New York Winter Style

I have never been to New York in the winter before so it was interesting to see how I would cope with the weather and how my attire would shape up. I was told by a mate that fashion goes out the window when it comes to the bitter cold but I was still determined to be stylish as well as warm. So I packed my basics which comprised of black leggings. black socks, black lycra long sleeve tops along with an assortment of dresses. I also packed a few cardigans to wear on top of my dresses and brought my boots oh and of course a selection of woolly hats and scarves. It turns out that I was spot on, not only was my wardrobe functional for the cold it was also very feminine and girly girly. Well done me. As for the native New Yorkers, they did not let a deterrence called wind and snow get in the way of looking good. Part of the delights of my trip was the people watching that I got to do on the subway and on the streets of New York, (The Satorialist eat your heart out) and it all made very interesting watching.

The North Face
I first heard of this brand last year when my brother asked me to check the address of the shop as he was on the way to buy some stuff to get him through the British winter . Now my brother has very expensive taste so I knew that they did not come cheap. I could not move around New York without seeing someone in a North Face item whether it was a coat. jacket or a bag. It is quite clearly a brand to be reckoned with.

Hunters Wellies
When the snow hit yesterday these came out in full force as well as wellys from Kamik. I saw a few with the Burberry design as well and I even saw a lady donning a pair of Caterpillar Wellies and she looked mighty chic as well.

Woolly Hats
No self-respecting New Yorker is leaving their house without a hat on their head. They come in numerous colours, patterns, shapes and some even have a bobble on top. The hat that strikes me the most is the Aviator fur hat, I first saw this on Leon from Pbleepd but practically every New York guy is wearing them. I am told that they keep your ears warm. I showed a picture to little bro and he said that he loved them and needed to have one. They are also made in wool in various colours and patterns which I have seen a few ladies sporting.

Puffa Coats and Jackets
I bought my puffa coat as a last resort last year when my previous coat of many years failed me. I managed to find a great one from asos and it has served me well. However when I arrived in New York I found myself in good company because every other person has a coat like this. I have seen them short, medium, long, with snoods and hoodless. The most popular one is the Black coat with the fur trimmed hood. The type that B-boys wore in the 70s. Except now practically everyone from a hipster, to a Wall Street guy to a Park Avenue mom has one and they look great on all of them. I want one too!

Ear Muffs

I giggled when Ola from Diverse Traveller told me I would need these. Ear muffs have not been sighted since the 80s and as far as I was concerned they could stay there. Luckily I did not need them as the weather was not that extreme but apparently a few people in New York did as I spotted a few people wearing them. Some were stripy, coloured and few were in fur and to be honest they did not look that bad.

Fur Jackets

Saw a few of these about, they look wicked. I saw one lady in Starbucks (must have been a model) in a beige fur jacket along with a pleated skirt and boots. She looked divine.

Other trends that I spotted are: skinny jeans which are still going strong especially with the hipsters and stylish ladies. Ankle boots are worn more by high fashionistas who refuse to give up their heels for a bit of snow. Also there are still quite a few Uggs around but these are worn more in the milder weather and over skinny jeans and with a dress or a skirt. Another item that I saw were over the knee boots with a flat heel which not only looked practical but very stylish.

The Roommate

I know that this film is a blatant rip off of Single White Female which is a thriller that starred Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh but for some reason it really appeals to me. The Roommate is a story of Sara Webber played by Minka Kelly who is starting her first year at college and looking forward to the next few years of campus life. She is sharing a room with Rebecca Woods played by Leighton Meester and initially the two hit it off but pretty soon Sara notices Rebecca's strange behaviour and things get more and more bizarre with Sara starting to fear for her life and for those who are in her life. Why do I like this film? Well for a start it has Leighton Meester who rocks as the evil Blair Waldorf in Gossip Girl, it is a teen slasher movie which are the best kind because you know that nothing too disturbing is going to happen but it will be as gripping as hell.

The Roommate opens in the US on 4th February but a date for the UK is yet to be announced.

