Wednesday, October 28, 2009

New York State of Mind

By Elizabeth Duncan

photo from manywallpapers.com

I’m super excited to be heading to New York for the weekend. I try to go several times a year to get my “fix” – my shopping, eating, nightlife fix that is. I visited NY regularly growing up, but it wasn’t until I lived there right after college that the city truly became a part of me. This weekend, I plan to spend some quality time with one of my best friends and cheer on another friend who is running the NY marathon, while squeezing as many minutes out of the day as possible eating, shopping and partying my way around the city. New York truly is the city that never sleeps, so it shouldn’t be too hard to do! Here are just a few of the things I’m looking forward to doing this weekend:

Eating
Whenever my parents would visit me in NY we would have brunch at Blue Water Grill. Now, it's a tradition I gladly uphold.  It never disappoints. The lobster bisque and the ginger and soy-lacquered sea bass are my usual, and as a bonus, there is always somebody famous there - I’ve had the pleasure of eating next to the likes of Dame Judi Dench and Uma Thurman.

When I’m in NY, I am always torn between going back to my favorite restaurants and trying some of the amazing new places that are constantly opening. With Fall weather upon us in earnest, I am looking forward to returning to one of my favorites.  Craft is just good food (plus, I have a huge foodie crush on Tom Colicchio) - perfectly cooked seasonal items, simply presented resulting in the most satisfying dining experience.  I highly recommend the lamb ravioli and beef short ribs!

photo from Craft

Shopping
I’ve never bought a single thing by Kate Spade, but recently I have been tagging pictures all over the blogosphere of her clothes, her ads and her own interior decor. I guess it just took me a while to appreciate her use of color and eclectic, yet clean pairings.  I can't wait to be inspired at her flagship store.


photo from Kate Spade

Takashimaya is a Japanese department store that I love to browse through. They always have the most interesting and unique fashion and home accents.

Now that I'm inspired, I'm ready to spend.  I actually do my best shopping at the budget-friendly trendy shops like TopShop, H&M, Mango and Zara. 

Drinks
My favorite neighborhood place for drinks is ñ (33 Crosby St., no website) in SoHo. It’s the size of a closet, but the low-key vibe and fantastic sangria are perfect for tucking into a corner and catching up with friends.


photo via Yelp

As the night progresses, I love 60 Thompson for sophisticated drinks and stellar tunes.


photo from 60 Thompson

As the wee hours approach, it’s usually time for late-night drinks and dancing somewhere fabulous in the Meatpacking District (which I rely on my NY friends to lead me to as I have no clue).

I hope you have a great weekend wherever you will be!!

1 comment:

  1. I love NY! Yeah, both my sibs live there. My sister used to live in Lower East Side, but now she's across the river in Brooklyn. You ever give Brooklyn a whirl? Some good eats to be had there, and I reckon some good cocktail spots as well. yeah, hope to make it there in 2010. Would love to hear the recap of your weekend!

    Wonder how Halloween is in NYC. It was nuts this year in SF. Bay Bridge was down for repairs so BART was running all-night service. What a zoo that was! Trains at 3am were PACKED more than even high commute hours...with everyone in costume!

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