Tag: amy’s list

1. monica visited me this past weekend and life immediately got 10x more wonderful. i tried to show her my version of portland through the few good friends i’ve made here thus far instead of forcing participation in misc plug and play fun time activities. highlights/mvp’s included river swims + sun bathing at rooster rock with launa, michael, and ryan, dinner + dessert with emily, maggie, and christopher, and goo gone delivery + stoop sitting with eddye and bo. fyi, universe: i would not be upset if monica decided to repatriate and make portland her new home.
2. clear skies, deep blue breaths. everyone says i came at the right time. cautiously optimistic.
3. all the murals here feel like they were painted just a few hours before i stumbled upon them. bold, unapologetic fuckers. this one is in southeast and reminds me of bowery & houston.
4. i left my [now discontinued] joe fresh aviators at michael’s 4th of july bbq east of se 82nd, never to be heard from again. rip officer marsh (may 2013 – july 2015). let the record reflect, i am very fond of these classic gold ray-ban aviators and ship most things to my work address.
5. i feel prickly and weird right now and decided that’s okay. quitting, packing, moving, breaking, hurting, healing – an onslaught of all the prickly, weird things all at once (not sure how else i’d be). at least the universe is always in its perfect order … even if it doesn’t feel like it, at all.

1.  this is a picture of me all tuckered out. news flash = it’s really difficult to feel fully nested when you’re missing major pieces of furniture and readily accessible funds to do a goddamn thing about it. this being my current steez, i now spend the majority of my penniless down time between non-rent paychecks rearranging all the furniture i do have in an attempt to prove i have autonomy over my own life space, thus pooping myself out on a fairly consistent basis.
2/3.  a few weeks ago, launa invited me to her birthday party on the coast and i said “hell yea” and justin gave me a ride and offered to show me lots of cool, coasty things. to recap, we saw a bunch of rogue sea lions, climbed astoria column, got pizza + beer at fort george brewery, and checked out haystack rock. then we got to launa’s and partied allllll night long. jk. then we got to launa’s and ate chips and chit chatted till like 9:30 and drove home. it. was. awesome.
4.  god bless the internet and its ability to foster deep, genuine relationships. seriously, because of apps like tinder (how i met jonathan) and sites like turntable.fm (how he met launa and justin and a ton of other wonderful pdx people), i moved across the country to a city i’ve visited exactly once and was suddenly blessed with an incredible group of non-work people to befriend and learn from and lean on. just in case no one said it yet today: thank you, internet.
5. the friday before memorial day i attended a killer bbq in northeast where glazed donuts may or may not have been placed on the grill and then topped with grilled pineapple. unconfirmed.

1.  happiness is canceling all my weekend plans, hopping on a plane to portland with less than 24 hours notice, and waking up with the next day’s sun in a hotel king bed next to this guy.
2.  the ace portland is everything i expected, old timey photo booth next to repurposed wood coffee table covered in meticulously unarranged succulents and mason jar terrariums included.
3.  i’m worried i won’t be able to wear converse at my new job. if you’re reading this and can confirm one way or the other, please kindly let me know. the operative word here being “kindly” because if the answer is “nope, ditch those bad boys” i may need a moment. this vvv strong, stubborn, and sensitive taurus can only handle so much unmedicated life change all at once.
4.  it’s getting hard to tell people i’m moving across the country and doing long distance with jonathan when the nearly universal response is “i never thought you’d leave new york. have you ever been to portland? long distance is so hard.” god bless the special few that fill up with pride and exclaim, “that’s awesome! i can totally see you there. ooO long distance sex is amazing!”
5.  fuck fuck fuck i’m almost 29 and i still don’t know how to cook a god damn fucking thing shit.
6.  friday, march 27 is both my last day at work and [what would have been] my dad’s 66th birthday. i keep thinking how much he would have loved jonathan and what huge kicks they’d get out of each other. i bet if he knew where i was headed, he’d be proud of me and thrilled i was moving closer to la la land (“los angeles” in kim-speak). i bet he’d be really proud of me.

*this post is brought you by a recent trip to portland to interview for my dream job.
spoiler alert: it went well.

1.  i’ve been meaning to try sweetgreen for almost a year now. i first read about it in grub street’s roundup of new healthy nyc restaurants (also how i got hooked on dimes) and finally managed to swing by over thanksgiving. i went for the ever-popular kale chicken cesear because the guy in front of me ordered it and he seemed to know what was up. good stuff. did not regret.
2.  have you heard of @coffeenclothes? it’s this instagram account run by @ryyyguy and it’s photos of exactly what it sounds like … coffee n’ clothes. i really want to be on it, but every time i think to take a photo i’m usually (a) not wearing anything interesting (b) done with my coffee (c) both. i thought my leopard print whynot entry was a solid contender, but – alas – no dice.
3.  it wouldn’t be a proper amy’s list without at least one dog pic, now would it? big ups to buddy the big blue bottle dog for being fidgety and helping me maintain dog person status elite.
4.  last friday was jwt’s annual holiday party and, much to the dismay of many, it was held in a strange, far away place called “brooklyn.” thankfully, the city folk groans died down after a few open bar drinks were had and people let the good lumberjack themed times roll. sidebar = i made a lil’ website for it so all 200 jwt offices around the world could party along via #jwt150 (the party coincided with jwt’s 150th anniversary). awww look, everyone. baby’s first microsite.
5.  oh, and morgenstern’s is making the only ice cream that matters. 2014 flavor collabs, son.

