I have to disagree with your Craigslist in NYC comment. Not only did I find my apartment on Craigslist but I frequently buy and sell bike parts on Craigslist and pick up items from Craigslist's free section. I've been a New Yorker using Craigslist since high school. Being savvy ≠ "some inside connection."
RE the foodie scene: Consider Brooklyn Grange a foodie startup. We also have great initiatives like Windowfarms (http://www.windowfarms.org/) which is sponsored by Eyebeam (http://eyebeam.org/). This illustrates food, tech, and art intersecting.
(ACE has worked just fine for me. If I need wood, I go somewhere that provides lumber.)
RE the foodie scene: Consider Brooklyn Grange a foodie startup. We also have great initiatives like Windowfarms (http://www.windowfarms.org/) which is sponsored by Eyebeam (http://eyebeam.org/). This illustrates food, tech, and art intersecting.
(ACE has worked just fine for me. If I need wood, I go somewhere that provides lumber.)