Governors Island in Pictures

Last Tuesday I spent a beautiful NYC Summer day on Governors Island with couple hundred colleagues. While there is so much I could say about this work event, or mandatory fun days in general, I would rather share a few of my most favorite pictures of the day. 

Jersey City peaking out from behind Castle Williams

The island has a long history of serving as a military base, strategically located just off the tip of Manhattan, during the colonial period and American Revolution. During the Civil War it housed prisoners of war in two primary fortifications, Castle WIlliams (above) and Fort Jay (below). Now it primarily serves as a public historical and recreation space.

The pretty flower boxes of Fort Jay

Colonels Row

Governor's House

View of Manhattan from the Hills

Nolan Park and Officer's Quarters

Missing from this post (and my visit) are the hammocks and adult slides, two very alluring attractions that ensure another visit soon!

Tulum's Best Beach Clubs

Tulum has some of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen, and while the beaches alone are enough for a dream vacation the abundance beach clubs only make Tulum better! My sweetie and I bounced around a few clubs on our vacay and these are a few of our favorite places to lounge around cocktail in hand.

Zazil Kin

Zazil Kin beach club was our favorite spot in all of Tulum. Not only were the beaches the most pristine (I'm talking about you Playa Pescadores) but the club was the least pretentious and the people watching the most interesting! After accidentally stumbled on it our first morning in Mexico we came back 2 more times and chose to spend our last day there as well! 

The club, like most beach clubs in Tulum, is an extension of the hotel. But unlike a lot of places most of the club business comes as "walk-ins" and they maintain a large section of beach beds specifically for those not staying at the hotel. Beds are rented for the day (around $5 USD) which includes one cocktail and lots of lovely palm tree shade. And I highly recommend making sure you are around for their 2 for 1 happy hour! I particularly loved the beach bar including the very Tulum-esque bar swings. The bar serves snacks and daily specials depending on what the local fisherman bring off their boats.

Om Tulum

Om was exactly what I imagined Tulum to be, hippy at heart with a little bit of polish. The restaurant/bar has a fantastic terrace that overlooks the beach and while we were there they had the best caribbean tunes playing that we came back with an entirely new shazamed playlist!

Coco Tulum

Ahhhh Coco Tulum... what can I say that the pictures don't already!? Coco ranked the chicest of all the places we visited in Tulum. The all white everything somehow popped against the white sand and all the details made me go camera crazy.

Tulum has so many incredible spots packed with personality, these are just a few clubs I know for a fact I will return to again and again!

Where to Eat in Tulum

Tulum House Tour

My partner and I have had many excellent airbnb experiences and a few so-so ones over the past few years. Our most recent place in Tulum shot right to the top of the excellent list, and since it was so great I just have to share!

Front entrance located on a no-outlet drive

The entire property is perfectly landscaped

Without being very familiar with Tulum we booked the Greenhouse, one of six condo style apartments in a residential area of the pueblo. It was the modern aesthetic, great reviews and infinity pool that really won us over. 

We arrived late at night via shuttle from the Cancun airport. After a long immigration line and a one and a half hour drive we arrived to no running water! Uh oh! But actually our host was super responsive and quick to fix the issue and by the time we had unpacked and connected to wifi. 

Bike parking and more common space

Private back terrace & a peak of the shower

The next morning we were able to see the Greenhouse in all its glory. The airbnb included 2 bikes per unit, an awesome "indoor-outdoor" shower, and a private patio area where I wish I could take coffee every morning! But the best part of the whole experience was the pool [insert emoji heart eyes]which I wish I could have spent even more time in!

Logistically the Greenhouse was a about a 5 minute (or 40 peso) taxi ride to the town center and 10+ minutes to the beaches (100-120 peso taxi ride). The overall experience the airbnb was overwhelmingly positive. Despite minor bumps such as the water and electricity briefly going out here and there, and more bugs than we are used to (it is the jungle after all!) the hospitality and value were excellent. There was a day time maid service who stayed at the house during the day and we felt safe staying there. All in all such a great stay and so happy we took the chance and booked!

