Life as of Late...

Samantha, Me, Heather

Interns, NYC, Summer 2014

After living in New York for more than a month and a half, I have developed some addictions...

1.) Burgers and Fries

No lie, I probably eat a burger and fries at LEAST once a week, if not more. My friends and I have found some of the best burger places for really cheap here in the city. Cheap as in you can get a cheeseburger, drink and fries for less than $6. It is McDonald's prices but quality food. My favorite burger places so far, Steak and Shake & Black Burger (China Town) 

2.)Sprinkles cupcakes

I attribute the fact that I can't stop eating Sprinkles cupcakes to their "peanut butter chip" cupcake. It is to die for. So yummy. Chocolate and peanut butter are a deadly combo for me. Their coconut and chocolate coconut cupcakes come in a close 2nd. This place is great. They have so many flavors of ice cream, cupcakes, cookies and sundaes. It is a dessert lovers dream.

3.)Starbucks

Well, what girl doesn't love Starbucks? And it doesn't make it easy for me to resist when there is one conveniently located on every corner of NYC.

4.)Nutella Shake

I have been addicted to Nutella ever since I discovered it in college. My best friend Julie and I use to dip pretzels into Nutella and eat it by the jar in one sitting. Now I have discovered the most amazing Nutella shake at the Paris Creperie in Boston. No joke, I would travel to Boston just to have one of these. 

5.) Broadway, Kinky Boots

So, I need to say that not all of my addictions are food. I am obsessed with the Broadway play Kinky Boots and I have already seen it twice. (Debating whether or not I should see it for a third time...) I have downloaded the soundtrack and I listen to it everyday on my way to work. It is a MUST see Broadway show. Take my word for it.

Black Burger

My friends and I ventured down to Soho to walk "Little Italy". Little Italy is a street filled with authentic Italian restaurants. It is so charming and lit up. It is now one of my favorite streets in New York. My friends and I stopped in a restaurant for dessert. I ordered my favorite dessert, tiramisu. It was a toss up between that and a cannoli but my heart always lies with tiramisu.

I don't know why I think it is so significant that I just tried my first "Dunkin Donuts", doughnut for the first time a few days ago. I don't know which I see more often on every corner of New York, a Dunkin Donuts or a Starbucks. I have already proclaimed my love for Starbucks and stop in on the daily but Dunkin Donuts is foreign to me. I tried some sort of chocolate doughnut and it was pretty good... haha not overly impressed. I still think Krispy Cream donuts are the bomb.

The Chinatown Ice Cream Factory is supposedly a famous ice cream place. It has been around forever. I love this place because they had so many different flavors of ice cream to choose from. Not only are there so many flavors but the flavors are unique. They have a soy sauce flavor. No joke. I ordered mocha chip and chocolate coconut. It was delicious. 

Weekend in Boston 

It is always a toss up for me on whether I like New York or Boston better. Boston is such a charming and beautiful city. Not to mention it is historical and amazing. I think my heart belongs in NYC though, because it is where I have been living this summer. I have some pretty amazing memories and I have met the best of friends in NYC. Boston, it is hard to compete with that.

However, maybe one day I can settle down in Boston after I have made it big time in the city haha. 

My friends and I were there for a day and a half and this is what we did.....

1.) Fenway Park

2.) Duck Tour

3.) Freedom Trail

4.) Gay Pride Parade

5.) Mike's Cannolis** (best cannolis i've ever had)

5) Harvard

6.) Bike Ride on the Charles River

7.) Crepes & Nutella Shakes at the Paris Creperie  

8.) Clam chowder at Quincy Market

Sunday evening at the Brooklyn Bridge 

First Girls Trip of the Summer

I have quite a few rounds of visitors coming this summer. My mom came two weeks ago and my friends Julie and Emily came this last weekend. 

There are multiple ways to see New York. You can follow the "touristy" agenda and visit all the museums, Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, Time Square etc. or you can see New York  the "local" way. It all depends on what kind of trip you want to have. The "touristy" way is usually for people who are first timers to the city or have money to spend. Attractions are cool! But they are also pricey and crowded. Here is a list of "local" things to do while in the city. 

1.) Central Park

2.)Bubby's (resturaunt in Tribeca)

3.) Magnolia Bakery (Upper West Side)

4.) Brooklyn Flea Market

5.) Smorgasburg (Brooklyn) 

Bubby's 

Bubby's restaurant was very yummy. I am not going to deny that I thoroughly enjoyed my breakfast! But... it is pricey. Bubby's is trendy and organic. It is worth trying if you are willing to drop around $30/person on one meal. I thought it was a little over priced but I don't regret trying it out. The restaurant has a photo booth in the basement and I hear a lot of famous people go here to eat! 

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Magnolia Bakery 

If you go to Magnolia's, definitely try their banana pudding. Their cupcakes are over rated in my opinion, but the pudding and their cheesecake brownies are two thumbs up! 

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Sugar Plum

Sprinkles Cupcakes

Time Square

Brooklyn Flea Market

Brooklyn

Smorgasburg 

Having my friends Julie and Emily in town this last weekend was a blast. The three of us had such a good time together exploring New York. It was slightly stressful for me because I was the one in charge of the navigation. I have been here for more than a month now, but I am still not an expert with directions. I am constantly referring to my Google Maps app as well as the subway map. I am making mistakes less and less but I still make them. It is one thing when I get myself lost but I feel awful getting lost when my friends are with me. It is hard always being in charge because I know if we get lost the blame is on me! haha Luckily I have nice, patient and understanding friends. They didn't get too upset with me when I led them astray. The first night Julie was here we accidentally took the wrong train that  led us to the Bronx.Yeah.... it was not good. Julie was freaking out and I felt bad that we were lost, in projects, alone, at midnight. I am use to getting lost and usually it is by myself so I wasn't too scared but Julie had fear written all over her poor face. haha luckily we made it out safe and alive. 

I am not much of a planner but I really wanted Julie and Emily's time here to be worth while. Traveling through New York isn't always easy. There is so much to see and limited time in one day. However, I think we did a pretty good job and covered a lot of ground in less than a week. The three of us went to Brooklyn, the Upper East Side, The Upper West Side, West Village, Soho, Union Square, Time Square, Central Park, and the Bronx (total accident). I have to hand it to Julie and Emily! They were troopers and traveled all day on blistered feet. If there is one piece of advice I would give people who visit New York is to wear comfortable walking shoes. The shoes you wear make a huge difference! Seriously, I would recommend walking around in your running shoes. They may not be the most stylish thing but they are the most practical and you will enjoy your trip so much more if you are comfortable.You walk 80 percent of the time and ride the subway 20 percent. There is very little time when you are sitting. Emily had the biggest blisters on her feet that I had ever seen. She was having fun! But I could tell she was in pain. 

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