NYT: A Guide to New York’s Hidden Oases of Calm

"Somewhere in Manhattan, a lone peacock struts past the quince and laurel in a churchyard garden; further uptown, a Beaux-Arts mansion opens its doors onto a massive, storied collection of Spanish art; in Brooklyn, hung-over yogis rise and unroll their mats under a ceiling draped in silk. These are the sorts of tranquil scenes toward which Siobhan Wall’s “Quiet New York” (Frances Lincoln, out today)— a slim, illustrated guide to the city’s “hidden corners and unexpected vistas” — steers both tourists and natives seeking solace and refuge in a city where both are hard to come by."

Wave Hill A former country estate in the Bronx

‘Quiet’ and ‘New York’ are two terms rarely uttered in tandem, but why not? These are the days when blogs detail the best places to publicly cry in the city, when it’s revealed that, among the nacho stands and Nets gear, the Barclays Center contains a meditation room. In its subtle and unassuming manner, the book — the latest in a series of guides to Quiet London, Amsterdam, and Paris — seeks out uncommon calm everywhere from lesser-known museums to secret gardens and idiosyncratic shops. Beloved stalwarts are listed alongside imperfect idylls — the author is as drawn to the boat wrecks on the battered Greenpoint waterfront as she is to the plotted plantings and medieval tapestries of the Cloisters — but the book’s primary criterion for inclusion is a lack of noise.