Last Friday, I made my first trip of the year to Coney Island. Coney Island is one of my favorite things about New York City summers because it really does have an old school, retro feel to it. Even though most of the attractions are new, there are still a few original rides left.
The Ferris wheel, better known as The Wonder Wheel, was built in 1920. In 1989 it became a historic NYC landmark. The Wonder Wheel is definitely my favorite ride. It's cool getting to see the whole park from a birds eye view, even though it's equally as terrifying too haha. Some of the cars intentionally "swing" during the ride, so make sure you opt for a stationary car (like I do) if this isn't your thing. The Cyclone is another original ride. It is a wooden roller coaster built in 1927. It also gained NYC landmark status in 1988. I rode this ride once, but to be honest, I wouldn't do it again. Since it is old and wooden, it is super rickety and rough, a very different feel than riding a modern roller coaster. I'm not a huge ride person, so I mostly just like to go to walk around and enjoy the ambience. And of course I always stop at Nathan's for french fries and lemonade. My friends all swear the hot dogs are amazing too, but I don't eat meat, so I can't directly comment on them, but I'll take their word for it. I can't wait to go back to Coney Island again this summer! If you'd like to shop my dress, you can find it here: https://www.karinadresses.com/collections/sunny-afternoon/products/ruby-dress-blue-and-white-gingham?variant=292344233988 Dress: c/o Karina Dresses Necklace: vintage; Ring: Kate Spade; Sneakers: H&M; Sunglasses: Guess; Headband & Bag: unknown (both were gifts) Location: Coney Island (Brooklyn, New York)
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Last week I had the opportunity to visit the TWA lounge located downtown in One World Trade Center. If you are unfamiliar, TWA was an airline that operated from the 1920's to the early 2000's. Visiting this space was an absolute dream come true. I literally felt like I was in an episode of Mad Men. From the retro decor, to the amazing panoramic views of Manhattan, to Frank Sinatra playing over the sound system, I couldn't help but feel inspired. Aside from the amazing vintage furniture and items, the lounge also houses TWA travel posters, flight attendant uniforms throughout the decades and a flight departure display board. They even keep TAB soda and candy cigarettes stocked in the lounge, which I of course used as a prop for these photos.
If you are in NYC, I would definitely recommend visiting the lounge! Since it is located in One World Trade Center, security is very strict, for obvious reasons, so you cannot just walk in. To schedule an appointment, all you have to do is send an email to 1wtc@twahotel.com. You can schedule a visit for yourself, with a larger group or even book the space for an event. Now I'm seriously considering hosting a Mad Men themed party here... Thank you TWA for letting me live out my Megan Draper fantasies for the day! Dress: c/o Smak Parlour Scarf: Target; Sneakers: H&M; Earrings: Trudy's Variety Location: TWA Lounge in One World Trade Center (Financial District, NYC) I often get asked where my favorite place to vintage shop is in NYC. There's not one particular store, but a whole neighborhood I like to frequent for vintage and thrift shopping, and that is East Village. I've mentioned some of these stores in a previous blog post, but I wanted to put together a guide of my favorite stores in this specific area of NYC. Cure Thrift Shop 111 E 12th Street (between 3rd and 4th Ave) Open 12-9pm daily Come Here For: •women's clothing •men's clothing •home decor tip: don't be turned off by the "high" prices of this thrift store, they run a half off sale everyday. plus this store is a non profit and all proceeds go to diabetes research. No Relation Vintage 204 First Ave (between 12th and 13th Street) Open 12-8pm daily Come Here For: •women's clothing •men's clothing this is a no frills vintage store with tons of merchandise and dirt cheap prices. product is organized but not super curated so shopping here is very hit or miss. Academy Records 415 E 12th Street (between 1st Ave and Ave A) Open 12-8pm daily Come Here For: •Records (duh) good prices and selection, they even have a $1 section where I've scored some good finds. records are well organized and categorized by popular artists. East Village Vintage Collective 545 E 12th Street (between Ave A and B) Open 12-8pm daily Come Here For: •women's clothing •men's clothing •kids clothing •records •home decor and gifts I've saved the best for last! this is my favorite vintage store because it is well curated, but still has affordable prices, which is rare in NYC. let me know if you like this mini shopping guide, and if you'd like to see more for other areas of NYC or other cities I travel to.
I finally got a record player for Christmas and I have seriously been obsessed with it ever since. I love scouring record stores on the weekends to look for vinyls to add to my collection. So far I've been able to get my hands on several 60's classics from The Monkees to The Mamas and The Papas. I decided to do a blog post of my favorite places to record shop in NYC.
