[This summer a dream internship with Lucky magazine moved me from Austin, Texas, where I’ve spent all 21 years of my life, to New York City for the summer. Come along for the ride and follow me through this column as I take on all that the city has in store for me. I’ll share tips I’ve picked up along the way about everything from how to pack (stop, drop and roll people!) to dating to fitting in (or standing out) and so much more.]

My summer in the city had officially come to an end and by the time you’re reading this, I will be back in my hometown, probably eating a home-cooked meal and driving my car with reckless abandon on the highway. (God, I missed driving.) Though I’m excited to be home, I couldn’t help but feel a rush of sadness as my cab led me out of the city, toward LaGuardia airport and toward life after New York.

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[This summer a dream internship with Lucky magazine moved me from Austin, Texas, where I’ve spent all 21 years of my life, to New York City for the summer. Come along for the ride and follow me through this column as I take on all that the city has in store for me. I’ll share tips I’ve picked up along the way about everything from how to pack (stop, drop and roll people!) to dating to fitting in (or standing out) and so much more.]

When you walk up and down Wall Street, it’s easy to believe that men clad in Thomas Pink attached to their Blackberries run this city. But take a note from Beyoncé and paint the town red (or pink) because girls? Yeah, we run the world and the town.

Tip #33 – Ladies’ Night really does exist. And it’s fabulous.

I was surprised to find out that a good number or bars and restaurants in the city still have ladies’ night drink specials. Sure, the feminist in me felt a little offended but the college girl on a budget (and unpaid internship) couldn’t help but be ecstatic. Ladies’ night isn’t exactly the best place to meet guys seeing as how there really aren’t many around so embrace it and grab your best girls to gossip or vent about work, your boyfriends, your mothers. A simple search on Yelp for “ladies’ night” will yield enough options to try out or check out the guide on Murphguide.com for specials listed by day. Just remember, just because the drinks are cheap doesn’t mean you need to attempt to drink all the liquor they have. Keep it classy ladies…well not too classy! Read More »

[This summer a dream internship with Lucky magazine moved me from Austin, Texas, where I’ve spent all 21 years of my life, to New York City for the summer. Come along for the ride and follow me through this column as I take on all that the city has in store for me. I’ll share tips I’ve picked up along the way about everything from how to pack (stop, drop and roll people!) to dating to fitting in (or standing out) and so much more.]

There’s nothing quite as sweet as a summer love. Summer flings happen at the best time, on the cusp of classes ending when summer fearlessness sets in. Throw the city into that equation and the possibilities really are endless. So spend your free time this summer on dates that you’ll remember even if the guy was less than memorable.

Tip #29 – Reach new heights.

Can’t help but roll your eyes when you hear about how a girl got proposed to on the top of the Eiffel Tower? Believe me, I’m right there with you, and yet somehow a date at Top of the Rock just feels so right. It doesn’t have to be cheesy! Spend an unreasonable amount of time in the control room, where the neon lights are controlled by your body movement and challenge your date to a dance-off. I suggest you go at night when the city really comes alive, and see if you can find your apartment roofs hiding in between the thousands of twinkling lights from the top of Rockefeller Center. It doesn’t have to be cliché and romantic as long as you’re both having fun. After you visit the top, grab a drink at the bar in the plaza where the famous skating rink resides in the wintertime. Read More »

[This summer a dream internship with Lucky magazine moved me from Austin, Texas, where I’ve spent all 21 years of my life, to New York City for the summer. Come along for the ride and follow me through this column as I take on all that the city has in store for me. I’ll share tips I’ve picked up along the way about everything from how to pack (stop, drop and roll people!) to dating to fitting in (or standing out) and so much more.]

Go To Brooklyn…Because All The Cool Kids Are Doing It

Coming from Austin, where hipster kids love to roam the streets on their bikes, wearing their most vintage pearl-snap button-downs and jorts and listening to the best bands are ones no one has ever heard of, I knew Brooklyn would be a little taste of home. Sure Brooklyn is hipster, but it’s also beautiful, vibrant and perfectly laid-back.

Here’s my perfect Saturday in Brooklyn:

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[This summer a dream internship with Lucky magazine moved me from Austin, Texas, where I’ve spent all 21 years of my life, to New York City for the summer. Come along for the ride and follow me through this column as I take on all that the city has in store for me. I’ll share tips I’ve picked up along the way about everything from how to pack (stop, drop and roll people!) to dating to fitting in (or standing out) and so much more.]

It’s safe to say that coming from the land of Thirsty Thursday nights, where $5 liquor pitchers and $1 beers reign, to the land of $12 mixed well drinks has been an adjustment. It’s enough to wonder whether the experience from my unpaid internship is worth as I dish out more cash in one night than I do in a month at the bars from my university town. Of course I love my internship, but my drinking habit is hard to maintain in the city.

Tip #22 – Scope out bars by the universities around town.

Lately my friends and I have been spending our weekends (and some of our weeknights) at the bars around St. Marks Place because, whether the atmosphere is pleasant or not, the drinks are cheap. At The Continental $10 buys you five shots of anything and when you’re living on next to nothing, you cant be picky about minor details like the douchebag drenched in Cool Water pressed up against your back. We passed the NYU flags draped on buildings as we made our way to the street of bars. Though the ambiance doesn’t fit the hipster NYU stereotype- opting for more of a frat-tastic vibe instead- we were perfectly happy doing the stanky leg with our $4 drinks in hand…regardless of the fact that every guy was wearing the same Polo, just in different colors. Overall, you get what you pay for and most of the time, the value (judging by our BAC levels by the end of the night) is worth it. Read More »

[This summer a dream internship with Lucky magazine moved me from Austin, Texas, where I’ve spent all 21 years of my life, to New York City for the summer. Come along for the ride and follow me through this column as I take on all that the city has in store for me. I’ll share tips I’ve picked up along the way about everything from how to pack (stop, drop and roll people!) to dating to fitting in (or standing out) and so much more.]

