Go to www.corcoran.com, a high-end real estate company here in New York City, to see extremely detailed photos and floorplans for thousands of apartments in New York. As you'll see from the prices, this is high-end real estate -- then again, there isn't much but high-end real estate in Manhattan and the nicer parts of Brooklyn, which is where Corcoran deals. I rent a floor-through apartment on the second floor of an old brownstone in Brooklyn. It's technically a one-bedroom with an office, dining room, living room, and galley kitchen in about 650 sq feet. In reality, it's a studio (no doors except the bathroom) with rooms all in a row divided by arches (no hallway). The "dining room" is a room with no windows between the bedroom and living room. We've lined it with bookshelves and painted it a dark color with white trim since it's already so hopelessly dark anyway. It's really not bad looking though, and we've had many a successful dinner party. If we could get a hanging lamp over the table, it would help eliminate the "hallway" feeling of the room. It is also rather annoying that we have to turn on the light to eat breakfast, but that's the way it is. Dining rooms are fairly rare in New York. You'll find them in "classic sixes," which are mostly old twenties and thirties-style apartments that sell for millions on the upper east side. Sometimes you'll get a "dining alcove" which doubles as a foyer, and sometimes the dining room is a raised floor with or without railing in the living room. Or you'll have a long, narrow living room (20 by 12 feet) into which you can fit a dining room table. People who have small living rooms without eat-in kitchens -- this is probably the most common arrangement -- put up a small two-person table at one end of the living room. They limit themselves to cocktail parties or no parties at all. Parties are often held in bars and restaurants rather than apartments. Tenement apartments on the Lower East Side (some in the Village) usually have three or four rooms all in a row with no hallway. The rooms are all pretty undifferentiated and don't often have fireplaces or details, even though they're old (many originally had stoves for heat and the bathrooms were shared and down the hall). You might find pretty much any age of person living in such a building, including two girls in their 20s just starting out in New York sharing a 650-sq-foot two bedroom with living room, kitchen, and bathroom in the middle.

