Top 10: The Office is Back, NYC Thru the Eyes of Tourists, Big Shoutout to Dr. Middaugh of EPMP

Top 10: The Office is Back, NYC Thru the Eyes of Tourists, Big Shoutout to Dr. Middaugh of EPMP
Good Morning & Hello Friday

All signs are pointing to a return to the office (like it or not). Based on what I observed in Midtown this week, it’s already happening (#2 below).

Also, this week, 3 groups of friends visited from around the country (and Europe) and I got their read on how they perceived NYC after not having been here for almost 2 years (#3 below). We NYers have a lot of work to do — especially when it comes to grime and crime!!

And finally, I’m so grateful to Dr. David Middaugh of El Paso Manual Physical Therapy. His exercise videos for hip arthritis have been a game changer for me. 20 mins per day for the last 2 months. The improvement in how my hips feel and move is remarkable. For any of my friends who have osteoarthritis, I highly recommend checking him out (links below – #10).

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Top 10: Checked Out Beeple at Jack Hanley, and Met Rowan Drake (the new Justin Bieber) at Odeon

Top 10: Checked Out Beeple at Jack Hanley, and Met Rowan Drake (the new Justin Bieber) at Odeon
Left: Jason Morena and Beeple, Top right: Rowan Drake
Good Morning & Hello Friday

Beeple: Still thinking about that scene at Jack Hanley Gallery in Tribeca. Wow!!! Mind blown. Of course, we did NOT get in. But who ever heard of needing to RSVP for a gallery opening? But not all is lost. I did get to meet Jason Morena and his awesome crew from @one37pm. They knew enough to get there by 1pm and they DID get to hang with Beeple. (#1, 2 below).

Afterwards, Anne L. and I headed to Odeon for an early dinner and ended up seated next to Rowan Drake (pic above top right). He’s all of 18 and was there to meet with his lawyer! Total cutie and very nice guy. I swear, he will be the next Justin Bieber! He already has a date in mind for when he will sell out MSG.

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10 Best: Fave Super Bowl Ad, Stella Ishii’s New 6397 Collection, Wayan’s Liwetan Dinner…

10 Best: Fave Super Bowl Ad, Stella Ishii’s New 6397 Collection, Wayan’s Liwetan Dinner…
  • Very social week, including a wedding! Congrats again, Richard and Jourdan!
  • Lots of fabulous dinners, esp., loved Wayan’s Liwetan celebration (#2, 7).
  • Also check out this week’s fashion discoveries (#3, 4) and make sure you scroll down to the Wrap for info on Patrick Church’s “Super Gay” SS2022 photo shoot.
  • And for my real estate investor friends, check out #10. The buzz on Workforce Housing is building. It’s similar to affordable housing (but also different and I think it’s more than just semantics). I know everyone is obsessed with luxury condos but that’s like saying we’re only going to develop LVMH-style luxury retail, when we know Target and Walmart are crushing it!
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10 Best Things to Check Out This Week. Travel Trends Front and Center.

10 Best Things to Check Out This Week. Travel Trends Front and Center.
  • Most of today’s ZandlSlant revolves around the ups and downs of travel (#1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). Africa is once again cancelled but I am (finally) getting back on a plane and heading to Austin, Tucson, and Phoenix in March/April. If anyone has any must-dos to recommend for those cities, give me a holler.
  • Also, interesting piece (#9) on South Korea naming its first Professor of Influencer Affairs at Daegu Cyber University. Makes sense seeing that content creator has become the top dream job among Korean teenagers.
  • And finally, fascinating to see the growth of investment app Wealthfront (which I first wrote about in 2015). Its assets have ballooned from $2B to $27B in 6 years – primarily from young techy types who trust an algorithm more than a human financial advisor. UBS just snapped them up to gain access to these next generation investors (#8).
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10 Best Finds of the Week with a Focus on Social-First Creativity, Fashion, and Fun Eats

10 Best Finds of the Week with a Focus on Social-First Creativity, Fashion, and Fun Eats
Good Morning and Hello Friday!

So many great finds for the blog this week. Especially love what Helene Heath is doing for Jenni Kayne (#4). Also recently discovered Emma Turner’s food blog, Blistered Peppers. Again, excellent. (#3).

