Welcome to our City Guide series, NYC edition.

INTRODUCING our City Guide series!

Our community of more than 50,000 preferred influencers stretches across the world and includes all of you - some of the coolest, most adventurous tastemakers out there. We’ve launched this series to capture that sense of adventure. Every month we’ll interview an Obviously influencer about how to explore their home city like an influential local, covering all the top spots and favorite things to do.

We’re kicking off the series where Obviously all started, New York City. We interview Aaron Wester of @themodernotter and a lover of SoHo, just like us!

Aaron Wester, @themodernotter

Age: 32
Hometown: Westchester, NY
In NYC for: 9 years.
Background: Aaron went to high school and college in Arizona, then came back to the city after graduation to pursue a career in Theatre. He quickly realized he didn’t love the industry, only the craft, and followed a path in visual merchandising and styling instead.

@THEMODERNOTTER’S GUIDE TO NYC

WHERE TO STAY..

SoHo, Chelsea or Tribeca. Any New Yorker will tell you Midtown is tourist hell. Anywhere south of 30th will put you close to more local coffee shops, better restaurants, better shopping and more of the real NYC life.

SHOP

SoHo. I usually shop in SoHo, but I stay off Broadway. It’s way too crowded! Mercer, Green and Elizabeth Street all have fantastic shopping, both name brand and local, and are much quieter. I always hit up Sandro, Billy Reid on Bond St. and R.Swaider on Mott St. too!

Neiman Marcus. If I’m near Hudson Yards, the new Neiman Marcus store is great. They have 2 bars, a full restaurant, a nail salon and a food market in the store. It’s the perfect place to take visiting friends because you can shop and hang out all afternoon.

Tomorrowland in SoHo. I don’t think many people are familiar with Tomorrowland. It’s a Japanese brand, but the store carries a few other designers. They have incredible knits and jackets, and the cuts are way more interesting than American labels. They also play with colors in a really fun and retro way.

EAT

I love love love ABC Kitchen and ABC Cocina. Jean-Georges restaurants are always a great choice, but these two have a beautiful aesthetic to match. My husband and I pop in right when they open to grab a seat at the bar.

Buvette is a great spot for brunch. It’s in the village and usually has a long wait time, but it’s worth it. They have a sister location in Paris that is also killer.

Natsumi. It’s a decent sushi restaurant a few blocks from Times Square. My husband and I go there before Broadway shows for wine and sushi. Not because it’s great, but because it’s convenient and tourists don’t seem to know about it. That means everything in Midtown.

Photo from @abckitchen. — *Photo from* *@abckitchen*.

WHERE TO GET FESTIVE FOR THE HOLIDAYS

I love to watch the light show on the side of Saks 5th Ave. You can see the tree in Rock Center and soak up the “holidays in NYC” all in one moment. The holiday market in Union Square is also super cute. It’s a nice place to find stocking stuffers or artisan made gifts.

Aaron_Dumbo copy.jpg — #1 INSTAGRAMMABLE SPOT

You see the most number of bloggers on the street in front of 11 Howard. The cobblestone, moody lighting and classic NY architecture are perfect for the gram. I personally love shooting in Dumbo. It has a great combination of cobblestone streets, new buildings, nature and views of the NYC skyline. The lobby of the 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge is a must too.

NYC IN SIX…

Hours: See a Broadway show, if you can! That’s one of the best parts of the city. If it’s the morning head down to SoHo, grab a coffee and wind your way up and down the side streets.
Days: The MET is a classic choice. Even as a New Yorker, I love going there!
Months: NYC has a number of speakeasies that are really cool. There is a great one over a 5 Guys in the West Village and another behind a phone booth in a hot dog shop in the East Village. Those are hidden gems you wouldn’t know about unless clued in. My all time favorite activity though is Sleep No More. It’s an interactive theatre experience in a giant warehouse in the Gallery District. It’s part dance performance, part choose your own adventure, and it’s REALLY awesome. I highly recommend it to anyone visiting the city.

Aaron_Dumbo_Skyline copy.jpg — New york is..

“New York is America’s fashion epicenter. It’s where all the action happens, from runway shows to PR agencies, and is an easy gateway to the rest of the world. You can absolutely live in another city as a fashion blogger, but living in New York comes with a certain clout and expectation of pace.”

Q & A

Q: What is one thing you’ve always wanted to do in your city but you never have?

A: I would love to rent a hotel room overlooking the ball drop on New Years Eve. I don’t actually want to stand out in the cold for 20 hours down below, but I would love to throw a party and watch from above.

Q: What is one experience you’ve had that you could ONLY have in NYC?

A: When I was a kid, my family car was stopped in gridlock traffic in the middle of an intersection. After a second, we realized we were in the middle of the Pride Parade. We had drag queens on one side of our car, and a lesbian motorcycle gang on the other. It was fabulous, and definitely one of those surreal New York moments, especially considering it was the early 90s.