Meet the SideTour Team: Andrea
Andrea’s responsible for deciding how SideTour would speak and act if it were a real person. Semi-ridiculous Internet obsession aside, she’s fairly certain she was born in the wrong era, as she would have made an incredible hippie.
Where’d you grow up?
Stow, Ohio, which is right outside of Akron. I usually tell most people the Akron or Cleveland area, depending on how familiar they are with Ohio cities. I always get these two questions: Do you know Lebron? Do you know The Black Keys? Yes, to both. Everyone in Ohio knows each other. Just kidding. That’s a total lie. But everyone living in NYC from Ohio is inherently awesome. That’s a fact.
What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?
I’ve had a lot of jobs. I started working when I was 13 at a baseball field concession stand, moved on to a high-end gym, held a job at an ice cream stand that my dad opened, did a stint as a DJ, then simultaneously as a wedding videographer and a RadioShack employee, plus a mix of odd ball waitress and bartending gigs.
One time when I was bored with the gym, I applied at a different fitness center. The owner told me that I could have a job and then asked me to come in the following day, but to be sure I wore flip-flops. For the next week, I went in, hung out in his office, and had to listen to him talk about how beautiful my feet were and how I should be a foot model. After 4 or 5 days of this, I realized that he didn’t have any interest in me working the front desk, just in his weird foot fetish. The strangest part is that I have really ugly feet, so I’m not exactly sure why he was into them.
Describe your perfect NYC day:
Can I steal Alex’s answer? I totally agree with what he said. I love anything that’s unexpected, especially if I’m with a good group of friends. I’m also a big fan of the stranger brunch/dinner, meaning I like to put myself in situations where I don’t know anyone at the start, but am bound to meet at least one or two characters with a story. I could probably sum up my life in five words: I live for the story.
I also have an avid passion for weekend day drinking. So there’s that too.
What’s your favorite part of working at SideTour?
I love writing and that’s basically what I’m tasked with doing all day long. It’s awesome to be able to take all of our amazing hosts and give them a presence on our site. I love when I write up an experience and then immediately call dibs on attending it. There’s also something really special about working in an environment where everyone is focused on one thing and that one thing is super cool. Plus, the staff at SideTour is the best in the city. Don’t even try to argue with me. It’s the truth.
Favorite NYC hang-out?
Luckily I live in my favorite neighborhood in the city, right above Chinatown and between Little Italy and the LES. It’s packed with great spots. I love Local 138 on Ludlow Street or d.b.a. for low-key, pre-night drinks. Peels and Freeman’s for brunch. Ninth Street Espresso in Alphabet City for the best lattes in town. Rockwood Music Hall for live shows because they switch bands every hour so if you don’t like the music, just wait a few minutes. There’s a wine bar in Astoria called Crescent and Vine that I don’t get up to nearly enough. I’m also still a sucker for the touristy part of the Seaport – the views of the Brooklyn Bridge at night are unbeatable.
