My Twelfth Month as a New Yorker

I began my twelfth month as a New Yorker taking a ferry to the Statue of Liberty with three of my best friends on the most gorgeous summer day—and it only got better from there. We had amazing weather in June, with a lot of rain during the week but every single weekend was picture-perfect. By the end of the month I think I can definitively say I was "paraded out" after attending both the Mermaid and the pride parades. I visited cemeteries, saw amazing shows, ate wonderful food, drank delicious iced coffees, went on adventures, read creepy books and had some of the best weekends I've ever had.

A few more highlights from my twelfth month:

We climbed to the top of the Statue of Liberty and peeked through her crown  /  We ate ice cream on Ellis Island and took in the spectacular view  /  I waited in Central Park for Shakespeare in the Park tickets (Much Ado About Nothing) and then won the online ticket lottery the same day  / I went to Gravesend, Brooklyn and continued to see black cats in the creepiest places  /  Trent and I went treasure-and horse bone-hunting at Dead Horse Bay and then explored Floyd Bennett Field.

After a long adventure day, Trent and I rewarded ourselves with a DiFara pizza, made by the man himself and it was totally worth the three-hour wait  /  I went to the New York City Marble Cemetery, which is only open a few days a year (not to be confused with the New York Marble Cemetery across the street), and had my first tiny meat pie at Tuck Shop  /  I visited the Poe Cottage in the Bronx and then walked around Fordham University to hear the bells that inspired Poe to write The Bells /  My wonderful coworker, Francesca, gave Mozart an inflatable unicorn horn to thank me for watering her plant while she was away—spoiler alert: Mozart didn't love it  /  I rode Metro North for the first time to Hartsdale, NY to visit America's first pet cemetery where I laughed at the names and cried at the sentiments.

I caught the rose garden at the New York Botanical Garden in full, spectacular bloom /  I finally saw the Coney Island Mermaid Parade—and Dante deBlasio's afro!—both of which were amazing  /  I considered riding Coney Island's newest rollercoaster, the Thunderbolt, but chickened out  /  I saw a very long and strange Russian film (Solaris) at the Museum of the Moving Image and explored their collection of movie memorabilia (including Meryl's Auschwitz wig from Sophie's Choice!)  /  I became mildly obsessed with spotting the Mister Softee knockoffs, Master Softee, and saw three (possibly four) of them in one day  /  I visited the Morbid Anatomy Museum and Library in Gowanus on opening day and immediately became a member.

I crossed another historical home off my list and visited the Old Stone House in Brooklyn  /  I had an amazing slice of rhubarb crumble pie at Four and Twenty Blackbirds in Gowanus  /  I walked through Brooklyn and stumbled on a street with amazing ghost signage  /  I spent a few blissful hours wandering around the stunningly beautiful Green-wood Cemetery  /  I bought a Cleopatra wig and put on my favorite cat-face skirt for a Prince of ShEgypt rooftop pride party  /  I ate breakfast at the adorable Donut Pub (Patti Smith used to write there) and teared up at all the love and support on display in the pride parade.

What really stands out most about my eleventh month, however, isn't a specific place or a thing, but the people I spent it with—I currently have the pleasure of calling some of the best people I've ever met my 'friends' and they continue to amaze me with their generosity, sense of adventure, humor, kindness and all-around awesomeness. I know my blog posts (and photos) are mostly devoid of a human presence, but that actually isn't at all representative of my life here. New York is a wonderful place, but without my incredible friends it would just be a city—with them, however, it's my home.

More Recaps:

First Month  | Second Month |  Third Month |  Fourth Month |  Fifth Month |  Sixth Month  |  Seventh Month |  Eighth Month |  Ninth Month |  Tenth Month |  Eleventh Month

My Eleventh Month as a New Yorker

After a slow start in April, the city really started to come alive again in May. It seemed as if the tulips, cherry blossoms and beautiful blooms would never get here, and then it started to seem as if they would never leave. Then suddenly they were gone, replaced by greenery that, thanks to a few substantial storms, has made summer feel as if it's here to stay for awhile.

I spent a lot of time in the outer boroughs, returning once again to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (finally catching the cherry esplanade in bloom) and making frequent visits to Queens, home of so many World's Fair and diner delights. I was finally eligible for health insurance at work (boo waiting periods!), saw Sarah Jessica Parker speak, partied like it was 1994 with the Counting Crows, walked by Katie Couric during my morning commute, skipped an Ingrid Michaelson concert I really wanted to see because I just didn't feel like dealing with a crowd of people, saw Mario Batali and his Crocs at the Domino Sugar Factory and stalked Martha Stewart in East Hampton.

