When people come to town, I usually have a few tips for things they should do, but when Adam was visiting last week, his suggestion was far more creative than anything I might have come up with. He wanted to head to Korea Town to eat bugs. Silk worm lava, to be exact. Adam and …
Read MoreCategory / New York Secrets
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 …
Read MoreMarch 30, 2015
…snuck into a Pizza Speakeasy
Ever since moving to NYC, I’ve loved tracking down its speakeasies – whether it’s one behind a secret door in a Japanese restaurant, through a phone booth in a hotdog store or down an alleyway for cocktails in teacups. They’re quirky and fun and our little secret. So when I found out that a pizza speakeasy, SRO, had snuck …
Read MoreMarch 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 – …
Read MoreFebruary 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 …
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 MoreDecember 15, 2014
…shared my NYC tips with HotelClub
It’s been a busy couple of years. In fact, I’m just shy of completing 500 new experiences in New York since the start of 2013! During that time, I’ve also been sat in an office for 55 hours a week, so I hope it proves you can make the most of your city even if you’re …
Read MoreOctober 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 …
Read MoreOctober 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 …
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 11, 2014
…took part in a lightsaber battle
Whatever you’re into, you can guarantee that New York is teeming with other people with the same interest. So if you fancy dressing as a Star Wars character, activating your lightsaber and battling hundreds of foe in Washington Square Park, you can be sure it’ll happen. Welcome to my Saturday night. I’m not a Star Wars geek, but I am …
Read MoreAugust 6, 2014
…was a hair model
When it comes to haircuts, I’m incredibly British. I always pick something very reserved (‘a bit of a trim, please, not too much’) and when I’m in the seat, I’m far too polite. I usually prefer to have my hair cut at home using a service similar to Beauty Booker hair services. I don’t always …
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 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 …
Read MoreJuly 1, 2014
…partied at a popup dinner in Prospect Park
Before Saturday night, I picked out a white dress and filled a white basket with sugar-dusted cookies. The only hitch? I had no idea where I’d be taking them. But a few hours before heading to Prospect Park for an all-white PopUp Dinner Party, I finally learned that I – and 4,200 other guests – would be drinking, dining and …
Read MoreApril 21, 2014
…saw a subway map embedded in the sidewalk
I’m always nagging people to look up as they walk through New York (just look at what you can seeee), but this morning as I was shuffling towards work as the sun rose, I spied something special on the sidewalk. And it’s worth looking down for. On the sidewalk on Greene Street in Soho (between Spring …
Read MoreApril 2, 2014
…went on an egg hunt
The last time I went on an Easter egg hunt was in Atlanta about five years ago, courtesy of my friend James: But I’ve discovered that leaving school and being a grown up means that no one organizes an egg hunt for you anymore. Thankfully, there’s always New York. Over the weekend, the Big Egg Hunt hid …
Read MoreMarch 15, 2014
…was tricked by St Ann’s Church
When I’m walking north, I always do my best to avoid the madness of Union Square. One recent route took me along 12th Street between 3rd and 4th avenues, where I spotted this gorgeous church – St Ann’s – snug against the other buildings. But something wasn’t quite right. The buildings behind looked almost too …
Read MoreFebruary 27, 2014
…visited a Venetian Palace (in the West Village)
Despite the chill that’s gripped New York, I was itching for a walk after work and decided to head to the West Village – an area of Manhattan I don’t know too well. Blowing into my hands, I meandered through the diagonal streets, admiring the typically New York apartment blocks with fire escapes snaking up their sides. But …
Read MoreJanuary 6, 2014
…review the best and worst of NYC
*** This post was first shared in January 2014 after I finished a year of doing a new activity in New York every day. This blog is largely defunct so this post is a great place to start if you’re visiting New York and looking for things to do! For more on this project, visit …
Read MoreDecember 21, 2013
…took the East Village Mosaic Trail
I’ve lived in the East Village for nine months now and I’ve obviously not been paying attention. Today I was looking for new things to check out nearby and came across the Mosaic Trail – quirky mosaicked lampposts just a stone’s throw from my front door. Even though I pass the lampposts every single day …
Read MoreNovember 30, 2013
…was baffled by the Broken Kilometer
Remember when I saw that bizarre room filled with nothing but dirt a few months ago? Well, I recently discovered there was another permanent art installation right by my office by the same people, artist Walter De Maria and the Dia Art Foundation. So I thought I’d pop by. At lunch time, I danced my …
Read MoreNovember 26, 2013
…saw Grand Central’s ‘dark patch’
After a fantastic trip to England and Morocco this weekend, today I headed back to New York. Whenever I’m back home in the U.K., it never feels long enough and I have to tear myself away. But the minute I land and see that skyline, I realize exactly why I came back. It was late …
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