Day 2: Breakfast at Macy's


After our long walk from the hotel, I felt I thoroughly deserved a treat. It had also been drawn to my attention that many New Yorker's don't have much concept of distance, having asked many people for directions and being repeatedly told to catch the bus or the subway, and then turning a corner and seeing Macy's straight ahead.

I was slightly confused by the "Breakfast Specials" menu at the cafe in Macy's, which consisted of 'Bolognese' and 'A la vodka', and as much as vodka for breakfast sounded lovely, and very normal, I settled for scrambled egg on a bagel. Beautiful!

The cafe was very simple, all about the food. It had tiled walls and flooring, reminding me of an old fashioned kitchen seen in something like "Muppets in Manhattan". There was something for everyone in there, it had a very relaxed atmosphere.

Like a kid in a candy store...

The most amazing visual merchandising I have ever experienced in a sweet shop



Dylan's candy store. It was like entering a Willy Wonka film without the crazy mad man. Every sweet I had ever heard mentioned in an American film was there to buy, 3 Muskateers bar, Twizzlers... the lot!

I loved the way that the floor guided me through the store, inviting me further in. Each step I took I saw something new and more interesting than the last thing... chocolate roses, life size lollipops (although I don't think you could eat these), Barbie and Ken chocolate bars, Harry Potter chocolate frogs. The flooring was beautiful, it reminded me of some photography I had done at A-level where I lined up gummy bears against a white background and simply photographed them. To see all these gummy sweets lit up beneath my feet made me laugh, it's strange how something so strange can look so beautiful. It really worked as a visual merchandising concept.

One thing I have noticed about stores in New York is that the stores never just do what it says on the shop front. This sweet store not only offered and amazing variety of novelty sweets, but also sold mugs, t-shirts and pj's, all sweety themed. Unfortunately the pj's were aimed at children... maybe if I lose 3 stone I'l pop back?