ in upfront moving costs, plus 150$+ monthly.

HRA ONE-SHOT DEAL (EMERGENCY CASH ASSISTANCE)

First, HRA offers one-shot cash assistance to low- and moderate-income households moving into more financially stable housing. For context, I’m a single person in my mid-20s. I previously lived in Brooklyn with three roommates, paying 1,287.50$ in rent plus about 125$ per month in utilities. My rent alone exceeded 40% of my income, so I was considered rent burdened.

Now I live independently in a rent-stabilized studio paying 965.36$ per month, which made my housing much more sustainable. This is exactly the type of situation HRA looks for when evaluating moving assistance applications.

As soon as I knew I was likely signing my lease at the Melar, I applied for HRA cash assistance. I requested help with moving expenses, first month's rent, the security deposit, and furnishing costs.

The process was long and frustrating. My application was initially delayed because the building and Pronto Housing repeatedly submitted incorrect documentation. They had to correct it three separate times. I delayed my move-in by a week and even signed a revised lease, but HRA still hadn't finished reviewing my application.

Eventually I had no choice but to move anyway, paying about 600$ out of pocket for movers while still not paying my first month's rent or security deposit. Fortunately, management seemed understanding since most of the delays were outside my control.

During that week I visited HRA's Bushwick office multiple times, contacted elected officials, and eventually reached an HRA Cash Assistance Customer Resolution Supervisor, Miguelina Reyes. She was by far the most responsive and helpful person I dealt with throughout the process.

About two weeks after I moved in, management told me they needed payment immediately. I contacted Ms. Reyes, who informed me that I had been approved. I forwarded the first month's rent and security deposit vouchers to management, but because I had already moved, I couldn't use the approved 995$ moving voucher through Perfect Moving. Later, I followed up about my furnishing assistance and learned that 536$ had been loaded onto my EBT card as cash assistance.

Overall, the process was messy, slow, and poorly communicated, but I ultimately received 2,466.72$ in assistance. Even though I still had to spend 600) of my own money on movers, the assistance covered my rent, deposit, and furnishing costs and kept me from going into debt.

LIFELINE

Some low-income households can also take advantage of the Lifeline federal credit for phone and internet access. Approved applicants received a 9.25$ per month credit towards qualifying phone or internet plans. For me, I want to maximize my benefits while maintaining quality services. With SafeLink Wireless, you can get a limited but completely free monthly cellular plan. I believe they also offer basic free phones to those in need  
I opted to apply the credit to Total Wireless’ BYOD unlimited prioritized plan.

When I initially applied, it cost 20$ per month, but I had some issues signing up to the plan with the company and ultimately did not change carriers until the price was increased to 25$. That said, it’s still totally worth it as the plan runs on Verizon’s prioritized line. Total Wireless also rounds up to 10$, so the cost ends up being 15$ per month for top of the line service. The only drawback is sometimes the customer service isn’t as easy to deal with as other carriers, but once the kinks are worked out, it’s a great option.

AFFORDABLE BROADBAND ACT (ABA)

The ABA which was passed by NYS in 2021 and in effect in 2025, applied to eligible households receiving SNAP, Medicaid, DRIE, SCRIE, or certain other qualifying benefits. It requires major Internet providers such as Verizon to provide 15$ plans for 25 Mbps plans, or 20$ for at least 200 Mbps plans.
Verizon’s basic plan starts at 300 Mbps at 50$, so for Verizon Forward (the ABA regulated plan), the same speeds as the 50$ plan are provided for just 20$. Since Lifeline can be applied to either phone or internet, but cannot be stacked with ABA plans, I recommend applying them to separate plans. With these two plans, I only pay 35$ per month for phone and internet.

ENERGY AFFORDABILITY PROGRAM (EAP)

This is a program designed to help low-income households to lower utility bills, typically by 30-100$ per month. You must submit proof of a benefit such as SNAP to your energy company such as ConEd, snd the processing time can take a month or two. The credit is directly applied to the service bill.

HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (HEAP)

HEAP is a separate annual program that helps eligible households pay heating costs. In most cases, the benefit is paid directly to your utility company or heating fuel vendor rather than to the recipient.

