I think I need to break up with pizza by the slice, but apart from that, September has been such a wonderful month. Maybe even our best month here yet!

(I need to stop eating pizza, but if you want to eat excellent pizza may I suggest Prince Street Pizza in Nolita and for something crazy unhealthy but undoubtedly yummy, try the artichoke slice at Artichoke Basille’s in West Village after a night out).

Since I moved from Melbourne to New York in April 2019, I’ve started writing a series of monthly blog posts, NYC Life, to capture the the big and little moments that have shaped this move. It’s easy in hindsight to forgot the everyday joys, struggles and frustrations of life in a new city, so I wanted a place to for it all to live on the blog. I round up the most fun things I did, saw and ate near the end. For more specific New York City tips, check out my New York City Travel Guide.

Highlights

September has been SO. MUCH. FUN. It’s been so busy, that it wasn’t until I looked back on my notes from this month that I realised just how much we squeezed in! It has been the best month we’ve had in New York City, since our first month here I think. Things are finally getting easier.

• I got a job offer! I’ve been offered my dream job at a restaurant group in New York City, as Director of PR & Marketing. Before I can start, I have to apply for a working visa for the US, leave the country and go back to Australian for an interview at the consulate, and then re-enter the country. It’s a daunting process, and a lot can go wrong. I won’t really be able to celebrate until I’ve been approved for the correct visa and am back in the US. Wish me luck!
• Dinner at The Terrace & a show at Paradise Club – David & I had a wonderful dinner at the beautiful Terrace & Outdoor Garden restaurant, inside the new Edition hotel in Times Square. After dinner, we were lucky enough to get a seat at The Devouring, a cabaret show inside Paradise Club (also in the hotel) created by Bushwick-based theatre company House of Yes.
• Chicago – My first trip to the Midwest! I loved the beautiful architecture in Chicago and experiencing the city’s vibrant food & nightlife scene
• Hudson Valley – Finally, we took a day trip out of New York! We took the train from Grand Central up through the Hudson Valley, to the charming towns of Beacon & Cold Spring.
• Eleven Madison Park – When I left my job in Australia, my team gave me the most generous and thoughtful going away present – a voucher for a meal at Eleven Madison Park, one of the best restaurants in the world. We finally went for lunch near the end of September, and it blew us away.
• Marlo & Josh’s Visit – Friends from Australia stayed with us for a few days, it was so much fun!
• Celebrity spotting – Our friends are always asking us if we see many celebrities in New York, and so far we’ve seen none! Until we saw David Schwimmer at The Terrace at Times Square Edition hotel, and then I saw Michael Kelly (who I recognised from House of Cards) when I was on my way to do laundry the other day

Marlo & Josh’s visit

This month, one of my good friends from Melbourne & her boyfriend came to stay with us for a few days, while they were visiting New York. It was so much fun catching up with Marlo & getting to know Josh, we both loved having them in town! We went to the Comedy Cellar one night and went for brunch at Tartine, a classic West Village brunch spot.

Hudson Valley Day Trip

We took our first day trip from New York City, to the Hudson Valley in upstate New York. We spent the day between two charming towns, Beacon and Cold Spring. We both loved the change of pace, and we’re very eager to go back to the Hudson Valley for a weekend.

Chicago

I made my first visit to the Midwest this month, when I visited Chicago. I was only there for a couple of days, but I was really impressed by what I did see and loved getting to see another one of America’s major cities. I lucked out with beautiful weather, which many Chicagoans told me is a rarity. I’ve already shared some photos from the beautiful Chicago Riverwalk, and my first impressions of Chicago.

Little Italy’s St Gennaro Festival

Mamma mia. Little Italy’s St Gennaro Festival takes over most of Mulberry Street for 10 days in September, which brings lots of tourists downtown. We visited with Marlo and Josh, and while the festive atmosphere was fun, I was a little disappointed that the festival seemed to focus on quantity of stalls rather than quality. There’s so much opportunity for an Italian festival to celebrate Italian-American culture in so many engaging and creative ways that genuinely pays tribute to the Italian heritage in the area, but instead I found it was watered down dozens of stalls hawking pina coladas, random gadgets and merch and lots of other not-even-slightly-Italian food and drinks. Not a single aperol spritz or negroni in sight!

