One way that I like to cultivate creativity in my life right now is to take local adventures. Last Friday I woke up to a hazy day here in New York City. And on this particular day, I decided to go out and explore The Flower District with a friend.
The Flower District is a famous tiny stretch of flower markets on the west side of Manhattan on 28th Street between 6th and 7th Avenue. If you’ve been following me for a while, you know how much I love flowers. And if you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen my Saturday morning flower routine.
I’ve tried to visit the flower district before, but I’ll admit, I was pretty intimidated. So, when a friend offered to teach me how the flower district works, I jumped at the chance to learn the secret language of this special NYC hotspot.
I also knew I wanted to make some bouquets over the weekend. So, I left my apartment bright and early (at 6am!) and headed to The Flower District to see how it works.
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The Commute
The subway is part of what makes New York City so special. I’ve decided to cut back on my car service use and try to take the train more. There were enough people around that I felt safe on the subway in the early morning hours. And the train wasn’t too full—I almost had the a subway car to myself!
No, this empty train car doesn’t mean that New York City is dead. But I do feel that it’s an endangered species right now. I’m just trying to do my part to keep the city thriving.
I got off the train at 28th Street. That’s the closest stop to the Flower District. But you’re looking to end up in Midtown Manhattan, so you can take a lot of different routes to get there.
I am doing the double mask thing. I buy a box of these Dundas paper masks every few months and then I wear a linen mask over it. (I bought this mask from McMullen because it matches my skin tone).
The Finds
If you love flowers, this stretch of shops is a little oasis.
You can go door-to-door and find all types of flowers and other plants in different shades and colors. It’s so hard to narrow it down to just a few picks! I set a budget for myself so I wouldn’t go too crazy.
After browsing a few shops, a bouquet of toffee colored roses stopped me in my tracks. My mind was blown! I’d never seen roses in an earthy tone like that before. And, based on my outfit, it felt like I was in alignment. I knew I had to grab them.
Leave a comment to let me know what you think!
What I Learned
New York’s Flower District has a very specific culture. When I’d gone near it in the past, I left discouraged and empty handed. But, now that I’ve been properly introduced to New York City’s Flower District, I can share a few tips for making the most of your time in NYC’s Flower District:
- Arrive by 7am for the best flowers—by the afternoon everything is picked over
- Each flower shop has a specialty—so, if you don’t see anything that inspires you, keep walking to the next one
- Watch and learn: Each store has it’s own multi-step checkout process. Watch what everyone does and then fall in line. If you’re more assertive than I am, you can ask someone to help you when it comes time to pay!
The Outfit
Remember in The Curvy Girls Guide to Denim where I talked about being an “inbetween-y”? This outfit is a good example of how I dress my inbetween-y body these days.
I found almost all of these pieces in non-plus-size stores. I ignored the size on the label and tried them on to see if they would work on my body based on the cut. And it worked!
My sweater is from “& other stories, which does not carry plus sizes, I am wearing a size medium, here are some Similar Beige Turtleneck options from Nordstrom It took me over a year to find a nuetral colored pleated skirt, I found this one at Zara, again not plus size but I was willing to try it because I knew I’d be wearing it high on my waist. Here’s a Similar Skirt from H&M.
I’ve been wearing these comfy white Naturalizer sneakers everywhere lately.
This Coach Crossbody Bag is a winner
I’m still a bit wobbly from my lateral meniscus surgery, so I’ve been using a simple crossbody bag to hold all my essentials and keep my hands free for balance.
I also liked that my neutral palette let the bag and shoes stand out.
And lastly, I threw on a light camel-colored plus size trench coat that I got last season. This classic coat is a spring wardrobe staple for me every year.
All in all, I had a great early morning flower adventure! I’ll definitely be back soon.
Will I run into you? Let me know in the comments! And tell me what kind of adventures you like to take in your area.
Also, keep an eye out on my Pinterest for some videos I took at the market.
