A Morning Routine

I’ve started a new morning routine, and it’s been a game changer. I’m a weekday early-to-bed, early-to-rise person and would hit my laptop for work about 6 a.m. I justified this as being a good way to get a jumpstart on projects and put out any fires before most people started their own workdays.

But this was actually a pretty lousy way to start the morning. And weirdly enough, I accidentally fell into a change. Nate and I spent the month of July in Italy and started our mornings with a very long walk—mostly to help combat all of the pasta and wine we consumed. And then—I just sort of kept it going when we got back. Now, I chug a cup of coffee while making sure I’m caught up on emails and then walk out the door by 7 a.m. This gives me about two hours to walk the loop at Central Park.

Studies have shown that walking at least 30 minutes per day is enough to reap significant physical and emotional benefits. And can I tell you that this has made a huge impact on my daily mindset. I know that I’m very lucky to have this privilege of free time, but if I had to wake up even earlier to get this done, I think I would. During my walk, I listen to podcasts (today, I listened to one about the chemistry of hyaluronic acid and a WTF interview with Christina Ricci) or just zone to music and enjoy this nature-y part of our neighborhood.

PS: I love this NYT article on how to level up your daily walk. I can’t wait to try Nordic Walking this winter.

Yoga in the Park is Back at Carl Schurz

With Central Park at our footsteps, it sometimes feels as if Carl Schurz plays second fiddle. But we can love both! One of my favorite things to do is walk along the park promenade early in the morning—it’s such a great way to start the day. And in the evening, the guy blasting out jams near the dog park is pretty cool, too. Plus, it’s a great place for picnic.

Aside from al fresco dining and art shows and free tango classes, Carl Schurz is also home to yoga in the park, put on by New York Yoga. This activity was recently on pause, but I emailed the general happiness manager (what a fun title) at New York Yoga to learn that they’ll will be coming back on October 5 for outdoor classes on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays at 8 a.m. If walking in the park is a nice way to start the day, yoga with views of the East River is even better.

You can sign up online at New York Yoga, and if you’re too late for online registration, you can always call the studio, 212-439-9642 or email, class@newyorkyoga.com to join a class.

UES Gem: John Jay Public Swimming Pool

Have you been to John Jay pool? Located on the East River at 77/78th Street in John Jay Park, the outdoor pool was opened in 1940, and it feels like an almost-secret hidden gem.

A lot of people scoff when I tell them how much I love New York City public pools, but I feel like they’re missing out. It’s the ideal place to cool off when the weather turns hot and humid. Plus, it’s free, clean, and has lap swimming.

Last Friday, a friend and I went to John Jay and it was lovely. We got to the pool about 10:30 am and were the third people in line; a good thing because due to the lifeguard shortage, the pool was allowing only 75-ish people and was at 1/3 capacity. That said, we were able to snag a couple of chaise lounges and have plenty of space to dip into the cool water.

John Jay pool overlooks the East River and is surrounded by gorgeous city views. The crowd is mostly made up of families and older folks (a few that were wearing lipstick while they swam!), who all seem to know each other.

One thing to note: New York City public pools have a mind-boggling set of rules: You must bring a padlock for your belongings. You can bring a towel, sunscreen, a white t-shirt, a water bottle, and books or magazines. You cannot bring a cell phone onto the pool deck, or any food.

John Jay’s olympic- and intermediate-sized outdoor pools will remain open through Sunday, September 11.

GLWD’s Race to Deliver 2022

Have you heard of God’s Love We Deliver? It’s not a religious outfit as the name would imply, but a nonprofit organization on a mission to improve the health and well-being of those living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other serious illnesses by alleviating hunger and malnutrition. They prepare and deliver nutritious, high-quality meals to people who, because of their illness, are unable to provide or prepare meals for themselves. The amazing organization also provide illness-specific nutrition education and counseling to their clients, families, and care providers.

I started volunteering with the company in 2007 when I worked at a magazine in Soho and spent my lunch breaks delivering hot meals to those living with critical illnesses. I met so many amazing people (some of whom I still keep in contact with today), and a lot of those clients were my first true portal into New York City.

And while I no longer deliver on my lunch breaks, I still work really hard to support GLWD and there’s a fun way that you can, too.

