It’s sort of unbelievable, but I just had my six year anniversary of living in New York and wanted to find a special place to shoot in celebration. Somehow, I had never made it to the Top of the Rock, so I decided to make my first trip to capture the breathtaking views of this city I call home. For the occasion, I wore a floral maxi dress and these gold wedges that have quickly become my summer go-with-everything shoes. To commemorate my time in this crazy city, I’m sharing 10 insider tips to New York that I’ve picked up along the way.
1- Make genuine connections with people. Your friends in New York will become like family. You will need them when the city gets you down, and you will want to celebrate your successes along the way with people who actually care.
2 – I love heels even more than most girls, but just don’t try to wear them for your morning commute. Get a tote bag, put some heels in it and hit the trail in flats or sneakers. I learned this the hard way back in 2010.
3- There’s no substitute for hard work. As someone who came to the city knowing literally just one person, some days have definitely felt like an uphill battle, but each victory is sweeter than the one before.
4 – The cool kids hang out downtown. When I first moved I lived in Times Square for some reason, and subsequently spent all of my time on the train getting down to Soho or the West Village.
in the mood for: the floral dress
5 – Believe in yourself above all else. I truly believe that being mindfully grounded in self confidence is the most effective way to accomplish everything you set out to do. Once you believe you can do it, others around you will too.
6- Don’t lean your back on the poles in the subway, so no one else can hold on. It’s selfish, and your fellow riders want to punch you (namely me).
7 – Inspiration can be found in the most unexpected places in New York. From overhearing interesting conversations in your neighborhood coffee shop to simply taking a look at the skyline, new motivation is always just around the corner.
8 – The city will kick you when you’re down, so be resilient. On a particularly bad day a couple of years ago, I had been laid off from my day job and loaded up everything from my desk into an Uber. I shit you not—the Uber got in a wreck and I had to walk the last half a mile home with two giant cardboard boxes. You just have to laugh it off and try, try again.
9 – Don’t eat the pretzels or hot dogs from those street vendor carts in the park. They are so stale, I promise. Also, don’t ride those poor horses in Central Park.
10 – Most importantly, just embrace the craziness and have fun. The best of everything is right at your fingertips in New York—from the best food and nightlife spots to the most amazing workout classes and delivery everything. It’s a magical, maddening, and perfectly ridiculous city.
Get the look: Intermix Exclusive dress (on sale now!), Charlotte Olympia wedges (also on sale!), Miu Miu sunglasses
Photos by Andrew Morales
