Eclectic Trips

Brunch at Jacques

The name of one of the loveliest neighborhoods in Manhattan, Nolita sounds like a pretty girl’s name, but it simply means “North of Little Italy”. This lovely area has some of the best cafes and boutiques in New York City, all concentrated around a several block radius. You can spend a lazy Saturday afternoon here, walking around the small cobblestone streets, window shopping, and popping into some boutiques. The restaurants and cafes are abundant, and most of them are great. One of my favorites is the classic and always packed Cafe Gitane on Mott and prince. Small, with a few tables outside, Gitane has simple, inexpensive French- Moroccan fare, and I love the small details here- the Gitane chocolate they serve with your cafe au lait is not only a lovely touch, but it is indeed a very tasty piece of chocolate. Order the baked feta appetizer, and the couscous, get a lillet, a kir or a cafe’…and sit around for a bit enjoying the gorgeous foot traffic passing by.

Prince street tiny market

Favorite brunch spot is Jaques French Bistro on Prince. Only $12.95 for a pre fix brunch, which includes a mimosa is a true steal around Nolita. The food is solid, good every time. I usually order the simple choice- eggs benedict with smoked salmon, and it’s lick your plate delicious. And the fries- let’s just say these fries are not for sharing, they are that good.  Cafe Havana is a very popular Nolita establishment, loud, rowdy, always super packed, and always a a wait for the table here. Their cheesy corn is legendary, and if you are in Nolita, I recommend you checking out Habana to find out exactly why. You will always see folk sitting or congregating outside, waiting for tables or eating their cheesy corn, and it’s always a fun scene.

The Market NYC sign

There is some truly great shopping in Nolita is great if you can afford it. Sigerson Morrison on prince has the hippest, and very well made shoes. There is the legendary Calypso on Mott with their beautiful bohemian light as air wares and accessories. And the newly opened Botkier store next to Cafe Gitane is small and cute – a true “boutique” and has very pretty handbags. But for those that can’t quite afford the price tags at these upscale wonders, Nolita, luckily offers some pretty great alternatives.

Laser cut jewelry at Market NYC

The Market NYC is a small indoor market that consists of young, up and coming designers selling their mostly one of a kind pieces. It’s mostly about jewelry, but there is also clothing, leather goods, and all kinds of random things.  In my opinion the jewelry is the main draw here. There are so many beautiful, unique things in all price ranges. Everything from semi precious stones, to knit jewelry, to laser cut pieces, to things made out of vintage findings and old beads. At least half of my jewelry collection is comprised  of Market NYC finds, I love every single piece, and they have lasted me a while. It’s also really nice to buy a piece  directly from the designer and hear the story behind it. “It took me 6 hours to make this necklace” said Olga with pride of the silk and gold necklace that I purchased from her. “If it ever gets tangled up, and you can’t untangle it- come here and I will do it for you”. You don’t get that kind of service in Saks Fifth Avenue:)

Inside The Market NYC

And if The Market NYC is not enough to satisfy your shopping cravings, Prince street between Mott and Mulberry is lined with eclectic stands selling everything from hats, and tees, to children’s clothing, to more jewelry.

Art at Nicholas Roerich museum

It’s not often that I come all the way uptown above 110th street, but when I do I really enjoy every moment. The long commute makes it feel like a day trip, and thus makes the experience even more special.  One of my favorite places in the City is The  Nicholas Roerich Museum . The museum is housed in a historical brownstone, a beautiful old house that reminds me of the phrase ” if walls could talk”. I feel like in this old house they would certainly have stories to share. Nicholas was a Russian born artist, writer and anthropologist who got fascinated with India and Himalayas and dedicated  many of his paintings to the beautiful mountainscapes. I love roaming the museum for a while and then spending some time downstairs looking through the cool postcards and prints of Roerich’s paintings. Picking up a few cards- for friends and for refrigerator art has become a part of my ritual of coming here.

Right outside of the museum is the mysterious Riverside park. I am convinced this park is the quietest place in the city. Riverside park runs along the Hudson River, it’s long and narrow with many alleyways and bike routes. It is built on several different levels, it overlooks the river, opening up  gorgeous views of Manhattan from in between the trees. It’s always a bit dark on the upper levels of the park because of the lush vegetation, and the park is filled with a different air- I always feel like it’s an air of time gone by. They have many different events here- jazz in the park and other fun things taking place in the Summer. A walk along Riverside park, with it’s ever changing views of the city and overgrown ivy running along the brick walls of the gates is always a treat for me- very peaceful and calming.

