James Franco & The Trunchbull

Saturday morning Susanna and I headed to NoHo, a new place on the map to us, and we brunched at The Smile. This was my favorite place so far! I had seen the ManRepeller eat there and about every blogger I find on Instagram had Insta'd from the restaurant. Brunch is definitely my favorite meal and that's because of two reasons. One is because you can always order a cup of coffee. The second reason is that it counts as two meals aka I don't have to pay for two meals, just one. Bless brunch. We love you.

After eating at The Smile we ventured to Times Square, which we decided we hate. We also decided that hating Times Square gives us more street cred and we are on our way to being a local. Times Square is packed way too tightly with way too many people and they move at the pace of a turtle. Possibly even slower. We ventured there though for a purpose: to meet Leighton Meester aka Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl. She is in Of Mice & Men on Broadway so we went to their stage door. Sadly (Susanna may have shed some tears), Leighton didn't come out for the stage door but we got to see James Franco and Chris O'Dowd. At first I couldn't think of who Chris O'Dowd was, but he is the cop from Bridesmaids and I think I fell a little in love with him. We got so many selifes with James Franco because he kept telling everyone it was easier to "turn your camera around so I can come up behind you." I mean okay Franco, if you tell me to take a selfie with you I'm not going to complain.

Our hearts were broken by Leighton Meester so as a little pick-me-up we bought tickets to see Matilda on Broadway. I cannot tell you how excited I was and in my inner child was freaking out. As many of you probably know because I always tell people, I had the same wallpaper that Matilda did when I was a child. You know the scene at the end of the movie when she lives with Miss Honey? The wallpaper is pink bows; yeah, I had that wallpaper too.

 

Told you.

Matila was incredible and everything I could have ever have hoped for in a musical. The children were adorable & so talented. The little girl who played Matilda was only 9 years old. Miss Trunchbull was played by a man which was hilarious, especially in the Olympics scenes and he/she wore a skirt with an Olympic blouse. Everyone in the audience was literally LOLing. My favorite song was "When I Grow Up." From Bruce eating the cake, to Amanda's pig tails that the Trunchbull hates, to Matilda's powers, I loved every second of the musical. 

Today Frances, Jamie, Susanna and I went to brunch at Rosemary's where we once again fell in love with brunch spots. There is something about ordering a mimosa and salad for brunch in New York wearing a dress & converse that I don't know if I'll ever get over. It's just so real that I am here and this is home for eleven (well, now nine) weeks. Roomies that brunch together stay together, that's our motto. Once we finished wandering after brunch and of course to the roof top garden of Rosemary's we went shopping a little. Now we are all back at the apartment doing laundry as I type this. Glam? Maybe not. But this weekend was incredible! New York, you're the bees knees. 

Biking to Brooklyn

New York really is the city that never sleeps. I always thought that was just a saying, but after two weeks of living here I totally understand. At home it's okay if you have a chill day. Here in New York, there is always something happening, something to be seen, something to be bought, or something new to be eaten. FOMO (fear of missing out, duh) is real in the city. Eleven weeks sounds like a long time but I'm already two weeks into this journey!

As far as an update on work goes, I still am in love with Dannijo. Every morning I get so excited to go to work and it's probably annoying to my roommates because work is all I talk about. I really am so thankful to be spending a summer with these insanely awesome people. Monday Danielle and Jodie got ready for the CFDA awards all day and made a really cool video with Sophia Bush & Hilary Rhoda that will be out soon. Surprise of Wednesday at the office: Sophia Bush came to get some new Dannijo jewels. I was like, "remain calm, remain calm." She was so sweet!

Tuesday was our day off and I even though I have FOMO of what I am missing at the office, I tell ya people it's so real, I do love having a weekday open to make plans and see more of the city. We rented bikes from an NYU dorm in SoHo & headed to bike across the Brooklyn Bridge which was on our bucket list. I pictured casually biking, taking my time, enjoying the scenery and breeze... It was the complete opposite. SO many people had the same idea to walk and bike across the bridge, people yelled left and right at us, I stopped biking and looked down to find a spot where a hobo pooped and it was literally the complete opposite of what I imagined. I'm glad I got to see the city from the bridge, but I will most likely never venture across it on a bike again.

After biking we got salads around Union Square and went to explore the Columbia campus. We had never been that far uptown and it was a cool area. Naturally we went there because Blair and Nate from Gossip Girl attended Columbia. Susanna bought out the entire Columbia bookstore; I got a white & gold coffee mug. Sophisticated, right?

First Weekend in the City

Day one in New York City? Check. Yesterday around 7:25 p.m. I landed at LaGuardia, got my bags and got into my cab alone to head to our hotel where I was meeting Susanna. On the way into LaGuardia in the plane I saw the Statue of Liberty and the World Trade Center Building, which I had never seen before. The Empire State Building was lit up red, white and blue at the top for Memorial Day Weekend.

Once I got to the hotel Susanna and I got ready and walked a few blocks to find dinner where we stumbled upon Angelo's Pizza. We split the onion and pepper pizza which was HUGE but delicious! After dinner the two of us came back to the hotel and made our NYC Bucket Lists; it made us think of the fun aspects to New York instead of get nervous and anxious in the hotel room, which we were doing.

