Last Weekend in Brooklyn

The weather is finally nice--thank goodness!  My roommate and I decided to go for a walk by the water since the temperature had hit 70 degrees.  We started at the bottom of Brooklyn--on 100th Street and 3rd Avenue.  We walked all the way up to 77th street where we found an amazing pier that you could see the city from.  I had to be a tourist and take a picture pinching the Statue of Liberty!

There were many people jogging, biking, playing with their kids--it was a great day to be outside.  What amazed me the most was how far I can walk now and not be worn out!  We walked from 100th Street up to 70th Street and back down to 100th Street and I didn't even complain! I guess I finally have gotten broken into the city.

This weekend we moved to 36th Street and 7th Avenue in MANHATTAN! It's pretty much real estate heaven.  Pictures will soon follow with awesome stories about living in THE CITY!

Carmine's-A Place Everyone Can Love

For the most part, I try to try new things every chance I get.  However, Carmine's keeps calling me to revisit.  It's an excellent, semi-fancy Italian restaurant in Times Square.  My sorority advisor, Heather Adams, took my friends and I here on our first night in NYC.  Since then, I've taken everyone who has come to visit me to Carmine's.

It's "family-style," so you get a HUGE plate of food (enough for 4-6 people) for $25.  It's REAL Italian food and it's delicious!  Carmine's is right in the middle of the Theater District, so it's a perfect dinner option to try before a Broadway play.  I made reservations for when my mom and her sisters are coming up in April & I don't have to be nervous about whether they will like it or not because I really think it's a place everyone can love.

I feel bad for people who have to wait in line....

I've found the secret (or not so secret) way to enjoy New York nightlife: KNOW SOMEONE!

A co-worker of mine has a friend who is a club promoter.  This means he gets paid to invite his friends to awesome nightlife spots.  We recently attended the opening of the Hudson Terrace-a new rooftop club overlooking the river.  It was freezing outside & I was so relieved when our whole group of about 10 people (guys and girls) got to bypass the huge line & ride right up to the top of the roof and then receive our own lounge area free of charge.  We had a fun time feeling like VIPs.

 I also learned a new clubbing word.  Apparently, if you describe a club as a "zoo," that means there are a lot of random people there.  Hudson Terrace was definitely a zoo--a mix of old, young, foreign, cute people, not cute people, etc.

The decor was cute-white couches, curtains, small tables, and a huge dance floor.  It will definitely be more fun in the summer when it will be open air.

An AOII Day in NYC

AOII was founded at the Barnard College library in 1897 by 4 incredible women.  Every year, all the AOIIs in Manhattan get together to celebrate Founder's Day at the beginning of the new year.  I was VERY excited to be able to join this outing and see where AOII was founded.

The day started off with the famous New York brunch.  We enjoyed ours at the Arte Cafe on West 76th street.  There are many cute cafes all over the city that offer excellent brunch menus accompanied by unlimited mimosas and champagne.  Ours was no let-down.  I enjoyed a HUGE waffle and was able to network with fellow AOII New Yorkers.  They even let me read a portion of the Founder's Day message.

After a wonderful brunch, we rode the subway up to 116th street to Barnard College only to find that THE LIBRARY HAD BEEN TORN DOWN!! But we took a picture at the entrance anyway.

Even though the library wasn't there, it was still a magical day for me knowing that the AOII founders had walked on the same sidewalks I walked on!

Cupcakes!!

New York tries to claim everything---fame, opportunity, pizza, and now cupcakes!  I was told that I HAD to eat a cupcake in New York, so of course I didn't complain.  Every one I've had so far tastes the exact same--not homemade, they taste like they come from a factory in the midwest or something--and they are HUGE!  I still haven't found one that compares to my funfetti homemade ones, but I'll keep trying! :)

Christmas in the City

                                               The Christmas tree at the Rockefeller Center

There is no place that will put you in the Christmas-spirit like New York can. (Ok, ok, Gatlinburg wins...but besides that...)  I'm so glad I got to interview for my job before Christmas so that I could see all the beautiful decorations.  & I'm so glad that they don't really take down the decorations until the end of January-kind of weird-but I love Christmastime, so it's a good thing. :)

Ground Zero-another one I'm not a fan of

Even though it's just a short trip from anywhere on the Downtown E train.  Ground Zero isn't really worth the time right now.  This is what you'll see :

It's just a big construction site right now.  They are going to make a really cool memorial with waterfalls and cool things, but right now, it's a bunch of cranes.  However, it IS quiet! I had always heard that it was quiet down there & it truly is, except for the people saying "Is that it??"