NYC Fashion Week + Food = Fun Times!

So having been in NYC for two fashion weeks, I cannot stress how much fun and alive the city becomes (well, admittedly the city is pretty awesome and bustling anyway but there is a certain air about it when all the fashionistas come out to play). Whilst it may at times be a trip down struggle street trying to find a cab during fashion week (not ideal when you are weighed down with bags from a shopping spree) there are a lot of fun things that you can do to partake in the fashion week festivities.

This year my sister managed to score a reservation at a Fashion Week Afternoon Tea at the Mandarin Oriental's Lobby Lounge - needless to say it was a lot of fun and once again an absolutely incredible experience (and I know I keep saying that about everything NYC related, so I apologise and will try to think of another way to describe it).

The Mandarin Oriental is so plush and nice, that by the end of the afternoon I was tempted to max out my credit cards just so I could stay.

The Lobby Lounge is located on the 35th floor and has AMAZING views of South-West Central Park and Columbus Circle.

Food-wise this is the BEST afternoon tea I have ever been to, ever! Sydney High Teas do not even compare. The service was brilliant, the waitstaff were super friendly and accomodating - and like many restuarants throughout the USA they actually ask you if you have dietary requirements/allergies upon your arrival, which is music to the ears of a vegetarian (me) and a sufferer of an insane amount of allergies (my sister).

Then as if the service isn't enough to make you feel all VIP-like, the food is simply amazing. To start as with all high/afternoon teas there were a selection of savory sandwiches. They were good but I can't say I remember all that much about them as I got distracted by the arrival of the Lobby Lounge's signature ginger scones.

The scones are infused with a hint of ginger and then accompanied by the kitchen's signature ginger marmalade. I was worried that it may be too overpowering but the two combined to create a very delicate flavour.

And then the sweets arrived...

I have only one word to describe it all...YUM!! Unfortunately, as is the case with afternoon teas you tend to get full really quickly. The portions are all deceptively small and you think you'll be able to eat it all but alas that is not the case. Thankfully, in the US of A, restaurants around the country pack up your left over food so that you can take it home with you (hurrah!). I only wish they still did that here in Australia.

The sweets were so adorable and were all fashion themed...

Diane von Furstenberg Biscuits.

Hot Coco Chanel - a delectable chocolate mousse.

This was a plain old strawberry and vanilla cake. I don't recall it being fashion house inspired.

Jimmy Choo Caramel Tart.

Apple Brown Betsey Johnson - an apple crumble/tart of sorts.

Donna Karat Cake (aka Carrot Cake).

My only regret about the afternoon tea was not selecting a black tea to accompany and counteract all the sugar being consumed. Instead I decided to be adventurous and try a herbal tea (herbal teas are generally outside of my comfort zone so I don't know what possessed me).

I selected a Mountain Berry tea which was a beautiful, rich, berry red colour and tasted like bubblegum. The tea itself was nice but because it had a mild sweetness to it, it wasn't the best accompaniment to such sweet food. Even so, the fashion week afternoon tea was by far the best food experience I had in NYC and was a nice way to be a part of a NYC Fashion Week festivities.

NYC.

So after a week filled with reacquainting myself with the incredibly boring routines of uni and work, I have finally found some time to post up pics from my recent trip. Looking through the photos makes me incredibly nostalgic and it is clear I am suffering from the usual post-US trip depression.

Okay so on the surface this picture is your typical out-the-plane-window shot but I took it because it shows the aftermath of the February 1-4 epic snowstorm that hit 2/3 of the US...and well, I thought it looked kind of cool.

The lovely Radio City Music Hall.

The view from the Top of the Rock. I don't think it matters how many times I've been here, it is always such a great experience.

Atlas and Rockefeller Centre.

For anyone wondering, this is a picture of the "World's Largest Store" (well at least Macy's claims to be). The reason this has made it into this post is that I thought my lovely travel companion would appreciate it haha

The iconic NYC landmark - the Plaza Hotel. While us mere mortals can only imagine how nice it is to stay here, there is a wonderful food hall accessible to all located inside, as well as the lovely Sarabeth's Bakery.

Lexington Ave.

Home to Bloomingdale's, the store that many people I speak to can never seem to locate when in NYC haha. Well, I found it people, I found it.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art. There are no words to describe how incredible this place is. Love it!

