Security Check: Mary Hurd is the Senior Strategist at audience.io, an audience development studio based in New York and London that works with tech startups like Fueled, TaskRabbit, and Percolate (and also happens to help run 3460 Miles!). She’s currently spending the summer in London, but normally resides in NYC.

What’s your historical London and New York connection?
New York is home. There’s nothing like the piss soaked streets of the New York City. As for London, I never expected to know it intimately, but the cosmos had other plans. Two years ago, I picked up a gorgeous Englishman at a bar in New York. A summer later, I became Courtney Boyd Myers’s first hire at audience.io. Now, I find myself in London multiple times a year for work and play. I’m currently here for the summer, let’s get lunch!

Describe your experience in London as a New Yorker.
Even though I’ve been a little bewildered by the weather (why am I wearing jeans and a leather jacket in July?) I’ve had an amazing summer so far. Hanging out with the lads in East London, where my boyfriend grew up, I’ve learned to say things like, “Innit” and “Come on, like I didn’t grow up in Hackney and go to bare bashment raves.” My street cred is off the charts.

How can New York and London better engage with each other?
Have you heard of audience.io?

Favorite NYC secret spot: While not a secret, Brooklyn Bridge Park is the most underrated park in New York. Grab some friends, as much meat from Fiacco‘s as you can carry, and spend the day barbecuing and taking in the view.

Favorite London secret spot: Two words: Yasar. Halim. Also, the best avocado toast in the world can be found at Tuckshop in Shoreditch.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why? Hong Kong. There’s nothing better than talking shit in Cantonese and eating dim sum.

In flight entertainment:

• What’s playing in your headphones right now? Chet Faker and Connan Mockasin. And since summer means bluegrass – no matter where you are – Bill Monroe has been on heavy rotation.
• And what are you currently reading? “My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel” by Ari Shavit. I already can’t wait to reread it.