Max Schneider takes over Eyes of NYC!

Hello everyone!

Before the Eyes of NYC band together again for our second year at school in the Big Apple, we have some time to still enjoy our summer fun! With the city filled with excitement and lots of life, there have been some great artists making appearances all over the place! One of which includes Max Schneider!

For some of you who don't know, Max is a singer/actor who originates from the great state of New York and started singing when he was 3. Talk about some love for the arts! He is an Alumni of the Young Arts program, a summer program that inspires kids from all over to come together to work with amazing mentors that allow them to further their crafts. And his coolness doesnt stop there, he has worked on many shows like How to Rock and is going to be acting on a new show called Crisis this fall on NBC.

So in case your reading through our post and do not know much about the talented Max Schneider besides what you've read so far, don't fret because there's an easy fix to your terrible problem! Below are some of Max's Youtube covers which he performs with either his band, Max and the Babes, or on tracks with his, not so related brother, Kurt Schneider. Check out both channels below where there's new content every couple of weeks!

Max's Channel

Kurts Channel

On top of all the great covers, Max is planning on releasing a new original album sometime soon and if you want all the updates to keep track of whats going on, Twitter and Facebook are always great for that. Ahh, the power of social media right?!

Max's Fan Facebook Page

Max's Twitter Page

So there you have it folks, a great artist spreading the love from NYC to LA. If you're in New York and need some great entertainment for a Friday night, come check out Max at Webster Hall on August 9th at 7:00 p.m!  Have some fun listening to great music, watching a great band, and amazing performer light up the NYC stage. You can buy tickets, which are only 20.00 dollars, here:  http://maxschneider.com/summertour/

Channeling my inner Stalker- I mean Savannah...

Working Girl and the City (kinda)

Since Savannah is currently residing in California, she isn't able to do the fun celeb stalking- I mean hunting- that she usually does. So today she asked me to do her dirty work for her and surprisingly, it was kind of fun, very awkward at times, but still fun.

So this post is about the Lonely Island, a musical comedy group, and if you don't know who they are, I'll help you get acquainted with one of my favorite videos by the group. Warning: There is vulgar language and innuendos within this content.  

Okay, now that you are familiar, I can continue on my story on how I met these lovely hilarious dudes. 

So the Apple Store in SoHo is famous for their free top notch events and today was no different. They hosted the Lonely Island and I got to sit 3rd row and watch the beauty of the night unfold.

These guys are seriously funny on and off screen and it's that type of comedy where it's just effortless to them and they just bounce off of each other so well. It's amazing. 

Well, that's what happens when you are friends since you were 12 (Awww adorable, right? And they became successful together, Love it!)

If you are dying to know what happened that night, Itunes has a PodCast of the entire event for free! A girl next to me asked a question so you might see my hair and shirt (that's how you know you made it guys)

Afterwards, I was by the stage door trying to figure out how to get uptown and saw a group of people waiting and decided to also. Load and Behold, I got the meet the Lonely Island! I couldn't take a pic with Andy because he was swamped but I did get a pic and a hug from Jorma (he's my favorite).

(This is Jorma and I's Fourth of July Photo to our fams since we're in love btw, haha.

I wish.)

Overall it was an awesome night and I rewarded my with some great fro-yo from 16 handles! 

So that was my Savannah moment-hoped you enjoyed guys. Check back for more posts.

Stay true and love to be you!

-Chanda D

P.S. I met the host for the evening also! His name is John Mulaney and he is a writer for SNL and is the guy responsible for Stefon from the Weekend Updates. He is super nice, I got a chance to speak with him, and ultra funny so check out his stuff too! 

Feeling 22

(This was a post Savannah wrote awhile ago and though previously un-aired I thought it was too fun not to post! So this is about Savannah and I's -- this is Chanda, btw -- stay-cation during Spring Break!)

Hey Guys!

