I lived in London for two years before moving to the U.S., but due to night shifts, shorthand classes and complacency, I never got to know it. But today I finally took my new Today’s The Day I attitude to my old home. Ryan and I jumped on a train (some are finally working!) and …
Read MoreCategory / Personal Feat
December 17, 2013
…met Santa at Macy’s
I’ve seen Santa a few times over the past week but today I decided to visit him in one of his most famous spots – Macy’s on 34th Street. Rachel and I prepared our wish lists and angelic faces before heading to Santaland on the 8th floor of Macy’s, the world’s largest department store. All …
Read MoreDecember 9, 2013
…made a gingerbread masterpiece
I’ve been to various creative Christmas exhibits this year and they’ve left me itching to get out the glue gun. Today I finally got the chance to get messy – as Ryan and I helped his family construct a gingerbread village. We headed to his family home in Long Island where his mum, Stephanie, had already crafted …
Read MoreNovember 27, 2013
…visited the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons
Thanksgiving may be America’s most beloved tradition, but following close behind is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which bobs its way through the city each year before everyone settles down to turkey and sprouts. I’ll be in the office for Thanksgiving but I didn’t want to miss out entirely – so tonight I headed to …
Read MoreNovember 9, 2013
…took Ryan Gosling on the Staten Island Ferry
Today I went on a long-overdue date with Ryan. No, not that one. Ryan Gosling, of course. New York is crammed with celebrities – I’ve spotted Meg Ryan drinking a cuppa, Jennifer Aniston browsing labels and Kelly Ripa heading home after the gym – so occasionally you’re going to be introduced to a recognizable face. …
Read MoreNovember 8, 2013
…went to senior prom
While I enjoyed the benefits of a British education – itchy kilts, carb-crammed dinners, netball matches in the icy rain – there’s one thing I missed out on by not going to high school over here: Senior prom. We had parties, sure, but nothing on the same scale as they do in the U.S. Tonight Ryan …
Read MoreNovember 5, 2013
…voted (kind of)
We’ve been gearing up for the mayoral election here in New York City for months now – sexting scandals and all – so I knew today’s new activity should be a nod to that (the election, not the sexting). And what better way to experience it than to be part of the democratic process by …
Read MoreOctober 27, 2013
…made Halloween candy at the Brooklyn Kitchen
It’s the end of October, which means some Halloween festivities this week. And I can’t begin those without some spooktacular sweets for energy now, can I? This afternoon I headed to the Brooklyn Kitchen, a massive homeware store in Williamsburg that also holds daily cooking classes. After donning an apron and a nametag, I walked to …
Read MoreOctober 19, 2013
…climbed to the top of the world’s largest cathedral
When I entered the Cathedral Church of St John the Divine on West 112th Street this afternoon, I immediately welled up. The inside of this grand building, which claims to be the world’s largest cathedral, is breathtakingly beautiful. As soon as I walked through its two-tonne doors, I knew it was going to be one of …
Read MoreOctober 10, 2013
…ate Carvel
Every now and then I get a reminder that my American friends and I did childhood very differently. Few know who Count Duckula is or the honor that comes with owning a Blue Peter badge, and none understand the joys of a Caramac bar. And it seems I missed out on traditions too; after they …
Read MoreSeptember 17, 2013
…traveled to a ghost subway stop
The subway platform for the 6 train at City Hall used to be one of the most opulent in the transit system’s underground maze. The station, which opened in 1904, was dripping with chandeliers and decked with colored tiles – and some of Manhattan’s richest residents would venture to its vaults after dinner just for …
Read MoreAugust 27, 2013
…made origami
For the past couple of months, the CourseHorse ‘Summer Sparks’ series has held free classes at Hudson River Park every Tuesday, but for some awful reason I’ve not known about them until now. Today I finally clocked on and headed to Pier 63 for their latest offering – an origami class. I had envisioned making …
