I’m Baaaaaaaaaack!!!

This week has been FANTASTIC.   Saw Malcolm Gladwell yesterday.  Tonight will be even better.  Going to see Lenny Kravitz, whom I love-love-love!   Will catch you up later.  BYE!

Hilights of Summer

I’m slightly ashamed to admit that I never left NYC this summer, with the exception of a quick stint to CA to see lil sis graduate.  But here were some of the great moments of a pretty good summer.  IF ONLY IT HADN’T RAINED SO DAMN MUCH!!!  We’ll try again next year

Fireworks on the 4th of July at the Riverfront 

Frozen Mojitos and Impromtu Photo Shoots at Habana Outpost

Ethiopian Eats  in BK with My Buddy from Barbados, Miss Tonni

Who knew all this fun could be had in BROOKLYN?!

Visit from Baby Sister, also known as “Mini-Me”

 

Meeting Nina Garcia, who I just LOVE LOVE LOVE!  Only June Ambrose can match that woman’s fabulousness

 

The Return of Sebastian, My Furry Little Lovebug

 

Fashion’s Night Out, NYC

 

Avenue Q

 

Book Signing by Tete-Michel Kpomassie, author of An African in Greenland

 

Melanie Fiona Concert at S.O.B.s

 

The Foot Candy ….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My New and Improved Body….and I’m still on it!

Central Park Fun

This spring was just beautiful.  No really, it was BEAUTIFUL.  Maybe I appreciate it more now that I’m writing this retroactively and it’s a sweltering 82 degrees and humid outside.  This one particular day I was staying at a friend’s house in Midtown to housesit/escape my then-hellish housing situation, and randomly got an invite from my dear California-native buddy Stephanie.  “Picnic in the park?”  Of course I was game!  Sebastian was clearly not feeling the indoors, and I had been working pretty late all week.  I needed sunshine and edibles, and Stephanie’s proposal offered both.

We met on one of the West side entrances and I could barely get Sebastian inside without getting stopped by random women ooh-aaahing.  Get a grip ladies, this fella is taken!    Next thing you know, we’re surrounded by shirtless people at Sheep’s Meadow.  A few good magazines, some snacks, and sunshine was all we needed.  It wasn’t the beach, but it was a great substitute.  Sebastian was so happy afterwards, he slept like a baby. 

The next big CP day for me was the photography session with my friend B.  It was a Saturday, the weather was gorgeous, and we had our cameras all ready.  A nice stroll around the park, some good conversation, and I was on cloud 9.  Here are just a few of the shots….

My New Home

It’s official. I’m an Upper Eastsider. It took a while, but I found my perfect first solo apartment in NYC. I love it. I’m surrounded by boxes and empty space, but I love it. More to come, so stay tuned. I’m just so happy that I had to tell everyone who could possibly care!

Keeping a Healthy Body in a Seemingly Unhealthy City

I’ve been away entirely too long.  BAD MIMI! 

I’ve been pretty busy, but this is just unnacceptable.  So I am going to catch this baby up one entry at a time.  Luckily, I write on a very regular basis in a journal so making up for lost time won’t be too difficult.  Forgive me for update overload, but this has been a very interesting, enlightening, somewhat disturbing, fantastic few months for me.  With that in mind, let’s get into it!  

 As I’ve suggested in previous posts, I’m an L.A. girl at heart.  Anyone who’s watched an episode of Entourage, Melrose Place, or The Hills can imagine that the vibe out West is quite different from the East.  I don’t mean to stereotype, but let’s be honest….  Southern California is home of the convertible-topped cars, juice bars, Pinkberry, yoga, air facials, beach roller blading, spray tans, and when all else fails- plastic surgeons who make everyone inevitably look like a cat.  I love it!  As a Cali resident, I remember the days when my friends and I would go to the beach for Saturday morning runs, or as spectators for Venice Beach basketball games.  It was all about looking fabulous, and who cared about wearing Prada?  The goal was to obsess over your body during the day and then wear the skimpiest stuff possible for nights at the club and party.  Labels are nice, but a hot ass is nicer - DUH!  

