Sometimes nothing beats a steaming cup of instant noodles. And though they’re typically enjoyed in the comfort of your home, that’s all changing with this new concept that has popped up in NYC.

Instant Noodle Factory in Long Island City is the first self-service, fast-casual instant noodle shop in NYC that offers the same comfort of instant noodles at home, while providing the dining out atmosphere.

It all started with founders Tat and Cierra connecting over instant noodles. After growing up in Hong Kong and then moving to the U.S., Tat couldn’t find some of his favorite flavors to share with Cierra.

As a result, he got them imported and when the pair started cooking and sampling, they began to wonder about building bowls with different combinations of proteins and toppings. Thus, Instant Noodle Factory was created.

As of now, Instant Noodle Factory offers a total of 88 noodles and 30 toppings to choose from in order to make your own perfect bowl. Constantly in search of new combinations, Tat and Cierra eat at least two noodles daily to continue their quest for delicious discovery.

Upon entering the space, you’ll take in their massive noodle wall that will inspire your bowl. Noodles from more than eight different countries are available on the menu, varying in flavor profiles from miso to soy, shio to cheese, tonkotsu to spicy and more. Customers will be able to choose from toppings such as but not limited to pulled duck leg, beef birria, kurobuta sausages, and silken tofu.

The idea is to “elevate the humble noodle into a gourmet masterpiece.” You’ll make your selections at the kiosk to then receive a tray of what you ordered. From there, you’ll take your noodles to the cooking machine that will eject hot water. It’s recommend to stir for three minutes.

After draining the noodles, you’ll add the proper seasonings and toppings you selected, and voila, your personal bowl is ready to eat! Overwhelmed by the amount of possible combinations? You can make it easy on yourself and choose from the pre-set bowls.

So next time you’re seeking the comfort of instant noodles but would prefer to eat out, be sure to stop by Instant Noodle Factory.

Where: 24-11 41st Avenue, Long Island City

When: Daily, 11:30am – 8pm

The post NYC’s First Self-Service Instant Noodle Shop Has 80+ Different Noodles To Slurp Up appeared first on Secret NYC.

* This article was originally published here

Caricom governments, most of them in the smaller Eastern Caribbean subgrouping, are on edge following a decision by the UK government to reimpose visa requirements for citizens of Dominica amid concerns that its cash-for-passport scheme is letting in “undesirables.”

London announced the move in the past week, saying it comes into immediate effect except for passengers who would already have confirmed tickets for travel until mid-August. Thereafter, they will also have to find a British embassy, most likely in nearby Barbados, to apply for a visa as the UK is unhappy that Russians and other nationals  are obtaining Dominican passports and entering the UK as Dominican citizens.

Countries across the Caribbean from St. Kitts and Antigua in the north to Grenada in the south are nervous, fearing that they may be in the next phase of the plan by the UK to block what it calls an easy loophole for unqualified people to enter British ports.

Authorities in the subgrouping worry that the UK is punishing them because of their lucrative Citizenship by Investment Programme (CIP) which allows foreign nationals to apply for local passports and citizenship once they spend relatively small sums like $100,000, invest in local real estate, or start up a business employing locals. Those with active CIP schemes include St. Kitts, Antigua, Dominica, St. Lucia, and Grenada. St. Vincent has flatly refused to do so under current Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves who argues that “citizenship is not a commodity for sale.”

The UK and the European Union have been urging the CIP participating countries to abandon that scheme, saying it is a security risk as wealthy people with dubious backgrounds take advantage of visa-free travel to this part of the region to enter the UK.

 CIP counters by arguing that the hundreds of millions generated from these schemes have replaced the exports of banana and sugar to the UK and the EU, which have abandoned duty-free and other preferential benefits for former colonies in recent decades. The shortfall in state revenues have to be made up elsewhere. Free trade in the 15-nation Caribbean single trading system has also resulted in a loss of import duties as well as other policy decisions made by western nations over the years.

Suella Braverman, the British home secretary for immigration, said in a recent statement that the move to reimpose visa requirements for nationals of Dominica, Honduras, Namibia, Timor-Leste, and Vanuatu has been taken solely for migration and border security reasons and is not a sign of poor relations with these countries.

Shaken up by the move, Antigua Prime Minister Gaston Browne warned his countrymen to brace for a possible negative impact in the coming months, being well aware of the opposition to the CIP scheme the west has maintained in recent years.

He told the Observer newspaper that “although the UK has said nothing about the other OECS countries, when your neighbor’s house catches fire, wet yours.”

Meanwhile, the acting British envoy to the Eastern Caribbean Charley Williams also weighed in.  “The UK and Dominica enjoy a close relationship and our governments work together on a range of international issues. Today’s announcement is a response to our long-standing concerns about Dominica’s citizenship by investment program and the risk it poses to the UK. The changes will bring Dominica in line with many other visa national countries around the world with which the UK has strong and friendly relations. They do not change our commitment to the relationship between our countries or to Dominica’s future. Visas provide access to the UK while helping to secure the UK border,” he said.

The post Caribbean nervous about visa travel for nationals appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

Ever wanted to run away and join the circus? Or at least learn a few circus skills with just the swipe of a subway card and a short jaunt to Coney Island? Now’s your time! 

