• Nightlife is ramping up again in NYC and across the country. Fabulous Lunar New Year celebrations at Ludlow House on Tuesday. Followed by a jam-packed Peasant on Wednesday. Big shout out to Marc and Cara, and the whole staff, for providing such an outstanding dinner and cocktail experience for us (#1, 2 below).
• Stepping up my travel game (at last). So many jaunts around the country to look forward to over the next few months (#1, 3, 4).
• And while I’m sure many consider it premature, I do love how Denmark is handling Covid in their country. Hopefully we’ll get to that point soon (#10).

[watch] video

2. Nightlife roaring back: swanky and jazzy!

• In LA, Heart WeHo is opening Feb 11. According to its owner, NSYNC’s Lance Bass, it’ll be The Biggest Gay Nightclub in the U.S.
• In Washington DC, Better Hospitality Group (BHG) is opening Easy Company, a huge indoor-outdoor Rosé garden and piazza-style wine bar/patio at Waterfront Wharf. BHG already operates several cool bars in the trendy Shaw neighborhood so this should be good.
• In Pittsburgh, jazz is back (as of Feb 1) at the Backstage Bar in the Cultural District.
• And in NYC, nightlife is definitely back with swanky spots like The Nines, Temple Bar, Cafe Carlyle and Bemelmans. This Saturday, Peakaboo opens for late night revelry, 10:30 pm to 2 am. It’s at Peak Restaurant on the 101st floor of Hudson Yards. And there are at least a dozen other spots opening in hotels and restaurants around the city. Most have a jazzy, piano bar vibe (and caviar is generally on the menu!)
• Last Wednesday, Joe Santos (co-founder Brooklyn Gin) and I checked out Saint Tuesday, a brand new speakeasy “under-under” the Walker Hotel in Tribeca (after an amazing dinner and glam cocktail experience at Peasant). And, of course, major Lunar New Year celebrations went down at Ludlow House’s Ducked Up. (Photos below)

Peasant cocktail service

Saint Tuesday

Lunar New Year Feast at Ludlow House

3. TRAVEL UPDATE: Heading to Austin (1st time flying in 2 yrs)

• Flight and hotel booked. And my friend, Sheri, has gotten us Rodeo tickets (she’s a Texan and a complete rodeo pro so I’m in excellent hands).
• On the itinerary: Blanton Museum (recently redesigned by Snohetta). Also on the lookout for great street art.
• And thrilled to stay at the new Soho House Austin (photos below).

4. up next? PHX and Vegas!

• Now that I’m back in travel mode, I’m jetting off somewhere EVERY month. In April, it’ll be Phoenix, Tucson, and Vegas.
• In Phoenix, checking out Roosevelt Row’s First Friday Art Walk, the Chihuly in the Desert exhibitions, the Maricopa County Fair, and Mesa’s Asian District.
• But the big inspiration for this trip: Brad’s shows at SMoCA and at the Tucson Museum of Art (partially sponsored by the Hotel Congress – hence pic below). And then, as luck would have it, Lady Gaga announced her Jazz & Piano residency in Vegas – and I snagged tickets for opening night!!

5. Bitcoin: Gentlemen’s Clubs in Vegas now accept as payment for “dance dollars”

“We are thrilled to cater to our tech savvy customers, and offer an additional layer of privacy, and flexibility by accepting Bitcoin payments for lap dances and entertainer tipping. Guests can enjoy all our bustling adult entertainment anonymously and instantly. Crazy Horse 3 has always been at the forefront of the industry and remains committed to offering unique and innovative amenities that elevate the world-class experience that our high-end clientele knows us for.”

Lindsay Feldman, BrandBomb Marketing (Crazy Horse 3 publicist)

• The club began accepting bitcoin for VIP bottle service in 2020. It proved so popular, it was expanded throughout the club with “dance dollars” valid for lap dances and tipping.
• Guests scan a QR code, which allows an instant and seamless Bitcoin payment transaction through their crypto wallet, all without a paper trail.

