Herein / Season 2 / Spring & Summer /

EDITOR'S LETTER

With every season of herein, we examine what it means to be home, the place where we gather and engage with our friends and families, share the objects of desire that inspire us, and be our authentic selves. In this second issue, herein visits desirable destinations across Marriott International’s diverse portfolio of luxurious branded residential communities. With the warmer months upon us, we were drawn to taking a scenic drive up California’s Pacific Coast Highway, exploring transformational green spaces in Miami and Dubai, and celebrating the striking contrasts of life in Morocco, and the sweeter side of San Francisco. We also appreciate the fine art of book and wine collecting, spend time with a bonsai artist in Portland, and embrace the natural elements of Costa Rica.

We hope you enjoy this issue as much as we loved curating these stories for you.

the residences at the st regis new york , between fifth avenue & madison avenue , offers owners five - star service at the beaux - arts masterpiece built by john jacob astor and amenities including dining at astor court and the iconic king cole bar

CEO & PUBLISHER

Jason Cutinella

VP GLOBAL BRAND STORYTELLING

Marc Graser

VP BRAND DEVELOPMENT

Ara Laylo

GLOBAL EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Brian McManus

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Michael B. Dougherty

Operations

Joe V. Bock CORPORATE AFFAIRS

Merri Gruesser VP GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS & DEVELOPMENT

Advertising

Mike Wiley VP SALES mike@nmgnetwork.com

Marriott International Residences

Amanda Altree VP, DEVELOPMENT & RESIDENTIAL BRAND MARKETING

Ayanna Wiggins DIRECTOR, GLOBAL RESIDENTIAL MARKETING

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About the Cover

A luxury riad in the heart of old town Taroudant, Morocco. Photo by Alan

Keohane.

Costa Rica

DRAWN TO NATURE

Pairing nature with a contemporary aesthetic in Costa Rica’s Blue Zone.

STREETS

A personal reflection on the sweet side of San Francisco.

ARTFULLY ATTIRED

Dashing patterns make for a sharp statement. 74 Los Angeles

THE SCENIC ROUTE

A guide to Southern California’s meandering coastline and scenic canyon roads.

86 Italy COMPANY TOWN Brunello Cucinelli embraces harmony and attentiveness in Solomeo.

98 Portland BONSAI TO THE FUTURE

Meet the master behind Oregon’s booming bonsai scene.

108 Washington, DC

ESTABLISHING RESIDENCY

134

Tampa / Istanbul / Paradise Valley / Amman

LES NOUVEAUX

Discover the newest Marriott International branded residences.

136 Global

 LIST OF RESIDENCES

From Alabama to the United Kingdom, these indexes reveal Marriott Residences around the globe.

140

Rye / Dubai / Los Cabos

CURATED CULINARY EXPERIENCES

How Marriott International brings Owners together with food.

142 Long Island

JOY OF OWNERSHIP

Anticipating every need makes a jet setting Owner feel at home at The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Long island, North Hills. morocco

A country of contrasts | 48 image courtesy

The growing appreciation for vintage typewriters.

THE CELLAR MASTER

A sommelier shares her secrets for building a world-class wine collection.

How to add some personality to your home library.

A writer explores the appeal of Morocco’s exquisite opposites.

Hospitality comes naturally for the founders of this DC cafe that grew in popularity during the pandemic. 116 Miami

ABOVE AND BEYOND Why The Underline is Miami’s ambitious answer to New York’s Highline. 124 Dubai A WALK TO REMEMBER

How the Dubai Water Canal has transformed the desert metropolis.

 each story in herein shares a location with one or more of these residences .

of martha cheng

Live In Your Element

Rising high atop Portland’s skyline shines The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Portland, a one-of-a-kind living experience in the Pacific Northwest’s exclusive Ritz-Carlton property. Luxuriously appointed interiors and enchanting amenities complement legendary service to welcome Owners with an elevated lifestyle never-before-seen in the region. Adventure in the mountains, splash in the seas, then return home to swim in the clouds and rejuvenate the soul. Reservations are being taken now. Opening July 2023.

A welcoming gesture.

A welcoming gesture

image courtesy of john hook

costa rica / hawai

i / new york / san francisco /

Drawn to Nature

Nestled among the magnificent decades-old Cenisaro and Guanacaste trees, gathered around the blue crescent of Costa Rica’s Culebra Bay, lies the El Mangroove, Autograph Collection resort and El Mangroove Residences. Across the sprawling property, modern, clean architectural lines accentuate multilayered textures of rough-hewn stone walls and closely slatted bamboo ceilings.

Rooflines hover above you, extending your view of the surrounding tropical forest, heightening your sense of the expansiveness of the vibrant stretch of island which makes up the country’s luxurious “Gold Coast.”

From a design that weds nature with a contemporary aesthetic to sustainable activities, healthy meals and a setting in the heart of one of the world’s only blue zones, El Mangroove is a design haven with much to offer wellness-minded guests.

text by kim vukovich

courtesy of el mangroove residences

In fact, El Mangroove offers guests a rare invitation to enjoy the blue zone lifestyle as a visitor and Owner.

On Earth, a mere five blue zones exist — areas where researchers have discovered that people live longer, healthier and happier lives than the average human — and this includes Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula.

In addition to El Mangroove’s luxurious 85-room boutique resort, guests have a more permanent way to immerse themselves in this rare and special corner of Costa Rica.

El Mangroove Residences are among the first privately owned, branded Autograph Collection Residences in the world, creating a unique opportunity for living like a local in one of its 13 private homes.

Designed by award-winning Latin American architects Ronald Zürcher and Jean Garnier, the resort and residences are exclusively and conveniently situated — the country’s closest beach resort to an international airport within 20 minutes — existing as an easily accessed oasis of escape nestled in a tropical forest.

It was this exceptional location that inspired Zürcher to design the hotel to coexist with the nature of Papagayo.

“I believe that every project belongs to a specific site, so the first thing I do is analyze the region and the specific area to see what the site can tell me,” he explains.

“I spend time there and let the place tell me what it’s about. Sometimes it’s about the view, sometimes it’s about the culture, and sometimes it’s very mystic.

In Guanacaste, in Papagayo, it was very much about the impressive fauna and flora that is found there.”

One of the immediate things guests will notice when visiting El Mangroove is how Zürcher has planned the design to draw you toward the ocean. As you arrive, the expansive view from the lobby stretches directly out toward the welcoming beach and expansive horizon. Your eye is swept along the elongated edge of the pool’s sparkling surface until it comes to rest on the serene sandy shore.

This dramatic perspective, created by straight lines and distinct angles, is one of the focal points of the hotel’s aesthetic. When planning the placement of the residences, Zürcher took a different approach.

“I studied how the configuration of the residential site plan, historically, has been in Guanacaste,” he says, explaining that a family will normally build an initial house, and when one of the children grows up, they’ll build another house close by, so the houses develop into clusters.

“What is interesting in Guanacaste is that they don’t follow an order or a specific pattern where everything is aligned. They build the houses to configure a courtyard, but

the courtyard and the open spaces they leave between their residences are very organic.”

Zürcher points out that the spaces aren’t perfectly round or square because they are formed in relation to the trees that are already standing. For example, the large Guanacaste trees not only provide privacy between the separate residences, but also maintain areas of connection.

“We said, ‘OK, let’s organize the residences in the historical way they did many years ago, leaving these organic communal spaces.'”

To recreate this environment at El Mangroove, the design team analyzed and mapped the existing trees on the site and used this layout to design the spacing between the residences.

Zürcher clarifies that the most important aspect was the nature, not the architecture.

“Sometimes with a project, we say, ‘OK, we need to do an iconic architectural design for some reason,’ but in this particular case the nature was so important, the Guanacaste trees are so impressive, that you cannot compete with that. We had to say, ‘The nature is here, we need to respect it and step back and make the architecture very tranquil.'”

Another way Zürcher incorporated nature into the design of El Mangroove was the use of environmentally friendly methods of ambient cooling as an alternative to obligatory

air conditioning. The team planned the residences to efficiently use cross-ventilation concepts and to take full advantage of the generous shade given by the native trees.

Similarly, throughout the hotel, a key design feature is the open walkways that connect the public spaces and the private rooms.

As you stroll back from breakfast at the poolside restaurant, meandering down the path toward your room, you’re surrounded by the sights and sounds of the tropical forest on full display: The salty ocean breeze rustles through the trees, the warm sunlight dapples your skin as you move in and out of the shade, and the soft warbling of birdsong drifts down from the branches above.

