My friends and I dwelled in the rotten apple for a few days. On the Lower East Side to be exact.
Kiah, Jasmine, and Pauleka. When God sends us friends like these, it is important to cherish them. Traveling has always been my love language. I am forever grateful for the memories we created on our trip.
Take a closer look…
“Go from trips to Delancey to trips to the Grammy’s ”
This petite Australian cafe lured us in with their indoor and outdoor dining options. This all-day café is known for their yummy coffee, Aussie-style hamburger, and healthy-ish bowl-based meals.
For breakfast, I enjoyed their iced matcha and green eggs bowl with smoked salmon. The bowl consisted of soft scrambled eggs, spinach, kale peas, avocado, and salsa verde. This was the perfect meal to begin our active day in the big city.
SOHO
SoHo (South of Houston Street) was my stomping grounds for many years. I landed my first tech job in the SoHo neighborhood back in 2015. My daily commute was riding the J train from Brooklyn to China Town, and transferring to an uptown 6 train to Spring street. Walking to my former job was always a treat. Along the way I would pass photographers working with models, lost tourists asking for directions, and hella Halal food trucks. I even remember seeing the Kardashians during NYFW leaving their hotel directly across the street from my office. Everyday was an adventure. That was SoHo.
My first experience of SoHo was being guided by Google Maps to Forever 21on Broadway while I was in undergrad. I instantly fell in love with SoHo’s cast-iron architecture and street fashion. It was hard to believe that SoHo was where struggling artists once lived. It became this place of high-end designer stores, fabulous restaurants, and luxury living. I was impressed by the art scene and visualized myself becoming a part of that culture one day.
As you can imagine, it was a dream to start my tech journey there.
Fast forward to 2022, and I still get chills walking down Spring. Jasmine suggested we hit Dominque Ansel Bakery which just so happens to be on Spring street. It was definitely a full circle moment.
“When I first moved to New York and I was totally broke, sometimes I bought Vogue instead of dinner. I found it fed me more.”
One morning after breakfast, we strolled through the Manhattan streets and stumbled upon a local flower market. Jasmine is a flower lover and encouraged us to stop for a second. She picked through bunches of flowers. It was so exciting to watch her get to work. That moment reminded me to slow down and smell the flowers.
Also, a friendly reminder to support your local flower markets.
Harlem
“Harlem is a stage. It’s like its own planet, from the way we dress to the swag in the way we walk and talk.”
Headed to Dinner
RH Rooftop Restaurant at RH New York
Who knew Restoration Hardware had a rooftop?
From the moment we entered the RH New York restaurant (The Gallery in the historic Meatpacking District), we were in awe of the views. We dined under glimmering chandeliers and pleached London plane trees, while drinking really good prosecco. The vibes of the restaurant were giving luxury.
The thing I love about RH is that you can get interior design inspiration for your house while enjoying a really good meal with a view. There are so many wins.
Oh, and I was super stoked to catch up with actor and multi-media producer Mariana Novak at dinner.
I definitely recommend having a glass of champagne at RH Rooftop during your next visit to New York City.
Lower East Side / East Village
Due to stable cheese prices, 2 Bros Pizza is still $1 for a cheese slice at six of their nine locations. I remember being so broke while studying at New York Film Academy - that I could only afford to eat there. I always bought two slices with a drink. That was my jam.
After enjoying a nice walk on St. Marks Place while devouring hot pizza, I wanted ice cream. Not just any ice cream though. I wanted something special.
For all of my untraditional ice cream lovers, treat yourself to a scoop or two at Stuffed Ice Cream. The white chocolate lavender and red velvet cookie dough crumble flavors always excite me. They also specialize in bouquets up to 21 scoops.
“I live in The Village. Wherever I go I walk to. I keep my friends around so I have someone to talk to”
I fell in love with this Brooklyn, NY-based antique store. The shop is drenched with Black history collectibles. The shop appeared very vintage and rich in culture after catching my first glimpse. The experience was curated by the founders Jannah Handy and Kiyanna Stewart.
This was also another suggestion from Jasmine that made our trip amazing.
Catch The Vibes
Getting dressed and going out for dinner is such a New York thing.
New York can be so romantic at times. There is always a song playing and lots of street lights. The scene is well lit. You can walk down the street and feel like a star in a movie. Everyone sees you. It is quite magical.
On this particular night, we had dinner reservations at the 40/40 Club in Manhattan.
The 40/40 Club has always been my place. I celebrated my 25th birthday there, and had multiple dinners with friends throughout the years. It is a place where both men and women can enjoy luxury sports bar culture with a touch of Hip Hop. The experience is what keeps me loyal and always going back.
Brooklyn, NY
A very special thanks to Jasmine for directing my Why Don’t We Fall in Love video in Fort Greene, BK. We had so much fun reminiscing to the early 2000’s. We even caught a cab to DUMBO.
Lower East Side
“There’s something so romantic about being broke in New York. You gotta do it. You have to live there once without any money, and then you have to live there when you have money. Let me tell you, of the two, the latter is far better. ”
On The 6
This is probably one of the most important trains in New York. This line starts in the Bronx at Pelham Bay Park, and ends at the Brooklyn Bridge. It goes through popular neighborhoods like China Town, East Village, Union Square, and Spanish Harlem (just to name a few).
This line is also special to me because it was my first train line when I moved to New York. My first room was in the Bronx right off Cypress Avenue. This train took me downtown everyday for school and taught me the MTA train system.
The memories…
One morning for breakfast we checked out this French café downtown called Maman. It is also a bakery, restaurant, and event space. If you are into French vibes, this is your spot.
I enjoyed their daily quiche with spinach, roasted tomatoes, roasted peppers and sage. The honey lavender latte was also a hit.
Oh, let me not forget about the relationship I had with the strawberry almond croissant. Yummy!
A pleasant surprise was linking up with my best-friend Kaiya. Our first time in New York was a decade ago. We were so young and eager to explore the big city. Since then, we have celebrated multiple birthdays holidays there. Seeing her was a reminder of all memories we created. It was the icing on the cake.
Of course all good trips come to an end, which is why we stopped by The Skinny Bar and Lounge for farewell drinks. Our bartender Ivan hooked us up with celebratory shots and champagne. We danced to 90’s Hip Hop and reminisced about the days prior. This was the perfect chill before going back home.
These are the trips I remember in detail. To eat at luxury restaurants, stay at boutique hotels, and consistently slay looks was just a manifestation of the life I desire to live. This is yet another example of me documenting my youth and experiencing joy.
A huge special shout out to my friends for contributing good energy to our trip, and for being present in the moment. I learned so many things about myself while traveling with these ladies, and those are the type of friends you need in your circle.
“A hundred times I have thought: New York is a catastrophe, and fifty times: it is a beautiful catastrophe.”