So its finally Spring Break for all of us here at Eyes of NYC and you know what that means?! Nothing! We are being super lazy after all of our hard work during Mid-Terms. Just kidding! We are relaxing from our mid-terms but as for Chanda and I here in the city we are exploring so many places we've never been and doing a little celeb hunting on the side. The weeks not over yet but I thought it would be fun to tell you what we've done so far day by day.


Friday 3/22- The new Taylor Swift song 22 has become one of those songs you both love and hate because its annoying but also freakishly catchy. It became the anthem of Friday night and since it was the 22nd we decided to take advice from T-Swizle herself and do everything in the song right here in the Big Apple.

Soo.. Incase some of you have never heard the song enjoy the catchy tune below so you can understand all of the silly stuff we did!

First: Of course we dressed up like hipsters which is so much harder than you would think. And made fun of our Exes (duh) on our train ride up to a diner near Washington Square Park.

Second: It really was the perfect night for breakfast at midnight because at Waverly's 24 Hour diner that is an option. We did NOT in fact fall in love with any strangers (though we did try hard quite a few times) but on our train ride home a drunk guy was hitting on our friend Ren and from there decided to follow us home on the same train so in some way I guess he did fall in love with her.

Third: In many ways everyone is Happy Free Confused and Lonely at the same time. Its called having emotions. Way to just state the obvious Taylor Swift. From there we proceeded to "ditch the whole scene" and make our way back home at about 2 am.

So that was our 22 night! It was fun and silly and a great way to kick off Spring Break!

This was a picture Chanda took of me (looking very hipster under that non-hipster peacoat) when I found this Game of Thrones like throne on the side of the street made from an old tree stump.

Till next time

Savannah

The Morning (Insert Profanity of Choice Here) Commute

Hey guys! I am excited to present the first post of the mini blog:

 WORKING GIRL AND THE CITY

 I couldn’t do this blog justice if I didn’t talk about commuting in the city. I have learned a lot about commuting anywhere from the short time I have been a full time warrior – that’s the nickname I give undergrad students that perform full time work for an extended period of time. As a full time warrior, you have to be up early to make it to the good ol’ 9 to 5 in time. Yeah, you and majority of the city...

So being in the train station at 8am can be rough since literly everyone is there at the same time as you. Smushing yourself into an already overly crowded train, having to wait another five minutes because the train that just came is too full, arriving with four minutes to spare before you have to clock in, yeah, that all happens. Unfortunately.

Though the traditional commute can be easily compared to hell, I have discovered some methods to make it better and faster.

1)      You must must must bring your IPod. Having your own mini jam session makes the crowded train feel more like a standing room only concert, and who doesn’t like concerts?

2)      Bring a book along… But the book isn’t for the train. Instead, if you hate riding in super crowded carts like me, walk to the local park or café and read until rush hour is over. By the time 6:30 or 7 p.m. rolls around, the trains are cleared and you got some relaxation time in before commuting again.  

3)      Leave a little later in the morning. I know we all think that we have to be in the train an hour before but from personal experience, taking the train at 8:17 am is so much faster than at 8 a.m. and oddly, you get to your destination with plenty of time to spare. Now that I am doing this, I arrive around 12 minutes early for work. Crazy, huh?

If you do these things, I promise the commute will be better, if it isn’t than I am sorry. I tried, haha.

Well I am excited for this mini-blog and I hope that you guys enjoy it and all the posts to come!

Stay true and be you!

Peace Out Cub Scouts!

~Chanda

BIG NEWS!!!!

AHHHHHHH!!!!! Long time no see! I can't believe it's been over a MONTH!

Hey Guys! Chanda here back from the mini break we had.

In the past few weeks, we had to deal with finals, packing, and goodbyes so it’s been a busy and tough time for all of us, but…. We have an extra special treat for you guys this summer!

So the other 'Eyes' went home for the summer, unfortunately, so they won’t be able to report as regularly as they used to!

(Depressing right? I am deeply going to miss Daniella’s food posts that lead me to be a preferred customer on Seamless).

Anyway, so instead of leaving you hanging this summer, we decided to channel our inner 30 Rock and create a mini blog within our blog.

