Road tripping

I was off on the road again for a short trip to NYC a few weekends back. The view into the city from the Lincoln tunnel is nothing short of amazing. Arriving into New York City gets me every time, you really feel you've arrived somewhere big and grand.

I was there to help out a friend with a trade show, tour the city for a few days, and pick up some trend forecasting material for 2013/2014 from Indigo. Always good to stay on top of industry trends and to have material to help formulate ideas, one year in advance.

The Streets of New York and the Color Red

Call me crazy but I love taking street photography. Not street style - the streets themselves. How can any street be more exciting and more alive than the center of it all, Times Square?

It rained just before I took my camera out and I had to run into the Forever21 to take cover. Lucky for me, it's the shop that never sleeps, they close at 2am apparently. Yes 2am! I've gone late night shopping at the Sephora in Times Square before, trying to pick out the perfect shade of red, because I decided at that moment I wanted to wear a bright red lip. Call it the impulse of New York. Or the magical lure of fashion trends.

I was shooed out at midnight clutching one stick of lip color in hand, befittingly called DragonGirl.

New York City: Top 5 Things to Do in 2012

This year, my annual pilgrimage to the Big Apple was accompanied by my family. I normally fly home to Vancouver to visit my parents, but they love Broadway so much (taking me to see Phantom of the Opera when I was 12), we decided to meet in New York to catch some plays and spend time together. My love for theater probably stems from my early exposure to my dad's obsession with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Broadway shows. Also, further explains my spontaneous 'jazz hand' moves.

There is never enough time to spend in New York, so there is always something new to see each time I visit. Last year, it was seeing the McQueen exhibit and watching a performance from the New York Ballet Company.

This year, my top 5 must things to do in New York are: 

1. Catch a Musical. If you are going to see one musical in New York, get tickets to Once the Musical, and you will not be disappointed. The actors carry the story line and also perform on stage as the musical accompaniment. Brilliant, creative and highly memorable.
2. Visit the High Line Park. Modern and historical, the park is a calm and open space to explore the skyline and escape the hustle of New York.
3. Shop the Brookyln Flea Market. For delicious bites, vintage finds and a taste of hipster style, it's the busiest hangout on the weekends in Brooklyn.
4. Visit a Museum. There are so many museums to see in NY, but my favorite is a toss up between the MOMA and the MET. The MET won out this year since they have a special fashion exhibition, Prada and Schiaparelli, on until August.
5. Walk the Brooklyn Bridge. For scenic views of lower Manhattan. You can also see iconic buildings from the distance on a clear day. Bonus: it's free, but you'll need to use your feet!

Brooklyn Bridge

Central Park

Tapas at Pipa, NYC

The High Line HighLight

The High Line was one of the highlights of my New York trip. I went on the urging of my friends who have visited before and from ogling the beautiful photography on their official website. You can practically get me to go anywhere if you present me with a well taken photo.

 

A mixture of old and modern, the High Line was once an elevated rail structure now converted into a modern walkway/park. With elements of art and design scattered along the park, the open space is a new way to explore the city. 

Brooklyn Flea Market

I love New York, but I especially love Brooklyn for its own creative vibe. Every weekend there's a Flea Market in Brooklyn with a wide selection of vendors selling antiques, vintage, jewelry and food.

It was a hot sunny afternoon at the Brooklyn Flea Market in Williamsburg and we came with our appetites. Stalls from well known food trucks and local joints were lined up near the entrance, ranging from lobster roll sandwiches, taquitos and corn-on-the-cob.

Best find was the frozen chocolate covered bananas. It's dangerous to come here on an empty stomach as you could easily spend your money just tasting all the bites.

If you're looking for antique and vintage furniture, there was a plethora of odds and ends in different stalls. There was a lot of people walking away with great finds.

New York State of Mind

New York makes me feel alive. There's just so much happening in such a condensed city, it's equally stimulating and exhilarating. My all time favorite places to check out are Soho, Bleecker Street, Brooklyn, and of course, Broadway for the odd musical and show.

We saw the musical "How to Succeed in Business" featuring Daniel Radcliffe (that guy from Harry Potter), by scoring lottery tickets in the morning when the theater just opened. It saved us a ton of money, but only gave us more reason to shop. 

Soho

Bryant Park

Streets of Soho

Hide-Chan Ramen in Midtown

Locanda Verde in TriBeCa

Chrysler building

Times Square

Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty at the MET

I was in New York City last week with my sister to see the Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibit at the MET. Though you could barely move through the galleries as the museum was packed with so many people, the exhibit is a must see.

The clothing was beautifully displayed along with video installations from some of his best and most experimental seasons, including the chess inspired collection "It's Only A Game," the box within a box "Voss" collection, and his last realized collection "Plato's Atlantis." After years of just imagining what his garments looked like, I could finally examine the embroideries, textures and workmanship up close. It is absolutely pure genius. One dress was made from medical slides dyed red.

The highlight of the exhibition is definitely the ethereal hologram of Kate Moss from the "Widows of Culloden" collection, played to the melody of Schindler's List.

source: AP photo of Atlantis collection, shot of miniature Armadillo shoe

“You’ve got to know the rules to break them. That’s what I’m here for, to demolish the rules but to keep the tradition.”

—Alexander McQueen

Brooklyn Renegade Craft Fair

Since the weather looked promising and we were in the neighborhood, we wandered over to the Brooklyn Renegade Craft Fair in Williamsburg on Sunday. There was an overwhelming amount of vendors lining Mcarren Park with cute jewelry, ceramics and screen printed shirts.

I did manage to find myself in the food area as I have a slight weakness for sweets. I couldn't resist the frozen yogurt served from the mobile food truck called Joyride.

After being in Williamsburg for just a few hours, I had the strange urge to buy a small cute dog and get a stenciled arm tattoo as everyone seemed to have one or the other or both!

Joy in a Cup!

My New York Minute

Last Friday, I was whisked away on a surprise trip to New York City to celebrate our anniversary. We were lucky enough to get upgraded to this fancy suite with a private balcony and the most amazing view of New York.

We barely had time to enjoy it as we were busy exploring the city, eating a delicious dinner at L'ecole and catching a performance at the New York City Ballet. I love New York and I will be back again for a planned visit to see the Alexander McQueen exhibition at the Met.