In short, May was nothing but delightful from beginning to end — a few more highlights from my eleventh month as a New Yorker:

I bought a taco change purse at a work rummage sale for 50 cents  /  My commute through Central Park every day was almost too beautiful too handle  /  The Conservatory Garden tulips were super late to the blooming party, but the Brooklyn Botanic Garden was a hit as always, with their tulips, desert collection and cherry blossoms (finally!).

I visited Astoria Park, with a beach made of glass and wonderful bridge views / I tried on some wigs and discovered a bizarro version of myself / I did (the chilly and windy) Walk MS and raised $1k for Multiple Sclerosis Research (a very big thank you to everyone who donated or walked with me!) / I continued to fall even harder in love with the crazy tulips popping up everywhere / I couldn't resist a petal-covered manhole cover.

My beloved cherry blossoms started to fall and still managed to look beautiful  /  I spent a rainy day at the movies (Neighbors was hilarious)  /  I got my mom the best Mother's Day card ever made  /  I continued my diner adventures at the Airline Diner in Queens /  I took what may be my very first "jumping" photos with the best of friends on a sunny rooftop, right before we watched the sunset over the Hudson.

The Conservatory Garden tulips finally bloomed, and they were beautiful (although not as good as two years ago)  /  The wisteria was unreal  /  Coworkers who bring donuts are the best coworkers  /  I got new glasses from Warby Parker and made use of the (free!) photo booth in their new Upper East Side location during my lunch break  /  I celebrated the fifth birthday of these crazy cute grey bunny feet (and their loud and annoying but wonderful owner, Mozart)  /  I spent a lazy Saturday wandering around the Brooklyn Flea and Fort Greene Park.

A group of us went to the World's Fair 50th Anniversary Festival, where I finally realized my dream of seeing the Unisphere fountains turned on, toured the amazing New York State Pavilion and saw the Batmobile (and BatPhone!)  /  My coworker, Francesca, introduced me to (the incredible) Molly's Cupcakes and I bought a few for her birthday  /  I sniffled my way through the newly-opened 9/11 Memorial Museum and had the best mail day ever (Mozart approved).

I spent a rainy Saturday at a surprise party for Francesca on the UES and walked home across the park just in time to catch a beautiful sunset over the Reservoir  /  I attended a rooftop BBQ in Brooklyn with amazing views and delicious treats  /  Jim and I spent Memorial Day pretending to be fancy in East Hampton, where we visited the most beautiful cemetery, hung out at the beach and I went home happy with a pocket full of vertebrae (and sea glass!).

I went to see Grey Reverend at Rockwood Music Hall and he was amazing — so was the stamp they used on my hand  /  We went to see the Kara Walker exhibit at the Domino Sugar Refinery, then over to Roosevelt Island (Jim's first time!) for some tram action, the always-amazing Smallpox Hospital ruin and Four Freedoms Park.

Growing up, summer was always my least favorite season, but I think New York is changing that. I can safely say that I now love all four seasons equally, even if there's really no use in hating any of them — they'll all happen eventually with my permission or not. I definitely don't feel as if I missed out on any spring activity or colorful bloom, so I feel fully ready for all that summer has to offer — free movie nights, park picnics, bench naps, beach days, outdoor dining, rooftop drinks and a few  very exciting trips outside of the city.

It's hard to believe that I only have one more month left before I've officially been a New Yorker for an entire year and can stop counting my time here in months. Of course, that doesn't mean that I'm going to stop having adventures — believe it or not, I'm just getting started.

My Tenth Month as a New Yorker

April was the first month during which I actually started two separate Facebook albums to accommodate all of the photos I took on my various trips and adventures. I only spent two of the four weekends in New York, but that didn't stop me from making the most out of them. The other two were spent in Texas and Ohio visiting friends and family, which was wonderful but also served to remind me just how much I really adore being able to call New York my home. I also had four days off during the week for Passover, which is a delightful perk of working at a Jewish organization.

The city definitely started to come to life during the past month, even if it has happened much slower than normal and there's still quite a bit still left to bloom. Spring is the last "uncharted" season in the city for me — I've spent two winters, part of summer and one entire fall here thus far, but my spring trips were few and far between and I left at the beginning of March last year. I went to the Brooklyn Botanic garden twice in April and I've still yet to see the cherry esplanade in bloom — if their map is to be believed it still has a few days or even weeks to go before it reaches its peak. I'm definitely trying to make the most out of this prolonged blooming season and surprisingly I've yet to pet spring to death although I'm sure it will happen soon enough.