Did you just ask what this mini-blog within a blog is called? Well, I’m glad you did.

It’s called Summer Series: Working Girl and the City and it’s all about working and still having fun in the city during the summer!  

(Also this is a play off of Sex in the City, we are just full of references aren’t we?)

I’ll be talking about just anything what comes to mind and what it’s like working full time in the city.

So I hope you enjoy and I will try my best to incorporate the other Eye’s expertise this summer!

 ** In addition to ‘Working Girl and the City’, we will post our regular blog when we can! It’s like a BOGO deal and I mean come on, who doesn’t love a great deal?

I am so excited for you guys to be with me this summer and explore the world of NYC through our eyes!

Check back regularly for posts! There are tons coming!

Stay true and be you!

Love,

Chanda

How to do: College Fashion Part 1

Hey guys! Long time no see. With finals, papers, novels, and work, life has been ultra stressful for all of us at Eyes of NYC but no worries. We are back and ready to tell you about all our crazy lives. Oh, and if you've forgotten within this expanse of time. This is Chanda back (finally) for your dose of fashion love. 

Okay, so as a college student, I see a lot of different fashion choices. And I mean, I’m all for personal style and expression but sometimes, some choices are simply wrong. Like I’m not one to speak badly about someone but, are you really wearing a pink robe and fuzzy slippers to the Starbucks in the café? Really? 

That is when no shoes, no shirt, no service should really come into play. 

I mean, I get why it would be so easy to fall into this behavior. When you live in the same building as your food and classes, laziness comes so quickly, you don’t realize you’re falling into that trap. Luckily, I have overcome this epidemic that is targeting our nation’s colleges and am ready to give you guys some tips to overcome the most major college fashion faux-paus I have witnessed.

Alright, I’m not going to bluntly state the missteps I have seen some girls make because that’s rude and I would hate if someone did that to me. I am here to help, not to tear down. So, I’m just going to state what to do, and if you happen to figure out what actually happened, well, I tried. (haha)

For when you are in the dorm:

We all have those chill days when we are staying in and chilling on our floors lounge or with our friends.

• Unless you’re making a quick run somewhere close, girls, please wear a bra or something.
• You should definitely feel comfortable in anything you put on, you want to rock a pair of sweats, go for it! Just make sure that they fit properly and cover what needs to be covered.
• Speaking about covering, though you wouldn’t think this would need to be said, but please, actually wear clothes. (Side note: Bras are NOT considered tops)
• Don’t over dress, I know we live in NYC, but you don’t need to always look camera ready. Being natural and relaxed be just as (or even more) attractive then always being glammed up.

Megan from My Encounters is perfectly displaying awesome dorm style

Well that’s part one of the how to dress for college – I’ve just noticed I’ve been really into parts lately – Check back for Part Two: When you’re going to class. Okay, until next time. Stay true and Dress to be you! ~Chanda D

Morimoto - Chelsea, NYC

Oh My Morimoto 

Before I begin. Let me start by giving those of you who don’t know who Morimoto is a little bit of background. Chef Masaharu Morimoto is best known as a renowned chef in both America’s and Japan’s show “Iron Chef”. While on the show, Morimoto won 26 of his 41 challenges. Meaning he’s a pretty damn good chef. From there, he’s opened 3 Morimoto restaurants (which are Japanese cuisine) in Philly, Boca Raton, and NYC, and 2 restaurants overseas.  So two weekends ago (I’ve been dying to post this) I decided to try out this famous restaurant for myself and decide whether or not it lives up to the legend.

A tip when making reservations at Morimoto: Call days in advance. We called the day before and there were only two open reservations. Man, this place must be good, I remember thinking. And it was.

First impressions are not just for people. I judge restaurants within the first 30 seconds, just as people do with each other. My first thirty seconds at Morimoto: I stepped into this vastly large, two-story dining room/lounge/bar made up of luxurious and futuristic furnishings and fixtures. Immediately I could tell this would be some experience. The place was loud, but thriving with energy and you could tell just about everyone in there was having a good time. The service was great from the start, quickly accommodating and welcoming us. 

