Tuesday, September 27, 2011

where should a couple of Aussies go in NYC?


Hello ESB.

Straight to it - we're honeymooning in New York. In January. We live in Sydney, Australia, where winters barely make it below 60 (yes, I just googled the conversion). Cities with snow are practically fairy tales.

Can you help us out? What shall we do, where shall we go? We are big foodies, love big cities, and love adventuring. Both of us have been to NYC before, separately and years ago, and we want to rediscover this town in all its glory together and in style. We've done the tourist stuff - this time it's personal.

Also... what does a lady wear in a NYC winter to keep herself warm? Should I buy some sort of awesome coat? Any suggestions?

Thanks so much!

Sunny in Sydney


*****

Since I briefly put this one up by accident (you can't blame me for mixing up the Aussie honeymooners with the Aussie elopers, can you??) I figure I'll let you guys take a crack at restaurants/adventures.

COME BACK ANON! Give us those suggestions again, will you??

As for warmth/fashion, because you're not used to the cold, I recommend a classic down jacket like this one by North Face.



(Which, if you don't trust me and you arrive without one and proceed to freeze your tits off, you can always pick one up on lower Broadway.)

And I have a bit of bad news. Snow in New York is only magical for a brief moment: while it's falling. Once it hits the pavement it turns into wet slush.

This means a pair of waterproof boots is essential. I'm digging these Fryes.


I'm gonna go ahead and assume that in Sydney you wear Uggs as SLIPPERS, not as motherfucking street shoes like the ding-dong NYU girls.

Top photo: The Selby via Skittish Skies

64 comments:

  1. As an NYU alum, that last line made me laugh my ass off.

    <3.

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  2. Maddie. I hope you didn't OWN a pair of Uggs.

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  3. ny winter tip: longer coat, shorter dresses!

    http://www.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=575226&cm_mmc=Google_Feed-_-4-_-41-_-MP441

    it is your honeymoon after all.

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  4. @Anon a short dress is not worth a MOM COAT

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  5. Nice one! Native here so these are my recs, though there are endless options beyond this:

    Adventures: Coney Island in the winter is fun. Ice skate at Wollman Rink- cheaper & prettier than Rockefeller. Central Park of course. Ride the carousel. The Cloisters in winter is lovely. Then Fort Tryon Park. Park Avenue for sparkly trees with no crowds. Lincoln Center- even if you don't like Opera- the fountain & area are pretty & there's a tree. If you do like Opera try and get tix, even last minute you can get standing ones. Get there early so you can see the chandeliers rise in the Met.

    Go for some fancy drinks at the King Cole Bar. Perfect cold winter getaway. Dress nicely & be prepared to pay $$ tho. Bowery Hotel also has nice winter bar area with fire. Cooler than King Cole but less classy.

    Food: Bar Bacaro, Il Buco, Dell'Anima. Italian in NYC in winter is perfecto. La Bonne Soup on 55th off 5th for wonderful French food.
    So many places to go for food in NYC I can't even begin except to leave you with those.

    Dress: listen to ESB. You need warm, WATERPROOF, comfy pretty boots. Thick tights. Personally I prefer skirts & tights since you have no wet hems. Good warm coat. Better if it goes to your knees. Hat, scarf, gloves. Waterproof helps, but wool works. Layers! SUNGLASSES. It is really bright here.

    Just don't scum around the city in Jeans and a Northface & knapsack. You'll feel like a tourist everywhere you go. NYers dress up somewhat even in the winter.

    Have fun!

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  6. I was wondering what happened! Alright I was the one that commented first last time this post was up (and I figured out how not to be Anon).

    Here were my restaurant suggestions for special occasions (I think this is all of them)

    Eleven Madison Park - super fancy and expensive and worth it

    WD 50 - Wylie Dufresne - creative

    ABC Kitchen - beautiful restaurant

    Le Bernadin - iconic

    Locanda Verde - more affordable and amazing

    Torrisi Italian Specialties - best new NYC restaurant in years

    To Do: go to the Highline and spend an afternoon at Eataly.

    Oh and check out Cup of Jo's NYC Guide
    http://joannagoddard.blogspot.com/2011/09/nyc-guide-10-best-restaurants.html

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  7. You Amandas. So cheeky. So full of good advice.

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  8. We try.

    As far as dressing for NYC in winter...along with those Frye boots, wear thick black leggings, a short tight knit skirt and a slightly over sized sweater a la this look http://www.net-a-porter.com/product/166898

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  9. people, people! NO PUFFERS, SWEET JESUS. this is not backpacking. think duffel coats, or a military parka. doesn't need a label, but it shouldn't look like a mattress (if you re-eally need the extra warmth, wear long underwear under your sweater).

