Thought I’d write a lil’ post for you guys to break up the monotony of all my career related posts. Although I do have a bunch of career/people advice to share, I don’t want all my topics to be super serious or about work all the time. I want to share other facets of my life with you too!

You ever go through the week and realize you have to stop and ask yourself what day it is? Honestly having a routine is what we need, but I get it – sometimes you just want a little spontaneity!

In other news, my trip to NYC is hopefully almost booked!! Behind Paris, it’s my favorite place to visit so far (I went twice because I couldn’t get enough!). I try to go once a year if I can. It’ll probably be chilly when we go this year, but I don’t care. The city is so electric and gives me this energy that I can’t seem to source in LA. Would love to live here for a year or two someday.

Something to know about me and something my fiance would attest to – I love exploring & I love walking around (I think we clocked on average 25,000 steps per day in Paris!). What can I say, I’m a city girl more than a relaxing on the beach girl.

Here are some random tips and my personal must-see list –

Chelsea, Meatpacking, Greenwich Village

1. Chelsea Market – this has become a tourist trap, but it’s not too bad if you come in the mornings.
2. • Ninth Street Espresso – it’s where I discovered the magic of oat milk. Try their oat milk latte & thank me later!
3. • Los Tacos No.1 – amazing tacos! If you’re a vegetarian, they have a cactus one that’s pretty interesting.
4. • Seafood Market – try their oysters and lobster rolls. Super fresh.
5. Shopping around the Chelsea/Meatpacking area – you’ll find cute boutique shops and your standard shops like Lululemon or Madewell (I find the inventory at this location to be better than the one in SoHo fyi!)
6. Highline – great place to take pictures and take in the view. You can even bring your lunch here and just people watch.

SoHo – great area to spend a few hours shopping and eating (last time I checked in 2017, no tax applied to any retail purchases $110 or less.)

1. Glossier – I know they just opened their LA location, but the past couple times I went they hadn’t yet so I loved going to their flagship store whenever I was in the city. If your city doesn’t have a local Glossier, go go! Even if you’re not interested in makeup/skincare, they let you try everything and to top it off it’s a very ‘grammable place :).
2. Designer stores – there’s no shortage of them as many high-end designers have a flagship store here.
3. Hypebeast stores – Supreme, Kith – expect a line though.

Williamsburg, Brooklyn

1. Meatball shop – I discovered they have a breakfast AND lunch/dinner menu! This is a must try if you are in NY. They have locations in the city (Manhattan) too, but we usually come to this one.
2. Smorgasburg – open every Saturday in Brooklyn and Sunday in Prospect Park. The view is beautiful in Brooklyn though. It’s right near the water and you get the most gorgeous view of the skyline (pictures don’t do it justice). Fun place to hang out; standard food fair type of vendors.
3. Catbird – amazing jewelry store and I’m so sad this is their only location. I make sure to visit this shop whenever I’m here. The girls are very helpful and you can try on as many as you’d like. Sidenote though – the shop is rather small so maybe try going at an off time.
4. DUMBO – this is where you see tourists & bloggers alike getting that iconic shot of the Manhattan Bridge (if you squint, you can even see the Empire State Building). It’s off of Washington and Water Street.

Other MVPs:

1. Madison Square Eats – an outdoor area with a bunch of food vendors in Union Square. Pretty fun, but obviously more ideal for warmer weather.
2. Bike Riding – highly, highly recommend!!! Central Park is an obvious place to go or you can go ride along the pier. You can rent the Citi bikes you see on almost every block.
3. Ballet – my childhood dream was to become a ballerina for the American Ballet Theater (ABT) and I know the movie Center Stage by heart. Fun fact about me – I was a ballet dancer for over 6 years! Go see a ballet if they’re in season. It’s completely worth it. Even my fiance who is not a ballet enthusiast admitted that it was amazing (totally not a snooze fest!).
4. Citymapper – TOTAL MVP of our trip. Download this app right now – you will not regret it. It is the best navigating tool to use while you’re in a city like Paris or NYC. It gives you very detailed instructions on which subway to take, where to exit, or even your nearest Citi Bike. YOU’RE WELCOME.
5. Shake Shack – several of these burger places have opened in LA, so it’s not so much a novelty anymore, but everyone should try it at least once. In-N-Out, 4 lyfe!
6. If I could pick anywhere to stay, I would choose a hotel in Union Square (W – Union Square is fantastic). It’s pretty central to everything and is in a decent area. Prices are definitely higher in this area, so I would recommend using your credit card points or sites like Hotwire. We are staying near Bryant Park this time around (which is closer to Midtown), so I’ll report back on how that goes.

Pro-Tip: This might be an unpopular opinion, but Times Square is really not worth going out of your way to check out. I mean you should probably go at least once, but the crowds of people there are enough of a reason for me to stay away (and by crowds, I mean CROWDS). We tried to go to Junior’s for cheesecake and the line was wrapped around the corner (and this is after you fight through the hoards of people to get there).

This is an ever-evolving list, so please let me know if they’re not on here. Honestly, I think there’s always something new to explore everytime I visit. You can probably spend a week here and still not get through everything. There are endless brunch spots, photo ops, and the thing I love most – free activities to choose from (Wendy’s Lookbook has a great post of things to do for free!). Best of all, you don’t have to drive (my Angelenos share my pain)!!

Again I’m sure this is not the most comprehensive list out there and this is simply what I enjoy doing. What’s your favorite thing to do or cities to visit?

Can’t wait to hear back!

xx