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 MoreCategory / The Tourist
September 15, 2013
…watched a Japanese drum show
Doing a new thing every day makes sure I never forget that I have world-class talent right on my doorstep. And today – when I saw an amazing Japanese drum show – I was reminded once again. I jumped on the 1 train with Ryan and headed to the Taikoza Live show at the Peter …
Read MoreSeptember 14, 2013
…identified trees in Carroll Gardens
New York City isn’t all skyscrapers, office blocks and coffee shops – believe it or not, there are actually a few trees here. But before today, I rarely looked at them – and definitely had no idea what they were. This morning, Hillary and I headed to Carroll Gardens in Brooklyn to wander the beautiful …
Read MoreSeptember 13, 2013
…feasted at San Gennaro
Last year when I lived in Little Italy, there was nothing I dreaded more than the Feast of San Gennaro. Every year for 10 days, the festival fills the six blocks stretching from Prince Street to Canal Street – and my recollection of it is noise, tackiness and stinky, greasy food. Of course, living there, …
Read MoreSeptember 12, 2013
…ate spaghetti ice cream
A few days ago, I spotted something bouncing around on Twitter: Spaghetti ice cream. Yes, I double took too. What exactly did it mean? Spaghetti with a dollop of ice cream? Ice cream flavored like spaghetti? In fact, it’s something far more delicious: Ice cream piped to look just like your favourite Italian dish. Ryan …
Read MoreSeptember 8, 2013
…visited the Museum of Sex
It’s been a bit of a hedonistic weekend – a gluttonous picnic, gorging myself at the Vendys and a fair few beers last night – so this afternoon I decided to continue the theme with a trip to the Museum of Sex. I had expected the museum, which is at Madison Square Park, to cover …
Read MoreSeptember 6, 2013
…picnicked on the High Line
It’s getting cooler here in New York so I know summer’s on it’s way out. This means I probably only have a few weeks left to appreciate summer activities. So tonight I decided to have an early evening picnic on the lovely High Line – the former railway tracks that have been converted to a …
Read MoreSeptember 5, 2013
…went inside the Chrysler Building
It took me about a year to tell the Chrysler and the Empire State buildings apart. No joke. Now I’ve realized that – apart from the fact they actually look totally different – the Empire State can be set aside from the Chrysler in one very central way: it opens its doors to the public. …
Read MoreSeptember 3, 2013
…chilled out at the Elevated Acre
I’ve always loved how New Yorkers appreciate their parks – but it does mean they’re crammed full. Tonight, I visited a park that’s a little more secret and a lot less crowded: The Elevated Acre. After work, I wandered downtown to 55 Water Street, an office block right at the tip of Manhattan in the Financial District. There, you …
Read MoreSeptember 2, 2013
…scavenged at Dead Horse Beach
Last month when I helped make sand dunes for storm protection in the Rockaways, Rhett told us about a beach that’s a scavenger’s haven and not too far from there. It’s also not too far from JFK, so after I landed today, Ryan and I decided to go there to see what we could find. The …
Read MoreAugust 30, 2013
…had afternoon tea at a manor house
I’ve made it safely back to the UK and nothing says home quite like a good cuppa and a cream scone. So a few hours after landing, I headed to Gravetye Manor for some afternoon tea. Yes, once again I’ve left New York – but today was another example of finally appreciating things right on …
Read MoreAugust 29, 2013
…visited the Hare Krishna tree
Today I head to the UK for another weekend dash, so I somehow had to squeeze in a new experience between work and airports. Last night, I waited for the clock to chime 12 and headed a few blocks to Tompkins Square Park. There, beneath the low-lit lamps and beside a dance troupe of surprisingly …
Read MoreAugust 28, 2013
…met the original Winnie the Pooh
I grew up just a stone’s throw away from Hartfield in West Sussex, where the stories of Winnie the Pooh and his friends were created. If you remember, earlier this year when I was back in England, I even played the characters’ favourite game, Pooh Sticks, at the bridge that inspired it. And even though I’m now …
Read MoreAugust 25, 2013
…met a marionette
If you don’t know the blog ‘Humans of New York’, which captures beautiful images of the city’s colourful characters, you need to check it out here. A few days ago on the site, I spied this teeny tiny character: Today I was wandering downtown and took a walk through Washington Square Park, and who did I spot, but …
Read MoreAugust 24, 2013
…wandered through Green-Wood Cemetery
The weather has been gorgeous today and, as I was in South Slope in Brooklyn, I decided to make the most of it by walking through Green-Wood Cemetery – a National Historic Landmark and the final resting place of many famous New Yorkers. The cemetery was built in 1838 and there is something so beautiful …
Read MoreAugust 22, 2013
…read the time from the sidewalk
I spent my first year in New York looking down at the pavement – either trying to figure out where I was going or avoiding making eye contact with the letches. Now I spend half my time looking up, marvelling at New York’s beautiful buildings. But down in the financial district, they don’t have this …
Read MoreAugust 21, 2013
…explored a Masonic Lodge
I’ve had a pretty horrible sick day, so I wanted to do something close to home. Bizarrely, just a few blocks north of my apartment is the Grand Lodge of the Freemasons, which is open to the public for tours. It seemed like a perfect, quiet activity to try. The tour is ongoing throughout the …
Read MoreAugust 19, 2013
…found a Picasso in Greenwich Village
So far this year, I’ve managed to track down some impressive works of hidden art – art which thousands of people no doubt walk past every day without knowing they’re so close. Today I found another piece I’d never realised was there before – although this one was a little easier to spot. After work, …
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 16, 2013
…drank cocktails in Montauk
Sorry for the delay on the blog posts this weekend – I’ve been on a Girls’ Trip. On Friday after work, Rachel, Meghan and I jumped on a train to the quintessential New York City vacation destination: Montauk. While I’ve never been before, I’ve been hearing about the Hamptons and nearby Montauk ever since I moved …
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 13, 2013
…saw sculptures made from Lego
After work, I headed to the Discovery museum at Times Square with Dave – the biggest Lego geek I’ve ever met – for an art exhibit of works made entirely from the teeny plastic bricks. The Art of the Brick is showcasing the handiwork of Nathan Sawaya until next year. Sawaya is a New York-based artist and famed …
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 …
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