1.  i flew to california last weekend to partake in hannah and jay’s crazy awesome ojai wedding getaway. thank goodness for love in the age of social media friendship because the moment i instagrammed i was going to ojai, awesomebriancook immediately hit me up with a bunch of killer reccomendations. top of his list was hip vegan which was both hip and vegan.
2.  i need to upgrade my dress-up game stat. my current go to is a black wrap dress + repetto heels + opaque liquid lipstick, but that whole situation is getting super stale. joanna says my power colors are eggplant/emerald and this or this or this might do the trick. ♥ that babe.
3/4.  just realized it’s been quite a long time since i was genuinely wow’d by a landscape view.
5.  took a selfie in my uncle jeff’s house because he, sherry, ben, zach, and andy are such good people and i wanted to remember how good it felt spending time with them in that space.
6.  west coast sun really kicked my fall attitude adjustment into full gear. sup winter. how u?

1.  momo sushi shack is a rad little restaurant out in bushwick that serves up absurdly delicious sushi (see party bomb and pork betty for reference) alongside super solid life advice. have a lot of [good] sex and eat a lot of [killer] sushi? well well well, don’t mind if i do.
2.  last sunday the weather was so ridiculous outstanding (think crisp air, clear skies, mostly sunny, the works) that jonathan and i decided to long walk from east williamsburg towards manhattan until we reached new york by gehry. sidebar → can we see the muff pleasss?
3.  how i managed to not hear about scott’s annual slice out hunger food bank of nyc $1 pizza extravaganza until this year is BEYOND me. i am forever indebted to amy “i have a lot of opinions about pizza” rothberger for bringing this into my life. bless that pie lovin’ babe.
4.  i’m really into that time of year when the temp drops and the sky turns into windows 95.
5.  jonathan’s disdain for pumpkin flavored shit is giving me liiiiiiiiife. peace love internets.

1.  a few saturday mornings ago, the downtown 6 wasn’t running so i ended up walking from my apt in the east village all the way to bethany’s 9am at lyons den in tribeca. i didn’t mind since there’s not a whole lot that’s quite as wonderful as soho before 9am and as i headed down greene street towards canal, i looked up and noticed this strung out mess of gutter shoes hanging out with some of the best fire escape-age in the city. that day was a good day.
2.  jonathan and i rarely hit the same restaurant twice (that’s cheating!), but i think cup & saucer has been given an unspoken pass. not complaining tho, them pancakes don’t play.
3.  we also went to coney island over labor day weekend and, despite the muggy overcast-ness, it was one of the top 5 best days i’ve spent in nyc EVERRR. also … modern photo booths are srsly overpriced ($5 for a single strip!), but the result has made me happier than things i’ve spent $600 on so, like, fuck those boots and the suede bag they came in.
4. candied apples and marshmallow pops are nice, but the dark chocolate nonpareils at william’s candy are where it’s at for me, personally. 1/4 lb bag and a nice long walk? yspls.
5. rockaway beach around 4pm the weekend after labor day is one part lovely two parts lonely.
6.  in case you were wondering, good vibes vvv welcome round these parts. namaste a while.

1.  this daschund is puddle of brown butter adorb-ness and someone better mop him up asap.
2.  last weekend jonathan and i decided to ditch our very exciting “get dinner somewhere” saturday night plans and busted ass to flushing to catch the last half of the mets-giants game instead. bonus round = that night happened to be fireworks night, so we were handsomely rewarded with a post-game light show + baller top 40 radio dj set. turn down for what, indeed.
3.  thanks to double reco’s from both justine and jeremy, i made sure to hit up kensington market when i was in toronto for justine and emmett’s wedding a few weekends ago. man-o-man there’s much to love about that place → good signs, good foods, good dranks, good vibes, good dogs (see pic 1 above) … something for everyone! or … a lot of stuff just for me!
4.  meet blake aka blako aka blakezilla aka jwt’s super duper flash dev ninja star. he’s the best of the best and led the way as digital production caravan’d from midtown west to north w-burg for our hotly anticipated fancy dance-y summer outing. such ♥ and group hugs in da club.
5.  jonathan and i traded nyc for the city of brotherly love this weekend where joanna played hostess wit da mostess, joelogic played funkmaster witout disaster, and philly played real nice wit a side of water ice. tldr i’ll be holding onto this one for a very long time. #practice

1.  the union square greenmarket gets right at my heartstrings every. damn. time. maybe because it reminds me of my hometown farmer’s market where my mom and vivian ran a black market bagel & schmear booth and smuggled skokie’s finest to middle earth america.
2.  this year jkupferman’s 28th birthday fell on a saturday so, to celebrate, we gawked at other people’s dogs, ate separate (but equally delicious) sandwiches, wandered around roosevelt island, rode on a vvv cool tramway, walked foooooorever, napped, carbo-loaded, and saw delta spirit … for free. as jonathan would say, “yeppers. yeshhhhh. would eat again.”
3.  here’s a suggestion → take the 1 train to 191st street and get lost in fort tryon park.
4.  friendly shel silverstein psa → the sidewalk ends around 185th street and the hudson : )
5.  so, i used to think clinton street baking company made the best blueberry pancakes in nyc, but i was wrong. so wrong. they’re actually made by the fine folks of cup & saucer in chinatown. hungry? go now because they close at 7pm which is just like seeeeeriously wtf.
6.  in case you were wondering which nyc street really brings it, the answer is lafayette.

