On a scale of one to ten, Berlin ranks at about a 2 in terms of fashion. Though there are a few exceptions. Last night at a friend’s concert at Complice, I met this woman who was wearing the loveliest, Victorian-style, antique lace collar. She found it at a night market in Bangkok. Isn’t it fabulous? I’d like to try to make one on my own.
It reminds me of a pretty lace necklace I saw over on A Cup of Jo.
I always wanted to have a wedding like Michael and Apollonia’s in The Godfather. I love when Apollonia, played by a then 17-year-old Simonetta Stefanelli, walks solemnly through her tiny Sicilian town en route to the church. After their utterly Italian, Catholic ceremony, the happy couple parades back through the village, and the bride hands out candy to all the children before waltzing with her gorgeous new groom Michael Corleone. Sigh.
Though I didn’t get married in a tiny Sicilian village like Apollonia and Michael, I did get married in a beautiful church just a few blocks from my reception, where I got ready. So, I had my dad and all my bridesmaids walk with me. It was exceptionally hot, and we were all hurrying a bit too much, rushed on by the stress and anticipation of the day, but it’s still one of my favorite memories.
It’s no secret that my adoration for New York City has grown quiet. It’s been buried beneath a blanket of too much pushing on the subway, too much unnecessary horn honking, and not enough empty seats at my favorite restaurants.
But New York City is more than just Manhattan. It’s also the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and even Staten Island (which I have some really good things to say about, and promise to in a future post).
Right now, one of the most compelling regions of New York City’s outer boroughs, is Greenpoint. Yes, this charming Polish enclave has fallen under the spell of gentrification, but what a delightful gentrification it is. A host of lovely little shops have popped up among the kielbasa markets and pierogi restaurants. Here are a few my mom and I discovered one recent afternoon.
Shops
jan & äya
99 Franklin Street
Adorable handmade objects for home and play.
www.janandaya.com
Word
126 Franklin Street
All types of books, plus pretty stationary, note cards and journals.
wordbrooklyn.wordpress.com
Dalaga
150 Franklin Street
Gorgeous fashions by some of the hottest independent designers around.
www.dalaganyc.com
Chopin Chemists
911 Manhattan Avenue
Offering the best in skin care, bath products, and vitamins since 1995.
www.chopinchemists.com
Restaurants & Bars
Thai Cafe
925 Manhattan Avenue
Really good Thai basics. We go here for dinner a lot and I used to get take-out for lunch sometimes.
Divine Follie
929 Manhattan Avenue
Yummy pizzas, especially the one with rosemary and zucchini.
Happy End
924 Manhattan Avenue
Authentic Polish, family-run restaurant.
Paloma
60 Greenpoint Avenue
My mom went here once for her birthday and said it was good. Their menu looks scrumptuous.
www.palomanyc.com
The Pencil Factory
142 Franklin Street
Across the street from an old pencil factory, this is an intimate corner bar with lots of dark wood.
It hardly ever snows in Berlin. Except in the very early hours of the morning, when a cloudy grey cloak covers the stars, and the air is still and cold.
I need a new couch. My tiny IKEA fold out just isn’t the plush, comfy centerpiece a living room needs. If only I could afford this Jonathan Adler Butterfield Sofa. Then I’d have a beautiful place to sit, and read, and watch DVDs.
A few years ago, Rama and I took one of the most amazing vacations of our lives. We went to Tulum, Mexico, on the Yucatan Peninsula. We stayed at the Cabanas Copal.
There was no electricity, and at night candles were lit along the sandy paths that lead to the cabanas.
As a layer of ice forms over the streets of Berlin, I’m thinking I’d like to go back to Tulum right about now.
A serene North Carolina lake reflects the colors of autumn as a bride and groom exchange vows among the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains.
Who: Blake Frizzell Smith & Timothy Crane Smith
When: October 9, 2004
Where: Lake Junaluska, North Carolina
Bride Wore: A short, champagne silk dress with a deep V-neck and tulle under skirt, designed by Morgane Le Fay.
Bridesmaids Wore: Chocolate dresses with pink trim by Aria. Each of Blake’s bridesmaids chose the style of dress that suited her best.
Flowers: The bride carried an elegant bouquet of white calla lillies and ferns, while her bridesmaids held woodsy bouquets of twigs and fall berries.
Song: The couple chose “La La Means I Love You,” by the Delfonics because it started playing just after Tim proposed.
Favors: Since Blake is from North Carolina, and Tim from Massachusetts, they designed “North vs South” CDs for their guests, selecting songs that reflected their love for each other as well as their own geographic regions.
Disaster Averted: The groom’s cake was shaped like a baseball to tribute Tim’s favorite team the Boston Red Sox, but the baker misspelled the team’s name as “Red Socks.” “We had to take the frosting off with our fingers and correct the spelling,” said Blake.
This afternoon, achy and weary after my quest for a US to Europe plug adaptor (or whatever they’re called), I did what I have been dying to do for ages. I got myself on a Vélib. The city of Paris introduced the public cycling system just over a year ago, and I can say first hand that it is fantastic. Here’s how it went down. First, I trotted past a group of punks and shyly made my way over to a neat row of bikes. I took out my credit card and held it up against a circle on the post one of the bikes was attached to. Nothing happened. Then, I spotted a machine-looking thing. It wouldn’t take my American Express. Wouldn’t take my Master Card. Luckily, I have a European ATM card. That worked. Apparently you need a card with one of those mysterious European “chips.” Once the machine accepted my payment, it asked me which bike I wanted. I squinted my eyes and focused in on the number “7.” Go get your bike, the machine said, you have 60 seconds. So I rushed over, pressed the button, and backed out my bike. Only then did I notice that the handle bars were practically disintegrating. So I put it back real fast. Then I did the process again, this time choosing a bike that looked more functional. Aside from faulty gears and a slightly askew seat, all was well, and I was on my way to discover Paris on two wheels. I bicycle a lot in Berlin, and I’ve learned that it is the best way to get around a city. Whisking down Paris’ grand boulevards and pretty cobbled streets sure is fun, and the bike lanes here are great, they’re shared with the buses, which for some reason were few and far between. I did encounter one problem at the end of my journey. When I had gotten back to my neighborhood, and it was time to put the Vélib back into its slot, the first three stations I came across were full. Eventually I did find an empty spot, and my route back home took me past lots of cute shops where I filled my arms up with wheels of camembert, baguettes, and bottles of wine, and all was well again.
I just found out about this fantastic German fabric store called Volksfaden from decor8, who is running a promotion for 25% off. I’m thinking about getting a meter of one or two of the prints pictured above to make some throw pillows for my bed and couch. Which ones do you guys like the best?
Tomorrow, we’re going to Paris, and instead of spending lots of money on a hotel, we’re spending a little bit less money on a real Paris apartment. We found it on craigslist, one of my favorite resources for jobs, second hand furniture, and of course apartments. We’re renting a cute one just down the street from Ircam, where Ram is taking a workshop, but it was only available for three nights, so for our last night we’ll move to a little studio apartment near the Canal Saint Martin, one of our favorite areas. Here are some pictures of other pretty apartments in Paris.
