Summer in the Garment District

July 17, 2018 by Patricia Chang in Fashion, Food, Travel

Culture Espresso, Image via Instagram @jourdanhull_

The Garment District is near and dear to my heart, because this is where I spent the bulk of my time as a young designer - sourcing not only fabrics and trims, but the production of my ready-to-wear line as well. It's made up of hardworking, friendly people I will never forget, some even treated me like their own daughter.

Today, I can go back for leisure and though the Garment District is always changing, it's nice to see the familiar "classics" stay the same.

Nestled between Bryant Park and Herald Square, its in the heart of the city: 6th to 9th Ave, and 35th to 40th St. This small area is bustling with life, tons of shops big and small, but let's start with first things first: Eats!

This summer of 2018, the Garment District closed two blocks of traffic from 39th - 41st streets, and created an Urban Garden. Going on now until Sept 1! You can see photos from my stroll here and the endless temptations for a cheat meal ;)

There is still plenty to eat outside of the Urban Garden area from delis to coffee shops. The next time I am there in the morning, I'm going to skip Starbucks and try Culture Espresso on 38th st and 6th Ave.

Next stop, Shops.

Well, it is the Garment District after all! Note: most of the shops here are open Monday~Saturday, and normally close at 5pm. The general vicinity of the shops are located around 37th through 39th Streets, between 7th and 8th Ave.

Mood Fabrics
225 West 37th Street, 3rd floor

B&J Fabrics
525 Seventh Avenue, 2nd floor

New York Elegant Fabrics
222 West 40th Street

Mokuba
137 W. 38th Street

M&J Trimming - pictured
1008 6th Avenue

Pacific Trimming
220 West 38th Street

Now finally, off to my favorite part of the day, rooftop bars!! Man, a refreshing cocktail with friends, paired with a view of my favorite city never gets old.

If you're traveling or getting off work early, Spyglass rooftop opens earliest so I would start there to grab some snacks and drinks, and then bar hop over to the Refinery Rooftop. There, you can catch one of the endless stunning sunsets the city has to offer with an Espresso Martini in hand, to carry on through the rest of the night.

For a more intimate vibe in this touristy area, continue downstairs of the Refinery Hotel to Winnie’s Jazz Bar. I need to check this place out myself, for an easy night out of live jazz. I imagine sitting back and just melting the stimulating day in the city away.

Lastly, while researching the Garment District, I discovered OM Factory! They hold anti-gravity Yoga classes there - I would definitely like to check it out sometime. Would you?

Thank you to the Garment District for sponsoring this post and sharing it's gems with us.

Pumpkin Patch

Harvest Moon Farm & Orchard

October 18, 2016 by Patricia Chang in Family, Fashion, Food, Travel

IF YOU PLAN ON TRAVELING HERE READ THESE TIPS FIRST:

Over the weekend we took the Metro North from Grand Central to Croton Falls station for a fun day at Harvest Moon Farm & Orchard up in North Salem, NY! Wear comfy shoes and be warned - they only have porta potties.. You can use the bathroom at Gordon's Deli as soon as you get off the train from Croton Falls station where they happen to have yummy sandwiches! We envisioned a quiet day in nature. Not so~ There's loud (fun) music and dust kicked up by what reminded me of a "Times Square crowd" if you go on a weekend. Last year we were faced with a lot of traffic (from the station to the orchard) and long lines for everything, so we went earlier in the morning this year and it was much better traffic wise. Also prepare to stand still often, there are quite a lot of bees. Lastly, bring cash.

First things first! I've learned that as a parent, your greatest joy comes from watching your child have a blast. Chase quickly spotted the row of bouncy castles in the back so we zipped there first. At 2.5 years old, he was only allowed on 2 of the 3 inflatables. We paid $3 for the bouncy castle where Chase waited patiently on line. Once he got in he realized it is not connected to the slide he saw and stayed for less than 30 seconds. I pushed him back in but he wasn't interested in jumping. So to the big slide we went! It was $2 per turn or $5/3 turns. I paid the $2 to see if he can handle it and he LOVED it! I got him the bundle ticket and let him go 3 more times in a row. I thought it was worth it because he rarely comes across such a giant slide and laughed the entire time. Plus I really enjoyed watching him come down in an "X shape". The 3rd inflatable was an obstacle course for kids older than 6 years.

Pumpkin picking! Got one!

