When the Tokyo chain sometimes called the Denny’s of Japan for its sheer ubiquity (somewhat unfairly, as what, then, are we supposed to call the many Dennyses—yes, the Denny’s—that also thrive there?) announced it was opening its first U.S. branch on a side street off Union Square, a cheer went up from the city’s ex-pat and wannabe communities. Offering a type of quick-service comfort food not readily available in a city now teeming with sushi palaces, izakayas, soba-yas and enough ramen to ensnarl all of the MTA, Ootoya (8 W. 18th St., ootoya.us)  both eases the patriot’s dreams of home and checks another box on the foodie’s To Eat list. But even for those who don’t have a burning desire to eat natto or dream of a curry don the way mom used to make, the restaurant has much to offer.

The gimmick here is that every entree is available as the centerpiece of a set meal called teishoku. Delivered all at once to maximize the busy office worker’s precious time, the meal covers a lacquer tray with a swath of seemingly interlocking receptacles. Lift the rounded lid on a black bowl to reveal miso soup, steam curling gently upward. Arrayed on a chunky white saucer is a rainbow of nukazuke pickles, which are fermented in rice bran rather than the usual brine. And what’s in that delicate ceramic basket, a miniature replica of a 19th-century snake charmer’s? Surprise! It’s chawanmushi, a delicate, savory egg custard.

While it’s perfectly reasonable to assemble a meal from the menu’s assortment of small dishes, sushi, grilled skewers and entrees, the teishoku set provides the most instant gratification, as well as an insurance policy against more adventurous orders. Never had tororo, mountain yam that’s been grated and whipped to a slippery frenzy, a common Japanese topping for soba and more? Order the hanabi don anyway, a rice bowl that comes loaded with slices of sashimi, soy beans, okra, a soft-cooked egg and a cloud of the snow-white tuber, safe in the knowledge that you’ve got basically a second meal waiting in the wings if it’s not to your taste. (But if textural contrasts excite you, it almost certainly will be. Give the whole thing a good stir to get warm rice, cool fish, crunchy veg and silky egg yolk all in one bite.)

For those ready to move forward sans safety net, the small dishes that make up the first half of the overwhelmingly long menu yield unusually big returns. A concise list of yakitori contains the ever-elusive tail, a tantalizing morsel of crunchy skin and fat, as well as tsukune, a chicken meatball served with a small bowl containing a single egg yolk for dipping. It’s one of the best renditions in the city, better than some dedicated houses can dream of.

That grill also transforms non-skewered meats, including a tender beef tongue, a number of mackerel never given their due in American cooking and pork belly. Ignore the candyland warning signals set off by a cinnamon-marinated version; the only sweetness comes from the fatty meat itself, the spice a surprisingly perfect savory fit. And then there’s the fryer, which turns out a perfectly bronzed breaded pork cutlet, presented atop the traditional wire grate to keep the underside from sogging up against the plate. It’s the perfect design solution to a problem you didn’t know you had.

The Denny’s moniker is not only unfair to Japan’s Denny’s outlets, it vastly maligns the experience at Ootoya. The interior is coolly wood-lined, with an elegant bar up front and a more convivial, wider bar in the main dining room behind which the merrily industrial kitchen can be glimpsed. Cold sake comes in glass decanters balanced in a bowl of ice, a single chrysanthemum placed daintily alongside. Modernist steel latticework stands in for shoji screens, separating tables and covering the soaring vent above the yakitori grill. You’ve never had a Rooty Tooty Fresh ‘n’ Fruity in a place like this.

–Arnold Schwarzenegger has a memoir titled Total Recall

–There is legitimately a magazine called “Modern Drunkard”

–Cormac McCarthy has appeared on “Oprah”

– “The Oprah Effect” refers to skyrocketing sales of books which have been featured by Oprah, leaving some publishers in serious distress over the now-defunct show

–The Strand bookstore near Union Square allegedly has 18 miles of books

–The number of American adults reading literature is the highest it’s been since 2002 

–J.K Rowling is wealthier than the Queen of England (OK–not really a surprise to anyone)

–According to scholars, Walt Whitman rarely left his room 

–Tom Wolfe is notoriously bad at writing sex scenes (read — and shudder — at your own risk)

–This letter from Kurt Vonnegut to a friend about to start teaching at the University of Iowa

–Political speech-writing is shockingly literary (shades of Chekhov anyone?) 

