ESL Podcast 247 - Asking for Recommendations

picky - difficult to please; selective; willing to accept only certain kinds of things

I'm not that picky, but I couldn't find a suit at the store that I liked enough to buy.

moderately priced - not too expensive and not too cheap

They wanted to find a moderately priced hotel room, but the cheapest one they could find was more than $200 per night!

walking distance - the distance that one can comfortably walk, making driving unnecessary

Sheldon wants to find an apartment that is within walking distance of the university, because she doesn't want to drive to her classes every day.

to make a reservation - to ask a restaurant or club to hold a table for someone who will come later

Café Zenon is one of the most popular restaurants in town, and people have to make a reservation at least two weeks in advance.

to check with (someone) - to ask for someone's opinion before deciding to do something

Yes, I think my roommate and I can go to your party, but I need to check with her before saying for certain.

by the way - an expression used to say or ask something that isn't connected to what one was just saying

Please buy some milk and eggs when you go to the store tonight. And by the way, if you see Janet at the store, please thank her for the beautiful flowers that she sent us last week.

to see the sights - to go to the interesting places that are visited by tourists

This summer, we're going to see the sights in Chicago: the Sears Tower, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Adler Planetarium.

museum - a building that has educational, scientific, historical, or artistic objects for people to look at and learn from

Sean's favorite museum is the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.

botanical garden - a large outdoor area with many interesting plants

The botanical gardens are the most beautiful in the spring, when all of the flowers are blooming.

don't miss (something) - an expression meaning, "Make sure that you see or do something," or "I strongly recommend that you see or do something"

When you go to eastern Oregon, don't miss the High Desert Museum. It's really interesting.

shopping district - an area in a city with many stores

The "Fashion District" in downtown Los Angeles is one of the most famous shopping districts in the United States.

on foot - by walking; not in a car or bus

After we walked from the Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol Building on foot, we were really tired.

bus system - public transportation that uses buses; the system of public bus transportation in a city

A good bus system should help people move through a city quickly, safely, and inexpensively.

day tour - a group of tourists and a guide who visit many interesting places in a city during one day, either by walking or on a bus or boat

We paid $40 for a day tour in Seattle, Washington, that went to Pike Place Market, the Space Needle, and the Seattle Art Museum.

help yourself - take whatever you would like; serve yourself

Please help yourself to the coffee and desserts on the table in the back of the conference room.