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"Let Me Tell You" is a series of columns from our expert editors about NYC living, including the best things to do, where to eat and drink, and what to see at the theater. They publish each Wednesday so you’re hearing from us each week. Last month, Senior News Editor Anna Rahmanan wrote about jet skiing in NYC and why you should do it.
What is a Meg Ryan fall, you may ask? In today's lingo, it's a vibe.
A reference to the characters that Ryan played in a series of still-beloved ’90s rom-coms—You've Got Mail! Sleepless in Seattle! When a Man Loves a Woman! When Harry Met Sally... (technically, a 1989 production)—the aesthetic is about more than cozy sweaters and knit skirts, which defined Ryan’s wardrobe in basically all of those movies.
A Meg Ryan fall is that feeling you get as summer draws to a close, school starts up again and the possibility of all things new suddenly becomes concrete.
“Don’t you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address. On the other hand, this not knowing has its charms.” - Joe Fox (Tom Hanks) in You’ve Got Mail
Although summer in New York is exciting for its myriad of offerings, from outdoor shows to patio dinners and water-related activities, there is just something about autumn that forces you to lean into comfort and ease—a tenderness exuded by Ryan in her ’90s roles.
During a Meg Ryan fall, you’re advised to revel in a warm cup of coffee with a book in hand, perhaps taking long strolls through Central Park and musing on the exciting possibilities that a new academic year may bring along with it, from novel romantic interests to professional opportunities and more.
Although not all rom-coms starring Ryan are set in New York, many are and, as luck would have it, our very own town is perfectly suited to offer those interested the chance to fully embrace their own version of a Meg Ryan fall.
Take the city's vast array of bookstores, a setting used across many Ryan rom-coms (Ryan plays a bookstore owner/employee in both You've Got Mail and Joe Versus the Volcano).
Not many cities across America lay claim to the number of literary destinations that New York counts as its own, so if you’re going to embrace your Meg Ryan fall, we can’t think of a better place to start than the Strand, perhaps, or the always charming Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks, dedicated to all culinary tomes. We do suspect that the 2024 version of rom-com Ryan might be found somewhere in Brooklyn, though, probably at Community Bookstore in Park Slope, where she would start taking care of the store turtle as her own.
Here’s an idea: start your own book club, the very epitome of Meg Ryan-ness in the world of fiction.
Literary endeavors aside, the particular seasonal vibe also hinges on all things caffeine.
Let’s be clear: if Ryan’s character in You’ve Got Mail, Kathleen Kelly, is of any indication, New Yorkers committed to her lifestyle should only try to buy coffee from independent purveyors, also avoiding creative concoctions that have recently drenched the American coffee market (we’re looking at you, frappuccinos). That is to say: a flat white at Laughing Man Cafe is probably acceptable, but Blank Street Coffee, Dunkin’ and Starbucks (blasphemy!) absolutely aren’t.
There are plenty of options all over town: Mud, a staple on the New York University campus, and Abraço are worthy of regular visits, as is Devoción in Williamsburg, which is actually an outpost of a coffee roaster in Bogota, Colombia.
Needless to say, reading the book you just purchased at Three Lives & Company while sipping on a cappuccino at any of these local cafes is very much part of a Meg Ryan fall.
There’s also tons of walking, which Ryan does throughout her ’90s films. Her walking scenes are mostly soundtracked by whimsical tunes and classic songs (Joni Mitchell, Harry Nilsson, Jimmy Durante) that usually portend a major development in the plot. During those walks, Ryan often realizes that, perhaps, she is in love with Tom Hanks’ character in You've Got Mail and Sleepless in Seattle or that she should take a chance and embrace the adventure offered by Joe in Joe Versus the Volcano (that would be Hanks again).
New York does provide the perfect walking paths for that kind of self-reflection. From Central Park to the Brooklyn Bridge and mere strolls through downtown Manhattan or Dumbo, there are plenty of areas that just feel ripe for self-analysis, a practice that, let’s be honest, busy New Yorkers don’t love to embrace.
And then there are the clothes—because if you dress the part, then you are the part.
The autumnal aesthetic isn’t that hard to recreate: earthy tones (maroons and browns in particular) take center stage in the form of chunky cable-knit sweaters, cozy turtlenecks, wide-legged pants, pencil skirts and oversized coats. The key to it all: you’ve got to mix materials and styles and try to pair them with chunky loafers, Oxfords, panama hats and, perhaps, leather gloves.
Although plenty of vintage stores in New York may be home to what you need, we suggest going for the basic and the commercial when it comes to this particular sense of fashion: Banana Republic, Everlane and Old Navy are great places to start.
The dissection of the local version of a Meg Ryan fall suddenly makes one thing clear to us once more: in New York, you can be whoever you want to be—and if that happens to be Meg Ryan falling in love with Tom Hanks in the middle of a Manhattan street, so be it.