new york – well hello lovie

Well hello lovie!

I thought it was time to share with you another one of my favourite little pockets of New York – the East Village! Grungy, cool and casual, in that laid back way, but you know there’s a buzz humming underneath it all. We based ourselves in “the village” for two weeks and immersed ourselves quickly in the local culture. It’s an eclectic mix of venues and people with an upmarket wine bar sharing real estate with an underground hot dog den with an ice cream van parked out front!

eat/drink

The East Village is foodie heaven! Wall to wall choices which make the prices competitive and the quality fabulous. My top picks are:

Crif Dogs – once you make your way in from the basement entrance you can customise your own dogs or pick one of the favourites like the “Philly Tubesteak”

Yuca Bar – fabulous Latin fusion cuisine with a great crowd. Make sure you go on a Tuesday when the food is half price and don’t miss the cocktail specials.

9th Street Espresso – free WiFi, tasty treats, chilled atmosphere and the coffee is divine!

The Summit Bar – you can’t go past the bargain brunch on a Sunday or the happy hour cocktails – try the Governess, you’ll thank me!

shop

In between all the bars and cafes are a lovely collection of Bohemian shops with a trend towards vintage, homewares and books/records. If you’re short on time and you want to check out a cute collection then focus your shopping on 9th Street.

Meg – loved this place – basics with a twist in real women’s sizes! My pick…the jumpsuits.

PInk Olive – cute, cute, cute!! Homewares, paper products, accessories and NY goodies serviced up with a dash of pink confetti & sparkles.

Duo NYC – curated emerging designers and accessories in a beautifully whitewashed wall boutique with rich wooden timber floors. I could move in here!

Stay in the East Village! We were lucky enough to snag a fabulous AirBNB apartment for a bargain price and live like locals.

Wander through Tompkins Square Park and listen to the live jazz on weekends, watch the puppies play in the dog park and when the sun is out, giggle at the locals sunbaking on every spare blade of grass.

Exercise by going for a run or walk along the East Village Promenade. Just head to 10th Street and walk over the flyover and enjoy the fresh air and river views of Williamsburg.

The East Village is a fun melting pot with enough to see and do over a few hours to several days. Enjoy!

Lisa xx

Well hello lovie!

I was lucky enough to recently spend my birthday wandering around the West Village and it’s definitely my favourite little piece of Manhattan! I love the tree-lined streets, the cobblestones and the vibrant yet elegant architecture. Here’s a few of my favourites that I wanted to share with you:

eat/drink

Magnolia Bakery – you can’t go past the red velvet cupcake – divine!

Murray’s Cheese Shop – a cheese slice of heaven! Get the experts to help you put together a cheese platter, grab a bottle of red and settle in for the night.

Bluestone Lane Coffee – Come and say G’day to the Aussies bringing the Melbourne coffee culture to NY. Great coffee and the classic – avocado smash.

shop

Studio Manhattan – a funky mix of bags, accessories and decor with a modern, New York, non-tourist slant.

Jonathan Adler – check out the beautiful candle range from this style guru. I couldn’t go past the Champagne Pop followed closely by the Havana!

Diptyque – clearly I have a passion for candles! I could have bought a dozen different fragrances here but my favourite find was the glass, mouth blown candle holders.

Walk the High Line – this was a highlight! Wander along this disused railway track that is now a fabulous urban park as it winds between the old warehouses and apartments giving great views and a different perspective of NY life.

Visit Carrie Bradshaw’s stoop – for those of us that were SATC fans, this is a fun photo-op! If you’re not a fan then still wander the local streets and be charmed by the beautiful architecture.

Window Shop – my favourite street is Bleecker Street and even though I couldn’t afford the crazy prices, it was free for me to admire the beautiful and innovative window displays. A girl can dream!