The Best Of New York (so far!)

I’ve been living in New York for six weeks now, and I thought I’d share some of the highlights of my short time here…

Best Window Display

No doggone doubt about it, Bergdorf Goodman gets the prize for my favourite window display.

I love the variety of pooches present – particularly impressive is the diversity of techniques used to craft the canines’ coats out of humble white foam core.

I was especially wowed by the afghan hound – thousands of super thin strips delicately curled to give the illusion of that breed’s silky, flowing coat.

I can’t wait to see what they conjure up for their legendary holiday window dressing.  Yup, if I had to pick another vocation other than self-employed artist, I’d want to be a BG window prop artist.

Best Dessert Consumed

Hands down, Sprinkles’ Lemon Meringue Cupcake takes the, um…cake. At first glance, it may not be as flashy as the other flavours offered by Sprinkles, but don’t let the understated exterior fool you. This cupcake tastes exactly like the best piece of lemon meringue pie you’ve ever had (the lemon-y custard filling in the centre was a delightful surprise). Sadly, this flavor was one of their limited edition monthly flavours only available during July…which means I’ll be thinking about it obsessively during the next 11 months.

Best Meal

My husband, Andrew (who loves food almost more than he loves me), has shown great restraint in not insisting that we eat out every night ;-).  Incredibly, it seems that every time we go out and try a new bistro I have The Best Meal I’ve Ever Eaten. There is, though, one place in particular that stands out in my preliminary survey of NYC restaurants: Cocotte in Soho. They deliver the perfect storm of excellent service, intimate atmosphere, and exceptional food (their crab meat stuffed cannelloni floating in a creamy, chilled gazpacho made my eyes roll back into my head).

Best Place to Buy Discount Designer Clothing

A body can really bump up the style quotient of their wardrobe for minimal financial output at Century 21. They got it all, from underwear to leather jackets and everything in between – for up to 65% off retail. My frugal, artist demeanor still questions spending $460.00 on a jacket, but whether my financial conscious allows me to buy it or not, my Scottish roots appreciate knowing that said jacket would normally sell for $1,200.00 ;-).

Best Place to Buy Groceries

In our living room, sitting at our computer.  Seriously.  We’ve been ordering online and having our weekly groceries delivered to our apartment door from FreshDirect.com. Not having to navigate the congested, narrow aisles of Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s is a true relief (grocery shopping in NYC is an entirely different beast than in other cities), and unpacking our weekly delivery always feels a bit like Christmas morning.

The Best Is Yet To Come…

There’s one more place that I hope to add soon to my personal “Best of NYC” list: Dick Blick Art Materials for “Best Artist Resource”. I get possession of my new studio on September 1st and I can’t wait to get settled and then go browse Blick’s shelves for some new materials to play with!

How have your own adventures unfolded over the summer?  Please feel free to share your “best of” in the comments below.