Walk With Me

Two people stand at the same intersection in New York City. One is late for a meeting, eyes fixed on the crossing signal, mind rehearsing the first five minutes of a presentation. The city is a series of obstacles: the slow-moving tourist, the overflowing trash can, the puddle from a street cleaner. It is a loud, gray, functional space to be moved through as quickly as possible. The other person stands at the same corner with no destination at all. For them, the city is a living museum. They see the ghost sign from a 1940s tailor shop fading on a brick wall, the intricate Art Deco metalwork on a doorway everyone else ignores, the way the afternoon light hits a fire escape, turning it into a golden ladder. The city is the point.

This simple shift in perspective—from moving through a place to being in it—is an art form, one that photographer and author Susan Kaufman has spent a lifetime cultivating. For years, as a celebrated art director for major magazines like People and TIME, her professional life was defined by deadlines, pressure, and the relentless pace of a media career. Yet, she found her escape by diving deeper into the city. Armed with her iPhone, she began taking long walks with no agenda, capturing the quiet moments and hidden beauty she had previously rushed past. These walks became a daily ritual of discovery and a way to reclaim her own attention. "Walk With Me" is the culmination of that practice, an invitation to see the world as an endless gallery of small wonders waiting to be noticed.

Module 1: The Art of Seeing Your Own City

We often think we know our surroundings. We live there, after all. But familiarity can breed a kind of blindness. Susan Kaufman lived in one of the world's most vibrant cities. Yet, she admits she initially overlooked the beauty right outside her door. The real journey began when she decided to look closer.

This brings us to a foundational idea. You must consciously shift your focus from rushing to observing. Kaufman's story is a perfect example. She lived in Greenwich Village, a neighborhood steeped in history. But she was busy. She walked past magnolia trees in Washington Square Park without a second glance. She ignored the elegant French Gothic Grace Church on Broadway. Her routine was efficient, but it was empty of discovery. The change was a change in mindset.

So how do you make this shift? Kaufman used a simple tool. Her iPhone. It became her lens for seeing the world differently. This leads to the next insight: Use technology to deepen your connection to your physical world, not escape it. For Kaufman, her phone was an instrument of focus. She started capturing images of things that caught her eye. This simple act of photography forced her to notice details. She began a project, using the hashtag #dooroftheday. This small, daily practice trained her eye. She started seeing patterns, colors, and textures she had previously ignored. The technology pushed her deeper into her environment.

Building on that idea, the book shows how this new way of seeing reveals layers of history. Kaufman began to notice not just beautiful facades, but the stories they held. Every street corner is a living museum if you know how to look. On West 10th Street, she was walking past the former homes of Mark Twain, Emma Lazarus, and Marcel Duchamp. A converted 1887 stable was the former home of playwright Edward Albee. The city was a tapestry of lives, ambitions, and artistic movements. Her walks became time travel. She could see the bohemian spirit of the past coexisting with the city's modern pulse. This appreciation transforms a simple walk into a rich, educational experience.