DISABILITY / SENIOR CITIZEN RENT INCREASE EXEMPTION (DRIE / SCRIE)

DRIE is a program for households with disability tenants, this freezes future eligible rent increases rent in stabilized units. If rent is more than 1/3 of the household’s income, and the household earns less than 50,000$ annually, then the landlord receives a property tax credit from the City for the frozen increase between latest and new rent increase.

SCRIE is the same exact program but for seniors 62 or older.

FAIR FARES / MTA REDUCED FARE

Fair Fares is an income-based program for qualifying low-income NYC residents (currently up to 150% of the federal poverty guideline). MTA Reduced Fare is a separate program available to qualifying people with disabilities and seniors 65+. Both reduce subway and bus fares by 50%.

OTHER PROGRAMS WORTH LOOKING INTO

IDNYC – Free municipal ID for NYC residents. Includes free one-year memberships to many museums and cultural institutions (such as MoMA, The Met, Bronx Zoo, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and more), plus discounts on entertainment, Broadway shows, fitness, groceries, transportation, and prescription medications. It can also function as your NYC library card. 

Museums for All – If you receive SNAP, many museums across the U.S. offer free or reduced admission for you and your family.

Amazon Prime Access – Discounted Prime membership for qualifying SNAP and Medicaid recipients.

Citi Bike Bike Access Program – Discounted annual Citi Bike membership for qualifying low-income New Yorkers.

NYPL Culture Pass – Free admission to dozens of NYC museums, gardens, historical sites, and cultural institutions using your New York, Brooklyn, or Queens Public Library card.

Discounted Recreation Memberships – Some NYC Parks recreation centers and YMCA locations offer reduced membership rates based on income, age, disability, or public benefits.

Reduced Banking Fees – Some banks and credit unions offer free checking accounts or fee waivers for IDNYC cardholders or low-income customers.

UPCOMING PROGRAMS TO WATCH

NYC Public Grocery Stores – New York City is developing a pilot program to open municipally supported grocery stores in neighborhoods with limited affordable food options. If implemented as planned, they are intended to provide lower-cost groceries and improve access to healthy food. Keep an eye on future announcements to see whether a location opens near you.

There are dozens of other local, state, and federal programs available. ACCESS NYC (https://access.nyc.gov/) is a great tool to check your eligibility for benefits you may not know about.

Hi,

I will be visiting Guangzhou for my second time later this month, plus exploring more of Guangdong province. I’m highly interested in handmade skilled things such as clothes, metalworking, jewelry, basically anything special that I can use or display in my home.

I’m also interested by local streetwear and other fashion designers.

Any recommendations for unique places to shop at in Guangzhou, Chaozhou, Shantou, nearby places too.

I received an email last night saying I was de-enrolled in Lifeline. I only switched to Total Wireless and was just approved for Lifeline last month. My second bill is coming up in two days and I don’t understand why my credit was removed.

The reasons it listed are:
- didn’t do annual recertification
- don’t qualify
- didn’t use Lifeline service at least once in 30 days

Considering I don’t need to re-certify yet and it’s barely been over 30 days since my service started, I’m assuming they claim I don’t qualify?

Anyone have experience getting answers for this? I’m a SNAP recipient.

I’m taking advantage of the 240 hour travel permit authorized for US citizens. I’ll be flying into CAN and later taking the train to HK. I want to explore the Teochew dialect region of Eastern Guangdong. I intend to visit Chaozhou and Shantou. Wondering if there are any recommendations for other ditties towns or villages. I enjoy learning about local life and not only interested in cities. Thank you

Hi! I’m a traveler currently in Islamabad. Every country I visit, I enjoy exploring the local fashion. I have researched some brands such as Dream of Arthur, AOMI, and Yaghshiye. I am wondering if anyone knows where to buy these brands or other similar local brands in Islamabad, but also Peshawar or Lahore. I am also interested by local patterns and designs other than streetwear which are rooted in Pakistani heritage. Thank you

Hi! I’m a traveler currently in Islamabad. Every country I visit, I enjoy exploring the local fashion. I have researched some brands such as Dream of Arthur, AOMI, and Yaghshiye. I am wondering if anyone knows where to buy these brands or other similar local brands in Islamabad, but also Peshawar or Lahore. I am also interested by local patterns and designs other than streetwear which are rooted in Pakistani heritage. Thank you

Hi! I’m a traveler currently in Islamabad. Every country I visit, I enjoy exploring the local fashion. I have researched some brands such as Dream of Arthur, Rastah, and Yaghshiye. I am wondering if anyone knows where to buy these brands or other similar local brands in Islamabad, but also Peshawar or Lahore. I am also interested by local patterns and designs other than streetwear which are rooted in Pakistani heritage. Thank you

I'm flying to Islamabad today and have decided to cross into Xinjiang overland from Pakistan.

