Around the world with the hottest food and travel profiles.
1. Who are you?
I grew up in a small borough outside of a small city in eastern Pennsylvania. As soon as I got my driver’s license, I started going to see my favorite rock bands (Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne, Pearl Jam, Slayer, Sleater-Kinney to name a few) and quickly realized that I wanted to spend as much time traveling as possible. After earning my bachelor’s degree in Management/Marketing from Penn State University, I started traveling overseas and have since traveled to 38 countries spanning five different continents. I’m an urban explorer who loves using public transportation. My four favorite American cities are New York, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Boston. I’m a lover of food and culture who has been to every state except Alaska. Brazil and Russia are at the top of my bucket list. If you need advice on where to get the best pizza or French macarons, I’d love to help!
2. What is your site about?
My blog, I May Roam, focuses on the food and culture of NYC. It’s aimed at people who want to get out and explore, but may feel either intimidated or just not sure of what there is outside of lower and midtown Manhattan. It is on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and I am also active on Twitter and StumbleUpon.
3. What is one food tip you would give about New York?
Ask the locals where to go. If you can’t do that, Yelp and Time Out are good resources as well.
4. What is one travel tip you would give about New York?
When you are in NYC, get out of the car and use public transportation. Not only does this save you money, but it also helps you experience New York like locals do. Most people who live in the places you visit do not own cars. You don’t need one either! It took me years, but I can finally say that as of 2015 I’ve used every subway line, including those that only run during the week. If you are leaving your car in CT, NJ or NY State, you can save money on parking if you visit on the weekend. Metro North and LIRR tickets will also be more affordable on weekends (get the City Ticket), but the subway and PATH trains cost the same 2.75 US Dollars (USD) per ride no matter when or how far you go. Finally, don’t think you are automatically saving time by driving! Traffic jams can happen at any time on any of the major roads. It can take hours to drive across lower Manhattan, so unless you are shopping for more than you can carry, use your feet! You will see so much more even if you end up covering less ground.
5. What is the best thing to eat in New York?
Sicilian Pie at L & B Spumoni Gardens in Brooklyn. Most of my favorite pizza is in NYC, but this one is my favorite. It’s also the only Sicilian in my list. For the past few years, I’ve been flying in and out of JFK airport for my international trips and I try to eat there after landing. The thought of eating their pizza gets me more excited than the thought of visiting Cambodia (my next trip). As for the other places on my list, my advice is to try to eat what they would eat in Naples. That’s getting easier every year in Brooklyn and Manhattan. For Neapolitan-style pizza, my two favorites are Franny’s and Luzzo’s. One person can eat a whole pie at either place. There are places that offer creative toppings and cute names, but I rarely ever get toppings. Margherita is good enough. If you have good sauce, toppings are just a distraction.
Christine is a life enthusiast, attracted to happiness, creativity and beauty in everything. It is not because she is French that she loves Fashion but she does. Photographing her food is becoming a habit of hers!
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