The List - NYC Spots

On my latest trip to my favourite city, I discovered some new spots and visited old favourites. Below is a round-up of my favourite NYC hits for brunch, cocktails, shopping and caffeine. Enjoy! x

1. Sweet Science - Sometimes bars look scary in the daytime. Sweet Science, in Brooklyn is a cozy day spot for brunch with graffiti art and natural light. Try: the black bean burgers.
2. Jack's Wife Freda - I've read about this trendy SoHo brunch spot, and had been meaning to check it out. The food is South African Israeli Jewish inspired. Try: the Mediterranean breakfast. Note: it's a bit loud on Sundays, and you may have to wait in line. Do some shopping before!
3. Warby Parker - I've been a fan of Warby Parker since their initial launch. Warby provides affordable eye wear and donates a pair of glasses to someone in need with every purchase. My friend Cam is an optometrist at the Upper East Side location and I loved their library-inspired space.
4. Dunwell Donuts - I brought this place up before, but I can't seem to walk by without grabbing a vegan donut. This time I was up on that vanilla and chocolate sprinkles flavour.
5. Stumptown Coffee - Coffee is my jam in every city I visit. When heading to New York, I no longer visit tourist attractions, but instead try to find new cafes. Stumptown has a few locations, and I chose to visit their shop located in The Ace Hotel. Notes: great coffee, cool lighting.
6. Roebling Tea Room - I have a pen pal (more on that later) and we met at The Roebling Tea room in Williamsburg for a catch up and cocktails. The bar/restaurant/tea room is moody and lush, with the most perfect windows. I loved, loved, loved it.
7. The Ace Hotel - I found myself in the lobby of The Ace Hotel (see photo below) and I did what any aspiring writer on vacation does: I found a spot, opened my laptop and typed until I forgot what time it was. I was surrounded by other people doing the same thing, and I felt like I was transported to some hipster college library. I'd definitely consider staying at the hotel in the future.

The Coffee Diaries - NYC

Four words that turn me off: "I don't drink coffee."

I've dated a few people who don't drink hot beverages. I've even dated someone who hates the smell of coffee. The smell! While it's not a real deal breaker (I'm not a modern day Jerry Seinfeld) it's not aligned with my lifestyle.  

Coffee isn't just about getting caffeinated. I spend hours sitting in cafes typing, writing and sipping. The first thing I do when I get to a new city is find a coffee shop; it's how I situate myself. I love sitting across from someone and connecting over conversation that doesn't involve getting spinach caught in my teeth. I think it's one of the few rituals that hasn't been ruined by technology, (minus taking photos of latte art).

I have my favourite cafe in Toronto, which changes regularly, but right now it's Early Bird on Queen West. This past weekend on my visit to New York, I found some new shops, and visited old favourites. Below is a list of some of my favourite NYC cafes. Enjoy!

Happy Bones - Happy Bones is a coffee shop in Little Italy located on Broome St. It's small, so you may not be able to grab a seat but it's worth the stop. They also source their coffee ethically to support farmers and the owners hail from New Zealand. The cute part? Tortoise shell spoons! (see main photo above). Shout out to Amanda P for the recommendation.

Toby's Estate Brooklyn - When living in Brooklyn that summer, Toby's just opened in Williamsburg and I spent all of my time sitting and staring out the large black paneled window, while pretending that this environment could make me write the next great something. Toby's also sources their coffee sustainably from farmers all over the world, and they offer private brewing classes for coffee enthusiasts. 

Dunwell Doughnuts - I'm not really a coffee and doughnut kind of woman, but this vegan doughnut shop is my favourite stop for a little guilt-free indulgence. With over 200 flavours, (I'm partial to peanut butter and jelly) this cafe is a sweet spot in East Williamsburg, and the best place to satisfy that doughnut craving you didn't even know you had. Their drip coffee is also 10 times better than anything you'd find in an actual doughnut shop. 

The New York City Ban

The last time I visited New York was seven months ago.

It was Labour Day weekend, and it marked a full year since my previous summer spent living in Brooklyn. During my visit, I felt different about the city that I was attached to. I tried to push myself away from the experience; the way you do when you love something, but you know it no longer serves you. On that visit, I came to the realization that I wasn't going to find my way back there.

I needed a reality check. I had only lived there for a summer, not a century. I was still a tourist in most regards. When I got home from that trip, I imposed upon myself a New York City ban. I didn't book my usual trips for Halloween or New Years Eve; I stayed put. I focused on local ambitions. I found my own place. I committed to my job.

