Nice to have you here again and reading my weekly blog. My name is Brechje and I am the founder of All-time Favourites; my own bag brand that I started to help busy on-the-go women get the most out of their busy lives, with my handy and hip large shoppers! This is really a big adventure for me that takes new twists every time!
A new year, a new project! 2022 has started out well with our annual 5-day sale, Five Final Favorites, on January 1. At the same time we also launched something new: All-time Favourites CITY BAGS! From this year on, every time we launch a new family (large, medium, small tote bag, and toiletry bag) we will give it the name of a cool city. I got that idea from all those awesome photos you send us, of your ATF bag in the most beautiful places in the world, while traveling or during your holidays. So thank you!
The very first city in our City Bag collection is the NEW YORK tote, named after the city that never sleeps. The city that is fast, hip, and big(s). A city that enchants you and takes you completely away. Just like the New York bags. Aren't they completely crazy? I was fortunate enough to be able to take these olive and black leopard print bags to New York itself and have them photographed there as well.
This way you get a nice look at the city of New York with these photos AND I can give you some travel tips for your next trip to New York, with your ATF New York bag (or other ATF tote, of course!). There is so much to do, but here are my all-time favourite, Top 4 New York tips:
Tip 1. Explore NY by bike!
The southern parts of Tribeca, Little Italy, China Town, Meatpacking District, and Soho are especially easy to do by bike. There are these blue bicycles everywhere (see photo) that you can rent with your credit card and grab straight away. By bike you get such a nice view of the city and you look, as it were, with a little distance at how New Yorkers move through their neighborhood and city.
Tip 2. Visit Central Park
We know this park of course from all the films and series (Friends & SATC) and the park covers such a LARGE part of NY that you really have to walk, run, or skate there like I did! A beautiful piece of nature with squirrels everywhere and the biew of the skyline. I thought it was really crazy!
Tip 3. Eat at Balthazar or Pastis
With all the fast food chains and coffee chains in America, and with 1000 restaurant listing on TripAdvisor, it is ironically quite difficult to find a good restaurant. But these two restaurants, Balthazar and Pastis, both from the same owner, are really fun and delicious! You may remember Pastis from SATC? It is a French brasserie with delicious food. It's cozy, you can spot some hip people there, but it's also easy and accessible. Balthazar is also a brasserie. For a moment you imagine yourself in Paris with the beautiful old mirrors and old cocktail bar. I was amazed (see photo). You spot tourists there, but especially New Yorkers themselves. It was as if I was on a film set and part of an American film.
Tip 4: Walk or run The Highline
I enjoy running for a bit at every travel destination. If you don't like that, walking is fine too. In fact, that's how most people experience The Highline—a train track that ran on stilts above and through the city, but is now a path. It's really great way to see the city. It is green, with the real skyline of New York and the Hudson River. Buy a coffee to-go, like a true New Yorkers, and do this path!
It was my first time in New York and I was lucky that my partner knew the way and I could just follow him. If you don't know your way, there are taxis everywhere, so you can get around very easily. Hailing a yellow cab like they always do in the movies is so much fun! I felt like Carrie Bradshaw for a moment. (I've been to her house too!)
I'm very curious what you think of the new city bags project AND ESPECIALLY the New York bags of course. And... if you go to NY, let me know if my tips were useful to you!
Enjoy the weekend and, before I completely forget: HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Love Brechje
P.S. Here are some pictures!
