What Is Rostam Batmanglij’s NYQ?

This is NYQ, a series in which we find out how “New York” notable New Yorkers really are. How many years have you lived in New York City? Altogether, it’s been about 13 years. If you could make one subway-etiquette rule law, what would it be? Treat people like they’re having the worst day that you’ve ever had on the subway. Your train line is down and you’re running late. What do you do? I get on a CitiBike. Your cabdriver is taking a horrible route; do you interrupt? I think I would try to veer the conversation toward that without him realizing that I was suggesting a different route in a subtle way. How often do you take public transit to the airport? I don’t think I’ve done that since I was in my mid-20s. You’re in town for a long holiday weekend and know the city will empty out. Where do you go? Either bike across the Williamsburg Bridge or walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. Someone tells you that the rats are actually cute. What’s your honest response? I think they’re cute as long as there is some distance. Someone you want to impress asks for restaurant advice. What neighborhood do you send them to for the best Iranian food? Upper East Side. Persepolis, I think, is pretty good. What’s your area code? 917. Do they still matter? I don’t know, but I was still living in D.C., and was about to start college in New York, and I asked for a 917 number back in 2002. Did it matter in 2002? No, I don’t think they matter. What’s the longest you’ve ever waited on a subway platform? Back in college, it must have been like an hour. Do you own a car? I do, and it’s a stick shift. How often do you admit that out loud? I love having a car in New York. I’m not ashamed. How would you do the New York City accent? “I’m from New York.” Do you touch the subway poles? If I need to, yes. Where do you go to cry? Brooklyn Bridge. What’s your go-to public bathroom? Apple Store, Soho. What’s your best NYC celebrity sighting? Julian Schnabel outside of the old location of Pastis in the Meatpacking District. What about New York still makes no sense to you? The fact that there’s always traffic to get to the airport or to get back from the airport. Name the fakest Realtor-invented neighborhood. East Williamsburg. You know you’re a New Yorker when … You cross the ten-year threshold. You’re old enough to remember when … You could smoke in bars. And I remember the way your clothes would smell when you’d come home. You’re all the way uptown and you need to have dinner ASAP or you will pass out. Where do you go? Back in the day, my favorite Mexican restaurant was Taqueria y Fonda on 107th and Amsterdam. I don’t think it exists anymore. What’s a place that closed that you wish you could bring back? Taqueria y Fonda. Every New Yorker should do this at least once … Ride a CitiBike and pick a white stallion. Who is the sexiest New Yorker? Laila Gohar. Last time you ate a hot dog from a hot-dog stand. Right before I saw Death of a Salesman with Chris Abbott in it. What percentage did you tip your last Uber driver? I’m pretty solid with all tipping at 20 percent. Last time you hailed a yellow cab? A few days ago. Last thing you used your famous-person status to get in New York? I was invited to an Ariana Grande concert by someone who I ran into at a clothing store. How many times have you moved in NYC? I think it’s about ten altogether. Could you list every neighborhood you’ve lived in New York? Columbia’s Morningside Heights. NYU Housing in Union Square. West Village. Williamsburg. Greenpoint. Brooklyn Heights. Dumbo. And now Chinatown. What’s the best place to perform in NYC? Webster Hall. The first time I ever played there, back in the Vampire Weekend days, David Byrne came to the show, and he wrote about it on his website. That was pretty cool. What Is RHONY star Carole Radziwill’s NYQ? What Is Artist Laila Gohar’s NYQ? What Is Comedian Emil Wakim’s NYQ? See All