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 MoreTag / New York
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 MoreDecember 15, 2014
…shared my NYC tips with HotelClub
It’s been a busy couple of years. In fact, I’m just shy of completing 500 new experiences in New York since the start of 2013! During that time, I’ve also been sat in an office for 55 hours a week, so I hope it proves you can make the most of your city even if you’re …
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 MoreDecember 6, 2014
…had afternoon tea at the Russian Tea Room
Whenever I go back to England, I somehow always manage to squeeze in an afternoon tea – even if I’m just back for a weekend. And while England would seem the place to do it, there is a little gem of a location here in New York to satisfy my cravings too – although it’s definitely not …
Read MoreDecember 3, 2014
…visited the 9/11 Museum
I was in a year-nine drama class in England when the Twin Towers fell. I remember Mr Caldicott sitting us in a circle and trying to explain what had happened 4,000 miles away. But I didn’t understand. I didn’t even know what the words ‘World Trade Center’ meant. Today, my reaction is very different. Having lived here for …
Read MoreNovember 30, 2014
Things I’ve loved about New York this week
A late Sunday night edition of ‘Things I’ve loved about New York this week’! 1 :: Of course, there was… Thanksgiving! Yes, I was in the office but thankfully I made it to Ryan’s brother’s house without missing a single bite of deliciousness. You Americans don’t do roast dinners like us Brits (see ya Rosemary roast …
Read MoreNovember 27, 2014
10 places I’m thankful for in New York
Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you’re enjoying a calorific dinner with loved ones – or if you’re in the UK, I hope you’re enjoying your Thursday. Sadly, I’m in the office until 5pm. When I reached Astor Place this morning, it was a ghost town. But while I might grumble about working holidays and starting at …
Read MoreNovember 26, 2014
…visited Matisse’s cutouts (and survived being in Midtown at the weekend)
The week I started this blog, I flew across the country to the furthest, greenest corner to visit a university friend, Jane. She lives on San Juan Island, which is off the coast of Washington state and is so far north that its residents can see Canada. After reaching the island by a teeny six-seater plane, I …
Read MoreNovember 12, 2014
…dosey doed at a barn dance
Some parts of this country remain completely alien to me. The way you write the date? Weird. American supermarkets? I’ll never understand them. That plastic neon yellow stuff you put on burgers and claim is ‘cheese’? No thanks. So every now and then it’s nice to get a little taste of home. Enter… the barn dance. …
Read MoreNovember 9, 2014
Things I’ve loved about New York this week
Oops, I’ve neglected these lists for a while, but they’re back! Here are just some of the small but lovely things that I’ve appreciated in the city this week. 1. The final glimpses of creative pumpkins. I spotted this one in Brooklyn Heights. 2:: The best new lunch spot I have found in a long …
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 MoreOctober 31, 2014
Lydia’s List: Here’s how to get in the Halloween spirit in NYC
Happy Halloween! The UK doesn’t do Halloween the same way Americans do – I think I dressed in a black t-shirt and bobbed for apples once as a child – so every year I’m still amazed by just how much people over here get into it. Right now, for example, my whole street in Brooklyn is …
Read MoreOctober 27, 2014
…went to Tom Fruin’s house
This waterfront home – with unobstructed views of the Manhattan skyline and some very colorful decor – is the hottest property in NYC right now. You can’t actually live there (and not just because you can’t afford it), but you can visit – and you really, really should. The plexiglas house, ‘Kolonihavehus’, is the creation of Brooklyn-based …
Read MoreOctober 20, 2014
…fell in love with Waterford NY
Forget Chipotle and Days of Our Lives, my favorite thing about the U.S. is its sheer variety. I love Georgia for its cities frozen in time, Illinois for its glistening architecture, California for its deserts, Washington for its remote islands and Vermont for being the greenest place I have ever seen. And New York? New York offers everything …
Read MoreOctober 17, 2014
…was underwhelmed by Magnolia Bakery
Cronuts and macaroons may now rule the treats here in New York, but once upon a time, the cupcake was king. Leading the way was Magnolia Bakery, which first started whipping up cupcakes from leftover batter at its Bleecker Street store in the 1990s, sparking the mania. Two decades on, even though the cupcake craze may be crumbling, Magnolia seems to be …
Read MoreOctober 16, 2014
…popped by Carrie Bradshaw’s
These days you’ll find me binge watching Gilmore Girls Say Yes To The Dress CNN, but about ten years ago, it was all about Sex and the City. Yes, I know a good 70 per cent of the dialogue off by heart. A couple of years ago, some of my gal pals and I won a Sex …
Read MoreOctober 9, 2014
…walked the new section of the High Line
Whenever visitors ask what they should do in New York, my first answer is THE HIGH LINE. Every time. This salvaged railway line-turned-walkway starts in a beautiful part of the city, offers you views to Jersey and across the city, lets you in on a bit of history and entertains you with art and local snacks along the route. Oh, and it’s free. …
Read MoreOctober 8, 2014
…rode the Thunderbolt
All summer we’ve been complaining that it’s not hot enough. I even heard the dreaded ‘polar vortex’ mentioned a couple of months ago. But forget all that because the weather right now is perfect: crisp, sunny and dry. For one final summer adventure, Ryan, Charlotte and I decided to be big kids at the place big kids …
Read MoreOctober 7, 2014
…drank coffee at Central Perk
New York can be an intimidating sprawl when you’re new to town, so sometimes it’s nice to pop to a place that’s slightly more recognizable. My sister Charlotte is visiting from New Zealand and, while she isn’t scared by the size of the city, I still thought it would be good to visit an old, familiar favorite: …
Read MoreOctober 1, 2014
…visited Winston Churchill’s mum’s house
Not too far from my apartment is a site that has a place in British history. If you wander along Henry Street in Cobble Hill and stop at number 426, you’ll be looking at the birthplace of Jennie Jerome. While her name might not ring any bells, you might know her son: Winston Churchill. If you …
Read MoreSeptember 29, 2014
…petted animals at the Long Island Fair
An added bonus of going out with Ryan is that I’ve been able to visit Long Island – where he grew up – many, many times. When you can tear me away from our new(ish) neighborhood, going out there is one of my favorite weekend things to do. And this weekend? There was the countryside! animals! …
Read MoreSeptember 8, 2014
…cheered for the jousting at the Renaissance Faire
I’ve always said that some time apart from New York can do wonders for my relationship with her; I come back sane again. But this weekend, when I ventured out of the city, I’m not sure I came back all that okay in the head. Welcome to the Renaissance Faire. This annual spectacle is held at …
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