Snapshot Sunday | Books of Wonder

I've wanted to stop by Books of Wonder for a while now, but never find myself in that part of town. Today I happened to walk by on my way to the NYC Vegetarian Food Festival, so I decided to stop in. I took a peek at the Young Adult section, and found beautiful shelves replete with signed copies. Due to my budget, I couldn't grab anything at full price. However, I'm so glad I finally had the chance to see what this shop has to offer. I hope to visit again soon (they have a lot of book events!).

Snapshot Sunday | NBA All-Star MetroCard

I had a scary moment earlier this week when I went to swipe my MetroCard only to discover it wasn't in my wallet. After a few moments of brief panic I remembered – it was in my other bag. My fear turned to annoyance at myself, and I grumbled my way over to buy a new card. I was pleasantly surprised when the machine at Penn Station provided me with a Limited Edition NBA All-Star MetroCard! I had seen these MetroCards advertised on the MTA website, and even though I wanted one (basketball is the only sport I follow regularly), I wasn't going to purchase a new MetroCard just to get one. Thus, you can imagine my surprised when this beauty popped out of the machine. At this point, All-Star weekend was already over, but I was still able to snag one of the 600,000 NBA All-Star MetroCards. Sometimes forgetting something at home isn't all that bad! 

Snapshot Sunday | The Glorious Subway

I find myself taking the subway much more in the winter months because it is just way too cold to walk on my normal routes some days. This week I found myself standing at a place in the station where I could see all the way down the tracks. It was a cool view, so I figured I would snap a picture. Now, when I look at the photo, I see an old, decrepit subway. The walls are dirty, the ceiling needs work, and it's just not a great sight. It may not look pretty, but I'm always thankful to have the subway, especially in the winter. 

Snapshot Sunday | Book Stack Edition

I'm back with a new Snapshot Sunday after being away for a few weeks on winter break! This week I'm showcasing my current TBR ("to be read") pile instead of a city snapshot since I'm spending my weekend in my apartment and not the frozen tundra that is Manhattan. I've already finished The Giver and have moved on to An Italian Wife. It's so great to be reading in the New Year! Tell me what you're currently reading in the comments! 

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Snapshot Sunday | The Holiday Season

It's officially the Christmas season here in NYC. A couple weeks back I visited Rockefeller Center and had to take a picture of the beautiful angels lined up. At the time, the tree was still covered up with a huge tarp. Hopefully I will one day see the tree in all its glory! It's such a shame I have final exams when the tree goes up – maybe next year!

Snapshot Sunday | Home Cookin'

I usually feature city snapshots every week, but today I thought I would share a picture of the Banana Oatmeal cookies I made last night. While NYC has some of the best food in the world, sometimes it's great to stay in and make something in the kitchen, especially when the weather turns cold. I had a couple ripe bananas, and found THIS simple Pinterest recipe. I think they turned out great! 

Snapshot Sunday | NYC by Night

The laundry room in my building was out of commission for a week, and as soon as it was back in action I stayed up late to wash my clothes. What does this have to do with the photo, you ask? Well, the laundry room is on the top floor of my building, and there is a balcony with amazing views of the city. I couldn't help but snap a picture of the Empire State Building lit up. I'll always think the skyline is gorgeous, and I'll miss this view when I move out of this building. 

Snapshot Sunday | Fall in NYC

Fall is my favorite season, and as a native New Englander, it can be a bit sad to be away from beautiful foliage and crunching leaves. I appreciate the small steps that some NYC businesses and neighborhoods take to make the city feel more festive. I had to snap a picture of this mum and pumpkin setup in SoHo. I loved the colors and autumnal feeling. Fall in NYC is nothing like it is in New England, but this view helped for sure! 

Snapshot Sunday | Leather Weather

I spotted this sign outside of m0851 in SoHo and had to laugh. I love leather weather, and in fact do own some leather pieces in my wardrobe, but I knew immediately who doesn't love leather weather: cows.  

