Brianna Lance

WHAT WOULD THE TITLE OF YOUR AUTOBIOGRAPHY BE?
The Adventures of Pippi Longstocking. Oh wait, that’s taken.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATION?
I have been to many places that were amazing, culturally interesting, inspiring, but most of the time I really just want to swim naked in a warm ocean. I always end up going back to the Caribbean to say hi to my favorite ocean.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING TO DO ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON? 
Walking around and getting coffee with friends.

IF YOU COULD CHOOSE ONE PERSON TO SHOW YOU “THEIR NEW YORK CITY,” WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY?
I would love to time travel and have Andy Warhol show me around for a day. But just a day.

WHO OR WHAT HAS INSPIRED YOU RECENTLY?
I had the privilege of meeting all of the women behind the Women’s March and that was a pretty incredible experience. Also, just marching and protesting recently has been fairly life-changing. On a more low-key level, I went to visit my favorite Cy Twombly painting at The Met and just sat there for 30 minutes in silence with it.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE NYC RESTAURANTS? WHAT DO YOU ORDER? 
My favorite restaurant in NYC is Mogador. It’s an old East Village staple. The food is always amazing. The music is always good. It’s just got a good vibe. My other favorite is Caravan of Dreams, but that is for very niche reasons. It’s a first-wave vegan spot that feels like you’re stepping into an alternate reality when you are there.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE NYC BRUNCH SPOTS?
Lucien is the best for brunch because it is actually quiet and beautiful. It’s so lit for dinner, so it’s nice to just sit there for hours and feel calm. I order different things all the time because I am always on some new elimination diet.

WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR ART FIX IN NYC? DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE ARTIST?
My favorite artists are Bruce Nauman and Louise Bourgeois. New York has such amazing museums and galleries there isn’t really a single one. Just don’t go on the weekend—too busy. If you can’t sit in silence with the work it’s hard to really appreciate it.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE LATE-NIGHT HANGOUTS IN NYC? 
I don’t hang out so late at night so that’s a hard one for me. My favorite place to go out at night is the Carlyle Hotel.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR UNDER-THE-RADAR MUST-DO RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NYC VISITORS?
I think people should just get lost and walk around and discover things. That’s the best part of the city.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE NYC STORES?
I have a vintage shopping problem so my enablers are Edith Machinist, Ritual Vintage, and 9th Street Haberdashery.

WHAT MUSIC ARE YOU LISTENING TO THESE DAYS? WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE MUSICIANS?
I’m listening to too many things to answer that question. I listen to music for yoga, other music for painting, music I DJ, music for walking around. There is one song I have been listening to on repeat: Buzzin’ Fly by Tim Buckley.

WHEN YOU THINK OF NYC, ARE THERE ANY PARTICULAR EMOTIONS OR MEMORIES THAT COME TO MIND?
I have spent my whole adult life here, so this is where half of my memory is. When I first moved here, I do, however, remember seeing James Brown get out of a limo wearing head-to-toe red leather. That was the moment I claimed NYC as my home.