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 …
Read MoreCategory / Art
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, …
Read MoreApril 26, 2015
Things I’ve loved about New York this week
I’ve been out of the city this weekend, which means that I’ve been looking back at photos from this week, and it seems like forever ago! But there were plenty of treats to be remembered… 1 :: Subway art I spotted as I changed at Jay Street Metrotech. There’s art in pretty much every subway station, and …
Read MoreApril 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 …
Read MoreMarch 25, 2015
…welcomed in spring at Macy’s Flower Show
I’m sorry to keep going on about it, but I’m fed up of winter. So thank you Macy’s for allowing me to pretend it’s spring. Last night I headed to Macy’s Flower Show, a mixture of art, botany, sweet scents and of course, window displays. It really does brighten up the dreary streets this time of year. When I got there, …
Read MoreFebruary 19, 2015
…saw fancy shoes at the Brooklyn Museum
Call me a geek, but if you have a few hours free on a drizzly afternoon, the best place to spend them – apart from the pub – is a museum. Last weekend, I spotted the first flakes of yet another snowfall and took the chance to finally check out the Brooklyn Museum. And ooooh, …
Read MoreFebruary 10, 2015
…visited the Morbid Anatomy Museum
As a news reporter, I’m pretty fascinated by the weird and wonderful – and sometimes a little bit grisly. So when I heard about the Morbid Anatomy Museum opening in Gowanus last summer, I thought it sounded right up my street. Unfortunately, it failed to satisfy my curiosity – but I’ve decided not to let that put me …
Read MoreFebruary 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 …
Read MoreJanuary 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 …
Read MoreNovember 26, 2014
…visited Matisse’s cutouts (and survived being in Midtown at the weekend)
The week I started this blog, I flew across the country to the furthest, greenest corner to visit a university friend, Jane. She lives on San Juan Island, which is off the coast of Washington state and is so far north that its residents can see Canada. After reaching the island by a teeny six-seater plane, I …
Read MoreNovember 7, 2014
…was spooked by the Rise of the Jack O’Lanterns
Ever since I started this blog last year, I’ve loved how it’s been a group effort. Friends, family and strangers are always suggesting the next place for me to visit or sharing something exciting that they’ve got planned. Last week, my friend Justin was telling me about a Halloween event he was going to out on …
Read MoreOctober 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 …
Read MoreOctober 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. …
Read MoreSeptember 13, 2014
…saw street art (inside)
You know all those spray-painted squiggles, full-scale artworks or cartoonish stickers you see around the city? Well, sometimes they’re advertising for an artist’s other work. The artists frantically spray those squiggles or post stickers over the city all day, every day, so that they spread awareness for their brand. And it’s worked on me. This is how …
Read MoreSeptember 8, 2014
…cheered for the jousting at the Renaissance Faire
I’ve always said that some time apart from New York can do wonders for my relationship with her; I come back sane again. But this weekend, when I ventured out of the city, I’m not sure I came back all that okay in the head. Welcome to the Renaissance Faire. This annual spectacle is held at …
Read MoreAugust 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 …
Read MoreAugust 16, 2014
Things I’ve loved about New York this week
From new street art to The Jackson 5 taking over my local subway station, here are some things that have made me smile this week. Seeing The Flower Guy‘s latest work (and recognizing it). Before moving to New York, I knew very little about street art, but in the past few years I’ve taken some cracking tours …
Read MoreJuly 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 – …
Read MoreJuly 18, 2014
…checked out art on the Williamsburg Bridge
During Hurricane Sandy, when subway stations were submerged and half the city was plunged into darkness, one of the only ways out of lower Manhattan was walking over the Williamsburg Bridge. A couple of times that week, I grabbed a torch and joined the mass exodus to reach friends’ warm apartments on the other side. It was very dark, very quiet and very …
Read MoreJuly 10, 2014
…met the Rockefeller Plaza’s newest resident
Between searching for new apartments and finding someone to take over mine, I’ve not had much time for many new things recently. One thing I’ve fancied – but haven’t got around to yet – is Jeff Koons’ new exhibit at the Whitney Museum. But this is New York, so there’s always a much quicker, cheaper alternative – if …
Read MoreJune 23, 2014
…painted pottery in Tribeca
A little over a year ago, I was slurping drinks in a bar in SoHo when a stranger sat next to me. About three minutes later, I texted Rachel and Meghan saying, ‘I think I’m in love’ – and that was that. Now 12 months on, I decided to make Ryan a gift to mark a year since our first date. I love …
Read MoreJune 17, 2014
…toured inside the Woolworth Building
A few weeks ago, I got an email from a reader suggesting I check out the Woolworth Building. To be honest, I didn’t even know it was possible, thanks to the ‘No Tourists Beyond This Point’ sign outside. But as I discovered, the Woolworth does open its doors to small groups – a new development over the past …
Read MoreMay 27, 2014
…visited Libby
I’ve called her Libby for years now, but we really don’t know each other well enough to be so informal. We first met very briefly five years ago when I was roadtripping around the U.S.. I was traveling on my own so I asked a stranger to take a photo of me and Libby together, but for some …
Read MoreMay 18, 2014
…checked out street art in Chelsea
<< woman’s face by Pamela Barsky I’m forever saying how small Manhattan is (it wouldn’t take you more than 40 minutes to walk across), yet there are some places that seem so distant to me because my life never takes me there. Chelsea is one such place. So when the glorious Brooklyn Brainery posted about a street art tour there, …
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