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  10. @lauren you know she'll be too cold in those. and long underwear = sweatballs as soon as you get inside. NO GO.

    i only recommend a puffer for emergency aussie-visits-nyc-in-january-type situations. (and if you work it, the right one can be cute.)

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  11. that's long underwear in case of an emergency, cookies, and it's better to be cold and stylish than a wormperson. DEATH BEFORE A PUFFER.

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  12. @Allegra LaViola - I love it when I see my hood recommended. Yay for Fort Tryon park. And if you're lucky you'll be in town after a good snowstorm when Fort Tryon become a Narnia-esque winter wonderland. While in the park you might as well eat at the oh so cute New Leaf Cafe. Both the cafe and the Cloisters are inside Fort Tryon.

    Another cool thing to do go to a beergarden. And if you're thinking, beergarden, in the winter? Well, yes. The one in Williamsburg is indoors (with glass doors) and plenty warm in winter. While in Williamsburg you can have a dinner and a movie date at Nighthawk a new theater where you can have a meal and drinks during the movie (a server will come in to take your order before the movie). Super cute.

    Another favorite food spot of mine is Cafe Henri on Bedford St in the West Village. It's unassuming but cozy and crepes are always good.

    For brunch I love dim sum and my favorite spots are: Jing Fong (for the experience), Dim Sum Go Go (for the taste and ease).

    Fast-food burgers - Regular burgers: Shake Shack. Blue cheese and bacon burgers: Schnipper's.

    For chef-approved eats I'd recommend The Spotted Pig gastropub (they don't take reservations, but have a some wine at Turks & Frogs wine bar across the street while you wait) and The Modern (inside the MoMa).

    And drink lots of hot chocolate (hard to find a good one in the city, I've got to say) and apple cider (farmer's markets). If you're into coffee, you're in luck because in the last few years lots of west coast roasters have opened shop in the city. My fiance (who used to be a barista) love Blue Bottle (there's one around the corner from the Williamsburg beergarden) and Stumptown (inside the Ace Hotel on E 29th St.)

    Er...obviously I mostly eat and drink in this town...

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  13. The Museum of Natural History is awesome. Also, the Bronx Zoo in the winter is incredible. They bring out the reindeers and Xmas lights.

    Also, check out Red Bamboo in the village for some killer vegetarian food.

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  14. Oh, I forgot to mentioned that first Saturdays at the Brooklyn Museum: free entrance, cool music, bad wine & food. Pretty awesome.

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  15. @rodjsr I quite like the hot chocolate at Chocolate Bar (which is super convenient to The Highline).

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  16. @rodjsr shit. i'm just sucking today. here's the link: http://www.yelp.com/biz/chocolate-bar-new-york-4

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  17. @ESB I went to NYU. I couldn't AFFORD a pair of UGGS. (I did own a pair of these though. At least they were wedges!)

    Also, while I admire Lauren's dedication to style, not turning into an icicle trumps all. Puffer jackets 4 life! (For the record, I also could not afford one of those in college).

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  18. @esb yay! thanks I'll check it out after the first snow fall.

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  19. Yay! Even if it was a mistake, thanks ESB! You guys are awesome! Thanks so much for the suggestions.

    @esb; uggs, EVEN AS slippers are totally ridiculed here.

    and I KNEW there was going to be a puffy vs sleek jacket argument. Hmmmm. And you say no to the thermals? Goodness me.

    Keep it coming ladies! I'm all... eyes...

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  20. Oh and PS forgot to say those boots are AMAZING. Thankyou.

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  21. @rodjsr @esb for hot chocolate city baker in manhattan and the chocolate room in brooklyn

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  22. @cevd you don't find it to be classic?

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  23. i conferred with joe (who favors practicality over fashion, at least most of the time) for the sake of argument; if there's any way you can afford one, quoth he, you should go with a woolrich arctic parka (which is what he wears when it gets garry-shandling-face cold here); he maintains that esquire argued it was one of the only down-filled coats you could get away with wearing over a suit. i think it's a little too close to puffers for comfort, but it's got a bit of military style, which i appreciate, and i admit he's complimented like mad on it.

    down with wormpeople,
    LMO

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  24. Well if we're talking practicality here, this LL Bean Puffer isn't totally fugly and they have a (more or less) lifetime guarantee on it.

    Freshman vomit on you in the subway? Return and get a new one. Accidentally get caught in a cab door? Return and get a new one. Get shitfaced on your honeymoon and fall off a curb? They'll replace it.

    I'm from Maine. I've tested most of these.

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  25. @lauren I loathe the ubiquitous faux fur hood.

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  26. @Maddie. That is, in fact, totally fugly.

