New York City

  1. Destinations
  2. North America
  3. New York City

Places we've been:

  • Brooklyn
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Welcome, 2020!

(Written December 18th, 2019, posted today, iPhone photos and all.) I took today off to breathe, but really, to catch up around the house: to clean pockets of receipts that have accumulated, iron a few straggling shirts, and maybe make some hummus. But first, I sat on the couch with a hot water bottle, struggling to warm on a bitter day here, and fell asleep. This is how this season has felt: more to do than energy or motivation can meet. A longing for a season of rest, when really this season n…

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Lately

I’ve been thinking on something lately, and that is that I do not read blogs for information, but for narrative. And due to how little time I’ve been dedicating to this blog the last 3 or 4 years, it’s become far too many travel details, and far too little story. Trying to remedy that here now. (Attention: only Alie iPhone photos ahead!) So, here’s where we are in this whole big world: travel is our escape from a city we love and hate fifty times each day, and so to write about it is also a…

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Brooklyn and Beyond, Spring edition

So. I am feeling pretty nostalgic for this pretty country  after an early morning wakeup to watch the royal wedding. Last one, we were happily cozied in our stone flat, and spent the day toasting with dear friends. What a thrill. We will never not be nostalgic for the salty, storied island where we fell in love.  It’s been a while since I’ve written about anything but travel, so thought I’d take a wee break from restaurant recommendations and itineraries. This year has held the most tr…

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Prospect Park, Autumn 2016

To me, fall has always been the most wonderful time of the year. This started as a little tike when I learned what fall was and assumed my late September birthday, right after school started, was in the fall. Even when I realized it was on the trail of summer (boo hiss), my ardor has persisted. I love everything: the dry scent of the leaves' underbellies, the first sign of white steam off a coffee outside, the anticipation of burst of color––and the reality of a lone tree here and there boiling …

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Blizzard Jonas, Part 1

After nearly 5 years in Brooklyn, we've seen unexpected weather about . . . once (Hurricane Sandy). Every other storm has been hyped and then (oops!) only 2 inches when they had already shut down the subway! So when they said a blizzard was on its way, we expected around 3-5 inches. But then predictions swelled and with it, our excitement. Saturday, we woke up to snow streaming by our windows in horizontal winds. For hours, I sat on the couch reading and it never abated. Because our apartment s…

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Autumn in New York

The pinnacle weeks of fall have been brushed away by winds that make my office windows quiver and chill me at my desk, but I'm still in the glow of my favorite time in the city. I realized a week ago as I walked home, probably carrying dry cleaning, a bag of onions and milk, and my empty lunch containers, that I can't imagine living anywhere else right now. Considering that many moons over the East River ago I couldn't sleep for the noise, I couldn't breathe for the dust, and I clenched against …

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Lunar Eclipse and Fall in NYC

I'm bumping into the Iceland series here to tell you about the best thing in New York: FALL! Until the beginning of October, September stuck to us with classic humidity. But the past month has been clear air, cool winds around the corners of buildings, and that lovely apple must scent at the farmer's markets. I've been roasting roots in maple syrup and olive oil, making gallons of soup, and watching the yellows pop into the leaves across the street. Here are some moments of our autumn (taken wi…

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The Nights These Days

We're still in the same wonderful building we moved into 4 years ago. We meet old friends by the garbage shoot in the hall, and still laugh at how rarely our landlord has our windows cleaned. The lobby's electronic art screens still don't work since Hurricane Sandy. We're thankful to be in our little haven here in BK, and about once a year, we pop in to show you photos of the nabe. Since it's been a while, here goes. New York this summer has been a bit rainier than usual, and this past Tuesday w…

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New York These Days

This is our fourth February in New York, and I say this every year, but it feels colder than it's ever been. It felt like -16 degrees on my walk to work yesterday. Even with a down coat and too many layers to count, my legs tingled. Of course, the cold is one of the best parts of the year because it lets me stay inside and eat cake for breakfast and read all Saturday. I love this permission to do less. Right now, snow is falling, almost deciding to stick to our window, and then realizing that wo…