On the food front, a new crop of speakeasies coming on the scene. The Sparrow Room, a dim sum/mahjong parlor mash up in Arlington, sounds especially fun. Boozy ice creams are also worth checking out. (#6 and 7)

And if you’re in need of some chuckles, check out Erik Griffin’s WORST movie reviews. This week’s is OLD by M. Night Shyamalan. Cracked me up. (#10)

Sadly, in the midst of all this creativity, especially on social, I feel like such a loser. People are doing such great things on various platforms and all I’m doing is watching tutorial after tutorial, getting a huge headache in the process. For more on this, check out my video (#1 below).

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SuperGuide to What’s New and Happening from Hospitality to Sketchy Covid Test Sites to Wordle

SuperGuide to What’s New and Happening from Hospitality to Sketchy Covid Test Sites to Wordle

HOSPITALITY coverage is off the charts this week. From restaurants to bars to Betty White celebrations to travel to advertising. (#2, 3, 4, 5, 6 below).

Also, big shout out to Dr. Middaugh at El Paso Manual Physical Therapy. I stumbled across one of his videos on YouTube with exercise tips for those of us with osteoarthritis. Having now followed his recommendations for over a week, I’ve seen major improvements in my hips’ range of motion and flexibility. If you too have arthritis, check him out (#9).

And finally, a word of caution about Covid Test Pop-Up Sites. Being skeptical about them is a wise move. Turns out they are frequently unregulated and unlicensed. Cities around the country are being hit with an avalanche of complaints (#7).

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10 Best Things To Check Out This Week: Entertainment, Art, Real Estate, Wildlife

10 Best Things To Check Out This Week: Entertainment, Art, Real Estate, Wildlife
Good Morning and Hello 2022!

Big emphasis this week on entertainment and the arts. Highlights include the start of Oklahoma‘s National Tour (the stunning Daniel Fish adaptation). Also very excited about Brad’s upcoming museum shows in Arizona, one at SMoCA, the other at the Tucson Museum of Art. I’ll be checking out both in April, along with the Maricopa County Fair (#2 and 6 below).

And then there’s real estate. Am I the only one who foresees the potential for a “shake up the industry” partnership between Adam Neumann (founder of We Work) and Moishe Mana as they both gobble up heaps of real estate in Miami? See #10 below.

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Friday Roundup: It’s Christmas Eve! Happy Holidays Everyone!

Friday Roundup: It’s Christmas Eve! Happy Holidays Everyone!
Good Morning & Hello Friday.

It was Omicron’s week! I’m pretty sure we’re ALL going to get it. But the good news is, those who are vaccinated and boosted seem to have very mild symptoms (at least the people I know). Jim Cramer of CNBC, who got Covid this week, and Scott Morrison (PM of Australia), both talked about how we’re now at a point where we have to learn to live with Covid as an endemic. And that means assuming a certain degree of risk. More people are getting on board with that line of thinking based on what I’m picking up from mayors and governors around the country. I’m not hearing anyone (even in the most Democratic parts of the country) pushing for additional mandated shutdowns (see #1, 2, and 3 below).

It was also TikTok’s week. Besides topping Google as the most visited website in 2021, TikTok is also in the process of opening 300 ghost kitchens (delivery only) offering some of the top food hits from the platform, e.g., baked feta pasta or smash burgers (#7).

Next week, I’ll be doing a best/worst of 2021 with predictions for 2022. This is last year’s. I was wrong about a few things but spot-on about others, e.g., I did not buy into all that nonsense about ‘we’re all going to be baking bread and never returning to restaurants.’ Of the 5 things I wished for personally for 2021, 3 came to pass but I failed to make it to another State Fair or go on another Nat Geo trip. But it’s looking good for both for 2022!

And just a heads up on the vibe this week, I’m covering some topics that are a little more serious and gloomy than what I normally write about. But that’s what’s on my radar as we close out the year.

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