who they are, what they do and where to find them

I’ve been paying attention here in New York. And the part that strikes me most are the people themselves. Step into a subway train a you’ll spot it right away. Very different types of people each with their own stories and dreams all around you.

That’s another New York feature; almost no one is just one thing. Just the other day I ran into a girl who’s a ‘houseflipper’ (you know, buying, redecorating and selling houses) in Delaware, a New York blogger and she runs a donut joint in Brooklyn. Everyone here does something and something else, you’d think this city doesn’t have any prototypes. But of course there are.

I’ve been in New York a year and a half now and have found that I can divide the ladies of New York into 5 categories. I have no trouble parking the men either but I’ll save that one for some other time. Right, back to the women. Prototypes, I know it’s a little shallow putting everyone on the same page but thinking in boxes has it’s advantages from time to time. And there is, even though it might be very little, a bit of truth to it.

For these ladies the most encircling term is ‘hipster babes’. These girls are cool. They like round and sphered shapes. Round ‘John Lennon’ shades, men’s shoes with rounded noses and bowler hats worn over their bob-styled hair. There’s nothing straight down the middle for these ladies. And don’t you think those tees with rolled up sleeves come from Poundland. No way, these women care about the environment and the story behind their clothes. Fair-trade. Art. Everything has to have a meaning behind it. The T-shirts with holes are thought through and usually have a high price tag. They have creative jobs or go to creative schools. You’ll find them mainly in the Lower East Side or Brooklyn where they drink red wine and listen to vinyl records.

Opposite the Lower East Side you find the Meatpacking district. And ironically you’ll find the opposite of the the keep-it-cool hipster girl here. These ladies prefer tight, high and shiny. Louboutin, Jimmy Choo and Hervé Leger and more often than not these girls go by the phrase: got it flaunt it. Lots of boobs and booties hobble down the cobbled streets, usually in groups. These women are beautiful, groomed and like dirty martini’s and vodka. They dine at STK, Catch and Bagatelle and afterwards they move their red soled heels at model & bottles (my phrase for big clubs with tables, bottle service and lots of dancing ladies) at clubs like PhD and VIP.  So Meatpacking = glam girls!

You spot them immediately. I think they are the prettiest girls in town. In a simple top, wavy hair (often in a half bun), cool sunglasses, killer jeans and an even cooler designer bag. These girls sashay through the streets mostly in Soho. They have Maman’s quinoa for lunch, they drink chai tea and have their breakfast at Jack’s Wife Freda. Less is more, for these beauties.

The high towered ladies always move in fifth gear, tiptoeing neatly from A to B. In coquet suits or A-line dresses they carry a laptop bag in one hand and work tools in the other. The work tools usually travel in a whopper or a shopper. By whopper I mean a bag that frequently turns up on my wish list; a Celine or Chanel. You get the picture. You always see a second pair of shoes sticking out of these bags because these ladies work long days and prefer to walk home on their sneakers. But before doing so they enjoy drinks and oysters at Balthazars, taste oriental finger food at Illili or have brunch at the Gramercy Hotel.

Are they hipsters from Lower East? Glam girls from Meatpacking? Pretty models or work hard/play hard babes? No, no and no. They can’t even be confined to one single district, which is what makes them stick out. They are very stylish and have a wide range. I can’t really describe it but they all have something intriguing about them. I call them the’ Lena Dunhams’. You know, the multitasker behind the Girls series. She has it too. Maybe the best word is ‘sophistication’. Yes, I think that’s right. The alert city spotter will know what I mean. Most Lena’s can be found in the West Village, on the terrace at Bar Pitti’s for example. Or you see them having coffee at Bluestone Lane.

To the question as to which category I belong, I’ll get back to you on that. I do know one thing; after two bottles of wine I’m a Meatpacking Glam girl – without the boobs and bootie, but hey, who cares!