So as summer was approaching, I started to feel a little home sick for L.A.  From my experience up to a certain point, I concluded that most New Yorkers (Manhattanites specifically) spend their time buying expensive clothes, drink cocktails all night long, coming home at sunrise and then sleeping until brunch, where the liquor is whipped out again.  I’ll be honest, I panicked about this place either fattening me up, turning me into an alcoholic, resulting in a heart attack, or all three.  Clearly I had spent too much time watching those Sex and the City chicks, who only pretended to work out while they chatted it up about their latest bedroom exploits.    The truth is that even for an “outdoorsy” person,  there are more than enough options to get your body moving and enjoy the warmer weather that the summer offers.   Yes it’s a concrete jungle of sorts, and you could eat and drink yourself into a coma here–as my friend Nicole once told me “this city is MADE OF FOOD!”  But you can also get your ass up and get moving, therefore maintaining your sexy underneath all those fabulous labels.  Here are some options that I’ve stumbled upon, and tested out myself…..

Nike Running Club (http://www.yelp.com/biz/niketown-running-club-new-york) - Everyday around the 8ish I would see a group of people leaving Central Park and headed towards the Nike Store.   Strange?  Not really I suppose, except for the fact that they looked like they had already worked out.  Apparently there is a Nike Running Club that meets up regularly for group runs through Central Park, and it’s not just a group of randoms that posse up for a quick job.  The club has running coaches that join in to help with your form and help out in case of emergency.  They have refreshments afterwards, and best of all – it’s free! 

Boot Camp Classes in Central Park (www.methodfitness.com/fitness_boot_camp_nyc.php) – If you’ve ever taken a boot camp class before, you know that it is only for special types of people – masochists, those who love working out in a group setting, and those who aren’t afraid to go that extra mile to get their ideal body (or damn close to it).  Method is an awesome company anyway, with personal training services available as well.  Definitely worth the money, especially if you party hard and need to compensate.

 

Awesome, Awesome, Awesome burn!

Trinity Boxing Gym (http://www.trinityboxing.com/) – A phenomenal workout.  They’re even awesome enough to let newcomers stop by for trial workout, just in case you’re skeptical about this type of workout.   Trust me, this workout is brutal, but you feel awesome afterwards.  The only downfall to this gym and most of it’s kind in Manhattan is the location.  If you’re downtown, great!  You’ll have quick access and can catch the daily workouts.  Once I started working near Midtown and had no reason to go below 42nd on a regular basis, this just didn’t seem to make much sense.  I still highly recommend it though.  Lots of fun too.

Golfing at Chelsea Piers

Midtown Tennis Club (http://www.midtowntennis.com/) – Private lessons and courts available to battle your friends.  Super convenient location as well.  Pricing not too bad.

Soul Cycle (http://www.soul-cycle.com/) - Great gym, very clean, awesome instructors.  Limited schedule though, which seems to be common around the city. 

NY State Dietetic Association (http://www.eatrightny.org/) - Nutritionist to help you control the late night binges.  There’s so many great restaurants here, it’s easy to lose control. 

Natural Gourmet School (http://www.naturalgourmetschool.com/)- Julia Childs was great, but take her advice too closely and you’re guaranteed to catch a case of “el fat ass.”  Great cooking classes for amateurs, Friday night dinners where the students basically run their own restaurant out of the school.  Healthy, great tasting food.  Guilt free.

New York Running Company (http://www.therunningcompany.net/Pages/newyork.html) – I am completely in love with the one in Columbus Circle because they carry a great selection of women’s sports wear.  The staff is very skilled too, they haven’t steered me wrong with suggested shoes yet. 

Organic Grill (http://theorganicgrill.com/1.html) - Brunch doesn’t have to be loaded with fat to be delicious.  These New Yorkers understand that

Healthy Living, NYC (http://www.healthylivingnyc.com) -Simply a great resource for everyone from the true health nuts to the not-always-good-but-really-trying-to-be-healthier crowd. 

Jivamukti Yoga School (http://www.jivamuktiyoga.com/) – I tried a class here one Saturday, and completely understand now why Russell Simmons is such a fan.  Incredible instructors, but also a great team of people with interesting stories to tell.  This reminded me of why I fell in love with yoga in the first place, and the workout is no joke. 

Chelsea Market (http://www.chelseamarket.com/)- Food galore, but also just a nice place to relax and chill out on a Saturday afternoon.  Great products, lots of character, and plenty of options for the calorie-counters.