Our seats were quite unique and possibly my favorite part. We were placed in the way back corner of the restaurant, at the sushi bar, where the cooks worked directly in front of us and we could see the kitchen. Now I know this doesn’t sound favorable, but this small little corner provided a quiet place to talk and have privacy in this loud and fast-paced environment. Plus, this part of the restaurant required dining without shoes on. So I got to free my feet of my heels. And that, my friends, I liked very much.

Okay, four paragraphs in and I can finally start on the food! My boyfriend and I started with the mixed green salad (with kabosu vinaigrette, shaved bonito) - which was big enough to feed a small country, but I really enjoyed it. Another reason why I liked this secluded seating...no one could see me make a mess. I have yet to master the art of salad eating and tend to be a bit embarrassing. Our appetizer, the yosedofu (fresh tofu, ankake, dashi soy, and wasabi), was ridiculously cool. It was actually prepared right in front of us and once the tofu finished cooking, it was mixed with mushrooms, seasoning, something crunchy, and something spicy. I was not exactly sure what I had just eaten but it was a blast of flavor and it was delicious. You definitely don’t have to love tofu to love this. 

Now incase you forgot, I’ll refresh your memory. I’ve never eaten fish in my entire life...until just a few weeks ago. So even though a California roll (avocado, cucumber, and crab) is like a beginner sushi roll, it was a big step from my normal order of just cucumber and avocado. The waitress convinced me to try it and I’m happy she did, I loved the roll - which then led me to try my boyfriend’s bass and his shrimp tempura roll. Hey, if you’re going to try fish anywhere, it might as well be at Morimoto. 

Ah dessert, my favorite. And this particular dessert was truly unique. A warm flour-less chocolate cake mixed with caramel popcorn, rice crispies, sesame-caramel sauce, white chocolate foam, and spiced pear sorbet. Yeah. Just imagine that. Enough said. 

As if the food and the setting wasn’t amazing enough, towards the end of our meal, MORIMOTO HIMSELF came out, greeted us, and shook our hands. The man is a food genius. S0 whether you watch him on Iron Chef or not, chances are, if you’ve eaten at his restaurant, you’d be in awe just as I was. 

So I would say this restaurant absolutely lives up to the legend. A definite recommendation!

Meal: 10

Dessert: 10

Interior: 10

Bathroom: 10

Atmosphere: 10

(on a scale of 1-10: 1=bad 10=great)

Price: $$$

($=cheap $$=moderate $$$=expensive $$$$=woah baby)

The super cool futuristic stairway 

Downstairs lounge/bar 

California roll. YUM.

Joseph's bass & Shrimp tempura roll. Double yum. 

And this was the bathroom. Can someone say optical illusion?

My NYC is Your NYC!  - Daniella

Photos From the Weekend!

Daniella's Flour-less Chocolate Cake from Blue Ribbon

Megan's Crepe from Midnight Express Diner

Savannah at Steinway Hall

Megan & Tatiana at the St. Patrick's Day Parade!

Ralph and Sydney after dinner on the Upper East Side

Daniella finds magic in SoHo

Sydney spreading the word about NYU's Shabbat for 2,000

That Awkward In-between Part 1

Hey guys! Long time no see- Life has been hectic but I have tons of awesome new posts coming so check back soon! Okay, enough advertisement, time for the fashion.

Since we live in Northeastern America, we get basically any kind of weather you can think of, and because of that, the transitions between seasons can be sort of… awkward.

Do you not know what to wear during those times? Most people don’t, and up until now, I didn't know either. But now with my new informed knowledge, I am here to help you dress during those awkward in-betweens; this time around I’m talking about winter to spring. So here it goes:

For those warm days:

You can break out those spring items but make sure to have some winter aspect in it. You’re not officially in one season yet, so don’t forget to neglect the other! Throw on some tights or a jacket to make sure you have some coverage!

