Streets of NY

We get majorly spoiled living in a city like Dallas where we drive nearly everywhere.  Stomping the streets of New York was a hindrance to our feet (until we were instructed to stash a pair of flats in our handbags – thank you NY girls!) but a blessing to our camera…  We loved capturing the diverse “neighborhoods” of the city while traversing on foot, right before hailing a taxi cab

.The West Village: so freaking charming.  As the western portion of Greenwich Village, the streets are lined with trees, tiny high-end shops, and ivy covered apartments and brownstones.  Highlights included getting directions to Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment by a man walking his dog (no, we didn’t ask – guess we just looked like we needed to know!) and stopping into a few shops, including the only NARS Boutique in the world (complete with a framed photo of a hula-clad Marcel – Francois Nars‘ late French Bulldog).

.The Upper East Side: tourists galore (we fit right in) but the place to be for shopping and some of Manhattan’s best architecture.  After hitting up the neighborhood for Fashion’s Night Out, we ventured back for a little more shopping in stores we don’t have here in Dallas: the J.Crew Collection store, Alice + Olivia, and Bergdorf Goodman.  Bergdorf was especially impressive with its main level a maze of connected rooms all decorated and detailed and floors above all stocked with the best in fashion, beauty, and lifestyle.  The “ribbon” wrapped exterior helped celebrated the store’s 111th year as an “extraordinary” shopping experience.

.The Meatpacking District: we met Victoria for a delish breakfast at The Standard Grill (restaurant to incredible The Standard Hotel) and ogled the old buildings given new life by the chic fashion tenants (DVF, Scoop, Paige, etc).  The three of us deliberated buying famous bottles of Bond No. 9 perfumes to bring home as souvenirs but luckily talked ourselves out of such an expensive purchase…  If we had more time, a walk on The High Line would have been a perfect way to see more of the area and enjoy the incredible weather.

.Lincoln Center: just steps from our stay at The Empire Hotel, the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts is the now current home of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week after the event left its long-time location at Bryant Park two years ago.  The Center is comprised of The Metropolitan Opera House, Avery Fisher Hall, the David H. Koch Theater (home to the New York City Ballet) – the three buildings surrounding a huge open plaza that faces Columbus Avenue.  A walk though the “Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week” steel facade in the southwest corner of the center gives way to the tents that hold the runways for various shows – all nestled in the open space of Damrosch Park.  Definitely a magical place where you could feel the fashion energy of the city even if you didn’t get to sit for a show.

We feel so lucky that we got to see and experience so much of the city in only five days!

A Piece of Toast + Swirl | NYFW Correspondents