Hello! Here’s a little about me…. I’m Tracy Kaler, a ballet dancer turned interior designer turned lifestyle and travel writer in New York City. I fell in love with the city as a child, and made my lifelong dream come true when I moved here in 2007. A few years later, I started blogging about personal experiences for fun, but over time, this site has evolved into a New York City blog that brings the best of NYC lifestyle, culture, and travel to readers around the globe.
Have questions? Take a look at these FAQS below.
Where do you live in the city?
I live in a prewar high-rise apartment on the Upper West Side.
Are you married and do you have children?
I am married to Mike. We have two four–legged furry children named Bogey and Mimi. Bogey is a Chocolate Labrador Retriever and Mimi is a fluffy kitty-cat. They manage to do quite well together in 825 square feet.
I want to start a blog. Do you have any advice?
My best advice is to find something you love and blog about it regularly. Stick with it! Even when you don’t think anyone is reading, keep writing. There will be days when few people do read what you write, especially until you grow an audience, which takes time. Be sure to blog for yourself and no one else.
How do you get people to read your blog?
In the beginning, I started sharing each post on social media, first Facebook and then Twitter. Eventually I added Pinterest, and most recently, I’m active on Instagram too – I use it for photos of the city and my travels. I built up a following over several years, and I still continue to try and increase our readership every day. I promote every post multiple times, and I’ve found that really makes a difference in traffic and page views.
Eventually, I started focusing on getting readers to subscribe by email. Believe it or not, I had never paid too much attention to that before. But it turns out that more and more readers continue to subscribe via email or through a feed like Feedly or Bloglovin’. You can subscribe so you never miss an update. I send out blog updates every time a new post is published.
Do you take the photos on the blog? If so, what kind of camera do you use?
I take many of the photos on the blog, but not all. Any that I didn’t take will be public domain images or have a photo credit. I’ve shot a lot of the images with an iPhone, but I also use a Canon EOS Rebel SL1. It’s the smallest DSLR camera that Canon makes, and I love it. I can fit it in my bag wherever I go, and the photos are great quality.
I’m coming to New York. Where should I stay and what should I do?
I recommend staying close to public transit, so it’s not so important which part of town you stay in, but that you have access to getting around. Times Square is where most people stay and the area is incredibly crowded, but it does have good transit options. Many downtown hotels are located near subway lines too.
As far as what to do, whatever you want, you can find it in NYC. Great food. It’s here. Awesome culture, we have some of the finest museums and performing arts organizations in the world. Shopping –– if you can’t find it in NYC, I don’t’ believe you’ll find it anywhere. And of course, the parks are magnificent. See as much as you can, but remember. If you don’t get it all in, there’s always the next trip!
Do you do product reviews?
I don’t do product reviews for the most part. I will feature products I like at times, but they have to fit within the realm of the blog. If you have something that you’d like to send me to try, please get in touch. I can’t promise that I’ll mention or feature it, though. Any products that I write about have to be things I would wear or use.
Will you run a giveaway?
I am not doing giveaways at this time.
Will you write about my startup or app?
We don’t feature profiles on startups or apps unless they are sponsored stories. We get many, many pitches, and we can’t cover them all. The blog’s focus is NYC lifestyle and travel. Businesses that we feature must be in New York City or places that I myself have traveled to and would recommend.
Can I email you?
Absolutely, you can email me. I love hearing from fans. I get many emails every week, so I’m sorry I can’t get back to everyone right away. I will do my best to get back to you as soon as possible!
Send emails to hello at tracysnewyorklife dot com.
Have other questions?
You should be able to find the answers to many of your questions by using the search box in the top right hand corner of the blog. Feel free to email travel-related questions and I may choose your questions to be featured in a blog post! If you have a topic that we have not written about, but you would like us to cover, please by all means, email your idea. We will strongly consider it, and always appreciate recommendations and constructive feedback.
If you’d like to know more about me or what else I’ve been up to, head over to my other website.