TIPS:

Foodies/Drinks:

- Mixtape Bushwick: Place recommended to me by a friend for a nice coffee in Brooklyn.
- Chill House: Chill space to have a coffee, get your nails done and get a massage.
- Juliette: ok... a French place 😉 But a friend recommended it to me and the decoration is great! There's also a nice terrasse on the rooftop.
- Pardon my French: A bit loud but a great place for a brunch a "pancakes and Mimosa cocktails" mood. I loved the decoration.
- The Third Rail Coffee: for a nice coffee that's not Starbucks.
- The Yard: I only went there for a coffee but the co-working place looks great!
- Murray's: If you like cheese and Italian fine food go there. I went there to pick up a salad and they had good veggie options.
- Juice Press: Another "Healthy smoothie and açaí bowl" place but well, I like it ;)
- Empire diner: If you are looking for "a clichéd American restaurant" this it is, and it looks great!
- Dudley’s: Great place for brunch, I loved their kale salad.
- Bar Belly: So perfect for after work drinks <3 Great atmosphere and cocktails.
- Essen: A food chain to pick up all kind of food on the go. Lots of nice options.
- Le Barricou: OMG... The pancakes... PLEASE try these!
- The West: perfect place to do your blogger or freelance work with a nice coffee.
- Osamil: Great place for cocktails.
- Hell's Kitchen: a full district full of nice and trendy restaurants. Great options but be ready to queue!

Fitness:

- adidas Runners NYC: Well, what can I say... they are the best ❤ aR NYC is THE perfect running community: nice people, cool events, inspiring captains/coaches, welcoming all level runners. Join the Facebook group to find about all their events and join them for a run! DO NOT be afraid! Really!
- Girls run NYC: Ok, super cool team too. I mean, Jessie Zapo is the best ❤
- Switch Playground: Great way to sweat and for a total body workout in a short amount of time. Super nice coaches.
- Sky Ting Yoga: I LOVE the atmosphere of their studios! For beginner to intermediate levels. I joined an "advanced class", it was not advanced but still a nice flow.

Shopping:

- Sincerely, Tommy: Brooklyn based concept store focusing on emerging womenswear and lifestyle brands.
- Beacon’s closet: Vintage shop in GreenPoint / Brooklyn
- Vitamin Shoppe: The kind of shop you will never find in Europe BUT if you know the product you want (and trust) they have a crazy choice of fitness supplements.

What to do?

- The Wing: The Wing is a network of co-working and community spaces for women, founded in Manhattan’s Ladies Mile in 2016. Only with membership but I thought you should know about it 😊
- Bowery street / Elizabeth Street / Hudson Street: perfect to wander in Lower East/West Side.
- High Line: I heard about it for the first time during this trip! It is SO nice! It's a 1.45-mile-long elevated linear park, greenway and rail trail. It was created on a former New York Central Railroad spur on the west side of Manhattan in New York City. It is super nice, especially at sunset.
- Improvisation show at UCB theatre: A first time for me! I did not laugh at everything because the American humor is not really my type but it is super nice to see courageous actors and to be part of the theatre community for one night.
- Go for a run in Brooklyn and along Manhattan: from Greenpoint go to the Williamsburg bridge, cross it, run all the way along the river in Manhattan until the Brooklyn bridge, cross it and go back to the starting point.

THE TRIP:

Dates: 16-03-18/24-03-18 + 01-04-18/02-04-18
Departure: Nuremberg.
Arrival: New York.

I cannot believe I am already back... 1 month and a half after leaving, I have the chance to see again the silhouette of NYC appearing in the horizon after jumping in a uber at the airport.

I am back for a shoot with adidas Women. We are capturing content for our next major campaign (stay tuned!). It's my first shoot ever so I am super excited!

As usual I make the most of every opportunity to travel so I decide to arrive earlier to spend the weekend there and leave later to spend another weekend there (instead of flying on a Monday and Friday!). My cousin and friends live there so it’s always a chance to see them!

DAY 1:

To summarize: wake up in Nuremberg and bedtime in NYC.
I love to think like this ❤️

I arrive around 6pm in JFK, jump in a uber, pick up my cousin’s keys and direction my dear Brooklyn (my cousin kindly leaves me her flat for the weekend so I feel like a real New-Yorker 😎😂). I arrive at their place just in time for the sunset from the rooftop: what a way to end the day!

I am really tired and I want to run the next morning so my weekend starts with Netflix and pasta. I actually love it! 👌

DAY 2:

“Just in case” I had put an alarm to be "sure not to wake up too late, which should be impossible because of the jetlag"... Well I was wrong! 🤦‍♀️ My alarm goes on at 10am: I slept 12hours!
Program: overnight porridge/ yoga flow / foamroll and here I go, ready for my long run of the weekend.