My ideal plan is to apply for a Chinese tourist (L) visa while I'm in Pakistan so I can spend around 14–20 days in Xinjiang without worrying about the 240 hour visa free transit limit. However, I've found mixed reports online about whether China will issue tourist visas in Pakistan to people who aren't Pakistani residents.

Has anyone here successfully applied for a Chinese tourist visa in Pakistan as a foreign tourist? I’d apply at the embassy in Islamabad.

As a backup plan, I'm considering using the 240 hour transit policy twice:
Pakistan - Xinjiang - Kazakhstan (10 days)
Kazakhstan (half a day or one night)
Kazakhstan - Xinjiang - Hong Kong (another 10 days)
From what I've read, there doesn't seem to be an official cooldown period between transit entries, but I'm wondering if immigration would view this as abusing the policy.

Has anyone done two consecutive 240 hour transits like this, especially with only a very short stay in Kazakhstan? Were there any issues re-entering China?

I’m from mass but live in ny now. The Viet food / coffee scene is shit at home. Now I’m back in Mass where’s the good coffee? I know Ba Le in Dorchester is where I go for banh mi. Where do I go for banh cuon? What am I missing??

Yes I know a lot of people on here love to boast about their gorgeous apartments with rock bottom rents and beautiful lovely lives. I want to write to encourage rather than boast.

I moved into my affordable re-rental unit earlier this week and I’m so grateful to live alone. This is the only way I will ever be able to live independently in ny. Not only am I finally on my own, I can have some breathing from my former rent burden. As a result of disabilities and tumultuous mental heath, I’ve struggled for years with work and continuing education. Even if I continue struggling with this, I’m grateful to have a safety net and a place that feels secure.

I want to discuss this because it is WORTH THE FIGHT. Yes, it is very time consuming. It may feel pointless and frustrating and hopeless and impossible, but I promise it’s not. You just need one in. I only toured one property. It took me nine months of applying, and five months from start to finish for my application with Pronto. If you get rejected, APPEAL. If you are ignored, do not be afraid to be a Karen! Put pressure on them! Be your own advocate!

There were so many mess ups along the way. Frankly, Pronto Housing is so fucked. I applied for an HRA one-shot moving expenses and their negligence fucked it up for me. They “forgot” to inform my property management team I was applying to the HRA one-shot deal, and “messed up” paperwork TWICE. Ended up having to pay hundreds more out of pocket than I didn’t expect. I have debt now but at least I’m free (from the burden of roommates, not so much the shackles of debt).

My total housing expenses have been cut in half. I went from three roommates to none. I beg you all to keep the good fight going!! I can already feel the stress falling off my shoulders.

My top pieces of advice are to stay vigilant, stay organized (document everything, I mean literally everything), check in, don’t get lost in a pile of names. Be proactive.

There were weeks where I felt it was a pointless process. With how many people want the exact same units, realistically, what’re the odds? You need to do better than the rest. Think outside the box. What might the top applicants be doing that you aren’t? At the same time, remember that if you don’t get this one unit - if it doesn’t work this time - there is always another. The pilot program was extended. There will be a next chance. Do not give up.

If anyone needs any recommendation, has any questions about the process, or there’s anything else on your mind, please feel free to reach out! I think I know almost anything there is to know about this process at this point. I’m happy to answer anything.

Every application, rejection, delay, and late night doom scroll was worth the feeling of security.

A couple pieces got hurt in the move … one big plate and one small. One was cleanly sliced in half, while the other plate got a little side chunk taken out the side. I’m wondering if anyone here knows any studios in nyc that could help me repair these pieces, preferably in or near the UWS. Please let me know! Thanks