A few more highlights from my chilly but colorful April:

I randomly walked by a phone kiosk ad that I designed on the Upper West Side  /  Jim and I went to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and found that not much was in bloom but the Bonsai Museum was a delight as always /  We went to Tom's in Brooklyn, and admired their naturally occurring rock speakers   /  I visited the First of three cemeteries of the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue and stumbled on another cemetery in Manhattan that I didn't even know existed.

I continued my love affair with the bubble-makers in Washington Square Park and watched as hundreds of people celebrated International Pillow Fight Day  /  I crossed the no. 4 stand-alone diner off my list and saw Ice-T as we were leaving / I participated in the Big Egg Hunt all over New York and braved the crowds for Macy's flower show  /  Jim and I got coffee and photo-boothed (his first!) at the Ace Hotel.

I went to the last of the three cemeteries /  I continued to be oddly obsessed with pretty manhole covers around the city  /  Jim and I walked the High Line  /  I met Jim and his friends from the UK at the most amazing rooftop bar where we watched the sunset over the Empire State building and drank embarrassingly expensive cocktails  / I crossed the last stand-alone diner off my list - Star on 18 /  I went back to the High Line where the wildflowers were just starting to bloom.

I finally found my favorite egg- one made from street signs in TriBeCa  /  I spotted an ad I designed in the TriBeCa Trib  /  Jim and I took his friend from the UK (it was her first time in the US!) on a tour through Central Park where I spotted the best group of tourists and some delightful blooms  /  We went to opening day of Coney Island, rode the Wonder Wheel for free and I ate my first Nathan's of the season.

I finally got to see the New York Marble Cemetery and we had a drink (or four) afterwards at McSorley's Old Ale House  /  I had a few days off for Passover and went to Tom's in Brooklyn for pancakes and coffee, and then back to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden to check on the blooms— the cherry trees were breathtaking  /  I visited the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, which is always perfect.

The Empire State building was lit up like an Easter egg  /  I went to Texas for Easter weekend to spend time with my sister, brother-in-law, niece and their incredibly adorable new rescue dog, Penny  /  We stopped to take photos in a field of bluebonnets, dyed Easter eggs, visited the flower mound in Flowermound and I had my first-ever Butterbeer (it was kind of gross/good?).

As soon as I got back from Texas I dropped off my luggage and headed right back to Queens for the 50th anniversary of the opening day of the World's Fair, where I tried (unsuccessfully) to get into the New York State Pavilion and discovered even more remnants of the fair  /  The cherry trees along the reservoir in Central Park finally started to bloom  /  I went back to LaGuardia once again on my way back to Ohio with some recent library scores  /  I made cookies for 427 Design's open house party  /  I managed to squeeze in a cemetery visit during my short Ohio trip, to Glendale in Akron.

I definitely teared up a little landing back in New York when I realized I was home /  I spotted (and smelled) my first lilacs of the season in Central Park and made the Conservatory Garden part of my morning (and evening) commute  /  I waved hello to the lone yellow tulip in the Park Avenue median of tulips every day on my way to work and ate my lunch under the blooming cherries  /  I had my first-ever chicken and waffles at Sylvia's in Harlem and loved it.

I have a lot of fun plans for May and the rest of the summer and I'm hoping that the weather cooperates. I'm planning on heading back to the BBG this weekend to check on the cherries and I definitely need to make time for the NYBG as well. I read a blurb in New York Magazine that warned of the Farmers' Almanac prediction that New York is going to "feel like Louisiana" this summer which I'm alternately dreading and looking forward to.

I can't believe that my one year New York-iversary will be here before I even know it — it feels like just yesterday I was booking my one-way ticket without a job or a place to live. Well, now that I've been here longer than it would have taken to fully gestate a real life human being I think it's safe to say that I couldn't have dreamed of a better outcome — it's all so much better than I ever imagined, and improbably getting better every single day.

My Ninth Month as a New Yorker

I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record with these month recaps, but guess what? March was pretty awesome. In fact, my life is pretty much all-around awesome. I don't say that to brag or to sound like some sort of super human who is above sadness or failure or general unhappiness — I most definitely am not that. But, I'm also just really, really happy — in New York, at my new(ish) job, with my friends, with the adventures I've taken and the ones I have planned.

