The BKLS Bookmarks: Your April in NYC, curated. Think mood-setting playlists, slow beauty, and places that remind you why you still romanticize this city.
This month, we are reintroducing our Editor’s Note—now reimagined as BKLS Bookmarks. It is chic, it is thoughtful, and it is a true team effort.
A monthly curation of what we are loving, using, sipping, and wandering toward in New York City.
April in NYC is a Soft Reawakening.
After months of gray coats, rushed commutes, and early nightfall, the city begins to tilt slowly toward bloom. The air still has a bite—but tulip beds are unfurling in Fort Greene Park, café windows are thrown open just wide enough, and iced coffees are appearing like declarations of hope. This is the month we shake off winter and begin again.
April is also unpredictable. One day, you are in a sweater and scarf, the next, sipping rosé outdoors, wondering why you wore boots. This contradiction—the layering, the light, the energy shift—is what makes April so quietly magical in New York.
Here is what the BKLS team is bookmarking this month: a little French fantasy, skincare that does the heavy lifting, and places that remind us why we still romanticize this city.
☁️ April Weather Notes
Average Temps: Highs of 58–67°F [14–19°C], Lows of 45–52°F [7–11°C].
Expect light showers and sunny afternoons. It’s the season of layers, lightweight trenches, and compact umbrellas. Evenings still call for a knit.
📍 Place We Are Visiting
Printemps New York – FiDi
There are department stores, and then there is Printemps. Tucked into the iconic One Wall Street, this Parisian import is more than a place to shop—it is a portal. One step inside and you’re transported to a world where retail feels like reverie: red mosaic-tiled walls, floral chandeliers, and a fragrance that lingers like memory.
The rooms are designed like an apartment you would want to live in, each one revealing something unexpected: vintage cocktail dresses, curated apothecary items, streetwear with a wink, and a raw bar where the oysters arrive with a Haitian green mignonette. It’s thoughtful, not flashy. Sophisticated, but warm.
We wandered in without much expectation and left three hours later, a little lighter and a little more in love—with the store, with FiDi, and with the idea of slowing down in a place designed for beauty.
💼 Things We Are Buying
A Cream Knit Turtleneck from Mango
April is all about layering—especially in a city where your morning and evening commutes feel like two different seasons. This cream knit turtleneck from Mango has become our go-to: sleek enough to tuck into trousers, cozy enough to layer under a trench.
It is the kind of piece you will reach for on a gray morning or for a dinner in a candlelit corner of the West Village. Pair it with wide-leg pants, slingback flats, and a dash of red lipstick—simple, polished, and quietly powerful.
Honorable mention? Mango’s asymmetrical blouses and soft knit midis are excellent for those days when it is warm in the sun but cool in the shade.
📖 What We Are Reading
“The Collected Regrets of Clover” by Mikki Brammer
This book is not loud. It does not beg for your attention. Instead, it sits quietly beside you like a friend with big feelings. It is about a woman who works as a death doula—but what you walk away with is a lesson in how to live fully, with curiosity and care.
We recommend reading this on a sunny bench in Central Park or during that golden hour lull in Prospect Heights, with a coffee in hand and nowhere to be. It is gentle and moving. And it will stay with you.
🎧 What We Are Listening To
BKLS April Playlist: “Soft City”
April is not about loud declarations. It is about gentle arrivals. This playlist is made for slow mornings, long walks down brownstone-lined streets, and solo wine-and-dinner nights at home. Think: lo-fi jazz, acoustic covers, Nina Simone, and a few French tracks thrown in for mood.
We have saved it to Spotify under BKLS Playlists, and we promise—this is the one you will have on repeat during spring cleaning, weekend errands, or your next subway ride to the Upper West Side.
The “Soft City” BKLS Playlist
A lo-fi soul and reggae blend for slow mornings, quiet evenings, and everything in between. Available on Apple Music and Spotify.
