On just a few hours of sleep, I dove into New York City early Saturday morning. With a brief stop at Dry Bar to receive a blow-out for the day, I then hopped into an Uber taxi cab that took me up to Lincoln Center. Even though it was raining freakishly hard combined with a blustery wind, it was Lincoln Center and the street style fashionistas lined the concourse hoping a photographer would discover their wardrobe talents. While my tickets are for shows tomorrow (Sunday), I enjoyed appreciating the effort the women and men put into their ensembles.

I briefly had to stop into Columbus Circle’s J.Crew and try a few things on (and dream about the leopard pumps above), but then it was on to enjoy the day as someone who hasn’t been in New York City for quite some time.

Nearly two years ago, I was reading Town & Country magazine, and I spotted a recommendation for a tucked away Italian restaurant behind MoMA. Having torn out the page, I saved it and was elated to discover this resturant Il Gattopardo is a beautiful, quaint lunch or dinner delight. With options to dine in the dining room or in the garden (which is a solarium), I chose the garden, as the rain gently tapped on the glass, I sipped a glass of white wine while enjoying their Risotto of the Day (seafood). The service, the atmosphere, and the location was ideal, as upon finishing my meal I stepped across the street to The Museum of Modern Art.

While one could certainly spend hours upon hours in such a museum, I headed directly to the 4th and 5th floors where Picasso, Seraut, Pollock, Monet, Modigliani and others are found, and let the time tick away. (Girl Before a Mirror by Pablo Picasso and Water Lilies by Claude Monet are seen in the image above.)

Needing a bit of exercise, I set out to find Laduree’s here in New York City and found it between 70th and 71st street on Madison Avenue on the upper east side. The line was long, but moved quickly, and I dashed out the door with a treat to enjoy after returning to my hotel through Central Park.

To my utter shock and excitement, I exited the park only to see street style star Miroslava Duma standing on 5th avenue taking her own pictures. I couldn’t get my camera out fast enough, but she is just as petite and lovely as you might imagine.

Needless to say, the first day was full of an abundance of experiences, revelations and pinch-myself moments. (Follow me on Twitter for in the moment updates and images shared throughout the day – @simplyluxurious)

Tomorrow begins with brunch with a fellow blogger I can’t wait to meet, my first official fashion show and more exploration. Stay tuned . . .

~Images: Beginning upper left and moving clockwise – Laduree’s, The Dry Bar in the Flatiron District, one of Claude Monet’s Water Lilies paintings, a trio of fashion found at Lincoln Center (center), Pablo Picasso’s Girl Before a Mirror, J.Crew’s leopard pumps at Columbus Circle, chandelier in the lobby of The Hudson Hotel, Italian restaurant Il Gattopardo, a rainy evening in Times Square~