Dear MG, 

I was just accepted to Columbia University, and I am super excited to be coming to NYC this fall! Do you have any tips for living in NYC or prepping myself for the stay? Thanks so much!

First, congrats on getting into Columbia doll, how awesome! Second, I definitely have tips for living in NYC. I went to NYU for undergrad so I totes know what it’s like to be in a fabulush city on a college girl budget…

Tips For Living In NYC

1. Get to know your neighborhood. Every neighborhood in Manhattan has its own personality. The best way to find out those hidden food & shopping gems is to walk through the streets and find your own fav go-to spots. Since there are so many great neighborhoods in NYC, plan your trips. Spend free weekends in a different location in the city. This way, you will always have a great spot to go to anywhere in the city.

2. Take the bus. While the subway system in NYC is the preferred way to travel (for convenience, speed & value), the bus will offer you something the subway can’t – sightseeing. My fav bus rides are the Madison Avenue/Fifth Avenue buses (M1, M2, M3 or M4). On a cold winter day or sultry summer eve, the Mad/5th ave buses will take you up & down two of the most stunning streets in Manhattan.

3. You don’t have to spend a fortune enjoying the city. Grab a coffee & baguette from the Todd English Food hall in The Plaza, your fav reading material and sit on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It’s such an iconic New York Spot with fantastic people watching.

4. Go to brunch instead of dinner. As a foodie, the restaurant scene in Manhattan is one of the best in the world. But going out to dinner multiple times a week is super expensive. Brunch is a great way to enjoy your fav resty’s without going over your budget. Many resty’s offer a delish brunch menu at prix-fixe prices (lots of them have unlimited coffee & juice as well). So grab your new besties and make some brunch reservations stat!

5. Shop at designer discount stores to furnish your apartment, dorm & closet. While I am a fan of fabulush decor, it just feels amaze x 100 to get a good deal. Espesh when you are on a budget, a great place to shop for apt/dorm decor is at NYC’s huge designer discount stores. My fav spots are Century 21 (for wardrobe) & Home Goods (for home decor). These spots are perf for you since they  are both located in the Upper West Side. I also like Burlington Coat factory for home decor buys as well. Even though these are major retail chains, the inventory at the NYC locations differs from other states. I have found some gorg items at super affordable prices.

Dahlings, feel free to email me your Ask MG questions or leave them in the comments below. <3

kissies,

photo credit: weheartit.com/entry/47604654/via/sofiar21

 Midtown Chap: “Amy, will you marry me?”

Me: “Yes x FOREVER!!!”

My last Current Stat was exactly 2 years ago, when MC & I offish became a couple. Back then his moniker was ‘Gone Brogue’ (for obvious reasons) and I had written about our amaze 1st date (which will be in my book, coming out Summer 2013). Looking back almost 5 years ago, when I first started Midtown Girl, my intro was this…

 ”Midtown Girl is a blog dedicated to all the single girls out there who are searching for ‘the one’…”

And, I finally found mine.

This post is dedicated to all of my amazing readers, awesome friends & wonderful family who have supported me from the beginning. I’m honored that you are in my life. And, I’m excited to share the next chapter of MG with all of you. HEART YOU FOREVZ!!!

Engagement kissies,

I am so thankful to have readers, blogger besties & social media fam who are amaze x 100. You dahlings have been there for me when I was single, in between relationships and with me now as I experience the best relationship I could have ever imagined. I seriously heart you, and without your support, comments, advice & 2am tweets, I have no idea what I would have done. Thank you for being there for me, ALWAYS.

MG, Midtown Chap & Midtown Pups would like to wish everyone a beautiful, happy & uber fabulush Thanksgiving.

thankful kissies,

photo credit: wunderground.com

Hello, dahlings! Obvs, due to Hurricane Sandy, my flight to NYC has been delayed. I am still in Paris but should be back by Thursday evening. Will totes update you on my Paris favs as well as my regular MG posts. Heart u x 100 <3

P.S. How adorbs are these his & hers Christmas ornaments from Chateau De Versailles??? Love.

kissies,

Cabana Outfit: Ella Moss maxi dress, Tory Burch Wedgies, H&M Sun hat, Oakley Sunnies

I’m sure you dahlings have seen some of the fun pics I took this past weekend at the Hamptons, but just in case you didn’t, here’s a recap of our fabulush getaway from NYC!

Midtown Chap, Midtown Pups & I packed our overnight bags (which fit perf in the trunk of the Prius C) and entered our destination into the GPS. We started our drive later in the eve as to avoid crazy LI traffic. I was super excited since this was my first time driving a hybrid. What’s cool about the Prius C, is that it calculates how much your fuel costs are throughout your trip!

En route & ready to go!

At the fabulush house in the Hamptons.

Awesome pool with stone diving board.

After spending the morn at the house, we drove to Southampton in the Prius C to spend an afternoon at Capri hotel’s cabana & pool.

Midtown family.

My dahlings <3

Sushi Bento Box Lunch from Nobu (YUM!)

Later that eve, we drove out to Georgica resty for Social Life Mag party.

Sunday afternoon we headed out to the beach!

Pomeranian at the beach

A quick visit to the golf course – gorg house!

Eve dins at Sag Harbor – def try the lobster BLT at Page 63 at Main.

We left late Sunday eve (again, to avoid traffic) and arrived in Midtown without ever refueling! The Prius C is excellent on fuel, averaging 55 MPG. An efficient car, the Prius C is a fab city-girl ride.

