HANGING OUT ON THE U.E.S

A friend of mine will be taking her 16 year old daughter out over the weekend for her birthday dinner at Baraonda (1439 2nd Avenue & 75th Street)- a great Italian restaurant in the city. She asked me for a few suggestions of where they could shop and maybe hang out either before or afterwards on The Upper East Side. Here's what I came up with:
Don't order dessert at the restaurant, instead indulge yourselves at Vosqes Haut-Chocolat (1100 Madison Avenue & 83rd Street). Order one of their hot chocolates that comes in a rose vase and some yummy truffles, and you will think you've died and gone to heaven!Another great hot chocolate place on the Upper East Side is La Maison Du Chocolat (1018 Madison Avenue between 78th & 79th Street).If you love cupcakes, then you have to head to Crumbs Bake Shop (1379 3rd Avenue between 78th & 79th Street). You can find regular cupcakes like chocolate and vanilla to exciting flavors of the month. This is definitely the spot for someone with a sweet tooth!After you are full, check out one of my favorite stores in this neighborhood...Pookie & Sebastian (1488 Second Avenue & 77th Street). From clothing, to jewelry and accessories, this place has it all! Another one of my favorite stores is Taroo (1490 First Avenue between 77th & 78th Street). Also great for accessories, tops and dresses.Another store that is great on the Upper East Side, especially for teenagers is Lester's (1534 2nd Avenue & 80th Street). You can find clothes, shoes, and accessories that you will be sure to love!If you are looking for a new, high quality fashion or designer handbag, then head to Delfino Shop (1351 3rd Avenue & 78th Street). On 86th Street between 3rd & Lexington Avenues, you can also find stores like H&M, Banana Republic, Gap, Aldo, Orva, Steve Madden and Victoria's Secret. There is so much to do in this neck of the woods...have fun and Happy Birthday Katie! :-)