The Perks of Shopping in NYC

It's a well known fact that New York City is pretty much known as the retail capital of the world.  Most any and every popular to semi-popular brand that is into brick and mortar retail has one or even a handful of shops in this city.  The New York market supports everything from multi-national retailers to smaller and still-developing fledgling brands.  In the more narrow scope of fashion retailing, New York is the place to find your niche shopper and in turn supports many niche design brands due to the sheer density of people and their own individualities and tastes.  In the world of fashion for the most part, every brand wants to bring their goods to market here.  Other cities that maybe can't support the unique fashion tastes of niche designers are welcomed in New York.  But that's not the main perk of shopping in NYC...

The greatest perk of being a shopper in New York City is the availability of Sample Sales! A designer sample sale or overstock sale is when brands take over warehouses, art galleries, and random abandoned looking locations to sell merchandise from previous seasons for discounts typically up to the range of 80% off.  They typically last a couple of days only though and for popular brands lines tend to form hours before opening and can wrap around city blocks.

Waiting on line to enter The Invisible Dog gallery for the A.P.C. overstock sale

I'm usually anti-hype and definitely anti-standing on line to spend money, however...when I checked my e-mail a few days prior and saw that A.P.C. was having an overstock sale and 80% off the upcoming weekend, I started planning an outfit for an early morning Brooklyn chill that may last about an hour of waiting.

Light but layered to last the morning chill

From Fall to Spring a scarf is always a key essential

Amanda and I arrived close to 9:30am in preparation for the 10am first day opening time and were greeted by a modest line.  I, personally, underestimated the popularity of the brand, or maybe the popularity of the idea of their overstock sale. 

Chaotic at times, the scene on the sales floor

After about 25 minutes or so of grabbing everything that I thought was around my size before somebody else could and then regrouping with Amanda in a semi-quiet corner it was time to find the price list and start choosing favorites. After several fit sessions and a quick conversation about raw denim and how both the men's and women's shoes were constructed with some of the most comfortable leather ever we settled on handful of key pieces.

I settled on a sturdy pair of black raw denim to continue in the essence of my raw denim art project. Additionally I picked up a pair of white leather sneakers with subtle suede accents and a Parisianesque nautical striped shirt.

Items in detail:

Amanda managed to get her hands on Spring's most desirable fabric, linen, in the form of a lightweight blue military inspired dress. She also, jumped on the raw denim project with me by picking up a staple pair Japanese selvage indigo denim. The shoes were a no brainer once she felt the soft leather insoles.

Amanda's Picks:

This was a successful shopping experience for me because I was able to pick up some key essential pieces for some non-essential prices.  Whenever you're looking to do a wardrobe refresh or just acquire some new pieces, definitely check out sample sale schedules each season.

Free Weekend Things To Do in NYC courtesy of Complex Magazine

Every week (I believe) Complex Magazine (do they still do the actual print magazine?? *shrugs*) online releases a guide to "The Coolest Free Things to Do in NYC This Weekend"

Albeit one day after payday and rent was due this past week as suggested by the preface of the Complex list, I paid rent two weeks early so funds for leisure are disposable at this time (pardon me while I pat myself on the back). I peeped this list Saturday morning around 10:30am so with Friday lost I challenged Amanda to help me fill up our weekend schedule and tackle remainder the list of things to do that were available for Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday @ 2pm: Union Square Walking Tour

First things first with any tour in a big city, it's important to stay together.  To facilitate that, we thought it'd be easy to stay together if we rocked matching t-shirts (don't judge us!)

The shirts were especially designed by Amanda herself.  I'm a fan of her work.

The tour itself was surprising. I thought with a scheduled 90 minute tour we'd be scouring the surrounding neighborhood, but it was literally a tour around the park grounds themselves, but it was very informative and entertaining thanks in part to our guide, Gregory.

Check out my list of most interesting facts learned:

- Although America won the American Revolutionary War, the battle of New York City was actually lost to the British in 1783 and the city was not freed until awhile later.

- Evacuation Day (look it up)

- The first ever statue of Lincoln was placed in Union Square Park

- "Ladie's Mile"[double entendre] (look it up) is an interesting study in gentrification, socioeconomics, and urban studies; if you're interested in that kind of thing. 

- Finally learned why the Frenchman, Lafayette's name is plastered all across America. (Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette)

- 

Selected images from the tour:

Approximately 4pm: The Museum at F.I.T.