Sometimes, I catch a glimpse of my reflection as I'm walking to work in the morning and I realize that I've essentially become (or am very, very close to becoming) the person I've always wanted to be. It's a really odd realization actually, and sometimes it's downright scary to admit to yourself that you're happy — it can feel too fragile, too precarious, too intangible.

I have always had a hard time living in the present. I'm always looking back on what I've done or planning for the future. I still struggle to live in the moment, but I'm actively trying to force myself to be present, to be thankful and alert and to allow time in my schedule for aimless wandering. I made the choice more than ten months ago (and in some ways, long before that) to start actually living my life the way I had always only ever dreamed about. It's a strange feeling when your real life and your dream life start to align, but I don't want to miss one second of it.

A few highlights from my very happy March:

I walked by one of the few remaining free-standing phone booths  /  I creeped on Kathleen Kelly's apartment from You've Got Mail before returning to Cafe Lalo for my first "meal" after being sick  /  I took a Sunday walk across Central Park to the East Side, where I picked up Ladurée macarons (my first!) for an Oscar party  /  I met Grace at the Lexington Candy Shop for lunch (and a very necessary milkshake).

I fell in love with the skull-themed tombstones at Trinity Churchyard cemetery in lower Manhattan  /  I walked around downtown and spied on the new World Trade Center (but I didn't sneak to the top)  /  I explored the Lower East Side before taking a tour at the Tenement Museum /  Jim and I had our first (and second) knishes at Yonah Schimmel, in business since 1910/  Daylight Savings time allowed me to walk home through Central Park and finally catch beautiful sunsets again.

Mozart continued to be the sweetest animal on the planet  /  I took a warm, sunny bench nap in the de Blasio's backyard  /  I attended a lecture on urban cemeteries and then found a skull bead on my walk to work through Central Park the next morning  /  A brochure I designed was printed  /  I continued to discover amazing and different manhole covers — this one was across the street from my apartment  /  I explored Trinity Cemetery and Mausoleum, the only active cemetery left in Manhattan.

I found an awesome coffee shop in Hamilton Heights and had a life-changing almond cookie  /  I tricked Alisha into taking a windy adventure with me to the Little Red Lighthouse and signed up for Walk MS to raise money for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society /  I walked past the most amazing apartment building every morning (a former cancer hospital)  /  I totally scored in the dollar section at the Strand  /  I visited the oldest tree in Manhattan  /  I discovered the prettiest manhole cover in the middle of a lawn in Central Park.

I tried to walk to work as much as possible and found out it was nearly 2.5 miles each way  /  Jim and a co-worker of mine took a candlelit ghost tour of the most haunted house in Manhattan, the Merchant's House  /  I crossed another stand-alone diner off of my list /  I spent a wonderful, wandering Saturday checking out flea markets, watching a bubble-maker in Washington Square Park and visited the smallest cemetery in Manhattan.

I got my fortune from a sidewalk Zoltar in the East Village  /  Trent, Jim and I went to the Orchid Show for a glimpse of spring  /  Jim, Katie and I were tourists for a night and ate at the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square (we made reservations)  /  My friend Melissa visited from Ohio and we walked the Brooklyn Bridge in the rain (her first time!) and ate pizza with ziti on top  /  I spent a lazy Sunday lounging with my favorite gray lady.

I'm going to go out on an optimistic limb and say that I think this winter is FINALLY coming to an end due to a forecast that has the temperature in the 50s for the foreseeable future (much appreciated). I already have a few trips planned for April — Texas to see my sister and then back to Ohio for a weekend — and my to-do, to-see, to-eat and to-read lists just keep getting longer and longer. I am totally loving my new camera and I can't wait to finally see (and photograph) my beloved cherry blossoms again. Even though it snowed yesterday, spring is so close I can taste it — and it tastes like a Cadbury Egg, which coincidentally, I am eating as I type this.

My Eighth Month as a New Yorker

Spoiler alert: I did a lot in February. I know I've been saying this every month since I moved here eight months ago, but holy crap. I have no idea how I even fit all of this into the shortest month of the year, and if you're my friend on Facebook or follow me on Instagram you know that I did even more than what I've recapped below. I probably would have even managed to fit in a few more things if I hadn't spent the last four days of the month quarantined inside of my apartment — sick for the fifth time since I moved to the germ-infested cesspool that is New York City. 

