Waking up when it’s still dark in the week means that I’m usually stirring far before a socially acceptable time at the weekends too. And as soon as I do, what am I thinking about? You got it. Brunch. Unfortunately, not too many places are open that early for brunch, but thankfully Korzo, which is …
Read MoreTag / Bar
April 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 31, 2014
…toured the Brooklyn Brewery
Of course, the first time in weeks that I have visitors, it rains. All weekend. Thankfully, the Brooklyn Brewery gave us a delicious indoor alternative to checking out the sites. Kate (who has her own very amazing blog here) and Darius had popped up from Washington D.C. for a couple of days and I was glad to hear that Darius …
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 …
Read MoreJanuary 16, 2014
…fronted a rock band
When I was 11, my sister Charlotte, our friend Lara and I started a pretty great band. While it didn’t have a name, it did have an interesting sound: Charlotte on the drums, me on the keys and Lara on the violin. We penned a surprisingly dark song for our tender years and set our …
Read MoreNovember 19, 2013
…sipped cocktails at Grand Central’s hidden bar
Grand Central station has a lot of secrets – from the ‘whispering gallery’ to its little-known tennis courts. And tonight I went to another: the 1920s bar tucked above the terminal. The Campbell Apartment is gorgeous – all carved wooden ceilings, deep maroons and dapper bartenders with perfectly styled mustaches. It once belonged to John C. …
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 MoreOctober 24, 2013
…went to a literary night
All year I’ve seen literary readings – prose and poetry – popping up on events calendars but it has taken me 10-and-a-half months to go to one. And this was definitely a great pick as my friend Jim was reading some of his work – and it was cracking. I headed to No. 8, a …
Read MoreOctober 21, 2013
…drank at McSorley’s – New York’s oldest Irish tavern
As a Brit who’s also enjoyed a beer or two in Ireland, I’d like to think I know a real pub when I see one. A lot of bars here in New York claim to be Irish but I’ve never seen any half as authentic as McSorley’s – the city’s first Irish tavern. This East …
Read MoreOctober 18, 2013
…raised a glass to Cider Week
Fridays usually mean a bevvy or five – but this week there was an excuse: The start of Cider Week 2013. The 10-day festival features talks, tastings and classes at around 50 different pubs, bars and markets across the city – and tonight was the kickoff event: The night market at Union Square. Ryan and …
Read MoreOctober 7, 2013
…was the queen of King Pong
The title of this post is a little deceptive. I did play table tennis at King Pong, but I still need a bit of practice before I rule. After work, Ryan and I headed to SoHo for an hour-long game at the ping pong club and it looked pretty serious when we got there – …
Read MoreSeptember 20, 2013
…drank local wine in Phoenicia
I love the city, but I’m also not adverse to escaping every now and then for more greenery and less hubbub. And it’s easy; there are just so many places just a few hours away upstate that offer this respite. So after work today, Ryan and I hopped in the car and headed to Phoenicia, a teeny …
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 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 25, 2013
…went to a Russian speakeasy
Speakeasies may be hard to find, but secrecy is exactly what they thrive on. Thankfully tonight I tracked down one of SoHo’s hidden gems – a Russian vodka bar. I’ve been to a few speakeasies since I’ve been here, but none have given me quite the same surprise as when Helen and I walked into …
Read MoreJuly 23, 2013
…went to a jazz club
Tonight Ryan and I headed to Smalls, a tiny basement jazz club in the West Village. Shamefully, this is the first jazz club I’ve been to since moving to the city. The place was intimate – low lighting, rows of chairs pushed right up to the stage and a charming, shabby bar that made it hard …
Read MoreJuly 6, 2013
…went to the beach in Manhattan
Some of my friends have suggested day trips to Rockaway Beach, while others have said Sandy Hook, New Jersey is the place to take a dip in the sea. Today I realised that I didn’t need to go that far to feel the sand between my toes – because there’s a beach right here in Manhattan. …
Read MoreJune 26, 2013
…drank a Manhattan overlooking Manhattan
I have a pretty sore head this morning, but last night I think I went to a leaving party for my news editor, Danny. We all headed to the Jimmy, a gorgeous rooftop bar above The James New York hotel in SoHo. As well as serving up copious amounts of alcohol and teeny tiny snacks, …
Read MoreJune 5, 2013
…rocked out at an air guitar competition (and met the U.S. champion)
At the zombie parade on Sunday, I bumped into my friend Darla, who suggested I go to something even more bizarre this week: An air guitar competition. Yes. This actually exists. So tonight Jeff and I headed to St. Vitus, a dingy, divey metal bar on the northern tip of Greenpoint, to meet Darla for …
Read MoreMay 9, 2013
…rode a mechanical bull
I’ve drunk far too many frozen Margaritas to make sense at this point. Or maybe it’s concussion – because tonight I rode a mechanical bull. With a group of work friends, I headed to Johnny Utah’s – a grimy Midtown spot famous for its bull – and eventually convinced two of the others, James and …
Read MoreApril 15, 2013
…paid my respects to Boston at a Red Sox bar
Today has been a tough one. The Boston bombings are horrifying. They’ve shaken me like I’ve not been shaken while working on a story before. As I watched the tragedy unfold, I grew fearful for my friends running the marathon. And at work, I had the job of scrolling through graphic image after graphic image in our picture system, swiftly …
Read MoreMarch 5, 2013
…went to a listening party
Hear hear, who knows what a listening party is? Well, tonight I found out. You sit in a bar, drink far too many cocktails and celebrate new music. In this case – Dylan’s. Okay, okay, so this ‘new thing’ feels like I’m cheating a little bit. But I’d never been to a listening party before. Dylan (under the guise of Swampboots) is …
Read MoreFebruary 6, 2013
…rocked out at Bowery Electric
Tonight I battled the cold to walk a few blocks north to Bowery Electric, where I thawed out to a couple of sets in the Map Room. It’s the first time I’ve been to the venue, which is owned by Jesse Malin and Johnny T, and is was reportedly a favourite haunt of Drew Barrymore …
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