It's a little cooler today due to extreme weather being experienced in the middle states of America - they have had snowstorms and tornadoes, we are going to get some of that cooler weather here and some rain to go with it. I'm using another of my museum memberships today - this time exploring the lower east side with the help of the Tenement museum. I will be doing a neighbourhood walking tour, followed by a sweatshop tour. When you first emerge from the sub...

Around here..... I decide to have a mooching day around Scarsdale and the apartment! After 5 days here I have fallen into a routine .... Mornings are relaxed, a chance to catch up on the days news on tv with a cup of tea and breakfast - fruit, siggis Swedish yogurt and toast. I may be on holiday but housework still needs to be done - dishes washed, beds made and floors vacuumed. It's another hot day, so I walk away from the village around the streets of scarsd...

I joined the MET before I left Australia as I knew I would be a frequent visitor to this amazing museum. It is so huge and diverse you really do have to do it over a few visits, otherwise you get art overkill - oh another Monet! The subway comes out at 86th street on the upper east side, and the first thing you notice is the very expensive looking buildings with their canopied entrances manned by smart doormen, then you notice the shopping opportunities! Dean a...

It's a gorgeous day and I feel in the mood for NY icons and shopping. Today I'm going to explore midtown with all it's famous sites and then succumb to retail therapy. First up a walk around the Chrysler building, and then inside the foyer to admire the beautiful lobby and the wood inlay elevator doors. It is all offices, which is a shame, image how beautiful an apartment would be overlooking the nickel gargoyles. Then onto the New York State library. It's smal...

It's a mild sunny day, perfect for exploring a new neighbourhood. Brooklyn is huge so I'm just going to pick an area! The lonely planet has mapped out a walking route that covers the new Brooklyn bridge park and then some of the architecture highlights so that seems a good place to begin. I start with brunch at Vinegar hill cafe - brunch is hugely popular on the weekends and is served as an all day breakfast menu. Vinegar hill is a dodgy poor part of Brooklyn...