The Fabulous Grand Central Terminal

So today I took a trip to visit Kwana from Kwana Writes at her place in Scarsdale, Westchester which is a suburb in New York. In order to get there I had to take a train from Grand Central in Manhattan. I don't know about you but waiting for a train at a London station is not a nice experience. Cold, dirty and nowhere to sit are the words that come to mind. Well Boris could take a few tips from New York and check out the fabulous Grand Central Terminal. Here are a few facts about the famous train station; it is the largest train station in the world and is iconic because it represents the growth of NYC itself. After a train collision in 1902 this resulted in the expansion and development of the station and new electric trains. A temporary station was installed while the new station was constructed over the next ten years. The new Grand Central Terminal was opened to the public in 1913 and has hosted an art gallery, art school, movie theater, museum and various exhibitions. In 1988 the station was renovated and restored to its former glory

It is here where you head out to New York towns such as Westchester, Yonkers and White Plains. The real name of the station is Grand Central Terminal but it gained the name Grand Central when people started abbreviating it. After the revamp the station now has a rather classical feel to it; high ceilings give a light and airy feel with marble flooring and the whole place gleams with sheer opulence. There are also retro like sofas dotted around for passengers to relax on while they wait for their train. Also there is an eating area and eateries on sale and the tables are designed with a collage of items that represent New York. Bits of the subway map, train tickets, metro cards, train timetables and a map of upstate New York are all pulled together to represent what Grand Central is all about. Even the bins are adorned with a colourful poster with a train and a sign that says 'Welcome Aboard" Grand Central is somewhere that you are happy to spend time in as opposed to wanting to get the hell out of.

My first introduction to  the place was reading about it in Hanging Out with Cici written by Francine Pascale, the creator of Sweet Valley High. The book was about a teenage girl who gets on a train at Grand Central to visit her relatives only to go back in time. Pascale's description of the train station was very illustrative and gave me an idea of what the station is like. Grand Central has also been featured in countless films and TV shows but the film that stands out to me is Carlito"s Way where Carlito Brigante played by Al Pacino, a reformed gangster is supposed to meet the love of his life so they can leave New York and start a new life together but sadly he does not make it. Grand Central is where Carrie and Samantha set off to San Francisco for Carrie's book signing only for Samantha to develop cabin fever in their poky compartment. Of course the station is where we are introduced to Serena van der Woodsen in the first episode of Gossip Girl when she heads back to the Big Apple after a hiatus at boarding school. Good times eh. Grand Central is as fabulous as it looks on the screen.

Retro Review: Beat Street

Remember Beat Street? Maybe it is being in New York that has got me all nostalgic. Beat Street is a film set in the South Bronx that showed Hip Hop culture in its purest form. From break dancing, body popping, graffiti, DJing and rapping, it was all there. The film was released in 1984 but got overshadowed by the cheesy Breakin, which was set in LA although the latter film had the glamour and the promotional budget, Beat Street was a far superior film and is still relevant today. Beat Street is the story of Kenny played by Guy Davis, (son of Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis) an aspiring DJ and his mates, Ramon played by Jon Chardiet who is a talented graffiti artist and Chollie played by Leon W. Grant a fast talking promoter. Kenny's little brother. Lee played by Robert Taylor is a break dancer and is part of the New York City Breakers. To throw a spanner in the works, Kenny meets and falls for Tracy, played by Rae Dawn Chong who is a music student from a more privileged background. The film shows the characters all striving to meet their dreams in a city that is plagued by inner crime, violence and poverty.  The film was produced by Harry Belafonte and directed by Stan Lathan. All the characters were relateble and the actors put in fantastic performances.

Aside from the gritty story lines which were very realistic, judging the state of NYC which was coming out of depression and starting to embrace the wonder of hip hop, the music scenes are really entertaining. Especially the battles between Lee's breakdance crew and the Rock Steady Crew, they were well constructed and blended very well into the story. The celebrity line up is impressive with performances by Afrika Bambaataa, & The Soul Sonic Force Doug E Fresh, Treacherous Three, Jazzy Jay, Magnificent Force, Grandmaster Melle Mel and the Furious Five. What stood out to me was the soundtrack which is amazing and has some wonderful tracks from the artists who performed in the movie.  I still have my raggedy VHS copy which I bought years ago but you can watch the whole film on You Tube.