Yesterday was a quiet day spent at home getting Jane organised to catch her evening flight home, and then putting the apartment back together after her visit. We did have a local brunch at the chat grill - good eggs Benedict and homemade lemonade.

Today finds me in soho. There are a lot of interesting shops in this area, including a few familiar names from australia who have their new york store in this funky area. The moma design store has an outpost and they always have lovely things. I was thrilled to see the classic kiwi tomato sauce bottle featured - it is an iconic design after all. The streets are narrow and busy, but a film crew has squeezed their trailers and equipment into one if the streets, it must be so hard to film on location here.

I'm having lunch at the Dutch, a highly regarded restaurant that has simple american food done well, from a classic oyster bar selection, salads, whisky based cocktails and pies (the sweet kind). I'm given a savoury cornbread loaf to start, while I wait for my chicory pear and ham salad and homemade fries. When they arrive they are huge, although they are meant to be starters, the salad in particular is really good.

I get quite distracted walking the streets of soho to my real destination, the merchant house museum. I stop into Donna Karan and a cashmere and silk dress and pair of shoes later I leave. The clothes are much cheaper than home but are still expensive, but they are quality pieces. FCUK is having a good sale and I pick up a black top. I'm only glad Jane wasn't here to be tempted.

The museum is great, it's the only original town house preserved in original condition left in manhattan (and was occupied and turned into a museum by one family). Their original belongings and furniture fill the house. There are two lovely women running the museum who are happy to chat for a while, then you are given a self guided folder of information that you are encouraged to sit down and read in the rooms and soak up the atmosphere. The house has two distinguishing features - it has the only restored servants floor in New York and is also said to be the most haunted house in New York.