Black Jeans + Denim Jacket

Thrifted Denim Jacket (similar) || Vintage Necklace (similar) || Zara Tank (another option here) || Rag & Bone Jeans || Levity Booties (very similar) || Chanel Bag (very similar)

One thing that's funny about living in New York is how big the city really is. People who visit think they can so easily hop from Central Park to Brooklyn Bridge and then back up to Times Square in a matter of minutes. I mean sure, you can hop into a taxi or hop onto the subway, but that hop can take you anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on traffic, train delays, taxi availability, etc.

For this reason, it's a commonality among New Yorkers to get "stuck" in the neighborhood in which you reside. I mean, why spend 2 hours going to and from brunch when you can walk 5 minutes around the corner?! In fact, I can't tell you how many times we set out with the best of intentions to go somewhere in the city and then just realize how much simpler it is to go to our favorite neighborhood spot instead.

All this lead up to say, last Monday night we successfully went somewhere other than our neighborhood for dinner. Granted it was a whole whopping 4 subway stops away, but away it was, nonetheless. While I genuinely do enjoying going to try new places in other neighborhoods, I also enjoy switching up my style from my usual uniform to something that fits the more uptown or downtown vibe of wherever we're going. Since dinner was a casual spot on the LES I wanted to go for that black/denim/grunge look, but since I knew after dinner we were going somewhere a bit fancier for drinks I made sure to dress up my look with a slip cami, my favorite vintage gold choker necklace and a pair of heeled booties.

I'll share more about the restaurant later this week but in the mean time, I'd love to know, do you get stuck in a rut of always going to your favorites spots wherever it is that you live? Or, do you frequently branch out and try new places?

PHOTOS BY DAVID LEVINE