–The average American audience averages about a seventh-grade reading level

–Dissection on Display: Cadavers, Anatomists, and Public Spectacle by Christine Quigley is a book devoted to dissection as entertainment

Best Christmas Tradition
Speculoos at Wafels & Dinges (truck locations change daily; check @waffletruck)
Seems like lately we’ve been catching up to the Dutch and their way of life in some important ways—just call Washington state the New New Amsterdam thanks to their Initiative 502. Add Christmas treats to that list, now that the (OK, so they’re Belgian) Wafels & Dinges fleet has begun offering speculoos as a topping for their already celebration-worthy waffles. Ever flown Delta and wondered where they found those cookies they hand out? Those are speculoos, a spicy, wintry shortbread that’s everything a gingerbread cookie ought to be—with more butter. They’re so well-loved in Northern Europe that a spread made of the crushed-up cookies is sold year-round for breakfast-time toast-capades. The Wafels & Dinges people carry the spread; but in season (this season!), they also make ice cream out of the stuff, for a full speculoos explosion. We’re not going to say it’d be especially tasty after a trip over to Washington state, but … the Dutch may just have had the right idea all along.

Best Farmers’ Market Find
Neighborhood Honey from Andrew’s Honey (Mondays and Wednesdays at Union Square)
OK, so winter farmers’ markets are a stripped-down version of their summertime explosion, with fewer vendors and a more limited stock, but many of the city’s neighborhood markets are in it for the long haul (check grownyc.org to see if yours is sticking it out). There are plenty of root crops and hardy greens that are just coming into their own, as well as apples and pears that, if stored correctly, are just as juicy in January as when they first came off the tree. All of these will keep scurvy at bay during the dark months, but the most beneficial of all may be Andrew’s neighborhood honeys. Harvested from rooftop apiaries around town, each batch is clearly labeled with its microclimate of origin. Live near Lincoln Square? The UWS blend is for you. Further downtown? Try the LES. It’s said that one of the best ways to prevent pollen allergies is to eat honey made from the same local flowers that surround you; start topping your yogurt now and sneeze less in April.

Best Food Gift
The Holiday Six-Pack from the Brooklyn Salsa Company (Stall at the Union Square Holiday Market; bksalsa.com)
We’re generally not big fans of the food gift. There is only so much candy one person can eat in a month; after your eighth box, even the most lovingly made, super-artisanal truffles may as well be Russell Stover’s drugstore delight. Those towers of boxes are padded with the snacks that nobody will buy on their own (cheese puff Chex mix, anyone?), and apparently the only way to ship pears is to dip them in concrete first, if those rock-hard four-pack specimens are to be believed. But food can be a great gift, especially for that friend who already has every kitchen gadget known to man. Brooklyn Salsa’s six-pack runs the gamut of flavors, from mild curry to hot, dark mole, with a stopover in green tomatillos and a seasonal coconut milk-scented blend that will spice up any holiday party. Great with chips, they also make amazing recipe additions; get ready to spend the next six months hearing about your pal’s latest salsa experiment.

Best Excuse to Overeat
Hurricane Sandy Relief Continues
Think that 12-12-12 concert was the last chapter on Sandy fundraising efforts? Think again. While you’d think The Boss alone has enough pocket change on him to get hurricane-affected neighborhoods back on their feet for good, it turns out NYC still needs help, and badly. At No. 7 Sub in the Ace Hotel (1188 Broadway; no7sub.com), special guest chefs are contributing a special sandwich design every week, the proceeds of which will go to hurricane relief. This week is the last but will likely be the best, with hotel-mate April Bloomfield submitting what is sure to be a Brit-tastic construction. Then there’s the ongoing effort to rebuild destroyed Brooklyn and Queens restaurants, like the Save Governor campaign, which is raising $150,000 through a Kickstarter-esque website as well as hosting special dinners to fund repairs to the beloved Dumbo spot. Check facebook.com/dineoutnyc or ny.eater.com for up-to-the-minute event listings and special offers.