The New York Public Library

This weekend I desperately needed some museum inspiration but was having such a hard time deciding on one to visit (I know tough life, right?)... The Met? The Whitney? MoMA? The New Museum? So many places were crossed off of the list because either I had been recently or the current exhibitions weren't quite doing it for me. I had near scrapped my museum plan when I saw an obscure photo of marble walls on instagram geotagged at the New York Public Library. Although not a museum exactly, it had all of the museum like qualities I was looking for and believe it or not despite being a native new yorker I had never been inside the flagship site at Bryant Park! 

Often I have had a coffee or lunch just outside the building at the dark green cafe tables found throughout Bryant Park, but on this visit I noticed the pristine landscaping and appreciated the beauty of the public space. 

The entrance to the library was simply magnificent. The intricate details carved into marble and grandiose columns somehow welcomed me and prepared me for an experience greater than my expectations. The museum offers a 30 minute video discussing its history and collections which I highly recommend sitting through. It was there that I learned more about the site's construction (1902-1911) which was atop the former site of the Croton water reservoir among many other things.

The library had an interesting start. It was 25th Governor of New York, Samuel J. Tilden (for which Fort Tilden in the Rockaways is named for), who left much of his fortune after his death to create "a free library and reading room in the city of New York." It was his gift and an agreement with the Astor and Lenox libraries of the time that created NYPL. I realized what a huge gesture this truly was at the time and still today to offer everyone a place to learn and develop. And for this to be such a magnificent space it truly speaks to the mission of the library.

Now that I have discovered the main library I plan to go and take advantage of the space and collections in addition to my local branch. On this trip the Rose Reading room, an even more grandiose space the size of a football field, was closed for renovation but will be opening again early next year. I am looking forward to discovering that as soon as it does!

Click here learn more about the libraries history. Also fun fact, did you know that the Bryant Park Lawn sits a top underground stacks for the library!? In the 1980s when the Park was in disrepair the Bryant Park Restoration Corporation renovated the park to include this subterrane for the library!

Tulum in Pictures

My honey and I just returned from a wonderful week-long trip to Mexico. Neither of us had ever been before so we thought we would make our first trip to the beautiful city of Tulum located on the caribbean side of the Yucatán Peninsula. Here is a first look at and some of my favorite snapshots of this gorgeous locale!

Hasta luego from me and my photogenic cat friend!

For more photos from the trip check out my instagram and #seesoomuchMexico

Machu Picchu a Photo Story

The famous twelve-angled stone. Each stone is hand shaped to lock perfectly with one another and make this wall

As a continuation of last month's found photos, I thought I would share some of my favorite Machu Picchu pics. The fact that I got to visit this world heritage sight was a great fortune. When I arrived in Peru in January 2010, the mountain regions were experiencing significant precipitation and thus flooding and landslides. So much so that Machu Picchu was closed to tourists... that is until early April just a week or so before I was set to return to the States. Immediately I booked a tour and made my way to the city of Cusco.

Ancient ruins

Climbing the verdant mountains

And finally atop Machu Picchu making friends

SeeSooMuch_MachuPicchu

The Sun Temple form above

And from below

The ruins were stunning

And an aerial view of Machu Picchu from taller Wayna Picchu after a long hike

Peru's Colca Canyon

I was rummaging through my Flickr account this weekend while sick in bed and rediscovered a few photos from my 2010 trip to Peru. I visited Peru for over three months, living in the southern city of Arequipa and visiting many places such as the beaches of Camana, Lake Titicaca and Machu Picchu from there. But one of the very first trips I made was outside of Arequipa the city and deeper into Arequipa the region. This post is dedicated to reminiscing on my tour from the city into the mountains and out to Rio Colca. Because I didn't have that many photos I found myself googling to remember all the different places I visited and decided to include a few links so you can "visit" them too!

