More Photos!

As promised here are some pictures from Chris' visit to the Big City!

-Syd

10 things I love/hate about you, New York

Since I have lived in New York City for more than a month now, I think it's safe for me to make some judgement calls. For anyone who has never lived here, NY is not all about the lights, the fame, the beautiful people, Alicia Keys' concrete jungle, etc. Coming here to vacation is fabulous, but actually surviving here is a different story. I am only telling you of my experience, and yes, what an experience it is to live here. The good and the bad.



I will start with the bad news first. Here are 5 things that I hate about New York:


1. HOMELESS PEOPLE: There are so many of them that I lose count in 1 day. They sleep on the stairs of the subway, in McDonald's bathrooms, in Starbuck's Bathrooms, on the floor at KMart, outside of my dorm, at the Hudson river parks (ruining my lovely time there), in the gutter....you get the picture. Yesterday, I had to move off of the sidewalk so that a homeless woman could push her cart through. The cart took up the WHOLE sidewalk because she had collected so many aluminum cans that the garbage bags that held the cans hung about 4 feet out on either side of the cart. This was only after I saw a woman breast feeding a baby on the street. The street that I work on. A midst hundreds of professionals walking home from work. In front of an upscale gym. No cover, all boob. No shame. Gross. 


2. THE PRICES: I have already complained about how expensive everything is here, but it never ceases to amaze me whenever I have to pull out my debit card. I have told you about the $2.05 cheese roll-up at Taco Bell. The dollar menu does not exist at McDonald's. It's more like a $1.99 menu, and that's the cheapest thing. I spent $4 on a hot dog at Coney Island (however, it was the best hot dog I've ever had). It cost up to $8 just to ride one ride at Luna Park. A glass of wine is $9-12 and a beer is $7-11. The happy hour specials here are still more than the regular drink prices in Mississippi. If you buy a bottle of alcohol at the club it ranges from $300-500. It cost me $5 every time I want to do laundry (so I just wear dirty clothes...I know, I'm gross, but so is everyone else that lives here). Groceries are ridiculous, $6 for sandwich meat, $5 for milk, $14 for a 6 pack of beer and $20 for my contact solution. Oh yeah, and $2,000 a month for an apartment that's the size of a closet on the 10th floor with no elevator. 


3. THE NATIVES: Everyone is very rude here. They will bump into you and not say sorry. They don't say please or thank you. They are impatient. They don't hold doors. They are ALWAYS in a hurry. It almost makes me want to stop being nice to people because no one is nice to me. I'm only referring to the strangers or the people that I come in contact with on a daily basis, the friends I've made here are awesome and the people I work with are great. Also, I've noticed the words that people use here. They use the words "sick" and "mad" a lot....and they don't use them in the way I do. Example: "That club was so crazy sick! I had a mad good time. Mad respect, dude". I only wish I was cool enough to use those words. Also, people only say parts of words like delish, amaze, totes, fave, obvi, jeal, etc. If you don't know what those words mean, then you're with me - it takes me an extra minute to process peoples sentences sometimes. Finally, there is an overuse of the word "obsessed" here. No, I don't really believe that you are actually "obsessed" with salad and goat cheese. Nor do I believe that you are "obsessed" with that new tote you just paid $400 for. 


4. GETTING LOST / NOT HAVING A CAR: Like I've mentioned before, not having an iPhone (or any phone with a GPS) is a disadvantage. I can look up directions before I leave my computer, but if don't get off on the right subway stop or go into the wrong subway station, it's hard to correct. Especially when I have (more than once) swiped my unlimited Metro card in the wrong station, and then I have to wait 18 min to swipe it again at the correct station. There is no feeling like being lost in the city by yourself. If I had the money, I would take a cab everywhere. The subways are gross but incredibly fast. You can go 10 blocks in 10 seconds! However, the way that people pack themselves in the cars is awful. They just shove themselves in there because it can take up to 20 min sometimes to wait for the next train....and people stink and there are rats.  


5. LABELS, LABELS, LABELS: I expected this, and it's true, everyone is overly concerned with labels, designer brands, etc. So much so that people are willing to pay for crap
...just because it says Marc Jacobs on the inside. Ok, so this shirt is for a good cause, but NO ONE would buy it if it wasn't produced by a designer. Obviously, I have respect for fashion designers and the industry, but it's not all about labels. Fashion is much more than that. 


