NYC - SoHo Edition

Oh, hi there.

WELCOME.

We're going for another walk.

Did you know Chinatown, Little Italy and SoHo are all mushed together in a really small space? 

You do now!

So we decided to do them all in the same day. 

A train ride to Times Square, then the NQR line to Canal St (alll the the way down Manhattan, past where even the numbers start, oooh) and voilà! Lots of Chinese things, just to start with.

As always, allons-y!

Ookee!

Obviously, by lots of Chinese things, I mean lots of counterfeit things.

...no Louis Vuitton watches for me today, thanks.

I believe this is an accurate description of me. NYC - your bloody Ugg boot situation is completely out of hand.

A necessary morning tea dumpling stop. (Lizzie's)

Where Chinatown and Little Italy meet. Not much of the latter now, as it's been mostly swallowed up by the former, but this excellent mélange still exists.

Down the street: oh hai, Empire State. Soon.

Now: SoHo. 

Fun fact: "SoHo" just means the area south of Houston St ("How-ston", go America); and the bit north of Houston St is called NoHo. Which doesn't sound as good.

Mentioned previously, if you were paying attention, was how walking around NYC is like walking around the world, with each block being a different country. It's startling how the complete look, feel and atmosphere of a street transforms just by crossing the road.

Because, quite literally, on one side of the road we were in a relatively dodgy backlot of Chinatown, and when we crossed when the little white man told us to, we were in wealthy hipster land, with little European-style lanes, bars, restaurants and shops.

SUDDENLY, HIPSTER.

Whaaaaat.

Water tower things, for maman.

In SoHo, ads aren't billboards, they're PAINTED.

Yisss.

I like it. Short, simple, to the point.

Yes.

My new motto. (maybe) (once I work out what it means)

Next quest: to find Lizzie's cupcake shop.

Walking, walking.

Suddenly: Broadway!

A SOHO UGG BOOT SHOP. EXCELLENT. America, seriously. This is disgusting. This is EMBARRASSING. You're worse than Canada. I'M NOT EVEN KIDDING. 

Fun fact: UGG BOOTS ARE UGGING UGLY. 

Fun fact #2: IN AUSTRALIA, IF YOU ATTEMPT TO WEAR UGG BOOTS OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSE, YOU WILL BE LAUGHED OFF THE STREET. Why? BECAUSE THEY'RE UGGLY. Also why? BECAUSE THEY'RE SLIPPERS. Even the boganest of bogans know these laws.

Get it together, America.

/rant.

CONTINUONS!

Found: one tiny adorable cupcake shop. With excellent cupcakes.

With pimped out mixers.

Happy new year! Love, cupcake. (Ellie's)

Next: lunch. At hipster sandwich type place.

On the way back: creepiest ATM ever. 

On the wall:

Me too!

Thanks for coming along, peoples. 

Don't go too far, lots of excellent things to come.

I know, right?