The Tenement Museum at the Lower East Side

Visiting the Tenement Museum at the Lower East Side has been one of my favorite programs in New York so far.
The Lower East Side is one of the most diverse neighbourhoods in Manhattan. It is where you can find Jewish communities, working class Dominicans and Chinese, moneyed artsy types, hipster refugees from Soho and East Village. It is know as the melting pot of the island and by the end of the 19th century, it was the most densely populated spot in the world.
There are so many great restaurants, bars, emerging designers - apparently Lady Gaga started her career in a club on Rivington Street. Also, it does remind me so much of East London...
Anyways, the LES was were the first tenement was constructed in 1833, when the immigrants started arriving in bunches from Prussia and it became know as Kleindeutschland (Little Germany). They were followed by Irish, Jews from Eastern European, Italian immigrants and many other nationalities after the American dream.
The Lower East Side Tenement Museum tells some of these stories. It was built in 1863 at 97 Orchard Street and restored by the museum founders in the 90s. It had been closed since 1935.
You can choose between tours such as: Hard Times, Sweatshop Workers, Irish Outsiders and Exploring 97 Orchid Street.
We decided to go for Hard Times and I can't wait to go back for the others!!!!!! In our tour there were 8 people and during one hour an amazing guide took us back in time, telling the story of how 2 families survived economic depressions at 97 Orchard Street between 1863 and 1935. We had the opportunity to visit the restored homes of the German-Jewish Gumpertz family, whose patriarch disappeared during the Panic of 1873, and the Italian-Catholic Baldizzi family, who lived through the Great Depression.
It is possible to watch a great introductory video in the museum before or after the tour. One of the lines of the video stuck to my mind. It said something like how an immigrant is an adventurer for learning to live in a completely different way from the one he is used to...So true!!!!!
If you are in New York, do not miss it!!!! More information can be found here.
Hope you enjoy!!!!

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The Tenement Museum: 108 Orchard Street (daily 10am -6pm)

Visiting Art Galleries in Chelsea

A great free program to do in New York is wandering around the cutting-edge art galleries in Chelsea.The borough is home to over 300 art galleries and art studios, mainly the area bounded by 10th and 11th Avenues and 18th St. and 28th St.

Following the rising rental prices in SoHo with the arrival of fashion stores, the art community started moving to Chelsea in the 80s and hasn't looked back since then. Besides, the area is thriving with the High Line, Chelsea Market and the Meatpacking District.

It is one of my favorite areas in New York and I feel very lucky to live so close to it :)

I will have to prepare a post about the art galleries in the Lower East Side as well. It is another great area to explore if you love art and scouting new talents to invest on.  Very exciting!!!!!!

NYC - cupcakes' capital of the world!!!!

Cupcakes follow you everywhere in New York. Even the Sex and The City tours started having a stop at Magnolia Bakery. They are cute, delicious, yummy, go beautifully with a coffee or tea. It is just so hard to resist!!!

In order to experience what this cupcake city has to offer, I decided to start my own cupcake rating system :) Just have to make sure I keep hitting the gym nearly everyday, otherwise I will become a balloon with so many cupcakes!!!

Here we go:

1. Little Cupcake Bakeshop - These have been my favorite so far. They have a very wide selection of different cupcakes!!! You can find them in 3 different addresses: 30 Prince Street, 9102 Third Avenue

Brooklyn and inside Bergdorf Goodman. Believe me, to be inside BG, they have to be very good!!!!

2.  Baby Cakes - Dairy and Gluten free and natural/healthy cupcakes (if possible at all! lol) -  The location on Lower East Side is so cute and vintage. Since I saw a post on Garance Dore's blog about Baby Cakes' owner (see here) the name was stuck in my mind. Wandering in the Lower East Side I finally found it and had my first and unforgettable Baby Cakes cupcake. When you order you cupcake they ask if you have any allergies. Brilliant!!! 248 Broome Street

 

3. Eleni's -   This has to be one of the most tempting shops. The presentation is so beautiful. The cookies make beautiful gifts as well for all sorts of occasions. It is located inside Chelsea Market (75 Ninth Avenue) and on 1266 Madison Ave (between 90th and 91st).

4. Magnolia Bakery  - Definitely the most famous by far for out-of -towners and Sex and The City addicted. To be honest I expected much more from Magnolia Bakery. It is very good, but not that amazing comparing to many others. They are all over the place....401 Bleecker Street, inside Bloomingdale's, 1240 Avenue of Americas (Rockefeller Center), 200 Columbus Avenue, and Grand Central Terminal. 

5. Dean and Deluca - In spite of not having cupcakes as a speciality, I loved the Banana with Nutella cupcake I had at Dean and Deluca. So yummy!!!!!! Plus the amazing cappuccino (one of my favorites so far...). They have 6 different location in NYC: Soho 560 Broadway at Prince Street, One Rockefeller Plaza (between 5th and 6th Ave.), 1150 Madison Ave (At 85th Street), 620 8th Ave Retail Space B,  235 West 46th Street (Between 7th & 8th Ave) and 156 West 56th St.

6. The Buttercup Bakeshop - It is very tiny and located in Midtown Eats, where we were staying as soon as moved to NYC. I can say I started my cupcake experiences in the city there as it was so close to our flat. Such lovely cakes! 973 2nd Avenue (Between 51st and 52nd Streets)

7. Burgers and Cupcakes - No it is not a joke. There is really a place called burgers and cupcakes in this city!!! lol Very healthy, I know. It happens to be very close to my flat, and I had a lovely marble cupcake with peanut butter that was out of this world!!!! The burgers were not bad either. 458 9th Ave (36th St. & 9th Ave.)   

Having cupcake craving feeling now!!!! lol I am sure this cupcake list will get longer and longer as there is still so many cupcakes to try :)

Hope you enjoy! If you have any tips about cupcake places in NYC, please let me know!

Love xxx

Magnolia Bakery

Baby Cakes

Baby Cakes

Baby Cakes

Dean and Deluca

Little Cupcake Bakeshop

Little Cupcake Bakeshop

Little Cupcake Bakeshop

Little Cupcake Bakeshop

Elenis

Buttercup Cake Shop

Il Laboratorio del Gelato - the most unusual ice cream flavors in NYC

If you love ice cream, and boy, there are lovely ice cream places in this city, Il Laboratorio del Gelato has to be on your list of places to go and experience the most unusual ice cream flavors you will possibly ever see.
Earl Grey, Green Tea, Ricotta, Basil, Olive Oil, Sour Cream are among the nearly options...Take your pick!!!!! Amazing and delicious :):):)
It is located at the Lower East Side (in front of the famous Katz's Delicatessen) and you can watch the ice cream and sorbets being  made as there is an open plan kitchen.

Il Laboratorio del Gelato: 188 Ludlow street  (at east houston)