Thankfully I'm starting to feel better, just in time for the beginning of March and yet another big snowstorm. Speaking of snow, February was the second snowiest February that New York has ever had, and we're on track to have one of the snowiest (fourth or second —but probably not first — depending) overall winters on record. You won't hear any complaints about the snow from me, in fact my morning walks to work through the winter wonderland of Central Park have been some of my favorite times since I've moved here. I only fear that I have become impossibly spoiled this winter, since it's unlikely that we'll have another one like it anytime soon (that is, if this one ever ends).

A "few" more highlights from my very full February (you might want to grab a snack, this might take a while):

Trent and I received a private tour of the Hamilton Grange house, toured City College's gorgeous gargoyle-filled campus and drooled over the beautiful houses in Hamilton Heights and Harlem  /  I braved Chinatown for the Chinese Lunar New Year Parade, which was far superior to last year's Firecracker Festival /  I brought cannoli from Little Italy to a Superbowl (aka eat snacks and watch commercials) party  /  The first of many February snowstorms transformed the city streets into a wintery wonderland.

In a rare display of (lingering) affection, Mozart sat on my lap and I had to pee so bad but I refused to get up until she did (it was a very LONG time)  /  Central Park iced over and I walked on top of eight inches of snow without leaving a footprint  /   Katie, Jim and I had one of our regular dinners at Sardi's (my first time), where we shared a beautiful baked Alaska  /  I spotted "love" on the Upper East Side minutes before a little boy threw a snowball right at me  /  After years of walking by it to go to John's Pizzeria, Jim and I had margaritas at the Caliente Cab Co. and took home these super classy souvenir glasses.

I spent a lazy Saturday exploring Downtown Manhattan and walked by the icy Hudson and paid my respects to Philip Seymour Hoffman (RIP)  /  I got into the Guggenheim for a dollar (pay-what-you-wish is the best)  /  A snowy morning walk to work through Central Park is far preferable to riding the stinky bus  /  Grace introduced me to Cafe Lalo, aka the cafe from You've Got Mail and I've been there three times since  /  I was the only crazy person walking through Central Park during a(nother) snowstorm that wasn't walking a dog.

I made chocolate-covered strawberries for a Valenfriends Day party, where we sipped grapefruit margaritas and exchanged store-bought Valentines /  My Valentine's Day present from the city was another snowstorm  /  Mozart was my Valentine whether she knew it or not  /  I died of happiness spending three hours at a Strand warehouse sale where you could stuff a whole bag full of books for only $15, which I then carried a mile in (another) snowstorm  /  I took two good Ohio friends on a (snowy) tour of Central Park including the beautiful Ladies' Pavilion.

After weeks of seeing this mystery bag everywhere, finally finding out it was Longchamp and resigning myself to never getting it (because $$$) my mom surprised me with it  /  I spent my Presidents' Day off walking around Greenpoint, Brooklyn where I got Peter Pan donuts, ate them by the waterfront and walked the Pulaski Bridge to Queens  /  I finally bought a "real" camera and tested it out on my two favorite subjects.

Jim and I ate at Katz's Deli, but we didn't have what she had  /  We also ate at the Empire Diner, the first on my list of the last five remaining stand-alone diners in Manhattan  /  I learned the meaning of "zero visibility" on a foggy lunch walk along the East River  /  I finally bought Hunter boots and walked in puddles just because I could  /  I walked past a rose-petal-covered median  /  One of the first designs I worked on at my new job got printed.

Diner #2 — the Pearl Street Diner — down, three to go  /  Jim and I took the Staten Island Ferry on a very beautiful and warm Saturday  /  We visited the weird and wonderful Sailors' Snug Harbor (my second time there), caught a gorgeous sunset on the way back to Manhattan and ended the night with cheese and wine at the oldest bar in Manhattan, Fraunces Tavern (est. 1726), which is right by the US Stock Exchange.

I took the subway to Queens and hiked to the gorgeous Calvary Cemetery, where I spent a long time searching for Vito Corleone's gravesite from the Godfather, only to find it a few feet from where I had been looking  /  I saw one of the creepiest tombs I've ever seen  /  I took my mom to a drag show, hosted by Japanese Fucking Bitch  /  I spent the last four days of the month sick in bed, eating nothing but ramen and watching Meg Ryan romantic comedies (You've Got Mail is always number one).

Whew. If you made it through all that and you aren't related to me, I thank you for your dedication. Although I'd probably be content if it just kept snowing forever and New York basically became Narnia, I'm still excited for the prospect of Spring, especially after the small taste of it we had last week. I'm mostly looking forward to taking the exact same photos of the exact same things I've photographed hundreds of times before — but with my new camera and hopefully a few hints of greenery in the distant future.