Best Starbucks Substitute
Coconut Milk Latte at Hu Kitchen (78 Fifth Ave., hukitchen.com)
It’s been easy to pick on Starbucks for a good long time now, with the multi-hyphenate drinks on offer and its Big Gulp-adjacent sizing, but when you cut out all of the snark and sugar-shaming, the place was still a good option for a last-ditch buzz. They basically pioneered the concept of daylong caffeination, taking coffee out of the morning ghetto and dressing it up as a midday treat. Admit it, you loved the Frappucino when it was first introduced, before it came in flavors like Cinnamon Dolce Crème and lost what little coffee hit it ever had. That’s the real travesty of the place now: There’s no coffee in the coffee anymore. Thankfully, a welcome side effect of Hu Kitchen’s super-paleo, anti-industrial philosophy is a myriad of milk options at the coffee bar that goes beyond skim or soy. Housemade almond milk in a cappuccino gives an amaretto-like grownup buzz, while a coconut milk latte is an instant trip to Aruba—a treat that’ll pep you up without relying on artificial sugar syrup.

Tourist Tradition That’s Really Worth It
Ice Skating at Bryant Park
No, not Rockefeller Center—the massive tree, while genuinely beautiful, is not enough to get us fighting toe-to-blade with the hordes that descend on the ice rink there. And Central Park, while picturesque in the right light, is too much of a trek from civilization to warrant the long lines and traffic jams. But Bryant Park has the best of both worlds—a green surrounding and easy subway access—and is somehow, miraculously, the least populated rink in the city. Even better, it’s got multiple snacking options for post-skating revival that are worlds better than the tragic pretzel cart in the park or the jam-packed Rock Center food court. Head for the ’Wichcraft Southwest Porch, an outpost of the Tom Colicchio-helmed sandwich stand that steps things up with hearty options like short rib chili and tomato soup, plus warm drinks like real Irish coffee and spiked greenmarket cider, to thaw out your fingers and enjoy the closest thing you’ll get to ski chalet living without getting on a plane.

Best Soup That’s Nothing Like What Mama Used to Make
Tasty Hand-Pulled Noodles (1 Doyers St.)
Unless mama spent a lot of time throwing noodle dough around and roasting ducks in the window, that is. And if that was a common occurrence for you, we’re inviting ourselves over immediately. For the rest of us, raised on Lipton’s instant chicken soup packets and cans of Campbell’s concentrate, the soups at Tasty Hand-Pulled Noodle are a revelation of textural contrast and deep, intense flavors. Tender, chewy noodles are the anchor of every bowl here—you can swap for the thicker, shorter knife-peeled noodle if you want, though they work better in stir-fry than soup—and the slight variations of thickness from strand to strand make every bite a delight. Toppings range from bok choy-heavy vegetable to beef stew; for a down-home experience miles from your own home, go for the beef tendon, which melts into the hot broth, leaving behind a bowl of rich, unctuous goodness. Bring your mom, and if you get lucky, maybe she’ll take notes.

Most Exciting New Arrival
The Smith Lincoln Center (1900 Broadway; thesmithnyc.com)
If you have, are related to, or otherwise know any little girls between the ages of 3 and 13, it’s guaranteed you’ll be making the trip up to Lincoln Center for the annual Nutcracker ballet pilgrimage. In years past, this was a hungry chore; for a neighborhood that practically screams for an oversaturation of cheap and cheerful pre-theater dining, it’s been slim, expensive pickings for way too long. Thankfully, the owners of The Smith, a nouveau comfort food mini-chain with locations in the East Village and Midtown, have swooped in with a 300-plus-seat savior that’s got something for everyone, from picky kids to hard-to-please grandmas. From breakfast to post-performance drinks and dessert, the expansive menu of Southern-inflected favorites will have you enthusiastically buying tickets for next year’s performance before you get through this one.

Best Way to Indulge in Weather Denial
Grilled Shrimp Salad at New Tu Do (109 Bowery)
Vietnamese food, with its emphasis on fresh herbs, bright citrus flavors and exceptionally fresh seafood, is sunny-day food, no matter how lousy the weather may actually be. Even pho, that cold-weather classic soup, comes loaded with enough cilantro, lime wedges and jalapeño slices to lift spirits from the lowest winter depths, warming you so effectively that by the end of the bowl, you’re ready to throw on a pair of flip-flops and go outside to sunbathe. For the full summertime experience, get the grilled shrimp—sweet, fish-sauce-marinated shrimp are thrown over a searingly hot grill and served, caramelized and blackened, over an herbal, crunchy salad. It’s straight from the world’s best backyard barbecue, but without the mosquitoes and threat of heat stroke. Who needs the summer?

Downtown was buzzing with excitement yesterday for the prospect of free vibrators. Trojan announced that it would be distributing 10,000 Tri-Phoria and The Pulse devices — $40 and $30 retail values, respectively! — from two hot dog carts in different neighborhoods throughout the day, so New Yorkers lined the streets of the planned locations in anticipation.