1.  still dreaming about the black rice large plate (eggplant, kale gomae, chili cucumber, bonito, sweet potato mash, grapefruit ginger ponzu, hard boiled egg, avocado) from dimes, a new-ish baby chick food spot on the always baller chinatown les border. decided to end a delightfully unorganized sunday there where i easily snagged an open booth-side window seat, sipped on a fennel-ginger lemonade, dug into the latest cherry bombe magazine, texted my mom to find out what foods she craved while she was pregnant with me, squealed when she replied with her first emoji, and watched the world come down from its 4th of july high. tldr = never better.
2.  meet nancy huang, og foodie and luxury w-burg apt hunter extraordinaire. her master bath? en suite. her rooftop grill? gas and communal. her wraparound view? f-ing incredible.
3.  in case you were wondering if i still take random photos of grow nyc vegetables … i do.
4.  on saturday night i took a selfie with the moon. but, like, nbd. stars → they’re just like us!
5.  last weekend i had the supreme pleasure of being my sister’s date to lindsay & michaela’s #bumpercarwedding in dc. long story short, those ladies put the cool in realfuckingcool.

1.  toby’s estate is killing it in hefty dogs with major personality waiting for their owners to get coffee so he/she can take them on a walk good times. this guy’s nombre? hombre, obviously.
2/3.  i spent last saturday with wifflegif and company picking strawberries at patty’s berries and bunches in mattituck (population 4219 … in case anyone was wondering). i rarely make weekend plans outside of my 263 block radius, so hitting the open road (driving! in zipcars! with boys!) for some wholesome day tripping was a welcomed change of pace. big ups to tinabeans for cruise directing. her strawberry outfit was the envy of us all. dat hat, yo. srsly.
4.  apologies for getting so lj with my last post. sometimes it’s just a hot, tired, semi-sad tues wherein you feel a lot of feels and post about them on the internet. that’s all. red flags down.
5.  i found a way to work an early morning stroll through tompkins sq park and a pit spot at ninth street on 10th street into my friday therapy / work commute. so, yea. fridays? still good.
6.  that’s wifflegif. he likes: obscure bodega beverages, long walks, animated gifs, his iphone, bonchon chicken, making fun and useful things for people to play with, fat cat, smart effortless music discovery, tri-blend concert tees, obeying crosswalk signs, emojis, me.

1...skies like this make me really miss my bike, specifically that one time molly, candice, and i rode out to rockaway park and sunnied ourselves on candice’s pepto pink beach sheet.
2...lately i’ve been trying to be less judgmental slash put down the haterade and relaaaaaaax. for example, i always assumed toby’s estate was too big, too beautiful, too conveniently located to have both good coffee and reliable wi-fi. turns out i was wrong (i.e. hoorayness).
3...got caught in a quickie rainstorm on saturday afternoon while shopping for a little something something (new top? new dress? new shoes? idk sooooooomething) and popped into walter foods to dry off / wait it out / steal an umbrella / have foods. i’m really glad i did because now i can highly recommend the walter breakfast with soft scrambled eggs and bacon (obvs).
4...omg guys bulldog on a skateboard bulldog on a skateboard bulldog on a skateboard.
5/6...on sunday, allie and i went on a lady date whereby i convinced her to take the ferry to governor’s island to check out hammock grove. brb while i look up “worth it” on wikipedia.
7...just a friendly reminder to never move above 14th street … ever.

1...the east village is one of the few nyc neighborhoods in which i’ve never felt judged. i’ve been here 4 years, but i live amongst those who clock over 40 (easy). either way, it’s all the same (all good, even). also, shit used to be really bad – like, buildings on fire all the time bad. then giuliani came in, cleaned up, and asked young people with dogs to move in (i.e. yuppies with babies not welcome). the way i see it, gentrifiers in the ev get a pass (a cat call, even).
2...dumbo is like the sweet, rich, unassuming uncle of all the magical magical bk hoods.
3...there’s something about a perfect set of downtown doors set against a perfect flood of downtown light that just seems to make everything everywhere 100% more than okay.
4...dear de blasio, please use this shade of aquamarine gutter paint as much as possible.
5...if you like to feel like the entire world is your oyster, eat this way and then walk this way.
6...see #1. also, fizzy water reminds me of lauren and now i miss her all over again.

1...it’s been 253 days since i posted one of these. mostly because december→ mid-march was dedicated to finding a full time job with a reasonable salary and above average health care benefits so i only allowed time for two things – furiously looking for a job and furiously riding in place. thankfully, that asinine regime only lasted about 3 months (i got a job with a reasonable salary and above average health care benefits in mid-march). then – big surprise – i actually had to do the new job i got and spent the next 6 months onboarding, failing, flailing, derailing, maintaining, restraining, owning, scoring, flooring, exploring, restoring (working).
2...sometimes, the view from my kitchen window is all i really need to get to tomorrow.
3...when i was younger and acting like a show-boaty pain in the ass, my mom would ask, “amy, what am i going to do with you?” my response was to throw up my hands exclaiming, “LOVE ME!” and then run into the wild suburban yonder, hoping the issue could be dropped forever. i guess what i’m trying to say is → w-burg, i get you but what am i going to do with you?
4...oh, to be a fly on the wall during this french bulldog’s pour over coffee smoke break.
5...other times, the view from my bedroom window is all i really need to get to tomorrow.

