Indispensable New York Accessories

After having been here six months now, I've assembled a list of "must-haves" for any resident of NYC (well, any female resident anyway):

- Cute leather card case for your MTA MetroCard and your office building ID card

- LOTS of flat walking shoes... runners, ballet flats, flip flops etc. (I am ALWAYS looking for excuses for new shoes!)

- Swiffer for your apartment's hardware floors

- Umbrellas.... yes, plural. One in your office, one at home and one in your bag because you never know when a nor'easter is gonna blow through!

- Boots. I only needed to be stranded in one snowstorm to recognize the obvious value in these little babies. (As an extension, fun rubber boots are perfect for nor'easter rainstorms, too!)

- Earmuffs for winter. (Hats give my hair major static.) At first, I was opposed to the 180 earmuffs, but I came to actually like the way I could tuck them under my hair.

- Hand sanitizer. (There's a dirty, gritty city out there!)

- Mini packet of kleenex because you never know when you're going to get a last minute ticket to see The Color Purple.

- Lots of thin shirts and sweaters that can be layered.... (Just today, I must have taken off my sweater and put it back on about five times while cruising around downtown because it seems like there is a different micro-climate around every single corner.)

- Laminated, fold-out subway map because I STILL can't remember where exactly the F train goes.

- Practical yet fashionable bag to carry around most of the things above.