Once I was settled in Toronto, I felt that I could book a trip back, without having to push anything away. I was ready to embrace my favourite city, like the moment when you finally become friends with an ex, and you can see them without wanting to be with them. At least that's how I hoped I would feel. This time, I knew I'd have something of mine to come home to.

Before I left, I booked a hair appointment and welcomed brighter strands for my usual spring refresh. I mean, when you know you're going to run into your ex, you want to look your best right?

Everyday Beauty - Naho

You know those people, who sit around and gossip and complain the whole time you hang out with them and when you leave, you feel depleted and irritated?

Hanging out with Naho, or Na (as I affectionately call her) is the complete opposite of that.

Being around her is like doing a yoga class, while day-drinking in the sunshine, while laughing at a hilarious movie, while drinking your favourite cup of coffee, well..you get the idea. You feel happy and energized because she has good energy. The kind of energy that spills out and makes you want to be a more positive, outgoing and happier person. (I rarely have met enough people like this). When I moved the New York, she made the effort to take me around during the day on her days off because she knew I didn't know many people.

While she may be small, she is the mightiest. She's originally from California, has been on exchange to Australia, has parents who live in Hawaii and now lives in Brooklyn. She furiously bikes across the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan, where she weaves through gridlock traffic and pedestrians with ease and control. Do you EVEN know how hard that is? She has a kind, welcoming face with graceful features, and hair that is always spun and pinned, and arranged in a way that can't quite be duplicated; not that she would want anyone to.

You see, she embraces being different in a way that only makes people want to be just like her. In any case, we're all better for just knowing her.

Below are some photos (I forced her to take) when we went for coffee before one of my flights back home. Enjoy! x

Spring in New York - Not A Model Travel Diary

This trip to New York was the most confusing because of the season. The warmth of spring felt almost like summer, minus the humidity and bareness of the bod. It felt the most like old times compared to my fall and winter visits.

Upon my arrival we floated up to the roof to drink beermosas (exactly what it sounds like) and we all chattered about the gaps of information and anecdotes that you don't get via distance communication.

I discovered that in Greenpoint you will find a secret Thai restaurant in the basement of a bar. And only there will you inform your friend while she heads to the bathroom that you absolutely need to order dumplings, right now, at 1:30 a.m., before you head to the next place.

During the day, we ate pizza like we were in Naples, but more like the West Village. I also took Jules to my favourite secret (or not so secret) surf shop turned cafe patio that I used to frequent on my weekdays off in the summer. Ridiculously attractive surfer males, included. Always.

The weather brought Motown singers expanding their lungs on the sidewalk streets, and pink litter from cherry blossoms that reminded me of confetti from a church wedding.

Just like any other city that experiences the brunt of the four seasons, spring forces everyone back outside to rejuvenate and in my case, reunite.

Below is my first photo diary of spring 2013 in NYC. Enjoy! x

New Year - Great Expectations

My last days of 2012 have been spent in the city that changed me this year. 

It only seemed fitting that I came back to New York, or more specifically Brooklyn for the end. I created the above illustration while waiting at the airport for a few hours of weather delays. When I reflect on another year gone, I believe that there was a slight alteration of my inner self (as hokey as that sounds) for many different reasons. Nonetheless, I feel different from the girl who began this year 365 days ago. 

When I think of 2013, the only word that comes to mind right now is disruption. Breaking apart routines. Carving something new. Repeat adventures. Forceful discipline from laziness. Growth. 

The first day of a year brings with it the hope that this time, anything can happen. Wait, everything can happen. Last night, I sat with my friends in our old apartment and we ordered Chinese food and watched Great Expectations. Before the movie even started, I thought about what a great expectation entails. Anything great, any sort of expectation can generally lead to disappointment. Yet, I still believe it's best to think towards greatness than to lower your standards to prevent heartache. 

This year, take what you dream and perhaps make it something bigger than "lose weight in 2013." (Although if that's important to you, that's okay. But try for one extra non-physical addition to your list) 

Happy New Year from Not A Model! Thank you for reading & hope it's the best one yet. x

63 Days

What do we do with the last days of summer?

Do we carry them with us on our beach-chapped skin or write the memories in the paper pages of our minds until the next sun-soaked chapter?

The days when all of a sudden we feel the slight shiver in the air and the sun doesn't beat down so strong. The atmosphere gives our bodies a chance to cover up, layer down. It says, "Hey eat that extra piece of cake, your bikini will make friends with the sock drawer instead."