I know EXACTLY where I want to go: from Greenpoint to Williamsburg bridge, all the way along the river in Manhattan, cross Brooklyn bridge and all the way back through Brooklyn. I LOVE this path. The moment I cross the Williamsburg bridge and see Manhattan appearing is always an emotional and amazing moment.
I also go back via Dumbo and it is such a cool district!
The weather is amazing and I have a great 25km run (I have Paris marathon in 3 weeks 🤦‍♀️).

After that I join the adidas Women team for brunch at Dudley’s. I take a kale salad, I missed it so much!
Then I go for walk with a colleague and Jessie Zapo. We all have a great talk about how we can grow the women communities in a meaningful way in NYC.
Nice place to stop by: the square between Lafayette street and cleaveland pl. After that I keep wandering in Manhattan to make the most of the sunset light.

At last, I join the rest of the crew at Bar Belly for drinks (water for me, youhou) and leave early because tomorrow is NYC half-marathon (SO pissed I do not have a bib number!) and I want to go to cheer the runners.

Once again pasta in front of Netflix: crazy Saturday night!

DAY 3:

I wake up and go straight for a run. I know the NYC half marathon passes close to the Williamsburg bridge on Manhattan so I run there, stop at one spot to cheer the runners and I run back to Brooklyn. A chill 11km.

Then I join friends who are brunching at Pardon my French. We all go for a walk in the Lower East Side and I stop to grab a coffee at Third Rail Coffee. On the way we have the chance to see one of Banksy's street art piece (he is back in town!): "Free Zehra Dogan". We have a nice walk in Chinatown and Little Italy. I love the feeling of those districts, a real cultural bubble. Everyone decides to head back to their hotel but I don't want to go back ^^ I grab a baguette on the way (I know, sooo cliché) and I keep wandering in the Lower East side, go to the adidas Originals and Y-3 shops on Spring avenue and write down the names of cute restaurants I spot on the way just for you! (see rubric tips)

Time to join my team at The Yarn for a coffee. After that I head with a friend to the High Line for sunset. I did not know about this place before and it is SO nice: you see another part of NYC, lots of different architecture styles and at sunset time it is gorgeous.

I head back to Brooklyn and early sleep because tomorrow back to reality!

DAY 4:

The weekend is over 😢
BUT let's start the week right: I go to Switch Playground in Soho with my Manager. The concept is a one hour circuit training with 22 stations and 2min per station. All of this in a dark room with load music. It's a great way to do exercises you would not usually do and it's a real full body workout!

After that we stop by the Juice Press and go to the adidas Newsroom offices where I will spend the day working (yeah, I know... 😉). For lunch we go quickly to grab food at Murray's.

At the end of the day I check-in at my hotel, The James New York Nomad. It has a great location between Madison square and the Empire State. I know, super touristic area but I like it! After all, I am THE tourist. The hotel and the rooms are ok but the beds are AMAZING: huge king size and maybe the most comfortable bed I had in my life. One thing to know: the gym is super small and not nice at all BUT they have 2 peloton bikes 👌

I feel sick and jet lagged so at 7pm I am in bed. Sorry, in THE bed 😄

DAY 5:

I meet with the team in the lobby and we go to Brooklyn Studios in the Queens.
I am so happy to be on set and to see how it works. I cannot tell you a lot about the shoot because confidential but long story short: ONCE AGAIN people are the core of a great day and a great work ❤

In the evening I go to Ski Ting Yoga in Tribeca. The studio is really nice, so are the teachers and the team! I joined an "advanced class" and let's be realistic: it was not an advanced class, more intermediate.

I go back to the hotel and go straight to bed because my cold/flu is getting worst and worst.

DAY 6:

Today there is a blizzard alert in NYC. For me "it's just snow" so I wake up as usual, pack my bag for work and head to Switch Playground on 12th street. Even if I really feel like sh...
On the way I stop at the Vitamin Shoppe on Union Square Park. What a place! Looks like an old pharmacy but only for sport people. Loved it.
AT LAST I also stop to the pharmacy even if I am honestly afraid by US medicines 🙈

Switch Playground killed me but I loved it. I have a great class animated by Claire Saunders and music by Olivia K.

Then I discover what's waiting for me outside... the blizzard 😱

#snow #WTF

My team texts me that thy are all working from the hotel so I head back. We work from there all day. At lunch I go for a walk on Madison Square. It is too gorgeous with the snow, I have to stop for some the #gram 😉

I go to grab a salad at Essen and go to bed super early because my body is consumed by the flu.

DAY 7:

Second day of shoot!
Same program: meet up with the team - go to the studios - work all day.
BUT today we have banana fur! You will see more of it 😄

At lunch I go for a walk along the river and I discover the Queensbridge park. It is GORGEOUS with the snow and the Queensboro old bridge.

