Shop the Collection

To help you bring a piece of your journey home, we've put together this collection of watercolor studies from our time in New York City, New York. These are our favorite ways to keep the spirit of the trip alive.

Original Series Decorative Magnet

A personal study of New York City, New York, captured in high-fidelity watercolor and prepared for your collection.

New York City, New York | Brooklyn Bridge Night Skyline | Original Series Decorative Magnet
Add to Collection / $18
Exclusive Series Artifact

Original Series Gallery Canvas

This high-fidelity canvas is a beautiful way to anchor a room and keep your memories of New York City, New York fresh long after you've returned home.

New York City, New York | Brooklyn Bridge Night Skyline | Original Series Gallery Canvas detail New York City, New York | Brooklyn Bridge Night Skyline | Original Series Gallery Canvas detail New York City, New York | Brooklyn Bridge Night Skyline | Original Series Gallery Canvas detail New York City, New York | Brooklyn Bridge Night Skyline | Original Series Gallery Canvas detail
Add to Collection / $65

Original Series Hardboard Coaster

A personal study of New York City, New York, captured in high-fidelity watercolor and prepared for your collection.

New York City, New York | Brooklyn Bridge Night Skyline | Original Series Hardboard Coaster
Add to Collection / $18
Exclusive Series Artifact

The Spirit of the Land

Archival Note: Documented personally during our time in New York City, New York. While we leverage a global network of contributors to provide these high-fidelity visual artifacts, each selection is curated to reflect the specific, quiet frequencies we experienced on the ground. These textures serve as a formal study of the unhurried light and environmental character that defined our journey.

New York City, New York study No. 01
New York City, New York / 01 VIA / Marije Kouyzer
The weathered Broadway sign catches sharp afternoon light, its green patina and bold letters speaking to decades of New York history. Behind it, the contrast between older brick buildings and a gleaming glass facade captures the city's layered architecture. The bright overexposed sky frames everything with that particular clarity of a sunny day in Manhattan.
New York City, New York study No. 02
New York City, New York / 02 VIA / Leandro Paes Leme
A majestic early-twentieth-century tower rises against an overcast sky, its pale limestone facade and gilded cupola creating an almost ethereal presence. The heavy cloud cover diffuses light evenly across the building's intricate details, lending the scene a contemplative, slightly melancholic atmosphere. Standing in this urban canyon, one would feel dwarfed by the architectural grandeur while enveloped in cool, gray daylight that emphasizes the ornate stonework's timeless elegance.
New York City, New York study No. 03
New York City, New York / 03 VIA / Miguel Rivera
A vibrant street market scene captures fresh bananas arranged in a dark woven basket, their pale yellow skin contrasting beautifully against the intricate diamond lattice pattern. Behind the prominent fruit display, blurred beverages and other produce suggest a busy NYC food vendor's cart. The careful attention to arrangement reveals how street vendors use visual appeal to attract customers in the city's bustling marketplace culture.

Where to wander

Archival Note: A curated field study of New York City, New York, prioritizing cultural relevance and archival merit. These locations have been meticulously researched and vetted to ensure they represent the most authentic atmosphere for your own expedition.

Local Cuisine Spotlight
This iconic New York slice showcases the city's pizza mastery with its perfectly charred, thin crust and generous toppings. The crispy edges and slightly charred spots reveal the skill of traditional brick oven baking, while the simple presentation honors the art of this beloved street food staple.
Credits: THE PAINTED PASSPORT
Local cuisine study in New York City, New York

☕︎ Local Flavor

Gramercy Tavern

Rating: 5* | Price: $$$ | Coordinates: 40.7387, -73.9882

Gramercy Tavern has been a cornerstone of New York's dining scene for decades, celebrated for its seasonal American cuisine and remarkably warm hospitality. The rustic yet refined dining room feels like a beloved neighborhood institution that also happens to serve extraordinary food. Their tasting menus showcase the finest local ingredients with creativity and genuine culinary passion.

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Russ and Daughters Café

Rating: 5* | Price: $$ | Coordinates: 40.7220, -73.9877

Russ and Daughters Café on Orchard Street is a living piece of Lower East Side history, serving exceptional smoked fish, bagels, and Jewish appetizing classics since 1914. The caviar service is a true indulgence, and the classic lox platter with all the accompaniments is an experience every visitor should have. The staff radiates pride and warmth, making every guest feel like part of the family.

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Don Angie

Rating: 5* | Price: $$$ | Coordinates: 40.7337, -74.0064

Don Angie in the West Village is a love letter to Italian-American cooking, where chefs Scott Tacinelli and Angie Rito reinvent comforting classics with extraordinary finesse and flair. The pinwheel lasagna alone is worth the reservation, which you should make weeks in advance. The room is intimate and warmly lit, creating a romantic and celebratory atmosphere on every single night.

