6. Margaret Wise Brown, 121 Charles Street, Manhattan
If, like many children, you were raised on stories like Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny, you would enjoy visiting the author’s writing studio in Greenwich Village – a quaint farmhouse that was moved from the Upper East Side to Greenwisch Village in 1967. Brown used the home as her writing studio from 1942 until her death in 1952, when it was still located at 1335 York Avenue. Brown is often credited with popularizing the picture book: a novel form of children’s books at the time she wrote them. Though unexpected in children’s literature, Brown’s relationship with Blanche Oericks (pen name: Michael Strange) impacted some of her later works, like Don’t Frighten the Lion. The story, based on her personal quells surrounding her queer experience and internalized homophobia, highlights keeping someone out (a dog) so as not to frighten others (animals in a zoo). Her work demonstrates just how hard it was to be queer in her time, illustrating how difficult it is to deflect homophobia. This Pride Month, a walk past Brown’s studio reminds us to recognize and work to combat homophobia that still lingers today.