- “La Lune” – Billie Marten
Light, atmospheric vocals that feel like golden hour. - “Coffee” – beabadoobee
Sweet, casual, and very “early spring iced latte on a stoop.” - “Come Away With Me” – Norah Jones
Still unmatched for rainy Sunday mornings in the city. - “Can’t Help Falling in Love” – Kina Grannis (Cover)
A familiar favorite stripped down—intimate and nostalgic. - “Breezeblocks” – alt-J
Moody but airy—excellent for edge-of-spring unpredictability. - “Japanese Denim” – Daniel Caesar
For the evening wind-down, it is warm and velvet-smooth. - “First Day of My Life” – Bright Eyes
Hopeful and earnest—April in a closing track. - “New York State of Mind” – Oleta Adams
Soulful, stirring—rooted in city rhythm and realness. - “Fry Plantain” – Lila Iké
Smooth, playful reggae with poetic storytelling. - “Forget Me” – Lila Iké
A rich blend of emotion and melody—slow, honest, and beautiful. - “Never Fail” – Alaine
It is a soul-reggae ballad with a steady heartbeat of hope and love. - “Solitude” – Lila Iké
Quietly powerful and reflective—the final exhale of spring’s soft beginning.
💄 Beauty Pick of the Month
The Inkey List Caffeine Eye Cream
We have tried them all. From $80 formulas with gold tips to drugstore finds with dubious results. But this one—under $15, lightweight, and genuinely brightening—has earned its spot in our routine.
It is especially helpful during allergy season when puffy eyes and congestion sneak in. Bonus: It sits beautifully under makeup and feels soothing in the morning. We keep one in our desk drawer and one in our travel pouch.
🍽️ Where We Are Dining
La Mercerie
📍53 Howard Street—SoHo
Some restaurants are designed for conversation. Others are designed for ceremonies. La Mercerie somehow manages to be both.
We booked a table this week—fingers crossed it is by the window, where the late afternoon light turns everything gold. There is something about the shift in season that makes this spot feel like a soft reset. The ceramic tableware, delicate florals, and the scent of butter drifting from the open kitchen create a kind of quiet magic. It is a reminder that dining, when done right, is not just a meal—it is a mood, a moment, a memory in the making.
Order the Anchois De Cantabrie Aubeurre Vanillé. Share a dessert. Do not rush. La Mercerie is meant to be lingered in.
🍷 What We Are Sipping
Bar Pisellino
The Sunset Spritz at Bar Pisellino | 📍52 Grove Street—West Village
A modern aperitivo moment in a classic Italian setting. Bittersweet, refreshing, and best enjoyed standing outside with a view of the corner. This cocktail tastes like spring in NYC—bubbly with just the right edge.
🎵 Vibe of the Month
The First Dinner Eaten Outdoors—Coat Still On, Sun Barely Setting
It is not quite warm yet. But we are doing it anyway.
That slightly-too-chilly outdoor meal with friends, where your wine glasses fog up and you are wrapped in a trench coat but thrilled just to be outside. These are the moments that mark the beginning of something.
This month’s mood: cautious optimism, almond blossom spritzes, and long walks with no purpose other than looking up at the sky.
🚊 Bookmark This
The Ultimate Guide to Spring in NYC
Your cheat sheet for everything this season: cherry blossoms, outdoor brunches, Easter parades, spring markets, and museums you actually want to go to.
If you have been feeling the itch to fall in love with New York again, this is your starting point.
🔗 Read the Spring in NYC Guide
April in NYC
April is your invitation to slow down.
Step outside before checking your phone. Linger in line for that almond croissant—just because. Walk a little farther than you planned. Slow down, do less, and find joy in the in-between moments.
Whether you are dining al fresco in the West Village, browsing secondhand books in Cobble Hill, or just sitting on your stoop with a glass of something good, April is not in a rush. Neither should you be.
We will be back next month with more finds, favorites, and soft obsessions.
Until then—
Keep your curiosity close. Let the warmth linger. And never forget—there is nothing quite like New York.
— The BKLS Team
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