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.

1. [WATCH] Video

2. As we head into the holidays and 2022, storefronts finally get snapped up

1. Per Bowery Boogie, Belse (out of Texas but with ties to Los Angeles) is taking over the former Paulaner space. The Belse owners are also behind LA’s successful Little Pine (whose core founder, Moby, departed that restaurant in 2020). I hope they know what they’re doing because it’s a HUGE space with an estimated monthly rent of $50,000 (2 years ago, not sure if it would have gone up or down since then).
2. IXTA is taking over the former DBGB space also on the Bowery. They presented to the community board in August and the “for rent” signs have come down. We will see what develops there. I am most excited about the live mariachi performances.
3. Also LOTS of new retail stores and pop-ups in Nolita and in midtown around Rockefeller Center. The pop-ups opened in early October and will be operational through January. Busy spots on Elizabeth Street include: Sezane (always long lines), Atelier Cologne, and the exceptionally busy We Are Knitters (out of Spain). I finally made it up to midtown to check out Y’all Mart, a Texas collective with amazing brands primarily from Marfa and Austin. It’s a fabulous store but I’m not optimistic it’ll be successful in midtown. That store needs to be downtown where it would be booming.

3. It’s all about “private memberships” or “founding member status” these days

A friend just got the “Special Invitation” (below) to become a founding member of Danny Meyer’s restaurant group – meh! I am intrigued, however, by the newly opened Casa Cipriani where the restaurants and bars can ONLY be accessed if you are a Club Member or hotel guest ($1500 a night currently). And Daniel Boulud is ramping up as well. He’ll be overseeing the ultra-private dining scene at the new Mandarin Oriental Residencies in Beverly Hills and New York. More below.

1. Privacy, ultra-exclusivity, founding member status. Soho House started it all but now every new co-working space, bar, even restaurants are starting to want diners to become members! I know a handful of people who belong to 2-3 private membership clubs (most frequently Zero Bond, Casa Cipriani, and Soho House).
2. Per AD, real estate developments with private restaurants (only for residents and their guests) is a popular new amenity. Daniel Boulud will be running the dining rooms at the Mandarin Oriental Residences in Beverly Hills and New York. These are his first residential projects but he’s indicated he’ll be doing more. In Florida, Oceana Bal Harbor not only offers resident-only dining, its restaurant, Ballerina, features Jeff Koon’s multi-million dollar Ballerina sculpture in the poolside garden.
3. Privacy is also behind the increased usage of private planes. And I believe we will see much more private security being hired in residential areas. THAT will become the most-favored amenity over the next few years.

4. Art is big business and a key differentiator for brands (and cities)

1. Art has a direct impact on the desirability of neighborhoods and brands, e.g., Miami went from a snoozy retirement community to a hot destination. What made it cool was design, architecture, and art (both Miami Art Basel and Wynwood’s murals). It’s been so successful that West Palm Beach is currently partnering with urban planning firm NDT Development and Joe Furst of Place Projects who is known for transforming Wynwood into the vibrant art, commercial, and residential area that it has become.
2. Likewise, for anyone who has visited Bentonville Arkansas and been wowed by the city’s cool factor, credit must go to Alice Walton. She brought the art world to Bentonville when she built Crystal Bridges Museum, followed by the Momentary, a 63,000-square-foot satellite space for contemporary art and performance in downtown Bentonville. A perfect example of art changing the trajectory of a city.
3. Toledo, Ohio is showcasing its dedication to the arts and urban renewal with Glass City River Wall, the biggest mural in the USA. The concept was created by Los Angeles artist Gabriel Gault but local artists led by Eric Hein, did the painting. The mural represents the historical farmers on the land, including sunflowers, blue sky, and Native American people who were the first to farm this region. Cost: $750,000 (funds raised locally)
4. Phoenix’s Office of Arts and Culture has created a digital, interactive map locating more than 200 public art projects across the city including murals, indoor and outdoor sculptures, artist-designed terrazzo floors and installations at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
5. On the home front, Kohler recently collaborated with superstar artist, Daniel Arsham, on a sink design. It’s the company’s first partnership with a visual artist in years.

