Every time I get the chance to leave LA, I try to do something new & exciting that I can share on here. Last month I visited New York City, one of my favorite places, for work (and a little leisure too ). The first time I visited the city, when I was 18 (and alone), I fell in love with it and knew I would live there some day. Despite visiting 3 times, I’ve never really posted much on my blog, so this go around, I thought I’d play around with a video.
I’ve always wanted to do travel videos & content, but never thought that I was “good” at it. But, I was inspired by the thought of a postcard- which I try to buy whenever I go to a new place, as it’s a simple memory in souvenir form. So, I wanted to make a postcard in video format- which I hope you enjoy!
The best way to start any day ☕️✨
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If you’re looking for a great breakfast, try Sarahbeth’s– I mainly went there because I had been there before and it was in my proximity. I forgot how expensive it can be, but the food is good! And, their homemade jelly is to die for.
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I don’t like to do too many touristy things (especially because I’ve already done most of them before), but I had never gone to the Top of The Rock & think it’s definitely worth the $32 admission. The photos I took there are some of my favorites! I bet it would be great at golden hour & at night too…I’d recommend going here instead of to the Empire State Building because here you get a view of it…along with Central park, etc.
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While I was staying in Brooklyn, I tried The Juice Shop and thought it was really good. Their açai bowls are great and I thought my juice & ginger shot were great too. I was sick at the time, so I thought that the ginger would help me out. I think I need a juicer attachment for my KitchenAid, because those juices really add up.
Flatiron was fun to walk around on a rainy day. Do a little shopping (I recommend Flying Tiger), check out Madison Square Park (where you can grab a burger at Shake Shack if you’ve never tried), etc.
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Speaking of shopping, H&M in Herald Square is a must because of the home section. I coincidentally did the same thing in Toronto, and you’re probably as surprised as I am that there is no H&M Home in Los Angeles. I picked up a few gold things, but if I would have had the time to ship things home, I would have wound up with new pillows, a new shower curtain and bath mats, etc. Looking for volunteers to get me all that…
Deconstructed latte at @coffeeprojectny ☕️
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I had a bevy of coffee shops I wanted to try, but I only wound up visiting one (that wasn’t even on my list but should have been). So, I guess I’ll just have to go back. But, Coffee Project New York was definitely worth the visit. Home of the deconstructed latte & nitro flight- they put a new twist to classic drinks. My roommate Lucy and I tried the Deconstructed Latte- it was a very interesting process- I liked it. It’s $7 for it, but it is basically like getting 2 lattes. It’s all about the *experience*, you know?
While we were in Soho, we made a trip to the Bite Beauty Lip Lab, which I’ll probably do a separate post on, because I’m realizing I haven’t posted anything on instagram about it yet. But, you can see the entire process in my video. We had a great time- we wish it was more hands on, but it makes sense that you aren’t really allowed to do anything yourself because that can lead to contamination issues. It’s a tiny place, and I would recommend reservations, but you can totally just walk in if it isn’t a crazy time of day.
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If you have the time, go to the MOMA to see Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh. I had the change to see a few Van Goghs in Paris 2 years ago, but Starry Night was my favorite as a kid so I had to go. The entire museum is great, and it doesn’t take too long to get through at all, so you can easily do it in a short trip. If you’re a student, bring your ID for free admission!
We stayed in an Airbnb the latter half of our trip, in West Village, walking distance to Washington Square Park. It was nice to walk around that area. If you’re in the area, check out Pink Olive for cute stationery and gifts.
This cheese will basically make you lactose intolerant @lucygraham @raclettenyc @thisisinsider
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After seeing INSIDER post a video of this insane cheese on Facebook, Lucy and I were kinda hell-bent on visiting Raclette. I think it’s worth trying, but it’s a strange experience. Raclette isn’t a great smelling cheese, so the restaurant kinda reeked. The meal itself was great, but during eating we were pointed to this article that basically says you shouldn’t drink water with it (which we were doing the whole time) because you will essentially give birth to a cheese ball. So, if you’re even slightly sensitive to cheese I would not recommend it. I liked it and didn’t have any terrible after-effects aside from a small stomach ache thankfully.
Day drinking on a day off in the city
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Before heading to the High Line & Chelsea Market, we did some day drinking at Dos Caminos. I think I’ve been to another location on one of my last trips, but I honestly don’t remember. The prickly pear frozen margaritas were hella strong (especially as someone who isn’t big on tequila), but the guacamole & salsas were great. We didn’t have a full meal though, because we weren’t that hungry yet.
A quick walk around the High Line turned into a photoshoot, and basically I’m hiring Lucy now. The outfit was all Forever 21 Plus, which was cool, because they wound up reposting it on their instagram. We went at a good time, golden hour, so the photos turned out great.
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I like Chelsea Market because it reminds me of a classier Grand Central Market here in LA. It actually makes me want to make the trek downtown to go…I love an indoor market/food court because you can get a little bit of everything.
If you haven’t tried Momofuku Milk Bar Cereal Milk Ice Cream yet, you should. I didn’t like it this time as much as I did a few years back, but I’m chalking it up to the fact that I was extremely nauseous and sick that day, so nothing really tasted good (which really killed my foodie vibes).
Anyways, this is only really the tip of the iceberg, but I made a map of everywhere mentioned on video & in this blog because these make trip planning so much easier. Let me know if you wind up checking one of these places out because of me!
(Check out my Toronto Travel Blog if you’re experiencing a bit of wanderlust…)