It’s January 2026, and arguably the worst month to spend in New York.
For the four years I’ve lived in this city, I have fought long and hard to avoid spending the winter months here.
Since I work in film, I have long hiatuses, which allow me to work my ass off all year long and take a few months off to travel (you can read all about it on my travel blog)
But this year, I could not escape, and have been forced to live with this horrendous seasonal depression I have heard whispers about since the day I arrived in this city.
Something I have reckoned with is – my gloomiest moments have often led to my most creative. Sometimes, it just needs a little spark.
Here are 10 things I found in New York this week that have inspired me.
My favorite Sunday reading prompted this post, Messy Nessy Chic’s long-running series of 13 Things I Found on the Internet Today.
1. A Look Inside the New York Public Library’s Picture Collection
Long before the Internet, the New York Public Library started the picture collection in 1915. Simply because there was a need for visual references that people did not have. For example, artist Joseph Cornell once desperately needed a picture of a gypsy with a white cockatoo.
Until I got to view the picture collection myself, I wondered, why would I ever need to come here when the internet has a billion options at my fingertips?
My mind changed when the head picture collection librarians took me for a whirl around room 119. Looking for images is so much more magical in real life. And this is somewhere you can come to find something so specific that you were never really searching for in the first place, that is, until you come across it.
“You see the people go through it and touch it and have the spontaneity of discovery,” artist Taryn Simon quoted in a New York Times article.
Many legends like Andy Warhol and Wes Anderson often frequented the picture collection (and still do).
2. Mural Artists Paint a Fireplace in Brooklyn That Lines Up Perfectly With a Chimney
Somewhere in Bushwick, the stars aligned perfectly for this World of Warcraft Advertisment.
3. It’s NY Restaurant Week
Twice a year, us poor folk get to wreak havoc on Michelin guide restaurants, tasting the finer things in life for just $30-$60.
I’m most excited to try Cosme and The Crown Shy.
Enjoy some pics I took of last restaurant week, at MOMA’s The Modern.
4. Coney Island Circa 1800s
These photos look much more sophisticated than the shirtless russian man who followed me around the pier last summer.
It’s hard to imagine what I know of Coney Island now – tacky, fun, a little dirty, and most famously – the historic site of Nathan’s hot dog eating contest (everyone’s favorite holiday here in New York).
But once upon a time, Coney Island was a popular resort town.
Found on Business Insider
5. A Lovely Artist I found on IG
6. A Thriving Vintage Shop in Boerum Hill Ran by Two Adorable Sisters
Be Seeing You is an eclectic, charming, and authentic thrift store concept run by two twin sisters in a gorgeous Park Slope brownstone. It’s cash only, operates through Instagram, and opens at random times and seasons.
It’s not your standard professional business – but hey, that makes it all the more chic. And I guarantee you won’t find pieces like this anywhere else!
Images found on Be Seeing You
7. Winter Noir Captured by Ray H Mercado
These photos of winter in New York City evoke many feelings of eerie, lonely, and hauntingly beautiful. Perhaps what it truly feels like to spend a long January here.
8. Rama Duwaji’s Art
How lucky we are for our queen of New York to be so talented. Rama Duwaji’s work is both beautiful and heartbreaking, drawing attention to conflict in the Middle East, U.S. involvement, and offering a glimpse into her experience as a first-generation American born to Syrian immigrants.
Found on www.ramaduwaji.com
9. The Ultimate Coffee Table Book, A Screaming Blast
I’ve been a long-time fan of the wondrous, the whimsical – Rebecca Gardner. You may not know who she is, but Sofia Coppola endorses her as the ultimate party planner – and that’s all you really need to know.
If you’re searching for a quirky coffee table book, I highly recommend you check out her brand new, A Screaming Blast.
Found on https://housesandparties.com/
10. NY Parks Taken Over by Snowball Fights
Tis the season!
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