Great Escape
Escape to the Magical World of Humanity
An illustrated guide to being somewhere else when you can’t be somewhere else
Even New York’s die-hard defenders want to flee the city come summer. When popsicle-colored dreams of warm afternoons watching kids run through gushing fire hydrants fade, we’re left with all the obligations and dress codes of regular life — plus the added challenge of enduring tropical subway stations. An air conditioner always breaks, a promise of summer love goes flat like a soda left out in the sun, ambitious walks home are overwhelmed by packs of tourists and layers of sirens and an unexpected rainstorm. Once again, I’m forced to buy yet another bodega umbrella that will break upon opening, and my new sandals are soaked.
This summer is particularly oppressive, and not just because of the overwhelming heat. Social media feeds were a disorienting mess this Fourth of July: jubilant babies in sunglasses interspersed with reflective captions about what patriotism really means. Local, national, and international news has been weighing so heavily, it’s no wonder everyone seems to be on edge and desperate for…