Admiring the geology of Patahuasi

Admire the landscape for yourself!

Chucura Volcano

First look up close look of the Andes

Atop Cruz del Condor with an actual condor!

Experience Condor Point for yourself

Quechua girl in traditional dress

Chilling with a hawk in Yanque

The Church of the Immaculate Conception of Yanque and the dancing ladies

Check out the the entire square

Best dressed llama in Yanque

Grazing llamas and alpacas

Colca River and a view of the valley

See this amazing view

The River Building at Grace Farms

Last Fall a few of my city-folk friends and I went up to New Canaan, Connecticut for the unveiling of one of my partner's projects, Grace Farms. The River building, designed by renowned Tokyo-based architecture firm SANAA, is an fluid indoor-outdoor building that hugs the natural landscape that complements this church/community center created for the public. My friends and I fell for the tranquility and beauty of the site and each of the five unique spaces.

The Court

Our first stop was the court, a massive gym that is partially below grade.

The Commons

The Commons is a cafeteria and social space with cafe where we had a simple and tasty lunch.

The Library

The Library was a cozy area with a small but well curated selection of literature that is both available for reading there or for purchase.

The Pavilion

The Pavilion was probably my favorite space. Nestled between the Court and the Commons it is a welcome center where we learned about the mission of Grace Farms and participated in a tea ceremony.

The Sanctuary

Finally the Sanctuary. The Sanctuary is located at the top of the hill over looking most of the grounds. It is here where Sunday services and other larger events are held.

I am looking forward to returning this Spring to see how this beautiful place looks in another season and escape the hustle of the city for some hours.

Zaha Hadid's MAXXI

Last week the world suddenly lost Zaha Hadid. She was a talented inspiration to women, architects, Middle Easterners and so many more. I first encountered her work through my partner who is an architect and alert to all things important and cool ;) in the design world. I was impressed after seeing her work, but even more so when I learned she was the first woman to earn a Pritzker prize- the highest honor in the architecture world. As a professional woman also in a male-dominated field, I am aware of the many battles, big and small, we fight on a daily basis. With that in mind I want to make a small tribute to Zaha Hadid, someone I consider a role model for her dedication to her work and relentless aspiration for greatness. This is a photo story of my visit to Hadid's MAXXI (Museo nazionale delle Arti del XXI secolo) in Rome last summer.

It was a scorching day when Adham (my partner) and I made the long and convoluted trip from the city center to this museum, but it was more than worth it and ended up being one of my favorite places in all of Italy.

The cafe where we had lunch was nice, but what made it so special was the lovely and hospitable attendant Wardan. I feel I could write an entire post about how incredible he was to us and how he made our experience 10 times more memorable, but for now just know that he is excellent at what he does and what he shared with us about his life was very inspiring. Thank you so much Wardan, you are always welcome in our home when you visit NYC!

The building itself is breathtaking, the exhibits were all incredibly relevant and engaging, and each of the gallery spaces surprised me with its originality and beauty. Not a single space felt like the one before, it was almost like being in a new museum with the transition of each space.

Thank you Ms. Hadid, for the experience and for the inspiration.

brux

Sisters Runaway to Costa Rica

Spring has finally sprung in NYC and yet all I can think about is a getaway. About this time of year two Spring seasons ago my sister and I went on our very first trip together. We went to Costa Rica and it was incredible...

Olivia (above) has always been the wild one out of the two of us. She can be disorganized at times, spontaneous and full of creativity. All the energy she doesn't waste on worrying about things (like having her passport days before our trip) she spends on caring for others and being what everyone who knows her would describe as the most compassionate and amazing friend.

I, on the other hand, worry about everything. I plan and over plan in attempt to make my life smoother, and never learn you can never plan for everything, like forgetting your passport in a hostel safe as I actually did on this trip!

