In between getting settled at a new job and taking a slew of day trips (to Philadelphia of course, and to the beach pretty much every weekend), I’ve also been having a lot of fun hanging around New York City! There are always a million options for things to do in the summer, and I’m trying to take advantage of as many of them as possible. Here’s a little glimpse at the start of the season…

For the Fourth of July, I booked it out to Rockaway Beach for the day with a big group of friends and an even bigger American flag to stage photos with. It was the very first holiday since I left the 24-hour news industry, and I loved being able to celebrate without half a mind on work.

My friend Sara came to visit from Chicago, and somehow our casual lunch turned into a food tour of the East Village. This cookie is from Milk Bar, and we also ate at S’mac. Other NYC suggestions here! 

Sorry not sorry that I’ve been here over two years and I still stop to photograph pretty buildings and sunsets.

When my friend Chelsea wanted to spontaneously drop into the speakeasy Please Don’t Tell, I balked – it has a reputation for being impossible to get into. But to my surprise, we didn’t wait long on a Friday evening and enjoyed some delicious cocktails!

One of my favorite summer adventures so far was going to see the New York Philharmonic play in Central Park. They do a summer park series every year and it was great to picnic with friends, watch the sunset, hear the music and even see fireworks after.