Last time I had a dinner date with Katia, we went to Africa. The time before that, it was Malaysia. And tonight we decided to pop a little further north to Turkey. We met at Peri Ela, a skinny slice of a restaurant in the Upper East Side. As a vegetarian whose only knowledge of …
Read MoreTag / Manhattan
July 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 22, 2013
…played drag bingo
I have been a bingo fan for years. When I was at St Andrews, us girls would get dressed up and head to a bingo hall on the outskirts of Dundee for a night of laughing, losing and lashing on wine from plastic glasses. If you check out this review, you will see just how …
Read MoreJuly 17, 2013
…watched a free concert in Bryant Park
So far I think I’ve made the most of the city’s best-known parks, from Central to Prospect and Tompkins Square. But one I’ve entirely overlooked is Bryant Park. The reason for this could be because it’s in Midtown. I hate Midtown. The sidewalks are swarming and the heat right now means the whole place reeks of …
Read MoreJuly 16, 2013
…feasted at Chelsea Market
When I went to Seattle at the beginning of the year, Pike Place Market entertained me for hours. I tasted samples, grimaced at googly-eyed fish, admired teeny tiny cakes and enjoyed rustic slabs of pie. It was an indulgent, leisurely treat – one I’ve also had in London, Philadelphia and Boston. And yet, the whole …
Read MoreJuly 15, 2013
…played mini golf beneath Freedom Tower
A couple of months ago I smacked some golf balls at the driving ranges at Chelsea Piers, and tonight I attempted to complete my game by perfecting my putt at Manhattan’s mini golf course. The greens, which are at Pier 25 in Tribeca, overlook the Hudson River and New Jersey as the One World Trade …
Read MoreJuly 11, 2013
…tasted bubble tea from Chinatown
My lunch jaunts can get pretty repetitive, so today I decided to shake it up – and headed to Chinatown for a cup of bubble tea: A mysterious – but popular – drink with black balls bobbing around the bottom. Before I went, I had to check the stuff was vegetarian. I was suspicious that …
Read MoreJuly 10, 2013
…took a fencing class
Quite often when I do my new things, the experience turns out very different from the one I expected. Like how normal I found all the girls at The Bachelorette audition, or how I left an air guitar competition convinced it was a serious sport. And tonight my reaction felt more extreme than the others. …
Read MoreJuly 8, 2013
…marvelled at a reading in Brooklyn Bridge Park
Tonight I hopped on the F train to Dumbo for a reading in Brooklyn Bridge Park. I expected to listen to some sedate paragraphs while lolling about in the grass but I got much, much more – a spectacular view of Manhattan, a masterclass in animation and that ‘I love New York’ warmth. The reading …
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 MoreJuly 5, 2013
…sweated at Bikram yoga
As if enduring 90-degree heat (34C) outside wasn’t enough, I decided to sit in a room at temperatures of 105 (41C) tonight while attempting to contort in a number of painful, painful poses: Today’s the day I took on Bikram yoga. Before this blog, I used to take yoga classes sporadically, but I’d never been …
Read MoreJuly 4, 2013
…watched 4th July fireworks over the city
The U.S. has been very good to me. She’s introduced me to brilliant people, given me some unforgettable experiences across 33 states and let me live in the best city in the world. So tonight – the 4th of July – I raised a beer (Bud, of course) to say thanks. Obviously I heard a fair …
Read MoreJuly 1, 2013
…ate poutine for Canada Day
Today is Canada Day. But trying to find a Canadian-themed place in New York is like trying to find a Welsh bar in London. For a city that has restaurants and supermarkets for every nation possible, it’s bizarre that New York seems to have entirely ignored its nearest neighbour. I could hardly track anything down …
Read MoreJuly 1, 2013
…had Pride in NYC
Being in the U.S. this week to see the historic moment that DOMA was thrown out by the Supreme Court (opening the door for same-sex couples to receive equal benefits as straight married couples) was so exciting. And this weekend, there has been a chance to celebrate it: Pride. During the Pride March last year, my …
Read MoreJune 28, 2013
…took a dip in the Washington Square Park fountain
I’ve had a pretty stressful day and needed to unwind on the walk home. As I scuttled from SoHo to the East Village, I spotted that the Washington Square Park fountain has been switched on for the summer. Last year, I’d look on jealously as children waded through the water. Today I decided I should …
Read MoreJune 27, 2013
…won at the Chinatown Arcade
Yesterday I learned I’m pretty bad at life drawing. But it’s okay, because I’ve found my calling: Arcade games. Tonight Ryan and I hid from the rain in the Chinatown Fair, which is crammed full with games from air hockey to skee ball, street fighter to punching bags. When I watched Before Midnight a couple …
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 24, 2013
…danced on a xylophone
A couple of weeks ago when I headed to Battery Park for Memorial Day, I spied a human-sized xylophone on the ground – nine massive bronze steps to jump on and make music. Today I headed back, envisioning a ‘Big’ keyboard scene for myself. Of course it wasn’t that simple. But as I hopped across …
Read MoreJune 23, 2013
…kayaked on the Hudson
It’s summer! So today Ryan and I headed to the Hudson to kayak – and to get some pretty horrendous sunburn. The kayaking is held at various points along the Hudson – and although it’s free, there was not a queue in sight. Of course, don’t do what I do, which was dress for winter. …
Read MoreJune 20, 2013
…auditioned for The Bachelorette
Guys, I’m single and I’m in New York (which I’m realising is a pretty horrifying place to date). There’s only one thing for it. I need to go on The Bachelorette. Okay, this isn’t very true and I’ve never actually watched an episode. But there were open auditions at ABC’s studios in Midtown tonight, so …
Read MoreJune 18, 2013
…cried with laughter at the Blue Man Group
I’ve been feeling a little anxious these past couple of days, so today I had a screw it! moment, whipped out my credit card and took myself to see the Blue Man Group in an effort to get out of the rut. I can’t remember quite why I opted for the show. My limited knowledge of the BMG …
Read MoreJune 16, 2013
…ate dinner at the cinema
This evening, I met my friend Dave at the Nitehawk cinema in Williamsburg. The venue is famous for its midnight showings of classics and also its original take on cinema snacks – you can order and eat dinner while you watch. So it seemed like a perfect Sunday activity sheltering from the threatened rain. We …
Read MoreJune 14, 2013
…finally went to 16 Handles
When I’ve told people I’ve never been to 16 Handles before, they’ve recoiled in horror and distrust. Today I finally decided to visit this New York Institution… mostly because I am still a little sore from last night’s festivities and could not muster myself to do anything else. For the uninitiated, 16 Handles is a …
Read MoreJune 13, 2013
…partied with Macaulay Culkin
Last night, Jeff, Ryan and I went to Le Poisson Rouge in Greenwich Village where Macaulay Culkin – child-star-turned-heroin-addict-turned-artist – was DJing. The place was decorated like a birthday party: streamers, balloons, inflatable birthday cakes. The idea was seemingly plucked from the air; Culkin’s (free!) event is monthly and each time it’s themed differently. Last …
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