Wendy Brandes Jewelry Blog

Never Is the Next New Thing

Bloggers Invade the Upper West Side

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Gorgeous blogger Lisa is visiting the capital of the world, so I decided to shake things up by taking her to the Upper West Side of Manhattan instead of doing the typical downtown/midtown tourism scene. I figured I’d share our itinerary in case any of you want to follow it in the future.

First, we visited the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine, which is one of the largest cathedrals in the world. The cathedral is almost finished with reconstruction necessitated by a fire in 2001; it will be rededicated on November 30. We really enjoyed the stained glass windows which have both religious and secular themes. The “Communication” window, for instance, includes images of both the Gutenberg Bible and a black and white TV. The “Military” window has Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee. Lisa noticed an adorable skeleton in the border of the “Medical” window.

Lisa outside Saint John the Divine

Then we took a look at the nearby campus of Columbia University, my alma mater.

Lisa strikes a pose in front of Low Library on the Columbia campus.
The threatening clouds went on to produce a tiny amount of hail or sleet.

An MBA student who passed by offered to take a photo of us together.

I’m wearing a vintage coat I’ve had since about 1993

After that it was time for shopping! I took Lisa to Allan & Suzi‘s vintage/resale store, which is where I got the coat I’m wearing in the photo above. Allan & Suzi is stuffed with great clothes.

It’s a little overwhelming at first.

I was entranced by crazy vintage shoes with what looked like Easter Island heads for heels.

Click photo to enlarge.

Allan introduced me to designer Jeremy Scott, who came in to take a look around. Good strategy. I’m not sure I would have bought the unusual vintage suit I was trying on if Jeremy hadn’t said how great it looked. Lisa got two skirts.

Lisa with Allan of Allan & Suzi fame.

Shopping can make you hungry, so we went to Nice Matin, just a block away, for dinner and drinks. Believe it or not, I got carded AGAIN with a blogger as a witness. (Previous cardings were with Deja Pseu and ENC.) It would be more flattering to be carded if the waiters didn’t invariably scream “Oh my God! 1967!” upon looking at my ID. Anyway, after dinner we went across the street to McAleer’s Pub, where Lisa’s charming friend Mark met us for a last drink.

I showed off my newest jewelry designs to Lisa and Mark, and Lisa showed off the silver bracelet she’s worn since age six. SIX!!! (The bracelet is expandable and was originally made for Lisa’s mother, so it’s quite the family heirloom at this point.)

Lisa’s bracelet

Mark and Lisa’s YouTube recommendations were sad Kermit and Dennis Quaid on the Ellen show. Check them out! You’ll laugh.

I hope I’ll get to see Lisa again before she goes back home to Vancouver. We had a great time.

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Comments

  1. Hi there-oh lucky Lisa, it sounds like you both had a fantastic time and of course with shopping in the equation, the day is just perfect!

  3. this sounds like the perfect day,from vintage shopping to jewellery to yummy food. how chic is the coat you were wearing. funny enough i love the crazy vintage shoes you tried on in the shop!
    xx
    marian

  4. I would have bought those shoes in a second! Allan wasn’t really interested in selling them except for serious money. I can understand that. I have some pieces like that. They’re so unique they’re irreplaceable, so you only want to sell them if it’s going to be an exceptional price to make up for the pain of losing them.

  5. Saint John the Divine is one of my favourite pieces of architecture in the world. I used to love to visit there when I was living in NYC…the coolest thing about it is that it’s one of the few places in the world where they still teach ages old methods of hand stone carving, and because it’s still under construction, you can go there one week and there will be a blank stone wall, and then the next week there will be a gorgeous carving in its place!

    It’s amazing around the holiday season, and I hear it’s fab at Halloween too!

    Sigh…now I’m feeling all nostalgic 🙂

  9. What people would find most shocking is that WendyB owns and operates her own red double decker bus. It’s the perfect thing for when bloggers stumble in hoping for a tour.

  10. Those shoes do look like Easter Island.

    What a fun day you two had! I bet it felt good to get carded, you youngster.

  13. Allan & Suzi looks like the most awesome store ever! The easter island heels are workds of art. 🙂

  16. that little red coat is so wonderful, and this sounds like the most perfect kind of day. and those shoes…wow, wow, wow, they are amazing!

  19. You didn’t buy the Easter Island shoes, did you?? Your day as tour guide looks like a lot of fun.

  20. Those are really crazy shoes, I love the idea of visiting vintage stores instead of window shopping on some new ones

  21. ah, 1967, a good year, I know it well! Those shoes are incredible. And I love your vintage jacket.

  24. Can you suggest any places to see at Columbia U. that are not on the typical campus tour itinerary? Next week I am taking Chiclette on college visits throughout the region.

    Karen in Paris

  27. What a wonderful day you both had!

    And btw:

    I too was born in 1967 (and yes I still get carded – yay!)

    I live on the UWS, right across from Allan & Suzi as a matter of fact

    Thanks for introducing me to this cool blogger, and for taking me on a trip around my own neighborhood!

  29. I love to see you offer such hospitality to bloggers!!! The UWS is my old stomping grounds! Brought my first baby home to 154 W. 70th Street! When I come, I’m calling you up Wendy cuz I want you to take me to that vintage store! So jalouse!

  30. Wow~ I'm going yo have to check out Allan & Suzi's! It looks amazing. I haven't explored much of the UWS, but now I am going to give it a second look. Mostly I haven't gone because it's really the furthest Manhattan neighborhood from Williamsburg (where I live). Want to come to Brooklyn sometime?

  32. Chicamericaine, do you want to meet up so I can show you around a bit when you’re doing your Columbia tour?

  34. Reading that made me miss living there (but I lived in the west village):( AND I missed visiting my friends there this summer so now it’s been TWO WHOLE YEARS!

  36. Wow – what fun. One day I’ll get back to NY.

    Last time I was in the US I was 33 and in Chicago, and I kept getting carded. Because I come from a country where they never ask your age (well not when you’re over 25 anyway), I never carry ID. In the end I just kept showing the bouncers on the door my grey roots and they’d let me in.

  37. What a fun day! It was super nice of you to show her such a great time. 🙂

    Robyn
    ChichisaysRobyn.blogspot.com