A little over a month in the city and just when I feel like slowly but surely the things on my mental to-do-in-New-York list are being crossed off, I think of yet another “must-see” city sight.

Tip #19 – Make a list of the things you want to do before you leave the city. No, actually write it down.

Some of the things topping my list right now are visiting the top of the Empire State building, scoring tickets to Shakespeare In The Park and tracking down the famous Carrie Bradshaw walk-up apartment steps. Writing down my New York wish list (in pink gel pen) as cheesy as it feels really is the best way to ensure you experience everything you hoped to. I tucked my list in my wallet and when I had a few hours to kill a few days ago, I pulled it out and luckily a gelato place recommended by a friend was just a quick subway ride away. The last thing I want is head back home at the end of the summer and kick myself for not having done something so quintessentially New York as going to the Statue of Liberty. Sidebar: Most of the things of your list also make great first dates with a new guy you meet. Read More »

[This summer a dream internship with Lucky magazine moved me from Austin, Texas, where I’ve spent all 21 years of my life, to New York City for the summer. Come along for the ride and follow me through this column as I take on all that the city has in store for me. I’ll share tips I’ve picked up along the way about everything from how to pack (stop, drop and roll people!) to dating to fitting in (or standing out) and so much more.]

In the shuffle of moving and getting settled in the city this summer, I lost the balance of the healthy lifestyle I led through the school year. With my gym back home not having any branches near my place in New York and full workdays that left me exhausted at the end of the day, I was getting restless.

Tip #15 – Take a day trip to cure your fitness itch.

If you’re anything like me, you need to switch up your fitness routine with things that don’t actually feel like fitness. If you’re sick of walking the streets of New York and need a respite from hot air up your skirt courtesy of subway grates, take a day trip outside of the city. Long Island is the perfect day trip if the city has you forgetting what a sunset looks like and it’s only an hour train ride away. A $21 ticket will score you a round trip ticket to the beach as well as an all-day beach pass. Get active on the beach by running, playing a few rounds of beach volleyball and even if sunbathing is more your style, exploring the town for adorable boutiques by foot will be a workout in itself. Bonus – you can bring a cooler to the beach stocked with guilt-free snacks. Read More »

[This summer a dream internship with Lucky magazine moved me from Austin, Texas, where I’ve spent all 21 years of my life, to New York City for the summer. Come along for the ride and follow me through this column as I take on all that the city has in store for me. I’ll share tips I’ve picked up along the way about everything from how to pack (stop, drop and roll people!) to dating to fitting in (or standing out) and so much more.]

There a few things about New York I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to, like the inexplicably constant reek of urine it the subway and, maybe it’s just because I’m from Texas, but where I come from horse cops demand respect and are not meant to be pet by tourists. Every time I pass by the cops on horseback in Times Square and see tourists gleefully petting these horses, I can’t help but wonder how people in this city are okay with their tax dollars going toward novelty horse cops. But believe it or not there are some things I have gotten used to, like checking out local event sites to see what’s going on in the city daily. Read More »

[This summer a dream internship with Lucky magazine moved me from Austin, Texas, where I’ve spent all 21 years of my life, to New York City for the summer. Come along for the ride and follow me through this column as I take on all that the city has in store for me. I’ll share tips I’ve picked up along the way about everything from how to pack (stop, drop and roll people!) to dating to fitting in (or standing out) and so much more.]

When a friend came to visit me in the city this past weekend, I really wanted to show her a good time while also doing some quintessential New York things. The weekend was a whirlwind to say the least but I definitely learned a lot.

Tip #9 – Take advantage of student rush discount pricing for tickets.

As former show choir nerds my friend and I knew we wanted to see a musical while she was in town but when it came to buying tickets we were both completely confused on how to nab the cheapest tickets. Luckily, one of my roommates, who’s currently interning for a musical theatre company, had no problem shining a spotlight on discounted tickets. Instead of waiting in line at TKTS in Times Square, like my friend and I had planned, my roommate told us to use Playbill.com to see if the show we wanted to see had a student rush deal. Sure enough, Catch Me If You Can was running a $27 student rush sale and all we had to do was get to the box office when it opened to buy our tickets for a show that night. Even if the website doesn’t disclose it, be sure to bring cash to pay for your ticket as many box offices only accept cash for student rush tickets. The seat location wasn’t exactly prime but we had no obstructing views from our balcony seats. We walked out of the theater thoroughly satisfied with the show and the price.

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[This summer a dream internship with Lucky magazine moved me from Austin, Texas, where I’ve spent all 21 years of my life, to New York City for the summer. Come along for the ride and follow me through this column as I take on all that the city has in store for me. I’ll share tips I’ve picked up along the way about everything from how to pack (stop, drop and roll people!) to dating to fitting in (or standing out) and so much more.]

Tip #6 – Starbucks runs a great refill program so save your cup!

If you’re anything like me, your coffee addiction can be especially financially crippling as you dish out $4 after $4. So it came to my surprise when someone in the city told me how he was scoring his coffee without dishing any green. After moving to one of the most expensive cities in the world, I’m always on the look out for deals and steals and I’m willing to bet my mother couldn’t be prouder of me right now.

Order a regular coffee or iced coffee and bring back your cup that same day for a 54 cent refill regardless of the size. And if you’re feeling particularly shameless, save your cup and rinse it out at home and bring it back the next day for even more 54 cent fun. You call it cheap but I call it clever and not to mention a great technique when it comes to saving up for that new Marc Jacobs bag.

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