Just back from New York City-- new finds and old favorites in SOHO and NOLITA

We stopped over in NYC on our way back from Mallorca for some family charity work, our Mom's birthday and to break up the long trip West (and our jet lag!).  We both used to live in the city and our mother and many friends still do, so it is a city full of nostalgia and new surprises for us.

Based in Soho, we confined our trip to downtown, where we normally spend most of our time.

Spending the day wandering a different neighborhood is our favorite way to be in the city -- and the weather was ridiculously perfect for our strolling.

SOHO

Start with breakfast at The Cupping Room on Broome St. & West Broadway-- we've been coming here since we were little girls and still love it.  It's spacious, sunny with skylights in the back, cozy and the menu has everything you may want.  Lucy loves the Broccoli & Brie omlette and Mary always orders the sour cream muffin (now with raspberries on top) toasted with scrambled eggs.

Our favorite stores in the neighborhood are Comptoir des Cotonniers (Spring btwn. West Broadway and Wooster) for effortless and affordable Parisian girl chic looks, Wink for trendy clothes, shoes and jewelry right next door.  Isabel Marant just opened a gorgeous store for her gorgeous (and mostly aspirational at those prices!) clothes on Broome at Greene Street, catty-corner to Catherine Malandrino who is old news but we love her feminine and flattering dresses.  Jill Stuart has reinvented herself and Mary loved her Fall/Winter collection at her store on Greene St. btwn Spring and Prince.

Intermix on Prince and Barneys Co-Op on Wooster always have great overviews and lots of merchandise that is of the moment.  Get a coffee and a sandwich or salad at Cafe Cafe on Spring St. (btwn Broome & Spring).  There's also a great little coffee and sandwich shop that opened on Wooster at Broome called Milan Luxury-- also a store, but their coffee is the best in the area.

Because the weather was so lovely, we went running along the Hudson River at sunset a few evenings-- if you head south towards Battery Park, the new park/running path is really beautiful and the views of the Statue of Liberty with the sun setting behind her are quite inspirational.  If running is not your thing, Yoga Works on Broadway & Grand is a gorgeous studio.  We loved a class we took with Jenny Arthur there who is very alignment oriented -- we felt amazing and open after her class.  Good to slow down a bit in this city that moves so quickly!

For nighttime fun in Soho we love Raoul's for a fancier dinner and Lucky Strike for a casual burger.  We checked out a new bar called 15 Thompson (located there) that was spacious with views of the city from huge windows.

The Crosby Hotel (Crosby and Spring), is fun for dinner as well as drinks.  The interior design is modern and warm all at once and there is so much to look at.  UK based Firmdale Hotels owns this newer addition downtown.

NOLITA

Just East of Soho, Nolita is no longer a discovery.  It is full of cute shops and restaurants (and people on the weekends!).  There are many well known brands that have outposts here (Calypso, Siegerson Morrison), but two of our favorite boutiques are Poppy (Mott btwn. Houston & Prince)-- which is incredibly well-edited with cute, current clothing at good price points (Parker, Lauren Moffatt, Loeffler Randall), and Henry Lehr (Prince & Mott), the best place for jeans.

Even though it has been there since the 80s, I just discovered Temple Bar on Lafayette, just north of Houston.  A beautiful, wood paneled bar, leather booths-- very cozy and old-fashioned in a good way.

Til tomorrow -- we'll share our favorite spots in the West Village and Meatpacking District...  xoxox