As you enter your room, you’re initially welcomed into a private, open-air terrace.

The terrace is furnished comfortably with a stylish seating area that offers the perfect setting for either sharing a cool drink together or a quiet moment communing with nature. Beyond this private terrace, glass doors open into an artfully and serenely designed airconditioned bedroom and bathroom area for guests’ comfort and privacy.

“As part of the sequence, I wanted guests to enjoy the natural feel of the place in their own open space,” Zürcher explains.

You don’t get more Pura Vida than that.

All Keyed Up

Compared to computers, typewriters are not efficient writing tools, but what they do offer is a welcome break from the high-speed digital age. The film California Typewriter, a documentary of celebrities who expound their loyalty to this machine, suggests as much. Featured in it is author Richard Polt’s “The Typewriter Manifesto,” which asserts: “We choose the real over representation, the physical over the digital, the durable over the unsustainable, the self-sufficient over the efficient.”

When Joshua Wisch, executive director of American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai‘i, saw the film and the famous typewriter aficionados it profiled, he was inspired to build his own collection. His personal inventory of vintage typewriters now numbers 12, which he keeps at his Kailua home. On a Sunday morning, he excitedly shows them off to me. He used one of them to write to actor Tom Hanks, who is featured in California Typewriter, to ask for a

recommendation for a beginner’s typewriter. Unsure if he’d get an answer, Wisch went ahead and purchased a coal-black Royal Quiet De Luxe.

He sets it on the table. It’s a practicallooking machine that appeared on the market in the late 1930s. We feed paper into the carriage so I can test it. Its metal body has a sturdy quality, and its round keys are surprisingly resistant. The Royal makes me earn every word I type. I can understand why Ernest Hemingway was drawn to this model for producing his classic, minimalist prose.

Eventually, Wisch tells me, Hanks did respond to his letter, suggesting he buy any Sterling model of Smith-Corona. Hanks also recommended a pre-1960s Hermes (a 2000, 3000, Baby, or Rocket model) and an Ambassador—“if you have desk space,” Hanks wrote. So Wisch kept collecting. “I bought this beauty in Bremerton, when I was visiting my father-in-law,” he says, pointing

text by diane ako images by john hook

to a Hermes 3000. The pretty little device has soft lines, a seafoam-green body and keys, and a curved silver carriage and return bar. “Look at the brilliant engineering!” he gushes about the typewriter’s design: The bottom of the machine has a lip into which the case neatly clicks and locks. “Also, you can reverse the direction of the ribbon in case you’re running out of ink, and this keyboard includes an exclamation point.” Wisch also marvels over the Hermes 3000’s dual-ink ribbon and molded keys, which fit to one’s fingers. Striking one of these keys has a buttery-smooth feel, with tension soft enough that Wisch’s hands never ache from typing on them.

Then there is his ultra-portable Olympia Splendid 33, which Wisch calls a “performer”—a small package with a big feel. It’s boxy and tan, rather forgettable in aesthetic. But what it lacks in charisma it makes up for with clever design and a workhorse attitude. To keep the machine’s profile low, its German designers made the entire carriage lift up when one hits the shift key. It has a handy snap-on shell, which makes it easy for Wisch to take this

typewriter on his frequent work trips. “After the meetings, I have sat in my hotel room and typed over a dozen thank you cards,” he says.

Wisch claims to not have a favorite among his collection, rather choosing which model to use based on his mood. I decide to experience this for myself by writing to Hanks and asking what his favorite typewriter is. I slide a notecard into the carriage of the Smith-Corona Silent. With some dismay, I find that I’m frustratingly slow. On a computer, I type 80 words per minute. But on the typewriter, if I type too fast, the typebars tangle, requiring me to gently flick them back into place. If I make a mistake, there is no correction ribbon, so have to I backspace and physically type an X over the error. I forgot to hit Shift, so I get an “8” instead of an apostrophe, causing “it’s” to read like this: “It8s.”

But by the end of the letter, rather than being frustrated, I’m surprised by how much thought I have put into this missive. It dawns on me that collectors who opt to use typewriters are seeking to enjoy the journey of writing rather than the destination. It’s about savoring the tactile sensations: the fingers striking keys, the staccato of typeslugs hitting the platen, the ding of the bell to indicate the end margin.

The designs vary from boxy desktop machines with bulbous metal bodies to sleek, angular plastic portables with pared-down features for travel. The results, however, are consistent. Through this medium, writing becomes a meditative exercise. “It’s slower, yes,” Wisch says, of using any typewriter. “Once I type anything, it’s there on the paper. I can’t take it back. But I like that it makes me think about what I’m going to say.”

The Cellar Master

Starting a personal wine collection can simultaneously be thrilling, nerve wracking, and overwhelming, which is why so many people struggle with where to begin. Wine educator, sommelier, author, and consultant for private wine collectors, Vanessa Price, knows this better than most. That’s why she advises aspiring collectors to first get personal. “Ask yourself, ‘What is my objective?’” she says.

text by jillian dara images courtesy of vanessa price

Price explains that there are three ways to collect: as a hobbyist, investor, or a hybrid of the two. The first comprises a lifetime journey of collecting bottles to enjoy over time. The second is a financial investment, which is “nothing to laugh at,” says Price (for the last thirty years, the wine market has consistently outperformed the S&P 500). The third option is challenging but the most satisfying, Price explains, because the collection ultimately pays for itself.

“Wine collection is a very personal thing for the individual,” she says, emphasizing that beyond your reason to collect, what to collect, such as varieties, styles, and vintages, are all subjective.

“When it comes to a song, you have a basic understanding of tempo, solo and melody,” justifies Price. “Whereas, if I start talking to you about tannin, acidity, and viscosity [of wine], there’s no context there.”

Context became the theme behind Price’s column for New York Magazine’s Grub Street, where she wrote about pairing wines with everyday foods, from Champagne and fried chicken to California Chardonnay and nachos, and her most viral entry, Sancerre and Cheetos. The latter led to her book deal, “Big Macs & Burgundy: Wine Pairings for the Real World.”

For a collector, context is especially critical to understanding provenance. Price suggests that until you understand provenance, don’t start collecting. (Briefly, provenance encompasses the wine’s history, source location, quality of storage—all crucial influences for wine, particularly fine, aged

wine). Once aligned with your objective and provenance, Price recommends setting a minimum bottle count to start your collection. Purchase a wine cave — also known as a wine fridge — as it operates with a higher average temperature and humidity, which is necessary for aging wines. “Decide what size you want to start with, then get the next size bigger,” encourages Price, noting that once you start collecting, it quickly compounds (her personal collection currently exceeds 2,000 bottles).

Next up, Price recommends allocating a budget over a period of time, for example $5,000 over the next 18 months, which will allow you to explore the world of collecting wine and to gradually fill your wine cave.

Finally, it’s time to purchase wine. Ask yourself, what styles and qualities do you like in a wine? Start researching varieties you like and educate yourself on producers and vintage track records for aging.

“Most wine does not age,” something Price’s past clients shared as a surprising element of collecting. “Buying wine and sticking it on a shelf isn’t going to help you if you don’t know what you should be buying or why, you’ve got to inform that opinion,” Price says.

Price points to WineBid, a weekly online auction of fine and collectible wines; the site allows you to search by age, style, and geography, to name a few. The smart system keeps track of your preferred producers and labels, recommending similar options for next time. “It allows you to use a percentage of the budget and decide what you like from that

selection,” says Price, who adds “when you want to take it to the next level, you can sign up for auctions like Sotheby’s or Christie’s.”

However, with any auction site, comes risks. Price warns of fraudulence in the wine industry. While you can take a designer watch or handbag to an expert to authenticate it, with wines the original bottles can be refilled, or mis-stored, and upon opening the wine the purchaser usually isn’t in the presence of an expert. “It becomes a market where people take advantage,” Price says.

For this reason, Price recommends allocating more of your budget to buying current releases from the winery or a reputable retailer, then allowing it to age in your personal collection. In fact, Price suggests buying enough of a current

release, at least six bottles, and as many as 12 bottles, in order to learn how old you like your wine. “So much wine is consumed before you’re getting the maximum pleasure from it,” Price says.

“Get the information on when the wine is supposed to be ready, then open a bottle, see where it is, decide what you think and say, ‘I want to revisit this in three years.’ Keep tabs on your collection and write notes. Taste those six to 12 bottles over time and eventually you reach a pinnacle,” says Price, adding that when you reach that pinnacle, you better drink the rest of those bottles you have within the next six to 18 months.

