Aron and I are getting close to finishing up the second season of Netflix’s Friends From College which, in spite of my total and utter annoyance with one of the central characters (Ethan) and the terrible first-season reviews, routinely makes us laugh out loud. In fact, I look forward to it in a way that I didn’t with The Good Place, our just-prior go at an evening comedy show. I thought I’d love it (because Kristen Bell is my favorite), but I just found myself wanting to re-watch episodes of The Office instead.
Which is all to say: we are going to need something new soon.
So far, I’ve been told I need to watch Schitt’s Creek—the Canadian sitcom, created by Eugene Levy and his son Daniel Levy that everyone is suddenly talking about; and Russian Doll—a choose-your-own-style riff on Groundhog Day starring the magnetic Natasha Lyonne that Esquire called “the first great show of 2019.”
In “5 Things,” we ask some of our favorite insiders in cities all over the world to share insider travel tips on where to eat, shop, stay, and play in their neighborhoods (plus, what to pack to make the adventure complete). This week, we travel across the Atlantic to visit a beautiful part of Germany. Musician, mother, and avid traveler, Samantha Runkel shares her perspective on a city steeped in arts, culture, and history.
Six years ago when I first moved to Nuremberg from California, I wasn’t expecting to call a city with a 14th-century backdrop, teutonic Gothic cathedrals, and a heavy World-War history my new home. But I came here for love and, as they say, you do anything for love.
Since then, I’ve also fallen in love with Nuremberg, and I’m not alone. Our little city has shown up on the international radar for Europe’s most livable places and reader’s choice favorites, with one of the oldest Weihnachtsmärkte (Christmas Markets) and largest pedestrian zones in Europe.
More laid-back than its cosmopolitan siblings—Berlin, Cologne, and Munich—it’s Nuremberg’s un-pretentiousness that makes an Ausländerin or foreigner, like me, feel at home. The Bavarian city is a blend of old and new-world, with heavily mustachioed men serving up the famous Drei im Weckla—Nuremberg’s famous bratwurst in a white bun—to polyglot expats, who are here to work at the Adidas headquarters. While taking in the city’s incredible history by foot, I also love experiencing some of the new shops and cafes opened by the locals I now call friends…
Nothing adds more character or polish to a room than artwork. It can be the most personal part of a space, and when I look at the paintings and prints on my walls it reminds me of where I was living when I acquired a piece, or a time in my life (single with endless time to browse galleries or art shows or websites. Ah!).
But as much as I want to support artists, original artwork—particularly large pieces—can be an investment. Sometimes purchasing an original piece is just not a feasible option. So where do you turn if you have empty walls, but don’t want to compromise on personality? What if you want the thrill of owning something special without the price tag?
Here are five destinations for affordable art that will enliven your home and connect you directly to artists and makers…
