Even though moving apartments is always a pain, I love it because you get to snoop around other people’s houses. So when I learned there was a city-wide event this weekend where you could do exactly that without having to feign interest in moving in, I was very keen. Open House New York has been …
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October 11, 2013
…survived the Shake Shack queue
Earlier this week when I was in Madison Square Park, I saw a familiar sight – scores of people queuing for Shake Shack, a burger bar in the center of the park. And it’s the best advertising, because I assumed I was missing something. No wonder lots of modern restaurants and retailers are moving towards …
Read MoreOctober 11, 2013
…visited the Mosaic House
If there’s one thing I really love about New York, it’s that it welcomes and celebrates peoples’ quirks and differences. You see everything here. And over in Boerum Hill, this even extends to homes. On Wyckoff Street, just off the Bergen Street subway stop, all of the properties are neat brown-faced buildings. All but one …
Read MoreOctober 10, 2013
…ate Carvel
Every now and then I get a reminder that my American friends and I did childhood very differently. Few know who Count Duckula is or the honor that comes with owning a Blue Peter badge, and none understand the joys of a Caramac bar. And it seems I missed out on traditions too; after they …
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 MoreOctober 6, 2013
…went to the Havemeyer Sugar Sweets Festival
I had asked friends to come to the Fourth Havemeyer Sugar Sweets Festival with me today but they backed out. I was not only left confounded as to why anyone wouldn’t want to go to a giant bake sale, I was also left not really wanting to go myself. But this is where the power …
Read MoreSeptember 25, 2013
…found the city’s last gas lamp
After work, I scuttled a few blocks north to a tiny unassuming corner of Greenwich Village: Patchin Place. Like all the other quaint streets in this part of the city, there are gorgeous red bricks, snug coffee shops and rubbish-free sidewalks. But it also has something no other street here has: A gaslight lamp. The …
Read MoreSeptember 22, 2013
…visited the world’s largest kaleidoscope
For a small mountain town, Phoenicia has endless outdoor activities. Today, as well as trying some of these, Ryan and I decided to visit one of its top indoor experiences too: The world’s largest kaleidoscope. Yes, this sounds a bit bizarre – and I had no idea how good it was going to be. The 60-ft Kaatskill …
Read MoreSeptember 18, 2013
…visited the waterfall at Greenacre Park
I wore tights for the first time this week and switched to hot coffees. Autumn appears to be winning. This means I need to cram in as many outdoor new experiences, activities and visits as I can – sharpish. So tonight I took advantage of New York’s great outdoors – by visiting a city center waterfall. After work I …
Read MoreSeptember 17, 2013
…traveled to a ghost subway stop
The subway platform for the 6 train at City Hall used to be one of the most opulent in the transit system’s underground maze. The station, which opened in 1904, was dripping with chandeliers and decked with colored tiles – and some of Manhattan’s richest residents would venture to its vaults after dinner just for …
Read MoreSeptember 14, 2013
…identified trees in Carroll Gardens
New York City isn’t all skyscrapers, office blocks and coffee shops – believe it or not, there are actually a few trees here. But before today, I rarely looked at them – and definitely had no idea what they were. This morning, Hillary and I headed to Carroll Gardens in Brooklyn to wander the beautiful …
Read MoreSeptember 12, 2013
…ate spaghetti ice cream
A few days ago, I spotted something bouncing around on Twitter: Spaghetti ice cream. Yes, I double took too. What exactly did it mean? Spaghetti with a dollop of ice cream? Ice cream flavored like spaghetti? In fact, it’s something far more delicious: Ice cream piped to look just like your favourite Italian dish. Ryan …
Read MoreSeptember 10, 2013
…square danced in Bryant Park
After work today, I was tired and just wanted to go home. But Ryan and I had made plans to go square dancing for my new thing, so I dragged myself to Bryant Park and screamed, ‘I hate todaysthedayi!‘ when I met him. Thankfully, it turns out that square dancing is the best remedy for …
Read MoreSeptember 8, 2013
…visited the Museum of Sex
It’s been a bit of a hedonistic weekend – a gluttonous picnic, gorging myself at the Vendys and a fair few beers last night – so this afternoon I decided to continue the theme with a trip to the Museum of Sex. I had expected the museum, which is at Madison Square Park, to cover …
Read MoreSeptember 8, 2013
…gorged at the Vendys
Food trucks are an integral part of the New York foodie landscape but I’ve not visited one since the start of this blog. Today I more than made up for lost time with a crash course in the city’s best food trucks – at the annual Vendy Awards. The Vendy Awards showcase around 25 of …
Read MoreSeptember 1, 2013
…played stoolball
These days, my friends from Sussex live all over the place. One of my best school friends, Will, has to be the farthest away in Hong Kong. But ridiculous luck would have it that we were both here this weekend and both had a couple of free hours this afternoon. So I joined him and his …
Read MoreAugust 30, 2013
…had afternoon tea at a manor house
I’ve made it safely back to the UK and nothing says home quite like a good cuppa and a cream scone. So a few hours after landing, I headed to Gravetye Manor for some afternoon tea. Yes, once again I’ve left New York – but today was another example of finally appreciating things right on …
Read MoreAugust 29, 2013
…visited the Hare Krishna tree
Today I head to the UK for another weekend dash, so I somehow had to squeeze in a new experience between work and airports. Last night, I waited for the clock to chime 12 and headed a few blocks to Tompkins Square Park. There, beneath the low-lit lamps and beside a dance troupe of surprisingly …
Read MoreAugust 24, 2013
…wandered through Green-Wood Cemetery
The weather has been gorgeous today and, as I was in South Slope in Brooklyn, I decided to make the most of it by walking through Green-Wood Cemetery – a National Historic Landmark and the final resting place of many famous New Yorkers. The cemetery was built in 1838 and there is something so beautiful …
Read MoreAugust 21, 2013
…explored a Masonic Lodge
I’ve had a pretty horrible sick day, so I wanted to do something close to home. Bizarrely, just a few blocks north of my apartment is the Grand Lodge of the Freemasons, which is open to the public for tours. It seemed like a perfect, quiet activity to try. The tour is ongoing throughout the …
Read MoreAugust 18, 2013
…climbed the Montauk lighthouse
I know many of the visitors in Montauk are here for the beaches and bars, but thankfully there are still plenty of places to check out for geeky tourists like me. So while Meghan and Rachel were snoozing off their hangovers at the beach, I headed for the very tip of the island to have a …
Read MoreAugust 13, 2013
…saw sculptures made from Lego
After work, I headed to the Discovery museum at Times Square with Dave – the biggest Lego geek I’ve ever met – for an art exhibit of works made entirely from the teeny plastic bricks. The Art of the Brick is showcasing the handiwork of Nathan Sawaya until next year. Sawaya is a New York-based artist and famed …
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 28, 2013
…watched a pogo stick competition (and witnessed a proposal)
When I went to the air guitar competition a couple of months ago, most of the intrigue was learning that it was an actual thing. And today as I went to the annual world championship of extreme pogo, I had exactly the same feeling. I’m sure I wasn’t alone in learning that there are actual …
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