 

 For those cold days:

You want it to be warm but it’s not quite there yet. Wear spring colors, such as white or pastels, but with winter styling and layering. And if you are a skirt fanatic like me, a maxi dress is that perfect mix!

 

For those rainy days:

April showers bring May flowers, but they still suck. So for those wet days, bust out you favorite rain coat and water proof shoes – just be careful when choosing shoes, soggy feet are never fun. Umbrellas are always a must, and soon you’re ready to hit the town.

 

For those snowy days:

Snow in March and April is always the worst, since spring fever is around, but it happens! So for those wintry times, bust out your warm sweater and water proof boots. Sunglasses also work to help protect from snow glare (plus who doesn't want an excuse to rock their favorite pair?) Always remember, just because it was 50 degrees yesterday, it doesn't mean it is okay to continue to dress that way.

 

And there you have it, How to dress for the awkward in-between seasons. Check back between spring and summer for our next installment!

*** All photo credits go to my awesome friend Brad Terry. Check out his other work here: canditnyc.tumblr.com

Okay, this was so much fun to make and check back regularly because I have a ton more tricks up my sleeves. Stay true and Dress to be you!

~Chanda Daniels

P.S. If you guys need any fashion advice or want to see something on the blog, feel free to e-mail, comment on facebook, tweet at us, or basically contact us through any social media and I’ll cover it!

Passing Thoughts

**So, let me start by saying that this is not in the style of my typical posts on here. It isn't from any specific sights or encounters, but rather an ongoing thought of mine, that actually inspired this post.

People are always going. This is an idea we've been talking about at my Jewish Studies class the past two weeks; we spoke about how our society seems to have this omnipotent desire to always be moving towards something, and the overwhelming desire to be "productive." I hate that word, to be honest. We're not factories...but that's an argument for another day.

The bottom line here is: Our world is built around the idea of moving. And that, quite frankly, intrigues me. Because if we're so focused on moving, we're more likely to ignore what we're passing. 

Think about it. 

In New York City, alone we have:

• about 8.2 MILLION people
• the most extensive public transportation system in the world (MTA)
• 468 stations
• over 800 miles of tracks
• operational 365 days/year

When I think about these stats, I think to myself, where are all these people going? Billions of people use the system in any given year, and each person is on some kind of journey. 

There are people just trying to get by, whose journey is to make it to the next day with food or water. There are parents, children, tourists, all exploring the landscape. There are the occasional starlets praying not to be recognized, etc. 

Now, instead of just going, like our world tends to do, next time take a step back and take a look at your fellow journeyers. Think about their stories and what led to them to cross your path, and then try to think about just how lucky we all are to be where we are: In this world, living.

"Travel can be one of the most rewarding forms of introspection."

           -Lawrence Durrell

I'm gunna pop some tags, only got $20 in my pocket

Incase you couldn't tell, that ridiculously popular song is about one of my favorite things... Thrift Shopping! This past weekend Chanda and I took a little trip to part of the Brooklyn borough we had never been to before...and what a success it was. Of course we've had our share of Brooklyn fun, but the Greenpoint area is like a tiny tucked away gem. It's a whole new world. The G Train took us farther and farther from the safe haven of our dorm and, 20 stops later, we walked out of the station and into our new favorite place! A unique and eclectic little area. It was like the "city suburbs" - where the brownstones made you wish you were Carrie from Sex and the City and the stores made you feel like you were back in the "olden days!". The area is beautiful, and as we walked along the sidewalk we spotted so many delicious food places I want to go back to! It was great to see a community again. Don't get me wrong, the City's wonderful! But sometimes its nice to feel like we're all back in our hometowns, Greenpoint reminded me a lot of mine.

Anyway, after admiring the area, Chanda and I threw on our cool sunglasses and strutted down the street 'till we arrived at our destination...The Salvation Army.

And what a beauty it was! You see my fellow City goers, if you are anything like Chanda and I...then you appreciate a great designer bargain.

