2016 in New York: my retrospective

I know 2016 was not a very nice year for the world. There have been so many bad things, things that have made us discredit the future, the world and people. Like so many of you, I hope 2017 will be a better year. It can be a mess and we’ll only know if it’s worth believing in a few good months. But I think it is better for soul to maintain optimism. And if 2016 was not a very nice year there for the world, at least fo rI have nothing to complain about this year. My blog grew, my Youtube channel grew, my public grew, I launched an app, made new contacts, signed partnerships. And, of course, I met so many nice places in the city. 2016 was undoubtedly a year when I set out to explore more and more New York. To continue this rhythm of retrospective, I decided to remember moments that were striking that year for me!

Discovering new places in the city – I’m a journalist, so, of course, I have an “investigative” feeling and one of the goals of my work here on the blog is to try to show a New York beyond the tourist route. If you browse the “tourism” meny, you will find several posts of tours and places to see. This year, I have been in many amazing places and I don’t see many people talking about it. One of these places is the real Little Italy of New York, which is in The Bronx. A charming neighborhood full of good food. Incidentally, I’ve been to The Bronx a few times and wanted to explore this area further in 2017. I have been in Wave Hill, a wonderful, peaceful garden with spectacular views of the Hudson River. And without a doubt, one of the places I loved most was City Island, a small island in The Bronx and is full of seafood restaurants.

Now, talking about Manhattan, it has been cool to feature regions not so much explored by tourists, such as the Columbia University area – with a spectacular church – as well as the South Street Seaport area, which is great to enjoy a late afternoon and Is being revitalized. In Brooklyn, the place I liked best to meet in 2016 was Red Hook! The neighborhood is a great place, with beautiful views and many options for a gastronomic tour, such as Red Hook Winery, Hometown Bar-B-Que, Brooklyn Crab and two chocolate factories. Still talking about Brooklyn, I also had a delicious day at Greenpoint, with beer, chocolate and a beautiful view – a super charming and quiet neighborhood.

In Queens, I’m glad I showed you a bit of Flushing. I’ve been exploring the neighborhood since my first year in NY, but it was only in 2016 that I took a whim and wrote a post about it. Undoubtedly, one of the most incredible places I’ve visited here in the city is in this region: Panorama, an incredible model of the city.

In Queens, I’m glad I showed you a bit of Flushing. I’ve been exploring the neighborhood since my first year in NY, but it was only in 2016 that I wrote a post about it. Undoubtedly, one of the most incredible places I’ve visited here in the city is in this area: Panorama, an incredible scale model of the city.

Far beyond New York City – in 2016, we also explored several places out of New York, but which are great options for a day trip. And, among all the places I’ve been out of town, Lavender By the Bay certainly was the most incredible and magical of all. Who would have thought it would not be necessary to go to France to see a lavender farm, right? It was also amazing to visit the Rockefeller residence in upstate – I remembered a lot of the Palace of Versailles, but in a humbler version, let’s say … Speaking about upstate, the region is really a treasure nearby New York – how many cities to explore, how many places to discover. We have been in Cold Spring and we were able to still catch the autumn landscape, what a wonderful thing. And finally I got to know a little of the Hamptons, region so famous in TV series like Revenge and Gossip Girl. Oh, if my bank account allowed a season there …

Guests – 2016 has been a special year in terms of guests. Two special friends (Gisele and Daiani) finally visited me and we had incredible days. But of course the most special visit of was my mother and my sister, who spent several days with me. We had so many wonderful moments – and so many beautiful pictures took by my sister. I wish we could repeat those days every season so I could show them how the city changes. In fact, what a delight to present a city that you love so much for the people you like, right? The most interesting is how I ended up rediscovering New York through their eyes – I even mentioned it in a post. In 2016 we also were the guests: we visited some friends in San Francisco twice and finally I got to know this beautiful and charming city.

Eat, eat, eat – I love eating! I often say that I work out so I can eat, hahaha. I try to have a healthy diet during the week – but when the weekend arrives, Thiago and I like to explore new restaurants and this year was a delight in this regard, no doubt. In addition to the gastronomic experiences we had in various neighborhoods and places we have been this year, several restaurants in the city were special … The most outstanding experience of the year, without a doubt, was at Eleven Madison Park, one of the best restaurants in the world. I also loved discovering fondue in New York – it was very common when I lived in Brazil. It was amazing to try the brunch at Rainbow Room – it’s the perfect combination of tasty food, quality music and spectacular views – and discover Gyu Kaku and its delicious Japanese barbecue.

Special project – I closed 2015 with the launch of my e-book – New York Beauty, a guide to New York beauty stores – and by 2016 I got the good things from that project. There were several e-book downloads, great contacts and the best part of it all: from the e-book was born the idea of an app, NYC Beauty, released in early December. Could not have ended the year in the best way!