A New York Reunion

I just got back from a last minute work/personal trip back to my beloved city… and could not have timed it better. Temperatures were inching up, restaurants were seating people outside and the entire city was buzzing with that special first weekend of Spring energy.

The new mural on Kenmare & Mott – James Goldcrown’s Bleeding Hearts

I caught up with old friends in our favorite haunts, hung out with new ones, and had a productive 3 days at work. It was everything I needed to rekindle my love for this city…. New York, you’ve still got it. See you again soon I’m sure.

rooftop views from East Williamsburg… this sunset never gets old

xx,
phyll

Link Line Up

Things I’ve learned this week:

• Kindergarteners are not trendy enough to like gray hair (that time my tutee called me ugly :()
• I’ve been missing out on everything south of LA for the past like, 10 years! (spent a wonderful birthday weekend with my NY friend in Laguna Beach & San Diego)
• Wearing glasses for 10 days straight starts to hurt (guys, I’m getting LASIK tomorrow!! so stoked/nervous/anxious/excited. anyways, you can’t wear your contacts leading up to the surgery) Wish me luck!

Anyways, I’ve been gearing for my LASIK recovery by getting all my sweaty spin classes out of the way, finding new podcasts to cozy up to this weekend. (any suggestions?), and diving through the depths of the internet and binge site hopping.

The sea is so fascinating! These photos are stunning!

Remember when I went to the LA Art Show and discovered Nick Veasey’s amazing x-ray works? This TED video delves more into his techniques & inspiration.

Did you know Americans can get a free/almost free education in these countries abroad? In English too! Germany, I’m eyeing you over here..

I think one of the most underrated places in CA is the desert. It’s definitely becoming trendier now – pretty cool to see Thrillist do this roundup of Palm Springs.

Ever heard of Samsara? It’s a beautiful documentary shot all across the globe. It’s a 100 minute, silent visual feast delving into cultures, religions & societies of Indonesia and Kenya, France and India. Aaaaaand it’s on Netflix. Go!

Aw, this has me missing my old hood in NYC

Been curious to watch Eddie Huang’s Fresh Off the Boat ABC show, but now mostly just curious to read his book. (doesn’t it always work that way??)

A different look at fashion blogging & reality TV.

The Farewell NYC Bucket List

By the time I decided I was going to move out of New York and had set a farewell date, I only had a couple weeks to book a flight, pack, turn over my apartment lease, and most important do everything I’ve always wanted to do in NYC. Obviously failed at that last one since my list has always been growing faster than I could ever check things off it… but I could try…

1) One of my favorite things about the city is how easy it is to access amazing, cheap, live music, especially in the summertime. Parks & venues are inundated with musical talent -both large names & up-and-comers. Some of the best free events in the summer include the Celebrate Brooklyn concert series at Prospect Park and various free, sponsored pop-up concerts (Chromeo for Made in America, Haim & Sleigh Bells for Levi’s come to mind).

Tip: Central Park hosts a series of Summerstage concerts throughout the warmer months -tickets are usually $20-40 each, but there is always a healthy crowd hanging out on the rocks right outside Rumsey Playfield.  You can catch the entire show (audios only, but that’s 80% of a show anyways) while picnicking out on the grass.  There’s even the margarita man who walks around with his ice chest selling margaritas & tall boys.  I caught both the Blood Orange and Gary Clark Jr. shows like this before I left.  It is by far the cheapest, chillest way to attend a concert.

Silver Linings

Sitting outside a restaurant on a warm breezy July evening. Tired but triumphant over our all day venture out to sunny but desolate Rockaway Beach in Queens. Feeling the alluring promise of a night out but also drawn to a blissfully chill night at home, continuing the chatter, music & company.

It all happened so suddenly.  Queasiness, a headache, exhaustion catching up, impatience because we’ve waited for our bill for what seems like an hour.  Suddenly, they kick the music up to an aggressive pounding bass, and my head follows. Spins, nausea, all rush on and flood my body.

I stand up to walk it all off and before I know it, my body and my mind are separated.  Through the fog & vertigo my brain knows that I should not continue to walking, that I’m going into the middle of a street, that I am alone, But my legs don’t listen. They continue moving forward, on jelly, in crooked lines until I fall face forward onto the asphalt.

Art Binging in the City

With my face-brace (that’s what I’m calling it these days) on for the past month, I’ve been sort of out of commission for all fun things.  Drinking & partying really isn’t feasible, going out to eat with people would just be a cruel joke, and exercising would be way too much on my body right now. Previously, those 3 probably took up 90% of my free time & since I’m not the type to sit around & rot in front of the TV (I didn’t even have cable until college!), I’ve been on the hunt for other activities.

I kicked off an NYC Tour de Art lately – capitalizing on the city’s plethora of museums, galleries & exhibits.  Here are some of my recent favorites.

Tara Donovan at the Pace Gallery: These installations were constructed from thousands of index cards & acrylic rods, respectively. Her sculptures take on an entirely different quality when you view them up close vs. as a whole.  It’s almost like she is replicating nature, and the way things grow, as she builds these gigantic installations.  Her exhibit at the Pace Gallery in Chelsea is closed now, but her work is still on view at the Pace in Menlo Park, CA.