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1...per a friend’s recommendation, i finally tried soulcycle. the closest studio is in union square (ugh), but seeing as how i’ve now been to 11 classes in 14 days that’s clearly not enough of a drawback to prevent getting wholly, fully, 1000% completely addicted. awhoops.
2...since moving to the east village over 3 years ago, living half a block from abraço has always topped a long list of reasons why i still love living here. i even remember noting that they were “just around the corner” when i went looking for my very first roommate. anyway, pictured above is co-owner liz quijada (and the woman behind their famous olive oil cake) holding her daughter lily. i am such big fans of these two. best smiles of 2012, by far.
3...it wouldn’t really be a proper amy’s list if i didn’t post something from the union square greenmarket, right? it must be clear by now i walk through this every week. also, roses.
4 & 5...back in october, tristan helped me cross wave hill off my ny to do list. it took a little one on one internet time to figure out that getting there is actually super simple. just live in or visit nyc, head to grand central, chill on metro north for 25min, and get off at riverdale. then be sure to pat yourself on the back for visiting a 28-acre public garden in the bronx overlooking the hudson river and palisades. fancy!

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1...i held off on blogging these photos because it felt inappropriate to post anything but flooded apartment floating parking garage artisanal food truck charging station grinding gridlock snapshots of the city, but since i don’t think i can stomach one more of those i decided to fuck it and move on. i took this on my way home from my office during the last days of the feast san gennaro. i miss the dusk, i miss the lights.
2...i’m supposed to vote at village view housing on tuesday, but no one seems to know if that’s still true. i could really go for a ground up view from inside their derelict playground dome right about now.
3...looks like hercules and xena decided to haul ass to fort greene after their lease was up. gc, guys.
4...i would like very much to go back to wherever, whenever this was taken. i need a big, fat rewind.
5...molly and i biked to 139 basset avenue in mill basin a few sundays ago to see the gaudiest house in new york city. after we found it, we laughed out loud and ate some pizza. it was a fine day.
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1...this dog and dude are totally on the same “why is she wearing overalls and taking my picture” page.
2...freelandbuck had this to say about their slipstream installation at bridge gallery – “it’s integrity as a structure is masked by both its redundancy and bright coloration.” oooooof. ouch. slash, sometimes i worry my integrity is masked by redundancy and bright coloration. ooooooy. i might need a new drug.
3...omg! lauren was here! for a weekend! we went to red hook! it was summer! red hook summer!
4...contrary to popular belief, i am not interested in owning a dog as i’m certain i would be very bad at the important stuff (walking, feeding, training, etc). i am, however, very interested in making more friends who do not mind when i audibly appreciate almost every dog we happen to bump into. coolthxbye.
5...and this is a picture of molly explaining the promo poster for frasier’s new tv show to me / the end.
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1...soooooooo before i talk about why this carpe diem wall poser somewhere in the dregs of soho is my new favorite super righteous dude, i should explain that i just started working here as a production coordinator (what does that mean? idk i’ll look it up). aaaaanyway, their ny office is on a sweetass downtown block and the people watching has been killer (i.e. upping my soho / sobro quota, holla).
2...i finally checked long beach off my list and the waves were superbig and rough, just like i like ’em.
3...something i really adore about my new job is strolling from the east village → bowery → noho → nolita → little italy → work each morning. a delightful way to wake up no matter how you look at it.
4...no man is an island unless that man has decided to park himself in a fancy beach chair on top of an aggressive amount of sand with a lot of unchecked authority. then i guess, yea, he’s a bit of an island.
5...in case you didn’t notice, i try to make every day a meet cool dog while grabbing a cup of coffee day.
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1...i’m pretty sure this end is nigh sidewalk dog in greenpoint was my inspiration for hauling ass to philly after realizing i hadn’t left the city since my spur of the moment costa rican getaway back in february.
2...per her request, i sent joanna a list of 15 things i wanted to do while in philly (huge thank you to the nytimes for this and this) and she made good on almost everything including, “lay out and / or swim.”
3...don’t cry over a giant bag of spilled m&m’s especially when they’re the weird pastel kind and it’s 94°.
4...until jo’s dad corrected me, i thought this was a burmese mountain dog. as it turns out, this is a bernese mountain dog (i.e. originating from bern, switzerland not burma, southeast asia). awhooops.
5...na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na bat-van.
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1...my best friend’s family was in town and they very kindly let me cruise direct some adventures (i.e. dan asked for 1 or 2 suggestions and i drafted a super awesome itinerary instead). around 3pmish, i tried to take everyone here, but since it wasn’t set to open until 5pm, i quickly swerved everyone to reynards. a few wood-roasted olives and manhattan king viewings later, all wait time had been forgotten.
2...fine people of the internet, i would like you to meet joe dobies. in addition to being 1/2 the reason my best friend exists, he is also the world’s greatest what-to-order-er. i’ll have whatever he’s having, forever.
3...beware the ides of march, but befriend the ides of williamsburg. it’s fun, it works – – – > i like it.
4...holy moly, did anyone mention it is hot as fucking hades in this city right now? no? well, it is.
5...this nude reminds me = one time in college when joanna was on her laptop not really paying attention to her surroundings (i.e. me), i took off my brandeis sweatpants and demanded, “draw me.”
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1...i’m a taurus which means not only am i violently hostile to change and quick to oversimplify complex matters, but that i also switch into hyper-loyal autopilot once i decide i like something. so, despite a 2hr commute to queens and a staff of crabby meankids (the worst!), i like rockaway taco.
2...a few weekends ago, candice, molly, and i decided to tackle the bike ride from williamsburg to rockaway park (roughly 18 miles, one way). we met at blue bottle ass early on sunday to caffeinate and gameplan beforehand and there we discovered each of us was in it for fairly different reasons – candice for the food, molly for the ride, and me for the burn. really though, i’m almost always in it for the burn.
3...the coney island mermaid parade was terrifying. usually i’m fine with crowds / crazies, but this was wayyy too much. i wanted to leave the moment i got there and so, after 30min, i did. sorryimnotsorry.
4...sometimes, i just really need a tall glass of water and an above ground subway stop. that’s all.
5...also, whenever i see something (anything!) that remotely resembles a flag, i immediately go here.
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1...sometimes, when life gives you lemons, you just have to throw on some gym clothes and take down your own damn “man, bear, on the rocks” studio art final, ya know? srsly, we’ve all been there, girl.
2...i hastily took this photo while running to catch a manhattan bound f train at the 4th ave / 9th st station in park slope. like any city dweller, i secretly love a few good lines and these were no exception.
3...on my way home from improv 101 last week, i walked through a construction site and noticed a worker had cemented a cell phone into the sidewalk. well well well, how do ya like them apples?
4...obviously, the tompkins square halloween dog parade is my all-time favorite east village event, but the 900 foot long blank canvas that wraps around the park for the howl festival makes a close second.
5...there will never be such a thing as too many dogs on this blog. never ever ever ever ever ever.
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1...i’ve said it before and i’ll say it again – – – > you don’t always have to look up to see the good stuff.
2...big red doors make everything better. add in a baller dog & a happy punk? you’ve got yourself a party.
3...i can’t stop wondering when that next shut up stop worrying don’t think about it just do it door i’m supposed to open is going to reveal itself. the twins say june 12, but they’re only right 99.7% of the time.
4...fat or skinny? i know how these two will respond, but rihanna and i ran out of fucks to give.
5...and then this one time i saw a dog waiting patiently for a giant sesame bagel and dirty crack coffee.
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1...last week, dan and i camped out at ninth street to work separately, silently for an entire afternoon. when i finally looked up, i realized i hadn’t felt that quiet or comfortable or productive all f-ing year.
2...in terms of bluest skies, last weekend was a total teacher’s pet. not complaining, just saying.
3...they’re showing a lot of florals right now, so i was thinking… (florals? for spring? ground breaking)
4...sarah, molly, and i spent all day saturday laughing in mccarren park, incredulously browsing the brooklyn flea, taking the east river ferry to dumbo, laying out in brooklyn bridge park, and walking someone else’s long haired dachshund. unfortunately, i think this means we’re the ladies.
5...i wanna be made (into a twenty something dude living and working and dating in new york).

