i swore i would get this report from our new york trip on the blog before the end of 2014 – soooo, that didn’t happen. oh well, it’s still winter, chances are you’ll still appreciate these memories from our christmas-overdosed trip. it was an all-play, barely-any-work kind of affair, so we ended up returning to a lot of our favorite hang-outs (some of them more than once in a week!) we ate lobster rolls for breakfast and donuts for lunch, just because we could. we stumbled upon some new places, met some online friends and even went to a business meeting at 1 world trade center. apart from underestimating how crowded new york gets in the last few days before christmas (where did all these people come from??) we had a lovely time.

at the same time, i think we’re cured from our new york obsession for a while. it was a weird sensation to realize that we’ve seen and done pretty much everything there is to see and do in new york – even with the city changing so much every other day. we had trouble adjusting to the loudness and buzz of the city after being holed up in quiet, boring switzerland for so long. and then we realized – it’s not new york, it’s us. we’re ready for a new phase in our lives, and i’m guessing that travel-wise, it will be a lot more europe-oriented than ever before. the states feels like a destination we had so much fun discovering when it was just the two of us, and now with the little one on the way, i feel like europe is yanking me back by my roots. anyhow – if you have a trip to new york planned soon, i can highly recommend checking out these places. say hi to them from me, i might not go back for a while!

from left to right, top to bottom // beautiful decorations at THE STANDARD GRILL // THE VERY MANY at the storefront for art and architecture // the bar of our FAVORITE BRUNCH PLACE // cool new coffee addition to nolita HAPPY BONES // best place for lunch after shopping in soho is THE SMILE, hands down // brooklyn roaster TOBY’S ESTATE opened a bunch of new locations in manhattan – this one at CLUB MONACO was our favorite // all the cool kids hang out at HAMILTON’S in the west village // yup, that’s us, jet-lag-induced-bags-under-the-eyes included // the flatiron club monaco location also has a flower shop in addition to the toby’s estate coffee bar // the most beautiful apartment i ever did see, and a genius retail idea – THE APARTMENT BY THE LINE // couldn’t not stop by the MONOCLE shop now, could i? // met my wonderful contact at CNTRAVELER.COM in her office at one world trade center // one world trade center turned out to be every marble lover’s wet dream – who knew? // having a cup of INTELLIGENTSIA coffee at the quirky HIGH LINE HOTEL is high up on my must-do list for new york travelers // our favorite new discovery has to be the fairly new GANSEVOORT MARKET, including this wonderful bakery and its unforgettable donuts // we stayed at HOTEL AMERICANO again because we loved it so much last time, and yes, the love endured (though if you’re a light sleeper, you might want to ask beforehand if there are going to be a lot of rooftop parties during your stay…) you’ll also notice a swanky blue suitcase – SAMSONITE was kind enough to let us try out the lite-locked spinner. i love the four wheels and the medium size format – perfect for transporting christmas gifts and souvenirs! // and the high line never looked so lovely as around christmas time…

photos from my INSTAGRAM FEED