Cocktails and The City

There’s no Home like New York

Is life in New York busy? Of course. Is it sometimes overwhelming? Yes. Do we sometimes need a break from the chaos? Naturally. But would we trade it for anything in the world? Absolutely not.

Over the second half of Spring Break, I went to Miami with my friend Trevor. A weekend to trade in the hustle bustle of the city in place of the ocean waves and sandy beach. The perfect vacation. Although, whilst laying on the beach was nice, wrapped in the sun’s warmth for three days, and eating Cuban food galore, I felt there was something missing. I found myself craving that busyness, the sound of taxis honking on the street and the constant feeling of purpose. Miami is somewhere I’ve always wanted to visit, and I felt it was just that. A perfect visit for the weekend but New York is my home, and I couldn’t wait to get back.

There is really no home like New York. As our airplane flew over the bright city lights on Sunday night, overlooking the Empire state and the Chrysler building, I knew I was home. Back in the comfort of the city that never sleeps.  I must admit though, that whoever told me flying back hours before your classes start at 8am the next day was sorely mistaken. I dragged myself through the majority of the week on minimal sleep and a killer tan… literally killer, my body was on fire! The only consolation to such agony was that New York was actually warm this week so I could get the best of both worlds.

Even on minimal sleep, the first night out with your friends after break is always a good time. It is an opportunity to let loose, reconnect with your friends… and put it into perspective that you are back home. On Wednesday night we went out to Amity Hall for the weekly senior night. Whilst there, we did the usual; drank, danced and then encountered some of Columbia’s most notorious frat boys. Let’s just say the conversations to be had with them make for the funniest stories the next day. If anything, I would recommend speaking to them for your friend’s sheer hilarity.

Usually on Thursday nights we go out, but between the lack of sleep and still cold nights, none of us were quite feeling up to it. We instead all had dinner together, which turned into a two-hour yapping fest before coming back to watch Hamilton the musical. Who knew such a musical could unite so many Americans?!? Multiple people who live on our floor stopped in to give a rendition of one or two of the songs and then continued to our room. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen a 6ft 5 football player singing Hamilton, but after tonight I have, and it is certainly something I will never forget. If you ever need to grab an American’s attention, I recommend bursting out into “Alexander Hamilton” and I’m sure that will do the trick.

On Friday, I decided to catch up on the workload I had piling up. But oh no, you will not find me in the library, you will find me in a bar downtown. What can I say? I always do my best writing with an ice-cold vodka martini in hand. So, if you’re ever looking for a perfect place with a great vibe and social scene, head over to the Campbell Bar located in Grand Central station. You will walk into an ambiance that will capture you and keep you there with how perfectly strong the drinks are. I managed to get a significant amount of work done whilst observing the copious amount of people in the room and taking it all in. The dim lighting creates that perfect New York aura, especially for all of us Gossip Girl fans.

To continue my solo date, I went to Bad Roman, a restaurant located on the top floor of the Columbus circle mall with excellently curated vibes. It is the perfect place to sit at the bar and consume some of the creamiest pasta New York has to offer. Their signature cocktails are simply to die for and are matched perfectly with the orange lit vibe and hanging vines from the ceiling. One of the perfect restaurants after a long day of shopping or working, either are just as tiring.

If you know anything about Friday nights, you know the villages are where it’s at. Tonight, me and my friends were heading down to the East village for some much-needed time away from our campus characters. Firstly, we went to Fanelli’s, the perfect pregame spot before the club. The atmosphere will remind you of a traditional little restaurant however it attracts people from all over to the bar, creating the best place to meet people over an espresso martini or two. Located on Mercer Street, it is also great for walking to all the clubs and other bars in the area.

After consuming enough espresso martinis to keep us awake for the night, we headed to the main club of this evening, Mr Purple. Now Mr Purple certainly has it all: a bar, a club underneath and even an outdoor pool bar. So, no matter however you are feeling, there is always something to do at Mr Purple. We of course hit the pool bar first since it is finally starting to get warm at nights again. It was so soul warming to be able to stand outside with our drinks and observe the city lights and planes flying overhead. Once that section closed, we headed to the club. When you’re partying overlooking the city, you know you’ve finally hit the jackpot. I don’t think I can speak highly enough of this place; it really has it all.

After hitting up a couple of post game bars on the street and then succumbing to the delicious smell of Gnocchi on 9th, we finally headed home. A perfect way to end a perfect night in the village.

If any of you are reading this from New York you know that Saturday was by far the best day we have had all year. The weather was over 80 and that means one thing. New Yorkers congregate in the Sheep Lawn in Central Park for some much-needed Vitamin D. I, however, had a little bit too much sun in Miami so me and my friend Steven were more than happy to hit up as many Happy Hour restaurants as possible instead.

We began our day with brunch at Twenty Three Grand, a beautiful restaurant located in Tribecca that will serve you with the ultimate summer brunch vibes, as you sip on Aperol Spritz’ overlooking the city. As usual, me and Steven had a blast, enjoying our drinks on this perfect sunny day. Hopefully there are many to continue.

We decided from then on to explore the village and go wherever the wind takes us. Well… the wind took us to another gorgeous bar called Felice. If you’re looking for a place to meet many people in their twenty’s, whilst enjoying cocktails at one of the best prices around town, then head over to Felice. They have may locations within New York, but by far the one in the West Village is unmatched.

After finishing off another Aperol spritz, we decided now was probably a good time to go and get dinner. As we finally found a bustling little place called Bar Pitti, and sat out in the warmth of the night, we looked out and saw the one and only Jack Harlow! That’s the thing about New York, you never know just who you may bump into. But just as in our New York nature, we have to keep it casual and not make it obvious. So, as we ate our pasta, we took infrequent glances his way. It really was dinner and a show.

We weren’t ready to leave just yet so we headed to one final Happy Hour destination called Down the Hatch. This bar is built underground and offers such a cosy vibe and brief reprieve from the night which was beginning to get cold. They offer various different specials all throughout the week, and tonight it was $5 Nutrl night, so of course we had to indulge.  This time after we finished our drinks, we were ready to head home…. To get ready for our real night out of course.

As per usual, Amity Hall is the place to be on a Saturday, filled with every student at Columbia University. Being the first week back from spring break, it encourages more people to go to the bar, which offers a perfect opportunity for meeting new people. As usual, I met a rather interesting guy that night. Of course, another football player. What can I say, a girl can’t resist that rugged charm.  They say you are always three people away from a stranger. At Columbia, it’s more like half a person. To my absolute surprise, the guy I met tonight used to be roommates with my very first situation-ship at college. Wow, this campus really is small. In the large city that is New York, there’s no escaping who you know, I guess. Personally, I wouldn’t have it any other way…but maybe this also means I should go down to the village more often?!?

After last nights eventful experience, I was more than ready to have a cosy Sunday, doing absolutely nothing with my best friends, all gossiping and laughing about our individual quests from the night before. And sometimes that’s all you need on a Sunday. A box of takeout Chinese food and Disney+ on the TV with your best friend, getting ready to do it all again this week.