Good Morning and Happy Friday!

I’m feeling a bit betwixt and between at the moment.

Thrilled that the city is so vibrant and people are happy to be out and about but stressed about what I see as an impending crime wave over the summer.

Hopefully, I’m wrong about the latter – talking it out (with myself) on this week’s What’s Up video (#1 below).

1. [VIDEO] – What’s Up in Post-Vax NYC?

2. Best new discovery: Moto Social

Last Thursday while out for pizza at Scarr’s on Orchard Street, I was suddenly in the midst of hundreds of motorbikes, Vespas, and e-bikes.

• Two things struck me right away: i) how good-looking and well-mannered everyone was and ii) how many photographers had turned out to shoot the bikers and their rides.
• I finished my pizza in record time and headed towards one of the riders (Jean Pierre Kathoefer) who it turns out is one of the organizers of Moto Social in NYC (and a fellow German).
• He explained that Moto Social is a global motorcycle initiative whose goal is to build community and connect people. It got its start in Toronto in 2013.
• The NYC group gets together the second Thursday of every month and if you want to hang, you’re invited whether you have a bike or not. Check out last week’s get-together on this link.

Highly recommend to all my fashion/trend friends.

And major shout out to Jean Pierre for being so welcoming and patient with my questions!!

3. “Updating” – where live comedy meets blind dating (link here for show dates)

A tiny bit cringey – but so much fun!

• The show was created and produced by comedians Brandon Berman (on stage above) and Harrison Forman (below, left).
• Last Thursday’s show was SOLD OUT (see video of crowd below). Plus, Inside Edition was there to interview Brandon and Harrison.
• I’m fully expecting them to get a development deal before the end of the summer!

[WATCH]: Lexie delivering the bad news for Bryan (her blind date)

And shout out to Jewish rapper Kosha Dillz for his hilarious retelling of the daters’ stories. Book him to serenade your summer wedding, adult bar/ bat mitzvah, or end of quarantine divorce party!!

4. Trendspotting: Subway Edition. Here’s to the girls and boys of summer.

Post-Vax summer style as I see it:

• SEXY (lots of come-hither shorts) but also…
• TOUGH (kick you to the curb boots)

5. coffee and pineapple juice? Yes, this is a thing!

Pittsburgh’s Adda Coffee & Tea just launched their (apparently) hugely popular Shadyside Sunrise in 8oz bottles.

Stoked beyond belief to share the bottled version of our classic Shadyside Sunrise, this time with cold brew instead of espresso, SUPER fresh pressed pineapple juice, and in a convenient 8oz bottle so you get the Adda experience anywhere you go! It’s been a wild and wonderful journey with our tenacious team, helped greatly by the inimitable The Pittsburgh Juice Company!

Adda Coffeehouse Website

6. COOLEST THING SWEETGREEN HAS DONE IN YEARS!

Opened this week (June 15) in Wynwood, Miami.

• The large mural titled ’’Drip’’ is by Miami-born artist Jen Stark.
• To celebrate the opening, the first 150 guests to order pickup through the sweetgreen app at each of the Miami locations (Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, or Wynwood) received a limited-edition ceramic bowl designed by Jen Stark, Amauri Torezan, or Elan Byrd (see below). Source: local10.com)

7. You’ve all heard of Charcuterie Boards but what about Candy Boards?

A candy board is a dessert charcuterie.

• And Board Love Miami is turning favorite sweet treats into sugary candy boards.
• The customers pick their favorite sweets, color schemes, and themes, then Board Love works their magic.
• Popular themes include college logos, gender reveals, breast cancer awareness (many shades of pink), and rainbows of candy for PRIDE.
• Each board contains approx. 7 pounds of candy
• Prices start at $25.

8. Fix it or list it Dewalt Survey (Nashville)

• Why this survey is only giving info for Nashville when they sampled the whole country is a mystery to me but the findings appear to hold true nationally.
• Seven in 10 homeowners are planning/considering a home renovation project in the next six months.
• More than half are considering home renovations as an alternative to buying a new home given the tight market.
• The home renovation surge is creating intense demand for contractors with more than half of homeowners having to wait at least three months for the work to start.
• The most common home renovations in Nashville are bathroom remodels (37%), kitchen remodels (33%), porch/patio/deck makeovers (32%), bedroom remodels (19%), and landscaping (16%).
• The most in-demand contractors are for electrical work (49%), plumbing (47%), structural work (37%), HVAC (37%), and flooring (37%).
• When it comes to selecting a contractor, homeowners prioritize price (66%), followed by being licensed (56%). Most homeowners (56%) rely on word of mouth to find their contractor, with only 35% of homeowners using online search.
• More than 6 in 10 homeowners in Nashville believe their child could make a good living as a professional home contractor.

9. Why I’m (mostly) giving up biking in NYC

And no, this is not the bike accident I was in.

• But I did have a collision with an e-bike delivery guy last year and have since been more wary. I’ve also seen more bike accidents (and there have been many more fatalities this year).
• I initially wrote about this in 2018 when e-bikes and mopeds first started whizzing by me in the bike lanes. Of course, our dopey mayor did not anticipate there might be problem if you allow the bike lanes to be overrun by two-wheeled vehicles going up to 40 mph.
• I’m torn about cancelling my citibike membership but I am using it far less often as city streets and bike lanes are clogged up with Revel mopeds, bikes towing delivery carts, e-bikes, even ATVs – not to mention outdoor dining taking up road space (the latter I’m not mad about but it does impact the density of street traffic).

10. Quote of the Week

“Make no mistake about it. We do our work inside Morgan Stanley offices, and that’s where we teach, that’s where our interns learn, that’s how we develop people. If you can go into a restaurant in New York City, you can come into the office.”

James Gorman, CEO Morgan Stanley (Source: NY Post)

Jury is out on how – or even whether – people will be coming back to the office but Morgan Stanley’s CEO has made no bones about what he expects.

And that’s a wrap for this week.

But I do have one last recommendation for NYers and visitors alike. Visit Green-Wood Cemetery (it’s 30 mins by subway from Manhattan). I finally got to check it out this past weekend thanks to my friend, MMQ, who frequents Green-Wood for his daily walks and is quite the expert on the place. Green-Wood is, without a doubt, one of the MOST beautiful spots in all of NYC. It’s huge – over 400 acres – and it’s a National Historic Landmark. It’s popularity back in the 1830’s even inspired the creation of Central and Prospect Parks. Green-Wood’s programming is fantastic – everything from seasonal and after-hours tours (where you get to visit the catacombs) to sponsoring their beehives and learning about the green Monk parrots that reside in the gate towers. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

This upcoming week is also shaping up to be especially busy for me. I have LOTS of dinners on my calendar but none has me more excited than my first post-vax get-together with my fabulous friend and former client, Luciana Ramsey. We have not seen each other in over a year and I can’t wait for our dinner at Peasant, I hope it lives up to her expectations!!

And on that note, my friends, I am signing off. Wishing you all a great weekend!