Meredith is a creative New Yorker. Her life is full of movement, stillness, and spirit. Explore the city through her senses.
See—What are your favorite sights to see living in NY?
It is no lie I literally can be stopped in my tracks, while walking around my Brooklyn neighborhood, all because I witness a most majestic hawk soaring above me—this always brings my heart such joy, love, faith and peace. I absolutely adore my apartment’s two fully windowed walls, where I can see into my apartment building’s backyard, plus into my neighbors’ backyards, because I can witness mourning doves and cardinals in the morning, not to mention I can witness the Sun, the blue sky and the trees’ leaves changing colors with the seasons. I absolutely adore, as well, my apartment building’s rooftop because it gives me private access to catch the sunsets, the stars and the Full Moons in NY. The joke is on me—I thought moving back to NY from Atlanta I would be in lack of nature, alas, no, I am in abundance of nature. I actually believe I may be more connected to nature in NY because these natural moments feel more precious, more treasured, almost like they are rare gems for me to behold.
Smell—Word on the street is you're making your first perfume. What is it about scent that is so special for you?
It is true, I am. My first natural perfume scent is Pascagoula No. 7. I think what I am most drawn to about the sense of smell is how it can unlock an exact memory, it can transport you to a precise moment you once knew, held, breathed, experienced and felt, be that the holding of your Great Aunt’s olive-skinned, aged hands or the being held in an intimate embrace with your lover. The sense of smell is quite emotive for me. I think my creating a natural perfume brand, Hawk Parfumerie Naturelle, is, in one way, my desire to recreate my memories of certain loved ones’ souls, spirits, like how can I embody their essences in a capsule made of base notes, heart notes and top notes?
Hear—What sounds are lighting you up these days?
I love, love, love music, listening to music. A dear friend introduced me in 2021 to Dina ögon’s first album, around the time I visited LA for the very first time—those nine tracks were my LA soundtrack, if you will. Perhaps it is because warmer, brighter days are on the horizon in NY (I may be longing to return to LA, too…) I have been back on a major Dina ögon kick since the first of March. I have been enjoying all three albums, each in their entirety, while I’m commuting, jamming on my workload and being in my home.
Touch—I know you are a big yogi. How does yoga feel in your body.
What an extraordinary experience practicing yoga is, truly. To be in a present relationship with your body, to learn your body, to understand your body and to trust your body, this living, breathing container, vessel we are blessed with. To put it in the simplest of terms, as best I can, I feel in the presence of grace, the Spirit, where I am feeling a heavenly collective descension, ascension and transcension, as I move my body with my breath.
Taste—The food scene in NY is top-notch. What are your favorite meals?
My most favorite meals in NY are definitely Italian. I am a regular most frequently at Tuscan-style Italian restaurant Locanda Vini e Olii in Clinton Hill—I recommend Picci Alla Salsiccia, Tagliatelle al Tartufo or Anatra. And, if I ever order takeaway for dinner, it is only from Saraghina Restaurant in Bed-Stuy.
Meredith has the Willa throw blanket in Peach.
