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!?