Between seasons of “The Real Housewives of New York City,” Erin Lichy is researching recipes, listening to Charli XCX and checking out fashion at the Met.
Erin Lichy of “The Real Housewives of New York City” balances a busy life between her homes on the Upper West Side and in Sag Harbor.
Erin Lichy joined the cast of “The Real Housewives of New York City” last year, and like so many of the women on the long-running Bravo series, “housewife” doesn’t really even scratch the surface of her life. Lichy, 37, is a mother of three and sells luxury real estate in New York City and the Hamptons. She has a home on the Upper West Side and another in Sag Harbor.
Before the premiere of the new season of “Real Housewives of New York City,” which is set for Oct. 1, Lichy kept track of her cultural goings-on during a busy week this summer. These are edited excerpts. (“RHONY” fans will be delighted to know that Lichy really does serve a lot of shakshuka.)
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On a busy summer Wednesday, Lichy visited bookstores around New York City to research recipes.
Monday: Pilates and Pickups
I arrived back in the Hamptons from visiting my son at sleep-away camp in Maine, then drove my two younger kids to day camp back in the Hamptons and finally got to a Pilates class. I picked up a cappuccino and a croissant at Carissa’s Bakery and got home around 10:30 a.m. to begin my meetings and calls. Then, I picked up the kids from camp at 3 p.m. and stopped at the farmers’ market on the way home to pick up fresh produce to grill for dinner that night. After we ate I put the kids to sleep, journaled and got to sleep early.
Tuesday: Italian in Sag Harbor
Before I dropped the kids off at camp, I stopped with them at Provisions to get the kids smoothies they love called “Strawberry Monkey.” I went to acupuncture in Sag Harbor for my “trigger finger,” and it actually healed it. Steroid shots didn’t work, but acupuncture did. It’s amazing. Then I got back around 10 a.m. to hop on a call with the mezcal brand Mezcalum team about a weekend that we planned in early August. We created lots of video content and social/YouTube content for the brand in addition to cocktail and recipe videos with Joey Wölffer from Wölffer Estate. Then, after a long day of work, I landed at Tutto il Giorno for dinner in Sag Harbor.
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Lichy outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where she saw the “Sleeping Beauties” fashion exhibition. Image
“Housewife” doesn’t really scratch the surface of Lichy’s life, which is kept busy by selling real estate, promoting brands and taking care of her three children.
Wednesday: Bookstore Treasure Hunt
I worked out at 8 a.m., and my husband, Abe, and I left to drive back into the city two hours later. I drive so much when I’m out East, and the reception is really spotty so I’m usually listening to music. I’m kind of a loser and still listen to classic rock, but I really love Charli XCX, too. I scheduled a bunch of calls in the car. In the city, I headed over to a couple different bookstores for recipe research (teasing something very soon!). Then I headed back home to prepare to wake up early to go through glam for Mezcalum’s “The Spirit of Summer” event at Gitano Island the next day.
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With Italian dining, grocery shopping, recipe research and a brunch spread, Lichy’s week had a culinary focus. Image
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Thursday: Gitano Island
Thursday was just insane. My alarm goes off at 6 a.m. I have time to go for a quick walk to grab coffee, then I’m on a call with Brandon Matthews, an architect, regarding my mom’s Hampton house that I’m renovating this fall. Then, hair and makeup all morning, and got on some calls with a couple of brands I may start working with.
Finally, I’m on the ferry for the event. It was basically a celebration of everything we’ve accomplished since the inception of the brand, where the goal was to bring the spirit of Tulum to the city of New York. Gitano Island was really the only place that we felt we could get that spirit. The food there is out of this world, and they cover all the airspace around you with palm trees and banana leaves, but then through that you can see the skyline of Manhattan. It’s so great.
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Lichy aboard the Governors Island ferry en route to the “Spirit of Summer” event hosted by the brand Mezcalum.
Friday: The Met and Organic Wine
I love grabbing breakfast from Sant Ambroeus. This morning, I had time to stop at the Met to see the “Sleeping Beauties” show on the way back out East. Once I was back in the Hamptons, I went to Serene Green to get some groceries for my family. Abe is cooking dinner as I have an event, and I head to a dinner event hosted by Cameron Diaz and Katherine Power in East Hampton for their organic wine company, Avaline.
Saturday: Dance It Out
I tried a new dance workout called Forward Space in Bridgehampton and then headed to beach day with lots of families and kids. Then, I headed out to Montauk for work, but also to go eat at the Gig Shack.
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The food at Gitano Island, a restaurant on Governors Island, is out of this world, Lichy said, adding that through the palm trees and banana leaves, you can see Manhattan’s skyline. Image
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Sunday: Real Estate and Shakshuka
I spent my morning with a workout at Post House, and then looked into some properties to potentially flip out East with my co-star Jenna Lyons. I ended the week with a large brunch for about 30 people (including kids) for a traditional Erin-and-Abe brunch. We served shakshuka, fresh cut-up veggies and dips, malawach, roasted eggplant, chopped salad, different breads, fresh cheese and mushroom bourekas. It’s funny, I made shakshuka once on the show and I still get tagged in people’s photos of the dish on Instagram all the time.