Brunch @ Cookshop in Chelsea

As I have mentioned before, one of my favorite programs on the weekends in New York is to go out for brunch.
Cookshop had been on my list of places to go for a while. It has a very good reputation about being one of the best brunches in town. Besides, it is very close to my work and flat.
Boy, I am glad we went!!!! The food was delicious, so fresh, so beautiful!!!! The cocktails are to die for as well.
Apparently, it is supposed to be a celebrity hot spot. Emma Stone was there with Andrew Garfield last month. Anyways, does not make a lot of difference to me... Just curiosities about Manhattan's life lol
Hope you enjoy!!!! I had a beautiful French Toast and hubby the Huevos Rancheros!!!! Yummy!!!!
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Richard Avedon: Murals and Portraits @ Gagosian Gallery

I love Richard Avedon's photography and I think he is one of the greatest artists of the twentieth century.
The Gagosian Gallery at Chelsea had a great exhibition of some of his famous murals and portraits. It in on until July 27th actually!!!! If you can go!!!!!
Anyways, I am very happy I went and here I am to share some beauty with you all. Richard Avedon was a New Yorker and lived from 1923 until 2004. He was one of the pioneers in fashion photography, starting at Harper's Bazaar in 1945.
It is amazing how his work is so timeless and fresh. Most of these photos could have been taken yesterday!!!!!
What do you think????
Hope you enjoy!!! xxxxxxxxxx 

Happy July 4th + Hubby's Bday @ Hotel Americano

July 4th happens to be my husband's birthday as well. As it was our first July 4th in the US, we wanted to find out what all the fuss was about. And of course, I wanted him to feel special with the fireworks I had prepared specially for him lol ;-)
I was amazed how people embrace the date and with the amount of people on the streets.
On our way to Hotel Americano, where I had made a reservation for dinner, we were shocked to see the queue for the lifts in our building. As many flats have a great view of the Hudson river, it was a perfect place for house parties whilst watching the fireworks. One of our neighbours was giving a party and she said people were queuing up for 35 minutes in the lobby to get a lift!!!!!
Anyways, we had a lovely time at La Piscine at Hotel Americano. The hotel is quite new and we could see some of the fireworks from the roofdeck. In spite of the chaos, the service was amazing :) The views of Manhattan skyline are breathtaking as well.
We will indeed go back with friends for drinks, brunch and whatever else!!!!!
It was a very unforgettable experience indeed :)
Hope you enjoyed! xxxxx


Hotel Americano:518 West 27th Street  New York, NY 10001

View from the bar with the Empire State in the background

The smallest swimming pool I have ever seen in my life. Nevertheless a very stylish one.

The fireworks

View from our flat. What a beautiful evening!!!

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!!!!!!

The Chelsea Hotel - a piece of living history

When I go grocery shopping at my beloved Trader Joe's, I usually walk by the legendary Hotel Chelsea. Once home of many musicians, writers, artists and actors. Among them: Mark Twain, Tennessee Williams, Patti Smith, Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin.
It was there that Andy Warhol, Edie Sedgwick and Candy Darling made the underground film Chelsea Girls, based on the lives of young women who lived in the hotel.
The hotel is a designated New York landmark and it has been closed for guests since last year, when it was sold to a New York developer. The nearly 100 residents were allowed to stay while it is undergoing massive renovations.
Would love to go inside and have a look at it!

Hotel Chelsea: 222 West 23rd Street

The wonders of Chelsea Market

Chelsea Market has become one of my favorite spots in New York :) It is quite close to my flat and above the Meatpacking District. I love going there for a coffee, sushi and cupcakes!
The red-brick building was a former biscuit factory (National Biscuits Company) and it fills an entire block between 15th and 16th streets. There are loads of cute shops (including an Anthropologie), restaurants selling all sorts of fresh and yummy food and offices. Google and EMI are among the tenants.  It is a perfect place to stop and unwind after shopping at the Meatpacking Disctrict or walking on the High Line. Must go when you are in New York :)

Inspiring messages - Quotable Cards

Browsing at Posman Books inside Chelsea Market (have to write a post about it very soon!) this week, I have found these lovely cards by Quotable Cards. To be honest I had never heard or noticed the name of this company before. All I can say is that I have fallen in love with the messages on the cards. I feel like buying them all and sending to all my dear friends and family :) Could not agree more with the company's logo saying "Kind words never die". Maybe this is what we need in this crazy world - not much apart from kind words. Just reading these lines made me smile and I hope you enjoy as much as I did!

The High Line - volunteering opportunities

One of my favorite places of "my New York" is the High Line. It is very close to our flat and I can walk all the way to the Meatpacking District :) It is a great program for the weekends as there are loads of lovely places to have brunch there after the walk.
The High line runs from the Gansevoort Street up to 30th Street (West Chelsea). It was a very ambitious urban renewal project which transformed a disused railway into public park with amazing views from the Hudson River and the city from another perspective.

In spite of having being open to the public in June 2009 (the portion between Gansenvoort to 20th Street), it has already become one of the main attractions in New York. You can see most of the art galleries in West Chelsea as well.

I have applied to be a volunteer in the Green-Up Spring Cut back between March and April. The deadline was on the 13th of February, I was a bit late....But I hope to hear something back. Fingers crossed!!!! It should be fun and also an amazing opportunity to meet new people :)

For whoever is interested have a look : Volunteer Opportunity : High Line Green-Up Spring Cut Back