5. Keep an eye on Hispanic influences/trends (an update to last week’s post – #5)

1. In Phoenix, Maskadores Taco Shop, a local chain of Mexican wrestling-themed eateries, just opened its 20th location. Launched in Tempe in 2012 by Caleb Zarraga, they’re now rapidly expanding across the Phoenix Valley.
2. Día de Los Muertos Community Festivals are major in LA. Ofelia Esparza, a Chicana artist and educator from East Los Angeles is a renowned sixth-generation altarista (altar-maker). She is recognized specifically for her community ofrendas (altars/shrines). See pic below.
3. In NYC, Rockefeller Center is partnering with The Consulate General of Mexico, to celebrate Mexico Week: Día de Muertos with sculptures of Oaxacan alebrijes, envisioned as guardians of the nation’s immigrant community, and catrinas, Day of the Dead skeletons.

6. Trendspotting (and celeb spotting) at Tango La Nacional, NYC’s Top Argentine Dance Party

1. If you are at all interested in Tango, you must read this fabulous article about the NYC scene (thank you Laetitia). It fills you in on the subtle nuances of the Argentine milonga (tango dance party). And believe me, there are many little mistakes you can make if you are not aware of the protocols.
2. Laetitia also introduced me to Walter Perez (pic, left above) who is the super cool co-founder of the annual New York Queer Tango Weekend (with Leonardo Sardella). It’s currently the only Queer Tango Festival in the United States.
3. I was also fortunate to be introduced to Mariana Parma (pic above right). She’s the writer, producer and star of a short film titled “El Montaje” that has been doing the rounds at this year’s film festivals – and winning numerous awards!

7. La Colombe, opening its first-ever NYC roastery in partnership with Whole Foods (on the bowery)

1. 2 ‘Friends of Whole Foods Market’ locations, owned-and-operated by La Colombe, will open within Whole Foods Market flagships – one in Austin, the other on the corner of Bowery and Chrystie in NYC. This comes on the heels of securing national distribution of roasted coffee in all Whole Foods Market locations across the country.
2. These La Colombe hospitality accounts are owned-and-operated by the Whole Foods Market team, but fully serviced by La Colombe.
3. Whole Foods also carries La Colombe’s ready-to-drink beverages (+74%). Since its inception in 2017, La Colombe’s Draft Latte has gained over 87,000 points of distribution nationwide. The total ready-to-drink coffee category is $2.2 billion in annual sales and is growing 25% across all channels.

8. NOSEiD app helps identify lost dogs via their nose print

1. Mars Petcare’s IAMS is hosting a series of free NOSEiD events in Nashville to spread the word about the NOSEiD mobile app.
2. The NOSEiD app uses a first-of-its-kind  nose-scanning smartphone technology to identify lost dogs via their nose print – which is unique to each dog (like a fingerprint). The technology is paired with the support of local communities. It was developed for IAMS by Adam&eve ddb.
3. For NOSEiD to work best, it will require widespread adoption. As of now, the program is only live in Nashville but the company is planning to expand to additional regions. The free app is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

9. Largest indoor pickleball facility to open in Chandler AZ

1. The National Pickleball Association saw its membership increase by 650% between 2013 and 2019. The number of active pickleball players has grown from 3.1 million in 2018 to 4.2 million in 2021.
2. And that’s why Mike Rodrigues is opening Pickleball Kingdom, a 16-court indoor facility that will eliminate the biggest problems facing Arizona players: heat and wind.
3. Along with 16 courts and air conditioning, Rodrigues’s Pickleball Kingdom also offers memberships, an app to make reservations, tournaments and leagues, a pro shop, locker rooms and showers, a lounge, snack bar and beer and wine.

10. the sublime Samara Joy

1. This was one of the most fantastic nights of live music I have ever experienced.
2. If you get a chance to see 23-year old Samara Joy perform live (anywhere around the world), RUN to get your tickets. She will be a MAJOR star.
3. In November and December she will be in Stuttgart, Turku (Finland), Eindhoven (Netherlands), Portugal, London, Italy, Paris, back in NYC, and in Vienna. DO YOURSELVES A FAVOR AND FOLLOW HER ON INSTAGRAM AND GET TICKETS IF SHE IS PERFORMING ANYWHERE NEAR YOU. Link here.

And that’s a wrap.

But not before I post a few pics from Wednesday’s fabulous dinner with the one and only Jamie Dwyer. And we ate at one of my favorite spots in NYC, PEAK. Big shout out to Chris and the whole team for always taking such good care of us and making us feel so welcome. 💕💕💕

The cityview from PEAK: spectacular!

And that’s it for this week my friends. Have a great weekend (👻). I’ll check back in with you all next Friday.