Coney Island’s Sideshow School at Sideshows by the Seashore is training adults this summer to safely execute death-defying stunts including swallowing swords, eating and breathing fire, hammering real nails into your face, snapping a mouse trap on your tongue, and walking on shards of broken glass.

Sound fun? Enrollment is now open for the ten-student circus school starting on Monday, July 31 and running through Thursday, August 3. Classes run from 10 am to 2pm and there’s an optional performance on August 4, if you want to show all your coworkers how you spent your PTO that week, impress a date or just, you know, get some TikTok content. Tuition is $1,500. 

“All of these skills are taught in a controlled environment in the safest way possible, at each student’s pace. We don’t force anyone to do anything,” says Adam Rinn, Coney Island USA’s Artistic Director and Dean of the Sideshow School. “Some of the students are deathly afraid to participate in some of the instruction, but eventually come around and give it a try. All in all, it’s about challenging yourself. If you arrive with an open mind and comfortable clothes, who knows what kind of miracles might happen.”

Founded in 2001, Coney Island USA’s Sideshow School began as an effort to preserve and pass on well-kept secrets of a lingering art form. Over the past 22 years, students from around the world have attended the school to learn stunts. 

New this year is the opportunity for students to join the cast of the Coney Island Circus Sideshow and present an act as part of the regular show on Friday, August 4.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be able to get up and perform on our legendary stage, a stage that many of the greatest contemporary sideshow performers have graced,” says Rinn. “After all these years, it’s still an honor for me to present my acts at Sideshows by the Seashore.”

* This article was originally published here

What if we told you that one day you’ll be able to get from New York to almost anywhere in Europe in around four hours? Sounds pretty incredible, no? Well, Spike Aerospace, an aerospace firm based in Boston, MA and Florida, is currently working on the Spike S-512 Supersonic Business Jet that flies at a speed of Mach 1.6 (500mph faster than other civilian jets).

The Spike S-512 Supersonic Business Jet cuts travel time by more than 50%, featuring a multiplex digital cabin that seats anywhere from 12-18 passengers. Spike Aerospace paints the picture as traveling on a 3-hour flight to London for lunch and a business deal before returning home to your bed in New York for the night.

Talk of supersonic travel’s return has been circulating for some time now, following the Concorde’s final flight in 2003 that went from NYC to London in record time (two hours 52 minutes, and 59 seconds). In most recent news, Boom Supersonic’s ‘Overture’ model is expected to be ready by 2029, traveling at a speed of Mach 1.7 over water (or 1,304mph).

However, “the Spike S-512 is the only supersonic jet in active development that will fly at Mach 1.6 supersonic speeds to any city without the disruptive sonic boom effect that is prohibited globally.” Apparently, “The Concorde produced such a tremendous sonic boom effect that it was restricted to flights over transoceanic routes – primarily NYC to London or Paris.”

Destination & travel times for Spike S-512 Supersonic Business Jet routes include:

• NYC to London: 3 hours
• NYC to LA: 2.23 hours
• NYC to Dubai: 6.5 hours
• NYC to Moscow: 4.5 hours

Spike Aerospace is already taking jet reservations. You can learn more on the Spike Aerospace website here.

The post A 1,100 MPH Plane Is En Route To Connect New York And Europe appeared first on Secret NYC.

* This article was originally published here

We may soon be able to leave trekking all the way to the Hamptons (and sitting in endless traffic) behind us as, according to the NY Post, investors are eyeing Long Island’s Atlantic Beach as the new Hamptons.

Atlantic Beach, situated on the western tip of Long Island, is just about an hour drive from NYC–a much shorter trip than from NYC to the Hamptons, which takes about 2.5 hours, and that’s just if there’s no traffic.

And while the Hamptons is known as being Long Island’s summer hangout for the wealthy, Atlantic Beach just listed its most expensive home at $11.5 million.

Looks like they’re giving the Hamptons a run for their money!

For sale by Douglas Elliman, the 7,000-square-foot six bedroom six bathroom home sits at 139 Bayside Drive. The waterfront property has a state-of-the-art home theater, a private guest suite, a patio, an in-ground pool with a jacuzzi, an attached garage, and its own 140-foot floating dock.

According to the NY Post, homes rarely list in this area, and only 15 properties are currently on the market. Though the area seems to be making a come up–and it seems to be just in time as Wall Street is set to return to a full five-day work week.

And Atlantic Beach, with it’s population of 1,800, is practically a spitting image of the Hamptons, with beautiful sandy beaches, waterfront properties, and a laid-back ambiance.

“Atlantic Beach is the Hamptons without the commute,” Thomas Tripodi who holds the Douglas Elliman listing with Enzo Morabito told The Post. “You can live on the water, seconds from the beach, and yet close enough to the city that you can commute on a Tuesday or every day.”

“Prices here have almost doubled since COVID and now the return to a normal in-office work week is driving another rush of buyers who prize convenience,” Tripodi added. “Some are looking to live here full-time, others want a second or third home that’s closer than the Hamptons, and they all share the same problem: There isn’t enough inventory for the amount of buyers there are.”

The home is on the market for the first time since 2006, so we can only expect it will go fast. Plus, Atlantic Beach’s close proximity to the city is definitely appealing.

The post This Long Island Area May Be The ‘New Hamptons’ appeared first on Secret NYC.

* This article was originally published here