weekend escape: kingston, ny

One of many public artworks in Kingston

If I’d listened to my Hudson friends, I might never have checked out Kingston. It’s historically gotten a bit of a bad rap—perhaps because it is really more of a big city than the quaint waterside towns nearby. In fact, Kingston was the original capital of New York! But, like many of these upstate towns, it’s going through a revitalization, with a huge focus on bringing back jobs and affordable housing to the city while keeping the artist vibe alive. The focus on empowering the existing community, instead of leaning into “weekenders,” might be what draws us to this area so much.

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a love letter to new jersey* from a new yorker**

*This love letter refers to a very specific point in New Jersey, arguably more well-known for the Pennsylvania city across the river

**I’ve actually been in New York 9.5 years, which is about 6 months short of the 10 year mark that, according to urban legend, makes you a real New Yorker, so I’m slightly jumping the gun

holidays in lisbon — part 4

Where: Lisbon, Portugal

Eat: Portuguese pastries, plenty of red meat, and home-cooked meals during holidays

Drink: Portuguese wine from Douro Valley (and maybe do a port tasting, although the servers here really seem to hate tourists)

Do: Visit the Feira da Ladra flea market and Principe Real neighborhood for shopping, Sintra for a day-getaway, wander extensively in Alfama, and suss out a good place for Fado (we went to A Tasca do Chico and loved it–but make a reservation!)

(this is the 4th & final post in a series, make sure to check out post 1, post 2, & post 3)

It probably won’t come as a surprise to most of you that my favorite way to explore a city is often through… shopping. That can sound bad, I know. I don’t mean heading to the outlets or the mall, or even the 5th avenue equivalent, and spending away an afternoon. I like going to the weekend flea markets and strolling through quaint neighborhoods to check out the local shops. It’s a way to check out the locals, understand some of the city’s history and, oftentimes, get a better idea of the youth culture. I never truly feel like I’ve discovered a city until I find the neighborhood that speaks to me–which just happens to generally mean the one with the cutest front doors, vintage shops, local boutiques filled with jewelry and clothing made by local designers, etc… (I guess it shouldn’t come as a surprise why I’m so obsessed with Etsy, then.)

holidays in lisbon — part 3

Where: Lisbon, Portugal

(this is the 3rd post in a series, check out post 1, post 2, & post 4!)

By the third day in Lisbon, we’d just about recovered from jetlag and decided to do some of the more quintessential touring activities (to the delight of my dad)! First, we took one of the trams to Belém, which is the most historical neighborhood of Lisbon, a bit removed from the city center.

The first stop was the Jeronimos Monastery. This is a World Heritage monument and the resting place for Portugal’s explorer, Vasco da Gama. The cloisters, following the trend, were unfortunately closed, but apparently worth the visit.

We broke for lunch after that, at a nearby cafe. In the sun, it was warm enough to take off our coats and enjoy rosé at a table outside. We were so, so lucky with that weather!

holidays in lisbon — part 2

Where: Lisbon, Portugal

(this is the 2nd post in a series–check out post 1, post 3, & post 4!)

The days following Christmas in Lisbon were warm and sunny, relative to New York, anyway. The highs called for around mid-50s, but on some days, in the sunshine, you could take off your jacket and sit at an outside cafe table for lunch. We couldn’t ask for better tourist weather!