Because most parts of Brooklyn and Queens use a combined sewer that can overflow and dump raw sewage into the waterways, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection is asking residents to "Wait..."

Why Wait…? Whenever we do laundry, shower, wash dishes, or flush the toilet, the water we use goes down the drain and into the sewer. But when there’s a heavy rain storm, that wastewater has to share the sewer with LOTS of rain water. On those days, our sewers can fill to capacity and a mix of wastewater and rain water can end up going into our waterways. Waiting to use water during a heavy rain storm helps to keep our waterways clean for our community and wildlife!

The City will send out text messages when it is time to "wait...", so you know exactly when to stop flushing, and when you can start again. Check out the program page to read more about the campaign.

Fried dough filled with chicken and cheese, what's not to love? While every culture has some sort of variant of this, the Empanada is one of the more celebrated and widely eaten version. In this episode from the Operation $5 Lunch series from Thrillist, watch as host Prez visits Empanada Monumental in Harlem to try one of New York City's best.

It's no secret that people loved meat-stuffed dough. From calzones to samosas, everyone will claim that their heritage does it the best. That's why on this episode of Operation $5 Lunch, we're checking out some of the best empanadas in New York City for of course, under $5.

Whether an apartment like it is impossible or not, when most of the world thinks of what a New York City apartment is like, they think of Monica's apartment in Friends. In this video in the Human Condition series from our friends at Great Big Story, meet John Shaffner, the award-winning set designer behind the apartment's creation.

There’s no apartment in New York City more famous than Monica’s impossible rent-controlled, two-bedroom West Village digs. From the purple walls to the outdoor terrace, the “Friends” apartment became the quintessential ideal of everything New York could be. That’s all thanks to John Shaffner, the man responsible for creating the set of “Friends.” As a production designer, Shaffner has worked on 44 different series and 68 pilots, including “Dharma and Greg,” “The Drew Carey Show,” “Two and a Half Men,” and “The Big Bang Theory.”