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Superiority Burger

Rating: 4* | Price: $ | Coordinates: 40.7264, -73.9836

Superiority Burger in the East Village is a tiny, joyful counter-service spot that has quietly become one of the most talked-about vegetarian restaurants in the entire country. Chef Brooks Headley creates burgers and sides so satisfying and inventive that even the most devoted carnivores leave completely converted. The casual, unpretentious vibe paired with genuinely remarkable food makes every visit feel like a delightful discovery.

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🛌︎ Boutique Stays

The Mark Hotel

Rating: 5* | Price: $$$$ | Coordinates: 40.7751, -73.9632

The Mark Hotel on the Upper East Side is a masterpiece of Jean-Louis Deniot design, blending bold patterns with timeless elegance. Guests enjoy spacious suites with Central Park views and access to the celebrated Mark Restaurant. The impeccable white-glove service makes every stay feel genuinely personal and utterly memorable.

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The Standard High Line

Rating: 4* | Price: $$$ | Coordinates: 40.7480, -74.0048

Perched directly over the High Line in the Meatpacking District, The Standard offers stunning Hudson River views from floor-to-ceiling windows in every room. The hotel buzzes with creative energy, attracting artists, designers, and curious travelers from around the world. Its rooftop bar is one of the most coveted spots in the city for sunset cocktails.

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Ace Hotel New York

Rating: 4* | Price: $$ | Coordinates: 40.7459, -73.9904

Situated in the heart of NoMad, the Ace Hotel is a beloved haven for creatives and travelers who appreciate thoughtful, locally inspired design. Rooms feel like a well-curated Brooklyn apartment, with custom furnishings and a genuinely cozy atmosphere. The lobby café doubles as a vibrant community hub that stays lively from morning until late at night.

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11 Howard

Rating: 5* | Price: $$$$ | Coordinates: 40.7233, -74.0030

11 Howard in SoHo is a Scandinavian-influenced boutique hotel that feels like a calm, beautiful retreat from the city's electric pace. Each room features clean lines, warm wood accents, and carefully chosen artwork that creates a soothing residential atmosphere. Its proximity to world-class galleries and shopping makes it an ideal base for discerning urban explorers.

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📍︎ Field Study

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Rating: 5* | Price: $$ | Coordinates: 40.7794, -73.9632

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the greatest cultural institutions on the planet, housing over two million works spanning five thousand years of human creativity. From the Temple of Dendur to Vermeer's luminous masterpieces, every gallery offers a new reason to slow down and wonder. Plan to spend a full day here and you will still leave with a long list of things you wish you had seen.

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The High Line

Rating: 5* | Price: Free | Coordinates: 40.7480, -74.0048

The High Line is an elevated linear park built on a former freight rail line, threading through the West Side with beautiful plantings, public art, and sweeping city views. Walking its 1.45-mile length reveals constantly shifting perspectives of the Hudson River, the skyline, and the vibrant neighborhoods below. It is one of the most inspired urban transformations in recent memory, beloved by locals and visitors equally.

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Brooklyn Bridge and DUMBO

Rating: 5* | Price: Free | Coordinates: 40.7061, -73.9969

Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge is one of the great New York City experiences, offering sweeping views of the harbor, the skyline, and the river from its famous wooden promenade. On the Brooklyn side, the DUMBO neighborhood rewards exploration with cobblestone streets, independent bookshops, and excellent coffee. The view of the bridge framed between Washington and Water Streets is one of the most photographed scenes in the entire world.

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The Cloisters

Rating: 5* | Price: $$ | Coordinates: 40.8648, -73.9317

The Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park is a hidden gem that transports visitors entirely out of the city and into the contemplative world of medieval European art and architecture. The museum incorporates actual elements from five French monasteries, creating an atmosphere of rare authenticity and quiet beauty. The Unicorn Tapestries housed within its walls are among the most breathtaking and mysterious works of art you will ever encounter.

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Typography

Archival Note: A formal technical study of New York City, New York, archiving the coordinates, elevation, and environmental data that define the region. This data serves as a vital record for our ongoing global field study, providing the technical foundation behind every atmospheric detail captured in our visual work.