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1...cutting through tompkins always seems to add a dash of yes yes yes to my all day everyday.
2...the line for mighty quinn’s bbq brisket sandwich at smorgasburg in williamsburg has been especially epic the past few weeks so i have yet to see what the big deal is – – – > update coming soon.
3...and while the line for dough is no less mighty than mr. quinn’s, the payoff is certainly sweet.
4...seeing as how i’ve not only attended smorgasburg multiple times, but also worked the bk flea in fort greene and williamsburg and attended day one of the hester street fair, i’m having a very fairy may.
5...if these paws could talk . . . they’d probably say something like “we are funny looking end of story.”
6...mile end sandwich just opened in my favorite downtown cross section = trilowstor (the triangle between lafayette and bowery from houston to astor place). hide yo kids, hide yo wife, tell yo friends.

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1...i’ve been thinking pretty seriously about giving up on romance (unconditional love in the city? reallywhere?), but then i met a husky outside blue bottle who had the softest ears in the whole wide borough. maybe instead of throwing out the baby with the tap water, i can just stop and pet the huskys.
2...i can’t speak for summer, but spring is playing to win this year. april showers bring may flowers, yo.
3...googling “movies with great danes” has led me to the most incredible archive ever. beaches! private benjamin! for love or money! looks like it might be time for a great dane in a movie night . . .
4... the storefront facade on 97 kenmare street is the collaborative brainchild of artist vito acconci and architect steven holl. like a party favor snap bracelet, it’s quick and neat and easy to forget.
5...this city is a giant, gentle beast held together by good timing and brute strength. i love living here.

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1...i’ve never had serious problems with allergies before, but, oh my god, this year is turning out to be a really gross exception to that rule. spring 2012 is the booger apocalypse. hide yo kids, hide yo wife.
2...it’s really strange not having an office to small talk the weather with so if anyone would like to facetime and discuss today’s 10 day or hourly, i’d most definitely be down. we can also determine whether or not you had a nice weekend and if you’re doing anything exciting this summer. coolthxbye.
3...that spray paint looks like jelly fish / this pizza tastes like trash / them pandas don’t get old.
4...building siblings from left to right – – – > their eldest who shoplifted from cvs that one time, their middle weirdo who joined the army and has a pet snake, their youngest ivy wonder asset manager.
5...something in my routine feels slightly broken so i’ve been working on a grand plan to fix it.