Times Square.

I have a love/hate relationship with this place. I love it for how alive it is no matter the time of the day. But then I hate how loud it is when your staying right around the corner and trying to sleep.

So that is all for my photos for now. I keep getting asked what is my favourite place or thing to do in NYC. To be quite honest I couldn't narrow it down to just one thing. It is such an incredible city with so much to see and do, and quite frankly I love everything about the place. In terms of a favourite moment, well that I can easily answer. Being picked up in a limo from the airport and driving over the Brooklyn Bridge to see the Manhattan Skyline at night is definitely up there as an absolutely incredible experience. We may have even squealed with delight :)

I'm Back.

So, I've returned from a grand adventure in the US of A and with my return home I have felt decidedly re-inspired to begin blogging again. But then again who wouldn't feel inspired after visiting one of the most wonderful cities in the entire universe, aka New York City.

While Los Angeles was part of the trip, it really feels like a blip on the radar compared to my time in NYC. If I had to choose between the East and West Coasts of the USA, I'd have say that I'm definitely an East Coast kind-of person. My sister and I had grand plans to travel to other East Coast locations like Boston or New Haven (potentially even DC) but alas the weather being as unpredictable and miserable as could be put those plans to rest. Though I can't really complain, we were more than happy to stay in NYC the entire time. It doesn't matter how many times you visit you never truly get to see and experience all that New York has to offer. We made a list of things that we had missed out on last year. The list was long - so long in fact that we didn't even get to see/do all the things on there this time around...meaning another trip is in order just as soon I can save up more funds, haha.

I'm still in the process of uploading and organising my photos. So my return to blog-land must end here for now, with the promise of photos (for my friends who have requested that I post some up soon) and some tales from my time in New York.

The Big Apple

Okay so while the thrill and intrigue of blogging is still fresh I thought I'd start out by posting about one of my absolute favourite places in the world..

This year has by far been one of the most exciting of my life, and it all began with an unforgettable trip to the USA. Whilst the entire adventure was strewn with many highlights (and the occasional scary travel moment - which of course make for great and funny stories after the fact) the place that will forever hold a place in my heart is New York City.

There are not enough words to describe how exciting and brilliant this eclectic haven of a city is. So instead of rambling and repeating myself, I thought I'd share some of my pics.

I begin with a picture of the wondrous snowfall that I had the great fortune of experiencing, and made my time in the City absolutely magical. While the locals no doubt would think it crazy to say that walking around in a blizzard was fun, it was something I have never experienced...so yes it was fun :)

This picture is a beautiful view overlooking Manhattan and featuring the Empire State Building. The droves of tourists typically flock to the Empire State Building observation decks, but I personally think the Top of the Rock (30 Rockefeller Centre) is the place to be. Not only do you get magnificent views which include the iconic Empire State Building, there are significantly lesser crowds, which make for a more enjoyable and relaxing experience.

With NYC being one of the fashion capitals of the world I cannot express how excited I was to be able to be in the City during New York fashion week. Admittedly, fashion week makes it harder to get around town as you can NEVER get a taxi, but the buzz the fashion crowds create make it so much fun, and with my love of all things fashion I was happy to have experienced NYC during this crazy, crazy week. The above pic is of Bryant Park (and a small glimpse of the craziness and crowds of fashion week). Sadly, from next year fashion week will have a new home, away from Bryant Park :(

Then there was the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which we had the crazy idea of walking to and for us ended up being a trek across the entire island of Manhattan (not joking). It was worth it though. I must admit a small part of me couldn't help but think of Gossip Girl, no matter how hard I tried not to.

Times Square. There's not much to say except this place is ALWAYS busy. There are people everywhere, all the time.

Leaving the best experience I had during my time in NYC for last is my visit to Liberty Island. Lady Liberty is enormous, and seeing this icon that just screams NEW YORK!! was absolutely breathtakingly incredible. We had the great fortune of securing tickets to climb the 354 steps up to the Crown. And while my feet and legs ached later that day it was worth it!! Sometimes I think I dreamt the trip to the Statue of Liberty it was so surreal.

My trip to New York is something I'll never forget, and I can now truly understand why it has captured the hearts of millions. There is quite frankly no other city in the world quite like it :)