June 29, 2010

Beach Trip for $4.50

New York = coastal paradise? Not quite. The water may be a bit cold and not exactly crystal clear, but it can be reached for the cost of a round-trip MetroCard fare! Coney Island may be coming to mind, but I can never find a peaceful spot to put down a towel that is far enough from a trash can. So I present you with an alternative for your 4th of July weekend beach trip: Rockaway Beach.

Rockaway has the best of both worlds: it is reachable by subway and has a boardwalk, yet offers plenty of undisturbed sandy spots. Take the A train headed to Far Rockaway, then get off at Beach Channel and wait for the shuttle to Rockaway Park, which is timed to arrive immediately after the A train on the same platform. When you reach the last stop – Beach 116th Street- you have arrived! The whole trip is about 1 hour from Columbus Circle, and the 7 minute ride between Howard Beach and Beach Channel on a narrow strip of land with water on both sides is unbeatable when it comes to awesome subway rides.

View from the A train:

Alexandra Lotero (CC '12)

Depending on how far from Beach 116th Street you walk, the beach will be more or less crowded. The crowds stay near the station, but if you walk down to Beach 135th or even 125th, you can almost pretend you are sitting on your own private beach at a Caribbean resort. View of the beach from the boardwalk:

Alexandra Lotero CC '12

One-piece swimsuits are popular this season but I remain skeptical about the resulting tan line. So my pick for the perfect outfit for this beach trip is the Water-garden floral twist bandeau top and bikini bottom from J.Crew. I adore the pattern:

Credit: jcrew.com

Enjoy your beach vacation!

Alexandra Lotero

Copy Editor

posted by Alexandra Lotero (CC '12) on 06/29/10 @ 7:58 pm Comments (0)

June 21, 2010

First Day of Summer, (Officially)!

It’s the first day of summer… meaning the River to River Festival begins today!

The range of free programs is positively overwhelming to someone determined to have the best New York summer as inexpensively as possible: dance, music, theater, and movie screenings… Download the complete program here.

The event I’m most looking forward to a roving production of Much Ado About Nothing in Battery Park. Sound familiar to any King’s Crown Shakespeare Troupe fans?

Tomorrow I will be checking out the Eroica Trio for free at the World Financial Center Winter Garden.

My pick for the perfect dress to wear on these humid summer nights: a backless dress, like this one:

Credit: ModCloth.com

See you there! Next week: Fourth of July weekend beach escapes for the price of a round trip MetroCard fare.

Alexandra Lotero

Copy Editor

posted by Alexandra Lotero (CC '12) on 06/21/10 @ 10:11 pm Comments (0)
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Diary of a High-End Bargain Hunter

‘Tis the season of department store blowouts, especially at those ever-alluring 5th Avenue fashion landmarks.

Under the pretense of searching for a last minute father’s day gift, I arrived at Bergdorf Goodman on sunny Sunday afternoon. And yes, it was the women’s side of the street. So much for that pretense.

Riding the not-nearly-air-conditioned-enough elevator, I became nostalgic for my first such summer sale shopping experience. In one fell swoop I came out with a pair of of petal-inspired, teal Moschino sandals at 65% off and a high-waisted, yacht-ready Marc by Marc Jacobs skirt in navy with gold buttons for a $100. I’ve never received more wardrobe compliments than on these two pieces. High-end bargain hunter success!

With these designer visions dancing in my eyes, I stepped off the escalator at floor 2.  This time did not look so promising—the happy red numbers were in the 30s range instead of the 65 and the racks were filled with one too many grandma kitten heel.

And then I spotted it- a red satin, prep toe Christian Louboutin (30% off of $775) looking lonely on the sale rack of just my size. Could my life-long (well, nearly) red-soled dream actually be realized? I slipped the piece of artwork on and instantly experienced…

Allison Malecha (CC’13)

…awkward pain in my squished right pinky toe. Louboutin mission abort.

There were a handful of other noteworthy finds: an army of Balmain army-green boots (with studs to kill, 30% off $1195) and an elegantly quilted pair of black Lanvin pumps punked up with a gold ankle chain (30% off $1150).

