New York part 2 – the eating, drinking and shopping part
Finally. A moment to catch up on my recent trip to New York. As this was my very first trip to NYC (true!), it was all too short and sweet for me to really get stuck into the shopping side of things. Plus, I was on a mega budget, which kinda made things more interesting.
On the plus side, we were staying with our dear friends who have been living on the Lower East Side for the past two years, so they took us under their wings and fast-tracked us through some of the highlights. (Many thanks to T and L and apologies for breaking into the theme song from Welcome Back Kotter every time we crossed the Brooklyn Bridge. What can I say. I am a child of the '80s).
So most of my short five days in NYC were spent gawping up at skyscrapers, slipping and sliding over Central Park, and ticking off several masterpieces I'd always wanted to see at MoMA. And did I mention eating and drinking? We were in town over Christmas, afterall, which was made all the more interesting by the fact that I was the only meat-eater in a group of vegetarians. Only in America can you pull a ready-made stuffed Tofurkey meal-in-a-box out of the freezer on Christmas Day. (Although I was very happy with my Wholefoods turkey breast, ta very much.)
When I wasn't museum-hopping and ticking off every New York cliche in the book, I managed to scratch the surface of some of the gems this town has to offer. Here's what I got up to...
My best New York purchase was from Belle (the sister line of Sigerson Morrison) which had 75 per cent off all their flats, heels and boots. I picked up a pair of silver ballet flats with an amazing honeycomb slab detail for a super-bargainous price.
I also scoured the A.P.C sale in SoHo and dove straight into the racks of smock dresses with peter-pan collars, emerging half an hour later with the rather unhappy realisation that a grown woman approaching her mid-30s is waaay past the days where she can get away with wearing baby-girl style gear.
I also made a beeline for what Luxe New York City Guide describes as "Marc Jacobs’ unsigned cheapie accessories store" on Bleecker and picked up a very sweet rhinestone heart-shaped cocktail ring for $10 and a novelty Marc Jacobs lipstick pen for $1. (I do recommend getting hold of a Luxe City Guide for an excellent - and highly entertaining - guide to shopping in New York. They also suggest that you “forge your way past the lardy tourists lining up outside Magnolia Bakery” – haha!)
After discovering that the fantastic A.P.C.-style jacket L was wearing was actually from Forever 21 (America's answer to Primark), I begged to be taken there. Somehow I managed to pick up a $40 black boucle jacket that will look even better once I replace the cheap plastic buttons with some Chanel-esque versions.
Over in Brooklyn, I found a boutique called Sir which stocked a covetable range of silk and jersey dresses that are worn by the likes of Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams, and over the road at Jumelle I swooned over a line-up of emerging and high-profile designers including Mayle, Lyell and Alexander Wang.
Sir Brooklyn
I also stumbled across the Artists and Flea market in Williamsburg and found some cool printed tees by Gnome NYC, and a collection of vintage enamel animal brooches for $5 each by Blue Canary Vintage.
And if you’re into good indie record stores, check out Sound Fix for CDs as well as new and used vinyl. They also have regular free in-store shows, which are held in the lounge out the back (Los Campesinos is coming up, kids!).
Food-wise, I couldn’t go past the legendary Katz’s Delicatessen without trying their superb pastrami on rye, which is served with a sideplate piled high with pickles. Order at the counter and be sure to tip your carver. The vegetarians in the group opted for knishes, a Jewish potato snack, while I tried not to go all-touristy by pointing out the “I’ll have what she’s having” table from When Harry Met Sally.
For cocktails we went in search of The Back Room, a former ‘20s speakeasy with a dark and sexy vibe and sumptuous furnishings. After locating the secret entrance (just look for the toy shop sign with a bouncer standing next to it) we ordered cocktails that were served in teacups, Prohibition-style, whilst beer arrived on our table wrapped in brown paper bags.
The next day we had the most delicious brunch of macaroni cheese, baked eggs and granola with fresh fruit and yoghurt at Brown on the Lower East Side.
Macaroni cheese at Brown.
And if you fancy the idea of guacamole made and served fresh at your table, you might like to check out T and L’s local Mexican, Móle. The chocolate mole sauce is also well worth trying, as it’s a traditional recipe which is flown direct from the family home in Mexico.
Address book:
Marc Jacobs accessories store
385 Bleecker Street
New York
Tel. 212 924 6126
Belle
242 Mott Street
New York
Tel. 212 941 5404
A.P.C.
131 Mercer St
New York (near Prince St)
Tel. 212 966 9685
Sir
360 Atlantic Ave
Brooklyn
718 643 6877
Jumelle
148 Bedford Avenue
Brooklyn NY 11211
Tel. 718 388 9525
Artists and Fleas Indoor Market
129 North 6th St
Between Bedford and Berry
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Every Sat and Sun 12-7pm
Sound Fix
110 Bedford Ave (at N 11 St)
Brooklyn, New York
Katz’s Delicatessen
205 E.Houston St
New York
Tel. 212 674 3270
The Back Room
102 Norfolk St (Delancey)
New York
Tel. 212 228 0027
Brown café
61 Hester Street
New York
Tel. 212 529 3690
Mole
205 Allen Street (E.Houston)
New York
Tel. 212 777 3200