Of course, once you’ve started a quality collection, there are a few wine accessories that complete it. Price recommends a quality set of glasses for the different wines in your collection. “If you’re going to spend money on these wines, put them in the right glass,” like tulip-shaped champagne glasses, glasses for oaked white wine, and glasses for red Burgundy and Bordeaux styles, Price says. “Ultimately, what makes wine so complex is its aromatic characteristics which evolve over time; they turn from scents into a bouquet. That glass is the vessel by which that process happens.”

Price also recommends a decanter, a doubleedged wine key, and an “ah-so” cork puller (skip the pricey, automatic openers and aerators, which Price says can do more harm than good).

Finally, Price encourages collectors to trust themselves when it comes to collecting. While it may feel abstract at first, Price says “experiencing the journey of how your wine evolves is part of the fun.”

Sweet Streets

“

This is not the city I grew up in.” I suppose you hear that a lot about San Francisco, though it is a refrain that echoes through cities and neighborhoods around the world, from New York’s East Village to Mexico City’s La Condesa neighborhood. But it is San Francisco where I have early memories, where I was born 40 years ago and raised. These memories are why, whenever I return to the city I left about a decade ago, I insist on taking the Golden Gate Bridge to Napa, even if a friend protests that the Bay Bridge is 10 minutes faster, and why I always order a Ghirardelli hot fudge sundae, occasionally from the massively-crowded-yet-stillhandsome Ghirardelli Square location but usually from the smaller outpost near Union Square. It arrives in an overfull glass goblet that is a dripping mess even before you’ve dipped your long-handled spoon through the whipped cream spiral and into the layers of hot fudge and vanilla ice cream. The cleanup crew at Ghirardelli wages a losing battle against sticky counters because of these sundaes. The best part is the hot fudge—true hot fudge, thick like liquid taffy, its sweetness corralled by a hint of bitterness from dark chocolate. It reminds me of Sunday afternoons with my waipo

(maternal grandmother), when we’d get clam chowder in sourdough bread bowls and stop at Ghirardelli Square, of winter outings in high school when friends and I would ice skate at Embarcadero Center and share massive sundaes.

Ghirardelli was part of my childhood, but XOX Truffles marked my early adult years. When I came back to the San Francisco after college, I lived near the North Beach neighborhood, which hides the tiny shop where French chocolatier Jean-Marc Gorce produces delightfully misshapen truffles dusty with cocoa powder, resembling rocks you’d find hiking rather than the shiny, uniform chocolate truffles more common these days. Their appearance belies the creamy delicateness of chocolate infused with caramel or Champagne or Earl Grey.

Chocolate is melted into the fabric of San Francisco. Around the same time Gorce started hand-forming his chocolates 20 years ago, John Scharffenberger turned from producing wine to making chocolate in a small factory in South San Francisco with Robert Steinberg. Their company, Scharffen Berger, became one of only a handful of chocolate makers in America at the time,

francisco

text by martha cheng images courtesy of ghirardelli and dandelion chocolate

and the country’s first new chocolate maker in 150 years. (Chocolate makers turn cacao beans into the bars we know, while chocolatiers take chocolate and melt it down for confections.) Scharffen Berger changed America’s chocolate-making world, applying the principles of winemaking to chocolate and being the first to label bars with cacao percentages for the first time.

I learned of Scharffen Berger when I quit my tech job and started working at a bakery, zesting case after case of lemons and practicing piping cupcake frosting swirls on plastic wrap before being allowed to touch the precious chocolate: Scharffen Berger cocoa powder and Guittard wafers for baking. Guittard is another chocolate maker with a long history in San Francisco, having started there in 1868. Though it is now headquartered in Burlingame, Guittard is one of the few large chocolate companies that is still family owned. (Scharffen Berger was bought by Hershey.)

By the early 2000s, bean-to-bar makers began multiplying across the country. In San Francisco, I was part of a wave of people who left tech for pursuits in food. Tcho, the name itself a mashup of “technology” and “chocolate,” was founded by Timothy Childs, a former technologist for NASA’s space shuttle program, and was for a time helmed by Louis Rosetto, founder of Wired. They set up “flavor labs” that taught cacao farmers how to make chocolate from their beans so they could taste and analyze the flavors, and they produced bars highlighting such flavor profiles inherent to chocolate, like fruity or nutty. The chocolate factory has since moved from the San Francisco waterfront to Berkeley and been bought by Japanese company Glico, best known for Pocky. Today, Tcho feels less technical and more

fun, like Pocky sticks, with bars including a smooth dark milk chocolate punctuated with crunchy cornflakes.

On a recent trip home, I visited Dandelion Chocolate’s new location, which opened in 2019 in the Mission District. A light-filled marvel of brick, polished concrete, and glass encases its factory, which you can tour, and there is a chocolate salon styled like a modern French bistro. Todd Masonis and Cameron Ring started Dandelion in 2010 after selling their startup, the online address book Plaxo. Dandelion makes single-origin chocolate bars with only cocoa beans and sugar. Offerings include a 70 percent cacao bar with beans from Tanzanian cacao collective Kokoa Kamili hinting of sourdough and grapes and an intense, fudgy 85 percent cacao bar with beans from cacao farm Costa Esmeraldas in Ecuador. I thought the cotton paper and gold-foil packaging of the bars were fancy, but they were nothing compared to the salon’s menu, which was like afternoon tea except with a pot of thick hot chocolate and bites highlighting cacao in various forms: a fragile macaron sandwiching fruity cacao pulp, a tiny chocolate souffle rising out of a copper pot the size of an apricot, egg salad resting on rye made with cacao nibs. Everything about the experience was the opposite of Ghirardelli—refined versus rustic, restrained versus abundant, small versus large.

Dandelion tracks with our country’s growing sophistication in comfort foods, from chocolate to coffee to ice cream, as well as my own palate, trained over the years to taste new subtleties. And yet, while I always make a trip to Dandelion to buy chocolate bars whenever I am home, I also stop by Ghirardelli for that sundae with hot fudge that clings stubbornly to the glass.

As children, we read books in part to escape ourselves. Pirates don’t have bedtimes, and astronauts can have dehydrated ice cream for dinner, if they want. But as we grow, our books tend to become more than an escape. They’re also a reflection of who we are, of what we care about, and who we want to be. Naturally, at some point we want to display this accumulated desire and knowledge, although the task can seem daunting. Thankfully, there’s help. Combining the knowledge of a librarian or a publisher with the touch of a luxury stylist, private library curators help create collections and enclaves that feel unique to the individual.

“You're trying to find the books that have resonated with them in their life,” says Philip Blackwell, the CEO and founder of Ultimate Library, “whether it's childhood, their degree, their line of work or pleasure, interests, and pursuits.”

There are, in a way, two sides to creating a home library: design and collection. Both share a similar genesis, a central question to be answered: What do you want out of your reading sanctuary?

Shelf Expression

“The library should feel alive,” Alex Assouline says. The son of the couple behind the Assouline publishing house, he started offering curation and design services for both home and professional libraries after being commissioned to do so by a friend in 2017. “It should always be there to provide the right moment for escape and to inspire.”

To find that inspiration, curators start with the clients drawing out motivations, ideas, themes, and goals for their libraries. These could be cherished books from childhood, deep dives on areas of passion, or even a mood; a collection that invokes a feeling of Zen, perhaps, or energizes.

“It should really be an engaging and fun exercise for both parties,” says Blackwell, “to understand what people are looking for, and then take your encyclopedic knowledge of the four million books available, drilling down to the 300 that are going to press the hot buttons in these people.”

This may sound like some sort of shortcut, a way to buy an image of culture and erudition. But there’s more to a library than its brainy aesthetic.

“I expected more people to want to hire me to look smart,” says Christy Smirl, the owner of Foxtail Books & Literary Services in Jackson Hole, WY. “And that's not what they're looking to do. They're book people and they want their guests to see the things that make them interesting.”

“We talk about them internally as books that people have lied about reading,” Blackwell says of those stereotypical collections of the great works of literature that make for a beautiful, but bland, backdrop. “We say we're happy to make all the books red as long as they're well-read.”

In many cases, these library collections help add a sense of place to a home. Working in Jackson Hole means that Smirl often works on the libraries of either newcomers or those with well-established second homes. Reflecting that location in clients’ book choices separates that particular shelf from one in another residence.

“If you live somewhere like Jackson, or L.A., San Francisco, [or] New York, you're there because you're really excited about that place,” she says. “And whether you're into the nature, history, great restaurants, I think having books on your shelf, similar to having local art or something else visual, reminds you where you are.”

