When people come to town, I usually have a few tips for things they should do, but when Adam was visiting last week, his suggestion was far more creative than anything I might have come up with. He wanted to head to Korea Town to eat bugs. Silk worm lava, to be exact. Adam and …
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June 9, 2015
…saw New York City from One World Observatory
It’s here. For the first time in nearly 14 years, visitors can look over the city from a skyscraper in downtown Manhattan again. And not just any skyscraper – the tallest one in the entire Western Hemisphere. Finally, the One World Observatory is open – and of course, it’s incredible. I went on opening day about 10 days …
Read MoreJune 7, 2015
Things I’ve loved about New York this week
The sun is back and sanity has been restored! How was your weekend? Here are some of the things I’ve enjoyed in and around New York this week: 1 :: My first visit to a beach this year (well, if you forget a quick visit to one while in Florida in January). It was a …
Read MoreJune 2, 2015
…hopped on the Water Taxi
If the subways seem too hot and cabs seem too pricey, there’s a far breezier and cheaper way to get from Brooklyn to Manhattan: the water taxi. The New York Water Taxi has several routes but one of them – between Van Brunt Street in Red Hook, IKEA and Lower Manhattan – is completely free …
Read MoreMay 31, 2015
Things I’ve liked about New York this week
Well hello there, how was your week? Here are some of the highlights from mine: 1 :: Heading to the top of the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere! I visited the One World Observatory (at the top of that big shiny building pictured above) when it opened on Friday and it was incredible. (Blog post to …
Read MoreMay 28, 2015
Lydia’s List: My favorite city spots for iced coffee
This warm weather means I’ve finally made the switch to iced coffee. Yesss. Since last summer, I’ve moved offices to Astor Place, giving me the chance to discover a few new places. So I thought I’d share a few of my top spots with you – near Astor Place and beyond – and ask for your tips on where I should …
Read MoreMay 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 MoreMarch 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 MoreMarch 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 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 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 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 MoreDecember 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 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 MoreNovember 6, 2014
…walked over the world’s longest footbridge
New York has its iconic bridges (I’ve hopped over the Brooklyn Bridge, skipped over the Manhattan Bridge and taken my sweet ass time looking at art on the Williamsburg Bridge) but they were mere (meer?) preparation for this guy: This is ‘Walkway Over The Hudson’ – the longest elevated footbridge in the world. And it’s right here in …
Read MoreNovember 4, 2014
…visited Minnewaska State Park in time to see the leaves
The clocks have changed, the mercury has plunged and I’m back on the hot coffees. I think we’re nearing winter. Thankfully when I went upstate last weekend (yes, another escape from the city), the leaves were still holding on. I concluded that, without a doubt, my favorite season in New York is autumn – I’m …
Read MoreAugust 7, 2014
The best places to go near Carroll Gardens (according to a local)
Apart from the rows of trees, brownstones and ice cream shops, one of the best things about moving to Carroll Gardens is that we actually know people who live here. It means we can grab coffee with friends without too much notice – a novel idea in New York. Among those friends are J and Marie, two …
Read MoreJuly 22, 2014
…ate Dirt Candy
It’s been a gluttonous slog, but I’ve nearly worked my way through New York’s top vegetarian restaurants. Yet one has been left on the list for ages now: Dirt Candy. There’s a reason it’s been on my list – unvisited – for a while. It’s a nightmare to get a reservation. When I decided to look for a spot in …
Read MoreJuly 17, 2014
…visited the Doughnut Plant
Despite what my Instagram feed might suggest, I swear I’m not a doughnut addict. Well… not yet. Ryan and I bought a fresh batch from Baked In Brooklyn to share with his family last weekend – and although they were the first I’d had in years, they convinced me they’re all I should eat, ever. Yesterday, after a trying day, …
Read MoreJuly 7, 2014
…slurped a milkshake at Brooklyn’s soda fountain
I’ve loved living in the East Village – the coffee! the food! the transport! the very suspicious smells! – but I’ve decided to make the move to Brooklyn with Ryan. We both love Carroll Gardens (just look at how leafy it is!) so we’re hoping to nab a place there. But I’ve only been semi honest with Ryan about my …
Read MoreJune 3, 2014
…became an animator at the Museum of the Moving Image
Thanks to the Museum of the Moving Image, I can now add ‘animator’ and ‘voice actor’ to my resumé. It all began when I finally trekked there this weekend after months of meaning to go. And I was chuffed to see it’s a great interactive museum that also gives plenty of ‘ooh, I haven’t thought about that in …
Read MoreMay 19, 2014
Lydia’s List :: NYC’s best vegetarian spots
Over in the UK, National Vegetarian Week has kicked off. Perhaps someone can correct me, but as far as I can see, we don’t have an equivalent here. There’s a Veg Week in April, but no week set aside specifically to celebrate us bean curd lovers. So I thought I’d use the UK’s celebration as an excuse to …
Read MoreApril 24, 2014
…ate some English grub for St George’s Day
Growing up, I never felt particularly patriotic. I didn’t weep when David Beckham got us kicked out of the World Cup in 1998, and at university in Scotland, I learned that having an English accent wasn’t a point of pride. But since moving to New York, everything has changed. I am constantly telling Americans that they haven’t tasted …
Read MoreMarch 26, 2014
…ate far too much at the Mac & Cheeze Takedown
I love America for many reasons (its traditions, its really good food trucks, its men), but near the top of the list is its obsession with macaroni and cheese. And this weekend, I went to the king of all Mac & Cheese events – the Mac & Cheeze Takedown. The idea is simple: Home cooks apply for …
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