Big news: I got a book deal!

My love letter to New York City

This is an email I’ve been waiting to write for months. Today, I can finally shout it from the screen– I got a book deal!

You may remember reading a newsletter I wrote this summer called Quietest Places in New York City. Little did I know, that newsletter was forwarded to a publisher at Rizzoli. He reached out and asked if I was interested in turning it into a book. And, of course, I said yes!

Working on this book has been a dream come true. It’s my love letter to New York—researching, writing, and painting my 55 favorite places for calm in the city has been pure joy. I am very much in my ~I love New York~ era. I’ve been doubling down on winter as I cozy up inside and watercolor on these cold days.

It was cherry blossom day! Behind-the-scenes of painting about the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens and Roosevelt Island.

Learning the history of my favorite spots feels like having x-ray vision of the city. As I write the vignette to accompany each painting, I time travel and think about memories I’ve shared with the friends in these places. I truly am putting my heart on every page through my pen and paint.

For each location, I include personal stories and recommendations for nearby activities. Today I wrote about the birthday party I went to at the New York Marble Cemetery and the time I went swing dancing in the Transit Museum.

Making this book has made my watercolor skills fast forward at 3x speed. As a self-taught artist, it’s been an amazing challenge. I’ve learned how to paint new subjects like trees, flowers, landscapes, buildings, and interiors. I’ve had to learn how to paint perspective, use shading, paint clouds, and water. Spoiler alert: these are not easy! Through this, I’ve discovered a love of painting buildings and restaurants. More of that to come for sure!

I’m on a fast deadline, with the book due at the end of April. I’m in the home stretch of painting with 48 out of the 55 quietest places done. Which is wild! I have a lot left to write though.

Throughout the book I’ve found playful ways to bring climate into the conversation. I curated the locations to include 20 public parks and greenspaces, plant-based restaurants, buildings with rooftop farms, and environmental centers. I weave in the benefits of urban green spaces for climate-resiliency and the importance of quiet on our ecosystems.

I’m incredibly proud of how this book is coming together and can’t wait to share it with you. If you’d like to get on the waitlist for when the book launches, you can sign up here.

Resources

• Want to see my list of quietest places on Google Maps? You can view and save it for free here.

• I’ll also be sharing behind-the-scenes updates on Instagram @mindfulnicole!

• Making this book has also inspired me to create a collection of New York prints, onesies, stickers and more! Shop them here.