When the collection’s main idea is decided upon, curators (and their teams) get to work. In some cases, that may mean choosing between different editions of the same book for aesthetic

purposes , but it could also be tracking down, through networks of dealers and specialists around the world, first editions, autographed copies, or even copies with alternate cover art.

All of the effort, no matter what form it takes, serves to create a library that can double as a representation of a person’s DNA, one that engenders the sort of ineffable passion that only art can create.

“I've had clients that hold a book to their chest, because it means so much [to them],” Smirl says. “There’s something about books… some people might want a home that gives them a spiritual vibe, or some might want a party atmosphere, and literature can, in a special way, provide that.”

the centerpiece

It’s the book that draws everyone’s eyes. It’s the book that your friends can’t stop flipping through when they visit. “You always need a centerpiece,” says Assouline. Whether displayed on their eponymous fixtures, cover out on a shelf, or even on a custom-made bookstand, these are the titles that will grab your visitor’s attention. If you’re looking for the pièce de résistance of your collection, this is a sampling of publishers who specialize in the books that will “wow” friends before they even read a word.

assouline

If you’re looking for a reminder of that mind-expanding trip, Assouline might be able to help. Alongside the publisher’s art and culture titles, its city-specific books bring destinations to life, with gorgeous photography and great writing. It can even help you display that travelogue; the company has branched out into library furniture, as well.

assouline.com

taschen

Perhaps the largest and most famous of the “centerpiece” brands, Taschen has stores around the world that attract browsers looking for large-format artist retrospectives and deep dives into culture (orcounter-culture). taschen.com

gestalten

For a contemporary twist, this German publisher stays on the cutting edge of trends in design, architecture, and adventure (think backpacking, hiking, and even #vanlife). It is consistently updating its Monocle series of practical travel books with advice for off-thebeaten-path gems. us.gestalten.com

home

A welcoming gesture.

A haven worth savoring

morocco / los angeles / italy image by mark kushimi

a writer explores the appeal of

Life in Contrast

The medinas of Morocco smell of roses, orange-blossom water and donkey manure. My two friends and I arrive in Fez past midnight. A taxi takes us through the wide, paved streets of the new town and then leaves us just outside the medina, the old walled city. Within, cars are not allowed, nor would they even be able to fit if they

text and images by martha cheng

morocco occupies a time when objects are still made by hand

morocco ’ s exquisite opposites

were. Following our guide on foot, we slip past the walls and into a maze of darkness and silence. A left here, a right, a left … wait, was it a left? The narrow streets all look the same; the tightly packed, dun-colored buildings hem us in. We pass through a wooden door in a dead-end alley, and suddenly, we are in a haven stretching three stories above us. Tiles saturated with blues and greens pattern the floor and alcove walls, and the archways made of wood and stucco are carved as fine as lace. Coming from an absence of color and order, we have stepped into a burst of it.

To Morocco, apply Newton’s law of motion—for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction—and the country’s contrasts begin to make sense. The unpaved streets and alleyways of Fez’s medina zigzag as they please through rough, uneven buildings made of mud bricks. But the arts, from the textiles to architecture, showcase patterns and tessellations of stunning intricacy and symmetry. When I step into a rug shop, I cannot stop pawing through the woven rugs, until the shopkeeper has pulled so many there might be more heaped on the floor than are left on the shelves. I feel

greediness and sorrow that I cannot have them all, like Daisy sobbing into a pile of Gatsby’s beautiful shirts. During rush hour, I flatten myself along the walls to let donkeys pass. One is carrying animal hides, and the next, propane tanks. I dart between people to chase a vendor wheeling a cart of dates, and another who is selling savory baked rice cakes dusted with cinnamon and sugar. In the souks, or markets, the people and sounds press up against me, the call to prayer over the loudspeakers adding to the din. Then I enter our riad, a traditional house, and am enveloped in the quiet of its open courtyard, where a small fountain cools Morocco’s hot, dry air. Only a place so riotous could create such serenity.

Like its tea brewed so strong that its bitterness must be offset with blocks of sugar, this is a country of juxtapositions. I walk with women who cover themselves from head to toe, but in the public hammam, a bath house, we are all naked, save underpants. A fleshy woman, full of softness, washes my hair and scrubs my body with soap made of eucalyptus and olive oil, pulls down my underwear, throws buckets of warm water at me. I have not been bathed by another since I was a

baby. This intimacy with a stranger astonishes me at first, but by the time she swaddles me in a towel, I am clean and comforted.

Morocco is the desert, an ocean of sand dunes, a landscape stripped bare. Morocco is the oasis that arises abruptly from starkness, where palms are heavy with ripening dates clustered like raindrops on branches after a storm. One morning, we tiptoe into the Royal Mansour, a lavish palace hotel in Marrakech that was commissioned by King Mohammed VI. The next day, we awake next to crumbling kasbahs in Agdz, on the road to the Sahara. As we drive its bare embrace, we bring with us a box of sweets from Marrakech. They are variations on figs and almonds and dates, some shaped into tiny roses of sheer and brittle pastry, sticky with honey, while others are crescents of soft and crumbling dough stuffed with almonds and cinnamon and perfumed with orange-blossom water. By night, we are among the dunes, eating mutton tagine that our guide has cooked over the fire and bread he baked by burying it directly in the hot coals and sand.

I’m drawn to Morocco because of these contrasts, but perhaps the greatest contrast

the alleyways of fez ’ s medina zigzag as they please through rough , uneven buildings

is between the life I know in Hawai‘i and the lives I see here. Morocco possesses an entirely different culture, religion, and landscape than the place I live. It even seems to occupy a different time, a time when objects are still made by hand, from the rugs woven on the loom, the ceramics formed from and fired in the earth, the leather produced in an 11th century tannery using the same techniques as when it was founded.

The medinas confuse our GPS, rendering them useless; a lodge owner draws us a map with pencil and paper, a meandering line that sends us along an old caravan route to the desert, passing Tamegroute and other tiny towns that look as if they’re hewn from the cliffs, the mudbrick buildings the same ochre color as the dirt they stand on.

Many of these places are mostly abandoned, the people having left for more modern dwellings and towns. But the old cities still stand, a reminder of where they once lived.

from pinstripe suiting to plaid outerwear

Artfully Attired

images by mark kushimi styling by ara laylo modeling by john erasmo

left : cyctheshop jacket from bās

, bamboo

crystal cocktail glass , decanter , and bamboo

crystal ice bucket , all from tiffany & co

bookstore shirt , silk and trousers from brunello cucinelli

chain bracelet in 18 k gold from tiffany & co

right : suede shirt

style jacket from brunello cucinelli

link bracelet

left : silk and linen

blend suit , slim fit

button down shirt , silk pocket square , all from brunello cucinelli alexander

wang loafers stylist ' s own elsa peretti carafe in sterling silver with vermeil lining from tiffany & co

right : kennedy jacket , billie pant from matt bruening cyctheshop

tulip hat from bās bookstore harmonica from tiffany & co

The Scenic Route

The American road trip is a rite of passage. From the high-altitude thrill of Colorado’s mountain passes to racing dolphins on the Overseas Highway, it familiarizes travelers with parts of the country they might otherwise miss. It also demands little. Behind the wheel, all the usual logistical headaches of travel (timetables, connecting flights) disappear. In their places come freedom and peace of mind. Which is to say, you don’t really have to think at all. Once you’ve sorted out the basic questions preceding any road trip—Is there gas in the tank, or is the electric-car battery charged? What playlist are you going to listen to?—it’s just a matter of going.

The Pacific Coast Highway is a sun-splashed route that connects West Los Angeles to coastal scenery from Dana Point to the Golden Gate Bridge and beyond. If it’s dramatic views you’re after, you won’t have to travel far in either direction on the PCH.

Head south along the unbroken shoreline of Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach and eventually you’ll come to the Palos Verdes Peninsula, whose sky-high cliffs feel totally removed from the rest of L.A. Head north from Santa Monica and you’ll notice the views become more large-scale and sweeping as buzzing beach towns swiftly transition to wild, desolate canyons.

For a relaxing—and easy (with no stops or traffic, you’ll be back on the Santa Monica sand in under three hours)—road trip from Santa Monica, follow the PCH north to Malibu and then head into the hills. To begin your ascent into the backcountry, turn right on Malibu Canyon Road. Gaining elevation, you’ll pass lush vineyards bursting with green along the clay-colored hills. Fairytale driveways stretch tantalizingly from cactus-fringed gates. In the early 1900s, May Rindge, the “Queen of Malibu,” did everything in her power to keep newcomers off her private 17,000-acre estate: She dynamited woodland trails, chased squatters with a gun, and even tried to have the hills blocked off as a forest preserve. Her efforts failed, though even with commercial development of Malibu starting in the 1920s, its population is still under 13,000.

