anyone ever visited b&h?
 

hello,
i might be going to new york in the next month for a little trip. figured while i was there i should check out b&h. was just wondering how it is around there, like is it really an all day traffic jam or can you actually drive? i would be coming from 495/lincoln tunnel. i looks like a pretty straight shot. i just know in michigan, driving is really messed up. usually you need to go 1/4-1/2 mile out of the way to make any kind of turn. thanks.

matt

Matt,
Unless things have changed a lot since last time I was in the City the driving can be either fairly decent or dismal depending upon the time of day. The really big problem is finding a place to park.

You may want to either park and take bus/subway, and/or call B&H and ask them if there is any parking close by. You also need to get a decent city map and check the direction of the streets... they have several one way streets and your destination may be on a street going opposite to where you start from (in other words, it may not really be a straight shot).

Good luck, it's always a blast visiting the Big Apple. Nick

Thats a fairly busy part of the City, but B&H provides free parking across the street from the store for those who purchase 100 dollars or more. I drive down there all the time----

It's an experience. Definitely worth the effort if you want to see and touch all the fun toys, err I mean tools, that we deal in. It's about as good a retail experience as it gets in audio, video, photography etc.

Jeff

If you go to Manhattan, by all means don't miss out on B&H. Not only do they have all the stuff you see in magazines, but their system for moving inventory is amazing to watch. Boxes of goods move along on overhead conveyor belts throughout the huge store. It's quite an experience. If you make a purchase (I bought a Lowepro camera bag in there once), the salesman gives you a small printed receipt. Then when you're ready to leave, you get into the appropriate payline (cash, credit card, etc.). Present the slip at the window and pay for your stuff. Then move to another line where you pick up your gear (brought by conveyor belt) and your sales receipt. It's quite a process. But all the fun is getting your hands on the goods... there's a touch & try camera shootout, rows of tripods, shelves of bags, just everything you can think of.

Personally, I have resolved to never drive in Manhattan (or Las Vegas, anymore). I have a hard enough time coping with Austin traffic. Los Angeles is a lark, though... I don't see what the big deal is about L.A. traffic. But no way will I drive in New York. I'm too much of a country boy. Houston is the limit for me.

thanks for the info guys. just going off their map and at mapquest it looks like they're located in a "hotspot" for the city. i've gotten things from them over the past year or so but up until a few weeks ago i always figured them for another small "internet based" shop. i see now i was completely wrong. this should be quite the experience. thanks again.

matt

BH Offers Parking on the north side of their store (34th Street, I think) for a limited amount of time while visiting the store. Take advantage of it.

Cheers!

Derrick
NYC