City Escapes - Oklahoma City, and a Giveaway

Today's City Escape post is by one of the most fashionable and stylish couples in the blog world. Jeremy and Kathleen from Jeremy and Kathleen and J&K: what we wear put together a fabulous tour of their incredible cultural city through their eyes. Take a look for your self, I still can't get over the spectacular modern home. Who would have thought, Oklahoma was home to so many different styles of Architecture.... and yes guys, you're definitely cool. I'm definitely sold on this City and I can't wait to visit one day. Now, could you transport a home just like yours to Miami for me to live in.


I hope you'll enjoy this virtual tour of Oklahoma City!



Thanks Yansy for choosing Oklahoma City as one of your City Escape features. I am approaching this article not as a tourist guide highlighting the typical "go-to" places but what I love about OKC on a very personal level.

First off, I love Oklahoma City. I grew up in the suburbs just south of Oklahoma City and had this preconceived notion that OKC was kind of dirty and lacked refinement. But after graduating college I landed an art director/design job at an advertising agency in historical Bricktown, the heart of OKC, and I quickly realized that Oklahoma City has a lot of culture and character to offer. I was still making a 30 minute (1 hour in rush hour traffic) commute both ways from the suburbs. I eventually left the safety net of the suburbs and moved to a duplex in an urban historical neighborhood 3 minutes from my job. It took living in OKC to really appreciate the pulse of this city.

So here are little pieces of OKC that I have fallen in love with:


OKC Farmers Market
{Insert farmers market pic}
Every Sunday my husband and I hit up the Oklahoma City Farmers Market for locally grown and imported produce. There are a few stands open every day of the week - even in the winter. This building holds events year round such as the Girly Show {Link to:http://www.thegirlieshow.net/about.php}, a yearly art show event featuring badass female artists from around OKC.


Buildings with Character
I think it's the buildings that don't get a lot of attention - that are peppered throughout a city - that really make up a city landscape. Here are some of my favorites.


201 E Main
This building is located down the block from my office and in the early morning light the colors just POP.


Vacuum Repair Shop
I adore this Hoover shop. Everything from the beat up signage to the boarded up door ooze personality - the kind of character you don't get from new-builds. Buildings like this make me nostalgic for an era I never experienced.


Import Wholesale Supermarket
I think this storefront, that could be considered an eyesore, is just fabulous. It is a vibrant little patch in the middle of the crazy quilt that is 23rd street in OKC.

Bricktown
Mercantile Building, Bricktown
This rainy-day shot was captured of my office (an old warehouse built in 1919) located in Bricktown, OKC. Just a decade ago this area of town was considered seedy and dangerous but with the help of a few development projects and businesses like the one I work at moving into this area it has been revitalized.


Graffiti
I know landlords probably hate it but I love graffiti. We don't have the most refined graffiti artists here in Oklahoma City - but this tag definitely caught my eye. This kind of "I was here" statement is not found in the 'burbs and I think it definitely has it's place in a real city.


The Boulevard Cafeteria
My dad takes me to lunch here about once a week and it is one of my favorite places in Oklahoma City - and would you look at that signage!?

Oklahoma City is Home
Oklahoma City houses some modern homes (see we're cool!) and historical mansions - full of character and life.
The place I call home.
I plan on traveling the world but will always be happy to settle back down in the roots of my home in Oklahoma City.

I hope you enjoyed my little slice of Oklahoma City life!

Kathleen
jeremyandkathleen.blogspot.com

Thanks again, Yansy!

Thanks again guys for your lovely tour. When I find myself in your city, I will be calling you guys for some delish vegetarian dishes.
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I promised you a giveaway and I shall deliver. It took me a while to come up with something that you wonderful ladies can enjoy as well as find useful. One of you lucky ladies will have the chance to win a set of four fabulous placemats by Simply Envogue, a set of four napkins by the Premium Hotel Collection and a milk glass dish from my private collection. I put this giveaway together in the spirit of the coming up holidays. The winner will be chosen by random.org. For a chance to enter twice, write a post on your blog with a link to this post and make sure to let me know, I will then allow you to enter a second time. Good Luck to all of you, the winner will be announced on Tuesday, September 15th.


I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and make some time to explore your city!



P.S If you are interested in participating in The City Escapes Series, please send me an email.


xo,

Yansy

City Escapes - Wilmington, N.C.

Today's post is by one of the sweetest and most helpful bloggers out there. Sissy from Blue Hydrangea, always makes sure to indulge us with fabulous inspirational images and spectacular designs. I adore her home, and I'm completely obsessed with her blue Opaline goblets. I'm on a mission to find a set of my own.

I hope you all get to enjoy Sissy's fantastic hometown as much as I did. I've always had a love affair with North Carolina, as with any good old Southern Town. Wilmington, is making me long for the small town vibe Miami desperately lacks.


Enjoy the fabulous virtual tour of Wilmington, N.C!

