NYC Part 1: An empire state of mind

Having booked our holiday in late December (after many drawn out discussions over where we should stay) I have been bursting with excitement ever since. Our walks to the station every morning have been filled with conversations about where we would go and what we would see, so it's safe to say I was pretty ecstatic to finally arrive.

We landed on Saturday afternoon and after a long wait at immigration we headed into the city and wasted no time checking in, freshening up and heading out and about. We took a stroll to the Rockefeller to see the ice rink, then along Broadway to Central Park taking in a proposal on the way (alas, not mine). 

 Central Park

 Our first night in Times Square

There was still some snow on the ground and a chill in the air but we didn't mind, it had been a long time coming but we were finally in NYC.

We went for dinner at The View, a revolving restaurant at the top of the Marriott at Times Square which offers buffet style meals to masses of tourists but, needless to say, the view more than makes up for it. And to be fair the food was actually pretty nice. An early night followed, with even The Boy saying he was ready for bed by 9pm.

 Dinner at The View

Sunday was Mothers Day and, due to the early night, The Boy and I woke at 5am and headed out into a quiet Times Square in search of flowers to surprise Mum. We struck lucky at the local deli and purchased a gorgeous bunch of roses to let Mum know we remembered (to go with the Tesco value card Mark had bought). It was definitely worth getting up early as the streets were pretty much deserted and we got to take some nice pictures as the sun came up.

 Sunrise over Times Square

We packed a lot into our first full day, heading to the Hells Kitchen Flea Market (more on that later), up to Central Park, to the Frick Collection and to Top of the Rock before heading out to dinner at the Brooklyn Diner. 

Exploring Hells Kitchen

A stroll in and around Central Park

 Top of the Rock (where we established I definitely don't like heights)

 
Monday we awoke still tired but not quite as early as Sunday and went downtown to the Brooklyn Bridge, Ground Zero and Soho and then on to Chinatown for Dim Sum (which Mum, Dad and Mark were really not sure about - they're more Wetherspoons people).

Dim Sum in Chinatown

Graffiti near Ground Zero

As I hadn't seen Mum since Christmas and the boys were very keen to sample the local drinking establishments I arranged for us to spend some time at the amazing Great Jones Spa. After a few hours we were refreshed and revived and ready to see more of the city.

Sadly it was not to be, as the boys had managed to get Father well and truly sozzled so Mum and I were tasked with taking care of him, so we settled in for a night of magazines, American telly and take out pizza.

The next morning we were up bright and early for a windy and wet day at Woodbury Common in search of bargains. The Boy didn't join us (shopping's not really his thing) and instead went for an explore of the city solo. We joined up again for dinner just across the road from the hotel at a place called Virgil's, which turned out to be an excellent choice as this was one of my favourite meals of the trip; chicken and avocado salad with ranch dressing and fries. YUM. Could possibly be one of the reasons I have returned a little rounder.

 Dinner at Virgil's

Postcard from the Big Apple

Those of you who know me well will know why I've been so quiet over the past week or so, I've been in NYC! 

The city that never sleeps, the big apple, whatever you want to call it, New York city holds a special place in my heart and, sorry London, is my favourite city in the world (no question).

Last weekend, along with my nearest and dearest (Mum, Dad, Mark and The Boy), I jumped on a plane at Heathrow and hopped off seven hours later at JFK with an empty suitcase, a new camera and a long list of sights to see. I have many a blog post to write up but for now here's a taster of my time on the island of Manhattan.

 The Davies family en route

New York fire escapes

The Boy and I in Central Park

Exploring Little Italy

The Flatiron

 Lady Liberty

Peanut Butter, Chocolate and Banana milkshake (that is correct)

 Eat your heart out Carrie Bradshaw

Art on the Subway

I must admit, I was in dire need of a break and although this trip wasn't exactly relaxing, the king sized bed sure helped me get some rest and feel revived for the days of walking, eating and drinking. We were away for a full week - seven days! And it was amazing. 