It's weird to just hop off of a plane and land in a somewhat foreign city and know that this will be your home for 11 weeks. It hit me when I got to hotel that this whole experience was real and that this was no four day vacation.

This morning I woke up at 6:50 a.m. central time. What in the world was I thinking? I couldn't sleep though when I knew the city was a few steps away. Susanna and I got ready and walked to the subway to buy our first MetroCard. We definitely felt like real New Yorkers! The two of us headed to Union Square to drink our Starbucks and figure out where our building is that we were living in. We looked around Union Square which is one of my favorite areas that I have visited. Thankfully I get to call this place my home for 11 weeks.

After coffee we got on the subway to head to Susanna's internship on Broadway at Tarte. From there we walked to Bryant Park and ate lunch at the Southwest Porch. Accidentally we stumbled upon a wedding and it was such a hidden gem. From Bryant Park we walked to the subway and rode to Central Park. It's so touristy (yes, I said touristy after only living here 4 days) but it still is so beautiful. I waved hello to Eloise at the Plaza then quickly waved goodbye as we headed to meet Frances at the hotel.

Frances got lost on the subway. Oh Franz.. We met up at Washington Square Park where we got our student IDs and then ventured to Meatpacking where Frances & I work. We saw the Alice + Olivia headquarters and the DANNIJO showroom. It was so unreal standing there knowing I would be ringing the bell to go up in just a few days.

For dinner the four of us, Fran's friend Ren is the 4th, went to Ellen's Stardust Diner on Times Square. It is 100% a tourist trap but how could someone pass up your waiters and waitresses singing to you?! I was in broadway heaven. The waitresses sang songs from Frozen and Les Mis, and all that was missing with Wicked! Our waitress' name was Zerby and basically we were just laughing out loud the whole time.

Monday was a boring day, we moved into our apartment which is nice after we added some good TLC and a massive trip to Bed, Bath & Beyond. I celebrated with a huge ice cream cone. Let me tell you, there is food on every corner and it is so hard to pass up the $2 pretzel every day.

BNA to LGA

The day has almost come -- tomorrow afternoon I will be boarding my plane with a one-way ticket in my hand to New York City. My bags are packed and I'm ready to go. I'll be landing in New York tomorrow night & meeting up with Susanna at the airport to catch a cab to our hotel. Tears of joy & tears of fear might explode as I see her tomorrow!

On Sunday we will be practicing taking the subway to both of our internships, looking around Union Square & finding what is close to us, and also meeting up with Frances, our 3rd roommate, once her flight lands. There are some things I am sure of, and that is that there is a Whole Foods, Forever21 and Barnes and Noble a few steps away. My three favorite stores, that is all I need! Monday is move-in day at Carlyle Court and then Tuesday is the big day - day 1 of my internship at Dannijo. I am arriving at 10 am with the two other interns and we will be greeted with breakfast; coffee + new friends, right up my alley, right?

I am so anxious to board that flight. I don't think I will be able to sit still on the plane ride. I know that the Lord has placed me in New York for the summer and I can't wait to see all of the unknown things and events that are to come out of this 11 week adventure. To the city that never sleeps, here I come! I am going to blog as much as I can, including photos & details of what I do, wear, eat, see, and experience. Follow me on Instagram and Twitter for more frequent updates!

New York, here I come!

XOXO,
Chandler in the City

Ali, my roomie & the stationery-whiz of Bushel & a Peck Stationery, made these new graphics for my weekly blog posts. I will update the blog using each of these titles for: What Chandler Eats, What Chandler Sees, What Chandler Wears and Where Chandler Works.

My Touristy New York City Bucket List

1. eat at Central Park Boathouse
2. go to the Top of the Rock
3. run in Central Park
4. visit MoMa 
5. take a photo by the LOVE statue on 6th & W. 55th
6. go to the Chelsea Market
7. venture to Brooklyn for the flea market 
8. go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art
9. play in the Washington Square Park fountains
10. see a play on Broadway -- I'm looking at you, Wicked.
11. go to movie night in Bryant Park
12. visit the New York Public Library
13. on a Saturday go to Smorgasburg in Brooklyn
14. watch a performance live from The Today Show
15. go to an outdoor concert or play; Bryant Park
16. walk the Brooklyn Bridge
17. go to a Yankee's game -- can't leave without getting ice cream in a baseball helmet
18. see the Statue of Liberty
19. eat at Shake Shack -- hold the meat, extra fries
20. visit the High Line
21. find Carrie Bradshaw's apartment
22. buy something from a sample sale

The list is ever-growing and changing & I have many different titled lists. (Lists are my life). If you have any suggestions or top places to see that are iconic to the Big Apple, please comment below! Other list titles that I will soon share are "The Real New Yorker Bucket List" which consists of local coffee shops and things that maybe I won't be too touristy to do. During the summer I'm also going to compile my own list of my favorite things I did and can't wait to share that too!

Comment below with your favorite places and spaces, restaurants too! It's almost one month until I board my plane with my one way ticket. Don't worry, I'm coming back eventually. 

xoxo,
Chandler (almost in the City)