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There is a good side to everything! Here are the top 5 things I LOVE about New York.


1. INSTANT SATISFACTION: Because of the overabundance of stuff in the city, whatever your heat desires can be yours at anytime during the day. Food, shows, shopping, nightlife, activities, and things...lots of things. Arielle gave a perfect example of this one weekend,  "I love that we were just at this crazy Asian club and then the next minute we were sitting in a diner eating pancakes." It happens that fast. Even though the subways are gross, they are super efficient. You can be anywhere in the city in minutes just by hopping on a subway train. 


2. THE VARIETY: Variety is the spice of life. There are sooooooo many things to do here. So many that it's overwhelming. If you don't have a plan and a place to go, it is impossible to just stumble upon something here. There are hidden gems and overly touristy spots. There are the top clubs in the world and there are the worst bars I've ever seen. If you want expensive and glamorous, you got it. If you want a local good time and a low key atmosphere, you got it. There is definitely something for everyone here! I've been to some great clubs and also some really bad, nasty places....but it's all about the experience of getting to witness it all!


3. THE FOOD: I know that I have already talked about how much I love eating here, but it's true. I would've never experienced the types of food that I've had here anywhere else. I've had the best of everything. It was here that first I had falafel sandwich, eggplant lasagna, clam sauce, sweet potato fries (I know they have those everywhere, but not like the ones I've had here), fresh cooked tortillas, gyros, gelato, $15 cocktails (worth every penny), and the best desserts including cheesecake and handmade chocolates. Brunch here is OUTSTANDING. Every restaurant has brunch. It is so relaxing getting to eat hearty breakfast food on a Saturday or Sunday morning and drinking the best cup of coffee I've ever had. You can't beat NY food.


4. CELEBRITY SIGHTINGS: Living in New York, you are bound to run into celebrities. Not only do celebs live here, own restaurants and clubs here, perform at all the NY venues, but they also walk around like normal people....crazy, I know. So far I've seen Kristen Schaal, a correspondent on the Daily Show, Mario Cantone who plays Anthony on Sex and the City, Alex and Simon from the Real Housewives of New York, and THE Tim Gunn from Project Runway. 

5. FASHION, FASHION, FASHION!: I mentioned that I dislike the fact that everyone has to wear name brands here, but that doesn't really have anything to do with me loving the fashion industry....it just shows how pretentious people are here. Fashion is the heartbeat of this city. Here, it's not stupid to major in fashion. Fashion is the largest thing happening here. I am surrounded by designer names, press kits, confidential information on designers and collections, runway show archives, etc. It is incredible to be immersed in something that I dream, think and drool over back at home. Fashion Week was a facade that I followed every season, but here, it's a reality....a reality that I am apart of. The opportunities in fashion are endless here. However, I will not be staying here after my internship because it is not very realistic for me at this point. But if this city is where I need to be in the future, then bring on the fashion!

-Syd

Weekend Update!

Sorry that it has been a while since my last post. This weekend was pretty hectic/fun/stressful/sunburnt/awesome. This weekend was full of festivities and FOOD! My favorite part about NYC is the variety of food offered here. There is no where else in the world that you can eat the best Mexican, Italian, Southern Style, Asian, American or French food in the same weekend. 


Friday
After becoming miserably full at Carmine's, we walked to the small but inviting Magnet Theatre to see a long-form improv show with Jarrod (and the rest of the gang). The suggestion was "Penicillin", so they did a 45min show just based on that one word.

Saturday 
We used this day to recover from (my) week of work and failed attempts to meet up with my friends after work. The last thing I wanted to do was walk more. Chris and I ate at Dos Caminos in the Meatpacking District. We had made to order guacamole, tacos and enchiladas.

Chicken tacos!!

The best guacamole EVER!

Happy food!

Sunday

Brunch is probably my favorite meal of the day, and unfortunately it is only served on Saturday and Sundays. Chris and I woke up and ate at La Botegga in the Maritime Hotel. One of my NYC roommates, Arielle, works there as a hostess. It was raining.*Side note* it is miserable when it rains here because there is no getting out of walking. But we went instead and had a very lovely time and drank about 5 cups of coffee each.

Coffee with sugar cubes

Lox bagel

THE MET

We also saw the Alexander McQueen exhibit at the MET. 2nd time for me, first time for Chris. We stood in line for an hour and a half, but it was so worth it!

