My neighbourhood, Alphabet City, is full of treasures. It has a long, wild history, and today it’s home to a wonderfully eclectic mix of people. (Plus, Madonna lived here at the start of her career, which is good enough for me!)

Avenue D used to be a place you just didn’t visit, but these days, it houses a slew of Citi Bikes. And during weekends on Avenue C, the sidewalk is crawling with hip young things, checking out all that Alphabet City has to offer.

A flock of new restaurants and bars have opened up along this strip. Edi And The Wolf is one of my favourites, and is somewhere I always take visitors from out of town. Bobwhite does comforting Southern food in a relaxed environment, The Summit does wicked cocktails, and The Wayland is always packed. Competition is fierce. But the proprietor of Edi And The Wolf recently flung open the doors at The Third Man… And it’s my hands-down winner.

Don’t tell anyone, but it’s one of my favourite spots in the city to chill out and unwind after a long week…

Inside, The Third Man is dark and calm. There’s no oonst-oonst nonsense, and no one’s going to spill a drink on you. This is as zen as drinking gets!

The music ranges from Gary Clark Jr to Massive Attack, and it’s relaxed and unpretentious. When I’m there, I always feel like I’m in someone’s home, and no one is trying too hard. It’s perfect.

So last night, after a very long (and very hot) day, I sipped on a Cheap Novelette and a Fool O’ Berries, while Mike guzzled a couple of glasses of Tennessee Waltz. We snacked, too, on a charcuterie platter and some white bean spread with lingonberry preserve. Delicious, and recommended.

I love that this photo looks like it could have been taken in Paris. It’s a little slice of European style in the East Village.

I always know that one of Edi’s places will have a lot of flair. He does rustic minimalism like no one else. The Third Man has beautiful, unique ironwork outside (and no signage), while just a block away at Edi And The Wolf, the roof came from a barn in upstate New York. It was reconstructed, piece by piece, plank by plank, and is lit from the inside. It is so gorgeous!

Okay, onto the outfit! I wanted to keep it simple, because on a hot night, you don’t want to think about it too much. It was an easy equation: striped t-shirt + black skirt + hat + boots = happiness. Sometimes, you just can’t improve on a classic!

I picked up this striped crewneck t-shirt from Urban Outfitters, and started wearing it so much that I bought another one. (You can never have too many striped t-shirts!) The skirt is Helmut Lang, and was actually a Saturday score at Buffalo Exchange. I bought my Michael Kors watch a couple of years ago, and recently started wearing it again — I go through phases, and at the moment, wearing a watch feels right! And the lipstick I’m wearing is Illamasqua’s Atomic. (Ob. Sessed.)

If you find yourself in my ‘hood, be sure to stroll into The Third Man. Take your lover, cozy up in a booth, and enjoy yourselves.

Kisses,

This post was made possible with the help of ShopSense!