I took my first trip to the High Line in January and even in the bleak bitter cold, you could sense the brilliant vision giving new life to this elevated railway. The High Line is one of the most exciting public spaces I’ve seen in years. So exciting, I suppose, that I forgot to take out my camera on my visit earlier this month! Jo and I hopped on near Chelsea Market, where we soon found shaved ice, literally… this fellow was planing a huge block of ice and was attracting quite a crowd.
I also got my first look at the Standard Hotel as it straddles the High Line.
Archive for the ‘NYC’ Category
high line
August 22, 2010inside anthropologie – chelsea
August 12, 2010I’ve always loved shopping at Anthropologie, but my fascination shifted gears once I started watching Man Shops Globe on the Sundance Channel. Keith Johnson has my dream job, traveling the world and channeling inspiration as the buyer-at-large for Anthro.
On Saturday, Jo and I set our sights on walking the High Line. We met at 15th and 9th Ave where we were surprised to find Anthropologie. I knew this was a new development since my last trip to Chelsea Market in January! It’s hard to believe this Manhattan store is 9,000 square feet, the scale never feels overwhelming. I couldn’t resist taking a few photos in-between scouring the sale racks and wandering the top floor with complete envy.
I’m not sure why but, I am consistently drawn towards visual clutter. A photography professor pointed it out to me and it rings true in every aspect of my design sensibility. That’s probably why I find Anthro so appealing. The stores are always chock full of fascinating details. I love the music & the visual displays and hoard the catalogs at home. If they would just serve food, I could move right on in! I’m fortunate that the closest store is halfway between my home and office. It’s within reason, but not particularly close to any of my usual travels.
I adore these whimsical swags made out of old pages from National Geographic. I threw a shelves of them out after keeping them around for most of my entire childhood. I guess you could say my magazine hoarding started at a young age.
I almost bought this book, but I didn’t want to carry it around Manhattan all day long. It will have a home in my office shortly. Last week, I discovered The Selby and it just may be the most fascinating photographic blog I’ve seen this year. 
summer cocktails at pegu club
August 11, 2010Decisions, decisions. The three of us couldn’t make up our mind. Death & Co. Painkiller, Vandaag, Angel’s Share? In the end, we went with the reliably fantastic Pegu Club for our Saturday night cocktails. Pegu welcomes you at 5 pm, which is an hour earlier than most cocktail hotspots. Getting there at opening is the key to getting in, getting a good spot at the bar and getting full attention from your bartender.
Below is Michele’s off-menu gin cocktail, muddled with cucumber and apples.
Burke bemoaned that his drink selection often seems to include floral decoration. Hmm, no comment, but I did love the unusually petite-sized dendrobium orchid that coordinated perfectly with the coconut and kaffir lime flavor of his cocktail. In just one sip, this refreshing taste of Thailand transports you to a tropical happy place.
What do you think about these black straws? You absolutely need a way to get to your drink without disturbing the beautiful garnish on the rim of the glass… but the black definitely ruins the photograph in my eye. Would a clear straw be that much better?
more macarons… at madeleine pâtisserie
August 9, 2010Yes, more macarons came my way over the weekend! All this French deliciousness began when I FINALLY sat down to watch Sofia Coppola’s, Marie Antoinette. I stayed up way to late and marveled at the royal extravagance and truly… Versailles may never have had such an awesome soundtrack! Birthday scene with New Order’s, Ceremony? Just killer! I’m listening to it right now, as I edit this post.
In a brilliant transition from on-screen to real-world, my friends from Brooklyn suggested meeting up at Madeleine Pâtisserie on Saturday afternoon. These lovely macarons have a proper texture, in addition to some wonderful flavor combinations. Michele was wise to secure two Caramel Fleur de Sel. They beyond sharing. My other favorite was the apricot champagne or perhaps the pistachio cassis. If you are in Chelsea (anywhere near 23rd, between 6th and 7th), these are worth a stop. I do wonder how Burke can resist when he works in such close proximity to these tasty treats? Perhaps it’s the price? I’m glad they are $2.50 a pop, otherwise I would have greedily eaten a dozen of them.
And the 18th birthday fête from Marie Antoinette:
brooklyn wrap-up
May 11, 2010These Brooklyn photos have been lurking around and I haven’t managed to get them up on the blog for over a month!