Soon, make a left onto Mulholland Highway. See those valley oaks? The plunging green canyons? Now you’re in the heart of Malibu Creek State Park, a sprawling site used as a movie set for classics like Planet of the Apes and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

(This is Hollywood, so even the chaparral is famous.) Follow the squiggly bends of Mulholland Drive, or Cornell Road, or Las Virgenes Road. Take a wrong turn. Get lost. That’s kind of the point. Ultimately, they all lead back to the coast, so there’s no danger of going off track.

Looking to get your steps in? Follow Kanan Dume Road south until you come to Newton Canyon Falls. Easily accessed from the road, this serene trail is part of a 67-mile route that spans the length of the Santa Monica Mountains.

Once you’ve lived out your Steve McQueen fantasy knocking around in the canyons, head back to the PCH and take it all the way to County Line Beach, which sits at the western city limits of Malibu and is home to the best surf-watching this side of Waikīkī. Sitting on the sand as the sun goes down, take a moment to reflect on all the ground you covered. Or pull up a map and start plotting your next coastal adventure. There’s always tomorrow.

Company Town

Brunello Cucinelli isn’t avoiding the obvious. The Italian fashion designer, who gained a decades-long following for his brightly dyed cashmere, knows how people dress has changed. With fewer public events, more people working from home, and battered economies impacting purchases, he is focused on demonstrating how luxury brands can adapt to a new way of life.

text by marc graser images courtesy of brunello cucinelli

brunello cucinelli embraces harmony and attentiveness

one of brunello cucinelli ’ s favorite quotes is “ beauty will save the world .”

The 66-year-old CEO is no stranger to reinvention. After founding his eponymous company in 1978, he adopted the small idyllic hamlet of Solomeo in the rolling hills of Umbria, a part of Italy known as “Cashmere Valley,” and invested a small fortune in reviving it. It is here, among a medieval castle, church, textile mills, and repurposed olive mill all restored from crumbling structures, that the company’s headquarters are based and its knitwear and home furnishings are designed and made. “Solomeo is the very essence of our work,” Cucinelli says. “I have always believed that living and working in pleasant places could somehow contribute to people’s wellbeing and creativity at work.”

Cucinelli essentially reimagined the company town where only a few hundred people still lived, making Solomeo into a cultural center for longtime and new residents dedicated to preserving Italian art and craftsmanship, with a school, library, and theater. It’s also a haven for his embrace of “humanistic capitalism,” which allows him to reinvest profits back into the community.

“This is a new kind of capitalism,” says Cucinelli, who frequently references philosophers like Boethius, Kant, Rousseau, Saint Francis, and Socrates, whose texts fill his libraries. “There is harmony between profit and giving back.”

For Cucinelli, whose style icons include Ralph Lauren, “fashion is a representation of how we feel and what we represent.” That’s especially true in Italy, where, according to Cucinelli, it is a part of the culture. “We are lucky enough to live in a wonderful country where the climate, the history of the arts, the food have accustomed us to the beautiful. Fashion is an integral part of our DNA.”

Cucinelli describes his personal style as classic but casual. “I admire a look which has both tailoring and relaxed details so that it never feels too uptight,” he says. “I could never give up my light navy blue cashmere blazer and my panama trousers that I wear across all seasons. It’s a sort of uniform, something that sets me apart. For me, dressing well crosses the line of time and

history; it can be applied to different social contexts depending on the combinations and outfits.”

Like every industry, fashion was impacted by the coronavirus. But during months of quarantines in Italy, Cucinelli made sure his staff was taken care of. None of his 2,000 employees were laid off, and no stores were shuttered. Cucinelli is also donating 30 million euros in merchandise to those in need. The brand continues to invest in its future, and look forward to whatever may come next.

Cucinelli knows it won’t be easy returning to the way it was before the pandemic. While working from home may become the norm for many moving forward, “I think it is important that we still get dressed and look respectable,” Cucinelli says. “I think we should restart with beauty, in every possible field.”

It brings to mind his favorite Dostoevsky quote, “Beauty will save the world,” which Cucinelli feels could not be more relevant today. “I believe we all have a responsibility to each other, our future generations, and to our land,” he says. “The [Brunello Cucinelli] brand today continues to be responsible first and foremost for its people, their families, and continues to do great work so that we may move into a new chapter with a renewed spirit, a creative mind, and a fed soul.”

ahead

A catalyst for departure

since 2010, bonsai mirai has cultivated a portland bonsai bonanza , and the company only continues to grow

Bonsai to the Future

text by travis hancock images courtesy of bonsai mirai

When we think of Oregon’s forests, dense groves of towering green Douglas firs and redwoods may come to mind, or perhaps black and white photographs of loggers working two-man saws across tree trunks among a cemetery of stumps. We do not imagine such stumps as pedestals in a Japanese Zen garden holding up miniature, twisting junipers as someone delicately snips them with pruning shears. Yet this is the scene at Bonsai Mirai, a multifaceted company at the heart of Portland’s booming bonsai scene. The man wielding the pruning shears is Ryan Neil, who founded Mirai in 2010 following a sixyear apprenticeship in Japan with bonsai master Masahiko Kimura.

Since 2010, Bonsai Mirai has grown, like the nearly 800 trees in its collection, and sprouted numerous branches. “Mirai as a physical space centers around being a nursery, school, and exploratory studio,”

explains former creative director Arthur Hitchcock. To promote its artists and assist with online classes, Mirai has a photo and video studio on its five-acre site located in St. Helens, 35 minutes outside of Portland. Mirai’s dynamic workshop doubles as a showroom for works made by local ceramists, woodworkers, and bonsai sculptors. Behind the scenes, Neil maintains bonsai for people while they are traveling and perfects his own creations.

Today, Mirai’s cultural canopy extends out into Oregon, but it all started with a single tree. Fresh off his apprenticeship, Neil went to work on a thick-trunked Rocky Mountain juniper that he named Baker. Elegantly gnarled and defiantly off-kilter, Baker turned heads toward the bonsai potential of native Pacific Northwest

ryan neil founded bonsai mirai in 2010.

trees. “Over the years, Portland and the greater Pacific Northwest has developed into one of the most active bonsai communities in the world,” Hitchcock says. He attributes it to the ideal growing conditions of the region, and points out that the Portland Bonsai Society has more than 500 members (the largest such club in the country). According to Hitchcock, Portland even has the largest number of active bonsai professionals in a single area.

In 2015, Neil and Bonsai Mirai teamed up with the Portland Art Museum to present The Artisan’s Cup, which debuted American bonsai and showcased many of the region’s blossoming bonsai masters. In spite of its growth, Mirai, which means future, cannot help but be rooted in the past. Caring for trees that are up to 1,000 years old, Neil might, on any given day, stroll through his miniature urban forest and pause to clip a tiny branch from a tree that has survived centuries of exploration by the likes of Vancouver and Lewis and Clark; the arrival of whalers, loggers, and gold rushers; and the growth of a modern metropolis.

Establishing Residency

The moment you step into Residents, you feel welcome. You’re greeted, no matter how busy the staff is. You’re treated like a guest in someone’s home. You’re seen.

That should be the norm, but in today’s digitally distracted world, true customer service is inconsistent. That didn’t go unnoticed by Serbian transplants Radovan Jankovic and Marko Bogdanovic when they partnered to open their first cafe in Washington, DC’s lively Dupont Circle, in 2019.

The result is Residents, a winning concept of a cafe, restaurant and bar that serves an inventive list of cocktails and food menu of

European-inspired fare. What first opened as an intimate but comfortable bar that mixed a mean espresso martini is now a must-visit restaurant for the Instagram generation thanks to its inviting patio, one of the city’s best outdoor hangouts, no matter the season.

Residents was always meant to emulate the kind of cafes you find in Europe, catering to different customers throughout the day: college kids and professionals in the morning, a more casual set during the day, and the dinner and cocktail crowd in the evening – all attended to by a disarmingly unpretentious staff who actually enjoy their jobs.

images by hawkey johnson

Happy hosts result in guests that are taken care of, which was always top of mind for Jankovic, a former model, who got a crash course in hospitality from some of DC’s top stars, including José Andrés, Mike Isabella and The Ritz-Carlton co-founder Horst Schulze.