At the end of the day it's a wrap! Super cliché but we get donuts to celebrate 😉

Screen Shot 2018-04-24 at 11.32.53 PM.png

We then head back to the hotel to get ready for Justin Timberlake's concert at Madison Square Garden 😂

TONIGHT I wear... the Banana Fur! 😂

#bananafur #furfree

Before the concert we go for drinks at Osamil: really nice (non-alcoholic for me) cocktails card.
I never thought I would go to a JT's concert but I actually have an amazing time with the team and it is so cool to go to a concert at the iconic Madison Square Garden!

DAY 8:

AT LAST I can go for a run in Central Park and it is... just amazing.
It is gorgeous, super convenient for runners and I have the feeling to be constantly in a movie (everywhere I look is iconic) etc etc.
I HAVE TO stop on top on one hill for a yoga flow to celebrate the moment. It is unreal. I store inside all the positive vibes from this moment.

I run up to the Onassis Reservoir and it is breathtaking.
I forgot about this place! The view from the north of the reservoir towards downtown is really impressive. I am speechless with a smile on my face 😬

I run back via the 5th avenue (I know ❤). It ended in a 15km run but with breaks.

I check out from the hotel, turn on my OOO automatic email (I am officially on holidayyyyys today) and... and... and... SIGN MY NEW CONTRACT with adidas!
This May I will be joining the adidas Runners Global team 😇

new contract sign with adidas runners.

#dreamjob #adidasrunners

To celebrate I go shopping on the 5th. Yes, I go with the banana fur and actually many people will complement me all day 😂

Shopping time on the 5th avenue!

#shopping

I am... exhausted now ^^ I stop by a Starbuck for a nice "tall coconut milk cappuccino" and I walk towards Time Square to meet with my cousin. This place always impresses me. Such the image of American consumerism.

effect of new contract + shopping + banana fur on me 🤣

#TimeSquare

We go for diner in Hell's Kitchen. Everything is FOR SURE too trendy and SO hype so all the places have a one hour waiting line... We don't want to wait and we end up in a simple thai restaurant that is actually really nice and good. Anyway I believe that people make a great diner, not the restaurant!

We then go for an improvisation show at the UCB theatre. It's really nice to try out new things! I am not a big fan of American humour but I have a really nice moment.

Next stop: back to Brooklyn! Sleep is my only motivation now 💤

DAY 9:

I stay at my cousin's place with her husband and in the morning we go fo a beautiful 10km run in the Queens and along the river. The weather is perfect and I love to run with the family.

Then I need to pack because I am heading to Nicaraguaaaaaa today. I really do not realize that because I booked it only 2-3 weeks ago!

Long story short: I have a really long layover in NYC but I make the most of it and write this article!

DAY 10:

Here we are, one week after I left NYC. I am all tanned and tired 😎😂
This morning took a plane at 1am in Managua, Nicaragua, and I landed this morning in NYC so I did not really have a night.
But this is NOT an excuse not to enjoy Brooklyn!

I go directly to my cousin's place to drop my backpack and put on some warmer clothes (#backtoreality) and then we walk to Le Barricou (permanently closed since Covid) to have brunch with my cousin, her husband, and my friend Ines... I cannot wait to test their pancakes! Before that, I ordered the Eggs Florentine and they were good. BUT the best is yet to come and indeed the pancakes are HUGE and DELICIOUS. I highly recommend them ❤

Then I go for a walk with my friend in Brooklyn/Bedford avenue. I grab a coconut cappuccino (3rd coffee of the day already, imagine my state) at The West and we join a french crew for an "Easter gathering". Super nice moment.
I leave them to go to Yoga at Ski Ting Yoga near the Williamsburg bridge. The studio is really nice. The yoga sesh is not what I expected (too chill and I am so tired and a lot of shoulder opening and I cannot really move my shoulder 🤦‍♀️) but I still have a nice moment and love to practice in a new place. I go out with the sunset light/vibes so I feel grateful once again 🙏

The last step of this really long (bur great) day is a catch up / girly / tea night with my friend: perfect end to a Sunday!

(Not a lot of pics because I lost it all after my phone broke down... anyway 🙄)

DAY 11:

I was supposed to go running but... it is REALLY snowing like crazy... But it's ok... it's not like if I had a marathon in 6 days 🤦‍♀️😂
I decide to make the best of this weather: I practice my morning yoga flow, I prepare tea and I write the end of this article.

Time to pack for the airport, I still have to come back to the Nurnberg reality one day...

Once again NYC you have been amazing 🙏❤
What an incredible city. I really feel like I can be myself here, be as weird as I want and everyday have the chance to have a new enriching experience.
I will be back for some new adventures, I hope soon again! ❤