Only in "Hipster" territory would something as trendy
as an old photo booth become an equally
trendy ATM. Oh trendiness....

We went to town!! So many great clothes: from vintage high waisted shorts, oversized sweaters, and spring maxi dresses, to new Urban Outfitters jeans, Lululemon pants, and baret hats! We got all that and only spent $20.00 each! We stayed true to Macklemore. He speaks the truth Ladies and Gentlemen. We had a great time and felt even happier knowing how much we saved! To top it off, on our way back we got some of the best Polish pastries we've ever had (I got a danish and Chanda coffee cake and a doughnut). Daniella would certainly approve!

On our walk back to the station (we decided to take the long way to the Bedford Ave. Station) we wandered into "Hipster" territory...it was pretty fun spotting them. They're like wild animals in the jungle, you could be mauled at any moment for wearing a pair of normal jeans. And their eyes are like sharp, judgmental daggers. So we slipped our sunglasses back on and attempted to blend in. We did not.

PS: Speaking of trendiness here is a lovely photo of the one and only beautiful Chanda posing in a thrifty pair of yodeling shorts? Only in the thrift shop!

'Till next time!

Savannah

"A Day in the Life of a Tired, but Interesting TV Extra" Part 2

If your continuing from Part 1, I thought it would be cool to breakdown the average day for an extra on a set. From the moment I arrived on set, to my head hitting the pillow back in the room...this is what my day consisted of...

8:00 Am- Get my tired butt up! The call said for extras to be "camera ready" when arriving to set. This means that my hair and makeup should be done by me and look good when I arrived. As I got ready to glam it up, I look out the window to find what? Oh just your average NYC Blizzard! The weather called for "some" snow, but it looked more like the inside of a snow globe to me! Great...

10:00 Am- Train time! I actually love riding the train and as long as I am on time, I can relax. After getting off at Times Square I headed to Starbucks and grabbed some breakfast and tea. Yummy!

11:00 Am- I arrive to holding at a hotel on West 44th street. In case you're not sure, holding is where all the extras are, well, held before going to set. There were chairs to sit while waiting and a place to put all your stuff while working. I arrived in the best part! My costume! The scene was being filmed in a theatre and we were the Theatre Goers, so we had to dress nice and fancy (I love dress up!) - which for me included a black, strapless vintage dress, turquoise heels, gold earrings, and a gold and turquoise vintage ring (Chanda was so proud). 

* Like I said, this was of course the day New York weather decide throw a temper tantrum and blizzard everywhere. So I was layered up on top of my dress! And of course I threw on a pair of super thick UGGs and put my heels in my bag!

12:30 Pm- I filled out all my paperwork and headed to hair and make-up to get checked. I also stopped at wardrobe so they could to make sure my fashion sense is mildly good. Then, I was headed to set! 

12:35 Pm- Walking through Times Square. In a blizzard. Wearing a peacoat, nude tights, UGGs, and a fancy dress. Classy.

12:35 Pm- Filming! The best part. Truly. I know a lot about how the show ends considering we were filming the Season Finale so I wont give away ANY spoilers! Though I will say this: an awards show was involved (hence the fancy outfits). They had turned an average sized theatre in the Marriot Marquie into an amazing set filled with lights, cameras, and every possible piece of equipment you could imagine. As an audience member, there was soooo much clapping involved..good thing I've practiced my clapping! Haha. So after working for a couple hours, we changed scenes, repositioning to make the theater look like it was entirely filled - even though there were only about 150 extras in a 350 seat theatre. Movie magic right there!

4:00 Pm- The BEST TIME! Lunch. I had not eaten since the Starbucks earlier and didn't know that our filming would run for so long. They had a Craft table outside, another term in the "business". Craft table = Food! Im pretty sure I fought someone to the death for the last bagel.

