NYC catch up

Wow oh wow has has it been a month since I last wrote. In that month, I have been so incredibly busy and caught up in exploring nyc. So, as a little catch up post, I want to talk about my favorite, spots, food, shopping, and more that I've experienced since I last wrote!

I want to start of first with my internship overall. I know a lot of time nyc seem glorified or the "dream" but it genuinely has been such a great place to grow in my fashion journey because not only has this been such a great environment and experience internship/work wise, but I have also be able to see how everyone dresses in the playground of nyc and even experiment more with my own wardrobe. If there is one thing I recommend it's that if you REALLY REALLY wanna work in the fashion industry in any big city, spend some time in nyc really honing in on fashion and just seeing what the city has to offer. It's been so nice to be able to just walk out of my apartment and have access to so many different people, styles, outfits, stores, etc. to get inspo from. Whether this inspo is for a personal style or work, it truly is such a lively city and if your dream is fashion I promise this place makes it all worth it.

Okay now let's get into the nitty gritty recommendations and recap of my past month here.

First I want to start off with some of my favorite spots to eat at because you could eat at a new place for breakfast, lunch, & dinner in NYC and never run out of options.

• Fairfax

  • GET THE BURGER!!! I know this is considered a very popular WV spot but this one is actually worth the hype and isn't hard to get into. It's a small but mighty restaurant and everything is good but if I had to urge you to get get one thing it's the burger exactly how it comes.

• Holywater

  • This place is def one for the vibes. It has a nautical theme which I feel like is something you would think would be unique to NYC but actually isn't super uncommon. The staff here are all super sweet and welcoming and my must get item here are the cavier tots!!

• Cafe Giante

  • This was a recommendation from a dear family friend and it did not disappoint. Great french vibes with some outdoor seating in Nolita and I could not recommend their iced mint tea enough.

• Laughing Man Cafe

  • When I first went here I thought it was only a coffee shop and I will admit their coffee isn't my favorite, however, literally everything on their food menu is fantastic; I haven't had a bad thing. My coworkers and I literally go here almost every day for lunch, and if you are wanting a fun drink, I would recommend their Iced Pomegranate Green tea and go ahead and grab their Chopped Slate Salad (add chicken) for lunch too!!

• Roxy Hotel

  • The food and drinks are great and the vibes are even better. Django jazz bar downstairs, theatre, photobooth right in the hotel lobby, and live music in the dinner/upstairs bar area around, I believe, 7pm. The atmosphere is amazing and such a great date or solo date spot.

• Culture An American Yogurt Company

  • Again... I know this is a very popular WV spot and what I will first recommend is not attempting to go during post-dinner, sweet treat time. However, this is THE. BEST. FROYO. EVER. and I firmly stand by that. If you love a more ice cream froyo this is not for you, but if you love a tart, fresh, true frozen yogurt I'm begging you to go on a sunny summer afternoon and get their plain yogurt with whatever fruity toppings you like (I also love adding graham cracker crumbs). I've been more times than I'd like to admit...

• Two Hands

  • This is a fantastic breakfast/brunch spot that also serves lunch and dinner. I would advise you, however, to go during that brunch time and get their acai bowl because it is DIVINE.

• Canto

  • Finally, of course, one last WV spot. FROZEN ESPRESSO MARTINI. That's all I have to say, you have to try them at least once. I'm going to warn you that it's crowded in there and while the rest of the food and drinks come out at a fairly normal time, the frozen drinks do take a little longer so I would recommend trying to order drinks as soon as you are seated.

    

    

    
    

Next let's get to shopping or more material recommendations.

• TheRealReal

  • If you are a lover of TRR, I just always recommend stopping by their store in SoHo. While they do tend to merchandise the more expensive pieces and I actually find it easier to get good finds online, it's just really fun to go in and experience ths store and try items on. This is also not to say that they don't have decently priced things in store but if you are looking for shoes in particular, their in-person selection is very small and of a much higher price-point than what you can find online.

• VINTAGE POP-UPS

  • Literally any of them. If you hear of any vintage pop-ups, they are such nicer experiences than any other pop-up and always have really cool people and a great vibe.

• 260 Sample Sale on Lafayette

  • That being said, I always find that while this location doesn't always have the most luxurious or high-end designer items being sold, this one does have great stuff and I've always found it to be less busy than the others and not an insufferable sample sale experience.

• West-Village Knit & Needle

  • All needlepointing canvas tend to be pricey, it's very rare you find cheap ones that are actually good and cute. But this store has so many different canvas with a wide range of designs like pop-culture, sports, NYC, east coast, and literally anything else. The employees are also always so sweet and helpful.

• Dauphinette

  • I cannot believe I am giving this up... I was planning in gatekeeping this place but I feel obliged to share if I'm compiling this list. This store around Greenwich Village has their own retail items but also has a small but mighty designer vintage curation and so many vintage watches and scarves as well.

• Bergdorf Goodman

  • This place is way out of my tax bracket but it's such a magical department store and while I'm partial to shopping Saks 5th Ave online, this department store is just my favorite to browse through in person and I think everyone should check out their bi-annual shoe sale at least once in their lifetime.

Next I want to just wrap it up by listing out some things that I have used non-stop and have been key to adjusting to the city

• A BIG BAG

  • I know a cute little shoulder bag is so hard to give up but I go nowhere without my Longchamp or my new slouchy leather bag. It's just so nice to be able to throw anything and everything into because a lot of times when I leave my apartment I never know how long I'll be out or where I'll end up. I also tend to pick up a celsius or a few things I know I'll need for the next day so I've learned being able to just throw whatever small thing you've purchased into your bag is easier than hauling around a bunch of different shopping bags. #shleping

• Trusty flip flop

  • This might be controversial because most people want their feet covered in the city and I totally get this, but if you know you're just going to the gym, grocery store, or staying around your neighborhood, I love just throwing on an easy cute flip flop. It's especially nice in the summer to try to just keep you a tad bit cooler. My last pro to convert you to the flip flop city lifestyle is that THE BLISTERS ARE WORSE THAN EVER. I've had shoes that I've worn for years give me blisters from walking around at work or in the city all day and sometimes it's just nice to wear flops and give your feet a break when even your sneakers rub against the blisters on your toes or heels. Literally just wash your feet when you get home if you already don't take body showers everyday, I promise it's not that gross.

• Wired earbuds

  • Did I get these originally because everyone here wears them and I wanted to join the club? Yes. Do I now understand why everyone wears them and now love them? Yes. They are just so convenient and you can't convince me otherwise. I will still never give up my AirPod Max headphones for travel, but for just walking around and everyday life the city, they are top tier. It's so nice to just throw in you bag and you can always rely on them because you never have to charge them or put them in a case or lose just the left earbud. I don't know what it is but i'm so on board with them and I literally got them at the Apple store for only $20.

• A basic white tee

  • I have to force myself to not wear it everyday. It's so easy for work or just to run around the city in. It's such a great option because if you're out and about running around but don't wanna wear athleisure, wear your white tee and literally any bottoms and you're good to go. Literally my #1 basic, capsule wardrobe, item.

I think that's all I have for now without going on a hundred different tangents on these topics but I'm going to try to be more aware about writing for these last few weeks I have here, and don't worry, I won't ever shut up about my time in the city this summer. g

xoxo,

Blakely