Most people left disappointed, though, because a City Hall rep stopped the popular condom brand from delivering the goods shortly after they set up shop.

Citizens were not shy to express their frustration with the city’s interruption to media on the scene. “There’s a lot more important things the city should be worried about than a free-vibrator giveaway,” bar owner Melody Henry told New York Post. “Bloomberg doesn’t want anyone to have fun. You can’t have a giant soda. You can’t have a vibrator.”

Photo Courtesy of Alissa Fleck

The NYPD’s Night Out Against Crime in Union Square last night promised a “neighborhood block party,” but a party, it failed to deliver. The annual event, celebrated by police precincts nationwide to “strengthen neighborhood spirit and heighten drug and crime prevention awareness,” was entirely overwhelmed by ordinary Union Square traffic, and no one—the NYPD least of all—seemed to mind. In fact, I might not even have found the event had it not been for the two NYPD shirts meandering in the vicinity.

Rather than connecting with the public in any real or symbolic way, two police booths were cordoned literally behind a steel barricade, out of the way of general Square merriment. At the FBI booth, a woman who gave the name Dinah, handed me a coloring book and various pamphlets geared toward children, including one on “how to spot a terrorist.”

“Do you have kids,” she asked, and when I replied that I did not, she said: “What about nieces and nephews?” as she continued to pile the cartoonish pamphlets into my hands.

I asked Dinah if she could talk me through the purpose of the event, but as I reached for a notebook she stopped. “You’re not going to take notes, are you?” she asked.

Two girls with braces at one NYPD table (the other was abandoned) encouraged me to take more pamphlets, as they fumbled for an explanation for why they were there. A police officer ate a hot dog nearby and struggled to stay out of people’s way.

Finally I was directed to an NYPD spokesperson. “Can you tell me what this event is about?” I asked. She replied, as the woman next to her poured butter into the popcorn popper, it was a nationwide event with the intent of showing community members police departments were serious about crime prevention.

“So it’s about building relations between the NYPD and community members?” I asked.

“Yes,” she said.

“Do you feel these relations have been suffering lately?”

“I’m not going to answer that,” she said.

I asked if she would provide me her name.

“No, I will not,” she said, covering what I presume was a name badge.

The friendly faces I encountered at the renewable energy table were a welcome relief. “Please, talk to me,” I said, as I dropped my stack of pamphlets onto their table. After they recited their congenial spiel, I asked what they were doing at the NYPD Night Out Against Crime event, squeezed between a Jamba Juice booth and one hawking keychains. “We just sort of show up to events like these,” they said. “We don’t really know what this is about.” Confusion seemed to be the ambiance of the day.

At the Starbucks table—an added perk of the event was the NYPD’s stated desire to “connect with local businesses”—a man stood behind a spread of iced beverages. “Yes,” he said, seemingly exasperated, as I approached, in the voice of someone tired of being the main attraction for all the wrong reasons. “Yes, yes, yes, before you even ask.” I sheepishly grabbed a complimentary iced coffee and booked it out of Union Square.

As I left the area, a man stopped me. “Hey, are they giving away free iced coffee?” he asked, indicating the small blur of blue tents.

Fox reports six people were shot in NYC on National Night Out, putting a damper on the night’s success.

Photo Courtesy of Wiki Commons

We warned you it was coming—zip lining has officially hit Foley Square for the next two weekends of August. For the NY DOT’s ongoing Summer Streets event, the organization is running a zip line in Foley Square, which is open for public enjoyment. There are other events as well, in celebration of New Yorkers reclaiming their city streets. Numerous streets throughout the City are shut down to cars for the event.

DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan told Metro NY: “The streets are for everyone. It’s a great way for New Yorkers to get out and see and enjoy the city in a different way.”

For the next two weekends only (Aug. 11 & 18), head to Foley Square and get zippin’.

—Alissa Fleck

Squadron Opens Mobile District Offices
When covering a district that includes two boroughs, it can be helpful to load up the staff, hop in a bus (we’re imagining) and meet with constituents. Instead of the bus route, State Sen. Daniel Squadron will open four mobile district offices this month in Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn in an attempt to get closer to residents and speak directly with community members. The offices will be located around the 25th District, which he serves. Locations will be located in Tribeca, at Brooklyn Borough Hall, the Lower East Side and Chinatown. For more info on these mobile locations, visit the senator’s website at www.nysenate.gov/senator/daniel-l-squadron.

