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!!!

New York Pride March

On the same weekend I managed to go to two different parades. The Mermaid Parade in Coney Island on Saturday and The New York Pride March on Sunday, June 24th. I truly loved it!!!!!!!What an amazing atmosphere, everyone having a great time :)
It is so amazing to live in a place where DIVERSITY is celebrated, respected and appreciated. That is what I love about cities like London and New York. You can be whatever you want to be. No one cares!!!!!!
It was the 43rd Annual Gay Pride Parade and also a celebration of the first anniversary since same sex marriage was legalized in New York.
Usually it takes place during summer and starts at Fifth Avenue going all the way down to Greenwich Village.
It is one of the year's most exciting events in New York. Very glad to have been part of it :)
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Mermaid Parade at Coney Island

The Mermaid Parade takes place every year in Coney Island. It usually happens late June. This year it happened on my birthday (June 23rd)! Since we moved to New York, we talked about going to visit Coney Island. The best thing is that you can take the subway all the way from Manhattan. In our case, we took the train in Herald Square (where Macy's is located took us nearly 45min). You can use any of the yellow or orange lines for the bargain of 2.25USD each way. You can't complain, can you?
The Mermaid Parade exists since 1893 and attracts a large crowd of people in search of some fun. The day was glorious and we fun we had!!!!!
When in Coney Island, you need to have a hot dog at Nathan's. The famous Hot Dog Eating Contest happens there every July 4th (in fact, it happened yesterday).
There were quite a few naked mermaids too... Oh dear...
Overall, I would definitely go back to go to the beach. The water is very cold though!!!!! The place is so tacky it becomes cult in my opinion.
I am sure you have seen this amusement park in some movie before. It is just so iconic!!!!!
Hope you enjoy :) xxxx

Gustav Klimt: 150th Anniversary Celebration at Neue Gallery

One of the things I love the most about living in big cities such as London and New York are the cultural attractions. Seriously, you have no time to get bored in such cities. There is always so much to do!!!!!!! As soon as I knew there would be an exhibition to celebrate Gustav Klimt's 150th anniversary, I knew I would end up there. Klimt is one of my favorite painters. I love his style, the colours, the beautiful mosaics we find in his art. Also, I had never been to Neue Galerie, which is located in the Museum Mile and is devoted to early 20th century German and Austrian art and design. The gallery is based in an impressive landmark mansion on Fifth Avenue and it offers a diverse program of exhibitions, lectures, films and concerts.

The Klimt exhibition was open on May 24 and will be on until August 27.It features major works from the collection, as well as several never-before-seen photographs of the artist. He looks so bohemian in some of them. I could imagine him living in the 70's!!!!!

I was a bit disappointed because there were not many paintings. Anyways, it s always amazing to be so close to a master's work. Beautiful and rich as the lovely ladies from the Viennese society he used to portrait.

If you go, make sure you have a coffee afterwards at the beautiful Cafe Sabarsky inside the mansion. It evokes the great Fin de siècle coffee places in Vienna and is supposed to be a favorite spot for New Yorkers.

 Neue Galerie:  1048 5th Avenue  New York, NY 10028

(212) 628-6200

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!!!!!!

Strand book store - book lover's paradise!!!

I know I have already spoken about this amazing book store here. However, I do not think I have spoken  highly enough of it. Every time I go back to the Strand bookshop, it amazes me even more.
I think I could spend the whole day in this home to 18 miles of books. I am sure you will find there whatever you are looking for book wise. As its website says: "new books, used books, rare books, out of print books, art books, and..." I have said before, a must go destination for book lovers in New York.

I love the quotes they have in different book sections. I have included two below :)

Strand Books: 828 Broadway  New York, NY 10003 (It is very close to Union Square)

What color is the Empire State Building tonight?

Every night I get excited to find out which color the Empire State will be "wearing". Researching for this post, I have found out its calendar. You can check it out here. The colors of the Empire State Building usually will reflect events/celebrations/holidays  happening in the States and around the world, but not to political or religious related events.The only exceptions are Easter, Eid al-Fitr, Hanukah and Christmas.

 For me, the Empire State it is one of the most special buildings in Manhattan and if not one of the most iconic ones alongside the Chrysler Building. Every year, millions of tourists go up to its observatoty on the 86th and 102nd to get a glimpse of the amazing views. The name Empire State was inspired in New York's nickname.

When it was open in 1931, it became ans was the tallest building in the world for 40 years, when the Twin Towers appeared in New York's skyline. After the tragic events on 9/11, it became again the tallest building in Manhattan. Not for long though, as the new One World Trade Center aka Freedom Tower is supposed to be ready in 2013. The Empire State Building is currently the third tallest sky scrapper in the States (after the Willis Tower and Trump International Hotel and Tower, both in Chicago), and the 15th tallest in the world.

I love the Art Deco style and how imposing it looks. Mainly, when you are outside Manhattan. I have been taking these photos over the last couple of months to share with you here. The idea was to have them taken from the same spot, but I had had some wine in a few of these occasions, therefore it is not looking that perfect lol Can't get tired of looking at it!!!! Isn't it beautiful??? I have written the meaning of the colors below the photos :)

Hope you enjoy xxxxxxxxxxxx

Love

In honor of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Partners in Preservation

In honor of the United States Olympic Committee and 100 Days to the 2012 Olympic Games in London

In honor of Autism Speaks and World Autism Awareness Day

In honor of Earth Hour 2012
*Lights off between 8:30p.m. — 9:30 p.m.

In honor of Phil Lesh, Bob Weir and FURTHUR

In honor of the Sakura Centennial

In honor of St. Patrick's Day

In celebration of Easter