4:10 Pm- I needed another Starbucks run, so I headed out and luckily the weather was nicer. On my way there I saw Katherine McPhee, one of the stars of the show, as she left to grab her lunch. We made eye contact. I kept walking. Im sure you are all thinking, "But she always has to meet celebrities! What is she doing!?" Well, in this case, we were working together on set. So I thought since I talked to her on set, that was good enough.

5:00 Pm- Finally satisfied with food and Starbucks, I was ready to just relax for a little. Wrong. I guess it was a good thing though! Because I got called back to set to do a close up scene with Katherine and Angelica Houston. Such an honor! My arm candy and I strolled through the lobby as the two stars talked. I was so excited from getting to be on set and get some (small, blurred) camera time. This was a learning experience for sure. Remember to look out for me!

6:30 Pm- Headed back to holding. Man am I pooped at this point! And therefore that can only mean one thing... more work! Everyone headed back to set, once again, to film the final four scenes.
So heres the cool part! I was chosen, out of those 150 extras, to sit in front of Michael Cristofer (he plays a jerk but is super nice and funny), which means I will be in the shot and be on national TV! Ok, yes it's in that "blending" in state, but I'll take any screen time! One by one they wrapped on the stars, meaning that one by one the stars finished their final scenes of the season. It was heartbreaking to watch Angelica Houston and Debra Messing cry because the season was over.

10:00 Pm- And finally the "Martini shot". I learned this term on set and really love it for some reason. The Martini shot is simply, the last scene. If you hear that it means you're almost done. Both sad and happy emotions hit me. The whole day I got to spend learning that this was something I really did want to do, meeting great people, and even getting paid a little.

11:00 Pm- Back on the train home. I was practically falling asleep on the women next to me. Only to dream about the day I had. Such a great experience and I hope to do it again.


We weren't allowed to take photos on set, but here are some of my Instagram shots!

"A Day in the Life of a Tired, but Interesting TV Extra" Part 1

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to the new and improved Entertainment column! You might have noticed the tab up above was always titled "My Advice," but it seems that over the course of the last month the post has had no advice! So what kind of Advice column is that? Im not very good at giving any advice so its funny that the team of Eyes of NYC titled my section that. I'm laughing about it at this very moment, mostly because the only thing I can give advice on is film and movie sets, celebrities, the entertainment world, and New York; therefore I'm basically just a show in my own! So incase you were confused as to where the "My Advice" tab went, it is still here just with a new name. 

Also! This weeks adventure was soo crazy and I want to make sure you read all about it! For that reason I am going to split the story into two parts! This being part 1 and soon following part 2! Just so you don't have to read a Bible length story all at once! Lets get started! 

As far as the last week has gone, I've got a full day of adventures for you to hear about. If you have been constantly visiting us here at Eyes of NYC you might have noticed that we are a very close knit little family of bloggers and I've been having a blast making these girls my best friends. On that note! Any of the girls would gladly tell you that I am the "actress" of the group (because lets face it, every group of friends in New York has to have an "actor" friend hehe) and I've been working my a$$ off studying at two schools for my BA in Film and taking classes at the Lee Strasberg Institute of Theatre and Film. After recently completing my course at Lee Strasberg I started trying to get a small job in the business, whether behind the camera or in front of it! Of course I was sure this job would include me being someones coffee b*$#h and I was (and still am) happy to be running to Starbucks if it means I get to be any part of a set. So who knew that when I sent my headshot and resume to the casting director for the hit show Smash I would get a response! 

Hold your horses here folks, lets be honest I didn't get a lead speaking role or anything but I did get to star as an extra in the background. Im sure if any of you know what being an extra means you'll click the back button and ignore the rest of this post. But hold your mouse!! For anyone who doesn't know background is the lowest of the "film set food chain," as an extra your job is to blend and make the stars and the set look realistic. Although it is very important to the scene, your totem pole status is... not.  So when I say I was excited about working on Smash, in the background I really mean I was glad to work on Smash and blend in. However, like I said before, I am happy to be anywhere on the totem pole, as long as it is on a film set. This experience was great and I thought you might want to step into the "A Day in the Life of a Tired, but Interesting TV Extra". 

