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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 2, 2015

…hopped on the Water Taxi

If the subways seem too hot and cabs seem too pricey, there’s a far breezier and cheaper way to get from Brooklyn to Manhattan: the water taxi. The New York Water Taxi has several routes but one of them – between Van Brunt Street in Red Hook, IKEA and Lower Manhattan – is completely free …

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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 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 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, …

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March 2, 2015

…danced on the Big Piano at FAO Schwarz

This weekend I tried to re-create one of the best moments in New York movie history: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Yu62StlsMY The scene from ‘Big’ unfolds in New York’s top toy store, FAO Schwarz, just south of Central Park. I headed there this weekend and charged past Playmobil parties, bubble demonstrations and huge stuffed animals with even huger prices (like a $1,500 stuffed giraffe – …

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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 11, 2014

…met Santa Paws

All Georgia has been talking about for weeks now is Christmas. You might remember how last year I took her to a Christmas party for dogs in Prospect Park (ingeniously called ‘Bark! The Herald Angels Sing’), but it was a bit cold and wet, and we had to queue for ages to meet Santa. Thankfully …

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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 16, 2014

…popped by Carrie Bradshaw’s

These days you’ll find me binge watching Gilmore Girls Say Yes To The Dress CNN, but about ten years ago, it was all about Sex and the City. Yes, I know a good 70 per cent of the dialogue off by heart. A couple of years ago, some of my gal pals and I won a Sex …

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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 7, 2014

…drank coffee at Central Perk

New York can be an intimidating sprawl when you’re new to town, so sometimes it’s nice to pop to a place that’s slightly more recognizable. My sister Charlotte is visiting from New Zealand and, while she isn’t scared by the size of the city, I still thought it would be good to visit an old, familiar favorite: …

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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 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 …

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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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August 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 …

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August 15, 2014

10 things I learned from the Red Hook Beekeeper

I try not to be too dramatic when a bee buzzes near my face, but the truth of the matter is that the last time I was stung, my forehead swelled up so much I couldn’t see for a week. The only relief was that I was up a mountain in Spain so I didn’t have …

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August 8, 2014

…watched Shakespeare in Carroll Park

Outdoor theater is one of my favorite things about New York in the summer. World-class acting in one of the city’s gorgeous green spaces… for free?! Why, yes please. Last week I was leaving the subway at Carroll Street when I heard some hollers nearby and realized that Carroll Park, which is usually home to lots of …

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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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July 14, 2014

…donated books to the Little Free Library

As I’ve been packing up my East Village apartment ahead of moving, I’ve been thinking about where I can donate the alarming collection of stuff I never use. I plan to take most of it to the Housing Works in SoHo, but I thought I’d share my books with the people of New York City. There was only one option: New York’s Little …

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