About - New York For Beginners

Meet Mrs. Gotham

Hola! Hello! My name is Beatriz and I’m the wanderluster-in-chief-slash-founder of New York For Beginners.

I started a committed relationship with New York City a few years ago, after receiving a scholarship to attend school and finally get my Master’s Degree. Yeah, I went back to school at age 29 and it was a life-changing experience! Born and raised in Madrid, Spain, I am a bilingual reporter who just fell in love with the American culture. That is why New York For Beginners blends my American side (you can call it Mrs. Gotham if you’d like!) and my European roots (hence the spelling of my name with a z, which is a great conversation starter.)

New York For Beginners is my passion project since it encompasses all my beats as a journalist. It was designed to showcase the areas I enjoy most in magazine reporting, which are basically organic lifestyle tips, slow living ideas, DIY projects, money advice, trips on a budget, my beauty discoveries, comfortable fashion, and my greatest love: New York City.

Some people have described me as a Renaissance woman, in the sense that I have many interests and I enjoy learning new things every day. My current obsessions are:

Unicorns. They make even the smallest office look like a very happy place.
Painting with watercolors. I just love the way the water works with a mind of its own. It is a wonderful way to learn to accept the unexpected and unplanned in your life as you can never predict how a watercolor will turn out.
Photography. I only opened my Instagram a couple of years ago when I got my first smartphone. True story. That’s when I discovered that I really want to know how to play with the light since photography is a delicate art that is extremely interesting to me. If you take a look at my Insta feed, you’ll see I am still trying to master the beast.
Digital detoxing. You might find this weird, but I kept my Spanish site for years without a smartphone. I used to carry a flip phone and use ye olde pen and paper to write information at press previews. A computer is all you need until Instagram comes your way. Still, I like to turn off my phone when I find myself scrolling mindlessly.
Books. I am a major bookworm and I love to read several books at the same time, usually in French, English, and Spanish. I find it’s best to “hear” the author’s original voice if you can understand the language. Sometimes there is hidden music in the words, and it gets lost in translation! In case you are wondering when I read, I am one of those rare commuters holding a book. No iPad, no music, no phone. Just plain paper. Big respect to those who love their e-book readers, but my vintage soul prefers the sensory experience of a traditional book.

If you peruse our pages, you’ll notice we write a lot about natural and organic cosmetics. I have been writing about clean cosmetics for a decade, and I never get tired of it. I am a firm believer that including natural cosmetics in a beauty routine is very positive for the environment, as they tend to lean towards a waste-free model; the local communities, as many of them create stable and decent jobs, and your health, since many of the synthetic ingredients found in the American beauty industry are banned in Europe for health reasons. Learning to read labels is an empowering decision that will positively impact your consumption choices, especially if you have a chronic disease, care for the environment, or simply want to make the best purchase decisions. We strive for accuracy, so we like to research our topics and speak with experts to give you the best information we can.

I personally made the switch to a natural beauty routine a few years ago and I understand how daunting it can seem at first. If you’d like to get your feet wet, I recommend you these articles, as they are great to start your own organic beauty journey:

If you have arrived here, thank you very much for taking an interest in our story! We hope to see you soon and please, don’t hesitate to leave a comment if there is something you’d like us to write about. We are happy to oblige.

Warmest regards,

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