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April 24 2013


One day.
Two boroughs.
Three bikes.
Four Brooklyn neighborhoods explored.
Five glasses of wine/beer (each!) needed to cure our weary legs.
Six lattes and coffees at brunch at Sant Ambroeus.
Seven 1/2 dozen orders of oysters, shrimp and clams at Fish on Bleecker Street (Red, White + Blue Special for the win!)
Eight almost killed tourists wandering aimlessly into the Brooklyn Bridge Bike Lane (note to pedestrians - you stay in your lane, we’ll stay in ours. Deal?)
Nine attempts to take this picture.
Ten hours together with my two favorite men….
Doesn’t get much better than that.

One day.

Two boroughs.

Three bikes.

Four Brooklyn neighborhoods explored.

Five glasses of wine/beer (each!) needed to cure our weary legs.

Six lattes and coffees at brunch at Sant Ambroeus.

Seven 1/2 dozen orders of oysters, shrimp and clams at Fish on Bleecker Street (Red, White + Blue Special for the win!)

Eight almost killed tourists wandering aimlessly into the Brooklyn Bridge Bike Lane (note to pedestrians - you stay in your lane, we’ll stay in ours. Deal?)

Nine attempts to take this picture.

Ten hours together with my two favorite men….

Doesn’t get much better than that.

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April 23 2013


Fact - if you visit me, I’ll likely get you on a bike.

Two weekends ago, this included a ride up the west side of Manhattan with the future in-laws, followed by a couple of loops in Central Park to check out the Magnolia trees.

Last weekend, this included cruising over the Brooklyn Bridge with my Dad  (sidenote: the influx of Saturday tourists makes this terribly frustrating), followed by a neighborhood tour of Dumbo, Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill and Carrol Gardens.

In my humble opinion, there’s no better way to see the city than on two wheels. Citi Bike, launching next month, will make this even easier! http://citibikenyc.com/

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April 22 2013


An Evening in Another Era

With all this talk about the upcoming Gatsby movie, it seemed perfect timing to finally check out Duane Park, the recently reopened supper club.
If you’ve ever yearned to live in another era, then Duane Park certainly fits the bill.
On Saturday night, our group arrived for the 9:30 event (there’s 6:30 and 9:30 seatings), which included a 3-course dinner and a burlesque show that had us mesmerized until 12:30am. Not only was the decor “dressed up” in a by-gone era - most guests were also dressed to the nines, some even sporting head-dresses, feathers and smart suits.
Here’s the breakdown:

Food
When I’ve gone to burlesque shows in the past, the food certainly takes a backseat. However, Duane Park’s menu was not just decent….we all agreed it was so good that we’d return just for the food! And although it’s a prix-fixe, there are at least 6 options in each category to fulfill your cravings.
Entertainment - Cast of Characters
For the duration of our 3-hour sitting, the burlesque components entertained us for probably 2 hours with breaks in between acts.  These “acts” included our Emcee, a beautiful, charming, provocative singer, two dancers, both experts in the “art of the strip tease” (which ended in tassels, not fully nude), one aerial performer who enjoyed putting knives and fire down her throat, and finally, a male comedian/magician who had us keeled over in hysterics.
For the hour or so breaks where there wasn’t a singer, dancer or comedian on stage, a four-piece band kept us more than entertained.
Our group sipped our martini and Manhattan cocktails, savored every bite of our meal, watched in awe of the show and every so often one of us would utter “why couldn’t we live in another era?!”
P.S. I kept the pictures PG, but that wasn’t always the case

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April 15 2013


SoulCycle on the High Line

There are “only in New York” moments….

And then there are “once in a lifetime only in New York” moments.

Last Thursday was one of those moments.

With one hundred bikes, candles and black lights, SoulCycle took over the High Line, one of New York’s most iconic landmarks, for a fundraising ride to to raise over $100,000 for the The Friends of the High Line.

Although cloudy weather blocked any chance of a stunning sunset, the incomparable views remained the same.

The energy was palpable and my love for this company grew x3.

I run social media for SoulCycle, so I spent the majority of the ride running back and forth between bikes, crouching on the ground with my iPhone (check me out to the left in the below pic)….

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So I could capture shots like this one for Instagram.

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And when all is said and done, you have to pinch yourself because although the term is thrown around fairly liberally, when you experience a true “only in New York moment’, you must savor it.

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See even more event pictures here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/SoulCycle/64759509591

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April 11 2013


If you’re a fan of impressionism, 19th century lifestyle history or fashion, I implore you to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art for their current exhibit: Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity.

On display now through May 27,the collection is a Renoir, Monet, Baudelaire dream come true, sprinkled with elaborate dresses, accessories. and fashion plates from the era, making the exhibit truly come to life.

And if you do go, “splurge” on the headset tour and thank me later.

From the Met’s website:

Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity presents a revealing look at the role of fashion in the works of the Impressionists and their contemporaries. Some eighty major figure paintings, seen in concert with period costumes, accessories, fashion plates, photographs, and popular prints, highlight the vital relationship between fashion and art during the pivotal years, from the mid-1860s to the mid-1880s, when Paris emerged as the style capital of the world.

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April 11 2013


At this point, it wouldn’t be a weekend without some sort of wedding festivity in my life, right?
Some people have recently told me “It feels like your life is just one big ongoing wedding”. With five of my closest friends getting married this year, in addition to my own, I suppose that statement is justified. While it’s certainly overwhelming at times, the joy and happiness of sharing this time with my friends is priceless.
Last weekend, we showered Jordan, my friend of over ten years, with a sweet luncheon at Fig & Olive. And if the love in that room is any indication, Memorial Day weekend in Montauk can’t come soon enough!

