New York State of Mind: My 5 NYC Tips

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New York, New York: you are epic, thrilling, bustling, inspiring and exhausting. NY definitely is an iconic city and when you’re there it feels like you’re part of a bigger scene so very familiar from countless movies, series, novels and songs. In SATC NYC was  like the fifth major character in the series.

I want to share my best NY tips with you. Obviously, the list is not all-encompassing, but I hope that it can help you spice & shape your NYC experience with a few selected and tested gems.


Stay overnight in Jersey City


Definitely. Jersey City feels like an up and coming area with good vibes. With the price that we got a tiny (yet stylish) room in Midtown Manhattan, we got a beautiful spacious loft apartment in Jersey City. Jersey pampered us for example with a wide wooden pier which was perfect for sunny morning runs, a cute little coffee wagon where we got our post-run cappuccinos and almond croissants, a top-notch view to Southern Manhattan, a fast and affordable path train connection to Manhattan (20 minutes and $ 2,70), a farmers market and chilled vibes. When there, try also the Hudson Hall Smokehouse and beerhall (on 364 Marin Blvd): a tasty experience wrapped in yummy barbeque sauce and friendly and easy-going service.

Midtown Manhattan is busy and hectic and a good place to stay if you’ll for example take the train from the Penn Station the next morning (we went to Boston), but I really preferred to stay the other nights on the side of Jersey.


Feast in the Katz Delicatessen


Want to have the best pastrami sandwich of your life? The Katz Deli enjoys a legendary reputation and it was here where the famous scene in When Harry met Sally rom com was filmed. I’ll have what she’s having, indeed and yes please. There’s a sign hanging from the ceiling indicating where Meg Ryan’s character sat, pinpointing the exact seat for movie fans and tourists.

We shared the juicy Katz’s Pastrami Hot Sandwich and Katz’s Cheesesteak (the menu promised that this plentiful treat would make Rocky leave Philadelphia): both were purely delicious, tender and filling. The atmosphere in this Jewish-style deli is fast-paced, characteristic and interesting. You can opt for either the self-service way or the full-service seating: we did the latter and it worked well. The price was reasonable ($ 80 for two) considering it is New York and the sandwiches are shockingly yummy.

Address: 205 East Houston Street, corner of Ludlow St


Walk the High Line


High Line: calling it a green oasis might be a bit too much but it’s a verdant park-like public space built on an elevated freight rail line, located at the Meatpacking District in West Chelsea. On sunny days it is really popular. High Line is a nice green walk amid the bustling city. Before or after the day stroll you can visit the Chelsea Market (75 9th Ave) and for example enjoy Japanese inspired tacos for lunch.

See a Broadway show. See Chicago.

If you only have the chance, do this. A great place to get tickets up to 50 % off (to same-day performances) are the TKTS discount booths. We prefer the one on South Sea Seaport (located in the corner of Front and John Streets): there were no queues and we got tickets half price to Chicago of that same evening. There are two other booths as well, one on Times Square and the third at Lincoln Center.

And Chicago at the Ambassador Theatre (291 West 49th Street): it was mesmerizing, radiant and super skilled. The intermission drink from the theatre bar was way overpriced as you can expect but they served the sparkling wine in a big plastic mug with a straw so that you could keep sipping it during the second act. As a side note on how people in the audience is dressed: five years ago, in our first Broadway show I was slightly surprised how casually some people were dressed to the occasion. I remember seeing a bunch of shorts and t-shirts. But hey, then again, the main thing is the spectacular show.

Cross the Brooklyn Bridge at sunset


Cross the bridge to the side of Brooklyn, where you can admire the gleaming Manhattan skyline. Epic views are guaranteed. If you’re an early bird, go for the sunrise experience. We couldn’t help but wonder what it is like to live right next to the bridge where millions of people have a direct view to your living room, bedroom and life. Megacity life indeed.


What else, what else? Here are a few quick notes:

Visit the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (1071 5th Ave). Afterwards you can enjoy a nice late lunch or light dinner at the atmospheric French bistro Demarchelier (50 East 86th Street).

Remember to apply for your ESTA before travelling to the States.

New York was way more expensive than five years ago. Back then we actually managed go under our NY travel budget (!) Many things can of course be affordable or free, but be prepared for high prices in food, accommodation, experiences and shopping of course.

And last, enjoy and take in the NYC magic with all your senses!

Treats of Tel Aviv

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The number of super fit and beautiful people running past us on the bustling beach promenade was incredible. And not only at noon or at 3 o’ clock pm but also as we were returning from dinner at eleven o’ clock in the evening. Saying that Tel Aviv is a sporty city is an apt description. Also, you’ll have no trouble finding an outdoor gym as there are numerous of them sprinkled along the beach strip. And if you take a look towards the sea, past the teens playing beach volley (in December!), you’ll see a class of young surf school participants practising the basics of surfing in the water.

