Evergreen Reads to Empower Your Mind
The Standard Sister
Issue no.9
The Urban Issue
Feb 28, 2025
Urban Women's Lives
The idea for The Urban Issue began with a walk down the street and a passing thought about Atlantis. At first, I was certain we had to write about this legendary city—only to realize that it isn’t a city at all, but an island. Yet, this fact didn’t diminish the idea that if The Standard Sister is meant primarily for women living in urban spaces, then we must write about those very spaces.
How do we move through them? How do the cities we live in shape us in adulthood, just as our childhood homes and environments molded us when we were young?
How do mothers keep up with the rhythm of the city when their own pace slows down? And which cities do we dream of discovering before we transition to whatever comes next?
Many ideas for this issue were explored, only to be set aside to make room for a fresh perspective on the cult series Sex and the City.
This issue is dedicated to all the incredible cities in the world—sometimes kind to us, sometimes less so. And to all the women who live in them, turning life’s lemons into margaritas.
If you find this uplifting, please share this link with a woman you love.
Niní Marshall Photographed by Annemarie Heinricht, 1957
Pretend It's A City
Walking is more than just a way to get from one place to another—it can be the cheapest gateway to creativity. Some of the greatest thinkers, writers, and artists have found inspiration in the simple act of walking through urban landscapes. And we are not talking about physical activity to burn calories; we are talking about taking a walk for the sake of the walk itself. This is the goal. It doesn't matter in which city we live; walking can shape not only our perception of a city but also how we engage with its culture, history, rhythm, and how we engage in living in it.
Studies have shown that walking fuels the mind. It enhances creativity, increases mindfulness, and boosts problem-solving abilities. The philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau famously claimed that his mind only worked when he was on the move. Charles Dickens, an obsessive walker, found inspiration for his novels while roaming London’s streets for hours. The very act of putting one foot in front of the other without a specific destination allows the mind to wander, opening the door to new ideas and fresh perspectives.
Certain cities are built for walkers. Paris, with its winding boulevards and hidden passages, was the birthplace of the flâneur—the aimless urban wanderer who observes the city with curiosity and detachment. Taking a walk in Paris does not look or feel the same as taking a walk in Kyoto, Venice (Italy), or London. In each of these cities, architecture subtly guides movement, shaping not only how people walk through them but maybe also how they think while being in them.
Beyond personal reflection, walking is also a form of cultural and political expression if we choose that. Protest marches, from the Civil Rights Movement to climate change demonstrations, Gay Prides, and street parties have transformed streets into platforms for collective action—a place where strangers with a similar agenda can find each other.
No discussion of walking in cities would be complete without mentioning Martin Scorsese’s brilliant docuseries Pretend It’s a City, featuring the sharp-witted Fran Lebowitz. With her signature humor and unapologetic commentary, Lebowitz reflects on the joy and frustration of walking in New York City—a place where pedestrians navigate crowds, avoid tourists, and witness the ever-changing character of urban life. For Lebowitz, walking is not just about movement; it’s about engaging with the city’s energy, quirks, and contradictions. The series serves as both a love letter to walking and a critique of how modern distractions have altered the pedestrian experience.
Unlike planned routes or rigid schedules, walking allows for unexpected discoveries—not only in the outside world but also within ourselves. GO FOR A WALK.
Forever Sex And New York City
Culture- Article by The Standard Sister
When talking about urban life and the greatest cities in the world, it is almost surreal not to mention Sex and the City, the series that showed the world what New York City was all about in the late '90s. Over the years, there have been endless articles and online discussions about the show—analyzing what it taught us about women, whether it did a favor to feminism or not, and how it has stood the test of time.
But we want to look at it from another angle—we don’t want to talk about the sex; we want to talk about the city.
New York City wasn’t just a setting in Sex and the City—maybe it was the opposite. Maybe the characters were the background for NYC itself—an undeniable force shaping every romance, heartbreak, life achievement, and brunch conversation. More than just a backdrop, NYC dictated the rhythm of the characters' lives, and it’s impossible to imagine Sex and the City taking place in any other city in the world.
Image by HBO
Just like our childhood homes, schools, and families mold who we become, the city we choose to live in shapes who we are, what we think, and what we feel in our grown-up lives. NYC played that role in their adult lives. The city was not just where they lived—it was who they became. In a smaller town, would they have drifted apart? Would Miranda have been as ambitious? Would Carrie have held onto the same romanticized view of love without the city as her muse?
New York revealed different parts of itself through each of the women, showing its many layers and contradictions.
Carrie showed us the city’s infinite possibilities—a place where romance could be found on a park bench and heartbreak too. She presented the magical side of NYC, a place for dreamers, believing in its magic, its unpredictability, and its endless encounters waiting to happen.
Miranda’s New York, on the other hand, was entirely different—fast-paced, unapologetic, and ruthlessly ambitious. She showed us the corporate landscape with determination, proving that NYC was not just a city of dreamers but also a city of hustlers, where survival meant working harder, being tougher, and never slowing down.
Charlotte represented the traditional world of brownstones and family legacies. Through her character, NYC wasn’t just about reinvention—it was also about maintaining a sense of order. Amidst all the chaos, there were still family values that stood firm.
Then there was Samantha, who demonstrated the wild side of the city—a playground, a space of reinvention and indulgence, where nightlife, sex, and freedom reigned. The city allowed her to be as bold and fearless as she wanted, without judgment or limits.
Every character embodied a different face of the city, each a unique piece of the same puzzle.
Like everything in life, time brings change—and there is no doubt that the NYC of Sex and the City is not the same as it is today. But one thing remains true: New York still holds all four faces—the dreamy, the career-driven, the family-centered, and the wild. It’s up to us to experience them all.