Snapshot Sunday | West Coast Adventures

This past week I traveled from New York to Los Angeles, and subsequently to Las Vegas. It was a great trip, and I had a great time! I've never been to Vegas before, so that was definitely exciting. The top photo above was taken at the top of Reseda Boulevard, where we had an amazing view of the mountains. The second photo is a shot of the Vegas strip that I took from the top of the Eiffel Tower at the Paris Resort and Casino. It was a great end to my summer! 

Snapshot Sunday | City Clouds

One of my favorite places to take pictures is from the top floor of my apartment building. The laundry room is in the penthouse, so it's great to take a few minutes out on the balcony whenever I go up there. Earlier this week, I was greeted by this amazing partly-cloudy sky and just had to snap a photo. I think the sky looks so cool! No filter needed.

Snapshot Sunday | NYC + USA

I took this photograph of the Empire State Building while I was on 18th Street and 5th Avenue. I loved how blue the sky was at the time, and how the American flag was waving perfectly in the foreground. I think it's a perfect shot of NYC and USA together! 

Snapshot Sunday | Fourth of July in the East Village

As the Fourth of July weekend comes to a close, I thought I would share this simple and unedited photo of a huge American flag that was hung up in my neighborhood. I thought it looked beautiful! I hope all of you had a wonderful and relaxing weekend. 

Snapshot Sunday | Stuyvesant Square

I happened to wander upon Stuyvesant Square today, and it was just beautiful! The sun was shining, and the flowers were in bloom. This is an untouched photograph from my iPhone. I absolutely love it! Plus, this park looked much quieter than others in the area, so I think I'll be returning there at some point. It looks like a great spot to read!

Snapshot Sunday | Fleet Week 2014

Navy Ship at Pier 92

Gorgeous view of the city

It's Fleet Week here in NYC, and I had the opportunity to tour the ships at Pier 92 in Manhattan today. It was beautiful out, and the perfect day to make a trip to the water. If you have the chance, stop by tomorrow for the last day of tours. All information can be found on the Fleet Week website HERE.

Snapshot Sunday | Spring in Bloom at City Hall

It's finally spring here in New York City! This week we had lots of rain, but also some sunshine. When I saw these gorgeous tulips outside of City Hall, I had to capture them. It's funny – you can see all of the soil surrounding the flowers as if they are out of place in the middle of a bustling city. Well, they are, but they're cheery and beautiful nonetheless. And yes, I did use an Instagram filter on this snapshot to really make those colors pop! 

Snapshot Sunday | My Street Art Obsession

I always love seeing street art throughout the city. Whether it's a mural or a smaller piece, I always feel the need to snap a picture no matter how touristy I feel doing so. Now that it's spring and finally sunny outside, I've been able to walk a lot more, and have been spotting new-to-me street art. Here are a couple that I particularly liked this week.

"Love Me" – taken on Broadway near Canal Street

Funky Alien Creatures! Not sure what to call this. Taken on E 2nd Street between 2nd Ave and Bowery.

Do you enjoy street art as much as I do? Let me know in the comments!

Snapshot Sunday | When Neighborhoods Collide

This week's Snapshot Sunday features a corner that I see quite frequently on my walk to school. With the TriBeCa Film Festival right around the corner, banners are popping up throughout the city advertising the event. One of the banners just happened to be hanging on the same light post of one of Little Italy's signature decorations. This exact spot is right on the edge of Little Italy in SoHo, right before crossing into TriBeCa. I love the intersection of neighborhoods, and had to capture it on the bright, spring day we were experiencing. 

You can get full information about the TriBeCa Film Festival on its official site here: CLICK

Snapshot Sunday | Brooklyn College

Time for another new series on OpenLetter2NYC! This one is short and simple, and called Snapshot Sunday. I love taking pictures in the city, and thought it would be fun to share one with you each week. Sometimes I don't do anything mega blog-worthy, but Sundays will be all about one photo. Ready for my first Snapshot Sunday?

I ventured to Brooklyn College earlier this week, as I had to take a test as part of the New York Bar Exam requirements. I did a practice run to the college so I wouldn't get lost the day of the test (we weren't allowed to take our cell phones... ugh, I know). I was pleasantly surprised with how beautiful the Brooklyn College campus is, and had to stop and take a quick picture. 

That's all for this week's Snapshot Sunday! I hope to share a new photo with you every week, so stay tuned!