Though not everyone was doing the muscle work themselves: I’ve never seen that many electric scooters anywhere else. But still, Tel Aviv exercises around the clock and the atmosphere does wonders to spark one’s exercising motivation.


We spent our Christmas holiday this year in Tel Aviv. Strong recommendations to the city, I really liked it. 19 degrees Celsius during the day, a long beach promenade along the Mediterranean coastline, the sunrays caressing our cheeks, the savory treats of the Middle East cuisine, the busy Carmel market with its rich sweet pastries, the laid-back atmosphere and the gorgeous sunsets with twenty shades of orange: everything really that I had wished from our compact Xmas holiday.

Every city has its own sounds and the soundscape of TLV includes the rhythmic hits echoing from the Matkot beach padel game, the calls to worship from the mosques, the sounds of traffic, the rhythms coming from the lively beach bars and restaurants and the unique Hebrew language.



It is impossible to talk about Tel Aviv without writing about the food and the culinary joys. Try the full-bodied hummus, the luscious falafels, the fresh white fish, the delicious olives and the Flam Blanc white wine. We had a tasty Christmas Eve dinner at Beit Kandinof in Jaffa (Rehov Hatzorfim 14): it is an atmospheric and relaxed place and an art space with a lively bustle, good vibes, cocktails with local spice and such good food. I recommend that you also visit the bohemian district of Neve Tzedek and there the restaurant Dallal (Rehov Shabazi 10): it is romantic, cosy, beautifully lit with light twines and their kitchen combines Middle Eastern and European flavours. One treat that we’ll need to try on our next visit is shakshuka, the superstar of the Israeli breakfast: North-African styled poaches eggs in a spicy tomato sauce.


One thing I want to mention is that I felt very safe during our whole trip. There are tensions in Israel, but you can’t sense or see them in Tel Aviv. Though it was a bit strange to see a handgun tucked in the belt of a man fishing next to us in his civilian clothes. Not necessarily threatening but strange. In the airport it’s good to reserve some extra time for the security checks.

What else what else? Tel Aviv is a city with 15 kilometres of shimmering coastline. It is a culinary hotspot, bustling and vibrant. The White City area with its Bauhaus architecture is worth a visit and near it are many alluring boutiques. The price level in TLV is high, but luckily gazing at the stunning sunset and its mind-blowing tones by the beach is completely free.



Have You Heard of a Pearl Called Pallanza?

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I hadn’t, not before last summer. We we’re wondering what to pair with the hiking trip to Matterhorn in Switzerland: key words for the search were Italian lakes, Italian food, sunshine and beautiful views. And, after some google maps and image browsing, Pallanza popped up! And what a delicious and pleasant little pearl by Lake Maggiore it turned out to be.

What made me fall for Pallanza? First, the extra wide jogging and cycling road, which follows the waterfront and leads to the next district, Verbania Intra. There was such proper road width reserved for the runners, so delightful! The morning run from Pallanza to Intra and back with a stop for some stretching, (catching one’s breath) and a water break took around 50 minutes. Our plan on the first morning was to enjoy espressos after the energizing run on the terrace of the café right next to our hotel, but this proved to be a utopian idea since we were sweating like two little piglets and the salt was stinging our eyes. But, anyhow, it was a good workout in a pretty setting.


What I also didn’t know beforehand was that Pallanza is quite the culinary hotspot. The stylish aperitivo in the lakeside garden of Ristorante Milano, the superb and nocturnal Spaghetti allo Scoglio (spaghetti with seafood) of La Tentazione by the market square (nocturnal because we are quite late eaters and their kitchen was open a bit past 9:30 pm), the rich ravioli of Ristorante Il Portale… Il Burchiello was also delicious but during the holiday season remember to book in advance.


And what would be sweeter for an Italian food lover than an Italian food festival taking place right outside our doorstep by the lake. It was sotto le stelle, a dinner and a gastronomic taste journey under the stars. You could buy the tickets either at the entrance or beforehand in the local restaurants. The long tables were covered with white tablecloths and flower compositions and there were candles placed in white paper bags waiting to be lit up after sunset. We got a stamp card with which we could get an apertitif, 5 different small dishes, two glasses of wine and a desert from the different stands of the local restaurants. A local elderly lady who apparently knew everyone in town was kindly pointing us towards the wine and food stands to ensure that we got the hang of it. The evening was tasty and bustling and a good gastronomic dive to the offerings of the district.



Pallanza has its own ferry stop and after some running and culinary delights I recommend you take a lake cruise to the islands (Isola Bella being the botanical crown jewel) and to the city of Stresa: a stroll by the beach promenade, marvelling at the extravagant luxury hotels, a cone of creamy pistachio ice cream, doing some bric-a-brac discoveries in the shops of the old town and sipping a strong espresso on the terrace before heading back to the boat, the components of a happy day trip.