New Posts

• Lefkes: Paros’ enchanting medieval capital
• NYC Neighbourhood Guide: Nolita
• The Best Bars in New York City
• In Photos: The Chicago Riverwalk
• NYC Life: August 2019

As always, for a more comprehensive (but curated) guide to the city, check out my New York City Travel Guide

Restaurants & Bars

• Eleven Madison Park – My amazing colleagues at my job in Melbourne gave us a very generous voucher for a meal at the legendary restaurant, regarded as the best in America and former winner of Best Restaurant in the World. The eight course tasting menu was incredible, and a meal we’ll certainly remember forever!
• The Terrace & Outdoor Garden – Located inside the news Times Square EDITION hotel, The Terrace is a gorgeous bar & restaurant on the terrace (duh) of the hotel. The outside balcony has views to Times Square, but the main dining area is enclosed with a small jungle of tropical plants, making it feel a world away from the hectic pace of New York City. I had the corn ravioli, which was delicious! Highly recommend, even if you usually avoid Times Square.
• Sant Ambroeus – Super cute Milanese restaurant, I had brunch here with a friend and was crazy for the decor. Food is great too!
• Vini et Fritti – Met friends here for drinks twice this month, it’s inspired by Roman bars and is perfect for an interesting glass of wine and a snack.
• Paradise Club – Also inside the Times Square EDITION, Paradise Club hosts a nightly multi-course dinner & theatre program, in partnership with Chef John Fraser and Bushwick-based performance group House of Yes. Incredible show & menu, and a really special experience.
• The Loyal, West Village – It’s only been open for two years, but it’s already a West Village institution. It’s big on the New York brasserie vibes, but it’s not at all pretentious.
• Black Seed Bagels – Black Seed Bagels downtown location has just re-opened, and I’m a big fan. I think they do the best bagels in New York City.
• Ray’s Lower East Side – Justin Theroux opened this bar in partnership with Golden Age Hospitality. It’s a low-key, almost dive bar but it’s a bit too cool (and full of stylish people) to be quite called a dive. No food, but good for a few drinks.
• Lemons at the Wythe Hotel – Amazing views of Manhattan, great spot for a drink.
• Peppi’s Cellar– Super cute bar in an old cellar, underneath Italian restaurant Grand Tivoli. Will be so cosy in winter!

Reading

• Little Fires Everywhere – Celeste Ng: This best-selling book and soon-to-be TV show is one of the most talked about books of the last few years. It’s a short novel, and I read most of it on my flight from Chicago to New York. I enjoyed it, but I think it might have suffered a little from being too hyped up, it’s always hard to properly enjoy something with fresh eyes after hearing so much about it for so long.
• Trick Mirror – Jia Tolentino: I was eager to get my hands on Jia Tolentino’s debut novel, which is a collection of essays about the modern world. I found some of the essays really witty and insightful, and some of them I found felt very familiar – points of view and ideas that have been shared many, many times before.
• War & Peace – Leo Tolstoy: I’ve begun reading. It’s over 1300 pages, with 365 chapters, which is both daunting and comforting at the same time. I’m a speedy reader, which means I sometimes devour books faster than I mean to – it’s nice being able to sink my teeth into something that I’m in no danger of finishing in a single sitting! It took me a couple of chapters to get into it, and to get used to the three or four variations of names that each character uses, but now I’m absolutely hooked.
• I Feel Bad About My Neck – Norah Ephron: The director behind some of the world’s most-loved romantic comedies (Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally, to name a few) takes her trademark wit to a collection of essays about being a woman in the modern world. A light and entertaining read!
• The Corrections – Jonathan Franzen: It’s often cited as one of “the most important novels of the 21st century”, so I thought I’d give it a crack – so far I’m really enjoying it. It’s sad and disturbing but so lifelike. I can’t relate to any of the characters, but I’m curious to see where it goes.