While running bar programs for luxury hotel

The Capella (now a Rosewood), barmini and Kapnos Kouzina restaurant, in Georgetown and Bethesda, Md., Jankovic observed bartenders who hated complicated cocktails with too many ingredients, and “mixologists” offended by having to make the classics like a dirty martini. He saw cocktail bars that didn’t have the best food, restaurants with great food but disappointing drinks.

“That shouldn’t mean you shouldn’t get it,” Jankovic says. “The best product I can make for you is the one you really want. If you don’t understand that, you might be in the wrong business. Hospitality is simply creating a connection with the person that you’re serving.”

That connection was key in making Residents a success in a city that can be tough on newcomers, and then there was the brutal pandemic.

When it opened, Residents was small — a bar in a narrow room that opened up to a few cafe tables in the back. The overall vibe was cozy and bohemian with a mix of warm woods and green plants. If you’ve been to Berlin, Paris or London, you’ve been here before.

A major draw, however, was the exterior patio, an inviting space that couldn’t be used during much of the year because it was exposed to the elements.

“Covid was definitely interesting for us,” Bogdonavic recalls. “Once everything started collapsing, we took a minute to think about what we should do.” During the pandemic, “people wanted to be more spread out. People wanted to have more space. They wanted more airflow.”

The solution was to cover the patio, and with the city’s approval and the cooperation of a neighbor, Residents more than doubled the size of its outdoor space.

“It ended up being five times bigger than what we have inside,” Bogdonavic says. “At that point, Residents became a restaurant instead of a bar.”

“Once we covered everything, that helped us be what we are today,” Jankovic adds.

Whereas other restaurants quickly erected plastic tents or temporary coverings, Residents opted to use thick wooden beams for its structure and more durable roof, making it look like a natural extension of the restaurants’ facade, but also elevated. Heat lamps warm the space during colder months.

The structure also enabled Residents to get creative with seasonal themes — colorful leaves and blankets in the fall, Grass, bamboo trees, Korean pines, shrubs and other greenery in the summer — creating a mood.

“We became plant freaks,” Jankovic says.

That certainly paid off. It was Spring that helped put Residents on the map. Tourists make their annual pilgrimage to DC to view the city’s cherry blossoms, but were disappointed during the pandemic when DC closed the monument-lined Tidal Basin to prevent crowding.

Unable to go to one of the city’s most picturesque spots to view the rows of cherry blossom trees and take selfies, visitors and locals found their way to Residents, which had happened to decorate its new patio with the pink and white flowers.

Guests quickly spread the word on Instagram that there was a pop up celebrating cherry blossom season, “and the whole city started showing up,” Bogdonavic says. “We never thought of it as a pop up, we just wanted to have decor for our patio. The cherry blossoms, I love them so much because they took our restaurant from 50% to 100%. That’s when the masses started learning about Residents.”

Residents’ food menu is influenced by international flavors from Germany, Greece, Italy and Turkey, with apple strudel, schnitzel, carbonara, garlic labneh and feta, charred octopus, mini gyros and basque cheesecake.

The cocktail menu features photogenic seasonal cocktails that are fruit forward with mandarin, kiwi, pink grapefruit and pear. Others like the clever Bee mixes raw honey with bee wax, propolis bee resin, bee pollen, Nordic mead and Tom Cat gin.

But Residents’ most popular cocktail is the espresso martini. Residents originally offered their version in three varieties — with vodka, bourbon and rum serving as

the base and each mixed with ghee clarified butter as a twist. The one with vodka won out as the ultimate version, and is now the pride of Residents’ founders, and the cocktail Jankovic and Bogdonavic believe fueled the espresso martini trend in DC.

“If you combine all the other cocktails together on the menu, they don’t reach the number of espresso martinis that we sell throughout the week,” Bogdanovic says.

Staying on top of trends is another important lesson Jankovic learned over the years. “Feedback is crucial,” he says. “The clientele is always changing and you have to constantly listen to what people like because the trends are always changing. If you don’t, you fall behind.”

From the start, Jankovic and Bogdanovic always focused on attention to detail, and “wanted to approach customers on a human level,” Jankovic says. “You should acknowledge that they’re there and offer them a seat, offer them a glass of water, just ask them if you can help out somehow.”

While other names were considered, Residents just felt right. From its owners to its investors and staff, Residents boasts a mostly international team. “We’re mostly foreigners, but we are all residents of this city,” Jankovic says. “We wanted to create a vibe that felt like home. Everything comes down to that.”

“People come back to Residents time after time because of the relationship that we create with the customers,” Jankovic adds. “When you really take the time to have conversations, you create that connection. It’s very, very powerful.”

Above and Beyond

Ten years ago, the area beneath Miami’s Metrorail near Brickell Avenue was not the sort of place you’d want to spend a lot of time. Today, it’s fast becoming one of the city’s most popular gathering spots.

The Underline, Miami’s revitalized outdoor space, opened the first of its three phases of improvement in February 2021, near The Brickell City Centre. “Brickell Backyard,” as it’s called, is the first phase in what will ultimately be a 10-mile-long linear park, loaded with bike lanes, world-class urban trails, 120 acres of green space and public art

text by chris morris photos courtesy of

displays. It’s Dade County’s version of New York’s Highline or Atlanta’s BeltLine. And it all got started with a bike accident.

Meg Daly, president and CEO of Friends of The Underline, broke both of her arms after she lost control while on a ride. Biking was out – and she certainly couldn’t drive – so she did a lot of walking. One day, as she made her way to a physical therapy appointment, she found herself below the train track and inspiration struck. It quickly became a movement and a mission.

“I hope this helps build a better city,” says Daly. “I hope it builds a city that is accessible, connected, and serves its residents, guests and visitors. I hope it creates the city of the

future. I really believe we’re not making a park or a trail, we’re building a better city. That’s our vision: Using the Underline as the spine to that better system.”

Daly is technically a volunteer, but she’s unquestionably the driving force behind the Underline. For eight years, the 61-yearold has led the nonprofit in its negotiations with city officials and overseen the fundraising efforts, gathering funding from a

combination of federal, state, county and city sources, as well as private donations, like a recent $5 million gift from Citadel hedge fund founder and CEO Ken Griffin.

It’s a daunting task, but Daly says the sheer size of the job has actually worked in her favor.

“If the project had been smaller, it would have been more difficult,” she says. “It’s such a big project and it solves so many problems, from pedestrian and bicycle safety to green spaces to tree canopy to connecting communities and stitching them together. It has all these boxes you can check.”

Phase one, “Brickell Backyard,” runs half a mile from the Miami River to Southwest 13th Street near Brickell Ave. It was the hardest to complete and includes an art gallery, a dog park, sports and exercise areas, a sound stage and four butterfly gardens. Scattered along the way are restaurants and food trucks.

Work is now underway on Phase Two, which will cover another 2.25 miles. Some 100,000 plants and trees will be planted. There will be a four-acre nature-inspired playground. Bioswales will be installed to convey storm water and remove pollutants. And the transit station will be transformed into a multimodal transportation hub, incorporating buses, trolly lines and the train. It’s all scheduled to open in the Spring of 2023.

Phase three, which will cover a seven-mile stretch, is expected to open in 2026. James Corner Field Operations, which also designed New York’s High Line, is responsible for the look and flow of the Underline.

One unique feature of the Underline: All 120 acres of the park will be imbued with

broadband WiFi coverage, making it one of the only large parks in the country to be able to make that claim. That’s a feature that not only will make it a park people can work in, but it will bring high-speed internet to some areas of Miami/Dade County that don’t have it right now.

Building and promoting any sort of major project is tough, but making it happen amid a pandemic is even more challenging. Daly, however, says the coronavirus and the isolation it forced on people were actually almost a blessing in disguise for the Underline.

“What it did was validate what we’re doing,” she said. “The numbers tripled during COVID. The outdoors really is the new indoors. People dusted off their bikes. They learned how to ride. They found the hypnotic and health benefits of walking and reconvening with nature. I think that appreciation for the outdoors is here to stay.”

The Underline, for now, is Florida’s only large-scale linear park, but it won’t be like that forever. Fort Lauderdale has already approved the master plan for a $90 million, 31-mile project that’s modeled on what Daly and her team have put together.

Daly says she’s happy to share what she’s learned with the team in charge of that project, just as she leaned on people in Atlanta and New York when planning the Underline. It all supports the larger goal of reclaiming urban areas and making them areas that are accessible to everyone.

“Like the sister project in Atlanta, like the HighLine, if you have a bold vision and embrace beauty, it’s like a magnet, especially when we’ve built something from nothing,” says Daly. “[Many areas along the Underline are] dirty. There’s no infrastructure and it can be scary. But you can create beauty from that—and then it’s everybody’s backyard with 250,000 people living nearby.”