Federal Government Makes a Return to World Trade Center
The U.S. General Services Agency (GSA) signed a lease last week to rent space in One World Trade Center, the soon-to-be-tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.

The administration will occupy about 270,000 square feet of space on six floors starting in 2015; with the signing of this agreement, more than 55 percent of the building has been leased.

“This reaffirms the federal government’s commitment to the redevelopment of the World Trade Center site and to this project that demonstrates the undaunted resilience of the American people,” said GSA Acting Administrator Dan Tangherlini. “There will once again be a federal presence in the World Trade Center, as there was from its beginning. We worked closely with the Port Authority and the Durst Organization to negotiate a lease that will result in the best value for taxpayers, the federal government and the City of New York.”

Lower Manhattan M9 Bus Changes Route for the Better
Transportation headaches for those living in Battery Park City might soon be soothed as the MTA is set to restore M9 bus service in January 2013. A large section of this particular bus route was forgone two years ago in order to close a gap of nearly $900 million in the MTA’s budget, to the dismay of residents.

Once the full route is reinstated, it will include stops in the East Village, the Lower East Side, Chinatown and City Hall, saving residents from wasting time taking multiple buses. The route will also extend northward, providing stops at Bellevue Hospital Center and the NYU Medical Center.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver applauded the news last Tuesday, saying the restored service will help rebuild the Lower Manhattan community.

“I recently approached MTA Chair Joseph Lhota to discuss the importance of restoring this service for the residents, workers and visitors to Battery Park City,” said Silver. “Enhancing important transportation links for residents, workers and students as well as visitors to my Lower Manhattan community is critical as we continue to grow and renew our neighborhoods.”

Senator Squadron Welcomes New Beer Production Tax Credit
It’s good news for breweries. Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently signed legislation to reinstate a beer production tax credit. New York breweries that produce less than 60 million gallons of beer will utilize the tax credit of 14 cents per gallon of beer sold in the state and 12 more cents per gallon of beer sold in the city for the first 200,000 barrels of beer.

This came after State Sens. Squadron and Lee Zeldin, U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer and Assemblyman Joe Lentol met with local brewers to announce a bipartisan plan to reinstate the credit and protect New York’s small brewers.

Such brewers include the local Brooklyn Brewery, which is in Squadron’s district, Kelso in Clinton Hill and about 90 others in parts of Long Island and New York.

“From the good jobs they create to the great beer they produce, New York’s brewers are key to New York’s economy,” said Squadron in a statement. “By reinstating the beer production credit, we’re serving New York’s brewers, consumers and economy alike, allowing our small businesses to keep growing while keeping their brews affordable,” he said.

Courtesy of Summer In The Square.

Attack of the Bubbles at Union Square
Kids and parents alike were bubbling over The Gazillion Bubble Show at Union Square last week. The performance, which has been popular at New World Stages since 2007, was part of the Union Square Partnership’s 2012 Summer in the Square series that holds events every Thursday from morning to evening. Bubbles of all shapes and sizes floated through the air at the bubble-making demonstration and performance, all to the delight of the young children in attendance.

It wasn’t the line New York deserved, but the one it had to wait in last night to see Batman.

Movie nerds, comic book nerds and their reluctant significant others alike lined 13th Street at Union Square’s Regal Stadium 14 yesterday for the opening of The Dark Knight Rises, the highly anticipated final installment of director Christopher Nolan’s fan-favorite Batman trilogy.

By 5:15 p.m., around 30 eager viewers stood along a roped off section of the sidewalk that a security guard was extending along the block as the line grew. The line was a little misleading, however: at 6:30 p.m., two of the theater’s screens were showing the trilogy’s previous two films as a lead up to the new movie’s midnight premier, and the vast majority of people were there for this Batman marathon. That’s close to eight hours of the caped crusader — and the waiting fans couldn’t be happier.

“Been waiting for this one since the day the last one came out,” one man said.

“Some people think [waiting in line for movies] is crazy,” a woman said, “but it’s just part of the experience. It’s just as much a part of the event as the movie is.”

“People talk about the The Avengers, Spider Man,” another said, “but for me, it’s all about Dark Knight Rises. [The Batman movie series] is just on another level.”

The security guard noted that there was in fact another line in the building. The marathon was showing on two screens, so viewers who had tickets to the one on the top floor were permitted to wait inside.