Sounds like a great trip - we are likely do the same trip this year. My concern is keeping DH entertained. Two of our boys live there. DS3 has lived on Mulberry St going on 1.5 yrs - it is a wonderful neighborhood no matter what time of year. He was on 58th for 2 yrs, next door to One Columbus and a block down from the Hudson (fun to look at, have a drink, not my taste to stay there). DS1 moved there 1.5 yrs ago - first year .3 mi east from brother on 58th (midtown and near shopping) and now in Hells Kitchen (Lots and lots of restaurants). That is the west of the Times Sq area. I encourage you to find maps on line or Barnes and Noble and look at the neighborhoods. It might influence where you stay. I sometimes stay with the boys, sometimes in hotels very near where they live. (found on line) I would also plan some alternative activities....the weather may impact what you do. Also google places and print them out - it will help you get organized and recognize it. An fyi - Top of the Rock and Empire St Bldg viewing areas are COLD and windy, no matter what time of year, I did Empire in Feb, ....we were almost the only ones there and could only be in the outdoors for a minute or two without warming up inside. Worth doing, but do dress for it. Top of the Rock was freezing in August. Street food is fun in midtown around Rock Ctr - DS1 works in 50 Rock and knows which are the best carts, I can never remember but skip the ones that don't have a big line. Funny though, DS3 won't touch street food....his loss. A few things that haven't been brought up: The Campbell Apt in Grand Central Station. Go for a drink...look it up on line - very historic, most tourists would not find it. Grand Central Station is interesting even if you don�t find the Apt. Eataly on 5th, amazingly fun - google it. La Crepe at 51 Spring in Nolita (DS3 in between Prince and Spring on Mulberry) - OMG good. Last summer I happened upon NY Cake at 56 w 22nd, the most amazing store for baking supplies - it is overwhelming....very fun store. And it was chance I found it, I was trying to get to Home Depot that is a block up, Yes there is a HD in Manhattan ... they just dont cut wood - they cant handle the dust). Go through the Time Warner Center shopping and check out the huge Whole Foods downstairs, fun for lunch just for the experience. (Columbus Circle - 59th st) From there walk up to Lincoln Center - host to so many events - including Fashion Week shows. There is a cute place called Rice to Riches down in the Mulberry - Nolita area - a block from La Crepe that is only Rice Pudding....about 20 flavors, all delicious, fun containers....I was in there once and had just ordered when a tour guide actually brought a huge group in there to see it. In Flatiron, try L.A. Burdick, the most amazing Hot Chocolate ever.. you could hit art galleries in Chelsea then have dessert.it is at 5 E 20th. Great on a cold day. Fun store for house wares: Gracious Home up in the Lincoln Center area. Also not to be missed: ABC Carpet and Home at 888 and 881 Broadway at E 19th - a wonderful old building and 10 floors of wonderful / interesting things to look at....it has been in business since 1897. I have seen it mentioned on this site from time to time. The Apple store on 5th (near the opposite side of the park - maybe 60th and 5th) might be hit with your kids - it is a big clear cube and you go down to shop. Thinking of engineering and architecture, one interesting thing about NYC is that it is so old and yet they adapt through the times and generations - stores that have small store fronts easily has three huge floors all underground. I live in SoCal and don't go anywhere with my car here....in NYC I ONLY take cabs....if I am with the DSs I will do the trains but give me a cab anytime. DS3 is a cab taker too..faster, easier, you see the lay of the land. I can and do the subway to get anywhere (except going to /from the airport) in London but I find the NY subways dark with not great signage and harder to figure out. I also walk and walk and walk and walk. Keep your eyes open when you are there, you never know who you will see! Yellow cabs are a good thing, pass on the Black Cars - not subject to the same regulations. Just get out there and wave one down - the lights on the top of the cab will indicate if they are on duty (or not). You will feel like a native! Sorry to be so wordy, and easily with nothing you are interested in ..... seems I am in a NY state of mind.......

As a perpetual tourist (I live here), here's my take: 1) STATUE OF LIBERTY. This is an all day trip. Go early. Book your tickets ahead of time on the Internet. Pack a lunch. The kind of food they sell on the island is the kind that gets you sick on the ferry going back. You can go to the highest point, the crown, if you go on the first boat of the day. But it's not worth it (tiny little room, tiny windows, crappy view, horrific climb up corkscrew stairs to get there). The rest of the day, you'll go to the base, which has a great view. There is also a fantastic museum IN the Statue. You can buy combo tickets for the Statue and Ellis Island, but even if you whiz through the Statue, you will end up with about an hour to spend on Ellis Island--if you are really interested in Ellis Island, think about making it a separate trip. 2) I third the STATEN ISLAND FERRY. Here's what I usually do with my guests. Find out when sunset is (check the paper's weather page or the Internet). Make sure that you are in the waiting room for the Staten Island Ferry 15 minutes before that time. Get on the ferry. Watch the sunset of the Statue of Liberty. When you get to Staten Island, get off the ferry and get on the next one going to Manhattan. If you are in the front of the boat, facing Manhattan, you will get a postcard view of downtown Manhattan all lit up. Did I mention that this trip is FREE??? As I think of more, I'll post more.

So much goodness here. I love her, her aesthetic, her personality and her personal style. I actually like the way she played with the greens, using the more neutral drab one as a ground, bouncing the brighter ones off of that. The art is beautiful and arranged so well. The animal theme is playful and warm. The apartment itself is so charming. As for the general look, I have found all my friends who grew up in classically decorated houses have gone on to decorate likewise, that goes down all the way to people in their early 30s. I don't think you can grow up in a house decorated that way and switch to a more fashion based look, though I can imagine people choosing to go very modern, as in classic modern, not contemporary things, but Breuer chairs, LC sofas, that sort of thing. She works for Peter Pennoyer, one of my favorite architects. His work is classic. His wife is the ID Katie Ridder.