Academy Records (East Village & Flat Iron): Academy Records is my absolute favorite record store. I end up leaving with something nearly every time I go. What I love most about their store is that not only are the records organized alphabetically, but they are also broken out by popular artists. They have specific sections for The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Elvis, and more of my favorite artists. They also have a $1 section where I've scored some great finds. They have two locations, one in East Village and one in Flat Iron. I've been to both locations, but I'm definitely partial to the East Village location. Brooklyn Flea (location varies): If you're not familiar with the Brooklyn Flea, it is a large flea market with multiple vendors that occurs every weekend in Brooklyn. The location varies by day and time of year, so make sure you check out their website for specific location details. Anyway, they always have several vendors selling tons of records. They are usually very fairly priced as well. I scored The Mamas and The Papas record pictured here at the flea. Record Grouch (Greenpoint, Brooklyn) I've mentioned this store in a previous blog post, but Record Grouch is another record store I've enjoyed browsing at. It has a similar feel to Academy. The records felt easy to navigate and were well organized. Definitely a spot worth checking out if you find yourself in Brooklyn! P.S.- This dress is part of Karina Dresses Spring collection. I am wearing the "Tina" style. The new collection will be up on the website tomorrow! You can check it out here: https://www.karinadresses.com/ Dress: c/o Karina Dresses Tights: Target, Shoes: Asos I've partnered up with Utopiat again to bring you another Audrey Hepburn inspired look. This time I've channeled iconic NYC party girl, Holly Golightly. The dress I am wearing is part of the Audrey Hepburn Costume Collection, but instead of copying the outfit from the movie exactly, I styled this classic LBD ensemble in my own way. I added vintage sunglasses, polka dot tights, and my Kate Spade taxi flats to put my own quirky twist on this look.
I originally planned to shoot these photos at 169 East 71st street, the address of the brownstone where the exterior shots were filmed for Breakfast at Tiffany's. I had visited this brownstone about 3 years ago. However, since then, the brownstone has sold to a new owner. When I arrived to take photos the other day, there was construction being done on the front of the house, and the iconic dark green door looked to be completely sanded down, assuming they are replacing or repainting it. We ended up taking the photos across the street at a more photogenic house. Even though its not the same brownstone as in the movie, I think the photos still get the point across and feel reminiscent enough of the film. I hope the owners of the brownstone leave the door and repaint it to its original color. Even though it's just the door of the home of a fictional character, Breakfast at Tiffany's is such an iconic movie, it would make me upset to know a part of history is disappearing. Again, if you're interested in shopping Utopiat's Audrey Hepburn Costume Collection, you can use my code nicole13 for 13% off your purchase. https://www.utopiat.com/categories/audrey-hepburn-collection.html Dress: c/o Utopiat Sunglasses: Vintage; Tights: H&M; Bracelet & Shoes: Kate Spade Location: Upper East Side Last weekend I rode the holiday vintage train, an event that happens annually in NYC. They take old subway cars from the Museum of Transit and bring them out on the subway tracks so people are able to ride them. The subway cars range from the 1920's to the 1960's. They do this every Sunday in December, and some weekends they even have live bands playing swing music to add to the ambience. I went with a group of fellow vintage lovers that also live in NYC, so it was fun to go with others who share my affection for the past. It was a bit crazy because there were so many photographers there posing us for photos or snapping shots of us while we were riding the train. Even regular people on the subway platform bombarded us for pictures with their cell phones. A few people came up to me and asked why we were dressed up, or if we were part of a club, when in reality, this is basically how we dress everyday.
