By now you probably know that I am a walking tour fan. There’s no better way to see the city than on foot accompanied by someone who knows their stuff. And among the tour groups, Urban Adventures is one of my favorites thanks to their wealth of knowledge, small group sizes and choice of lesser-known locations. So when I …
Read MoreCategory / Night out
May 14, 2015
…won at Brooklyn Bowl
If you’re looking for an easygoing night out, complete with live music and some finger-lickin’ good comfort food, I’ve found your place. Last weekend, I headed to Brooklyn Bowl, which is inside a Williamsburg warehouse, and it was a winner. (And as it turns out, so was I.) I was a fan of the huge space, which …
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 12, 2015
…was wowed by ‘On the 20th Century’
Judge me all you want, but I love a good musical. Still, even though all the ones I’ve seen in New York have been great, they’ve all been a bit modern – leaving me craving some traditional, over-the-top, tap-dancing, jazz-handed fun. And this week, I found it. Meghan (you remember Meghan) had the sense to sign …
Read MoreMarch 4, 2015
…discovered Shuffleboard at Royal Palms
If you want to take on Royal Palms‘ shuffleboard courts in Gowanus, not only do you need to be surprisingly agile and focused – you also have to be very, very prompt. Ryan and I headed there on Sunday at 1pm – just an hour after it opened – and there was already an hour’s wait. …
Read MoreFebruary 4, 2015
…got merry at The Imbible
[Note: Scroll down to the comments section for a discount code for 5% off tickets!] Before moving to New York, I thought I was going to be seeing Broadway shows every week. But the reality is that they’re all in Midtown, which equals big, ugly crowds and big, ugly prices. Sometimes it’s the last place I want to …
Read MoreJanuary 29, 2015
…went to Queens for a Burns Supper
I lived in Scotland for four years for university, but the most Scottish experiences I’ve ever had have been right here in the U.S. First up, when I lived in Atlanta, I went to the city’s Highland Games, which looked like this: Then last year, I went to the Tartan Parade, complete with bagpipes and …
Read MoreDecember 24, 2014
…was captivated by The Nutcracker
I can squeeze in another Christmas-themed post before the big day, right? Good – because a few weeks ago, after an endless stream of guests, Ryan treated me to a surprise #datenight for just the two of us: a visit to the New York City Ballet’s Nutcracker. I’ve only been to the ballet once before (when …
Read MoreDecember 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 …
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 MoreNovember 12, 2014
…dosey doed at a barn dance
Some parts of this country remain completely alien to me. The way you write the date? Weird. American supermarkets? I’ll never understand them. That plastic neon yellow stuff you put on burgers and claim is ‘cheese’? No thanks. So every now and then it’s nice to get a little taste of home. Enter… the barn dance. …
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 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 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 …
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 MoreJune 10, 2014
Lydia’s List :: My favorite things to do in summer in NYC
Finally! The weekends are getting hotter. I may not be looking forward to the whiff of the East Village in the summer, but I’m so glad to be enjoying the city’s glorious outdoor activities again. If you’re looking for things to do, here are my suggestions:1 :: Luna Park :: You can be a big kid again at this Coney Island …
Read MoreJune 9, 2014
…listened to music at ‘Target Free Thursday’
Thanks to some talented musical friends, I’ve been fortunate to discover a cracking range of new musicians while living in New York. But none has stuck with me as much as Kate Davis. I first heard her play at Bowery Electric about 18 months ago – and I was transfixed. She has this timeless voice that …
Read MoreApril 29, 2014
Don’t miss :: PopUp Dinner Brooklyn
This weekend, I penned a piece for Edible Brooklyn about an elegant popup dinner party that’s coming to Prospect Park this summer — and I thought it looked too good not to share, especially as tickets have just gone on sale. On June 28, as many as 5,000 people – all dressed head-to-toe in white – …
Read MoreApril 28, 2014
…went roller skating in Prospect Park
A couple of weekends ago in Lydia’s List, I told you about the skate rink that had opened at the new LeFrak Center in Prospect Park. This weekend, I re-lived my days as a six-year-old roller disco queen and gave it a spin. It was great. The rink, which is on the northeast side of …
Read MoreApril 3, 2014
…dined at a ‘Victorian Establishment’
One area of the city I do my best to avoid is Times Square. Ask any New Yorker and I’m sure they’d say the same. It’s loud, overrun and it burns my eyes – but it also means that I’m short on suggestions for what to do up there. But Ryan started working in the …
Read MoreMarch 27, 2014
…was wowed by Grouplove at Terminal 5
Two months after Ryan’s birthday, we finally got to use one of his gifts: Tickets to see GROUPLOVE. I have to admit, the first time I even heard of them was last year when Ryan mentioned they were playing at Terminal 5. I made lots of disinterested noises while making a mental note to book tickets …
Read MoreMarch 25, 2014
…went stargazing in the Bronx (and saw Jupiter)
When I was 11 and about to move to high school, I showed my big sister what I was planning to hang up in my new locker. ‘What’s that?’ she asked, pointing to a glossy bookmark. ‘That’s my favorite planet – Jupiter,’ I replied. She scoffed. ‘Don’t take that. Everyone will think you’re a swot.’ …
Read MoreMarch 5, 2014
…was dazzled by Kinky Boots
In a small corner of Northampton in the 1990s, there was a generations-old men’s shoe factory struggling to stay on its feet. One day, with its closing imminent, owner Steve Pateman received a phone call from a transgender shop owner he’d never met before. ‘You should be manufacturing women’s shoes built for men,’ Sue Sheppard …
Read MoreFebruary 20, 2014
…sipped cocktails at a Japanese speakeasy
While Heather’s visiting, I want to give her a taste of my favourite things to do in the city. And what’s more tasty than a cocktail from one of New York’s bars? I wanted to show her the classier side of my habit so we headed to Stuyvesant Street and met outside a Japanese restaurant …
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