Me too. I’ve been wondering for about 3 months. I have never seen a system so complicated. I just don’t get it. NYS gets MONEY for having people register their cars here. And NYS needs money – they have quite a few things that need improving. I read a great quote yesterday that I am considering writing across my registration application before I hand it in to the DMV: “If you want something from somebody, give them a way to hand it to you.” How about a nice easy check-list explaining each item that you need?
I went to the DMV in June to get a NYS license. The kind woman at the counter told me I needed to have my car inspected before I could register it. Okay. So I went to have it inspected today and the kind man behind the counter said he couldn’t inspect my car because it has Virginia plates. Oye! Now, I should have known better than to trust a kind person who works at the DMV – she was obviously new, not yet jaded, and therefore didn’t know what she was talking about. (I don’t blame her – I don’t know what the DMV is talking about either. If I have this much paperwork, I can’t imagine how much people who work there have!)
So I get home, log onto the DMV site, and find that yes I need to register before I get an inspection. Fine. So then I have to click on FOUR separate links to compile a list as long as my arm of documents I need to take to the DMV with me. Now I am not only confused, I am frightened. I can just see myself arriving at the DMV, all the documents in hand, and there’s just this one tiny piece that I’m missing that will now take another month to obtain. I have had this same car registered in Florida and in Virginia – the whole process in both of those states took about half an hour, maybe even a little less. I’m not kidding. Why must NYS be so difficult.
The final kicker that I must mention here is a little joke the webmater for the DMV slipped in to the site. After clicking about 20 different times to get to the information you actually need, there is one page that notes that obtaining registration in NYS is very difficult and it may be easier to obtain registration in another state – any other state. I almost fell on the floor laughing. I couldn’t agree more! Either the webmater has made some sort of typo or was in a bitter mood the day he set up that page and put is dark sense of humor to work! If Christopher Guest ever makes another movie or if David Sedaris is looking for some new material, I think they should consider a stint at the NYS DMV.
Published by Christa Avampato
IN BRIEF
Author, journalist, digital product manager, and licensed New York City tour guide. Creator and host of NYC's Secrets and Lies. Alumna of the University of Pennsylvania (BA), the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA), Arizona State University (Biomimicry), and the University of Cambridge (MSt in Sustainability Leadership).
I build digital media platforms, report on urban climate resilience and biodiversity, and produce live narrative experiences that connect communities to history, nature, and place.
THE DEEP DIVE
My work centers on a single thread: building systems and stories that foster deep connection to our shared world. Across digital streaming, environmental reporting, and live civic storytelling, I design experiences that help people understand complex ideas and the environments around them.
DIGITAL PRODUCT STRATEGY & MEDIA LEADERSHIP
At Carnegie Hall, I serve as Digital Product Manager, leading product strategy, operations, and technical delivery for the video streaming platform Carnegie Hall+. I translate artistic mission into scalable, high-performance streaming architecture that reaches audiences globally. Previously, I led agile product and delivery teams across operations and compliance at American Express, managed Broadway theatrical productions and national tours, and guided strategic initiatives across cultural institutions.
ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISM & AUTHORSHIP
As a freelance journalist, I investigate how living systems, urban infrastructure, and human culture intersect. My reported features on urban decarbonization, biodiversity, coastal resilience, and biomimicry appear in publications including Smithsonian Magazine, The Washington Post, Mongabay, Natural History Magazine, and Foreign Policy Magazine. In fiction, I write the Emerson Page young adult novel series, alongside upcoming historical fiction and nonfiction works on New York history, mythology, and human resilience. I also write Togetherhood, a LinkedIn newsletter focused on urban ecology and community restoration, and co-host the podcast Frameworks in the Wild.
LIVE EXPERIENCE & CIVIC STORYTELLING
As a licensed New York City tour guide and live event producer, I transform urban landscapes into shared narrative encounters. I created, produce, and host NYC's Secrets and Lies, an interactive live storytelling series staged across cultural landmarks including the New York Transit Museum, the South Street Seaport Museum, and the historic tall ship Wavertree. I also design and lead site-specific walking tours exploring coastal ecology, food history, and neighborhood evolution, often with partners at Climate Week NYC and the Natural Areas Conservancy.
DOUBLE OR NOTHING MEDIA
Through my independent production studio, Double or Nothing Media, I develop ventures across media, ecology, and public history:
Digital Products & Strategy: Architecting scalable digital platforms, streaming experiences, and operational models for mission-driven institutions.
Environmental Reporting & Publications: Delivering long-form reporting, books, and newsletters grounded in climate resilience and regenerative design.
Site-Specific Live Storytelling: Producing immersive live shows and educational walking tours that engage public audiences in community history.
CONNECT
Website & Production Hub: doubleornothingmedia.com and christaavampato.com
Newsletter: Togetherhood on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/newsletters/togetherhood-7273771832221089792/
Instagram & Threads: @christarosenyc
Emerson Page Novels: emersonpagebook.wordpress.com/
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