Just Scandinavian

Even though Just Scandinavian is a design shop - filled with the most beautiful furniture and fabrics - the main reason to step through those doors is inspiration. Take a stroll in this spatious and quiet room. Feel the exclusive fabrics of Joseph Frank - the laundry in Mamma Mia the Movie - or blade through the books abt Swedish design, culture and cooking. Have a chat with the owners who are supernice of course. Best of all - it is in the rough and funky Tribeca with chic and cheap restaurants just around the corner.
____________________
TRIBECA 161 Hudson Street at the corner of Laight
tue-fri 10am–6pm sat-sun noon-6pm - check site for summer hours

Mamma Mia..!

Sunday I saw Mamma Mia the Movie. Basically I agree with NY Times. However Mamma Mia made it to strolling by the mere fact that the ads are all over this city. Buss stops subway cars subway stations yellow cabs poster walls. No way anyone hasn't seen the beautiful happy brunet for the musical and blonde for the movie. They are in a third of my photos. And every time I see those ads I feel so happy.

Btw. The movie is well worth its 1.48 - not only for laughing tears at a singing Brosnan - but also for the Swedish address the Swedish flag the Swedish Björn Andersson playing piano and - most of all - the Swedish Joseph Frank's exclusive fabrics as hung laundry.

The Royal Wigs is a must see

My gosh. The coolest little shop ever. Filled with wigs of all colors and all textures. Classy with 100% human hair and some really realistic hairs. And of course the sweetest staff. Well worth a visit and if you didn't intend to buy - you will nevertheless end up buying.
____________________
EAST VILLAGE to USQ 229 E. 14th Street btw 2nd and 3rd
mon-sat 10am-7pm sun 12pm-6.30pm

A glimpse of heaven

The New York club scene is only a vague reminicent of greater days. My first impression of Cielo was corporate clubbing. Cautious people and A/C. Yesterday I gave Cielo another chance and went to Little Louie Vega Roots Night. The place and the people were pretty much the same - but the first hour a handful people danced so creatively it was like a performance. Past midnight the crowd got dancing and the music was funky ambient roots house. At 1 am the Video Music Box founder Ralph McDaniels was playing 80ies hard mixed music. And after not too long the floor was filled with breakdancers. Amazing. Cielo Wednesdays.
_____________________
NOHO 18 Little West 12th Street
open all days - check calender for dj

Hudson River to my right

Hudson River to my left

Dipping my toes in Hudson

Sometimes I find it frustrating - constantly so close to the water without being able to jump into it. But on my bikeride up along the west side I found the perfect spot for dipping my toes. Just a step further into the water there is sand. The Hudson is probably quite dirty - but so is the city - and for my toes I don't mind. View coming.
____________________
WASHINGTON HEIGHTS 170th Street by Hudson

Fire Island

New York has plenty of beaches - Fire Island being one of the finest. Easily accessible through the Beach Package from Penn Station. Today I went to Sunken Forest by two trains a shuttle and a ferry - by far the cleanest ferry ever. All in all the trip is about two hours one way and 24 dollars there and back. The cutest small boats and tidy piers. Maybe a bit windy so waves are more for surfing than swimming.
____________________
FIRE ISLAND Fire Island

At the end of Freeman Valley

Freemans has the most adorable interior perfectly dismatched with the coolest staff. Everyone is nice without being overnice. The brunch menu has a range from almost Swedish smoked trout and sourdough bread to American classical burger. Artichoke dip is a must. Somehow the place feels French tho. A star for the superclean restrooms. Not to mention the location in the tiny Freeman Alley. Love it.
_______________________
LOWER EAST SIDE Freeman Alley at Rivington btw Christie & Bowery
seven days a week 11am-4pm and 6pm-11:30pm

Bikers in the making

In my early days of biking New York I was amazed by the security measures. Even the street biker symbol had a helmet. And now I have seen them being made. From the very bikers template. Amazed.
____________________
SOMEWHERE SOHO

A strollers best friend

__________________
No matter how great shoes. Sometimes some help is needed. And I so prefer preventing blisters from healing them. Supposedly Blister Block is sold everywhere but can be tricky to find. So if you see it - buy it.

