Southern In the City

Here’s another Southern expat I’d like to introduce to our Southern Coterie community – the lovely MaryDell Harrington, a native of Ft. Worth and a Texas girl at heart.

Our Southern gone Yankee friend lives in her adopted hometown of Larchmont, NY, 25 miles north of New York City. She is the co-creator of the fabulous blog Grown and Flown where she writes about a variety of topics related to parenting older children as they leave they nest and the years leading up to that time. On a personal note, I am a huge fan and every post hits home with me as a mom of four that are well past the diaper/toddler/kindergarten age.

MaryDell is also a contributor to The Southern C weekly newsletter which makes her a perfect fit for our Southern in the City series. She was kind enough to tell a little about herself and share some great finds and favorites tips for a trip to the city.

Why the move to NYC and how long have you been here?

I moved to New York City after graduate school in Boston, beginning my career in the media with NBC. I loved working at 30 Rock and stayed there for 10 years before I shifted over to cable, working for Discovery and Lifetime Television. In the meantime, I met and married my husband, moved to the suburbs, had two kids and took a hiatus from corporate life to be at home with them. What was supposed to be a two-year stint living in NY has, somehow, turned into 32!

What do you miss most about living in the South?

I have family and childhood friends in Fort Worth and I miss seeing them. I find it a challenge to get authentic Tex-Mex and barbeque here and, in the fall, not being able to catch a University of Texas football game is painful.

The only place better than NYC is: Paris

24 Hours in the City – Three Must-Do’s:

1. Metropolitan Museum

2. A walk around Central Park

3. A Broadway show (MaryDell recommends Kinky Boots)

Secret only a local knows: How to nab a cab at rush hour – go ahead and try to hail a cab even if it has an “off duty” light on. You would be surprised how often this works.

Perfect lazy Saturday in the City: This has always been our routine, whether we are in the city or the burbs: we walk our two chocolate Labradors (Moose and Gus), make strong coffee, and settle down for a leisurely morning of reading The New York Times. Most of the Sunday sections are published on Saturday so there is never an end of good stories to start the weekend.

NEW YORK FAVORITES SPEED ROUND:

Southern Breakfast: My house.

Bar and Drink: Bourbon on one oversized rock at Ritz Carlton, Central Park South

Museum: Metropolitan and especially the American wing.

Clothing Store: Bergdorf’s, and be sure to visit the 5^th floor.

Furniture/Interiors: Ralph Lauren

Thrift Shop: The auctions are great and especially Keno Auctions

Antique Store: The Old Print Shop for graphics.

Whitney Long is co-founder of The Southern C and is always in a New York state of mind. In this series, she gets to live, eat and shop vicariously through her friends she has met on The Southern C – The Social Network of the South. Her wallet and her husband are most appreciative.

Meet more Southerners in the City:

Frances Bailey

Natalie Broulette