Miscellaneous observations as a new NYC dweller:
+The ultimate sign of wealth in the city? A St. Bernard dog. Who has space for a dog of this size in her apartment, unless she lives in a palace? I’ve seen two walked in our neighborhood and I’m always gobsmacked.
+Ordering pantry items via delivery is borderline necessary. It sounds like a ridiculous luxury, but I tried very hard to stock up for a week with just the stroller, navigating the very pushy crowds at Fairway (a grocery on the UWS), and exited the store on the verge of tears. I’d been shoved, taken to task for getting in the wrong check-out line, and given multiple nasty looks for taking up so much space with my stroller. Part of me thought: Girl, you just gotta toughen up. Welcome to New York. But part of me thought: aha, this is what Amazon Pantry is for. Grocery shopping in person might be reserved for meat and fruit where you can get in and get out lickety split before you lose your mind.
+If you plan on subwaying with mini, she must be in the carrier. Navigating the system with a stroller is too much. That, or I need to buy one of these, which literally every mom in the city owns. It’s uber compact and lightweight and has a shoulder strap so you can take baby out and throw it over your shoulder as you descend the stairs.
+Don’t wear heeled booties while carrying the baby in a carrier. This is less an NYC thing and more a “duh, what were you thinking” thing. But it made me realize that a lot of my boots and booties have some heel, even a small one! — and it’s highly impractical and dangerous. Most of the chic moms I’ve been spying on wear smart-looking sneakers like these ones, which are ubiquitous (especially Downtown), though I am about to pull the trigger on these (also considering these black and whites or these wool-accented ones!) because I can’t find it in me to drop $500 on a pair of distressed-looking sneakers. (Also, my bestie rolled her eyes when I told her I was considering a pair.) See below for more chic peas in Vejas, including on the stunning Emma Watson — and the snap of the chic pea at the top of this post is wearing a pair, too!
+If someone’s doing something weird on the street or in the subway (pretty much a daily occurrence), act nonchalant and don’t make eye contact. A girlfriend who used to live on the UES told me: “When I lived in New York, there was a guy who would run around the UES wearing a speedo thong almost every day. The weird part was not actually that there was a man wearing a speedo thong in public — it was that no one batted an eyelash. People just keep on moving. Nothing flaps a New Yorker.” I’m learning on this count, because I have seen some odd birds and it can be a little hard not to pause and catch a quick peep.
+I’ve seen a lot of lighter wash jeans lately on the streets, and it’s made me re-evaluate my tendency to reach for darker rinse pairs. See below for inspo! I am eyeing these, but I also found these while unpacking my wardrobe here in New York that fit the bill nicely. I like the way they’re styled below, with a kitten heel — she’s wearing these, but I also like these or these.
+I’m sure I’ve featured this snap before, and it’s from a few seasons ago, but something about it just feels like what I want to be wearing right now. I saw a lady wearing these exact Chanel captoe kitten heels, shown on the chic pea below as well, and she looked stunning — but we can get the look for less for these or these. And, as for her bell-sleeved sweater? This, under $100!
+ICYMI: these bags actually have legs in NYC!
+There are a lot of service professions in NYC, and a lot of them operate on a “please tip me for good service” mentality. I’ve already learned to be mindful of this.
+Dreaming of an outfit that involves this uptown/downtown jacket and these bow-toed beauties. I’m realizing I’m talking a lot about footwear in this post. Why do I always have problems with overspending on shoes!?
I’m getting ready to move to NYC this summer. I’ve never lived in such a major city before and this will also be my first time being on my own completely (I’m a recent college grad). I’m excited and super nervous but I love how many people have blogged about it. Yours is very helpful. It makes the whole experience seem a little less overwhelming to take on solo. It sounds like I’ll definitely be keeping my Amazon Prime membership, now for groceries instead of books, ha! 🙂
Yay! Totally — also check out Instacart and Foodkick, both of which have good promos for when you first join. I think I got free delivery for a month with Foodkick, and free delivery on the first 30 orders with Instacart, but just make sure you check! I also have taken to using Google Express for bulkier household items, like toilet paper, paper towels, flats of LaCroix, etc.
I didn’t write this in the post, but one other thing I’ve come to realize — embrace the chaos and craziness of this big city. I find that whenever I just assume things are going to be clogged, complicated, etc, I’m more able to go with the flow 🙂
Enjoy!! And welcome!!!
Oh my god, that Fairway. I lived on 76th between West End and Broadway and so that was my local grocery store even though it’s also an institution that people flocked to from all over the city (this was before there were other, lesser, outposts). Give it a little time and you *will* figure out that store. My rule at Fairway was you can’t go backwards. If you forgot something, you just leave it behind! And I learned my favorite register, and where I had to stand to get in line…you really can’t be a casual shopper. But it’s worth it! FreshDirect was also a life saver, and I can’t even imagine what Amazon Pantry does.
The whole first year of living in NY is a learning experience but you have mastered a lot. Yes, practical shoes are important. There are some good stores on the UWS and Soula in BK was my favorite for cool girl shoes you could walk miles in.
That is HILARIOUS — “If you forgot something, you just leave it behind.” HA. I can totally see why. I agree; the first time in any grocery store is overwhelming and you just have to figure out where things are kept and it all becomes easier with time. I’ll keep at it. But in the meantime, I am using FoodKick for a big grocery order once a week…
Wow, grocery shopping sounds rough. It would be fun to read another “day in the life” type post once you get your NYC routine down pat 🙂
It was…an adventure! YES! I’d be happy to share another day-in-the-life!! So much has changed! Thanks for reading. xoxo
I saw that Yoyo stroller all over France – almost capitulated and got one. (We just avoided taking the metro this last trip for precisely the reasons you listed above).
Also, my husband told me that larger dogs, like St. Bernards, were bred to be housedogs and just laze around all day – perfect for small space living (as opposed to smaller dogs that NEED to run around). Saw a lot of people with large dogs the last time I was in Boston, so maybe it’s true?
What! So interesting. I think the same is true of Great Danes — they’re actually pretty mellow and chill even though they look like horses coming down the street. But still. Can you imagine sharing an apartment with one of those?!?!? Either you must love dogs or you have a ton of space. Probably the latter…