Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Six months




I can't quite believe that as of last Monday we have been in New York six whole months!

Unfortunately I still call it the tube, still have to use every inch of my brain to write the date correctly, still have faintly scruffy fingernails and definitely still scream every time I see a rat.

So not quite a New Yorker yet. 
Especially this week as the start of summer has made me look exactly like the Scottish tourist I am (think sunburnt scalp, legs covered in mossie bites, desperate to moan about the humidity to anyone who'll listen...)

But, I am beginning to feel that familiarity with the city you never get as a tourist. 
I know which end of the tube (er, Subway) to get on for which exit, I get annoyed at tourists walking too slowly along the bottom of Central Park, I've pretty much mastered American spelling and am slowly, slowly weaning myself off converting everything to £ and Celsius in my head...

All in all I'm pretty excited at where we're at six months in to our adventure. Properly living, working and enjoying our new city.

And still excited enough about being here that we continue to take cheesy, touristy photos at every opportunity!

Friday, May 18, 2012

The start of summer

Things have gotten a lot busier round here now we're both working full time. Thankfully the evenings have been long and light and the weekends have been sunny. 

Just a few photos of the past couple of weeks and our first real taste of summer...



Monday, May 7, 2012

New York dogs


I know it's a cliche that Brits are pet-crazy but I actually think New Yorkers take it several steps further. It seems like everyone here has a dog (despite the fact that nobody has a garden) and they completely dote on them.


I was already dreaming of life with a puppy before we moved and New York has definitely made me more dog crazy than ever. 
So here are some of my attempts at NYC canine street photography/anthropology...


New York dogs have extensive wardrobes (usually involving lots of pink)...

They always seem to welcome attention from strangers on the street...

When they wear little orange jackets it means they're looking to be adopted 
(super tempting)...

They take their skincare regime very seriously...

They have their own parks....

And their own spa hotels (seriously)...

And doggy camps...

And even their own food trucks...

They often travel in packs...

They are totally relaxed about riding the Subway...


They love a lazy Saturday morning at Chelsea Antiques Garage...

They come in a surprising range of sizes, I have seen many dogs as large as the average Manhattan apartment (this one here is waiting for a chicory latte in Park Slope)...

They can often be seen playing in pet shop windows (which I suspect is a horrible business I want to know nothing more about)...


They seem to enjoy the New York winter despite some totally unnecessary raincoats and boots...
They wait patiently outside shops and sushi bars around the city....

And wait at home for their dog walker or owners to return...

They make excellent shopping assistants...


They often (more often than you might like to imagine) are too pampered to walk...


They can calmly navigate crazy New York traffic... 


And like all New Yorkers they will never turn down a free accessory 
(last Sunday every dog on the Upper West Side was wearing a purple neck scarf to support the American Cancer Society's 'bark for life' campaign)


And if you want to see more New York dogs (and even some cats) our friend Patrick is much better at capturing them than me!