stressed and Fed up

Is it because I’m old? Would I feel as frustrated about the direction and priorities of America if I were younger? Who knows! But I’ve always considered myself an “UP” oldster as opposed to a “woke” youngster.

And that may be just as well since “wokesters” are starting to eat their own. A prime example is the recent Teen Vogue fiasco. I’m with Obama on “cancel culture” – it’s not going to end well for anyone.

Woketopia aside, though, this week was rough. Mass shootings, chaos in Miami, and violent assaults in my Lower East Side/Chinatown neighborhood (at least six attacks in the span of two days). And what do our elected officials do? NOTHING.

Anyway, if you are still with me, after all my griping, I do have recommendations and some excellent trend info for you. And yes, I still love NYC as the Time Out Index Survey proves. (Here’s the link if you want to take the quiz for your city.)

please Scroll down for this week’s Top 10.

1. Thank you Staples for the free Covid Vaccine card lamination.

• Staples nationwide is offering free lamination services for COVID-19 vaccination cards once you have received both shots. Just bring in your card and the associate will laminate your card for you at no cost.
• I’m planning to get this done over the weekend.
• And then, newly laminated card in hand, you can pop into your local Krispy Kreme to get a free donut (and put on a few more pandemic pounds)!
• The free lamination offer is good thru April 3. (Source: Click2Houston)

2. Food Halls are back. Will buffets be next?

Dropped by Essex Market this week for the first time since the pandemic. It was busy although the downstairs market is only half-open.

• I was thrilled to discover Don Ceviche. I LOVE Peruvian food and especially the rotisserie chicken with green sauce. I’m also a big fan of Peruvian ceviche. Going back this weekend to stock up. It’s the most popular spot in the market judging by the lines at lunch.
• Essex Market is also home to the newly opened Dhamaka from the same chefs/owners as Adda in LIC. Lots of rave reviews although I was not as impressed by Adda as most critics.

The food hall trend is booming around the country.

NASHVILLE: Assembly Food Hall:

ASHEVILLE: S&W Market – opening in June.

LAS VEGAS: Famous Food Street Eats – Opening this summer at Resorts World (Source: Zouk Group PR)

3. Kok Sh*t Bingo – last Sunday of every month in Hialeah, FL.

Here’s what Kush Hospitality cooks up in Hialeah every month:

• At exactly 3:05PM a live chicken will be placed in an outdoor chicken coop with a bingo board below it. Whatever number the chicken poops on is the winner. The entire process can take five minutes or an hour.
• Raffle tickets are limited, but can be obtained with the purchase of any featured cocktail by Skyy Vodka (one ticket per drink); or by donating to Miami Animal Rescue which earns attendees two tickets.
• Guests can also indulge in a whole gator served Caja China-style.
• Plus shop at Kush Hospitality Group’s new Vintage Flea concept store.
• NOTE: no chicken will be harmed or served in any way during the event.

4. Jennifer Saesue – Owner Fish Cheeks – on what many of us feel about NYC

Fish Cheeks, as many of you know, is one of my favorite restaurants. And Jenn has been an inspiration and major force in the neighborhood. Also, grateful to Leo Jacob, director of sales and marketing at the Bowery Hotel (popeofthebowery on IG) for doing this series of interviews with small business owners downtown.

What is NYC?

“NYC is a melting pot of pain and power. It’s a life lesson that either drains or pays you. Most importantly NYC is home.”

What do you say to those that say “NYC is dead”?

“NYC’s life, death, and afterlife are all subjective. It will regenerate with or without you. The era of New York you idealize may change but its soul just transfers its energy into newer and younger people. So no I don’t think NYC is dead. I think you just have to adapt.”

How has your experience in NYC influenced or changed your life?

“I feel privileged to have grown up in NYC. It made me understand the ins and outs of the city more. I understand the expectancy of all cultures and have a better understanding of them all.”

Fish Cheeks remained open throughout the pandemic and was able to adapt to every guideline the government issued. From April to the end of June 2020 the restaurant was heavily involved with @offtheirplate and @frontlinefoodsnyc delivering to different hospitals 3-4 times a week. With indoor dining back in NYC they have been able to hire back their staff and they are almost at the same number of employees pre covid.

….now that is amazing! ❤️

5. For those in entertainment or travel, this Clubhouse room is for you. every Sunday.

I discovered the INT’L WORLD TOURING AND PRODUCTION CLUB room last Sunday and was thrilled with the information and the quality of the people on the stage. Absolutely top-notch. Here’s a small sampling:

• Craig Davis, Marketing, Promotion, Management for clients including Megan Thee Stallion, Young Thug, Kanye West
• Chris Musgrave, over 25 years of worldwide experience in live event/tour management
• Ari Nisman, President/CEO DEGY Entertainment handling 3000 events a year, 30 countries. One of the largest entertainment buyers for the US Military, college campuses, and corporations.