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1...woah woah woah – – – > grace church has been doing graceful churchy things on broadway between 10th and 11th since 1846 (166 years!) and they’re getting a new organ tooOooOOOOooO.
2...i mean, i hear you. i’m just not sure if this city really needs another schoolbus full of wheatgrass.
3...yes, the wi-fi at ‘snice is sick sad superslow, but their apple bran muffin is perfectly bland (i love it).
4...it took me a really long time to warm up to the hipster windchill at blue bottle coffee, but lord knows i’m a sucker for absurd, abundant natural light. a giant window garage front door? ugh. i die everytime.
5...last week i didn’t know a damn thing until i saw spring had sprung in the middle of st marks.
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1...looks like retna is the latest to tag the houston street wall, but barry mcgee’s is still my favorite.
2...i’m in a fresh flowers in the apartment phase and my bodega dude on the se corner of 9th & 1st ave knows what’s up – – – > tulips for the vase in the kitchen + something bright / fragrant for the hallway.
3...black black…..p..i..n..k..!…..black black black black black black black black black black black black.
4...last saturday, dan’s mom and i met up for an adorable astor afternoon and walked to bond no. 9 to figure out some fragrances. outside we found this key and inside we talked about this a+ book.
5...on my way home from 9th st, i stumbled on an east village nowruz party in the community garden on 9th & c. traditionally, iranian children jump over a bonfire during nowruz to burn out the fear in the subconscious / spirit in preparation for a healthy, happy new year. cool! l’shana tova, kiddos.
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1...march scared the shit out of me. i know spring is an afterthought and that in a few fast weeks summer is going to punch this city in the fucking nose. so when 2/29 turned into 3/1, it made the past 3 months feel like i had sprinted across moving sidewalks only to lose my balance on the final stretch, fighting, flailing, falling up some stairs to summer. so i got up, stopped worrying, and took myself to the park.
2...i’ve been thinking a lot about neighborhoods. i’m not sure whether i can or will stay in my apartment after my lease is up and, while that’s not until the end of september, i keep wondering if there’s any other place i could live that would make me as happy as the east village has. this one makes me think maybe.
3...street trash on 1st ave is getting really ridiculous. i mean, what is a “cutters must” list? #dark
4...i’d like to stop using meaningless phrases like “it’s just that,” hesitating before jumping off cliffs, and playing new songs on repeat until the intro makes me nauseous. it’s just that i can’t (so i won’t).
5...when i train it to bk yoga and walk up these stairs, i always think, “quit yelling and i might.”
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1...i’m not a smoker, but i’d give anything to experience one of those middleoftheday, middleofthedeal, middleofthedate real life escape smoke breaks. there’s so much sex and swag in that pregnant pause.
2...sometimes, i wander ‘round these parts and think i’ve seen and done every block and blast and blonde the ev has to offer and then, other times, i remember to lift my head and chin up, chair up.
3...someone tagged the nolita rag & bone and i’d like to thank them for serving up one smartass serif.
4...friday with an out of towner can only mean one thing → a reason to revisit this baller exhibit.
5...{ clink clink clink }..i am proud to announce that after spending one thousand three hundred and fifty eight glorious days of my adult life as a full-year resident of new york, i have now been to the met.
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c l a p .
c l a p .

c l a p .

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1...the day before i left for costa rica, the city was downswinging . . . hard. hands in, heads down, shoulders up, shoulders up, shoulders up, it was a point-a to point-b midwinter festivus for the rest of us.
2...on the way to 826nyc last week, i decided to pay a little homage to able parris’ daily kentile. considering i shoot all of these posts with an outdoor use only waterproof disposable camera, i was pleased+ with how it turned out. noise canceling headphone smiles at my local walgreens, for sure.
3...i think some of my old steady, don’t stand so close, i can’t take two trips, what is this, what do you want, are we there, are we lost, are we late, are we done, are we cool, lifewalls might be coming down.
4...my crush on red hook is becoming an issue. i think about van brunt street all the time and i’ve started to swerve to fort defiance in the middle of the day for absolutely no reason. fuck, i need a new drug.
5...back in december, i posted about hacking at my ny to do list and i said, “i think it’s changing my life. i can’t stop looking up.” well, two months later, and it’s still all life changing, all up looking...w..h..e..w .

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1...i went to london over thanksgiving to visit my sister and, despite the so so weather, it was one of the best trips i have been on in such a long time. not only was it a relief to fly across the ocean for something other than work or a tragedy, but it was also a total pleasure spending the holiday with my one and only big sister. i love her a hell of a lot (and not just because she’s a baller who always makes it rain).
2...occupy london was so discreet and quiet, boring almost. then we looked up and the sky cleared.
3...when i got back to the city, i finally finished writing my ny to do list and starred everything in my google maps account so i could have a super accessible and fully fleshed out resource of personalized adventures to go on while taking december and january off. i’ve been hacking away at it every day (sometimes with friends, sometimes without) and i think it’s changing my life. i can’t stop looking up.
4...for the first time in a long, long time, i really don’t know what’s next. i’m out there alright, hacking at a path and trying to find my way using every tool i possibly can, but fuck if i know where i’m going.