A Walk to Remember

The first time I took a long walk outside in Dubai I knew I was doing something unusual, even special. You could say I was stepping into the future.

When I’m in a city I know or one that I’m visiting for the first time, I like to wander and take in the diversity of its people and eateries, the minute details of the local architecture, and the beauty of public spaces — the characteristics that truly make a place a place. London, New York and Paris have long been perfect to explore on foot. Dubai, not so much.

As many wonders as Dubai may offer (the world’s tallest building, highest bar, biggest mall, deepest dive pool and largest observation wheel, to name a few), the searing heat that scorches this desert metropolis is tough on pedestrians. And there wasn’t really anywhere to walk to if you wanted to with themed districts separated by long stretches of roadways.

But that’s changing.

With its Dubai Water Canal, a nearly $740 million public works project that was completed within three years and formally introduced in 2016, the city significantly transformed its downtown district, where the Burj Khalifa stretches into the sky, making an area that was once dry, dusty and uninviting into a welcoming livable oasis. It’s created a community worth exploring.

text by marc graser

visuals by jhon ruzz merca

The two-mile path, minutes from the Dubai Mall, winds past some of the world’s most luxurious residences, hotels and restaurants, connecting the Business Bay to Jumeirah Beach Park on the Arabian Gulf, passing the unexpected green spaces of Safa Park and its Crystal Lagoon along the way.

Locals and visitors run, walk and cycle past rows of solar-powered streetlights that provide pedestrians with free Wi-Fi and benches to observe Dubai’s ever-changing skyline. Three bridges, including a twisted pedestrian bridge, cross the networked waterway, some of which provide a show of cascading waterfalls illuminated in iridescent purple or the the colors of the United Arab Emirates flag at night.

The path is perfect for a stroll at sunset or evening when the city’s lights cast shimmering reflections on the water, interrupted by the occasional sightseeing and dinner cruise or water taxi. The active waterway is expected to transport 4 million passengers a year by 2030.

In the coming years, there are plans for a marina, enhanced boardwalk, beachfront and other recreational areas and attractions. Developers are counting on the continued evolution of the canal to raise the value of the land, which had been so reliant upon the nearby Dubai Mall, Dubai Opera and Burj Khalifa in the past.

You can observe what’s coming from above, where from a high vantage point the Dubai Water Canal looks like a Monopoly board with empty square plots outlining spaces that will eventually be filled with new luxury towers. In fact, there are plans for more than

5,300 residential units and nearly 1,000 hotel rooms in the coming years.

The canal is already being positioned as a waterfront destination offering luxury canal living with stunning views of various Dubai landmarks and a breathtaking view of the Gulf.

In a city that is always reinventing itself, Dubai needed to inject more life into its downtown to attract the kind of residents it’s looking for to fill the high rises that continue to dramatically alter its skyline. Its solution: create a new waterfront. It’s a winning strategy.

The canal easily joins New York’s High Line, Miami’s Underline, Atlanta’s BeltLine and Seoul’s Cheonggyecheon as the kind of massive urban renewal project that instantly breathes new life into an area that’s begging to be revitalized, attracting new residents to reconsider them in return.

But Dubai has long understood the importance that water can have on its livelihood, whether for trade or tourism. The Dubai Creek is home to a historic souk markets where abra boats ferry passengers and goods throughout the day; three artificial palmshaped islands, dotted with luxury homes and resorts, stretch out from the coast in spectacular fashion; and the nearby Dubai Harbour Marina is a new upscale waterfront neighborhood designed to be the biggest marina in the region, able to berth up to 700 luxury yachts.

If water is life, Dubai knows its true value better than anyone else.

Welcome Home

Explore Marriott International’s collection of branded residences

the ritz - carlton residences , miami beach

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Les Nouveaux

Learn all about Marriott’s newest branded residences in Tampa, Florida; Istanbul, Turkey; Paradise Valley, Arizona; and Amman, Jordan.

The Residences at The Tampa EDITION offer 38 one-of-a-kind modern homes by a world-renowned design team that pairs the extraordinary style and elegantly personalized service mindset of hotelier Ian Shraeger in partnership with architect Morris Adjmi and interiors by Roman and Williams. The Residences offer panoramic views of Tampa Bay and the Downtown skyline through floor-to-ceiling windows and gracious wraparound terraces, perfectly situated within the walkable Downtown Water Street Tampa neighborhood. Located above the five-star EDITION hotel, Owners will enjoy unparalleled service and amenities, including a rooftop pool and terrace with stunning views, a full-service spa, and seven in-house dining options, including two full restaurants overseen by award-winning chefs.

The Residences at The Sheraton Istanbul Esenyurt are located in the heart of Esenyurt, an emerging residential and business area on the European side of Istanbul. Designed by internationally regarded architect Sinan Kafadar, 228 luxurious and spacious residences offer stunning views over Istanbul and five-star services and amenities from the adjoining hotel. Owners have special 24-hour access to the hotel’s concierge and exceptional amenities, including an infinity

pool and a modern Turkish bath, food and beverage options, a private art gallery, elevated spa experiences, and a heliport on top of the hotel.

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Paradise Valley offer a private oasis of 81 luxury residences located in desirable Paradise Valley, Arizona. Villa and Estate homes, surrounded by lush central gardens and pools, feature spectacular views of Camelback Mountain and Mummy Mountain that Owners can enjoy from expansive floor-to-ceiling windows, private balconies, terraces, and patios, seamlessly integrating indoor and outdoor living. Estate homes are located in an exclusive enclave adjacent to the Ritz-Carlton hotel, offering a variety of one-of-a-kind homes designed by Arizona’s most renowned architects. Residents will have access to the hotel’s destination spa, fitness center, gourmetdining scene and high-end shopping center, with their own junior Olympic-sized pool.

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Amman redefine luxury living in the Middle East, featuring 90 elegant residences, many with spectacular city views of the bustling, cosmopolitan city of Jordan. In addition to the many high-end amenities in the adjacent Ritz-Carlton hotel, including a stylish rooftop restaurant and bar, Owners enjoy exceptional private facilities, including an indoor pool, private cinema, fitness center, salon, children’s game room, boardroom, and club lounge.

the ritz - carlton residences , paradise valley

LIST OF RESIDENCES

United States & Canada

alabama

The Residences at The Westin Huntsville

 arizona

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Dove Mountain

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Paradise Valley (coming in 2022)

british columbia

The Residences at The Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler

 california

The Residences at The West Hollywood EDITION

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, San Francisco

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, LA Live

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Lake Tahoe

The Residences at The St. Regis San Francisco

W Residences Hollywood

The Residences at The Westin Monache, Mammoth Lakes

colorado

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Bachelor Gulch

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Vail

The Sky Residences at W Aspen

The Residences at The Westin Riverfront, Avon

 district of columbia

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Georgetown

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Washington, D.C.

 florida

Waterline Villas & Marina Residences,

Autograph Collection Residences

The Residences at The Miami Beach EDITION

The Residences at The Tampa EDITION (coming in 2022)

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Fort Lauderdale

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Key Biscayne

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Coconut Grove

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Bal Harbour

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Singer Island

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Miami Beach

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Sunny Isles Beach

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Sarasota

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Orlando, Grande Lakes

The Residences at The St. Regis Bal Harbour

W Residences Fort Lauderdale

W Residences South Beach

georgia

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Atlanta

The Residences at The St. Regis Atlanta

W Residences Atlanta - Downtown

hawai ‘ i

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Kapalua

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikīkī

illinois

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Chicago

The Residences at The St. Regis Chicago

maryland

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Baltimore

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Chevy Chase (coming in 2022)

massachusetts

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Boston Commons

The St. Regis Residences, Boston (coming in 2022)

W Residences Boston

michigan

The Residences at The Westin Book Cadillac, Detroit

minnesota

The Residences at The Westin Edina Galleria

 new york

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Central Park

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, New York, NoMad (coming in 2022)

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Long Island, North Hills

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Westchester

The St. Regis Residences, Rye

The Residences at The St. Regis New York

W Residences Hoboken

W Residences New York – Downtown

ontario

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Toronto

The Residences at The St. Regis

Toronto

The Residences at The Westin Trillium House, Blue Mountain

pennsylvania

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Philadelphia

quebec

The Residences at Le Westin Resort & Spa, Tremblant

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Montreal

texas

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Dallas

W Residences Austin

W Residences Dallas – Victory

The Residences at The Westin Houston Memorial City

utah

The Residences at The St. Regis Deer Valley

virginia

The Residences at The Westin Virginia Beach Town Center

coming soon

New locations coming in 2023 and beyond

california

Los Angeles

florida

Clearwater Beach

Longboat Key

Tampa

West Palm Beach

georgia

Buckhead

hawai ‘ i

Honolulu

oregon

Portland

utah

St. George

virginia

Reston

Learn more at marriottresidences.com  a story in herein shares a location with one or more of these residences .

