1 | What does your house represent to you?

I believe home is a place that you need to be able to come to, to feel comfortable and relaxed and to escape from the rest of the world or the city. It needs to be entirely its own environment. So my home is a place where I can come to feel comfortable, to feel myself, and to feel inspired at the same time. Also a place to feel happy to return to wherever you're coming from.

3 | Any works of art at home?

I have a few works of art but nothing special. They're just pieces I picked up on the streets from traveling, whether that's central park or a street in Paris.

4 | Where do you get your best ideas?

I draw most of my inspiration and ideas from cinema. I've always loved film and I've always kind of attempted to live my life like a movie (which may not be the best plan of action for life). But going to the movies and experiencing the pictures, the scenes, and the people is the biggest inspiration for how I take everyday life.

5 | Open Space or separate rooms?

There's a couple of separate rooms here because I have a roommate. We're in a two bedroom with one bedroom on each end.

6 | Is your house a shelter or a place for sharing?

My house is a place for sharing. The main reason why I wanted to move here is because we actually have a private balcony on the side of it. I've always loved to host and have friends over whether it's an intimate one with just two people or a dozen friends. My house is always a place for people to come to. I give everyone my door code, they're welcome to come anytime and I want it to be a place where everyone feels at home.

8 | Bath tub or shower?

Definitely a Shower. As much as I love to take my time in the morning, nobody has time for a bath.

9 | Home cooking or restaurant?

I've lived here for a year now and I've grocery shopped once. So definitely eating out for me. There's too many good restaurants in Brooklyn to cook at home.

10 | Where would you like to live?

I've lived in a few different places and have already been able to knock off a couple favorites. I struggle with wanting to be everywhere but New York, I would say, is where I want to be most. It's the most comfortable because I have family nearby and most of my friends are already here. I've lived in Los Angeles though for a brief period and Boston for years. I've also spent some extended time in Europe to feel that out as well. But New York is still my favorite place in the world. Although I know that with time, you always want something new and different so I could, for a couple of months want to call somewhere else home like Tokyo, London, or Africa but New York is where I want to be right now.

Brooklyn city guide

From this episode will also be available the "City Guide" column, an exclusive sneak peek at the life of the protagonists and the favorite places in the city.

City of Saints Coffee Roasters Coffee shop
297 Meserole St, Brooklyn

Why do you like it?
My first day living in this apartment, I had no heat, no bed…basically nothing. This place is a just a few blocks from here so I went. The vibe of it reminded me of downtown LA a bit with the industrial warehouse kind of garage door and right away, I met the whole team of baristas and the owner that welcomed me like family.
But most importantly, no one else I knew at the time knew about this place so it's kind of been my own safe cafe sanctuary where I can escape from the world and not see anybody I know.

What is it good for?
They're known for their coffee and their roastery is actually at this shop here in Bushwick. You can pick up a couple pastries along the way but it's a very coffee only atmosphere.
They have some of the best roast so its for people who love and know coffee.

The Topaz | Cocktail bar
251 Bushwick Ave, Brooklyn

Why do you like it?
This is one of my newest found hidden gems in this area. A good friend of mine, who I found out lived just a few blocks away from here, had recommended it to me and the first time I went I just fell in love. It's a place where for my day to day life, I like to just go and relax. The same way I like to enjoy my home to be myself and not have to see a million people. To be able to enjoy a glass of wine, a drink, or a bite. To know the bartenders, to know what music will be played and to relax and escape.

What is it good for?
Topaz is a beautiful cocktail bar with the best french fries you'll find in the entire city and overall a great atmosphere

Toby's Estate Coffee | Coffee shop
125 N 6th St, Brooklyn

Why do you like it?
It's just a friendly, welcoming, and beautiful location with great lighting. Its been used in plenty of movies and I now understand why. It's a routine meet up for my friends and I so if we don't know where we're going, Toby's seems to usually be the place to start for us to organize our plans. It's an overall welcoming environment and great place for a good cup of coffee.

Eric Christian

Eric Christian von Fricken is a Composer,  Creative Director, and Social Influencer primarily based in New York City. As a Leica sponsored photographer, Eric has worked on campaigns developing content for brands such as Christian Louboutin, Movado, Jaguar and The Macallan, and sharing them to his social audience on his Instagram and blog. A graduate of Berklee College of Music with a Bachelor of Music in Film Scoring, Eric has written music for television commercials for brands such as Mercedes-Benz and Land Rover. Eric is also developing a name as a film composer and working his way through the independent movie scene. 
In his free time Eric enjoys traveling, taking photos, and writing sad songs. He is currently located in Brooklyn.

Credits

Creative director Silvia Mella
Photographer Anton Lombardi