Our fine April adventure started in Boerum Hill or Cobble Hill, I’m never sure exactly where one ends and the other begins:
Next we drove to Van Brunt Street in Red Hook, where we went for a stroll after a great lunch at Fort Defiance. When I saw this shop doorstep, I wished I had a canine friend in tow.
Next we stopped in at the newish dry dock liquor + wine and as luck would have it, there was a Saturday afternoon wine tasting.
I’m always interested in slightly decaying old industrial buildings, especially ones made of brick! I love the shutters and the numbered entries on the Beard Street Warehouse, formerly W. Beard & Robinson Stores 1869 
Geography’s never been my strong suit so I was surprised when we walked past the Fairway Market and all of a sudden the lady liberty popped into view.
Last but not least, I was fascinated by these rusting street cars along the Red Hook waterfront. The windows were all long gone, so I was able to just stick the camera right inside and grab a shot!
What’s also on the the list for our next trip to Red Hook? The Good Fork and Botanica.
baked
April 23, 2010When Michele tells you it’s a good oatmeal cookie, you should definitely buy more than one… even if you are stuffed from eating Steve’s Key Lime Pie. Trust me, I speak from experience. Back in Connecticut, we split our 1 and only cookie and I had some serious regrets. I was craving another cookie, but we were nowhere near the Baked outpost in Red Hook. Undeterred, I moved on to Plan B and bought the Baked Cookbook. 
Truthfully, I’m no good at baking. It’s too exacting a science for my temperment and usually requires extra time on the treadmill, but tasting that delicious cookie is motivation enough to buy some cherries & coconut and to get that oven preheated. Hopefully I’ll find some time in the kitchen this weekend.
steve’s authentic key lime pie
April 22, 2010My husband will tell you he doesn’t like dessert, but you do not want to come between him and his key lime pie. 
On our tour of Brooklyn we stopped in at Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Pie and D’s 4″ tart was gone before Burke could even exit the shop.
If you can’t get to Key West, this shop (on a pier in Red Hook) is an easy way to get that kooky island vibe, without leaving NYC.
fort defiance in red hook, brooklyn
April 7, 2010I wish I lived in Red Hook, just so I could drop in at Fort Defiance all the time. It’s the perfect neighborhood haunt, with a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere and some delicious friend chicken!
Owner/food writer/former bartender at Pegu Club, St. John Frizell has a collection of well-priced cocktails to pair with the lunch and dinner menu. On the left: behold Michele’s Breakfast Martini (mixed with gin and marmalade). On right is classic New Orleans sandwich, the muffuletta; below: the Barbados Buck (dark & stormy) that D and Burke wisely selected. All the cocktails were perfect, as you’d expect (including my Bloody Mary, not pictured) and the very next time I’m in Red Hook, I plan to eat my way through more of the menu.
MoMA
February 4, 2010I’ve been trying to convince myself it’s ok to leave the big camera behind and only travel with the point and shoot. Last weekend I did a fair amount of traveling, so it was easy to force myself to pack light. I started Sunday in NYC with a quick trip to the Museum of Modern Art (Tim Burton exhibit was so jam packed at 11am we just gave up) and wrapped up the day with dinner at the wonderful mill that is home to Simon Pearce in Quechee Vermont. By then I was so tired I forgot my camera so I can’t share photos of the lovely retail shop, glass blowing studio or the beautiful icy waterfall… but I do have a few photos from the museum!
This is Gabriel Orozco’s “mobile matrix,” featuring a whale skeleton covered in the graphite of 6,000 mechanical pencil leads. 
and a few photos from the “what was good design? MoMA’s Message 1944-56.” I’m a big Eames fan and there’s so many other pieces in this exhibit that I’d love to have in my home!
how sweet it is… dylan’s candy bar
January 27, 2010Last weekend it was back to Big Apple. Between seeing Jersey Boys and dinner at BLT Steak, we decided to do some shopping. Dylan’s Candy Bar was a complete zoo at 5pm on a Saturday, but the very prospect of so much sugar is positively intoxicating! Julie and I had fun cramming all kind of gummy and sour candies into sectioned boxes for my niece and nephew. How about a staircase made of sweets or artwork composed with jelly beans!?