There is old, beautiful architecture all around this part of town- walking along the streets you notice incredible unique buildings, many of which have plaques on the entrances informing us that a famous poet, architect or a political leader has once upon a time lived here. I always get lost walking around the streets here, and always find new architectural treasures to behold.

After all the walking and taking in the Arts, I usually pay a visit to Community Food and Juice on Broadway and 110th street. I love the food and atmosphere here. They use seasonal, organic and local ingredients whenever possible. And they cook these ingredients to perfection. Last time i had the wild salmon with sweet and sour vegetable broth, and it was pitch perfect- large portion, the fish was extremely fresh, and the delicate flavor of the broth was the perfect compliment to the crispy skin salmon. Their ‘bowl of beets” is a delicious starter. The service is also impeccable- friendly, knowledgeable, very attentive but not annoying. Love this place!

Inside the museum

Concerts in the Park schedule

Brick wall with overgrown Ivy at River Side Park

A beautiful building on 114th street

So if you have a few hours to spare take the 1 train to ” Cathedral Parkway” stop to experience, and possibly fall in love with a different part of Manhattan

Corner of 6th and Bleecker

The most amazing thing about New York is the ever changing variety of scenery as you walk through the city. Between union square, lower east side, park avenue and upper west side there is such a world of difference it is truly fascinating. From the people populating these neighborhoods, to the types of restaurants and the feel of the streets to subtle differences like how delis in different parts of NY are stacked with different items.

Being very much a downtown girl myself, one of my favorite corners in NY is the corner of 6th Avenue and Bleecker street. One of the reasons I am impartial to this particular corner is Grom. Grom is a gelato shop we discovered in Florence last Summer, and with which I have been mildly obsessed- I woke up every morning in Florence dreaming up the gelato flavors from Grom I will be having that particular day. When they opened an outpost in NY I cried happy tears- their gelato is that good. It is made with organic ingredients grown on their own organic farm, no preservatives, no coloring, no yucky stuff. “Il gelato come una volta”- gelato the way it used to be. All the flavors are really good, but you must try pistachio- I promise you’ve never had anything like it.

There is lovely small park with a big fountain in the middle, conveniently located outside of grom, where you can sit, enjoy your gelato and drink in the sights and sounds of New York city. And if you feel more like a recluse, there is the tiniest park with 2 benches, it is completely shaded with big trees and pretty romantic if a nit dark just to the left of Grom on Downing street. It’s quite lovely if you want to get away from the sounds of the city for a few minutes.

Grom

Across the street from Grom, on 6th avenue is Bar Pitti- a New York institution. Always packed on nice days, always sporting the best looking crowd around, and celebrity sightings here are a plenty. The food is rustic Tuscan, the menu is brought to your table on a blackboard, and read out loud by good looking wait staff with heavy Italian accents. Bar Pitti is one of those places where you end up sitting for hours, ordering more wine, and time kind of dissipates, as the vibe here is lazy and fun.

A lovely park on 6th

in Grom through the window

Bar Pitti

Street Art meets music in New York

An awesome new addition to my favorite corner is an installation right outside of bar Pitti. It’s a bright pink piano that has the words “play me, I am yours” painted on it’s side. Those who know how to play take it for a spin, and those who don’t-like me, take pictures with it:) It’s pretty cool to hear beautiful live piano music in the middle of the street…

When my husband and i first moved to Miami our absolute favorite thing to do was to go to Lincoln Road, South Beach’s beautiful pedestrian mall on Sundays. Sundays are the Farmer’s Market, and every other week during the Winter, there is a great antique market. Interestingly enough, six years later, it’s still one of my favorite Sunday activities- brunch and a long stroll on Lincoln. Lincoln road is about 14 blocks in length, has a nice variety of stores, restaurants, cafes, gelato places, and great people watching. Since we moved to Miami 6 years ago, Lincoln has changed somewhat, but not significantly. Most of the shops and restaurants that were here then, are still here, of course some have gone out of business, and were replaced by different successors, but largely the layout and the feel of Lincoln remains unchanged. The last block of Lincoln Road, between Lenox and Alton avenue has undergone massive renovations over the past year, and has turned into a very  posh block with high end retailers like Y-3 and  the ever-so-chic Taschen.  It’s very pretty and polished, but fits well with the rest of Lincoln Road- just feels more fresh.  On Sunday you will see lots of people walking their dogs, families with strollers, pretty girls walking by and cute guys skating around. If you are lucky, you might see “Clucky the rooster”- a Miami icon, this white rooster rides on the front of the wheel of a bicycle of a guy wearing overalls. Quite the dynamic duo those two. Lincoln road is as popular with locals as it is with Miami visitors, and for that reason you need to be a discerning consumer, and try to eat at places that don’t pass out flyers as you walk by. Some noteworthy places are  Doraku Sushi - very cozy and cute, though sometimes a bit loud, with innovative sushi and wasabi bloody marys are just awesome. Quattro- very chic Italian eatery, gorgeously designed and perfectly delicious, a lot of ingredients being flown directly from Italy. The service is great, the crowd is either rich or gorgeous, or both- this is definitely the “see and be seen” type of establishment. One of our personal favorites- “Books & Books”-a great outdoor casual restaurant that grew out of a tiny 3 table cofee place in a book store. At some point they added about 10 tables outside, and a small menu, and now it’s a full-fledged delicious restaurant with tons of seating, usually pretty packed- especially the weekends in season. They have many great vegan specials, use organic and local ingredients whenever possible, and everything here is oh-so-fresh.