Lee McQueen (1969-2010) committed suicide at the age of 40. He was known for his impeccable tailoring, the juxtaposition of strength and fragility in his work and his extremely provocative shows that left his audience feeling uneasy and sometimes disturbed. He was a great talent and will be missed by the fashion industry.

My review of Southern Hospitality

After the exhibit, we ate at Justin Timberlake's restuarant, Southern Hospitality. We, of course, were very critical of the quality of the food and atmosphere. The wait staff wore shirts that had the Tennessee flag and the area code (901) on them. The girls complemented their southern pride shirts with bandannas and jorts. There were country music lyrics lit up around the restaurant and there was a ram skull in the bathroom that was made to look like an outhouse. The tables were covered in red and white picnic pattern tablecloths and we were given a roll of paper towels instead of napkins. Needless to say, they went overboard with the whole "southern charm" theme. 

The food, however, I cannot knock. It was so good, I only wish I could've eaten it all! Jay ordered chicken and waffles against our waiter's suggestion of the BBQ pork sandwich. The chicken and waffles, in Jay's words were "bangin". Since I am picky about my BBQ, I chose not to be let down and ordered fried chicken with mashed potatoes and cole slaw. We ordered 2 pitchers of beer even though is was hard to pass up the cleverly named "901derful" drink that was on the menu *sarcasm*.  I even found that the waitstaff was not very knowledgeable about the owner, Mr. JT. Some NY locals that were eating next to us inquired about the whole "901" theme. All the waiter could tell them was that 901 was the name of JT's brand of tequila. I had to inform them of the rest and unfortunately make the waiter look dumb....sorry!

In conclusion, Southern Hospitality has great food with a large side of a misinformed waitstaff and stereotypical gimmick-y decor. I was able to eat fried (very fried) food and drink lots of beer, so all-in-all I was happy with our choice of restaurant. At least there were no quotes that said "Put some south in your mouth". 

Monday - Happy 4th!

What is more American than attending a Nathan's Famous hot dog eating contest?! We traveled an hour on the subway to Coney Island just in time to watch the devouring ensue. We stood in the mass of people while we watched and grimaced at history in the making. 

After watching the spectacle that was a gross misuse of food, we rode carnival rides, ate snow cones and baked in the hot sun. 

Chris made this picture of the Cyclone look really creepy....This was probably the most violent ride I've ever been on

At the end of the day, we couldn't leave Coney Island without eating some Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs!

Chili - Cheese- Ketchup

Sun burnt and tired on the way back to Manhattan for the fireworks! (Chris found out very quickly that long subway rides do not bode well for people who get carsick)

Fireworks!

I cannot begin to tell you about the crowds that were in the streets on NY this past Monday. But what a great city to be in on the 4th! We thought that we could sit in the parks along the Hudson to watch, but then we soon found out that the grass was for VIPs and everyone else had to sit in the street...gross. Fortunately, Jarrod has a very welcoming friend who lives in an apartment building that has a rooftop view of the Hudson. Score! But, because of the masses of people, it was very hard to get food, go up the elevator, call each other, find each other, etc. In the end it all worked out and we saw an amazing fireworks show!

View from the rooftop, can you see all the people rushing the streets?

Amazing view 45 stories up

That is all for now until I get more pictures from Chris' camera, then I will post! Thanks for reading!

-Syd

Lost and Found

After I got off work today, I attempted meet up with my friends from home (Chris, Jay, Mac, Amber and Emily), but I got very lost somewhere in the west side. Long story....but I don't have an iPhone and I've found that to be a disadvantage here. Needless to say, I was not in the best mood as I was wandering aimlessly throughout the city when I could have been spending  valuable time with my boyfriend!....poo

I finally took a cab to the World Trade Center to meet up with them and then we made our way to Times Square. We decided to eat at Carmine's,"NYC's Legendary Family Style Italian Restaurant". I went to this restaurant when I came to NYC 2 years ago with my school's Fashion Industry Study Tour. It was one of my goals to eat here again when I came this summer. 


I can honestly say that I have never had better Italian food in my whole life. After waiting for 30 minutes at the bar, I found my happy mood. There were so many good things to choose from, but after our waiter described the seafood special, there was no question what we were ordering!

Pasta with clam sauce and shrimp, scallops, calamari, muscles and clams!

 I ate my money's worth of shell fish, for sure.

My happy

Doesn't get any better than this....

-Syd