Botanical and pigment specimen study for New York City, New York Colors of New York City, New York
Coordinates
40.7128° N, 74.0060° W — New York City, southeastern New York State, at the mouth of the Hudson River on the Atlantic Seaboard
Historical Epoch
Founded as New Amsterdam by the Dutch West India Company in 1626, the city became a British colony in 1664 and emerged as the young republic's first capital. Its port made it the engine of American commerce and the gateway for millions of immigrants.
Elevation
0-87 m / 0-285 ft. New York City is largely at or near sea level, with its highest natural point on Staten Island at Todt Hill.
Atmosphere
Dfa, Humid Continental. New York has four dramatic seasons, with hot and humid summers, brilliantly crisp autumns, and winters that can bite hard. Spring is fleeting and spectacular.
Observation Hour
07:15. The low morning sun cuts between Midtown towers in long horizontal shafts, turning steel and glass into warm amber while the streets below are still quiet. Max 220 chars.
Primary Pigment
Hudson Amber (#C8873A) and Limestone Grey (#B0A899)
Best Time to Visit
September through November. Autumn brings brilliant foliage, cooler temperatures, and a post-summer energy that makes the city feel sharp and alive.
Avoid Visiting
July through August. Heat, humidity, and peak tourist crowds make summer the most exhausting and expensive time to visit New York City.

The Local Tongue

Language is the invisible architecture of New York City, New York. These entries document the regional vocabulary—capturing the "texture" of local speech that standard translations often miss. Hand-curated expressions reflecting the specific spirit and daily rhythm of the region.
Archival study of English cultural texture

via / Liliana Drew

Primary Language English
Regional Dialect New York English, with distinct borough inflections and a fast-paced directness particular to the city.

Bodega

A bodega is a small corner convenience store, but in New York City it is so much more than that. It is the place where locals grab their bacon-egg-and-cheese at 7am, where the cat sleeps on the counter, and where a neighborhood's entire social fabric quietly holds itself together between the shelves of hot sauce and lottery tickets.

The Outer Boroughs

The Outer Boroughs refers to Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island, as distinct from Manhattan, and the phrase carries a whole attitude with it. Locals from these areas wear the label with pride, often insisting the real New York, the one that smells like fresh bread and sounds like six languages at once, lives here rather than in Midtown.

Schlep

Schlep, borrowed from Yiddish, means to haul or drag something a great distance with considerable effort, usually while complaining about it in good humor. It captures a particular New York experience: the long subway ride to a far corner of Queens, overstuffed bags in each hand, entirely worth it for the destination but absolutely a schlep to get there.

Wait! before you go...

Before you head over to New York City, New York, we wanted to share a few basic tips we picked up along the way. These notes cover the simple things—like how to get around or what to do about cash—so you can spend less time worrying and more time just enjoying the place.
🚲 Getting Around The NYC Subway runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and is the most practical way to move across the city. A reloadable OMNY contactless card works across the subway and local buses, and single fares are capped fairly after a certain number of daily rides.
⚖️ Cash or Card New York City is almost entirely card-friendly, and contactless payment is accepted at the vast majority of restaurants, shops, and attractions. Cash is still useful for smaller bodegas, street food vendors, and tipping in cash-preferred service situations, so keeping a small amount on hand is worthwhile.
☁️ Good to Know New Yorkers are famously direct, and what can read as brusqueness to a visitor is usually just efficiency rather than rudeness. Holding up foot traffic to consult a phone, blocking a subway door, or standing on the left side of an escalator are the kinds of things that will earn a pointed look rather than a polite silence.
🏧 ATMs ATMs are abundant throughout all five boroughs and accessible around the clock at banks, delis, and pharmacies. Using a bank-affiliated ATM rather than an independent machine inside a bodega or bar will generally avoid the higher surcharge fees that can run several dollars per transaction.
💳 Currency The United States Dollar (USD) is the currency, and prices in New York reflect one of the most expensive cities in the country. Budgeting generously for meals, transport, and activities is recommended, as even casual dining and a daily subway pass add up quickly.
🔌 Plugs Type A and B outlets, 120V at 60Hz. Visitors from Europe or Australia will need both a plug adapter and a voltage converter for certain devices.
🛡️ Safety New York City is one of the safer large cities in the world by statistical measures, but standard urban awareness applies, particularly on late-night subway platforms and in quieter outer-borough streets after dark. Keeping bags close on the subway and staying aware of surroundings in crowded tourist areas like Times Square will serve any visitor well.
✈️ Airports John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) handle most international arrivals, while LaGuardia Airport (LGA) serves primarily domestic routes. The AirTrain connecting JFK to the subway is the most affordable way into the city, and ride-share services are well-organized at all three airports.

Behind The Scenes

Nathan

Note from the Founder

Hey, did you know this fun fact about New York City, New York? New York City is home to more than 800 languages, making it the most linguistically diverse urban area on the planet. The city covers 302 square miles across five distinct boroughs, each with its own culture, food scene, and character.
Thank you for exploring the New York City, New York series with us. We hope these notes have inspired you to add this incredible destination to your own passport—we are so glad you're here. Nathan's signature

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