GLWD’s annual Race to Deliver is one of their largest annual fundraisers; a symbol of their daily race to ensure no one person has to face the unthinkable combination of illness and hunger. This fall, the 29th-annual Race to Deliver is held in Central Park on November 20th at 8am and is a 4-mile walk/run. I really like this race because it’s a do-able distance and falls on such a cool and crisp time of year in NYC. It’s also a nice way to kick off the week of Thanksgiving with an act of kindness. For more info on GLWD and to register for the race, visit their website here.

My Experience Running the New York City Marathon

Post-race pic.

I ran the New York City Marathon with my husband in 2018 and it was pretty incredible, which seems like a strange statement considering it’s a 26.2-mile run. I should start by saying that I’ve been running for a long time, but I’m super slow and not-at-all competitive. If I can do it, anyone can do it.

Training for a marathon sucks up a lot of your social life, but I can’t say that I hated it. Yes, I missed wine-fueled weekend dinners and fun brunches, but doing something healthy on a Saturday morning and working towards such a lofty goal was a good way to shake things up.

We were in New Orleans during the final legs of training, which meant running 20 miles in NOLA…in August. I would 100 percent not recommend. The only saving grace was that on actual marathon day, we stayed cool almost the entire time as our body was acclimated to hell-ish temps.

Waiting for the race to start…

On marathon day, we got to the site four hours early and spent the morning huddled together in a corner eating things like a banana, bagel, etc and drinking some water.

We read the paper, stretched, and basically just waited around, mostly being nervous. When it was time to line up, Nate and I started the race together at a relaxed pace for the first 5 miles, which helped to shake out the nerves and was a nice way to start our first marathon.

Nate during the race.

The next 17 miles were a blur of exhilaration (and probably exhaustion). I definitely recommend putting your name on the last layer of your clothing because hearing total strangers cheer for you is about the best thing ever, and really helps you to push through any tough miles. Something that’s really nice about living in the city where you run a marathon is having friends along the route. We saw people we knew in each borough, and they always seemed to be there when I needed a serious boost. I think my favorite part of the entire marathon was when I reached our neighborhood on the Upper East Side, running up 1st avenue—the crowds were so amazing and it was fantastic to be running such an iconic race in our own neighborhood.

I had received so many great tips during my training, and my favorite was to dedicate specific miles to loved ones as you struggle, especially at the end. For me, this didn’t come until mile 25, which I dedicated in my head to my mom. I thought about how she always has a positive attitude no matter what the circumstance entails, and I really tried to do the same at that moment. I dedicated 26 to my late dad. I know that he would have loved to have been there to cheer me on. While not the most sentimental person, this was a really nice way to end the race. The last .2 miles were a rush and the huge crowds helped to usher me over the finish line. After, we put on our fancy foil capes and walked to a bar to celebrate with friends.

UES Gem: Tisane Pharmacy

With CVS stores on every corner, it’s fun to find an old-school pharmacy in New York City—and support a local business at the same time. Tisane, located on 86th Street, between 2nd and 3rd feels almost like a French pharmacy in that they carry a small and select number of speciality products like Nuxe, Bioderma, Avene etc. The staff behind the pharmacy counter is really helpful and most definitely feels like a small business. I was recently prescribed Retin-A and one of the employees behind the counter worked to get the price down for me, without even having to ask. But what I love most about this small shop is that it serves as a cafe. The word tisane, translates from French to tea., and here you’ll find tons of loose leaf tea blends, in addition to speciality coffee drinks, smoothies, Italian sodas, egg creams, and fresh-daily pastries from Balthazar. It’s not uncommon to see a few folks sitting at one of the small interior cafe tables, sipping a tea, and reading the paper. How lovely is that?

My Favorite Blowout on the Upper East Side

Getting a blowout is such a splurge and a treat. I’ve tried a lot of salons on the Upper East Side and my favorite of all is neither (too) expensive or fancy, but they do the absolute best blowout. The Keratinbar on 85th between 3rd and Lex is definitely no frills. They specialize in Keratin treatments, but I’ve been only for a blowout, which consists of a shampoo/condition and then a blow dry with only a round brush—no heat tools here. I tried this salon because I had some Classpass credits to burn and was so happy with the style that I came back again and again. If you’re into big, bouncy curls (as apposed to, say beach waves), this is a great option. I’ve also found that if you book online, you’ll often get 50% off. Tell me: Where’s your favorite place for a blowout on the Upper East Side?