NoHo photographer Philip Maier – Karen's Quirky Style

Philip Maier’s Union Square

February 21, 2022

My friend, the fantastic New York photographer Philip Maier, has just released a fascinating book about Union Square. Phil’s photos capture the past 20 years of New York history in this focal point of Greenwich Village. His artistic vision will touch you with humor, joy, grief, sadness, and his tremendous love of the city and […]

Flying to PIECES

April 1, 2021

I looked at dozens of apartments in the Village in 2017 when I was searching for my dream New York home. One of my favorite apartment viewing experiences was a co-op with loft bed that caught my eye on StreetEasy because it had a vintage chocolate poster on the living room wall. When I viewed […]

West Village Model Karen Rempel in Washington Square Park

Fierce Attitude

February 1, 2021

My love affair with New York began in Washington Square Park. I parachuted into the Washington Square Hotel on my first trip to New York in 2014, drawn by the fact that the Rolling Stones and both of the Dylans had stayed there. Within minutes of ditching my bags, I was walking past the park on my way to […]

Karen's Quirky Style - Playing Dress Up by the Food Truck at Astor Place

The Tickle Trunk

January 1, 2021

When I was a little girl, I loved playing dress up. In Canada we had a show called Mr. Dressup that was on every weekday morning from the time my family got a television until the mid-90s. His puppet friends Casey and Finnegan were part of the fun, but the moment I liked best was […]

Jumpin’ for Joe

December 1, 2020

I don’t know about you, but I’ve felt like flying since we got the news on November 7 that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have been elected the leaders of our country. The cheers, honks, and bells ringing through the streets of the Village made New York seem like herself again—electric and alive. And now […]

Karen's Quirky Style - KQS Nov - West Villager Model Karen Rempel in Chains

Macker Wacker

November 1, 2020

This column is for all of you who have a favorite old sweater that you want to hang onto, even though your main squeeze pressures you to get rid of it and has tried three times to donate it to Goodwill. This quirky look is a real mash-up of styles and periods, but my vintage […]

West Village Model Karen Rempel and Fearless Girl Statue - Karen's Quirky Style

Fearless from EAT to ERA

September 1, 2020

West Village model Karen Rempel in bespoke dress and mask by Engineered by Andrea T. Fearless Girl also wears mask with bow by EAT. Photo by Tess Malone. You might wonder how a simple dress relates to women’s empowerment. This month’s photo series is an all-woman effort, featuring this stunningly simple bespoke dress by Engineered […]