After a short subway ride up Broadway and a stop in the only stateside Maison Kitsuné boutique (which I had no idea was on 28th street), which is my latest obsession in all many things French, we made our way to our next destination on the New York campus of the Fashion Institute to check out one of their museum's latest exhibits entitled "Beyond Rebellion: Fashioning the Biker Jacket?

Photography was not allowed in the exhibit, of course I didn't care and it rows it anyway but I couldn't cleverly hit the shutter button my phone before the security personnel noticed my not so stealthy mannerisms.

Sorry, best I could do...

Sunday @ 10:15ish am: A Brooklyn Area Subway Station

After a night of partying into the morning, it's always nice to wake up early and take a one hour train ride that I thought would be closer to 35 minutes uptown to 59th Street and Columbus Circle. Nevertheless we made the journey arriving fashionably late.

11:15ish am: Cooking with Spring Produce at Williams-Sonoma

Long story short, we got some valuable recipes and I actually have a new found slight admiration for green peas, but only when they're fresh and blanched (I learned how to Blanche vegetable...quite bourgeois). I also learned how to properly butcher a chicken...no more buying boneless breasts at the grocery store for me...whole birds only!

they even provided a nice dessert option

After this session of standing and then browsing for cookware that we honestly didn't need, but would be fun to have, we decided to break away from our Complex schedule and pick up a nice Belgium brunch at BXL East.

Bottomless mimosas on a Sunday, don't mind if I do....

Despite missing a few things on the list that we really did plan to do, star-gazing in Central Park (celestial stars, not people with their heads in the clouds due to celebrity) and the Pratt Institute's feature exhibition, "Black Dress..." Highlighting underrepresented African-American fashion designers.  

At the end of the day, it was a fun weekend and you really can't beat free. Complex's weekend guides will definitely keep me checking my emails on time.

Winter, Release Your Grip

Snow covers the sidewalk on a Brooklyn block

As snow once again covers my commute to work, I can do nothing more than reminisce of the pleasures of warmer days and long for the embrace of above 50 degree weather in Spring that I know will soon come *crosses fingers*.

Wishing the frozen clouds over SoHo would "Love Me"

I am reminded of 5 years ago, when I first moved to Chicago in the debt of winter (disclaimer: I do enjoy winter and the cold and moderate amounts of snow to liven or enshrine the landscape, depending upon your view; however...), I was given a harsh greeting and I longed for the warmer months when the city comes out to play and invite you out for drinks, parties, etc.  I'm ready for that phase here in New York.  I arrived mid-Summer and managed to wander a bit through the city but I'm ready to really experience this city full cycle.

I've slipped on this corner of Crosby Street twice this season

Cold Winter

With that being said, Winter, please release your sleeper hold on us.

- Keilon

Getting snow is like winning a lottery. With snow storms, you have a windfall of amazing little flakes that once fallen create a wonderful clean blanket of newness and magic. Full of possibilities. But then you wake up at five in the morning to realize that this beautiful snow will be a hazard to your life on your journey to work. No Bueno. 

So here's to hoping spring weather is just a hop, skip and a jump away. (That's close right?) Anyway bring on the warmer, not hot, weather. Spring and Autum are my thriving seasons. These seasons are full of nature shifts that keep everyone on their toes and I need a change of pace. 

- Amanda

Urban Learning Day

I've been an official Brooklyn resident for just over 6 months now and I'm slowly but surely finally getting a chance to explore my city or more politically correct--borough.  I have to admit that for the first few months of my relocation The City (the landmass that is Manhattan Island; you know, the SoHos, the Times Squares, the Central Parks, etc.) was more so my life than the place that I laid my head every night.  I knew more about SoHo, the neighborhood in Manhattan where I work, than Crown Heights, here, in Brooklyn where I reside--that concerned me.

If you're looking at New York City as a whole entity, frankly, it's quite hard.  New York City is a vast conglomeration of 5 separate cities, officially known as boroughs--Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island, Queens, and the Bronx.  For the most part, each of these boroughs alone would be one of the largest cities in America.  Despite their separate identities they all come together under one flag that is New York City and they are a damn proud people.  Nevertheless; where does one start in the process of becoming a "local?"

The answer to that question finds me in Prospect Heights taking a leisurely stroll through Grand Army Plaza to the Brooklyn Public Library on a Monday afternoon.  A library card is the skeleton key to a corridor of endless entryways (too dramatic?).  In all seriousness, your local and/or in this case regional library is a great resource for a transplant (incoming resident from another city) to begin to learn what their community has to offer.  Here at the Brooklyn Public Library, one can find community calendars, learn new languages, take creative writing classes, join a book discussion club, apply for a passport, take classes to learn valuable job readiness skills, relax in the café and make a new friend over  a warm drink (perfect central meet-up spot for the cold winter months), use the internet, or even read a book, maybe?