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1...omg, guys. it’s the moon. the moon! there’s really nothing quite like it (except maybe the sun).
2...the only reason i’m still holding on to my sex & the city collector’s edition box set is one part my infinity crush on steve brady and one part the “this pizza tastes like garbage” episode.
3...people watching at 9th street on any given morning is always always exactly where i want to be.
4...if there is ever a question about what i was like as a kid, this young lady will be more than happy to paint a detailed picture for you (or you can ask my sister to tell you about the time i yelled at a gorilla).
5...small dogs make me slightly sad and uncomfortable due to their smallness and my ability to squash them too easily-ness. this one was tolerable enough, but still. too small! too. damn. small.

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1...i’m an intense creature of habit so doing the same thing every weekend really doesn’t bother me especially when that same thing is camping outside 9th street, enjoying my favorite raspberry muffin / an incredible cup of coffee, and hanging out with other people’s dogs for a solid 2 to 3 hours.
2...the big gay ice cream shop is finally open and lauren, daniel, and i somehow managed to find a no-line-around-the-corner window of time to order our respective bea arthurs and salty pimps.
3...there will always be hard days ahead, but it just so happens laughing through them helps bigtime.
4/5...my sister was in town this weekend (she lives in london) and, thanks to her willingness to partake in some aimless village wanderings, we stolled down leafy streets i have never strolled down before.
6...did you know that little italy’s feast of san gennaro just celebrated it’s 85th year? salute!

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1...the bowery hotel hosted a wedding last weekend and, though it’s a little hard to tell from this photo, the confused woman in the back corner wearing the navy feathered dress absolutely stole the show.
2...i was not excited in the slightest for summer to turn into fall last year. i remember feeling desperate to shut everyone out, stop time, and just stay put indefinitely. funny how quickly attitudes can change.
3...now adding cellists to my list of activity crushes (surfers and skateboarders, please make room).
4...the weather has been balls in nyc the past few days (constant misting + 80% humidity = a fro with a mind of its own), but yesterday i looked up and the sun was all, “hey girl,” and i was like, “heyyy.”
5...what’s that? oh, just patricia field being a babe and signing some shit @ fashion’s night out.

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1...the park bench outside the bowery hotel is quickly becoming my downtown summer home away from home. just a superbite from the peels take-out counter, a purse-friendly paperback, and a semi-serious staring problem and i’m all set for my post-work party of one.
2...there is a giant pig living across the street from angelica kitchen and i like them both (a lot).
3...lauren and i can’t wait much longer for the big gay ice cream shop to open. everyday, i see more and more people tinkering and typing away in there, but their sign still reads, “closed.” seriously guys, what could possibly be taking so long? i’m sorry, i just need me a bea arthur before summer ends.
4...on friday, i fled the office a little early on account of too many impending hurricanes and too few impending bosses and decided to trade a wrap-around line for beans and bottled water for a fantastic workout with kimani at pier i on riverside park south. as the sun stretched and set over the hudson, it was a little hard to believe something fierce was about to take over my weekend.
5...like everyone else in zone b and c, i spent all of my saturday indoors, eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, refreshing weather.com, and wondering what my sunday was going to look like.
6...it looked just fine.

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1...friday’s roundabout through the union sq market led me to a run-in with a rag tag bunch of carrots. they were wild and crazy, but a solid homage to this summer’s trendiest color. be cool, stay in school.
2...after work, i met some co-workers at la bottega and, since i couldn’t order the judson, i decided to drink negronis instead. suddenly, the skies started to shift, so i made a quick and quiet exit and arrived home just in time to watch the storm from the comfort of my dining room (ie porchetta‘s window seat).
3...after joanna informed me on tuesday, “your presence is requested in philadelphia, pa from saturday 8/20 – sunday 8/21,” i followed strict orders and caught the first amtrak out of penn station that would have me. huge surprise – – – > riding the amtrak train from nyc to philadelphia was, by far, the loveliest, most stress-free travel i have ever had the pleasure of purchasing. i arrived just 1.5 hours later, happy as a clam and without a single horror story to my name. that is, until i saw a monster.
4...turns out, the good life is just some gin and tonic bruschetta girl talk on an afternoon stoop. well, ok!
5...so i’m officially in a rut and all my warning signs and red flag conversations say i’m long overdue for a big picture change of scenery. while i’m not looking to break my lease and move out of nyc forever, i’m ready to really surprise myself and find some bliss again. if you have any life advice or travel recommendations for this twenty something lost in transition, please don’t be shy. sharing is caring.

