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t 95, cartoonist Jules Feiffer is starting anew in upstate New York, leaving behind his beloved New York City identity. The award-winning artist, who has lived outside the city for 27 years, still can't believe he's traded in his Manhattan lifestyle for a spacious ranch-style house with breathtaking views of a lake and countryside. "You come up the driveway and you see this majestic, beautiful lake and countryside," Feiffer says. "You think you're in Bavaria."

    Feiffer's new home is a far cry from his previous residence on Shelter Island, where he lived with his wife, writer JZ Holden. The couple moved to the island after their marriage in 2016, drawn by its beauty and proximity to friends like Robert Caro. However, when Feiffer had an emergency heart treatment in 2022, and Holden fell ill from a neighbor's illness, they realized it was time to leave.

    Feiffer's new studio is a haven for creativity, with space for his drawing table, refrigerator, sink, and stove. He spends hours working on his latest book, "My License to Fail," which features big drawings due to his macular degeneration. The walls are adorned with artwork from friends like Al Capp and James Baldwin, as well as a portrait of their late dog Lily.

    Feiffer's new home is also filled with memories of his past life in New York City. A reproduction of the Maltese Falcon hangs on one wall, a gift from playwright Herb Gardner. Feiffer recalls how Gardner would often leave him gifts outside his door, and he still thinks of him every day.

    Despite the challenges of adapting to a new home, Feiffer feels inspired by the beauty around him. "I could not have done my new book on Shelter Island," he says. "There's a level that the ordinary imagination doesn't go, and you need something to set it off and fire it. That's what I have here."