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  27. (joe's is vintage and coyote, and steve tries to groom it when he leaves it on a chair. i would NEVER, EVER wear one and i hate that he owns it, but he's a grownup and buys his own coats.)

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  28. @Maddie Have you never seen Home for the Holidays?? THAT'S THE COAT SHE HAS TO BORROW FROM HER MOM.

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  29. @lauren okay, well that's a little better.

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  30. So... I do love down jackets, but I also live in cold places (Vermont, Maine, Newfoundland). They definitely saved me when I was dealing with frostbite-warning days. North Face, Patagonia and Isis all have some good ones.
    BUT the problem is if you get rained on, that sucks (or if the snow is wet). A longer wool coat works really well to keep you warm even if it gets weird and wet out. J Crew is not smiled upon here BUT I do have a wool coat of theirs from a while ago Thinsulate in it that does a great job of keeping the wind out. I'm not sure where else to look for a nice-looking and warm wool coat.
    A hood plus a nice hat can make everything ten times warmer. And wool socks!

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  31. that may be the ugliest color jacket i've ever laid my eyes on. and shiny, to boot.

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  32. Hmmm. I get a sense that J is going to like the Woolrich Artic. But that LL Bean one... yikes... do people actually wear these in NYC? Or am I going to look like an obvious tourist who can't handle the weather?

    Also, a silly question. Are those boots actually waterproof or do you have to treat them?

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  33. @Anotherringcoming not a silly question, I want the answer too.

    Ima getting married in 1.5 weeks (F*ck, that soon?!) and we're honeymooning in Europe for, oh, 3 MONTHS. Which means I need boots (I like those boots) and a jacket (I'm not sure if I can do the puffer though) and oh yeah, I'm Australian too. From the other side of the country to Sunny In Sydney. Here in Perth, we don't even get rain in Winter. We still talk about the great hailstorm of 2010.

    I personally would go a longer jacket, but since I'm not from a cold climate, I'll leave it to others.

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  34. I don't know any New Yorker (men or women) who doesn't own a puffer jacket. Yes there are other options that you may choose for going out at night (if you really care more about style), but during the day we throw our puffer (mine less puffy than most) and call it a day.

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  35. @anotherringcoming @Rebecca I used to use Sno-Seal to waterproof my Fryes. You just warm em up in the oven and rub it into the leather. Piece of cake.

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  36. Look, ugly puffer coats suck. We can all agree. But you know what sucks more? that miserable feeling of being inescapably cold. Especially on one's honeymoon. This isnt an everyday coat for the average new yorker
    This lady is fromAustralia. As in the desert.

    Just get a super warm coat and CHECK THE DAMN THING.

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  37. So just today Joanna Goddard posted a "where to eat" article listing her 10 favorite NYC restaurants. I agree with all of them. Here is the link:

    http://joannagoddard.blogspot.com/2011/09/nyc-guide-10-best-restaurants.html#more

    Happy Eating!

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  38. I'm from Perth, which is hotter than Sydney (although still not the desert!), and I did an English/Scottish winter without one of those horrendous puffers. The days were -7 (19.4 F) in the the Highlands and yeah it was cold, but not cold enough to wear one of those things.

    I wore thermals (leggings and long-sleeved top), whatever t-shirt or prettier top I wanted over it, a Northface fleece jacket, my awesome wool/poly coat from London, jeans/skirt, knee-high boots. It was totally fine. The thing is, if you buy one of those puffy monstrosities, not only will you feel like a dag on your honeymoon but you'll never wear it back home. By combining two less extreme jackets, you're better dressed on your honeymoon and you can still wear them individually in Australian winters. I just wiki'd NYC weather and for January it says 26-38 F (-3 to 3 Celsius). Is that right, New Yorkers? If so, it's really not that bad.

    You'll be fine. Enjoy your honeymoon! xo

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  39. If you must puff, Soia and Kyo has some of the best looking ones. They are also a staple at bluefly.com on sale. The Leola isn't so bad. It doesn't even have a fur trim!

    As far as what to do, I always suggest people pick up a Time Out New York and see what's going on around town. Everyone has great suggestions so far, but let me add Kaz A Nou for French Caribbean, Bar Tabac for brunch, Prune for rich and elegant comfort food, and anything David Chang. Those boots are also killer. I wants them. Grimaldis for pizza! And the Chelsea Market is an awesome place to spend an afternoon. Amy's Bread has the most amazing hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows.

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  40. I am pro puffer. That being said, I regret not bringing mine on our NZ honeymoon.

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  41. All these puffers are hideous except the Woolrich, as most puffers are. If you MUST have one and have a lot of money to spend, I suggest Moncler, like this one for example. I made it through five New York winters without one, but hey, I'm not from a warmer climate.