Such a fabulush weekend! Dahlings, have you ever driven a hybrid before? P.S. – You can follow all of my NYC adventures on instagram here.

kissies,

Normally, I pack ahead of time so that I’m sure I have everything I need. This time however, I literally packed my travel bag in less than 20 mins. The key to packing lightly & efficiently is to pick pieces that can easily transition from day to eve & to choose accessories that can go with anything in your wardy. For a weekend getaway from NYC, here is what’s in Midtown Girl’s travel bag…

• LV Keepall 55 w. shoulder strap -I adore this bag x 100 bc it is the perf size to carry on flights & for short trips.
• Ella Moss, Milly & Tory Burch maxi dresses – my go-to dresses when traveling and lounging, I pick maxis that have vibrant prints & bold embellishments.
• Ralph Lauren Polos & J.Crew Cafe Capris – In bright turquoise & pink, polos & capris are a must for day trips.
• Guess Monokini – my absolute fav bathing suit, this one is uber flattering!
• Gucci peep toe pumps, Tory Burch Hutton thong sandals & wedge platforms – I always pack neutral colored shoes, that way I can wear them with any outfit I plan on wearing. Neutral sandals & wedgies are the best choice for a weekend getaway.
• H&M Beach Hat & Tote – This hat is a life saver for protecting my face while cabana lounging. Dahlings, make sure to wear a large brimmed hat to protect your gorg skin.
• J.Crew Jewelry – I love wearing statement bracelets & necklaces with my vacation wardy. It’s totes the easiest way to make any outfit fabulush.
• Chanel 2.55 Classic Double Flap In Fuchsia – Everyone needs some Chanel in their travel bag!

Dahlings, what’s in your travel bag?

kissies,

MG hearts Midtown x 100!

kissies,

Dear MC,

Thank you for being the most amaze bf ever.

Love & kissies, MG

Dahlings, last week I had the lovely opp to meet fabulush designer Norma Kamali at her Midtown Headquarters to view her KamaliKulture collection (which is perf for us busy city-girls, will def post the collection soon). Norma wanted to get the inside scoop on Midtown Girl, what made me start blogging &  building a brand with your blog.

Norma Kamali (NK): So how long have you had your blog and what was the situation that made you think of having a blog?

Midtown Girl (MG): I have been blogging for four years. So I was in a seven year relationship and it ended horrifically. He was totally cheating on me and it was awful and I had to kick him out of my apartment. I started online dating and I was totally green to it so instead of calling each of my girlfriends to tell them the current status of every date I was going on, I started writing about my dates and having this whole community that gave me advice about what to do and what to wear. When you are coming out of a big relationship, it is like a divorce. I was totally new to it. I didn’t know how to do anything. All of these people I had never met before were giving me the most amazing advice.

NK: Are you seeing somebody now?

MG: I am- I have been dating someone for a little over a year.

NK: I think there’s something to that- if you just look at male behavior- guys just date. They ask every girl out and the ratio of having dates is going to be high because if half say no, and you’ve asked 50 girls out; we’re being selective like we’re getting married. Why?

MG: That’s exactly what it is.

NK: The idea of serial dating is not a terrible thing. It gives you a sense of what you like and what you don’t and you can be selective in a different way. Instead of thinking he has to be perfect and you have to be standoffish is crazy.

MG: I had to really trust my instincts. I had to weed out the ones that didn’t feel right. You have to learn that there are some people that you just don’t match up with.

Dahlings, please check out the rest of Norma’s interview with me HERE! Let me know what you think

kissies,

I live in Midtown East, between 3 different Duane Reade stores and, I couldn’t be happier. Duane Reade has been this NYC girl’s grocery/pharmacy/beauty store for over 20 years now. 

From emergency trips to replace torn stockings during fashion week to purchasing last minute beauty gifts for my girlfriends, Duane Reade (DR) is able to provide us New Yorker’s a one stop shopping experience that works perfectly into our hectic schedules.

Have you ever come back to your apartment after a crazy day of running to and from meetings throughout the city, and forget to buy your basic essentials? This happens to me often but I don’t stress about it because many Duane Reade locations are open 24 hours – a total city girl lifesaver!

It is for this reason, that I am a DR fanatic. Even if my intention is to purchase just one specific item, I always come out with a bag full of essentials because DR makes it super easy to find everything you need to survive in this city. Seriously…

What city girl hasn’t purchased nail polish, room candles, eye moisturizer and even a tiny humidifier, while out on a midnight toothpaste run to Duane Reade?!

And, when it comes to special occasions, DR is so easy to shop for the ones you love. I swooned when I first saw Duane Reade’s holiday brand called “Christmas in New York”. As a midtown girl who lives steps away from the city’s most amazing sights, seeing the holiday collection had me falling in love with NYC all over again. 

Every girl should have a snow globe featuring the NYC skyline on their desk!

As an avid shopper who relies on Duane Reade for the latest & greatest in beauty products, staple grocery items & special occasion gifts, I would be honored to be chosen as a 2012 Duane Reade VIP Influencer. Without them, this Midtown Girl would not be able to live the fabulush city life that all of us aspire to have – one that’s filled with convenience & reliability thanks to Duane Reade.

NYC girl kissies,

This post is an entry for the 2012 Duane Reade VIP Influencer Contest, sponsored by Duane Reade.