LIST OF RESIDENCES

International

belize

Alaia Residences, Autograph Collection Residences

Banyan Bay Residences, Autograph Collection Residences (coming in 2022)

bermuda

The Residences at The St. Regis Bermuda

british virgin islands

Scrub Island, Autograph Collection Residences

cayman islands

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Grand Cayman

china

Bulgari Residences Beijing

Bulgari Residences Shanghai

The Residences at The Westin Tianjin

W Residences Guangzhou

 costa rica

El Mangroove Residences, Autograph Collection Residences (coming in 2022)

W Residences Costa Rica - Reserva Conchal (coming in 2022)

cyprus

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Limassol (coming in 2022)

greece

The Residences at The Westin Resort, Costa Navarino

indonesia

Bulgari Residences Bali

W Residences Bali – Seminyak

israel

The Residences at The Jaffa, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Tel Aviv

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Herzliya

 jordan

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Amman

The Residences at The St. Regis Amman

kazakhstan

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Almaty, Esentai Tower

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Astana

The Residences at The St. Regis Astana

malaysia

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Kuala Lumpur

The Residences at The St. Regis Kuala Lumpur

 mexico

CLEVIA Residences, Autograph Collection Residences, San Miguel de Allende (coming in 2022)

The Residences at Solaz, a Luxury Collection Resort, Los Cabos

The Enclaves, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve Residence

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Mexico City

Zadun, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve Residence

The Residences at Sheraton Vitoria

The Residences at The St. Regis Kanai, Mexico City

The Residences at The St. Regis Los Cabos

The Residences at The Westin Puebla

nigeria

The Residences at The Westin Abuja (coming in 2022)

panama

JW Marriott Residences Panama

Pearl Island, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve Residence (coming in 2022)

portugal

JW Marriott Residences Algarve

The Residences at Pine Cliffs Ocean Suites, a Luxury Collection Resort

The Residences at Sheraton Cascais Resort

W Residences Algarve

puerto rico

Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve Residence (West Beach and East Beach)

The Residences at The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort

qatar

The Residences at The St. Regis Marsa Arabia Island, The Pearl Qatar (coming in 2022)

saint kitts and nevis

Marriott Residences St. Kitts

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, St. Kitts

serbia

The Residences at The St. Regis Belgrade (coming in 2022)

singapore

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Singapore

The Residences, at The St. Regis Singapore

The Residences at W Singapore Sentosa Cove

south korea

JW Marriott Residences Jeju (coming in 2022)

Marriott Residences Daegu

spain

W Residences Marbella

thailand

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Bangkok

The Residences at The St. Regis Bangkok

 turkey

Le Meridien Residences, Bodrum

The Residences at Caresse, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Bodrum

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Bodrum

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Istanbul (coming in 2022)

The Residences at Sheraton Istanbul Esenyurt

turks & caicos

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Turks and Caicos, Grace Bay

The Residences at The St. Regis Turks and Caicos (Grace Bay)

 united arab emirates

The St. Regis Residences, Dubai

W Residences Dubai - The Palm

united kingdom

Bulgari Residences Knightsbridge

W Residences London - Leicester Square

The Residences at The Westin London City

 a story in herein shares a location with one or more of these residences

coming soon

New locations coming in 2023 and beyond

argentina

Buenos Aires

belize

Ambergris Caye

brazil

Gramado

Sao Paulo

china

Lijiang

dominica

Roseau

dominican republic

Cabarete

Cap Cana

Sosua

egypt

Cairo

guyana

Georgetown

indonesia

Jakarta

malaysia

Cebu

Penang

mexico

Cancun

Costa Canuva

Costa Mujures

Los Cabos

Riviera Maya

Riviera Nayarit

San Miguel de Allende

Santiago de Queretaro

morocco

Marrakech

Rabat

Tangiers

oman

Muscat

philippines

Mactan

Manila russia Moscow

sri lanka Colombo

thailand

Krabi

Phuket

united arab emirates

Dubai

united kingdom

London

vietnam

Hanoi

Saigon

Learn more at marriottresidences.com

Well and Good

Marriott International offers Owners a wide variety of unique culinary experiences at home while creating moments that bring together the community through food. This Spring, the Coast-toCoast Hospitality Tour embarks on a cross country culinary roadshow that will enable Owners to attend exclusive events as a customized Mercedes-Benz Sprinter serves up a curated menu and experience to suit the location and style of their property.

At The St. Regis Residences, Rye, Owners can enjoy unique culinary offerings among their many luxurious amenities, including a one-of-a-kind partnership with Eleven Madison Park in Manhattan, the famed restaurant consistently ranked among the best in the world. For the first time ever, residents can enjoy Eleven Madison Park at home with exclusive and direct delivery to The Residences. Developed by threeMichelin star Chef Daniel Humm, the menu is updated each season, and residents can choose from a wide array of entrees and appetizers, wines from the restaurant’s cellar and have specialty cocktails delivered from its world-famous bar.

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Dubai, Creekside emphasize bespoke culinary options that promote health and organic living. Surrounded by the natural beauty of the stunning oasis of the Ras Al Khor Reserve, the member’s only Resort Clubhouse has numerous restaurants with three Michelin Stars focusing on fusion and healthy cuisine, from breakfast to a midnight snack. And if

an Owner prefers to cook at home, they have access to eight sustainable and organicfocused retail spaces on the property, including a weekend farmer’s market to pick up the freshest ingredients in the area. For entertaining or throwing dinners for family and friends, the Resident’s Club has private kitchens and dining areas.

Zadùn, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve Residence is located on the coast of Puerto Los Cabos, in San José del Cabo. This residential experience provides Owners with a luxurious lifestyle while emphasizing the region's inspiring natural beauty and charm at four on-site restaurants with ingredients inspired by the finest Mexican cuisine.

At the Sea of Cortes, residents can enjoy an ocean-to-table menu of Peruvian, Mexican, and Asian flavors and the day’s freshest catch. At the Latin American Grill, Humo, residents can enjoy a wide variety of wine from their Sótano Cellar, which hosts a collection of 250 labels. The Cellar also hosts wine tastings and classes focused on their unique selection of Mexican wines.

El Barrio offers a combination of authentic street food delicacies during the day and a more elaborate approach to Mexican cuisine at night. Owners can also enjoy an all-day Mexican cafe at Azul which has several traditional Mexican-style treats and bites, as well as a wide variety of delicacies and snacks. Azul also highlights some of the finest mixologists in Los Cabos.

zadùn , a ritz - carlton reserve residence

The Difference Is In The Details

Tina Douglas knows glamour. As the mother of Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter, actor, and author Ashanti, a normal weekend for her involves jet-setting to tours, appearances, video shoots, and award shows.

But the Long Island native, who calls herself “the original MOManger,” always returns back home to The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Long Island, North Hills, where she’s owned a three-bedroom residence with a large balcony overlooking the 16 acres of lush property since 2019.

“Every member of the staff here is incredible. Not only do they bring my car right around to the front door, but they push the elevator button at the perfect time to make sure it's waiting for me when I leave my home,” Douglas says. “It’s the details that really make the difference. When I’m in town, Diana the concierge makes a cup of tea for me with a sweet message, and when Ashanti won a Soul Train Award, she got a cup of tea that said “Queen of Soul!"

Douglas takes full advantage of the amenities at The Residences, which include a 25,000 square-foot clubhouse where she has hosted multiple events, including a press junket for Ashanti's movie, “Honey Girls.”

The former IBM executive and dance instructor has had her share of fame, going viral for her dance moves on social media. “I’m always dancing through my residence,” Douglas laughs.

Soon, she will be heading to Los Angeles, where Ashanti will be honored with a coveted star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame.

“I’m truly blessed to have such a wonderful family and this beautiful home,” Douglas says. “Throughout my exciting travels, the dedicated residential team here make me feel grounded and safe, handling the details of my home so I can focus on the whirlwind life outside of it. With the services and amenities, it’s really like I’m relaxing at a resort every day.”

tina douglas at home in between trips at the ritz - carlton residences , long island , north hills