Dancing with his friend Charlotte to the live music during our (second) lunch break! I'll share a video on Instagram - they were soo cute!!

The tacos were pretty good! Do'h - Don't forget to try the homemade cider donuts like we did this time~ Had them last year and they were really good.

Apple picking: Apparently due to many circumstances such as an extremely hot summer, apples (and pears) were no longer on the trees and only in bins. You can only enter this "picking" section if you are buying a $20 bag. It's worth the short, but steep hike up because there is a great view, fresh air and you can get away from the crowds.

I'm including this because they had the longest line of all. Just FYI: might want to go early if you're interested!

We only picked a couple of mini pumpkins for easier traveling. I would have picked some larger pumpkins had we drove. Grab a single serving cold apple cider while you're paying inside the store - it's so fresh!

Once we got back to Grand Central Station my friend Nancy (Charlotte's mom), whose family spent the day with us, pointed us to Joe & the Juice. I ordered "Joe's Green Mile" and guess who stole it from me. I was happy to share it because he has gotten pickier about his vegetables and it has spinach, avocado and broccoli! It was one of the tastiest juices I got so I am curious to go back and try every flavor. I was a little surprised when I was paying because at $10, it was pricier than Juice Generation which I already find a bit expensive. It will be the occasional treat!

Memory Lane from exactly a year ago at the same place - looks like we are starting a tradition!

I can't believe he was small enough to put in the bin. Today, those pumpkins would have been squashed to pumpkin pie!

Shop the Look

I got this pumpkin costume last year for the same event and it still fit~ Milking it ;)

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Perfect Picnic, Birthday Edition

perfect picnic

July 25, 2016 by Patricia Chang in Family, Fashion, Food

It's our second year that Perfect Picnic has created the most incredible spread for Hank's birthday picnic! He is so loved and is the most selfless person. He is always giving all of himself for Chase and I and I wanted him to have a beautiful day to celebrate him!

And you can see why I chose Perfect Picnic - their attention to detail is flawless and they really know how to make your day special. I love their classic blanksets, and the pillows make the long hours spent at the park much more comfortable (something you wouldn't normally bring out to the park yourself). On this hot Saturday, you can bet their fans and umbrellas came in hand - they thought of everything!

This was a customized event spread that was ordered for 20 people in mind, we had close to 30 friends and family show up with plenty of food still! Perfect Picnic has all sorts of picnics starting as low as $10 for a Kid's meal, $15 for an adult's Grab & Go bags, to delivery boxes and catering. My personal favorites are the Soppressata with Spicy Dilly Green Bean baguettini, Kale Salad, and the Fig Spread. Though honestly, they're all amazing! The baguettinis are unique and explode with flavor - you might remember that they happen to be perfectly Chase sized from this image last year:

Patricia Chang Central Park Perfect Picnic

When I'm walking around Central Park I'll see beautiful engagement spreads on the weekends, or people having a relaxing lunch~ If you're interested, it's really simple to use. We arranged a date and time, showed up, enjoyed, and left! They set up and clean up everything for you if you choose to do a spread. Here is their site for more info - Happy Picnicking!

PerfectPicnic.com

1. Make your picnic selection.

2. Pick your date and time to enjoy.

3. Choose delivery or experience location.

Post cards from Barcelona, Part 2

May 16, 2016 by Patricia Chang in Fashion, Food, Travel

Ciutadela Park, wearing Shopbop — Ciutadela Park, wearing Shopbop

Welcome back for Part 2 of our trip! I mashed together some of my "naturey" photos and ended up with a parks list. I have come to realize I have a soft spot for parks when I travel. When you're running around seeing all the sights, it's especially relaxing to sit and listen to some water trickling while soaking in the surrounding culture. My favorite place was Ciutadela Park, as we went back twice by choice. There's something about this park that brought out a sense of home away from home. It reminded me of a condensed Central Park in NY, except this park has palm trees galore!

