Let's Talk About New York City

The Big Apple. The Empire State. The City That Never Sleeps. The City of Lights. The City of Hopes and Dreams. Manhattan. New York, New York. Oh, NYC you wonderful and horrible place.

I both love and hate Manhattan. While growing up, the summers we didn't spend back home in Czech Republic, we would sometimes venture up into the city for a week or so. Then we would retreat back to our country life in southern Maryland, dazed by the quickness of life in the city, filled with pollution in our lungs and wishing to never see an obnoxiously yellow car ever again.

While I say I have a love//hate relationship with the city, I'll never pass an opportunity to be in Manhattan. I'm keen to see what Chicago will hold whenever I will finally make a trip over there.

Anywho, let's get to the fun stuff about New York:

Blinding, crazy, cold but wonderful Times Square by night.

Times Square!

A woooonderfully good french toast breakfast at 12 Chairs in Soho. A must go-to place.

My gorgeous breakfast date // New York City travel companion in SoHo.

Adventures in China Town.

Walking the Brooklyn Bridge (with super cold and sore feet) into Brooklyn.

Brooklyn Roasting Company- right by the river in a warehouse building. Great coffee- a bit on the expensive side but definitely worth it + the atmosphere is so very 'Brooklyn'.

I'm OBSESSED with Thai food so of course, we had to go to at least one Thai restaurant. I believe it was Pam Real Thai Food in Hell's Kitchen. On the outside it didn't look like much but inside it was very modern, dark and the food was delicious. Amazing pad thai and lovely service.

While I'm obsessed with Thai food, I think my heart belongs mainly with coffee. I would go to every coffee shop in a city if I could. Naturally, I Googled the best coffee shops in each part of New York we explored. This quaint little cafe. Third Rail Coffee, was in Greenwich Village. Great $3.50 latte and they even did a little bit of that latte art everyone loves to Instagram.

Morning walk through SoHo.

Central Park, you were gorgeous that Friday morning. 

I had never been to Grand Central Station and as Gossip Girl was one of my favorite shows growing up, I just had to go to the place that started off the show. (GG fans you'll know what I mean).

Breezy strolls through Central Park on our last morning in the city.

Pre-Brooklyn Bridge foot cramps.

Grand Central Terminal Station with my darling of a friend from university.

The Slavics take on New York City!

Some other restaurants we went to were:
- Red Bamboo (vegetarian/vegan)
- OatMeals (awesome oatmeal bar- I didn't even know these existed- with a huge variety of sweet and savory oatmeals...I got the Indian Spiced and it was amazing).
- Birch Coffee

In 2 (full) days we went through:
-West Village (where we stayed)
- SoHo
- Chinatown
- Little Italy
- Upper East Side
- Brooklyn
- Greenwich Village
- East Harlem
- Mid-Town
- East Village
- Lower Manhattan
- No-Ho
- Flat Iron District
- Upper West Side
- Hell's Kitchen

And all on foot! Okay, so maybe we took a metro the last day between Mid-Town and West Village because we were about to keel over from walking SO much.

Well, I guess that's all about New York City! Travel on wanderlusters!

P.S. Tomorrow will be TWW's first fashion-inspired post.

For All You Book-Worms Out There

Gooooood morning wanderlusters and happy Tuesday to you all!

Today's post is going to a little dull, especially for those of you who aren't book-worms such as myself, but I'm still going to write about some incredible books I've recently read.

I've been reading non-stop since uni ended for the winter (we have about two months off). I seriously could not focus during finals week because I was in the midst of finishing several phenomenal books.

Here's what's on my bed-side table as of now:

100 Years of Solitude- Gabriel García Márquez
Orphan Train- Christina Baker Kline
Memoirs of a Geisha- Arthur Golden
Marie Antoinette- Antonia Fraser
The Alchemist- Paulo Coelho

Recently, though, I've read (or re-read):

The Goldfinch- Donna Tartt
The Kite Runner- Khaled Hosseini
A Thousand Splendid Suns (my absolute favorite novel)- Khaled Hosseini
And The Mountains Echoed- Khaled Hosseini
Harry Potter (books 1-5)- J.K. Rowling
Anna Karenina- Leo Tolstoy

I've always loved reading and I did it for pleasure but I never felt that I got anything significant out of it. However, once I read some of these novels, I was amazed on how it provoked my thoughts and beliefs towards certain things. These are such phenomenal reads and I would recommend them (and more) to everyone.

Have any of you wanderlusters read these novels? One of my favorite things to do is buy a brand new book and read it on a long plane ride (like the one I will be taking in 6 days back home to Prague).

Travel on wanderlusters!

P.S. Tomorrow's post will be about a recent New York City trip I took upon arriving in the United States this winter. We went to various cafes, restaurants and tourist attractions so I'll share them + some photos with you!

New York City, New York

The 3-day trip to New York City started with a double decker bus ride for 4 1/2 hours and ended with a 4 1/2 hour double decker bus. But the time in-between was spent lounging around a beautiful house on the Long Island sound, walking around EVERYWHERE in the city, being followed by a drug addict in SoHo and finally trying the famous $1 New York style cheese pizza and a fluffy New York style bagel. We only spent one full day in the city but something is better than nothing right? One of my favorite cities in the world. Well, American cities that is.

While I was walking through the city I couldn't help but realize how weird it was to be in a big city where everyone is mostly speaking English and how the buildings were so TALL. Yes, I've been to New York City several times throughout my 18 years but it's been about 5 solid months since I've been in a modern, American city. I'm used to everyone speaking Czech or accented English and older, shorter buildings. I honestly prefer European cities after living in one for several months. What about you? Do you prefer American or European cities? I just think the history and architecture is so amazing. Definitely miss it and can't wait to see it again Thursday morning. 

I just recently started watching Homeland...SO GOOD! I was a little surprised that they could air something so similar to events that have/are happening in the United States. Super interesting and makes you think really hard: engaging. I'm hooked though so before I leave Wednesday night I am trying to get through 16 more episodes so I am caught up. If you haven't watched it yet, get started! You honestly will get hooked after the first episode. 

Travel on wanderlusters! I have tons to do before making my way to Paris then back to Prague Wednesday night. 

Feeling a Little Arts-and-Crafts-y

Hi Wanderlusters!

I'm going to post the New York City/Long Island post tomorrow morning when sipping on a warm cappuccino. So get ready! But today, a lazy and dreary Sunday afternoon, I am feeling kind of creative/arts and crafts-y, so I decided I'm going to make several inspiration boards when I get back home to Prague in a few days (eeep!). These are going to be boards on just general things I like, on travel destinations/places I've been, foods I like or would like to try, fashion, quotes; just anything and everything basically.

I went quote searching on Pinterest for about an hour the other day and found some really cool ones that will go on my quote board. Here are a few I liked and want to share with you guys.

Do you, wanderlusters, ever go on Pinterest for inspirations or arts and crafts projects? I'm feeling a little inspired in 2013.

Travel on wanderlusters! And be ready for tomorrow's New York City post.

P.S. 4 more days until I'm Europe-bound again!