At least one tenacious fan was out staking his claim for the midnight showing. A man about 20 people deep in the outdoor line said he didn’t know about the marathon showing, and that he panicked when he saw the crowd gathering. He laughed that at least now he and his friends would get the best seats — right in the middle after the aisle divide, with plenty of room to stretch legs.

Waiting in line would be  a lot of funny anyways, he said. “My friends are going to show up soon with pizzas. Everyone hangs out and has a good time.”

Asked how long the line would extend by midnight, the security guard simply pointed down 13th Street. The theater has 14 screens, she said. All of them were showing the Dark Knight Rises, and all of them were sold out.

The line got a few disdainful looks from passersby, but in typical New York fashion, most pedestrians didn’t give it a second glance. One young boy had the right attitude, though: “Please can we get in line, please?” he pleaded with his mom, who had to drag him along the sidewalk to keep him moving. “It will be like a sleepover!”

Willis claims Pakistani beer—such that it was described in the police report—does not in fact exist. Yes, that’s her defense. The Brown University student’s defense lawyer, Stacey Richman, is arguing the particular kind of beverage exists, but not in the eight ounce can detailed in the complaint, says the Post. Furthermore, the beverage distributed by the brewery is in fact a non-alcoholic beer, according to inquiries with Pakistan’s only brewery.

Richman is demanding prosecutors produce the “beer” can or drop the charge, saying for all she knows it “could be a Sprite.” Willis will be in court on July 31, at which point her fate will be determined.

—Alissa Fleck

The waiting area of City MD

by Amanda Woods

“In the past, the emergency room was your only option for receiving care for any minor or not-so-minor injury,” said Mark Melrose, D.O., co-founder of Urgent Care Manhattan on the Upper West Side. “The ER was the only game in town.”
Today, about 40 percent of visits to hospital emergency departments are for nonurgent or semi-urgent problems, resulting in unnecessarily overcrowded emergency rooms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For many conditions, urgent care is a more suitable option. Urgent care centers offer treatment for a variety of ailments, ranging from strep throat to broken bones and fractures. In some centers,
physical exams for schools, summer camps and employment are also provided.
Urgent care is not a new concept—it has existed for about 25 years, according to Bill Foresman, the administrative manager of Mount Sinai Urgent Care—but it has recently taken off both nation- and citywide, Melrose said.
Urgent care centers are open to walk-ins, and patients are usually seen within minutes of their arrival.
Citywide urgent care is a necessity that fits into the rhythm of Manhattan life, said Samuel Fisch, the CEO of MedRite Urgent Care in Midtown East.
“An urgent care center is definitely a model that belongs to New York City,” Fisch said. “People [have] busy schedules and it’s so hard to get in to see a doctor. We felt it’s a service that’s needed in the city more than any place else.”
Many issues play into the surge of urgent care in the city.
“You hear of the financial strife of hospitals closing, and they’re having trouble providing efficient care to all patients,” said Anthony Ruvo, M.D., a co-owner of New York Doctors Urgent Care. “Patients still need to be seen in a timely manner.”
Previously, it was too expensive for urgent care centers to open a Manhattan office. The financial crisis has actually helped that situation, Melrose said, and many urgent care centers can now afford to open up.
Many of the urgent care centers that have cropped up in Manhattan are staffed by board certified emergency physicians—a huge plus in a city filled with large medical institutions, said Douglas Kaiden, M.D., a doctor at MedRite.
Below is a list of some of the urgent care centers on the Upper East and Upper West sides and in surrounding neighborhoods.

Urgent Care Manhattan

Upper West Side—199 Amsterdam Ave., 212-721-4200, www.urgentcaremanhattan.com

Urgent Care Manhattan is a walk-in medical center that provides pediatric and adult care for common illnesses, minor emergencies, wound repair and X-rays. Patients can also receive travel vaccinations, diabetes and cholesterol screenings and blood tests and lab analysis. Students are welcome at the center for school and summer camp physical screenings. Alcohol and drug testing, along with HIV screenings, are also available at the facility.

CityMD

Upper East Side—336 E. 86th St., 212-772-3627; Upper West Side—2465 Broadway,

212-721-2111; Columbus Circle—315 W. 57th St. Another Upper East Side location (1150 3rd Ave. at East 67th Street) is set to open in the fall. citymd.net

CityMD physicians treat injuries, common illnesses and pediatric needs. They also provide X-rays and conduct health screenings for employment, STD testing and flu and mononucleosis screenings. The facilities also offer travel vaccinations. Besides the four locations mentioned above, CityMD also has an office on West 23rd Street in the Flatiron District.

