Meet the Author
RYAN GARSON
Some of Ryan Garson's favorite moments are spent exploring New York City with his daughter, discovering playgrounds, museums, and all the small magical experiences the city has to offer kids.
By day, Ryan is a Manhattan real estate broker at Compass, one of the city's top agents and the founder of Very Social, a social media brand built around promoting New York City's energy, charm, and character. He grew up a die-hard Miami Heat fan, but somewhere along the way New York got him. Now he bleeds Knicks blue and orange, and will argue all day that there is no better city in the world to raise a family.
That obsession with the city, and those everyday adventures as a dad, led him to New York Nico, whose work captures the true heartbeat of the five boroughs. When Ryan saw the illustrations of Chris Wilson in New York Nico's Guide to New York City, he knew he had found his collaborator. He reached out with an idea of his own. What began as a simple pitch turned into a years-long partnership that became New York No Matter Where.
Ryan hopes these pages remind you that New York is never just a place. It's something you carry with you, no matter where you go.
Listen to the New Yorkers to Know podcast here.
Inspired by a Father and Daughter’s
New York Adventures
Every night before bed, Ryan reads Gaby at least three books. No exceptions—or at least, very few.
It’s been their routine since she was little. And after seven years and more children’s books than Ryan could possibly count, he noticed something: the ones he loved reading with her most were always about New York City.
So, as both a dad and a slightly obsessive New Yorker, Ryan gave himself a mission: to create the best New York City children’s book he possibly could.
But New York No Matter Where was never something Ryan simply created for Gaby. They created it together.
Gaby became his partner throughout the process. She helped dream up characters and animals and gave Ryan and illustrator Chris Wilson her very candid notes on the artwork. She took the job seriously, too. When Labubus made their way into an illustration, Gaby was very particular about making sure they had the right number of teeth. She didn’t want anyone thinking they were fake.
Some of the moments in the book also grew directly out of experiences they shared as a family—including Gaby’s seventh birthday, when Ryan and his wife threw her a Knicks-themed party. As Game 4 of the NBA Finals got underway, the birthday party turned into a watch party, with Gaby and all her friends watching the Knicks come back from 29 points down to win. It was one of those only-in-New-York family memories that simply had to find its way into the book.
And then there were the very important last-minute editorial decisions. Gaby’s love of squishies became so undeniable that they had to find their way into the book, too. She is, after all, the Very Social Squishy Queen.
That partnership goes well beyond the pages. Ryan and Gaby explore New York together. They discover new neighborhoods and playgrounds. They hunt for squishies. They make content together. They have their favorite places, their little traditions, and their own way of experiencing the city. And through Gaby’s eyes, Ryan gets to discover the New York he loves all over again.
That’s really where New York No Matter Where came from: a dad who loves New York, a daughter he loves sharing it with, and the adventures they’ve had discovering the city together.
Connect with Ryan
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