THROWBACK THURSDAY

Greetings earthlings! Tatiana returns to blog about the good ole New York City. I am back and still killin’ it!

Everyone has heard of Throwback Thursday, right? If you have any form of social media, I’m sure you have heard of this phenomenon. Many people post old pictures and add #ThrowbackThursday to the caption to get it trending. But, I’m here to use Throwback Thursday in a different form, a story. Two Thursdays ago was one of the most fun I've had in school. Let’s flashback to one of my favorite nights in college…

I would think of this night as one of my top 5 nights while here because it was all around a great time. All of my friends were there and we were all in great moods. This was the night of our date auction. Chanda and I were dual contestants and ready to strut our stuff. We were so glad that the money went to a great cause, charity. It was basically a few fun facts and then we walk down the runway to a song of choice. We chose to do “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls. The MC introduced us and we danced like no one was watching down the runway. We pointed at the crowd and got them all excited and alert… For the record, we ended up getting one of the highest bids. ;) I will remember this night for a while by the laughs we shared, fun we had, and all of the great people who came out to support our crazy selves. That is all. Have a great Thursday everyone. Feel free to think back at one of your favorite nights.

XOXO,

Tatiana

Let's Do Brunch

Who doesn’t love brunch? I get to wake up late, eat unhealthy yet still delicious (and probably covered in syrup) breakfast, AND catch up with my girls? I’ll take it. 

So I asked the lovely ladies of Eyes of NYC where their favorite brunch spot is. And this is what we came up with, enjoy! 

Sydney’s favorite: Le Barricou (533 Grand Street, Brooklyn)

It’s no surprise Syd chose a quaint French eatery for her go-to brunch spot. She loves the language...and the food. What is surprising is that it wasn’t the crêpes she was raving about, but rather the “incredible Homemade Buttermilk Pancakes”. They were made entirely from scratch, so it kinda took a while...but she said the wait was "sooo" worth it. 

Chanda’s go-to: The Bowery Diner (241 Bowery Street, NYC)

The Bowery Diner, open 24 hours on weekends (pancakes at midnight anyone?), brings a funky, modern twist to the classic diner decor. But it still has those heaping serving sizes that diner’s are known and loved for. When I asked Chanda about her favorite brunch dish, I couldn’t finish my sentence before she burst out with, “The Belgian Waffles. Oh my God, they came with frozen custard that was amazing...and it was only like ten bucks.” You heard it.

Savannah frequents: Cowgirl Seahorse (259 Front Street, NYC)
After being hit pretty bad by Hurricane Sandy, Cowgirl Seahorse managed to get back up and running (and serving us late-risers with yummy brunch) in no time. We actually came here for Chanda’s birthday back in December, and the uniquely decorated cafe (slightly nautical, slightly wild west), left a lasting impression. Savannah raves about their Captain Crunch French-toast, “not too sweet and perfectly crunchy” - I must try them next time!

Tatiana loves: Midnight Express Diner (1715 2nd Ave, NYC)

Another classic diner. Open 24 hours. Large amounts of food. Nutella and Strawberry crêpes. Hungry yet? Tatiana said the best part about this place is that if you take a picture of your meal and post it to Instagram they’ll give you FREE crêpes! Sounds like a deal. 

My personal favorite: Cafe Orlin (41 St Marks Place, NYC)

You know a place is good when there’s a line out the door and it's packed at 10 am. The 15 minute wait wasn’t bad and it was well worth it -  ‘cause the service was kind and the food was, as expected, great. My taste buds were quite pleased with my choice of Buttermilk Pancakes topped with bananas and blueberries. A simple brunch, yet the fruit was so fresh and the pancakes were so fluffy! I remember being full all day! And now I’m craving them. 

*Megan has not yet been to brunch in NYC. So it is my mission this month to take her for the beautiful breakfast/lunch combination!

If you try any of these places, let us know what you think! And tell us where your favorite brunch spot is!

My NYC is Your NYC, Daniella