We also went back to the beach for a second time. The first time, we stumbled upon it on our way to the cable car that takes you up to Montjuic. We saw people selling blankets and decided to come back for a picnic if we had time. On our last day we happened to walk by the beach again. Before making it to the sand, we got distracted by some people making large bubbles for the crowd. It was then I noticed groups of people buzzing around on electric bikes and scooters of all kinds. Right there in the middle of the board walk we spotted a rental place and had a spontaneous ride! I definitely recommend going along the entire boardwalk this way. It was so fun that had we discovered it sooner I may have convinced my husband to do all day rentals everyday~

El Nacional is a gem! There are multiple restaurants in one large open space with THE most fabulous interior. Our Airbnb was just around the block and I would have missed it had I not just seen it on my friend's instagram (@mjtraynor). I think we tried most of the sections and I can't really recommend one over the other. The tapas section was a unique experience because they come around announcing available plates in their hand (kind of like dim sum carts). Definitely check out this space if you're in the neighborhood!

Post cards from Barcelona, Part 1

May 13, 2016 by Patricia Chang in Fashion, Food, Travel

Mini Croissant, Hot Dog by Patricia Chang

Hotel El Palace, Jacket by Patricia Chang

El Nacional, black squid ink paella tapas

On our first day we did a tour of Palau de la Música Catalana soon after we landed. We went during the day to see the light flood in through the incredible stained glass ceiling in the most beautiful theater you'll ever step foot in! Though not by Gaudi, it was a taste of the unique architecture we would see in Barcelona. I was especially happy to see mosaics and colorful tiles all throughout the city.

The food was just as vibrant as the surroundings. Mercat de la Boqueria is a must - there are many repeating stands, one of them being fresh juices displayed on ice with pretty and enticing colors. I tried as many flavors as I could, one of my favorites being 'Mint Coconut' - yum!! A restaurant you must try is Tapas 24 - sadly we never made it to lunch or dinner. So on one of our last days we tried to go early to beat the crowds and ended up trying their breakfast menu. It was one of the most memorable meals I've ever had! The fried calamari baguette - please order this and thank me later.

Packing wise, the weather is pretty much spot on to New York so I brought layers for early May. We had a range of chilly to very warm days during the first week. One piece I packed and loved were these denim shorts from Shopbop. They are meant to be casual so they are baggy and super soft, making them the most comfortable denim in the world. I always like playing with looking a bit dressed up, but having that element of bringing it back to casual and easy.

This was Part 1 so stay tuned for more recommendations!

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Saturday Reflections

Madison Square Park

February 28, 2016 by Patricia Chang in Family, Fashion, Food, Vlog

I am wearing: Marc Jacobs Jacket (similar), Topshop Jeans, Adidas Sneakers

Husband, Hank, is wearing: Moncler Jacket, Uniqlo Jeans, Gap Sweater (similar), Adidas Sneakers

Chase is wearing: Totoro Jumper, Adidas Star Wars Sneakers

Hello loves! Come along with us on a typical weekend with my family. Family time is much needed on Saturday mornings after a long week of work! We try to sleep in as long as Chase lets us, which is usually good these days. If we look out the window and the sky is blue, we can pretty much guess what's in store for us. Brunch on weekends is a quintessential activity for New Yorkers and a nice time to catch up with friends. We recently discovered this sunny spot, La Pecora Bianca through our friend, David. Post brunch, Chase was eager to let some energy out and run around. Luckily, for us, Madison Square Park is just across the street from the restaurant, equipped with a playground! We were also fortunate enough to catch the tail end of the mirrors installation, which was the perfect way to stroll through the day.

Photos by s o k o p h o t o s

Watch Behind the Scenes Footage here

1:00 spotted Alexander Wang at brunch

1:45 met a toy poodle named Chase! @littlechasebigworld

Mint Cotton Candy

Vivi Bubble Tea

February 21, 2016 by Patricia Chang in Family, Fashion, Food, Vlog

cocotrish patricia chang cotton candy 13

Wearing: Club Monaco Jacket (similar), Sunglasses (similar), J Crew Tshirt, Wrap Shirt (Similar), Hudson Jeans, Adidas Sneakers, Chanel Bag (similar)

Chase is wearing: Oeuf Hug Me Sweater, Nico Nico Rowe Pants (simiar), Robeez Shoes

I wore a casual "lower east side" look because the atmosphere on this side of town is young and spunky. I'm not in this area often so it's always fun to discover new spots, even if they have been around for a while. Vivi Bubble Tea's float is sprinkled with pop rocks, which is a nice touch. I definitely recommend the popcorn chicken - we ordered seconds in a different flavor. We all know what happens to Chase and fried chicken; he had so much fun this day that he took a second nap!

Photography by s o k o p h o t o s and Connie Kim

Watch Behind the Scenes Footage!