New York edition

A delicate fire escape in Chelsea.

I recently visited New York for the very first time, meeting up with a friend for two glorious weeks in the city that never sleeps (except when a hurricane hits). This is how our conversations went, most days:

“Oh wow, look at that fire hydrant – so Sesame Street…”

“Check out that basketball court – raw.”

“Look at that stoop! Stoop shoot!”

And then we’d have to sit on the step of a brownstone and take silly photos, or just steal a snap for future styling reference.

In New York, balconies are few and far between. Instead, they have fire escapes that cling delicately to the sides of buildings, and stoops decorated simply with refined railing and a few smart pot plants. I loved its chic urban minimalism and muted palette. And when I did spot the occasional fire escape strewn with vines, or a rooftop bar covered in fairy lights, or the west side's High Line with its wild grasses and green lawn suspended above the streets, it was like discovering an oasis.

New York, I love you.





The High Line, once a freight railway servicing the Meatpacking District, is now a public park. Photo by Iwan Baan.

Apartment balconies - a rare sight in Manhattan.

Not all fire escapes are left bare.