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  42. Fugly or no, you can still pretty much drop an LL Bean coat into a war zone and then return it three years later when you find it in the back of your closet.

    Just saying.

    I never pretended to have winter style. I'm from MAINE. You should be thankful my sweaters don't have Reindeer on them.

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  43. @Luc The thing about New York winters isn't the temperature. It's the wind that whips around buildings at a zillion miles an hour. Adds a whole new level of freezing your nips off to the equation.

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  44. @Maddie @Luc also: every building + the subway are OVERHEATED in the winter, so long underwear would make you SWEAT BALLS.

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  45. Hmm. Bummer. I hate when public transport and buildings overcompensate for the outside weather! The aircon at work goes so high in summer that I have to take a jacket even if it's over 30 (90) degrees outside. So retarded.

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  46. @luc Perth unite. Also, do you work in my building? We have the issue. GUYS IT'S A SEASON, ADAPT.
    Since I am going to Europe, I'm tempted to follow your advice. I will still consider puffers on arrival in UK though.
    Has anyone seen the Icebreaker jackets? A cool $500 gets you New Zealand warmth (our only cold neighbour).

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  47. I want to see you or any chick in those boots, tights, a short/tight skirt like someone posted up there, a sweater, a long wool coat, a wool scarf, gloves and a fun wool hat. But I won't be there.
    And puff coats aren't the best, but a puff vest, now that can be sexy. Also very practical when going in and out of buildings when the temp is above 20F.

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  48. there is a LOT GOING ON in these comments. i'm just here to say that i have a particular pair of frye boots that made it through a few NYC winters and still look amazing. quality boots will always be a must have for winter in ANY CITY.

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  49. team, i was born and raised in coastal southern california (read: technically a desert, 72-degree christmases); i have now lived in nyc for eight years, and the last two have been in an apartment which is a 15-minute walk from the subway (when the streets are plowed). team aussie asked for an "awesome coat," not an outdoor snuggie. NO PUFFERS.

    fryes i can get behind; unisex, last forever, with tights they're appropriate for most occasions, and they'll fit over pants if need be.

    on activity recs, my $0.02: while walking across the brooklyn bridge is nice, it goes from wall street to brooklyn heights - not much to do on either end. the williamsburg bridge, on the other hand, goes from the lower east side to williamsburg; excellent restaurants, bars, and shopping all 'round.

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  50. Winter in NYC is similar to winter in Canberra: it's fucking windy, you get nothing glamorous out of it (unless you count slush) and it's always dark. And frankly, it's not that much colder.

    I generally wear the same coat I wear in the 'bra, plus gloves (because, you know.) And better socks. Also: in any winter situation, I recommend packing a hip flask. It provides instant warmth, and a romantic sense of derring-do.

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  51. I can't even think about clothes right now. You must try Caracas for arepas. There's one in the East Village, and one in Williamsburg. The EV location doesn't have a full liquor license (I think?) but Wburg does. It is heavenly whoah in your mouth. I know there are a few other arepas places around as well, I have not tried them yet however. And like someone else mentioned... Eataly! Sweet jesus.

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  52. I mean, those aren't my only suggestions, they are just fun suggestions vs. giving you some suggestions that will cost you $5,000,952 and give you another crisis about what to wear.

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  53. Random side note on the puffer coat debate: make sure it's stuffed with down and not synthetic. Down adjusts to your body temperature, so when you're inside it actually stays cool and doesn't make you sweat and die. (This is why you can, or at least I can, stay under a down comforter all summer long!)

    Also, there's nothing better than using a down coat as a blanket/pillow on a looooong plane ride.

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  54. I super second @elle rigby's Caracas arepas bar. Major yum! Get the pabellón arepa (I don't like beans so I get the pabellón w/out them).

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  55. @rodjsr agreed- everyone- EVERYONE owns a secret puffer that we keep for the coldest sleet days of darkness. Which is why mine is bright sky blue.

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  56. Don't wear a puffer jacket. You'll look like a tourist or LA transplant. What is up with every Los Angel marching around in a puffy coat. Go to Ina, Tokyo Joes/Seven, Buy a nice second hand designer long wool coat and sell it back to them at the end of your adventure. You'll lose some money but you won't have to carry home a jacket you'll never wear again.

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  57. PS I wear thermals in the winter if it's really cold. It's usually not that brutal in the January but thin thermals under tights really do the trick.

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  58. Here are some wool / wool blend coats I just saw on down and out chic, some of them are pretty cute. With a warm sweater underneath you'd probably be all set.
    http://downandoutchic.blogspot.com/2011/09/shopping-10-coats.html

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  59. Great boots, and you're so right about the uggs. I would take a walk across teh brooklyn bridge.

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