I am so excited to be included in Yansy's City Escapes Series. Today, I am going to be taking you on a walking tour of Wilmington, N.C.

One of the best parts about Wilmington is that it is located between the river and ...

The sea. O.K. I call it the beach...but isn't it great!!!

Today I am going to focus on downtown. This picture shows the end of Market Street where it runs into the river. You can almost make out one of my favorite shops....

Island Passage. Tiny, but full of great finds. Several stores up is another favorite of mine, Edge of Urge, where I got my favorite summer sandals.

Also on Market Street is this great condo which just happens to be for sale. You can have it all, city living in a small town. Check it out here.

Not only does downtown have cool restaurants, shopping and nightlife, but we also have a fabulous farmer's market right on the River walk.

If we head away from the river about two blocks, we will come to the court house. It reminds of the clock tower in Back to the Future. Thankfully I have never had a reason to go to the court house and I hope it stays that way!


From there we can head south two blocks and find First Presbyterian Church. It is important because I grew up going to church here, got married here and baptized my babies here. More importantly, Butterball will start school (O.K. he will only be in the toddlers two days a week) here in a few weeks.

In the mood for a tour. Be sure to check out the Bellamy Mansion, a 22 room antebellum mansion in the heart of downtown. Much prettier than Tara, don't you think?

Just had to include the fountain that is right in front of the Bellamy Mansion. Don't you love the turtles?


As long as we're walking around let's look at a couple of homes. There are a lot of historic, charming homes in downtown.

A friend of mine lived in this house as a child and I spent the night there once. I think I remember being scared.


This is one of the homes features on the local Ghost Tour. I would tell you the story but I don't want to ruin it for you.

That's it for the today. Let's stop by Jester's Java for an adult grilled cheese..with avocado and bacon. Yummy! This is a great little spot where you almost always see someone you know. They also feature artwork from local artists on the walls. Always something new to look at while you dine.

There is so much more to see so if you ever head to my hometown give me a shout!!

I would like to thank Sissy from taking time out of her busy schedule to participate in the City Escapes series. How wonderful must be to live in a City with so much southern charm, and to be located between the river and the beach. I can only imagine those views. Sissy, if I ever find myself in your town, I will definitely give you a shout out. We'll have to do lunch and some shopping :).


I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and make some time to explore your city!



P.S If you are interested in participating in The City Escapes Series, please send me an email.


xo,

Yansy

City Escapes - Naples, FL

Today's City Escapes series is featuring one my favorite cities in Florida, and fellow blogger.
Naples is only an hour away from Miami, and it couldn't be more different and laid back compared to Miami. Anne, from Annechovie was kind enough to share her favorite spots in the city. I don't think it's necessary to formally introduce Anne, most of you know who she is, and are familiar with her wonderful work. Anne is an amazing and talented artist, make sure to check out her fabulous store on Etsy. I have so many of her pieces in mind for the new gallery wall I plan to create in our new home.

Enjoy the virtual tour of Naples, FL!


Hello Yansy,

I really appreciate you inviting me to participate. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of "landmark" type buildings around here. It's a beautiful area, but has a kind of small-town vibe and most of the big buildings are beach condo hi-rises. However, the downtown area is charming and has lots of Spanish style architecture, much like the rest of Florida. The most beautiful thing is the water and sky, but I have tried to include some of the main landmarks for the area.

The Naples Philharmonic/Performing Arts Center

The famous Naples Pier, a popular place to walk, esp. at sunset

There's an all pink building near 3rd st., housing the Marissa Collection, high end clothing, etc

One of the signature hotels downtown is the Inn on Fifth, I have also included a photo of the street area, a popular venue for shopping, restaurants, etc.

Also, a photo of Clam Pass, so you can get an idea of how beautiful the water and beachy areas are here (I know Miami has these incredible spots as well!)

Thanks so much and have a great day, Yansy!

I would like to thank Anne for taking time out of her busy schedule to do the series. In my opinion, Naples has one of the best beaches in the world. After seeing these pictures, it's not difficult to understand how Anne can produce such beautiful work. Anne, you're an inspiration to all of us, and after seeing your City, it's easier to understand the excitement and love behind your work.


I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and make some time to explore your city!



P.S If you are interested in participating in The City Escapes Series, please send me an email.


xo,

Yansy

City Escapes - Richmond, VA

I'm super excited about our second City Escapes tour. Richmond, VA happens to be one of the most historical cities in the country. John and Sherry from Young House of Love, were kind enough to virtually introduce their favorite buildings in their historic hometown. Make sure to check out their home history here. Their world is surrounded by historical architecture and a fantastic ranch they call home.


Here are four of our favorite buildings here in our Richmond, VA hometown.
The first building is Main Street Station, a historic clock-tower building that serves as a gorgeous and grand train station.
Here are some old tobacco-warehouses-turned-modern-lofts which are an amazing combination of old & new (many of them have exposed beams and original brick with amazingly modern state of the art kitchens and furnishings).

