Setting is an important element in any short story. 

As I've said while presenting the information about the author, many of O'Henry's stories are set in New York City, where he lived during most of his writing career. 

So does "The Last Leaf". It is a good example of  O. Henry's typical story. The action takes place in the largest city of the USA - New York, in its small part, known as Greenwich Village.

New York is depicted here in the light of struggling artists, as the action takes place inside the joint studio of two young artists around the old ivy vine, climbed half way up the brick wall in front of their window.

The atmosphere of the story is rather gloomy due to the melancholic and sad author's tone, cold, rainy, windy weather and illness, stalked about the city.

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