Although I've lived in New York now for over a year (can you believe that?!) I still feel very much the tourist while in town. And given that everyone has a different definition as to when you become a true New Yorker, sometimes I think I'm destined to always feel "new in town."

And I'm actually not upset about that. At all. In fact, I hope I never lose this feeling of awe and wonder when I'm walking around the city, a feeling I'm sure doesn't go away even when you earn that New Yorker badge, but you catch my drift. It's the curiosity that leads you to opt walking home instead of taking the subway on a crisp, end of summer day, just to see a few new-to-you street corners. It's the serendipitous discovery of a favorite new coffee shop, in a neighborhood far from your own. It's that feeling you get when you fly into JFK on just the right route that brings you over the city, with Central Park down below looking like a toy garden.

Of course, one of my most often asked questions as simultaneous new New Yorker and tourist, is where in the city to stay. In recent years when I lived in California and visited the city often, I stayed with friends whenever possible, with hotel stays being an infrequent occurrence. Now, having lived here, I'm starting to collect my little fair share of staycation recommendations, either from traveling friends or experiencing them myself first hand.

Rewind a few short weeks ago, right before the NYFW madness hit, and the folks over at The Smyth in TriBeCa invited me out for a quick weekend getaway. At the time, I had just returned from a few other far-flung trips so the idea of relaxing in hotel robes in a new part of town sounded exactly like what I needed. While TriBeCa isn't far from my West Village stomping grounds, it's amazing how new a neighborhood can feel once you start walking around looking for dinner spots and morning coffee. Long story short -- I need to get my butt to TriBeCa more often! It's too charming not to!

As far as The Smyth goes, we checked into a beautiful suite with a sweeping balcony outside, just in time to see one of those late summer sunsets that burn the sky. You know the kind. After enjoying a few drinks out on our balcony, we hopped to dinner nearby at Locande Verde, opting for an outdoor patio spot to really take in the evening air. To wrap up the evening, we swapped out our evening clothes for fuzzy robes and enjoyed a bottle out on our balcony, enjoying some Sinatra ("Start spreading the news...").

All in all, it was the perfect little routine mix-up to help me feel energized before Fashion Week. I highly recommend checking out The Smyth for your next visit to New York -- the decor is on point and Little Park, the corner restaurant downstairs, makes a mean breakfast.

Photos by Ashley Batz