Olivia and I spent about 2 weeks backpacking it in Costa Rica, a rare opportunity that only manifested because we both happened to be in school at the time, her in undergrad and me back for grad school. We landed in San Jose, her from Washington DC and me from NYC, and somehow we met with perfect timing in the passport line despite having no real plan or way to communicate once in country. Once oriented we were off to find our way to what would be an awesome hostel with the nicest people and excellent pancakes.

On our first full day we were eager to get out of the city of San Jose and make it to one of the tropical beaches we'd been adoring online for months. We walked from our hostel to the city center, soaking in the old European-style buildings along the way. We made it to a bus terminal in a seedy part of town that would take us to Puntarenas where we would catch a ferry and continue on to Montezuma.

It wasn't until sundown that we arrived in Montezuma which allowed us to enjoy the most incredible sunset on the water. From there we went door to door until we found a hostel with an available private room to stash our packs while we looked for a dinner spot.

After an incredible seafood platter dinner right on the beach, a couple of drinks and a good nights rest we were ready to explore this small town on the Gulf Coast of the country. We wandered the town and rocky beaches and later decided to "hike" the Montezuma Falls.

What began as a leisurely hike became and intensive climb to the top of four tiered waterfalls. Once at the top we lounged on the rocks and waded a bit until some Italians convinced me to cannonball from a rope swing into the pool of water. Olivia was smart and skipped the swing, but maybe it was my leap that got one of the Italians to invite us their pasta dinner at the hostel next to ours that night.

Montezuma Falls

The following day we took a small tour boat out to Isla Tortuga for a barbecue and snorkeling. The island was small and quiet with the whitest sand and most aquamarine water we had ever seen. We spent the entire day in awe, going to and fro from our shaded spots on the sand to the warm clear water.

The next day we explored some more and enjoyed the beach until it came time to head to our next destination, the Costa Rican rainforest. We spent 2 days in Monteverde where we ate in a treehouse, ziplined across the rainforest canopy and did some much needed laundry. We decided to cut our time there short in exchange for more beach time, this time on the Caribbean coast.

By the time we reached Puerto Viejo Olivia and I were totally in love with Costa Rica and plotting ways to stay forever...

It wasn't until we made the long walk to Punta Uva that we really understood just how magical Costa Rica is. Although said to be one of the most beautiful beaches in the country, Punta Uva was relatively desolate the morning we arrived. The beaches were undisturbed and the palms were picture perfect. Olivia and I could barely believe such a place existed.

We spent hours here until our stomachs demanded our attention, and then we made our way back to town. First walking and getting caught in a morning shower, then sharing a cab with hotel-less strangers and finally reaching a roadside cafe of sorts where we shared our meal with an adopted pup of the hour (Costa Rica has so many dogs, we made more canine friends than human ones on this trip!).

Our last days were spent exploring other beaches, Like the black sandy Playa Negra, and the many shops around town until we had to head back to San Jose and ace the inevitable return home.

I somehow envy myself each time I look back on this trip. The places we saw were incredible, but even more so exploring it with my sister is what I truly treasure. We learned so much about one another and relied on each other more than ever before. Naturally, there were a couple of quarrels but far less than I expected! And yet we could have had 10x more fights and it still would have been an amazing trip.

I love you Olivia! When's our next sister vacation?!

A Layover in Copenhagen

Last summer, on our way back from a whirlwind of a European adventure, my numero uno travel partner and I stopped in Copenhagen for lunch and a bit of farewell sightseeing...

As we like to recount "we had breakfast in Rome, Lunch in Copenhagen and dinner in NYC." After successfully making our way from the airport to the Kongens Nytorv metro stop, we stumbled upon Storkespringvandet (Stork Fountain) and Europa Cafe 1989 our lunch spot of choice.

We enjoyed a seriously delicious new-nordic lunch by a window that opened to the square. The restaurant was such a lovely space where we listened to the live musician playing outside. After lunch we headed over to the iconic Nyhavn area of the city.