So I apologize to all those awesomely fit New York City residents who I may have pre-judged.  This is by no means an unhealthy place, because there are so many options.   Heart disease is not simply a by-product of living in Manhattan,  and you can in fact workout OUTSIDE here!  Who would’ve thought such a physically small city would have so much to offer?    Until next time ……

All About Arts and Other Fun Stuff

Rather than to pile everything into one super long post, I will lastly talk about some of the cultural stuff that I’ve been doing for fun. For starters, I’ve tried out several great new restaurants in the city and checked out museums galore. I’ve found some great hidden jewel shopping spots and continued to up my shoe game….it is Manhattan after all. As the result of some careful soul searching and great advice from friends, I’ve managed to find all sorts of cool resources that let a newcomer like myself find things to do – with others and solo.

I tried meetup.com initially, but found that site to be annoying as hell. Don’t get me wrong, there are some great groups there. But the number of emails that I received just started driving me crazy after a while. Plus it felt a little generic to go scoping for friends, I wanted my relationships here to happen organically. I figured dating would be a good way to get out there and have fun, but haven’t really met a ton of guys that are cool and I don’t go to clubs so I kind of hit a dead end there. Again, I want something organic! So rather than to keep going out there looking, I decided to focus on the things that I enjoy doing, no matter where I live. For instance, I am a foodie and enjoy following the blog Orangette (http://orangette.blogspot.com). Turns out Molly has finally published her book and was on a book tour. I went to a signing down in Chelsea and not only discovered THE cutest little book shop ever, I also found a great wine shop across the street that does tastings and tours all the time (http://www.bottlerocketwine.com/shop). I found a great pino noir there, and ended the night curled up with a glass and my newly signed book .

After being bitten by the book signing bug, I just happened to look on Williams-Sonoma’s site and found out that Tom Collichio was doing a signing for his new cookbook “Witchcraft” at my local store.  I made sure to get there, even in the rain, to get my copy signed and my picture taken with one of the hottest chefs around.  It was so awesome, and he had samples of some of his recipes…..absolutely delicious!

When a girlfriend asked me if I’d be interested in seeing 9 to 5 on Broadway, I said “you know it!”  and had a blast.  This was by far one of the funniest plays that I’ve seen in a long time. 

I then registered to get event announcements from Young Patrons of Lincoln Center.  I haven’t joined yet, but they have several events that are open to the public so that you can become more familiar with their organization.  Turns out, they are always having some sort of ball, intro to wine/music/dance/theatre/etc., or other event where you can meet great people with similar interests who aren’t TRYING so hard. 

And this week, the Tribeca Film Festival is on (http://www.tribecafilm.com) .  I’ve been fortunate enough not only to cop tickets to see one of the films on Thursday, but also to get wind to a chat with Spike Lee that takes place on Wednesday evening at the Apple Store in Soho (http://www.apple.com/retail/soho/tribeca).  As a die hard Spike fan, you know that I will be front and center to hear him discuss his latest documentary on Kobe Bryant, and hopefully his experiences over the years making films like School Daze, She Hate Me, and Inside Man. 

When all else fails, I just take a walk.  The weather is clearing up (despite today’s rain), the outdoor dining is starting to pop off, and I have a stack of books that I can dig into.   And I have websites like Daily Candy (www.dailycandy.com), CitySearch  (http://newyork.citysearch.com), the New Yorker (www.newyorker.com),  and the NY Times Events section (http://nytimes.whsites.net/talk/calendarEvents.php).  You’d be amazed by the amount of things that there are to do in the city on any given day.   I’m truly starting to understand what the big deal about this apple really is! 

And while I haven’t had the chance to do it all, there is always this summer.  I have a wish list of activities for the next few months, such as…………

Rooftop Happy Hours at The Met

Concerts and Plays in Central Park

Fresh Seafood and Great Photography in Cape Cod

A Weekend Hanging in the Hamptons

Street Fairs Galore!

New York Real Estate = NOT for the Faint of Heart

It seems like just yesterday that I was flying back and forth between LA and New York to search for an apartment.  The process was grueling, I was broke as hell, and for the first time in my life I was truly worried that I might end up homeless if a miracle didn’t happen.   Then a strange thing started to happen.  Instead of having 0 options, I had 3!   These included: one apartment share opportunity in Brooklyn (great place), a sublet in Fort Greene (another great place), or a 2 bedroom/2 bathroom apartment in Harlem with a roommate (my final choice).   I learned some valuable lessons during my time staying here, the most important one being that I never want another roommate again!  I could go into detail, but there’s no need.   The fact of the matter is that it is time to bounce from my current housing situation and start fresh.  

