Le Sketecherie's Guide to NYC Part 1: Shopping.

From time to time we get stuck in a rut. A fashion rut, a hair rut, an activities rut, an apartment rut. Things just fall flat. Inspiration goes stale. 

Diana Vreeland writes: "The Eye Has To Travel". And I 've always believed so, but now I had the opportunity to travel to New York in the middle of the semester I find it truer than ever. 

Sometimes you have to shake things up and breathe new air for a while. 

Even if it's a weekend trip to the beach or an 80-days-around-the-world-type adventure, traveling is one of the main sources of inspiration you'll ever find (Hermés' last collection is evidence of it!). And after a trip you'll always come home refreshed and yes, maybe tired, but still renewed in many ways. 

New York is such a refreshing city. It's the city of endless possibilities and there's way too much to see, not only inside it's numerous museums and exhibitions, but in the streets. There are endless things to do, enjoy, taste, smell, you name it. The Art Deco buildings, the Flower District, the smell of the sea around the docks, the immense variety of food, the colorful and luminous Times Square or the people watching (no better runway than the streets!). It's so much that's impossible to take it all in! 

So, I've put together a small guide of the spots and secrets I have discovered (or people have shared with me) during my trips to NYC. I'm no Zagat guide, but this is my take on The City, from shopping, to dining. And hopefully, this guide will keep growing. 

I'll publish the guide in sections so keep tuned for the upcoming parts.

First: Shopping!

Forget huge strip malls. Shopping in new york is all about enjoying the city while you shop. Discovering small cute boutiques, but visiting the big stores too. And maybe, stopping for a cupcake and coffee on your way. These are some of the places I like or have discovered, besides of the obvious and usual (like H+M or F21). 

Henri Bendel

@ 5th Avenue

I know what you're thinking...look at those prices?! I know. But just look at the façade! It's so pretty. Bendel's not really in the affordable section, at least not everything they sell, but it's worth going in at least for some serious window shopping. 

Hell's Kitchen Flea Market.

@ 9th st. between 9th + 10th Ave.

Hell's Kitchen

Sat + Sun 9 am - 6 pm

You'll find just about anything here. From useless trinkets to vintage designer items.  I wanted to buy everything to decorate my apartment. It's really so much fun to go and it's a great inspiration source (Some seriously interesting people-watching here).

Meat Packing's Sephora

@ 21 9th Ave

Meat Packing District.

This is one of the coolest Sephora's I've ever been to. It's not crowded and the decoration is super chic and stylish. Sleekier and fancier than the rest Sephora's I've seen. And you have to check the lash bar, it's crazy. 

Marc by Marc Jacobs

403 Bleeker St. 

West Village

While Marc Jacobs is pricey, at Marc by Marc Jacobs you'll find cute and very cheap accessories. My sister even stacked on some pretty rings for $1 each. 

Bookmarc

400 Bleeker St.

West village

Just across Marc Jacobs and Marc by Marc Jacobs. Great art and design books. 

Urban Outfitters

526 6th Ave

Greenwich Village

A long time favorite. Even though this time I visited the Broadway store in Soho and I was kinda disappointed. I'm still listing it because they always have cool stuff, and because I hope it's just the Broadway store and not the whole brand. Hope it picks up again. 

Anthropologie

@ Chelsea Market 

75 9th Ave. 

Chelsea

Greath clothing pieces. And the home decor stuff is jaaaamazing. Their window displays are always, always beautiful. It's a little pricey but if you can't afford it, this place is a huge inspiration for home DIY's. 

Uniqlo 

5th Avenue

The store itself is impressive. Great for finding basics. 

Topshop

478 Boradway between Laguardia Pl. + Prince St.

Soho

About 4 floors full of TopShop. Need I say more? 

Blick Store

1-5 Bond Street between Broadway + Lafayette

http://www.dickblick.com/

I learned about this place from one of my favorite illustrators, Paper Fashion. So I used this opportunity of going to nyc to get some stuff I wanted and that you can't find that easily here in Mexico. If you're an artist, designer or crafts nut you'll have to agree with me this place is nirvana. Every supply you can imagine, every color of paint, any kind of pen, any type of brush, any size of canvas. NIRVANA!!!

Mood Fabrics

225 W 37th St. 3rd floor.

Garment Distric

In the middle of the Garment Distric, you go inside this building and press the button for the elevator. Then there's a ding! and you'll enter this charming elevator, you know, those with those sliding see-through doors (funny old dude operator included!). You get off the elevator on the third floor and voila! Another nirvana...seriously this place is like a textile museum. And yes, this is the fabric store from Project Runway!

Purl

459 Broome St.

Soho

For the kinitting nuts. A cute store filled with every color of yarn you can imagine. And many other pretty things. 

Don't forget the window shopping around the 5th, Soho and the MeatPacking districts. 

You'll discover your own fashion spots.

Have you ever been to NYC? Or do you live in NYC? 

What are your favorite shopping spots?

New York, I love you.

There's something about New York. 

Since I was a little girl I've been obsessed with it.
My grandfather always said I was "pavement flower". 

You how there are cat people and dog people?
Well, I've always thought there are also country
people and city people. And I am a city person. 

Yes, cities can get stressful and noisy, but big cities, like NYC,
will never cease to amuse and amaze you.

The minute you step a foot outside the cab and onto new yorker pavement there's a rush that will invade you and will linger long after you've left. New York is the Concrete Jungle. Walking its streets is always an adventure. You never know what you will find. 

What other city in the world has annual massive pillow fights?

Only New York. 

Here are some shots from my last trip to the city that never sleeps. 

come fly with me

Being honest, I have never payed a lot of attention when it comes to luggage. Except for being a sucker for vintage suitcases or trunks I'd like to use more like a decorating motif rather than checking it into a flight. 

As much as we love to travel, my family and I, I've got to admit we are not really practical when it comes to, well, a lot of things. Traveling is one of those things. 

I can confidently say I'm one of the worst people in the whole world, no, galaxy, when it comes to packing. 

Traveling light? What is that? 

Uh-uh, everytime I pack I don't know how but I always manage to end up packing clothes like I was going away for forever. Even when I'm going away for a week!!!

Last month when I left for Paris, I left home with a huuuge suitcase, and talked my way out of paying an extra fee for my extra baggage-kilos (yay me!) but after the mandatory summer shopping (sale season....) I ended up coming home with TWO full suitcases. 

So after taking 1 train and 2 long flights in one day (about 30 hours of traveling) hauling my luggage I came to two important (and obvious) conclusions: 

Get one of those chameleon-eye-like wheeled (a.k.a. I-move-wherever-I-want-whenever-I-want-it-like) suitcases, you know, those with the wheels move independently from each other. When you think of it, it's too obvious, how come they didn't think of that when they invented wheeled suitcases?! And why on earth I don't have one of those????

I think the time has come for me to start investing in practical luggage.  

And second, you know how they say that in Fashion September is the January of the year. The new year starts now, and under that pretext I'm setting a new-new year resolution: learn to pack light!!! 

Next time I travel, I'm gonna document my adventures and findings about packing...

Fasten your seatbelts!

Love, em.