We stayed at the Millenium Broadway just off Times Square and really made the most of being so central, we even had a room with a view! Which for someone more used to staying in Travelodge's was pretty dam exciting.

 A room with a view

As I said, I have plenty more posts to come over the next few days detailing where we went, what we ate and where we shopped but for now, I need some sleep!

My week in photos 18 (& an apology)

Three posts in February. I'm not going to lie, I'm both ashamed and disappointed. 

I want to post daily, or every other day at the very least but sometimes life has a habit to get in the way.

February has been hard, I've been ill and work has really cranked up a notch, I've been out and about but usually by the time I get home or have a rare day off I barely have the energy to get out of bed, let alone write up the ten or so blog ideas I have buzzing around in my head. So let this be an apology and a promise to try harder, after all, if you want something it's up to you to make it happen.

So lets start with a long overdue week (or weeks) in photos - here's what I've been getting up to lately. Mostly it's involved food.

 Clockwise from top left: A Saturday dinner for Duncan's birthday (followed by a pub crawl in Greenwich) - Poached egg and salad for dinner courtesy of The Boy - A Sunday morning in bed with Whistles - A night of bowling and karaoke with my girls - My dream car - Healthy lunch - You find some weird things in the charity shops where I live - Flowers from my boy

Last Saturday I even got to try out Patty & Bun with the wonderful Hannah (aka Riggers). It was delicious, well worth the wait and far better than Meat Liquor.

Clockwise from top left: A wait in the cold is worth it for good food, and made bearable by great company - Wings and fries - The Smokey Robinson in all its glory - The many burgers on offer (I shall definitely be back)

Looks I'm loving

I'm currently in the midst of New York outfit planning (packing for me is normally like an elaborate game of Tetris) so am looking everywhere for inspiration. I've been referring back to old Looks I've Loved and also trawling Lookbook for outfits involving flat shoes and lots of layering.

My latest find is Christine R from the Netherlands, I love her style - wrapped up warm but still ultra chic. I'm definitely adding her to my inspiration list.

See more of Christine's style here or over on her blog, Fash n Chips

Big lights will inspire you

Although its currently London fashion week I am avoiding the hustle and bustle of Somerset House and remaining tucked up in the flat, happily planning my trip to the big apple in a few weeks time. It's been three years since my last visit and I'm not going to lie, I cannot wait to hit the city again. There's lots on my to-do list, and its been made even longer by this time being joined by The Boy, my Mum, Dad, and my brother, so I of course want to take them to see all the best tourist spots. 

Here's some of the sights that are on my to-do list so far.

The High Line

 Image by Future City

Walking the High Line is something I've never actually done before but have heard a lot about - and after reading Alyssa's blog I cannot wait to go. It looks lots of fun - I'm just hoping it will be just as gorgeous in the cold as it looks in the Summer.

Levain Bakery

In the past when I've visited Manhattan it's been all about Magnolia Bakery but this time I fancy trying out the Levain Bakery for a sweet treat. A cute spot on the Upper West Side, the Levain Bakery has amazing reviews on Trip Advisor and looks well worth a visit.

Top of the Rock

 Image by InternsNTheCity

Top of the Rock is somewhere that I have been to before and absolutely loved (regardless of my vertigo) and I can't wait to go to again. The views are fantastic, and I love that you can see so much of Central Park and take beautiful pictures of the Empire State Building.

Staten Island Ferry

The Staten Island Ferry is one of the things I love about New York - the ability to take beautiful pictures of lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty, all for free! I love this city.

Ricky's NYC

Ricky's is the go-to shop for all the make up and hair care needs of New Yorkers and I always make a pit stop here to stock up on American brands and supplies for Halloween. Note to self: you do not need any more nail varnishes.

Central Park

Central Park is the perfect place for a romantic stroll and I can easily while away a whole day exploring the different areas. I know my Mum in particular will love it here.

