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April 2, 2016

1 Second Every Day

It’s been a while! I’ve wanted to get back to blogging for many months but, with long work weeks, it hasn’t been easy. But! I now have a very simple way to show you what I’ve been upto in New York (and beyond) for the past year. Between February 2015 and February 2016, I recorded a second of video …

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June 25, 2015

…felt small next to the Unisphere

I’d long seen pictures of this giant metal globe up in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens but when I finally visited, I could not believe how huge it is. It’s called the Unisphere and it’s an incredible remnant of the 1964-65 World’s Fair. The stainless steel structure was designed by top landscape architect Gilmore D. Clarke …

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June 9, 2015

…saw New York City from One World Observatory

It’s here. For the first time in nearly 14 years, visitors can look over the city from a skyscraper in downtown Manhattan again. And not just any skyscraper – the tallest one in the entire Western Hemisphere. Finally, the One World Observatory is open – and of course, it’s incredible. I went on opening day about 10 days …

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May 26, 2015

…took a bus tour through the Bronx

Midtown is clogged with tour buses, especially if you are looking for tours to new york, but did you know that some companies take you to less touristy corners, such as the Bronx? When City Sights NY asked me if I wanted to join one of their groups, I jumped at the chance to check …

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May 20, 2015

…visited Grant’s Tomb

If you jump on the subway and ride north to Morningside Heights, you’ll reach a very different part of the city. It’s quieter and greener, and has much more space. So much space in fact that it’s home to the world’s largest cathedral and North America’s largest mausoleum. Laid to rest in that mausoleum are President Ulysses S. Grant and his wife, …

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April 29, 2015

…(barely) saw the cherry blossoms at Brooklyn Botanic Gardens

Seeing the cherry blossoms at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens is an NYC must, so last weekend, I headed there hoping that a few blossoms had defied the unseasonably cold weather to make an appearance. Thankfully, one or two had. Yes, they were few and far between – but ooh, they were lovely. Last weekend was the annual Sakura Matsuri …

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April 22, 2015

…visited Al Capone’s wedding chapel

Earlier this week, my friend Claire sent me a great New York Times video about my neighborhood, Carroll Gardens. The short film gives an interesting insight into the historically-Italian neighborhood and how it’s changed (and gives plenty of the reasons why I love it so much): For me, the most interesting factoid from the video was …

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April 15, 2015

…went bird-watching on Broadway

When I lived in London, one of my city-born friends told me he’d never seen a sheep in real life. That is a true story. I think he was about 23 at the time. I was so stunned into silence that I couldn’t ask him all the follow-up questions I now have (had he never been on …

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March 24, 2015

…ate knish and dumplings with Urban Adventures

I’ve taken a fair few guided walks around the Lower East Side, so when I joined Urban Adventures‘ food tour last weekend, I was expecting more of the same. Ah, how wrong I was. The three-hour, fact-packed tour, Tenements, Tales, and Tastes, started at City Hall and took our small group north – past African burial grounds, through former slums, into Chinatown’s hidden dumpling shops and towards Little …

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March 10, 2015

…visited the United Nations HQ

Being British, I have two deeply ingrained traits: 1) I will never complain if someone puts me out. And 2) I am a firm believer in queues being properly maintained. But last week, as I lined up to enter the United Nations for a tour, there was a clash. An old woman who had been muttering …

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March 6, 2015

…toured New York’s top movie sites

Give me a decent science museum or a must-see art exhibit and I’m all for it, but I usually draw the line at super touristy activities (well, if you ignore this). That all changed last weekend when I had the joy – yes, joy – of being a tourist in my own city. On Location Tours …

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February 23, 2015

…share the oldest footage of NYC

I just came across this video of the oldest surviving footage of New York City, and thought it was too fun not to share. Ignore the dodgy music and have a look! It shows grainy black-and-white scenes from as far back as 1896, with the oldest ever clip saved for the end. For me, the most interesting part is …

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February 2, 2015

…found the Berlin Wall in NYC (Part II)

There are four sections of the Berlin Wall in New York City. The only section I’ve visited before is on 53rd Street, but it was removed at the end of last year for renovation work – so now I’m on a mission to track down the remaining pieces (before I’m 30!). On Saturday, I made the most of the …

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January 20, 2015

…saw the Gowanus Canal turned into art

The Gowanus Canal isn’t the prettiest place to visit. While it used to be a key transportation route stretching through south Brooklyn, it’s now one of the stinkiest, most polluted waterways in the U.S. So I love how the Superfund site has been turned into a work of art for the week. Through January 23rd, if you …

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December 18, 2014

…caroled on the steps of St Bart’s

I love Christmas in New York, but it also makes me homesick for my mum’s Yorkshire puddings, mince pies and roaring fires. And, thanks to years of school carol concerts, it also doesn’t seem quite right without singing some tunes in church. But I always make up for what I can. This year, I’ll attempt to make …

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December 3, 2014

…visited the 9/11 Museum

I was in a year-nine drama class in England when the Twin Towers fell. I remember Mr Caldicott sitting us in a circle and trying to explain what had happened 4,000 miles away. But I didn’t understand. I didn’t even know what the words ‘World Trade Center’ meant. Today, my reaction is very different. Having lived here for …

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November 6, 2014

…walked over the world’s longest footbridge

New York has its iconic bridges (I’ve hopped over the Brooklyn Bridge, skipped over the Manhattan Bridge and taken my sweet ass time looking at art on the Williamsburg Bridge) but they were mere (meer?) preparation for this guy: This is ‘Walkway Over The Hudson’ – the longest elevated footbridge in the world. And it’s right here in …

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October 27, 2014

…went to Tom Fruin’s house

This waterfront home – with unobstructed views of the Manhattan skyline and some very colorful decor – is the hottest property in NYC right now. You can’t actually live there (and not just because you can’t afford it), but you can visit – and you really, really should. The plexiglas house, ‘Kolonihavehus’, is the creation of Brooklyn-based …

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October 9, 2014

…walked the new section of the High Line

Whenever visitors ask what they should do in New York, my first answer is THE HIGH LINE. Every time. This salvaged railway line-turned-walkway starts in a beautiful part of the city, offers you views to Jersey and across the city, lets you in on a bit of history and entertains you with art and local snacks along the route. Oh, and it’s free. …

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October 1, 2014

…visited Winston Churchill’s mum’s house

Not too far from my apartment is a site that has a place in British history. If you wander along Henry Street in Cobble Hill and stop at number 426, you’ll be looking at the birthplace of Jennie Jerome. While her name might not ring any bells, you might know her son: Winston Churchill. If you …

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September 29, 2014

…petted animals at the Long Island Fair

An added bonus of going out with Ryan is that I’ve been able to visit Long Island – where he grew up – many, many times. When you can tear me away from our new(ish) neighborhood, going out there is one of my favorite weekend things to do. And this weekend? There was the countryside! animals! …

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August 27, 2014

…found the secret sound installation in Times Square

If you live in New York, you know something no tourist does: Times Square is to be avoided at all times. It’s a wonder to behold, sure, but it only needs to be beheld once. The problem? Everything. The lights, the crowds, those absolute fraudsters who barely cover their heads with an Elmo mask and then …

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July 24, 2014

…took a break in the Elizabeth Street Garden

Three years living here and the sirens, smells and cat calls are getting to me. New York, you’re a loud, sweaty sprawl – but I still love you, so what are we to do? People deal with the imposition of the city in their own way – from Soul Cycle classes to unwinding over a glass of wine – …

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