Menu

Category / Winter Activities

December 4, 2016

…stayed in a tiny house

Part of me laughs when New Yorkers lust after tiny houses (we already live in tiny houses), but another, larger part of me gets it. I get the desire to be snug, surrounded by the wilderness or mountains. I get wanting to scale back to only what you need. The sleekness, the simplifying. Getaway is …

Read More
April 2, 2016

1 Second Every Day

It’s been a while! I’ve wanted to get back to blogging for many months but, with long work weeks, it hasn’t been easy. But! I now have a very simple way to show you what I’ve been upto in New York (and beyond) for the past year. Between February 2015 and February 2016, I recorded a second of video …

Read More
May 17, 2015

…got tipsy on a cocktail tour of the East Village

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 More
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 More
March 10, 2015

…visited the United Nations HQ

Being British, I have two deeply ingrained traits: 1) I will never complain if someone puts me out. And 2) I am a firm believer in queues being properly maintained. But last week, as I lined up to enter the United Nations for a tour, there was a clash. An old woman who had been muttering …

Read More
March 6, 2015

…toured New York’s top movie sites

Give me a decent science museum or a must-see art exhibit and I’m all for it, but I usually draw the line at super touristy activities (well, if you ignore this). That all changed last weekend when I had the joy – yes, joy – of being a tourist in my own city. On Location Tours …

Read More
March 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 More
February 19, 2015

…saw fancy shoes at the Brooklyn Museum

Call me a geek, but if you have a few hours free on a drizzly afternoon, the best place to spend them – apart from the pub – is a museum. Last weekend, I spotted the first flakes of yet another snowfall and took the chance to finally check out the Brooklyn Museum. And ooooh, …

Read More
January 26, 2015

…traveled back in time at the NY Transit Museum

The subway system seems an incomprehensible feat to me. How on earth did they dig so many tracks, so far down, so quickly? And in 1900?! The idea is baffling. So this weekend, I headed to the MTA’s Transit Museum to try to figure it out. (And to check off something from my ’30 Before 30′ list!) Appropriately, the …

Read More
January 19, 2015

…couldn’t Escape the Room

Ryan and I like to think we’re pretty smart. But if this blog has taught me one thing, it’s that that’s not actually the case. Remember when we went to a Murder Mystery certain that we’d crack it within minutes – but then left early because we had no idea what was going on? Well, …

Read More
December 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 More
December 19, 2014

How to do good this Christmas in NYC

I try to be generous throughout the year, but there’s no denying a particular urge to do good around Christmas time. And for you scrooges out there who don’t care about festive cheer, just think of the tax deductions… Christmas is creeping up on us, but there are still plenty of ways to do good in …

Read More
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 …

Read More
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 …

Read More
December 8, 2014

The best festive activities in NYC

I love Christmas. The whiff of Christmas tree stands, the promise of so many cookies, Love Actually on repeat. It can never come too soon in my opinion. So what should you be looking out for this year? Here are my tried and tested favorites from years past: 1 :: The Botanical Garden’s Holiday Train Show, where every …

Read More
November 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 More
January 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 More
January 1, 2014

…started off the New Year with a bang at Prospect Park

New Year’s Eve can be rubbish can’t it? The first year I got here, I paid $100 to get into a creepy club with sticky floors, lecherous men and no way of getting to the bar. I vowed never to do it again. This year I also had to factor in a 7 a.m. shift …

Read More
December 31, 2013

…watched the ball rise

Tonight after work I scuttled up to Bryant Park after spotting that its regular juggling class was still going ahead, despite looming New Year celebrations. But when I got there – there wasn’t a bean bag in sight. Gaah. Wandering around the park at a loss for what to do, I spied a crowd gathering …

Read More
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 More
December 14, 2013

…went to a Christmas carol event – for dogs

You know what? I’ve been seriously selfish this holiday season. The whole time I’ve been thinking about how best to get myself in the Christmas spirit, and I’ve failed to make sure Georgia gets the same treatment. Georgia is Ryan’s eight-year-old Shepherd-mix – and she is such a beauty. I’m sure Ryan is well aware …

Read More
December 12, 2013

…visited the Christmas window displays

While New York lacks some of my favorite Christmas traditions, it also has many of its own. Tonight I went to check out department store holiday window displays and, correct me if I’m wrong, but I’ve never seen such an elaborate or thoughtful equivalent over in the UK. The windows are so cute, creative and …

Read More
December 9, 2013

…saw the Rockefeller Christmas Tree

Tonight I headed to the city’s most iconic Christmas landmark: The Rockefeller Christmas Tree. Ever since 1933, the 100-ft tree has lit up the base of the Rock in Midtown and now it towers over flitting ice skaters and swarms of aimless tourists. Its lights were switched on last week and today was my first …

Read More