Dim Sum in Chinatown

Since I last went to NYC I've got really into having Dim Sum (mainly due to The Boy's obsession with all things Chinese and food related) and cannot wait to explore Chinatown and try some Dim Sum on this trip.

Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge

I've walked across the Brooklyn Bridge many times but it just never gets old, the many sights are gorgeous and I normally take far too many photographs. It's such an iconic New York landmark that no trip to Manhattan would be complete without paying a visit.

There are so many sights I can't wait to see this is really just a taster - there will no doubt be many posts following my visit documenting every last detail.

I scream for ice cream

The Boy and I have always been relatively low key when it comes to Valentines day, choosing to cook for each other at home rather than pay escalated prices at our favourite restaurants, and this year was no different. We spent the evening at home, watching a DVD and eating a delicious home cooked meal, it was bliss after another hectic day at the office. As a special treat I decided to take The Boy out for gelato before our weekly trip to the cinema on Friday night, not just for valentines day, just because. 

We headed to a cute little spot called La Gelatiera near Leicester Square that I'd been told about by a friend at work that is famed for its unusual gelato flavours and is sure to be heaving all the time as soon as Spring arrives. 

We sampled the Salty Caramel (delicious), followed by the Stilton Cheese and Walnuts (unusually tasty) before settling on one scoop of the Salty Caramel and one of Apple Pie, both of which were a taste sensation.

We're planning on heading back to try the Chocolate and Chilli and the Pear and Sake flavours - I'd recommend popping in if you're ever in the area, even just to sample a cake, which all looked delicious.

They even have an in-house laboratory where you can watch the gelato churning process whilst relaxing at one of the cute tables (all made out of reclaimed materials) - the entire place was right up my street, comfortable and cosy and perfect for a low key Friday night date.

 
If you're in London and have a sweet tooth, La Gelatiera can be found at New Row, Covent Garden - more information can be found here.

Sunday night date at Malmaison

Last weekend The Boy and I headed out for a much needed Sunday night away from home. After weeks of illness and long hours at work we needed a break, and what better than a random night away from home in our city?

After reading this post by The Londoner late last year I knew that a stay at the Malmaison Hotel would be right up my street and the food at the Brasserie would be equally as appealing to The Boy (and me).

Maxi Dress - River Island

Clutch Bag - H&M

Scarf - Homemade

Faux Leather Jacket - F&F

We headed East on Sunday afternoon and went to the 5pm showing of the musical Jersey Boys, a show that The Boy has been dying to see, at the Prince Edward Theatre near Leicester Square. Having seen Wicked a few weeks ago I was a little underwhelmed - I like a musical with all the bells and whistles (i.e. flying witches, talking monkeys and a girl with green skin) - but The Boy loved it. And to be fair I enjoyed it to. The set was ingenious and the music was foot-tappingly good, it was the perfect start to date night.

After the musical, we took a nighttime stroll near the Barbican before settling in for a late supper at the hotel restaurant, the Brasserie. Situated in the basement, I was concerned that we might be the only ones dining so late on a Sunday but I needn't have worried as, thanks to the fantastic food on offer, the restaurant was reassuringly busy. I had the crab and avocado starter which was absolutely delicious (anything that involves avocado is a winner with me) whilst The Boy settled for calamari and chorizo (equally delicious). Over a crisp bottle of white we discussed plans for 2013, our previous dates and our first proper night of drinks after a dry January. It was wonderful.

 Just a little bit naughty

For our mains The Boy went for lamb (his favourite) whilst I lowered the tone with the Stack Burger. An absolute monster of a meal, and one which Michael had to help me with more than a little bit. We finished with cocktails and more chatter as the bar started to empty, comfortable with the knowledge we only had a two minute trip in the lift to reach our room, rather than a 45 minute tube journey across the city. It was both a relaxing and fun night, we shall definitely be making a return visit.

The Boy and I took advantage of the Malmaison Sunday Stopover - a great deal if you fancy a delicious meal alongside a comfortable overnight stay in one of twelve cosmopolitan cities.