Empire State of Mind

It's too big, too crowded, too impersonal, too unfriendly. We hear it all the time, “New York, the Big Apple, nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.” Well, maybe I'm a bit biased – just a bit – as I've lived here all my life, but there's no place quite like it. I've travelled all over the world, from Lima to Istanbul; from Tokyo to Milan and from Barcelona to Seoul, and I must say, biased as I may be, it's not too big –  it's simply amazing.

However, the common perception remains: it's too big, with 20 million people in the Metropolitan area alone. A walk down Broadway in December puts one back-to-back and belly-to-belly with thousands of tourists and locals alike, all scurrying off somewhere. And that's what makes it so amazing, there are many “somewheres” in the Big Apple. While it's been called the melting pot, this cosmopolitan cauldron has the ability to not only combine a cornucopia of flavors and textures, but also celebrate them individually.

Variations in size and scale have great implications in the design process. Analogously, this “all too big” New York has the ability to be broken down into microcosms, little communities, little enclaves, little sources of inspiration. This “all too big” New York is a city of many faces, celebrating large and small, rich and poor, old and new.

From Little Italy to Chinatown, and from the Bronx to Staten Island, this mega-metropolis is rich in small communities that immerse the visitor in a small town experience. City Island, part of The Bronx, is a hidden treasure in the Long Island Sound. While there, visions of Martha's Vineyard or some other offshore island getaway engage the mind’s eye. But no, as incongruous as it may seem, City Island visitors are still in the city that never sleeps.

As retail designers search for inspirational store design the world over, they see the usual suspects, the “all too big” names. When they come to New York, they visit the Macy's, Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenues of the world, as they should. They'll shop Ralph Lauren and Louis Vuitton, and visit the Armani store on Fifth Avenue.

But this “all too big” city also offers Berlyn65 in Williamsburg, a boutique specializing in organic hand-woven Turkish towels and home accessories, and the Stewart/Stand Design Store in Dumbo, featuring both local up-and-coming designers alongside renowned international ones. And then there's Shinola in TriBeCa, a great American story –  and speaking of story – a visit to the Story store in Chelsea is a must. And have you ever heard of Arthur Avenue? If it’s tradition you want, and a real bite out of the Big Apple, visit Arthur Avenue. Some call it the true Little Italy of New York, where one can find the best in breads and pastas, meats and pastries and even an espresso machine.

No, it's not too big, it's simply amazing and wonderfully diverse. And inspiration is everywhere, as Alicia Keys and Jay-Z remind us in their iconic hit “Empire State of Mind“: There's nothing you can't do, now you're in New York. These streets will make you feel brand new. Its lights will inspire you, let's hear it for New York, New York, New York.

Eric Feigenbaum is a recognized leader in the visual merchandising and store design industries with both domestic and international design experience.  He served as corporate director of visual merchandising for Stern’s Department Store, a division of Federated Department Stores, from 1986 to 1995. After Stern’s, he assumed the position of director of visual merchandising for WalkerGroup/CNI, an architectural design firm in New York City. Currently, he serves as the chair of the Visual Merchandising Department at LIM College (New York), and was also an adjunct professor of Store Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology. In addition to being the New York Editor of VMSD magazine, Eric is also a founding member of PAVE (A Partnership for Planning and Visual Education). Currently, he is also president and director of creative services for his own retail design company, Embrace Design.