The ultimate New York pad is hard to find (competition, plus expense, can be quite the barrier). But you can have 20 minutes in your own perfect NYC apartment in Listening Room 2, where the walls are covered in custom illustrations from London-based French illustrator Thibaud Herem. Herem, drawing inspiration from legendary architect Paul Rudolph, covers one wall with a drawing of a spacious kitchen, while the other offers a terrace garden and views of the river. It’s the kind of NYC apartment in which so many bestsellers have been conceived. (Look up for the “skylight.”)
Suggested listening: “It Goes Without Saying,” Nico Muhly. The young Lower East Side-based composer is the darling of the classical world and a favorite among indie artists looking for a collaborative partner (he’s worked with Grizzly Bear and Glen Hansard). This jittery, wind-heavy composition bounces and flutters with the rhythms of the river just outside the window.
