New York

From top to bottom: Brooklyn Bridge, Chelsea Market, Malcolm at Manzo in Eataly, Financial District, macaroons from Laduree, Williamsburg Bridge

You know how Carrie spends all her money on shoes...well I spent all my money on food. There were definitely shoes purchased, but cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery and macaroons from Lauderee and all the Italian you could imagine from Eataly just really did it for me. This is a serious foodies city. Obviously the shopping is excellent, especially if you hit up the outlet malls- I went to Woodbury Common and it was everything your little Wang, Rag and Bone and Saint Laurent filled hearts could imagine.  

Back to the food. Eataly is a gourmet supermarket/bottleshop/cafe/bar that has a corresponding restaurant for each section. For instance, seafood where the fish is sold, a vegetarian joint where the veggies are sold...you get the picture. My favourites were Manzo, where the meals showcase meat, and Birreria, where the food is scrumptious and there is about 100 kinds of beers to choose from. It's also 10 stories up with an impressive view of Midtown. Try breakfast at Cafe Gitane, the burger at The Mercer, and definitely go for drinks at Apotheke where the cocktails are categorised by medicinal purposes, for instance aphrodisiacs, soothers or energy boosters. The only way to get there is to find the little chemistry beaker sign above a shady doorway down an alley in Chinatown. The sneakiness means its quiet and filled with locals in the know or tourists like me who have done their research.

My favourite day here was spent walking across the Brooklyn Bridge and foraging through the flea market. It was huge and filled with treasures, old and new, as well as more food (I had a sticky date trifle and would go back for that sole reason). Getting a cab on this side of the bridge is hard so wear your comfy shoes. We could've easily spent two days in Brooklyn without seeing all that was worth seeing, but that was the case with most of the places. The Chelsea Market was another stand out, as was shopping along Bleeker.

11 days in New York was a good amount of time, any less and you'll miss out on great stuff, but i would've liked an extra 5 days or so to really get to know the place. It isn't huge, but it is packed with something interesting in every little nook and cranny. We stayed in two places, one in Midtown and then in Soho, which turned out to be smart because you can explore different parts with minimum cab fares and confusing subway routes. Don't be stingy, save more than you think you'll want as money gets spent quickly. You don't want to leave wishing you could have treated yourself to one more of the hatted restaurants scattered around Manhattan. Oh and don't forget the insanely cheap Manolos at the Macy's sale.