I prefer to dress vintage with a more modern and quirky twist, so I thought this fifties inspired coat dress I recently received from Unique Vintage would be perfect for the occasion. I added this piano bag from Charming Charlie, polka dot tights and leopard print flats for a whimsical touch. If you live in NYC, the vintage holiday train is still running for the rest of the month, so catch it if you can! Dress: c/o Unique Vintage https://www.unique-vintage.com/new-arrivals/unique-vintage-1950s-style-red-button-up-sleeved-hedren-coatdress.html Bag: c/o Charming Charlie http://www.charmingcharlie.com/piano-keys-satchel.html#color=black Tights: Express; Shoes: Franco Sarto (bought from Century 21); Bracelet: Kate Spade Everyone knows New York City is home to so many amazing museums. I love spending time in them on the weekends, and I'm always keeping my eyes peeled for new exhibits or exploring museums I have not visited yet. So I wanted to recap my favorites, and let you know which ones are underrated, overrated, plus some tips to make the most of your visit.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Upper East Side): This is probably the most iconic art museum in NYC, but to be honest, it's not my favorite. The modern art section (my favorite type of art) is very limited, and the museum is always packed, regardless of time of day, week, or year. One benefit of The Met though is that it is donation based. They have suggested ticket prices, but it is always pay what you wish. So since you can literally pay $1 to enter, The Met is great if you want to have a museum day without breaking the bank. Another tip, The Met Bruer, a second and much smaller location, is just a short walk away, and your same admission is good at both locations, just save your ticket! The Whitney (Meatpacking): This is my absolute favorite museum in the city. It is completely modern art based, and the museum itself has an amazing view of the NYC skyline. It's a little more pricey ($18 for a student ticket, $25 for a regular adult ticket), but every Friday from 7-10pm, you can pay what you wish. A tip though, arrive early, I'd say around 6-630, because there are always tons of people in line. The Museum of Modern Art (Midtown East): My second favorite museum, which is also filled entirely of modern art. They offer free admission every Friday from 4-8pm, which is amazing. It's actually more beneficial to show up a little later in the evening, about 5-6, to avoid long lines. Chelsea Art Galleries (Chelsea): The Chelsea neighborhood is filled with tons of modern art galleries, and they are all free! New York Transit Museum (Downtown Brooklyn): Not an art museum, but if you’re reading this, you most likely are into vintage and would appreciate this museum. The New York Transit Museum is all about the history of the subway, and they have actual subway cards, ranging from the 1910’s to present day. You can actually go inside these cars and take photos. T-shirt and Skirt: c/o May 68 *please note- I hemmed the skirt about 6 inches https://www.may-68.com/ Turtleneck: Style We; Tights: Hue; Shoes: Franco Sarto Location: The Guggenheim Museum (Upper East Side) One of the reasons blogging is beneficial for me is because it pushes me outside of my comfort zone. I tend to be a bit anti social at times, and avoid social situations where I don't know anyone or where I might not be 100% comfortable. So when Skedaddle reached out to me and asked if I'd like to join them on some winery tours around Long Island, I was hesitant. It sounded fun, but I was worried I wouldn't know any of the other bloggers who were invited. When I was younger, my mom used to make me go to parties or force me to invite friends to come over to get me out of my shell. Obviously I'm a grown adult now, so my mom isn't constantly around to force me to be social, but I still try to push myself into these types of situations, so I accepted Skedaddle's invite. When I showed up for the bus at 8 am this Saturday, I worried I had made a mistake by saying yes to this trip. Not everyone knew everyone, but everyone there knew at least one other person. There were 8 other girls there, and I was the random 9th wheel. But I told myself to just make the best of the trip, its only one day, and it would be over before I knew it. Everyone was pretty quiet and sleepy on the bus, but by the time we arrived at the first winery, Bedell Cellars, I began to feel a bit better. All of the girls seemed really nice and friendly. One of them even helped me take photos at this vintage truck I had eyed up from the second we arrived. We tasted 5 different wines, and even got to see how they crushed the grapes to make the wine, then it was off to our next destination. Next, we stopped at Greenport Harbor Brewery. We ordered a bunch of snacks for the table, and we each got to pick our own flight of five beers. I tried all different kinds, from an IPA, to a lager, to a saison. They were all good, but all of them were the exact same shade of light brown, which did not make for a good photo, and confirmed why I am not a food blogger, like a lot of the girls there. We also got to take a quick tour of the brewery to learn about how the beer is made. Our third stop was Macari Vineyards, and my favorite stop of the day. Immediately after we arrived, we drove the bus around the vineyard to explore their extensive property. We made one stop to say hi to the adorable cows they use for compost. Then we drove a bit further to a private beach where we all got out to enjoy the view and a glass of rose. Then it was back to the main building, where we did our tasting in a private cellar. I think the highlight of the tasting was when “LOVE” by Nat King Cole came on and we basically all felt