6. Scenthound: membership-based dog grooming

• Scenthound currently has 98 locations (open or under development) across 12 states.
• The company has been around since 2015 but only started franchising in 2019. Since then, it’s had record-breaking growth (up 160% in 2021).
• It’s a wellness-centered, membership-based dog grooming franchise with a focus on the five core areas of routine and preventive care for dogs: Skin, Coat, Ears, Nails and Teeth (SCENT). Services include bathing, ear cleaning, nail trimming and teeth brushing.
• Notable investors include Orangetheory Fitness CEO and Co-Founder David Long, who also joined the Advisory Board.

7. Anthrozoology: a new(ish) field of study of the interactions between human and non-human animals

• Dramatic changes in people’s attitudes towards animals and their treatment have occurred in the last 20-30 years.
• Whether talking about wildlife, farm animals, captively housed wild animals, or companion animals — humans’ attitudes toward, and relationships with, animals are evolving.
• This process has stimulated a growing scientific and scholarly interest in the field of Anthrozoology.
• The Boise conference will feature live symposia about the current state of research on human-animal relationships.
• Conference attendees range from scholars to researchers to mental health providers to veterinarians, cognition researchers, ethics scientists (and if they knew about it, marketers and advertisers).
• Keynote speakers include the head of Columbia University’s Dog Cognition Lab and the Executive Director of the International Wildlife Coexistence Network. (Source: BoiseStateEdu)

If anyone reading this is going to this conference, I would love to get your feedback. Sounds really fascinating.

8. Raptors of NYC

• Exciting to spot (from my fire escape) a giant red-tailed hawk sitting on top of the Shepard Fairey-painted water tower at 190 Bowery.
• Birders have also been tweeting non-stop about R7 Rover, a bald eagle hanging out over Central park. Emily Bernay captured Rover snagging a seagull mid-air.

I just saw a bald eagle in Central Park catch and kill another bird (seagull?) and got it on film. Actual coolest thing ever. #birdcpp pic.twitter.com/ofBun2pBHx

— Emily (@emilybernay) January 23, 2022

9. Kudos to Related for hiring Dermot Shea, Ex-NYPD commissioner, to head property management. (Love this guy!)

• Related Companies hired Shea (huge fan) as president of commercial property management where he will oversee operations at the company’s New York buildings including Hudson Yards.
• Per TRD, Shea isn’t the first former top cop to make the leap to real estate after running the NYPD. Two-time NYPD commissioner Raymond Kelly worked for Cushman & Wakefield in 2014 as head of a new division that advised the company’s clients on crime and terrorism.

With all the smash and grabs (Celine in Soho yesterday), mall shootings, and soft-on-crime DAs around the country, I anticipate we will see more businesses take security into their own hands.

10. denmark no longer considers COVID-19 “a socially critical disease.” France and Sweden follow suit.

“With Omicron not being a severe disease for the vaccinated, we believe it is reasonable to lift restrictions.”

Lone Simonsen, epidemiologist, University of Roskilde

• Over 80% of Denmark’s population, over the age of five, have received two vaccinations, and more than 60% of the population have taken the booster shot.
• As of February 1st, nobody in Denmark will be obliged to wear face masks or use the Covid vaccination certificate in order to enter bars, restaurants, and other indoor venues.
• Mandatory quarantine requirements for persons who have tested positive for the virus have also been abolished.
• France, on Wednesday, began lifting anti-COVID restrictions, despite a high number of infections. Face masks will no longer be mandatory outdoors while stadiums, cultural venues and outdoor venues are no longer limited to a certain capacity.
• But French citizens will still require proof of vaccination or recovery to enter bars, restaurants, and while using long-distance public transport. Nightclubs will remain closed until February 16.
• Sweden also announced it will remove coronavirus restrictions as of Feb 9, no longer limiting restaurant capacities or opening hours. Vaccination certificates and facemasks will also not be required on public transport.

And that’s a wrap for this week, my friends

The upcoming weekend is going to be super festive. My great friends, Richard and Jourdan, are getting married and we will be celebrating with pre-wedding, wedding, and post-wedding parties! Woo-hoo!!

Here’s to a great weekend!