Read MoreAugust 24, 2013
…drank at an ice bar
Rather than the usual Friday beers, tonight I opted for a new experience: Drinking vodka at an ice bar. I’ve heard of this sort of thing before and thought it sounded cool (yes, pun intended). So when I learned there was an ice cage at Mehanata, a Bulgarian bar in the Lower East Side, I decided …
Read MoreAugust 18, 2013
…climbed the Montauk lighthouse
I know many of the visitors in Montauk are here for the beaches and bars, but thankfully there are still plenty of places to check out for geeky tourists like me. So while Meghan and Rachel were snoozing off their hangovers at the beach, I headed for the very tip of the island to have a …
Read MoreAugust 17, 2013
…swam in the Atlantic Ocean
This morning, I was trying to remember if I had swam in the Atlantic Ocean before, and – can you believe it – but I haven’t. Definitely not from this side of it, anyway. About five years ago, I roadtripped throughout the East Coast of the U.S. and although it was summer, the weather was …
Read MoreAugust 14, 2013
…rode Macy’s wooden escalators
Tonight I headed to Herald Square to visit Macy’s – not only my first time in this mammoth store, but also my first ever spin on its historic wooden escalators. Macy’s at 34th Street is the largest department store in the city, taking up an entire block and stretching across ten floors. In 1902, it also …
Read MoreAugust 12, 2013
…met a Rockette
I’m back in the city and in full tourist mode. Today I headed up to Radio City Music Hall in Midtown for a backstage tour – something I’ve been unable to do until now because of its mid-day, weekday hours. The venue was the largest movie theatre in the world when it opened in 1932; it seats more than 6,000 people …
Read MoreAugust 10, 2013
…built sand dunes in the Rockaways
Right at the start of the year, I went to Red Hook to help with the clean-up in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Eight months on and some communities are still getting back on their feet. Today I headed back to another Sandy-ravaged area to help out again, but in a very different way. Ryan, Meghan …
Read MoreAugust 7, 2013
…won a Bocce ball match
Ryan and I have battled each other in a fair few activities in recent weeks (with me losing, mostly), but last night we combined our powers and took the Bocce ball world by storm. We headed to Floyd in Brooklyn Heights and added our names to a waiting list for its only court. I’d never …
Read MoreJuly 29, 2013
…invented a cocktail
Now I don’t know if you’ve realised over the course of this blog, but I do like the occasional bevvy. So why not learn how to make them for myself? Tonight I went to Sanctuary T in Soho for a mixology class. The bar/restaurant is known for its lengthy tea menu and now they’ve branched …
Read MoreJuly 27, 2013
…made soap
I’ve been to the Brooklyn Brainery in Prospect Heights a couple of times now – for a computer hacking course and another for making sauerkraut – but I’ve not revisited the lessons since. Tonight I went back to learn how to make soap, and I can say with certainty that I’ll be using these skills again. …
Read MoreJuly 21, 2013
…took a (2am) dip in Lake Michigan
After Bree and Brad’s beautiful wedding ceremony last night, Lizzie, Paul, Ricardo and I decided to keep the party going – and they decided to give me a hand with today’s new experience in the early hours of this morning. We walked west to the beach for a dip in Lake Michigan – a freshwater lake …
Read MoreJuly 19, 2013
…rapped in Koreatown
Tonight Rachel, Louise, Ollie and I headed to Koreatown to sing karaoke with some NBC folks we met at the bowling league. We went to Gagopa Karaoke – where I actually went out on my first ever night in the city when I moved here. I’ve done karaoke a fair few times and I usually stick to my …
Read MoreJuly 12, 2013
…travelled by steam engine
I’ve nipped back to England for a long weekend to surprise my sister, who’s visiting from New Zealand. One look at the rolling hills of West Sussex and New York feels a million miles a way. My family lives in a rural Sussex village called Kingscote. ‘Village’ is a bit of a stretch; all it …
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