Nyhavn was our first glimpse of the infamous Copenhagen canals. We wandered along the water, admiring the brightly colored buildings against the gloomy sky until we reached the Inderhavnen, or the inner harbor.

After a bit more walking we popped back on the metro to check out some modern Danish architecture and neighborhoods before heading back to the airport.

All in all it was a few hours well spent in Denmark's capital before bidding adieu to Europe!

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2 Days in London

London has come to be one of my favorite cities. This year I could spare just two days there but managed to fill it with many new experiences. Read on to see all of the new places I discovered!

Day 1

After a perfect english breakfast at Laveli my good friend (and host) Charu and I headed to the Embankment area. We walked over the Thames and headed to Tate Museum of Modern Art.

Tate Modern & Borough Market

Once we explored many of the Tate exhibits, had an espresso on the balcony and admired more views of the city from the terraza, we made our way to Borough Market. The outdoor market smelled incredible. Shops with every imaginable type of food was packed into the street market located (partially) under London Bridge; Charu and I succumbed to a baklava vendor with more varieties than I ever knew existed.

Cocktail Hour at the Shard

Instead of heading up to the observation deck of the Shard, we decided to have a pre-dinner cocktail at Oblix. The views were stunning and we found the perfect spot at a window in the lounge to enjoy a glass of wine.

After a very happy hour Charu led me to Oxford Street and down a little alley that surprisingly opened up onto St. Christopher's Place where we had a Turkish dinner at Sofra.

Day 2

My second day in the city was one of exploring East London. First stop, Spitafields Market.

Spitalfields Market

A live band lured us right to the indoor-outdoor marketplace packed with vendors and people. The market itself reminded me very much of tourist traps you find in New York, but of course as a tourist it was fun perusing the handcrafted items at each stall. After exhausting the shops for entertainment we explored deeper into what I have come to think of as the Brooklyn of London.

We continued the day by getting lost in little lanes and discovering vintage shops. A major highlight was finding a fish and chips place that serves saveloy, my hard-to-find favorite from childhood. After giddily ordering from Poppies, we took our meal to "the sitting room" hidden within the 106 Commercial Street market and sipped on canned gin and tonic while overlooking the shoppers.

106 Commercial Street

Brick Lane & Shoreditch

After lunch we continued our day of getting lost in the shops and stalls along brick lane. Later we drooled over Dark Sugars truffles and made the hard decision of picking a few before heading to Shoreditch High Street and caught a bus that would take us back to the tube.

6 Hours in Reykjavik

This Summer I chose an extended stopover in Iceland and ventured out for six hours to explore it's largest city, Reykjavik.

Despite the chill in the air, the foreboding clouds, and the fact that my body was still at 1am local time I thoroughly enjoyed the first stop on my European adventure! I am completely inspired to make it back to Iceland soon to see all of the natural wonders it has to offer.

Prikid Restaurant

Prikid

My first priority was breakfast (more so coffee) and I was happy to find Prikid was open and had seats available downstairs. I totally indulged in a breakfast of champions while gazing out of a window with sill lined in old magazines. Prikid has the cluttered charm of a place thats been around for a while, which is why I don't doubt it's claim one bit that it is the oldest restaurant in Reykjavik.

Harpa Concert Hall

After my belly was full and my body was warm I began my aimless wander. I walked down to the port and over to the famed Harpa Concert Hall (Icelandic Opera). It was so stunning I actually forgot to take many pictures of it! The massive glass structure reminded me of the children's book Rainbow Fish.

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My feet also took me to some slightly smaller and less shiny houses as well.

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Hallgrimskirkja Church

I walked my way back through the heart of town and followed the rainbow-paved road to the iconic cathedral Hallgrimskirkja.

I took the slow elevator up the clock tower and I was stunned by this amazing view of the Icelandic capital.

After admiring the city and a rainy jaunt in a statue garden across from the cathedral, I rushed back to the bus that would shuttle me back to the airport for my next destination, London!