A new tradition on the blog is a recap of the year. Last year, inspired by Obama, I comprised a list of all of my favorites from the previous year. This year, I’m doing the same. Keep reading to learn about all of my favorites from 2019!
Favorite Manhattan with a Twist post of 2019: I can’t take credit for picking this, all credit goes to you wonderful readers! Our most clicked article this year was contributor Teresa Basile’s theater review of Wickedest Woman. Yay for independent theater! Reminisce here:
http://www.manhattanwithatwist.com/a-review-of-strange-sun-theaters-wickedest-woman/
Favorite fitness class: I tried out a few new fitness classes throughout 2019 and right at the start of the year, a studio called Stretch Relief opened up. I really loved that they pay special attention to an often neglected part of the fitness routine. You can read all about it here.
I also tried one of Crunch’s new silent disco-type workout classes and had so much fun! Read all about it here.
Additionally, thanks to Ryka (one of my favorite sneaker brands), I was able to try a Krav Maga class a couple months ago. Krav Maga is an Israeli martial art and it was so hard and so much fun! I definitely want to try it out again.
Favorite books: My goal for 2019 was to read 32 books and I succeeded! You can see all of the books that I read in the picture above, and while it’s always hard to narrow it down to favorites, I obviously have a few. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens was SO good.It It was one of my favorite books I read, and I even got to meet the author later in the year! (Don’t worry, she told me she’s working on another book now.) 4321 by Paul Auster is one of the first books I read during the year and it was amazing. The format of it was so unique and interesting, and it really made me think, especially the ending. It’s a long read, but I highly recommend it.
Every year I also try to read a book on neuroscience (my major in college was psychobiology), which I find fascinating, or something in the science field. This year, I read Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies and Why by Laurence Gonzales, which made me never want to leave my house again (haha!), and I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life by Ed Yong which I loved. It was a fascinating read. [Feel free to follow me on Goodreads to see what I’m reading.]
Favorite travels: Oh my gosh, where to begin?! I started off the year on a cruise in Southeast Asia, which took me to Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Hong Kong. It was amazing and eye-opening. The people of Cambodia and Vietnam were so nice, friendly and shared so much with us. For work, I was fortunate enough to travel to some amazing places, including Croatia, Canada, New Orleans, Delaware, Utah and upstate New York. I traveled to Banff, Canada with my cousin for a wonderful hiking adventure and had so much fun. New Orleans and Park City were two of my favorite US destinations and I can’t wait to go back to both. Another fun journey I took was exploring haunted destinations throughout New York State. (All of my travels are saved in story highlights on my Instagram.) You can read some of my travel articles on these spots and see some of my favorite photos below:
Favorite freelance piece: In addition to Manhattan with a Twist, many of you know I am also an editor at Bella Magazine. But I also freelance on this side, as well! I have a few favorite pieces I wrote for other publications this year, including this one on my favorite beauty treatment for PureWow, an in depth look at Croatian wines for Wine4Food, and of course, this piece I contributed to on cheap summer travel for Forbes.
Favorite restaurants: It was a slower year in regards to restaurant reviews because I had so much going on with work and travel, but it did not disappoint!! By far my favorite spot of the year was Hyun, a Japanese steakhouse that totally killed it. I would go back again and again. You can read the full review here:
I also loved R17, a rooftop bar and restaurant that opened late last year. Their menu changes frequently, so you can’t always expect the same thing on the menu, but the ambiance is cozy yet sophisticated and their cocktails are impressive and pack a punch.
Big moments in beauty: I feel like the beauty industry was really upping their game this past year — from more brands incorporating CBD into their lines, to more inclusive brands, it was a good year in a usually off-putting industry. Some of the highlights for us included the launch of a CBD-skincare brand, the introduction of Fluide, an all-gender make-up company, and a company that allows you to make your own products.
That’s all for now! Hope you all had a wonderful 2019. I’m looking forward to 2020, a new decade and all that it has in store. Happy New Year!