At the end of the day, when moving to a new community there's a plethora of new things to learn and explore and your local public library has a wealth of information and services to get you well on your way.  Happy exploration...

- Esoteric

"Here are enshrined the longing of great hearts and noble things that tower above the tide, the magic word that winged wonder starts, the garnered wisdom that never dies." (Roscoe C. Brown)

Selected Shots:

Fin.

Life on the Rocks: Urban Exploration Day

Above the tide,

Yet weathered from erosion;

Beyond the waves,

But a slave to the surf.

Ones environment dictates much about their life and its inevitable experiences.  Human geography is a broadly vast experiment.  With that being said, I personally seek to suit up in my lab coat, glasses and gloves and blow shit up as often as possible.

Today's experiment took us into the field known as the Wiliamsburg neighborhood, with a quick romp into adjoining Greenpoint.  Often known as "Hipsterville," be it affectionately or otherwise, this section of northern Brooklyn offers a large array of diverse dining and shopping experiences as well parks and natural scenic grace (as natural as can be in a heavily built environment such as New York City) .  As diverse and the commercial real estate is also the housing offered in the area.  There's everything from high rise condominiums to walk-up apartments and, characteristic of Brooklyn, gorgeous brownstones.  With such a wealth of contrasts, it is quite amazing how well these neighborhoods operate in harmony; even with all the damn tourists.

- Keilon

“In wisdom gathered over time i have found that every experience is a form of exploration”

  -Ansel Adams

“...and i plan to experience a lot by the end of my time.”

-Amanda

with that being said, we ventured into a little place known as “hipsterville”, pardon, williamsburg is what this area is called. it’s a journey to get to depending on where you call home in new york city. we took three trains to get there; borough hopping from brooklyn to manhattan back to brooklyn. but once we got there and saw that the sun was still out i was happy i made the trip. it's a nice little area that reminds me of neighborhoods from home (Chicago). our reason for making this trek was to explore the Brooklyn Flea's winter market-Smorgasburg.

brooklyn flea is a very large market where one can procure vintage, modern, new, used and modified items as well as fill your belly with delicious grub. we decided to have a breakfast classic; a chocolate doughnut from Dough Brooklyn. and it was amazing! (had two actually) and browsed lots of sparkly jewelry and cool rustic home decor.

after the flea market we explored more of the area walking leisurely even though it was windy and chilly making sure to take everything in. getting brunch at Mable’s Smokehouse & Banquet Hall and traveling to the greenpoint waterfront to see the east river at sunset. overall this exploration experience was nice. williamsburg, we may be back soon…

-Amanda

Selected shots of the day:

From Brooklyn...

...to Manhattan

Public Transit in NYC can be a daunting and incoherent excursion.  Why must you travel from Brooklyn just to make it back to Brooklyn via grumbling train ride through lower Manhattan?

Street art and murals have come to define much of this portion of Brooklyn

Amanda surveys the scene on 5th & Berry

The scene in front of the Brooklyn Flea's Smorgasburg

....from clothing...

...to trinkets...

...and, of course, food!

There's a little bit a lot of everything to see and eat at these Brooklyn Flea sponsored events.  Be sure to visit www.brooklynflea.com for information and schedules on their various markets throughout the year.

Street Scenes:

thoughts on the wall

There's no shortage of street art in Williamsburg.  One can argue that at times, there's a bit of visual overstimulation but how can you not love art?  And by love art, how can you not appreciate the process of seeing and loving or seeing and loathing; be utterly intrigued or utterly disgusted; whatever your reaction may be you felt something and that's the central theme to revisit in life.  If this post leaves you with nothing else, take away  the desire to Feel Something.

photo-op time...
                                     The eyes are always watching
almost as effective as the yellow lines
                                                                             Chilly
Vivid
                                                      the pursuit of "Epic"

trying to find "that shot"
                                                             Behind the wallStreet art

Greenpoint Waterfront:

After the endless bombardment of industrial fortresses that crowd the Williamsburg portion of the East River it's nice to break into the somewhat more serene setting of the Greenpoint waterfront at WNYC Transmitter Park between Kent Street and Greenpoint Avenue.Taking it all in...

Nearing sunset......Manhattan across the East River

Amanda near sunset......Keilon's silhouette

testing lowtide...

...relinquishing camera duties

shutterbug......Greenpoint Avenue

Fin.