To Be A Mom In A City
Motherhood- Article by The Standard Sister
The city never stops. It rushes, pulses, grows. People are always in motion—heading to work, to meetings, to dinners, to something. The subway doors open and close, cars honk, crowds spill onto the streets, hurrying toward the next thing. But for a new mother, life in the city suddenly moves at a different pace.
Image From Pinterest
Motherhood in an urban space can feel overwhelming and isolating. Historically, motherhood was never meant to be experienced alone. For thousands of years, women raised children within a tribe, surrounded by other mothers, grandmothers, and sisters who shared the weight of care. Nothing compares to the care of a mother. Even with support from a partner, a family manager, or a nanny, the mother often remains the primary caregiver, especially in the first months. Even as the world progresses and fathers in some countries take parental leave, this reality persists in most places. For the modern, independent, career-driven mother, it is complex to come to terms with the fact that her personal and professional progress is slowing down and may even feel as though it has stopped. This becomes even harder in the city, where the fast pace and individualism can make new mothers feel as though they are swimming against the current. This feeling can deeply affect their confidence. You once moved with the same rhythm as the city, but now, your world has shrunk into the small orbit of feedings, naps, and the four walls of a nursery. While the city keeps going, you remain—still, quiet, waiting.
This experience carries an emotional contradiction—an overwhelming, consuming love, yet also a frustration that is difficult to name and even harder to admit. A feeling that while everyone else’s life seems to move forward, hers has, in some way, paused. You, who were once part of the city's rhythm, are now moving to the slow, unpredictable beat of a baby’s needs.
The struggle of navigating motherhood in a city is not just emotional—it is physical. The simple act of leaving the house can feel like a logistical challenge. Subway stations with no elevators, sidewalks packed with rushing pedestrians who barely notice the stroller, cafés that were once your refuge now feel too loud, too chaotic. In a place where everything is built for speed, mothers are forced into stillness.
Simply being a mother in a city is an achievement in itself, one you should take pride in. Without even realizing it, you are facing one of the most challenging and heroic experiences. The most important thing you can do to make it easier is to show compassion toward yourself and your feelings. If you feel frustrated, acknowledge it. If you feel exhausted, say it. If you need help, ask for it. Even if your tribe isn’t just a two-minute walk away, make sure they know you need support. Human nature is built for adaptation, and in time, navigating motherhood in the city will become easier for you. In the meantime, if everyone is busy and unable to help, find a path, a café, a street, a park, or a space that reconnects you with a sense of being in your tribe.
Before We Turn Into Butterflies
Travel- Article by The Standard sister
When we set out to curate the list of must-visit cities before we turn into butterflies, we didn’t know exactly which cities would make the cut, but we knew one thing—they had to be unlike anything we had ever known.
Despite our deep love for the fashion capitals of Europe, for cities where anything can happen—New York, London, Marrakech, Tokyo, Buenos Aires, Tel Aviv, and more—we wanted to take a different route. We sought the unknown, the unplanned—cities that are hidden gems, architectural marvels bursting with culture and history. Places that take days to reach, offering an experience that feels like stepping beyond life on Earth, either into the past or the future.
So, we made sure to venture far from the familiar and immerse ourselves in cities steeped in history.
The first magical place has to be in the one of the greatest countries in the world: Italy. Matera is an ancient city carved into the limestone cliffs of southern Italy, known for its surreal cave dwellings, or Sassi—a network of ancient cave dwellings that were historically used as homes, churches, and even cisterns for water storage. These structures, carved directly into the rock, showcase a unique blend of human adaptation and nature, making Matera one of the most fascinating urban settlements in the world.. These prehistoric homes, some dating back over 9,000 years, make it one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Walking through Matera feels like stepping into another era, where labyrinthine alleyways, rock-hewn churches, and golden-hued facades create a dreamlike atmosphere. Culturally, Matera has experienced a rebirth—once a forgotten town of poverty, it is now a UNESCO World Heritage site and was named the European Capital of Culture in 2019. The city is evolving, with luxury hotels and creative spaces reviving its ancient architecture.
From Europe, we move to Africa, where a different kind of magic awaits in Chefchaouen, Morocco. Tucked away in the Rif Mountains of northern Morocco, Chefchaouen is a city awash in shades of blue. The reasons for its signature color remain a mystery—some say it was introduced by Jewish refugees in the 15th century, while others believe it keeps mosquitoes away. Regardless of its origin, the result is mesmerizing. Architecturally, the town is a fusion of Moorish, Andalusian, and Berber styles, with winding medinas, arched doorways, and ornate tilework. Chefchaouen is a haven for artists, wanderers, and those seeking a slower pace of life.
alast but not least -Samarkand, Uzbekistan - Once the crown jewel of the Silk Road, Samarkand is an architectural fantasy of turquoise domes, grand mosques, and intricate mosaics. Registan Square, with its three madrasahs, is one of the most breathtaking public spaces in the world. These madrasahs (Islamic schools) are adorned with intricate blue mosaics and towering minarets, symbolizing the city's historical importance as a major center of learning and culture during the Timurid Empire. Culturally, Samarkand is a crossroads, blending Persian, Mongol, and Islamic influences into an aesthetic that feels almost mythical. Despite its ancient grandeur, Samarkand is not frozen in time. Uzbekistan is investing in modernization, opening the country to more visitors while preserving its architectural and cultural heritage. The city is also home to Ulugh Beg’s observatory, one of the first major centers of astronomical study in the Islamic world, emphasizing its long history of scientific and intellectual advancements.
Each of these cities offers a different kind of transformation, a different way of seeing the world. Before we turn into butterflies, book a flight.