It was basically a master class in event planning and production on a grand scale. Great business perspectives and an excellent way to get an early read on what’s going on around the world with travel, COVID protocols, restrictions, etc.

6. domestic leisure travel, and private aviation, are booming (Source: Toluna/ CNBC)

“We’re forecasting that this will be our highest volume summer on record in the history of the company.”

Andrew Collins, CEO, Sentient Jet

Whoa!

• Since Feb. 1, domestic hotel bookings have more than tripled.
• The most popular destinations for summer leisure flights are to Honolulu, Denver, Chicago, Miami, and Orlando.
• Summer bookings this year vs. 2019, also show a skew to smaller, outdoor destinations, e.g., Helena, MT (+250%), and Fairbanks, AK (+199%).
• Domestic airfares began increasing in March, international airfares are expected to increase by mid-May.
• Private terminals, e.g., PS at LAX, which costs $4,500 per year for membership plus per-use fees, reached capacity several times in March and often had waitlists.
• Vacation home rentals are in high demand with Florida, Las Vegas, Puerto Rico and Hawaii top domestic hotspots.

7. Heron Preston! Did I see you at Pastis this week? the logo on your jacket makes me think yes…

Heron Preston (the man) is a silent force in the world of streetwear and hip-hop with sought-after clothing drops, DJing stints at events including Coachella, and mixtapes with Beyoncé. His self-titled label represents the conversion of his multiplicitous career, combining fine art, hip-hop, and high fashion. Some liken Heron Preston (the label) to Off-White, but the former has a distinct, workwear-inspired look of its own.

Rolling Stone, Top 10 Streetwear Brands (March 22, 2021)

8. KAWS: WHAT PARTY at the Brooklyn Museum thru 9/5/21.

• KAWS (Brian Donnelly) has bridged the worlds of art, popular culture, and commerce for the last 25 years.
• He’s one of my favorite artists and this show is spectacular.
• It captures the moment, it’s fun, and it’s EXTREMELY popular (which is great except for all the people constantly standing in front of pieces to take selfies!
• There’s no touring schedule yet but I KNOW this show will travel – keep an eye out for it.

9. check out NotoriousCree on Instagram. phenomenal!

• His video skills are fantastic. He provides one of the best examples of how to successfully meld contemporary and traditional influences. And his message is STRONG.
• Plus, he reached 800K followers this week.
• Since I do not know how to embed an Instagram video into the blog, I recommend you click on this link and make sure the sound is on. You’ll thank me!! https://www.instagram.com/reel/CMyEykOJZv-/?igshid=1eyemknp4o6vm

10. Death Dreams: We Don’t Die Alone.

Thank you Connie Ottmann (see her quote below) and Dr. Christopher Kerr for getting this important research on my radar!

“My 91 year-old mother died this month in an assisted living/memory care facility in Maine. I wasn’t allowed to be with her. I tried to recall stories of the dying who saw beautiful lights or reached out and called to mothers, fathers, and children. Oddly enough, three days later, I was forwarded an article about this very thing that had originally posted online on the exact day that my mother died.

Connie Ottmann, “It’s a 60s Thing….Taking A Gap Year In NYC“

RECOMMENDED READING: Connie Ottmann’s personal blog post and Dr. Kerr’s research as covered in this Neuroscience article (highlights below):

• More than 80% of patients approaching death have dreams and visions of deceased loved ones who came back to comfort them in their final days. And these dreams always increased in frequency near death.
• When children are dying, it is often their deceased pets that make appearances. Thirteen-year-old Jessica, dying of a malignant form of bone-based cancer, started having visions of her former dog, Shadow. His presence reassured her. “I will be fine,” she told Dr. Kerr on one of his last visits.
• Dr. Kerr also noted that the dying rarely speak of being alone. They speak of being loved and put back together.
• In a Tedx Talk Kerr gave, Jeannie, another patient described seeing people walking very slowly by her bed. On the right side were people she didn’t know but who were friendly and touched her gently on the hand or arm in comfort. On the left side, their faces vivid, were her mother, father, uncle and other deceased relatives who did the same thing.
• Dr. Kerr began collecting and recording testimonies given directly by those who were dying over the course of 10 years. He and his research team recorded the end-of-life experiences of 1,400 patients and families.

This post will hopefully not freak anyone out. I found Dr. Kerr’s discoveries really beautiful and reassuring and I’m optimistic you will too.

And that, my friends, is a wrap for this week

Spring has sprung and I celebrated its arrival with my first dinner party in over a year. It was a small gathering (fortunately) since my cooking kind of sucked although my guests were too kind to say so!

But, most importantly, it was just so great to welcome friends back into my home. As we all get vaccinated, there will be more at-home entertainment – and my cooking will improve (I promise).

Have a wonderful weekend everyone. Stay safe, be well, have FUN!