Ice Cream Man

I was only in the city for 48 hours, and this is what I did: walked seven miles in three-inch heels, saw six of my favorite East Coast friends, went to five interviews, ate four of Whole Foods delicious homemade granola bars, and perhaps most impressive of all, saw the Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Truck three times.

Seeing the bright yellow Van Leeuwen truck feels sort of like spotting a celebrity on the streets of New York. They are elusive, thrilling, and often hidden by hordes of people. And in Van Leeuwen's case, for good reason. The man behind the van is a former Good Humor driver who began making ice cream with artisan ingredients, creating something of a sophisticated Mister Softee experience for big kids.

I spent my last afternoon in the city wandering around the West Village, visiting Marc by Marc Jacobs, and catching the Van Leeuwen truck, decked out in Coach, parked in front of the accessory store's downtown outpost. The only thing better than an adorable ice cream truck with stylish scoopers? A free ice cream cone after a whirlwind week.

eating like a king

People like to complain about how expensive things in New York City are. Yes, my bottle of water was $3. Yes, my taxi ride that should have been a 10 minute walk had I not been wearing heels was $10. And yes, my hotel room that is roughly the size of a king bed was, well, too much.

But today I learned that when I move to NYC I can remain well-fed without going broke; I found what must be the perfect food for just a few bucks and a few quarters. A little salty, a little sweet, and perfect for breakfast or lunch (as I enjoyed it today), City Bakery's pretzel croissant is my new favorite food.

Fortunately, the baked good was fresh from the oven. Unfortunately, it was so hot to the touch that I had to buy an iced coffee just to cool my mouth off. Iced coffee and a New York City bakery treat? Best meal ever.

summer in the city

I'm flying out to New York tomorrow to spend a few days planning my big move. My last day working retail was bittersweet. As great as it is to be surrounded by clothes all day, I look forward to earning a paycheck that isn't spent entirely on dresses, jackets, and sweaters that I don't need. In the future, hopefully I'll only spend half of my salary on my closet.

I'll only be in the city a little over 48 hours, but I hope to fit in as much as possible... even though I plan on being back on the East Coast for good within the month.

If you had two days in the city, what would you do? I want to eat cupcakes, shop for shoes, buy a book at the Strand, wander around the West Village, visit Marc Jacobs (the store, not the designer), sit in Central Park, find an apartment, land a job, wear my new navy blazer that makes me feel like a grown-up, and find the Gossip Girl filming (which resumes this week... fate, is that you?).

New York, I Love You

I have been reading New York Magazine's annual summer-in-the-city issue with more enthusiasm then ever because, well, I'm going to be moving to New York. In August. For good.

I don't have a place to live or a place to work—yet—but I'll be freelancing for a few websites and enthusiastically looking for something full-time.

Over the next month, I'm going to be chronicling my adventures in looking for apartments, packing my belongings, buying big-kid things (purchase #1: a real stove-top teapot), and kissing Missouri goodbye.

If anyone has advice, especially regarding NYC housing, I would be forever grateful.