MedRite Urgent Care

Midtown East—919 2nd Ave., 212-935-3333, www.medriteurgentcare.com

MedRite treats non-life-threatening illnesses including upper respiratory infections, the flu and migraines and injuries such as sprained ankles. X-rays are also available on-site. The doctors on staff are board-certified emergency physicians, said Douglas Kaiden, a doctor at MedRite. The office is open seven days a week, and patients can come in for school, sports, occupational and other physical exams. Patients have the option to fill out a check-in form online before they arrive at the office.

New York Hotel Urgent Medical Services

Upper East Side—952 5th Ave., Ste. 1D, 212-737-1212, travelmd.com/site1/home/new-york-hotel-urgent-medical-services

This center handles minor medical emergencies for city tourists, and its doctors follow up with patients’ primary care physicians back home, providing detailed reports. New York Hotel Urgent Medical Services also offers 24-hour in-room medical care—doctors usually arrive at the hotel room either within the hour or at the patient’s requested time. The doctors carry portable medical equipment, and most medications are immediately available.

EMERGeCARE

Upper East Side—210 E. 86th St., Ste. 203, 212-510-8092, www.emergecare.com

This center treats various medical needs, ranging from the common cold to bites and stings to dehydration. Most major insurances are accepted here, but those who aren’t insured pay an all-inclusive $125 fee.

Manhattan Physician Group

Upper East Side—215 E. 95th St., 212-996-8000; Upper West Side—154 W. 71st St.,212-496-4600. www.mpgcares.com

Here, patients can receive treatment for common illnesses. General and vascular surgeries, as well as social services, are also available at the Upper East Side location. Internal medicine services are offered at both locations.

DR Walk-in

Upper West Side—775 Columbus Ave., 212-932-8060, www.drwalkin.com

This urgent care center is located inside a Duane Reade pharmacy. Here, patients can receive general checkups, treatments for back and joint pain, physical exams for work and school and blood sugar testing, to name a few.

The Urgent Care Center of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

Upper East Side—1275 York Ave., 212-639-7081, www.mskcc.org/doctor/department/department-medicine/urgent-care-service

Memorial Sloan-Kettering patients are treated for problems related to cancer, medical and surgical illnesses and side effects of cancer treatments. Staff at the center evaluate patients’ hospital records, take a brief medical history, do a physical exam and conduct tests based on the physical symptoms. Then, the staff will determine whether the patient should go home or be admitted into the hospital.

Mount Sinai Urgent Care

Upper West Side—638 Columbus Ave., 888-407-1848, mountsinaifpa.reachlocal.net/about-us/locations/upper-west-side/urgent-care

This is a brand-new urgent care facility. Many of the urgent care doctors here also treat in the hospital’s emergency department, but at the urgent care center, they are able to treat patients more quickly and with greater privacy. This center has a unique perk—access to Mount Sinai’s clinical pathology and diagnostic services.

One Medical Group

Columbus Circle—1790 Broadway, Ste. 182, 212-530-0624, www.onemedical.com/nyc/doctors

One Medical Group offers same-day appointments for patients in need of immediate attention. On the center’s website, there is a link to the member services portal, My One, which allows patients to sign up for an appointment whenever they like. Using MyOne, patients can enter their medical history online and, after their appointments, follow up with doctors and schedule their next visit.

New York Doctors Urgent Care

Greenwich Village—65 W. 13th St., 212-414-2800; new office at 205 Lexington Ave. (Murray Hill) to open July 16. www.nydoctorsurgentcare.com

At this office, the two doctors, Anthony Ruvo and Alvaro Alban, treat immediate health needs such as acute lacerations, minor fractures and occupational-related injuries. The doctors—both with experience in emergency medicine—also handle common illnesses such as allergic reactions, bronchitis and upset stomachs. Patients usually wait only 10 minutes in the casual, café-style waiting room to be seen by a doctor, Ruvo said, and they usually spend no more than an hour total in the office.

Emergency Dentist NYC

212-486-9458; www.EmergencyDentistNYC.com

Located near Union Square, Emergency Dentist NYC specializes in treating all dental emergencies, traumas and pain relief.

Seven days a week including weekends and holidays.