The third building is one of the many gorgeous older homes on Monument Ave, Richmond's most historic thoroughfare lined with monuments of civil war heroes and houses full of gorgeous period detailing. We especially adore this home for the quatrefoil railing and the original windows.

And the forth example of our favorite Richmond architecture is this quirky vintage Richmond Dairy Company building which has since been converted to updated apartments (yes, you can live in the milk bottle!). Gotta love a place with a sense of humor.

Thanks so much for including us in City Escapes. We can't wait to virtually explore other cities!

xo,

s (& j)

I would like to personally thank Sherry and John for taking time out of their super busy schedule to participate in the City Escapes series. I would love to visit in a couple of months, hopefully when the weather is perfect and fall is on the horizon. Now, I just have to convince Bobby to take some time off.


I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Make some time to explore your city.



P.S If you are interested in participating in The City Escapes Series, please send me an email.


xo,

Yansy

City Escapes-Boston

I'm thrilled to start this series in Boston, Massachusetts. I would like thank Christine from Design Esquire for being our first guest blogger and for beautifully showcasing Boston's melting pot of Architecture. I hope for you to fall in love with this spectacular city and its architecture as much as I have.


I am so excited that Yansy asked me to be her first guest blogger for her City Escapes series. This is my first guest post, but luckily I had a lot of material because Yansy asked me to write about my favorite architectural buildings in Boston, where I have happily lived for the last 5 years. I grew up in Florida where most of the construction is pretty new, so the historical buildings in Boston really speak to me. Although, there is a lot of new, innovative architecture, especially on the waterfront. So, without further ado, here are some of my favorite buildings in Boston (in no real order).

This is the Institute of Contemporary Art. It is a relatively new building, and I love how the architects, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, designed it. They took advantage of the location, and included the wonderful Boston Harbor views into the design.

Right down the street from the Institute of Contemporary Art is the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse, which was finished in 1998 and designed by Henry Cobb. As you can see, the front looks like any other plain brick courthouse. However, the back is something special.

There is an 88 foot tall glass wall that overlooks Boston Harbor. I’m not sure if it is true or not, but I have been told that this building could not be built the same today because of the additional regulations that now govern federal buildings in the wake of the Oklahoma City bombing case (since an all glass wall would obviously be vulnerable to an attack). Regardless, it is a beautiful building, and it is just stunning in person.

This photo was taken from the City Hall steps, and shows Faneuil Hall and the Custom House Tower. I was sworn in as a lawyer in Fanueil Hall, so it holds a special place in my heart. The original Fanueil Hall burned down, but the “new” one was built in 1762. I don’t think you can see it in the picture, but if you look real close the weather vane is a grasshopper.

Now, from a beautiful old building, to Boston City Hall. I think it is a huge eye sore. But, it was apparently praised when it was first built in the 1960s by some, although I think most people now generally dislike it. Now, to get that ugly building out of your head. . .


. . . here is the Old State House, built in 1713. The Declaration of Independence was read from the balcony on July 18, 1776, and in 1770, the Boston Massacre took place in front of it. If you look on either side of the clock, you’ll see a unicorn and lion, which is found on the arms of Great Britain. I love how this one little old building is now surrounded by all the skyscrapers (the Old State House is in the middle of the Financial District). The building is still used today, and there is actually a subway stop in the basement.

Here is the new State House, which is the current seat of government for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and it is in the Beacon Hill neighborhood. I think this building is beautiful, and represents the state well.


Not far from the new State House, are gorgeous homes in Beacon Hill. Here are just two examples of the lovely architecture in the area. Practically every street is photo worthy, and needless to say, this is one expensive neighborhood.

Here is the Boston Public Library, which is in Copley Square. I love this building because the architecture is so different than many other buildings in the city. Charles Follen McKim built the library in 1895 in a Renaissance style. This is a stunning building inside and out.


Across the square from the Boston Public Library are Trinity Church and the John Hancock Tower. I love the contrast between the old and new architecture. Trinity Church was built in the 1870s by Henry Hobson Richardson, and the Hancock was built in the 1970s and designed by Pei, Cobb and Freed (and it’s the tallest building in New England). I’m not sure if this is true, but in my bar review class I was told that before the Hancock was built, Trinity Church was very concerned that it would lose a lot of sunlight due to a skyscraper being built right next door. But, with all the reflective windows, it actually gets more sunlight now. You can see the effect of the ultra-reflective windows below.



Thank you for letting me share my love of Boston with you all. Yansy, thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to participate in your new series. I had a wonderful time wandering around the city (just like a tourist) and taking photos of all my favorite buildings.


Christine, Thanks again for your wonderful post. You've made me fall in love with Boston all over again. I plan to visit in the fall, my favorite time of the year to visit New England.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and make some time to explore your city.


P.S. If you are interested in participating in the City Escapes series, please send me an email.


xoxo,

Yansy