Pumpkin spice may be the most recognizable aroma and flavor of fall, but it’s not the only one. In the East Village, the colors, tastes, textures, and scents of autumn are all around — mugs of hot apple cider, butternut squash soup, a crackling wood fire, and fresh, cold bursts of rainfall drenching sidewalks littered with crimson leaves. One of the most comforting ways to bring these wonderful seasonal smells into your East Village apartments at EVGB is also among the simplest: lighting a candle. The next time you’re out in the neighborhood and the fall spirit strikes, stop by one of these luxury candlemakers and treat yourself.

Diptyque | 242 Mott Street

Our sense of smell, it’s often said, is more strongly tied to our memories than any other sense. And so, it stands to reason that not everyone associates the same aromas with fall. For some, fall is about cinnamon and honey, for others, it’s about a campfire and damp leaves. Diptyque, the Parisian company known for its high-end skincare products, perfumes, and candles, seems to understand this. The scents you’ll find here are complex and authentic. Take, for example, the Fig Tree Candle, which aims to capture the tree in “its enchanting entirety: the warmth of its bark, the freshness of its leaves, and the milky sap of its fruit.” While it’s not a fall-specific scent, there are notes that can evoke the sense of cozy wellbeing the season is known for. There’s also the Wood Fire Pillar Candle, which just might trick your guests into thinking these East Village luxury rentals have fireplaces. One last intriguing recommendation: “Damp mosses, crumbled blackcurrant leaves, and sun-dried fig leaves” combine to create the unique aroma of the 34 Boulevard Saint Germain Candle, a scent that winks at the rich, earthy vibes of fall.

 Of course, no description of a scent can capture the unique associations an individual may have with it. For that reason, it’s important to stop by the shop and make a choice in person. Diptyque has stores across the city, including the nearby Mott Street location.

Cire Trudon | 248 Elizabeth Street

Gourmand Chimney Fire. Versailles Wooden Floor. White Flowers. These are some of the straightforward yet beguiling scents put forth by Cire Trudon, the Parisian candlemaker whose beginnings stretch back to 1643. The aromas you’ll find here are rich and slightly mysterious, yet, they are evocative of shared human experience. The Balmoral candle, for example, is said to have a scent like the moments after a rainstorm, when “mist rises from the plains in an earthy haze and humus.” The Solis Rex candle, inspired by the wooden floors of Château de Versailles’s Hall of Mirrors, “radiates vapours of wax, candelabra, and palace.” It’s a fragrance that could lend a woody, haunted atmosphere to even the bright East Village rentals you call home. But don’t take our word — stop by the luxe storefront and breathe in some of these meticulously crafted fragrances yourself.