NEW YORK CITY East Village & Lower East Side

From the window of my Airbnb on East 10th Street. My host is a musician and singer who’s been out of work for a year. He’s lived in this apartment for 40 years. Back then, this neighborhood was prone to break-ins; he installed 2-inch-thick shutters to barricade the windows. They’ve been distressed and painted black, as if they’ve been salvaged from a Medieval castle.

10th Street is abuzz this spring; everyone seems delighted to be out in the warm spring air — even with a mask.