‘The Holiday’ IRL: How a New Yorker and Londoner swapped apartments, and lives, for a 2-week ‘magical’ adventure
NY Post
Londoner Marie Draxler had always dreamed of the perfect day in New York City — not as a tourist, but as someone who actually lived there.
So when the adventurous Brit found herself strolling through Bushwick, grabbing breakfast in Williamsburg and striking up heartfelt conversations with colorful Washington Square Park habitués, it felt surreal — especially because she was doing it from a stranger’s apartment she’d swapped for her own, back across the Atlantic.
Draxler and Brooklynite Lohanny Santos, both in their twenties, pulled off a modern-day version of “The Holiday,” trading homes — and daily routines — between the Big Apple and the Big Smoke for two weeks, after connecting on social media.
No hotel concierges, no sightseeing checklists and no whirlwind romances for this pair — just two women living inside each other’s lives and documenting it all online.
“It felt right from the very beginning,” Draxler told The Post of agreeing to the swap after just two FaceTime calls. “I trusted her instantly. It never felt risky — just exciting.”
The adventure began in late August, when Santos, an influencer with nearly 300,000 followers on TikTok, posed a simple question to her fans: “I live in NYC!! Does anyone in LONDON want to switch places with me for 2-3 weeks??”
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