Colorful heaven made my day

Strolling Chinatown as usual when i suddenly had a glimpse of heaven. Family-owned renowned Economy Candy with everything sweet you can imagine. Including the owner. Lovely staff lots of sweets nice atmosphere very affordable. Jellybeans and M&Ms en masse. Open seven days a week. Gotta love.
_____________________
CHINATOWN 108 Rivington Street btw Essex and Ludlow
sun-fri 9am-6pm sat 10am-5pm

Another midtown rooftop

Rare View is a nice cosy rooftop quite similar to 230 fifth - but with a younger crowd and less people. Great view nice staff and decent beers. Some really comfy seats if you are early and consistent. Love the lightbulbs creating a ceiling. Only down side is the early closing.
In the pic - the Chrysler Building that was sold to Abu Dhabi Tuesday.
_____________________
EAST MIDTOWN 303 Lexington Ave at 37th Street
evenings until 11pm - might stretch it till midnight - closed sundays

Eleni's fairy world

For an almost surreal experience - drop by Eleni's at Chelsea Market, opposite of the Chelsea Wine Vault. The walls are shining white. The logo is bright cerise. And the glass cubes are filled with cup cakes of all colors. It is like Alice in Wonderland or maybe a saga not yet told. There is also candy by the weight [lösgodis] - just as in Sweden..!
And - staff supernice but no pics allowed.. Blue logo from the bag.
____________________
CHELSEA 75 Ninth Ave at 15th street
weekdays 8am-8pm sat 9am-7pm sun 10am-6pm

The New York waterfalls

At first I was surprised. To me the so talked-about waterfalls of New York were supposed to be breathtaking - adding on to the beautiful scene of the bridges. So imagine my confusion when I - on my daily walk by the East River - from a distance saw water rushing down a steel piece. Oh no - not a leakage. Not until close and seeing the other ones at a far distance I realised these were the mighty falls.

Now they have grown on me and I love them for being these tiny scaffold ladders. So New York somehow. Most probably even better from a boat view. Not to mention the artist Olafur Eliasson is Danish-Icelandic and there is further reading in Swedish.
____________________
LES B'LYN Gov Isl Pier 35 Brooklyn Bridge Brooklyn Piers and Governors Island
July 1st until October 13th.

Greek yoghurt place in SoHo

Yesterday I recommended ice cream and today yoghurt. But The Yoghurt Place II is in another part of Manhattan so no competition. Greek delicious yoghurt in all shapes. Love the cup with a small portion of yoghurt and lots of fig jam. For the sceptical one - read some true praise and surrender. Besides I was very happy to take a pic. Rare moment inside a shop. And so beautiful cookies.
____________________
SoHo 71 Sullivan Street btw Spring and Broome
everyday 10am-7pm

Alphabet Scoop

If you feel like having an ice cream - take a stroll over to Alphabet Scoop. Not only home made and absolutely delicious ice cream - but also an amazing project for young kids to have employment. The shop is run by the Father's Heart to reduce violence and gang involvement. And the kids are really supernice - so stay for a chat.
____________________
ALPHABET CITY 543 East 11th Street
sun & tue-thu 2-8pm fri 3-9pm sat 11am-9pm mon closed

Riding the subway

On the subway today a couple stands in front of me. Artistically dressed. Somehow I realise I am not the only one noticing. So does the cute mom with two kids who smiled at me before and the elderly sympathetic man next to me and the too-cool-for-school girl opposite me. Something is out of the ordinary. The young woman has a flared skirt and a hairband and the young man has a shirt and a vest. When they start kissing even more people look and then look down.

Suddenly the woman leaves the man and goes to the other end of the car. Without looking all of us are now watching. The man turns around takes a few steps grabs the bar and cries Oh Juliet..! The woman is at the bar at the other end and desperately echoes Oh Romeo..! Then a short dialogue by Shakespeare follows. They were excellent. Gave me the goose bumps all over. When the show was over we all clapped our hands while they told us we had just seen the project Shakespeare on the Subway.
_____________________
COLOMBIA - MIDTOWN Line 1

The subway at 125th

I love a rainy morning. Some rusty steel. A new neighborhood. This is the 125th Street subway station - above the ground. Like it a lot.
____________________
COLUMBIA 125th Street

A true 4th of July Beer

Who can drink Heineken on the 4th of July. Besides. I do deeply love Brooklyn Beer for its graphic design. Summer Ale - blue and yellow - being my favourite. And of course it's delicious as well.

Ice cream in Alphabet City

The NYC Cycling Map

Sunday I found the bike map. The one I have only seen on the internet so far. Oh my. I was in heaven the whole evening. Still am. It is all so clear. Where to buy a bike, rent a bike, fix a bike, take a bike. How to cross the bridges. Of course I know that deep down I didn't want the map cause I wanted to figure it out all on my own. But the New York cycling map is a huge recommandation for anyone biking or wannabe biking. Can be found in any bike shop.

Strolling Williamsburg

Beautiful townhouses on a rainy Sunday afternoon in Williamsburg. Bike the Williamsburg Bridge or take the L-train to Bedford. Have a brunch and stroll over to the Lorimer stop - then down the Lorimer street and under the bridge. Et voilà.
____________________
WILLIAMSBURG Bedford - Lorimer