Uptown Girl.

            Whenever I tell someone that I live on the Upper West Side, I usually get some variation of the same reaction: “but isn’t it really… quiet up there?” And truthfully it is a bit removed from the rest of the city. It’s easily the most suburban New York City neighborhood, that’s for sure. Local hot spots include the movie theater, Trader Joes, and secluded neighborhood eateries.

Minus toddlers and newborns, my roommate and I are the youngest people in our building by about a decade and probably the only ones without a pet. The Manhattan of trendy bars and loud clubs that populate downtown seem like a million miles away, despite that fact that it’s a mere 50 blocks of separation. Even though it can be a trek when the weather drops into single-digits, it’s nice to have that degree of separation from the craziness, even if it is mostly psychological.

It’s healthy to be able to detach yourself from the 24/7 environment happening below 42^nd street. Essentially it is a natural antidote for that pesky FOMO (i.e. thinking about where I could be going, who I could be hanging out with, or whatever trendy new restaurant/bar/club I could be at…)

            Obviously I live in the city for a reason and I know that if clocking in TV time and going to Chipotle was all I was after, I would be much better off in a smaller town (and doing so for a heck of a lot cheaper!) No, like all New Yorkers, I crave excitement and new experiences. But at the end of a long day it’s nice to be able to shut it all off. And hey, if I ever get bored The Standard is just five stops away…

coat: Burberry

cardigan: asos

shirt: topshop

shoes & skirt: zara

socks: american apparel