After our lovely traditional Sunday brunch at “Books” a leisurely stroll and farmer’s market buys. The farmer’s market is nothing too special- there are a few stands here and there, and only a few vendors with fruit and flowers. My two favorite ones are the fruit guy and the flower guy right on the corner of Meridian. Can’t beat the prices from both these vendors, and if you go later in the day- around five, the prices get slashed even further. The fruit and veggies are fresh, some organic, and there are some exotic fruits like passion fruit or guava, that smell amazing! The flower guy has some really nice selection of flowers, always different, he is knowledgeable about his flowers, and the flowers usually last a while.

If you are ever in Miami on a Sunday, Lincoln road is definitely the place to check out.

Flower vendor on Lincoln Road

Farmer's market

Wynwood Walls art

On the second Saturday of every month, is the famous Wynwood Art walk. Most galleries have opening receptions, special events and serve wine and beer. Sometimes there are bands playing outside, and light installations are exhibited on the streets. The crowds that fill the streets are  eclectic, mostly younger generation, though you see older people here and there. Lots of students and ubiquitous hipsters, artsy folk of all sorts, and those just here for the free booze.

Outside of Joey's restaurantLight installationLight installation

Wynwood is Miami’s up and coming art neighborhood. Though it looks pretty desolate during the day, there are dozens of art galleries spread throughout the district. It’s best to print up a map online, and strategize your gallery visits during the regular gallery hours, though during the art walk I prefer to just follow the crowds. Galleries are many and very eclectic, specializing  mostly in contemporary art. The exhibitions change often, so I won’t discuss what is presented in any particular gallery, you best follow your instinct here. The distric is filled with large scale graffitied walls and murals, that are pretty awesome. They are called wynwood walls and are located all over Wynwood. Walking from gallery to gallery and stopping over to listen to some music on the street, or party like backyard scenarios that are present in some galleries  is a very fun way to pass the evening. Go early – around 7,  and stay awhile discovering this homegrown fun night that keeps evolving.

Street art

Live music on the street

Of course after all the art and the wine one ought to get hungry, and Wynwood has some fantastic dining options. Joey’s, my personal favorite is a  lovely, authentic, inexpensive Italian with a wood burning oven and great pizza. They always have tons of great specials, and offer half orders of their yummy pastas. The wine list is comprised of a lot of excellent budget choices, plenty of options by the glass here as well. Joey’s gets packed during the art walk, so reservation is a must. But even with your reservation prepare to wait up to an hour. If you can snag a seat by the tiny bar, order a pizza and some wine while you wait.

Cafeina is a newcomer to Wynwood, it’s an art gallery slash tapas bar slash lounge. The space is really nicely done, with a chill vibe and nice music. Tehir garden is great as well, as are the fancy signature cocktails a lot of which are made with coffee ( you get the whole C reference I am sure)

Art in Wynwood

Bardot is the last stop on the list. After the art and the food you need the drinks. That’s just how it goes- so make a night of it. Bardot is a pretty magical place- a bar, lounge, live music venue with rotating art and painfully posh decor. Keeping up with the whole speakeasy vibe the entrance to the venue is in the very well lit, but nonetheless back alley. Rock rules here, as do eclectic electroselections an really good oldies. The decor is comprised of chic velvet couches, incerdibly well curated vintage gems, complete with vases, books, gorgeous ashtrays and all kinds of eye candy. The crowd is painfully hip, young, drunk, dancing and totally feelin it here. Love Bardot- my favorite bar in all of Miami.

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