I will begin by saying that my current situation is pretty unique.  I would love to find a great apartment in Midtown or Chelsea that I could sign a lease in and live happily ever after with Sebastian.   Instead, I found myself looking for a nice, short term living arrangement that was priced reasonably (HA!) and permitted me to keep a puppy.  Let me tell you – the search was a royal pain in my ars!   My position is rotational and requires that I change groups every 6 months or so.  The next shift will take place in September, and as of right now I am not even sure that it will be domestic.  The landlord was completely inflexible to the possibility of a month to month lease, and I was running out of time with very little of the number one resource that one must have in New York – MONEY! It was a nightmare, and I hadn’t even begun looking at apartments yet. 

Midtown East….

Chelsea

West Village

Now there are several ways to find an apartment in the city.  The first question that you have to ask yourself is whether or not you are bound to Manhattan.  As much of a homebody as I may be,  I knew that a move off the island was not for me.  I enjoy the access to museums, restaurants, work, etc. that living in Manhattan affords.  When you factor in the difficulty of getting to BK or New Jersey when you are out in the city late, and it was a no-brainer – the higher price tag is totally worth it for me. 

The second question that you have to ask yourself is whether or not to use an agent.  Now your first reaction will probably be “hell no I’m not paying somebody XX% of my ANNUAL rent just to show me some old crappy boxes and help me fill out paperwork!”  Trust me, I had the same reaction.  The problem is that unless you get lucky, you will most likely pay the agent fee costs throughout the year because your rent for the no-fee/agent apartments will be higher.  It’s super frustrating.   And super expensive, with or without an agent.  Let’s do the math…..

NO FEE/AGENT APPLICATION AND MOVE-IN COST

Application and credit check = $50 to $150 (depending on if there is a processing fee)

Deposit (average 1 bdrm) = $1500

First Month’s Rent = $1500

Total = $3050 to $3150

APARTMENT FOUND THROUGH AGENT/BROKER

Application = $50 to $150

Deposit = $1350 (let’s say the agent found a steal for you)

First Month’s Rent = $1350

Agent/Broker Fee = 15% * Annual Rent = $2430

Grand Total = $5180 to $5280

Now I know it seems like common sense.  Why pay the extra $2k when you can get in for cheaper?   Well if you look at the rent annualized, no matter how you slice it you’re probably paying almost $20k for your studio apartment!  It’s all a mess, just tragic and down right depressing unless you have a really positive attitude and can calmly create a strategy. 

I was fortunate enough to be one of the lucky folks.  A friend knew a friend with a place and our needs just happened to align.  Magic!  For just the right amount of time and just the right amount of money.  I will be out of this living situation in no time.  For those of you that do move to the city and don’t happen to have a friend of a friend, here are some resources that could help you along the way ……………

• www.citi-habitats.com
• http://halstead.com
• www.bondnewyork.com
• www.nybits.com (no fee)
• www.rdny.com (no fee)
• www.tenant.com (private owners)
• Craigslist (although I am so-so about this one for safety reasons)
• Knopf Guide (great map included to find your way around)

 

Spring is Here

And I can’t begin to tell you just how happy I am, for many reasons.  After months of cold ass weather, nasty subway stops, layers and layers of clothes, and a mild depression and homesickness bout, I’m happy to say that the weather has broken  and I’m ready to get the hell out of the house (for many reasons!).   The first sign that the warm weather was coming – I saw cherry blossoms!

Once I saw those, I knew that the beautiful days were coming and things were going to start getting a little bit better.  And with the new season comes all new events and cool things to do in the city.   Now don’t get me wrong, I have managed to get out quite a bit considering that I am SOOOO not a cold weather girl.  I broke down and purchased some UGG duck boots and never looked back.  But in general the winter in New York  just caused me to want to lay down and hibernate for a few months.  I saw a few movies, smoked a few stogies, and barely worked out.   My life was so slow that the even the occasional wine tasting or dinner with friends felt like a huge event.  I’ve been dying to get out and about again for a while now, so when my soror Meka said she was coming to visit I was pretty excited.  Her timing couldn’t have been better. :) 

 

She is one of my closest friends from college.  Truthfully, I can’t think of too many undergrad memories that don’t involve her in some capacity.  When I was in CA, she was my partner in crime, shoulder to cry on, person I’d call for a good laugh or venting session, and the gym buddy that would kick my ass into shape when I was spending more time in Roscoe’s than on the track.   After a few months of “finding my way,” it was nice to have a familiar face here.  The added bonus was that I could use her visit as the opportunity to explore stuff that I just didn’t want to on my own. 