AAllison Malecha (CC’13)

I soon realized that 30 percent off a thousand or even two thousand dollars is still a hefty fee for a pair of shoes that will only repay you in blisters. Which, for me, meant hopping back on the escalator to higher altitudes and cheaper prices. Fourth floor. The sales were greater (40% off) but the selection noticeably less aesthetically pleasing.

Yay or nay on these Marc by Marc Jacobs sneakers?

Allison Malecha (CC’13)

This pair of industrial chic Ash boots (40% off $250) seemed to be the best find:

Allison Malecha (CC’13)

Of course they too were just a half-size too small. Instead, my greatest success came free- 3 snapshots of Bergdorf’s June window scheme to print and plaster over my conspicuously stained summer form wall.

Oh, and in the end, I did fulfill my original father’s day challenge—a spendy-looking golf shirt and shorts at more than half off. Bloomie’s mens’ shop is the real bargain hunter place to be.

Allison Malecha

Reporter

posted by Allison Malecha on 06/21/10 @ 4:55 pm Comments (0)
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June 14, 2010

New York’s Biggest Block Party

I will admit it. I am a perfectionist. This summer’s goal: to have a perfect New York summer (inexpensively). This means I will be heading to every free concert, outdoor movie screening, parade, and street fair that time, reason, and an Unlimited MetroCard will allow. And of course sharing the perfect outfits to accompany these urban adventures.

First up was the 32nd annual Museum Mile Festival, otherwise known as “New York’s Biggest Block Party.” Chalk drawing, street vendors, musicians, and free entry to all the museums on the 23 blocks between 82nd and 105th streets on Fifth Avenue? Perfect. Plus it’s always fun to walk (and do some chalk drawing!) right in the middle of Fifth Avenue without risking death from oncoming traffic.

One of my favorite chalk drawings:

Alexandra Lotero (CC '12)

With so much of interest on the street, I could barely pull myself away to get inside the museums. But I did manage to enter the Met and the Guggenheim, despite long, long lines. “Picasso in the Metropolitan Museum of Art” was a personal favorite, and the exhibition room featuring Blue Period paintings was particularly stunning:

Alexandra Lotero (CC '12)

Although the Museum Mile Festival has come and gone, the Picasso exhibition continues until August, so put your free admission as Columbia students to good use!

And as promised, my pick for the perfect museum-going dress:

urbanoutfitters.com

P.S. Check out the annual Mermaid Parade at Coney Island this Saturday the 19th!

Alexandra Lotero

Copy Editor

posted by Alexandra Lotero (CC '12) on 06/14/10 @ 9:04 pm Comments (2)

June 6, 2010

Hot, Sweaty, Perfect Mess

What better subject for a first summer post than the summer heat—in all its make-up melting, sweat-provoking glory. Whether you’re fanning yourself with a New York Times T Magazine in our 116th Street station or boarding a bus with unbelievably moist yellow hand rails in Florence, everyone is bound to have their run-in with some sweaty public transportation this summer. Below are a few face-saving tips:

1. Benefit’s Dr. Feelgood ($28)—generously dab this matifier on in the morning and you’ll stay less-than-glossy the whole day through.

dr. feelgood

benefitcosmetics.com


2. Secret Clinical Strength Waterproof Antiperspirant/Deodorant ($9.99, at drugstores)—you may not be at the pool, but the pools of sweat collecting on your back (real romantic, I know) during a long subway ride are enough to warrant the “Waterproof” strength.

3. Tokyo Milk Perfume ($28, at Anthropologie)—such prevailingly fresh scents as “I Want Candy” (crisp apples, peaches, violets, roses)  and “Kabuki” (grapefruit, litchi, and sweet jasmine) will keep you smelling good even when fellow commuters do not.

Tokyo Milk Parfumarie Curiosite Kabuki

fragrantica.com

4. Sephora Collection Eye Primer Pot ($8)—sultry summer dates call for sultry eyeshadow. This will keep the smoky eye from becoming a smoky cheek.

Eye Primer Pot

sephora.com

5. And when all else fails, rubber-band your sweaty, frizzy hair back into a messy bun, wipe your sweaty brow with your new tank top, and rock it like glistening was your goal all along.

Allison Malecha

posted by Allison Malecha on 06/06/10 @ 2:40 pm Comments (0)
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