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1...thanks to a heads up from nymag, i made a point to stop by the alexander wang sample sale. while it was far too hot / packed to try anything on, i had a stellar time just straight up people staring (huge pastime). let me be clear – – – > the nymag sales & bargains calendar game changed my nyc. not only does it score me seriously incredible pieces like my one of a kind, hand-painted, silk-lined libertine blazer that used to sell at bergdorf’s for $6000 (i paid $60), but it also keeps me fashion fed even when my cashflow is, ehem, low just by getting my ass out of my apartment and into piles of gorgeous clothing while staring at piles of gorgeous people. not a bad way to spend a saturday, really.
2...friday means i’m walking through union square and last week it was all about the blueberries.
3...when people ask me how i know nancy, i like to say she used to be my editor (at our high school newspaper, but whatever, still true). right now, however, she is many, many things – a wanderlust, a foodie, a journalist, a food journalist, a publicist, a grad student, a friend – and her plethora of personas means she adds a plethora of weird ass city shit to my to-do list. buyer beware = if you know nancy, you could end up riding an inflatable dolphin at a dumpster pool party in long island city.
4...this dachshund decided to call it a day in the middle of his walk and i was like, “dude, i so feel you.”
5...i’m trying to let go of a lot of things – assumptions, imagined plans, expectations – and i think leonard cohen was right when he said, “forget your perfect offering, there is a crack, a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.”

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1...sometimes happiness is just a cool, breezy river (for me and this guy, at least).
2...ben and i are serious morning people. this means we get up really early and spend the first several hours of our day wide awake with nothing but our thoughts and a growing to-do list to keep us company. thankfully, ben’s in nyc right now, so we spent a very recent am keeping each other company instead.
3...while biking around town a few days ago, i looked up and caught a plane writing something in the sky. i never could decipher the message, so fingers crossed i’m not re-blogging something awful.
4...news flash – – – > first run in tompkins square park is where it’s at, but please do yourself a solid and skip the little run beside it (unless you want a giant lesson in lesser than).
5...the mise en scène here is very very vandaag.

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1...happy 1 year anniversary, doh letter grades! i was told to get you paper, so here you go.
2...last wednesday, i ended up working late and by the time i left the office, chelsea market’s sign had flicked on, a sudden summer rainshower was evaporating on 9th ave, and everyone was laughing. in that moment, so much was so right that there wasn’t much room left for wrong.
3...the apartment building across from mine is called “the mckinley” and most nights you can find me sitting on my stoop staring at it, wavering between zoning out and imagining who might live there. according to timeout, “boston red phil” davidson, a petty thief who knocked off a jewish crime mobster “big jack” zelig, lived there in 1912. he told the police the attack was revenge for a fleecing he had suffered from big jack a day earlier, but others believe it was to stop big jack from testifying as the key witness in a concurrent murder trial. sweet jews for jesus, i <3 the east village.
4...if i’m not on my stoop, it probably means i’m in line for vegan ice cream at lula’s sweet apothecary. i’m neither vegan nor lactose intolerant, but lula’s is one of my favorite ice cream stores in the city (stop rolling your eyes, their stuff is legit). if you are a serious chocolate fan, please get a soft serve malt. if not, a scoop of maple and waffles, strawberry, or any of their peanut butter flavors will do you right.
5...is it just me, or are these two doors super mysterious?

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1...when i look back on my twenties, i hope i remember that shady stretch of 10th street between a and b just above tompkins square park.
2...i am happy to report i survived a sunday afternoon shootout between an old man with a hose and a mcsorley’s tourist (huge thanks to my waterproof disposable camera). only thing i need now is a new word for incredible.
3...have you ever been to the new amsterdam market? i go almost every weekend, but i only just noticed that part of the bridge under which it takes place is painted lavender. i highly recommend you see it for yourself. it’s really lovely.
4...it’s been way too hot for touching, but i was almost ready to make an exception for the moss that’s climbing up the building behind 6bc.
5...as for me, i’m still in a weird head space, but i think some of my plates and perspectives are about to shift. my current to-do list is to continue to do work i am proud of, say yes more than i say no, and talk to as many people as possible. just let me know if you think i’m forgetting something.

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1...my sister’s boyfriend (my boyfriend-in-law?) was in town this weekend for work so i tried my best to show him some east village / les greatest hits. after a good round of dog watching @ tompkins, running into a giant chinese volleyball tournament, and grabbing some supersnacks at the hester street fair, we took a much-needed breather @ the 6bc botanical garden.
2...not only was this baby being lugged around the east river park in his harness like a live lobster, but he was also sporting a zebra print eye patch (secret sisters).
3...the manhattan bridge opened on nye 1909 and is still lookin’ mighty fine after 101 years.
4...i step on this ave a sidewalk face daily. sorry, dude!
5...i’ve got a lot of intense questions on my mind right now. i’m already inside my head enough as it is, so it’s getting hard to resist packing it all up and moving in there indefinitely. i know i really just need to keep my head high and remember to look up.

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1...on tuesday, i took a cab across the manhattan bridge for patrick’s birthday dinner and since i still had the glow bracelets i picked up in cape cod over the 4th in my purse, everyone got party favors (including our waitress). ms. anna and i split the chicken and patrick’s birthday basil ice cream absolutely killed it. a celebration, indeed.
2...there’s a party at work on thursdays called tgiaf (thank god it’s almost friday) and this week, after a crazy down-pour and crazy clear sky, we all grabbed a beer and went to the roof. not bad for a workday.
3...on saturday, i had very little plans (my favorite kind) so i rode my bike to nowhere and ended up at the east river ferry. after some divine intervention, i convinced a new friend to join me for a quick and quiet trip across the water to ps1. when we got there, a giant dance party thwarted both my promises of quick and quiet, but it was still a trip, nonetheless.
4...confession – – – > i’ve thought about meeting by james turrell at least once a week since sarah and i saw it back in january.