An Open Letter To New York City

Dear New York

Long time no see. What's it been, six months? Good to see you again. Looking good. Just wanted to drop a quick note to say thanks.

Thanks for feeling like home as we came in to land. Thanks for the bassist from Snow Patrol asking me for a light at JFK and being surprisingly cute. Thank you for the fact that I had no idea that's who he was until Dan pointed it out. On that note, thank you for Dan and CC coming all the way out to deepest darkest Queens to pick me up at the airport and smother me in an extended group hug. Thanks for the crazy cab driver we had back from JFK who told us he'd written to the Queen of England and she'd invited him to meet her this summer.

Thank you to Fall Out Boy for postponing the Honda Civic Tour so Alex and Ryland were still in NY the whole time I was there. Thanks to Red Hook for being a weird neighbourhood but having a great little coffee joint in Baked and the most wonderful boutique, Erie Basin that I could have spent fortunes in. Not much thanks to the rain and shrill wind coming off the water that froze me to death while waiting for a car in the parking lot of Fairway, nor thanks to the car service that never turned up. Thank you to Alex for cooking dinner and Lauren for making cookies and to Brett for lending us her copy of The Departed so we could chill out on Thursday night. Thank you to the G subway line for being as unreliable as ever.

Thanks Dan for letting me co-opt his place and throwing a great party (that would have been a great bbq if it had been warm enough). Thanks Alex for cooking - again - and for taking at least 60 seconds to recognise one of his own band's songs when it came on itunes shuffle ("Hey, I know this, what is it?........ Ohhh shit it's Cobra Starship."). Thanks Lauren for the punching nun move. To everyone I asked to the party coming out to Carroll Gardens, I was so stoked to see you all and it made me very happy. To Christy Claire and Lauren for being true Gs.

Thanks to Ivy League for playing in the living room and it being a very funny show. For CC deciding to paper her roommate Jacques. For the Absinthe that was brought out at about 2am, just to make the party go with more of a bang. For the frog mask Dan has decorating his place.

I didn't really appreciate the hangover the next morning, although some might say that was self-induced. Thanks though to whoever brought Oreos to the party that I snacked on all morning until we were feeling human enough to stagger to Smith Street and get some brunch. Thanks to the laaaaaame magazine party in Williamsburg on Saturday night that we stayed at not more than five minutes that provided some laughs at its expense. Thanks to Jacques for telling the BEST jokes that cannot be repeated on here on the walk down to Metropolitan. For CC's lovely new apartment on Bleecker Street and Pepe the crazy cat who I haven't seen in a year. Not much thanks to the Bridge & Tunnel jerks who were yelling and shouting and being drunk and loud on Bleecker until at least 4:30am.

Thanks for Sunday being the wettest day since 1977 and for my not taking an umbrella out with me. A BIG thanks for my finding that wallet on the sidewalk outside our place in Carroll Gdns with $490 in it, and for the owner giving me $90 "for my troubles" when I gave it back to him. And for the CG American Apparel kids who I frequently wasted time with and distracted from their jobs (like that store is ever that busy...) and who all debated whether they'd've called the owner of the wallet or not. And for selling me a new hoodie because it was that cold in NY and having left warm temperatures in London I hadn't thought to pack for low temps.

Thanks to Au Revoir Simone for just being the cutest ever and being a lot of fun to hang with and interview. Thanks Dan for finally taking me to Trash & Vaudeville and to St Marks Comics (where I spent a small fortune). Thanks to CC for the champagne on Tuesday evening and for advising us to hit up Joe's Pizza round the corner from her place - although not thanks to the pizza crust that cut the top of my mouth. Big kudos to those Private Men for a great evening at Black & White (and for Rob Hitt for saying I could DJ it, even though I chickened out in the end). Thanks to The Academy Is for being there even though I had no idea that's who they were until CC, the consummate Chicago snob who was talking to William introduced him to me as "William, he's in some band called The Academy or something" and totally snubbing him for being "from the richest suburb in Chicago, man!" To Alex Sarti and Rob Hitt both independently telling me my hair looked great. To Shallon, for a big hug and seeing her again.

I appreciated sleeping most of Wednesday and then heading to an old favourite, the Sushi Lounge on St Marks and Ave. A, with Lauren and Michelle - and then Lauren suggesting dessert at Max Brenner where I had ohmigod Chocolate Pizza. And felt quite sick after. Thanks so much for the weather finally improving on Thursday and a wonderful walk around Williamsburg with Dan the man, taking photos, buying coffee, losing scarves, eavesdropping on hipsters and finding the most amazing little hoodie for my godson that I will take photos of and upload and soon as I've given him it.

Thank you to Diner for a lovely dinner - and amazing vodka gimlet that went down a treat after all that walking. Thanks to Union Pool for not changing much (it was good to go back there) and for the fact that its photobooth was actually working. And for Lauren, Alex and Ryland hauling ass to it to hang out. Friday I appreciated the continued good weather and stroll around Soho, Tribeca (quick visit to the Thurston Moore exhib - nothing amazing) and Lower East Side - with obligatory pitstop at Sugar Sweet Sunshine. Thanks for power naps. For the F being totally fucked up and either deciding to run on the G line, or just terminating at Bergen because of technical issues. Thanks to Sarah and Halina for Fajita Friday in Bushwick, and for the raucous round of applause CC and I received as we finally walked through the door.

Thank you so much for Saturday being beautifully warm and for CC's marvellous idea of a brunch picnic in Central Park on the rowboats. Thanks to Ryland for doing all the rowing while CC and I poured drinks and ate grapes, and Dan handed out french pastries.

Thanks to the sun and my stupidly fair skin combining to result in an interesting sunburn. To Sarah and Halina for meeting us at the pond. To Faran for visiting her friend at Columbus Circle when we were there too so I got a chance to say goodbye. To Lauren for taking a break and coming to the house to hang out while I rushed around doing last minute packing, then collapsing into the rocking chair. To Dan and CC for just hanging on the stoop, appreciating the afternoon sunshine, waiting with me till the car service turned up to take me back to the airport.

Thanks New York. It's been too long, and the visit was too short, and I miss you and everyone and everything I love in and about you already, but it was a pleasure.

See you soon. Send some of your peoples across the pond this year.

Love always,

Hxo