Good Morning and Hello Friday!

WILD Week! Both crazy bad and crazy good. So many FANTASTIC things happening in NYC right now. Highly recommend checking out the performative exhibition by Dutch artists, DRIFT, at The Shed – awesome! I also FINALLY got to see Samara Joy. I’ve been stalking her on Instagram hoping for an opportunity to see her live. OMG. Her voice is so sublime I almost wept. She had two sold-out shows at Mezzrow, a small jazz club in the Village (#10 below). The following night was also spectacular. Jamie Dwyer and I had a great dinner at PEAK. They are absolute masters of making you feel welcome and extraordinarily well taken care of – from the General Manager, Chris, to each and every server. The point of all of this, I guess, is to say I am beyond grateful to have so many creative, social, caring people in my life.

The crazy bad this week was the crime scene that played out at the end of my block last Friday. It was set off by an emotionally disturbed Crips gang member (from Brooklyn) who was running up and down the streets of this neighborhood wielding enormous kitchen knives that he had stolen from Ruby Restaurant on Mulberry Street. A police foot chase ensued, with tasers, and even bullets. Fortunately, nobody got hurt but the Bowery, a main thoroughfare, was shut down for 4 hours while all this got sorted out. Just another day in de Blasio’s New York. Here are more details.

Good Morning and Hello Friday!

Excellent week. I’m starting to get a very positive vibe about the upcoming Holiday season (#2 and 3 below). Places are booking up REALLY fast. If you’re hoping to arrange any parties, you’d better get a move on. This year, you snooze, you lose!

Also, big shout out to my friend Laetitia (and Juan Pablo Vicente) for introducing me to the NY tango community last night. I had an incredible time at Tango La Nacional which is the longest-standing Argentine tango club (milonga) in NYC. I didn’t get home until well after midnight so I will be writing and posting photos about that whole scene NEXT week.

What a year! This pandemic kicked our butts. It was not kidding around.

It’s been a struggle, but getting vaccinated has been a game changer. Businesses, big and small, are making note of the change.

And on that note, scroll down for this week’s Top 10

My glass (of gratitude) is always full when I’m at my fave new hangout: NOMO Kitchen in Soho. It’s become my go-to thanks to Rebecca Cole’s cozy apres-ski vibe and the amazing staff. Big shout out to Angelo (on pic above wearing pink hat)!

And with that Scroll down for this week’s top 10 list.

As we get closer to the finish line (4 vaccines about to be approved, all 90% effective), I have to keep reminding myself that we’re still in the midst of a pandemic marathon, not a sprint! 

That said, I remain highly optimistic about 2021

Not only about a new cycle of growth and progress but I’m also picking up a more creative vibe and, at least in NYC, people are way more friendly and open and grateful than I’ve found in a long time.

Scroll down for this week’s Top 10 List.