Girls Night Out in NYC
“Maybe we can be each other’s soul mates and then we can let men be just these great, nice guys to have fun with.”
A few weeks ago, I was randomly inspired to write to Rachel over Instagram about how I was recently divorced and so inspired by her content. I asked her if she wanted to meet in person and just swap ideas, chat, and all things fashion together. She’s a fashion designer, and being a girl who loves to sew myself, I immediately was drawn to her career and hobbies, plus her audacious voice in discovering a new side of herself after her divorce. She said yes, and over the next few weeks, we communicated effortlessly back and forth until I arrived in NYC. I’ve found over the years that meeting up with other content creators can be very challenging, but this was different. Rachel has a knack for aesthetics, making a plan, and communicating with ease. She asked about my interests and planned an itinerary. After weeks of travel is was refreshing to be able to let go and go with the flow
We met up at the darling Printemps luxury boutique store in the financial district steps from Wall Street. There’s the cutest cafe inside, and it’s a photographic dream of a space. Elle magazine covers lined the walls as wallpaper, punchy stripes and chandeliers of all colors and shapes punctuated the space. Every corner, including the art deco Gatsby-inspired bathrooms, felt alive and filled with character. It was the epitome of chic. We swapped stories about our backgrounds, careers, relationships, and covered how we got to where we are today. Although I meet people every day, I don’t always feel a connection, and Rachel was an instant BFF!
After our delicious lattes, we headed upstairs to take a quick peek, and the space just kept on giving a ridiculous amount of inspiration. Currently, my apartment is decorated in softer hues, but one day I’d like to upgrade it to a more bold space with cabana stripes and florals. Printemps is just the perfect place for reference. Oh, and I’d like to note, if you are a beauty junkie, this is the MECCA of places to find the best skincare. The skincare and beauty section is a long, wavy corridor that reminded me of pictures of Santorini architecture. Dome stucco in a bright white cave-like space that served as a clean backdrop for all things skincare.
After we wrapped up a coffee, we headed to our next stop over in Soho. Rachel noted before my trip that I don’t drink and suggested a dinner. When she asked me what kind of food I loved, I said, anything aesthetic. I’m really flexible about cuisine, and atmosphere is just as important to me as the food. She really outdid herself and found a beautiful atrium cafe called Nomo Kitchen at the bottom of the Nomo Hotel. We walked down a magical entryway of vines and plants lit up with cafe lights between red brick walls to enter the restaurant. When you walk in, you feel like you are in a little French greenhouse. Heart-shaped, colorful art along the walls. Tiny green glass candle votive punctuates each table. Rattan furniture and chandeliers hanging beside plants. Lots of palms and more greenery throughout the space.
One of the things I loved the most about New York is that you can sit for hours at a table without feeling rushed off. Very different from Texas. In Texas, you have to just keep ordering food or drinks to feel like you can have a slow meal, but New York was similar to Europe. Your goal is to stay for the experience and good company. I adored it. We sat and had their charcuterie board filled with apricots, beets, fig jam, brie, prosciutto, and pate. Then, she ordered their incredible pan-seared salmon, polenta, and tiny garden carrots, and I ordered the pesto burrata with shrimp. Two lattes later and hours of gab we finally headed to the train station, giggling and chatting endlessly. It was one of the most refreshing nights I’ve had in a very long time.
She took me wandering through Little Italy (which I need to come back to see on its own) and up to Broadway Street in Midtown. On the way, we found the largest magazine store I have ever seen, and if I had even an inch more to spare in my suitcase, I would have purchased half of the store. I love buying things in print and regularly do at home. Pouring over the glossy pages of fashion, home, and art magazines fills my soul up.