Plath described this time of year like this: “…the best of the summer gone, and the new fall not yet born. The odd uneven time.” 

After living in New York for 63 days, I'm officially home.

I'll miss the late, latest nights with the best girls, the morning recaps over brunch, sunset rooftop dinners, the way I could discover an entire city just by hopping underground, the slices of pizza that are always bigger than your face, the way that my stomach flipped every time I drove across the Brooklyn bridge, or sat across from the Manhattan skyline; how the energy of this city never calmed down, never stopped coursing through the bodies of those who chose to embrace it.

The ending of a summer, or any sort of ending is like when you were a kid and your mom told you that it was time for bed. Even though you couldn't keep your eyes open for one second longer, even though you knew that it was time, you still shouted:

"Five MORE minutes!"

Below are a few of the last days of summer outfits. The kind that you instantly pack-up once September hits, or change up the variations with darker accessories and bottoms.

Oh and the roof, gosh will I miss that.

Here's to a new season. xx

Mantras - Happy Reasoning

A few weeks ago I visited a neighbourhood called Park Slope in Brooklyn, about 40 minutes outside of Williamsburg. I walked the quiet streets saturated with brownstones and fanning, leafy, sun-drenched trees. I tripped over baby-strollers and walked into knick knack shops. I thought about who lives in these homes and what their lives must be like. I had no direction, no real mission to be there and the afternoon all to myself. There was nothing exciting to report, nothing out of the ordinary and yet I was Mona Lisa smiling.

This week's Not A Model mantra is as follows:

"Be happy for no reason, like a child. If you are happy for a reason, you’re in trouble, because that reason can be taken from you."
- Deepak Chopra

Coney Island - NYC Diaries

One of the first things I wrote on my New York summer bucket list was: Visit Coney Island.

I finally made the trip to South Brooklyn with my roommate Jules for a lazy beach Sunday. Despite overzealously checking multiple weather networks for the forecast, somehow the day ended up being breezy and overcast, with a sky the colour of a giant marshmallow. We still wore our bathing suits but ended up walking around the grounds instead of lying out on the beach.

Coney Island exudes a sense of retro simplicity that seems to get lost at other amusement parks. Everything looks a little bit worn out, a little bit abandoned, a little bit muted. There is nothing shiny or corporate rubbing its nose in your face. It's old-fashioned goodness that attracts families, friends, young people and musicians who need a little escape from the city.

The highlights of the day had to be riding the Cyclone roller coaster (and pretty much losing my voice afterward from screaming like a 90 year old lady who's never been on a rickety ride) AND eating my first hot dog in five years from Nathan's famous.

Below are some photos from the day trip. The only good thing about the clouds is they help capture better photos. Additional photo credit to newbie shutter bug: Julia C.

Enjoy! xx

21 days - NYC Diaries

I've heard it takes 21 days to form a habit.

It's almost been a month here and I've been building a new routine that feels like my very own. I've been referring to this apartment as my "home" and sometimes I forget to tell people that I'm only here for the summer...

And I discovered a new cafe that felt like the moment you realize a first date is no longer awkward, and you want to stay a bit longer. And I sat in it for hours, watching people and writing in my notebook and creating and scribbling like I used to do.

And I can't seem to pass by any sort of book stand without picking one up. They stare at me like orphaned puppies just waiting for a new home. And I don't know where my e-reader is because these days I want real books that once sat in someone else's lap or hid underneath lost pillow cases.

And it finally rained, so I picked up and went to the Met for the first time and browsed the Schiaparelli and Prada exhibit and bought pretty postcards and thought about the type of woman I want to become. But I couldn't stay for too long, because I don't like the feeling of being lost, especially indoors. 

And on the weekend I had my first (of too many) sake bombs and I sat on rooftop patios with tiny lights sprinkled in the trees and I danced on darkened dance floors like that eighteen-year-old girl who just moved away from home with girls who I feel like I've known forever. And I ate can't-fit-in-your-mouth hamburgers on patio furniture that looked like something my grandmother would own in the seventies. And someone brought up me leaving and it was probably me, because I'm too practical to indulge sometimes.

And I finally called my grandmother because I promised I would and she told me she misses me and to watch out for the "bad people" and then asked me if I met anyone but then not to meet anyone here, because she doesn't want me to stay. I told her that I haven't been gone that long, and she said it just feels like it.

And I understand.