like we were living The Parent Trap. I really enjoyed the Chardonnay wine, probably my favorite tasting of the day, which is interesting because I usually don’t care for Chardonnays. They also have a pizza truck on their property, so they gave us a few different pies to try. I had the white and margarita and both were amazing. After a quick nap on the bus, we made our final stop at Table 7 just outside of NYC. We got to try a bunch of different cocktails and appetizers. To be honest, I didn’t eat much here because almost all of the food had some type of meat in it and I am a vegetarian. But I enjoyed some of the cocktails and the chocolate cake they served us for dessert. We arrived back in the city around 10pm. It was a long day, but overall it was really fun. I am a creature of habit, so I can easily get stuck in a routine of doing the same things in the city, but it was nice to get out of NYC for the day and explore Long Island with some new people. I am definitely glad I said yes to this opportunity and didn’t turn it down just because of my social anxiety. Thank You Skedaddle for having me on this trip! If you’d like to learn more about Skedaddle, or any of the locations I mentioned in this post, I have listed their websites below. You can shop my cardigan here: http://www.tobi.com/product/60228-tobi-diem-plaid-cardigan?color_id=86310
Skeddadle: https://www.letskedaddle.com/ Bedell Cellars: https://www.bedellcellars.com/ Greenport Harbor Brewery: http://greenportharborbrewing.com/ Macari Vineyards: http://www.macariwines.com/ Table 7: http://table7restaurant.com/ Cardigan: C/O Tobi http://www.tobi.com/ T-Shirt, Skirt, Sneakers: Madewell (old) Scarf: Madwell: https://www.madewell.com/madewell_category/ACCESSORIES/bandanas/PRDOVR~F2308/F2308.jsp?color_name=vintage-gold Necklace: In God We Trust; Earrings: Vintage Location: Bedell Cellars (North Folk, Long Island) Stopping by with a quick blog post to share some more photos of this polka dot shift dress. Although it looks sixties, it’s actually an Esprit dress from the 90’s. It was handpicked especially for me by my friend Emily. I met Emily at the first job I worked at after graduating college. Like me, she works full time as a fashion designer, but is also a lover of all things retro, and resells vintage pieces on Etsy as a side business. You can check out her shop here:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/Lulaverse We had a lovely day in Brooklyn catching up. We started out with brunch at Esme (the food was delicious, I highly recommend if you are in the neighborhood). Then we bounced around to a few vintage stores, while taking photos in between. We started at Record Grouch, where these photos were taken. We also popped into Monk Vintage, where Emily picked up a few pieces. Lastly, we stopped into Fox and Fawn, where I bought a sweater (and it is also the store where Emily found this dress I am wearing). All three stores had an excellent selection, with reasonable prices, I will definitely be visiting these stores again in the future. Dress & Sunglasses: Vintage; Socks: Hansel From Basel; Shoes: LF Life; Ring: Kate Spade; Watch: Hyper Grand Location: Record Grouch (Greenpoint, Brooklyn) This graphic tee from Pinup Girl Clothing is the perfect response to that guy who won't take no for an answer when you're out at the bar with your friends. So I thought, what better place to shoot this outfit than a vintage inspired bar. I look forward to wearing this shirt out on many Friday nights in the future, but in the meantime, I'm sharing my 3 favorite vintage inspired bars in NYC.
•Beauty Bar (14th Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenue): My absolute favorite bar in NYC! Arrive early to take a photo in the old fashioned hair dryer chairs and to get your nails done. They have a $10 manicure and martini special (you can get any type of drink though, it doesn't have to be a martini). $10 is a great deal, especially in NYC, and the manicure is actually amazing and lasts the whole week. On the weekends they have a DJ that plays the best music from the 60's, 70's and 80's, so you can dance. I've never had a bad time at Beauty Bar. *disclaimer: Beauty Bar is currently closed for renovations, but hopefully will be open again soon! •Genuine Liquorette (191 Grand Street) A speak easy type bar in Little Italy. It's located downstairs of the eatery, Genuine Superette. When you walk in, go straight to the back and down the stairs. Once inside, definitely get one of their signature drinks, called the "cha-chunkers", which is essentially a mini can of soda or juice with an airplane size bottle of liquor upside down in the can. Considering the novelty, the drinks are still reasonably priced by NYC standards, plus they're super Instagramable. My favorite is the Dark and Stormy, but a lot of my friends also like the Paloma. Be sure to check out the bathroom before you leave, it's covered entirely in pictures of Farrah Fawcett. •The Trailer Park Lounge (23rd Street between 7th and 8th Avenue) This is the bar I shot these photos in. There are so many kitschy decorations here, you won't know what to Instagram first. They don't have a very wide selection of speciality cocktails, mostly beer and mixed drinks, but they do have champagne in a can, if you're feeling classy. Shirt: c/o Pinup Girl Clothing ps://www.pinupgirlclothing.com/vintage-style-inspired-clothing/tops/traci-lords-beat-it-creep-black.html Skirt: c/o Pinup Girl Clothing https://www.pinupgirlclothing.com/vintage-style-inspired-clothing/bottoms/jenny-skirt-black-white-stripe.html Shoes: Macy's Location: The Trailer Park Lounge (Chelsea, Manhattan) Photos: Aye Ostertag (www.ayeostertagphoto.com) |
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