NYC Notes - A week in the city

I've been a naughty blogger - doing bloggable things but slacking off on actually blogging about them.



Last week I barely had any school and therefore spent a large part of the week and weekend popping all over the island of Manhattan.

Over the weekend I was so lucky to see some of my uni friends perform on Broadway with their dance company. The show was called Black Hole, White Rabbit (a modern interpretation of Alice and Wonderland). I thoroughly enjoyed it, and of course it was brilliant to see my friends show off their talent on a Broadway stage!



Here are some of the dancers releasing balloons that were used in a (very cool) dance into the city sky… (the environmentally-conscious Californian in me was cringing, but it was a cute moment nonetheless).





Earlier that day I had brunch in the Meatpacking District and wandered around the High Line. The weather was gorgeously sunny… thus seemingly doubling NYC's population!







I also swung by the MoMA. I not only love the art at the MoMA, but the museum building itself. Its courtyard is a nice place to cool down on a warm day. You can look at the sculptures (and the people!) as a fountain bubbles and a breeze wafts through the trees.



















I love this piece because it incorporates the viewer into the art and the art into the viewers.



And this Liechtenstein makes pop-art evocative.



During the week I was in the Meatpacking/High Line area again.



Had lunch outside at a place called Bubby's.



Honestly we just got Bloody Marys because they came in mason jars. I think we would have been much happier with lemonade.



We did a spot of rooftop pool exploring at the Gansevoort Hotel.





















We stopped in Chelsea Market with a hankering for dessert.







We came across the Doughnuttery, a little doughnut stand with some unique gourmet flavours.







We plumped for three cinnamon sugar and three lemon poppyseed.



Which turned out to be brilliant choices. We enjoyed our plunder whilst the market buzzed along.



Before waving goodbye to Chelsea and heading back to uni, happy and full.

Long Island Fever

Long Island often seems like a grumbling giant whose eyelids are heavy with dense fog. What to do when cabin fever sets in? I've already talked about a countryside escapade on the island. Here are a few of my other favourite pick-me-ups when I'm too lazy to muck with city craziness.

For coffee, cake, and a cool atmosphere, The Witches Brew in West Hempstead is a winner. Located in an old house in a residential neighborhood, Witches Brew is a favourite of locals and university students, offering an impressive array of hot drinks, desserts, and comfort food. Seats are antique sofas that you can snuggle into, and the décor has a slightly creepy, Halloween-ish vibe without being too garish. The fireplace and fairy lights add to the relaxing atmosphere. I went on a sleepy afternoon, but I’ve heard it’s a great spot to meet up for a late-night chat or study sesh.



Lounging with a cappuccino, complete with cinnamon stick.



I've grown up riding horses, so hopping in the saddle always lifts my mood. Long Island, home to the Hampton Classic, is host to a vast array of equestrian sporting options including polo, cross country, fox hunts, eventing, dressage, and fences. There are some beautiful open spaces for cantering around.







If a quick coffee or romp in the country isn't enough to rid the NYC blues, one of my favourite options on Long Island is JFK. Yes, the airport. My blog, my rules, right? Book a week somewhere warm, and hit up Shake Shack in the brand spankin' new international Delta terminal (aka my new home) on the way out. A good burger + sunny holiday = bliss.

Roundup: Rest of Spring Break

Here's a bunch of random photos from the rest of my spring break back home in Southern California. At this point they're rather disjointed, but I'll try to narrate for you as best I can. Let's go back to balmy California a few weeks earlier…

Started off one sunny morning driving down PCH (convertible top down, blasting Miguel's Arch N Point - which will make a nice soundtrack to this post, go have a listen) to Rose Bakery Café in Corona del Mar, Newport Beach for the "California" breakfast burritos stuffed chock full of eggs, cheese, bacon, avocados, spinach, and hash browns. Rose was one of my favourites in high school and it was so good to be back. I think my friends from out-of-town were chuffed about how "Californian" and delicious it was too.

We then rolled down Marguerite Ave to Corona del Mar Beach, where we climbed over rocks to the not-so-secret secret cove (where there were some rowdy tourists and some handsome rock-climbing locals.







Basically we just had a big wander over the beach: down the jetty a bit, across the sand, and up a cliff towards "Inspiration Point."





















Santa Monica:





















Balboa Pier:





I am the queen of awkward candids.





Random photo-taking at Fashion Island whilst eating ice cream. And a mockingly serious #selfie.







P.S. I don't know how they're showing up on your browser, but to me my photos look a tad under-saturated compared to how they look before I upload them (I use flickr as a host). If you have any insight on this, it'd be great to know! (Everything is set to sRGB like it should be.)