On a scale from the Comedy Cellar to the basement of Sahadi\u2019s, what is Emil Wakim<\/a>\u2019s NYQ? This is NYQ<\/a>, a series in which we find out how \u201cNew York\u201d notable New Yorkers really are.<\/p>\n How many years have you lived in New York? <\/strong>Six.<\/p>\n You could make one subway-etiquette rule law \u2014 what would it be? <\/strong>You can\u2019t read a book while standing up. That\u2019s arrogant, and it makes me feel bad about my reading skills.<\/p>\n Your cabdriver is taking you on a horrible route. Do you interrupt? <\/strong>Yeah, but passive-aggressively. Maybe I go, \u201cIs this \u2014 is this close? I think maybe it\u2019s this.\u201d<\/p>\n How often do you take public transportation to the airport? <\/strong>One time, to Newark, and I think that earned me the excuse of not having to do it again.<\/p>\n Someone tries to hand you a flyer on the street \u2014 what do you do? <\/strong>Take it and then throw it away like five feet later.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a blinking red light and you\u2019re about to cross \u2014 do you wait it out till it says \u201cwalk,\u201d or are you crossing? <\/strong>No, I cross, but I look both ways. Where do you go when you want to feel like home? <\/strong>There\u2019s a place called Ilili. That\u2019s really great. I do that.<\/p>\n What grocery store do you go to to find hard-to-find ingredients? <\/strong>There\u2019s a place by me, it\u2019s like a Syrian-Korean fusion place. It\u2019s called SYKO \u2014 like SY for Syrian, KO for Korean.<\/p>\n What\u2019s the most iconic old New York SWANA spot in the city? <\/strong>Sahadi\u2019s.<\/p>\n Someone says the rats are actually cute \u2014 what\u2019s your honest response? <\/strong>You haven\u2019t had one run over your foot before.<\/p>\n What\u2019s your area code? <\/strong>630.<\/p>\n Do you think they matter? <\/strong>Yeah, when I see a 917, I go, \u201cAll right.\u201d<\/p>\n Do you call Manhattan \u201cthe city\u201d or just Manhattan? <\/strong>I alternate to see what sticks.<\/p>\n What\u2019s the most you\u2019ve ever paid for a coffee in New York City? <\/strong>Under nine. When you get into double digits, then it\u2019s like \u2014 that\u2019s food. That\u2019s solids, you know?<\/p>\n What\u2019s something a tourist does that you secretly still do? <\/strong>Well, I look at my phone as soon as I come out of the subway to see what direction I should walk.<\/p>\n Do you own a car? Have you ever admitted that out loud? <\/strong>Yeah. The neighborhood I lived in is like very old Irish, old Italian neighborhoods, and someone told me that the guys used to beat up the parking-ticket people, so that\u2019s why they don\u2019t ticket there as much. I don\u2019t know if that\u2019s true or not.<\/p>\n Bedbugs or roaches? <\/strong>Roaches are terrible, but then bedbugs are smaller, but then they\u2019re in your bed. If it\u2019s where I\u2019m sleeping, I can\u2019t do that. So \u2014 roaches?<\/p>\n Roaches or rats? <\/strong>Roaches.<\/p>\n Which is worse: Dimes Square or Hudson Yards? <\/strong>Dimes Square has like an annoying stereotype \u2014 people are kind of like, uh, jeans and a tank top. But Hudson Yards is like a mall, so probably Hudson Yards.<\/p>\n Have you ever gotten a piece of furniture off the street? <\/strong>I have two photos up in my apartment that I got off the street. One is of the New York City skyline and it still has the World Trade Center, so it\u2019s vintage. The other one I use as a frame \u2014 I took the thing out and I drew a little picture of my dog with colored pencils.<\/p>\n Do you touch the subway poles? <\/strong>The inside of my elbow does. If I do, then that hand is like dead for the day.<\/p>\n Where do you go to cry? <\/strong>How many times have I cried in New York? Maybe like under five. I definitely feel emotions.<\/p>\n What about NYC still makes no sense to you? <\/strong>How they built tunnels \u2014 I still don\u2019t really get that.<\/p>\n What\u2019s a place that closed that you wish you could bring back? <\/strong>There was a comedy club, Carolines, in Times Square that was great.<\/p>\n Sexiest New Yorker? <\/strong>Jalen Brunson now.<\/p>\n Have you ever cried over a New York sports team? <\/strong>No. No, I\u2019m not 12 years old.<\/p>\n How much do you pay when you go to the Met? <\/strong>I think like five bucks. \u2019Cause I\u2019m like, don\u2019t I pay taxes?<\/p>\n What percent did you tip your last Uber driver? <\/strong>10 percent. It should be more.<\/p>\n What\u2019s the nicest thing a stranger has done for you in New York? <\/strong>Probably just someone telling me, like, \u201cHey, there\u2019s a thing on that, don\u2019t sit on that.\u201d<\/p>\n Best New York celebrity sighting? <\/strong>Oh, I saw Zohran today. I was walking in the park. He was speed walking with people around him.<\/p>\n
You have family coming to town in 24 hours \u2014 what do you do with them on short notice? <\/strong>There\u2019s a place in Queens called Abuqir. It\u2019s like Egyptian seafood. It\u2019s really good.
Someone you want to impress asks for restaurant advice \u2014 what neighborhood do you send them to for the best Lebanese food? <\/strong>East Village. Or is it the Lower East Side? I always confuse the two.<\/p>\n