She flew in on Thursday night, and as soon as she made it to my apartment we were out the door and headed to Bon Chon for some Korean fried chicken (YUM!).  I went for the first time with my buddy Jerry and got hooked on this place.  Not only is the food great, but it’s open late (not so good, but good) and they make great cocktails.  My only annoyance with Bon Chon is the half-assed waitresses who appear to want to be anywhere BUT there, no matter when you go.  I digress.  Meka liked the food, although to her the chicken tasted like noodles.  Then we walked off the double-fried, noodle tasting chicken for about an hour.   We passed the usual nutcase, random 2 a.m. jogger, construction workers and film location (in the middle of a scene).  But what stood out to her the most were the random potholes with smoke blowing out. 

See!  And it literally was like every third block or so.  I couldn’t explain it, but I think that combined with the towering buildings freaked her out a bit.   By 3 a.m. we were back home, getting rested for her first full NYC day. 

Now I won’t go into detail about her entire trip, just know that it was full of misadventures, laughs, and alcohol!  Here are the highlights though -

Horse Ride Through Central Park

View from Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center

Partying…Tillman’s was particularly memorable.

Rucker Park, Harlem World

Boat Tour Around Manhattan

Sunday Brunch (and the waiter that served us) at Society Cafe

It was a great way to start off the new season!

Updates

I have been M.I.A. for months I know, but a lot has been going on and I haven’t had a lot of time to update the blog (obviously).  Fortunately, I have had ample opportunities to see the city and have a good time, as well as take a brief vacation to Barcelona.  I won’t go through in too much detail but here are the hilights -

1.  Partying at Underbar (W Hotel, Union Station) with the guys, where I had a blast!

2. Partying at Katra for my roommate’s birthday.  What a night!

3. Silent Auctin for The Children’s Storefront at Robert Steele Gallery (www.thechildrensstorefront.com)

4. Brasil Fest at Symphony Space on the Upper West Side.  Jair Oliveira performed, and we daaaaaaaaaanced! ( www.symphonyspace.org).

5. Happy Hour with the BCN Crew at Forum in Union Square (www.forumnyc.com)

 6.  Korean Fried Chicken at Bon Chon.  (www.bonchon.com/eng)

7.  Was introduced to stogies in NYC. 

8. Experienced my first sample sale!!

9. Molly Wizenberg book signing at Idlewild Books in Chelsea.

10.  Sebastian Fierce!

So as you can see, I have definitely gotten out and about.  But with the increase in social outtings and work, there hasn’t been much time to write in detail about what’s going on .  With that said, I am back in full effect starting this weekend so be on the lookout for some posts very soon.  Tomorrow evening there is a book signing with Tom Colicchio, and I plan on being one of the FIRST in line.  I love that guy, and I’m looking forward to grabbing my copy of his new cook book.  There is also a birthday party on Saturday evening that I’m going to so I’m sure that this weekend will end with a few stories to tell.  Until then, be safe!

 

holiday tea

My apologies for not updating this blog sooner, but I have been MIA lately because I am out of the Big Apple for the holidays.  The original plan was to stick around and see what the city had to offer, but it was getting cold and Cali was calling me.   There was a super hectic stretch at work and then things gradually slowed down.   Storms came in, NYC was officially freezing, and I was no longer feeling the holiday spirit in SOHA.  For the most part things have been going well out here.  I’ve been laying low, resting up, caught up with a few friends and have been taking time to think alot about the new year.  2008 was a pretty crazy year, combined with a whole lot of high and low moments.  What will 2009 have in store?  I am not completely sure about what fate has decided, but I intend for it to be spectacular.   So I’ve mapped out my mission statement, started an ‘09 wish box (yes, I keep still keep those), and have journaled up a storm.  I even have a new look!  Nothing too dramatic, but definitely a spin on my old look.  Amazing what a little lift in color and some layers can do to one’s “swagger.”   I don’t have any big bash plans for NYE, I just want to lay low this year.  The idea of bringing in the year drunk with a bunch of strangers isn’t too appealing for me this year.  I’d rather read a couple of chapters from Shantaram and take my sweet ass to bed.  But for those of you that are getting your party on, have a fun-super-safe-kick-ass-Happy-New-Year!!!!!  And for those of you sitting at home, have a relaxing-reflective-cozy-whatever-kick-ass-Happy-New-Year!!!

I don’t know about ya’ll, but 2009 will be my year folks!