At this point, it wouldn’t be a weekend without some sort of wedding festivity in my life, right?

Some people have recently told me “It feels like your life is just one big ongoing wedding”. With five of my closest friends getting married this year, in addition to my own, I suppose that statement is justified. While it’s certainly overwhelming at times, the joy and happiness of sharing this time with my friends is priceless.

Last weekend, we showered Jordan, my friend of over ten years, with a sweet luncheon at Fig & Olive. And if the love in that room is any indication, Memorial Day weekend in Montauk can’t come soon enough!

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April 08 2013


The first New York City bike share is finally coming!
Click the image to learn about the incredible program and find your closest station.

The first New York City bike share is finally coming!

Click the image to learn about the incredible program and find your closest station.

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April 08 2013


When a Meal Starts with 6 Amuse Bouches…

You know it’s going to be special.

Prior to dining at Aldea, I had never heard of it. Clearly, I’ve been living under a rock because this Flatiron restaurant is definitely now on the list of one of my top five favorite New York City meals. In fact, I’m already trying to plan when I can return.

What makes it extra special is for less than $100, you can enjoy an 11-course Mediterranean-inspired meal at the Chef’s Tasting Table, an experience that typically would cost 4x the amount at other top-tier Manhattan restaurants. (*The menu states that this is 7-courses, but they give you so much more!)

Now, Aldea may not be for everyone, but for my specific culinary preferences, it hit the nail on the head.

So, if you love duck, farm eggs, sea urchin, foie gras, scallops, creamy cheese and decadent chocolate, make a reservation at Aldea as soon as possible!

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Amuse Bouches:

  1. Mojito macaron
  2. Oyster
  3. Croquette
  4. Mussel soup
  5. (Far right hand corner) Beet flower goat cheese puff
  6. Beet pickled quail egg

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Our action view throughout the night.

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Soft Poached Egg (perigord black truffles, watercress benton’s bacon, shiitake broth).

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Sea Urchin Toast.  This may very well be the best plate from the night. I could eat 100 of these!

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Foie gras terrine

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Diver Scallop

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Suckling Pig

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Duck confit

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Cheese course

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Mango sorbet

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Chocolate Tart (pistachio dragée, saffron-crème fraiche sorbet, candied piri-piri peppers).

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Petite fours

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April 05 2013


megburns:

#tbt My very first night in NYC almost exactly a year ago. My favorite gal @caseyculture got me good and tipsy and convinced me that moving here would be the best thing I ever did. She was right. ❤ you c!

Can’t believe a year has passed since Ms. Meg first brought her Connecticut spunk, sass and charm to NYC…..
The past 12 months have been a whirlwind of adventures and changes. So excited to see how the next 12 unfold for one of my favorite people!

megburns:

#tbt My very first night in NYC almost exactly a year ago. My favorite gal @caseyculture got me good and tipsy and convinced me that moving here would be the best thing I ever did. She was right. ❤ you c!

Can’t believe a year has passed since Ms. Meg first brought her Connecticut spunk, sass and charm to NYC…..

The past 12 months have been a whirlwind of adventures and changes. So excited to see how the next 12 unfold for one of my favorite people!

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April 03 2013


For all you brides-to-be who favor non-white shoes….

Check out this NYT article: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/31/fashion/weddings/unique-shoes-for-the-bride.html?ref=fashion

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April 02 2013


Lady’s First Trip Back to the Dog Run

After four months of hibernation, Lady finally returned to the Leroy Street Dog Run last weekend. It’s one of my favorite dog parks in the city for two reasons.

  1. It’s in the neighborhood
  2. It’s pavement instead of the typical gross mulch that lives in most dog runs.

To say Lady was over the moon would be an understatement.

Check out the last photo to see what I mean.

For now, I’ll be dreaming of the day when she can finally be off leash in a lush green dog park no matter what time of day (Central Park only allows early am weekend hours).

Good thing it’s just around the corner.

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April 02 2013


I spent the morning shooting pictures for work on the High Line. 
Thank goodness for that hood!
Even with the the current 37 degrees and dagger-like wind chill, it was worth it.
Frozen but smiling!

I spent the morning shooting pictures for work on the High Line.

Thank goodness for that hood!

Even with the the current 37 degrees and dagger-like wind chill, it was worth it.

Frozen but smiling!

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April 01 2013


This morning was perfect.
I rode 1 mile from the West Village to Noho to take care of a quick errand, then headed south cruising through Soho, Chinatown, past City Hall and 2.5 miles later, arrived in Tribeca. 
Around each corner, there was a new street to be seen, a new storefront to discover, a new bakery to catch a whiff of, another close-call with a car to experience……
Winter is over and I couldn’t be more excited to live, eat, breathe and sleep New York City in the upcoming months.

This morning was perfect.

I rode 1 mile from the West Village to Noho to take care of a quick errand, then headed south cruising through Soho, Chinatown, past City Hall and 2.5 miles later, arrived in Tribeca. 

Around each corner, there was a new street to be seen, a new storefront to discover, a new bakery to catch a whiff of, another close-call with a car to experience……

Winter is over and I couldn’t be more excited to live, eat, breathe and sleep New York City in the upcoming months.

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April 01 2013


When SC announced their DC location

soulcyclegifs:

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To all my Washingtonian friends…..

!!!!

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