TOUCH: Basket weaving with Staten Island’s invasive vines
One early autumn afternoon, I hiked into the woods behind Staten Island’s Greenbelt Nature Center, following a group of about ten people and a
TOUCH: Pebble-roasted chestnuts in Flushing
It’s the season when Manhattan’s hot-nut pushcarts are out in force, peddling not only honey-roasted varieties from the signature flame-lettered Nuts4Nuts stands, but also whole
TOUCH: Platza treatment at the Russian and Turkish Baths
“You are very strong,” Victor the platza man told me moments after I’d emerged from the Radiant Heat Room at the Russian and Turkish Baths,
TOUCH: Mood Designer Fabrics
Silk charmeuse. Iridescent chiffon. China silk habotai. Poplin, corduroy, and velvet. Shangtung. Houndstooth and herringbone. Tuile. Lace. These are just some of the treasures that
TOUCH: The seat by the radiator at the Brooklyn Inn
One winter evening not long ago, I was having a beer alone at the Brooklyn Inn before meeting a friend for dinner. As I arrived,
TOUCH: Buying tickets at Grand Central Terminal
There’s no doubt that Grand Central Terminal offers a host of sensory experiences. There are slippery, salty oysters on ice and crunchy, buttery cinnamon babka,
TOUCH: The New York Earth Room
“It’s just dirt,” the man in the overcoat warned me as we passed in the hallway outside the New York Earth Room: he was leaving,
TOUCH: The floors of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
When I heard that one could navigate one’s way around the Metropolitan Museum of Art blindfolded, using only the texture of the floor beneath one’s
TOUCH: The crystal chair at Magic Jewelry
I’ve been spending some time lately in a chair in the corner of a hole-in-the-wall shop on Centre Street, just south of Canal. Despite its
