Good Morning & Hello Friday!

• Highlight of the week has to be the H&M Hotel Hennes Pop-Up in Freeman Alley (#1, 2 below). I spent endless hours plotting how I could circumvent security and VIP Lists to get in early for some interior shots – to no avail! Security prevailed! But then yesterday, I FINALLY did get in! Creatively it is one of the best pop-ups I’ve seen. No detail has been overlooked and they’ve clearly spared no expense. Rumor mill also has it that H&M will be opening a store on the LES soon.
• Another impressive opening is the new Hypebeast HBX flagship (#3). It’s located in Chinatown but I would call it Dimes Square adjacent (the hottest, trendiest neighborhood in NYC).
• Finally, on the entertainment front, two great new discoveries: Porch Stomp (#4) and comedian John Crist (#8). Love his podcast and I just got tickets for his City Winery show in August.

And with that, please scroll down for this week’s Top 10. Enjoy!

1. Video(s): Before and afters…..

UPDATE: The H&M Hotel Hennes Pop-Up is BONKERS GREAT!!!

2. H&M’s Pop-Up Hôtel Hennes is spectacular (3 Freeman Alley, NYC)

This is a NEXT-LEVEL Marketing Experience.

1. The concept goes hand-in-hand with a short film commissioned by H&M, starring Gigi Hadid. It’s set in a fictional fashion destination, inspired by legendary art hotels. Hôtel Hennes merchandise includes beach towels, sunglasses, tote bags, bikinis, shorts, and t-shirts. (Source: H&M PR News)
2. There are 5 Photo Suites – supposedly all the time slots are booked but based on what I saw yesterday, you’ll get your chance to shoot some great footage with just a little wait. And again, for those of you in NYC who want to check it out, it’s open thru Saturday June 25th from 2 PM-9 PM. (Schedule of performances here).

#MyTake: This is absolutely next-level pop-up – a whole hotel!! Expect to see more of this. Interestingly, in LA, The Hulu Motel in Studio City is doing a similar activation but it’s not clear if Hulu has rented an actual motel. They describe the concept as “a real-life, open-world experience where you can step inside your favorite Hulu shows and genres” (Source: Average Socialite)

3. Hypebeast opens 7-story HBX flagship in Chinatown NYC

• Hypebeast opened its first-ever U.S. flagship last week in Chinatown. The building is fabulous. I do not (unfortunately) know who the architects or designers are but they’ve done a phenomenal job.
• The first two floors are dedicated to footwear, apparel, accessories, and collector items from accessible brands like Nike and Vans but they also carry fashion-forward items from Thom Browne, Jil Sander, KAWS, etc.. The ground floor also includes Hypebeans, a v. cool coffee bar. And they have a Coinbase machine.
• The third floor will serve as an innovation space for brands to host pop-ups and activations. The remaining 4 floors serve as office space for Hypebeast’s 100+ employees.
• Address: 41 Division Street, NYC

4. Porch Stomp 2022: I FERRIED to Governor’s Island for the annual art fair but stayed for the music. Best discovery!

1. Porch Stomp was founded in 2014 by Nicholas Horner as a part of the 2014 Make Music New York Festival. It immediately became recognized as a hub for cross-genre Americana, bluegrass, and folk music of all types.
2. I had planned to spend 2 hours on Governor’s Island but these fabulous, eccentric, beautiful musicians kept me there for 6 hours. If this is of interest, check out my YouTube Channel for more Porch Stomp performances. Not only do I love the music, I love the collaborative spirit I saw among the musicians. From what I gather, ground zero for the scene in NYC is Sunny’s Bar in Red Hook, Brooklyn.
3. And then, as so often happens, I discovered that this Americana/Folk scene is popular throughout the country, e.g., Nashville’s Make Music Nashville is an all-day, free festival that takes place every year on June 21st with participating musicians from all genres (bluegrass to a cappella).
4. In Boone, NC, on June 17 and 18, over 6,000 people came for the Boonerang Music and Arts Festival with musical styles ranging from gospel to soul, blues, reggae, bluegrass, and Americana.
5. And in DC, the Smithsonian is offering a Folklife Festival through the end of June with performances by musicians from the UAE with roots in India, Egypt, and Great Britain.

5. GOVERNORS ISLAND: from serene to major party scene!

Governor’s Island has been “discovered.”

1. QC NY Spa is open (pics below) with infinity pools and lounges. Based on social media, it’s being patronized more for its good-time scene than for its wellness offerings. More people are booking day passes to access the facilities (pools, cafe, etc) than signing up for actual spa services.
2. I also stumbled upon the new Gitano Tropical Restaurant and Beach Club which is in the final stages of opening. This is SO NOT my thing and spells the end of Gov Island as a serene, peaceful, quiet get-away spot. I would say that within a year, Gov Island will be well on its way to being party central with an entirely different wildlife scene (i.e., obnoxiously noisy crowds, late-night puking, and, of course, the fights). Ferries will be running well into the night to take the Gitano crowd back and forth.

6. dirty tequila martinis are now a thing. I tried one, not a fan!!

1. Big at Brooklyn’s Leyenda where they’ve named it the Toma-tini.
2. Per Punch, bartenders are being inundated with requests, e.g., at Chez Zou in Manhattan, Williamsburg’s Ensenada, and the Ranstead Room in Philadelphia.
3. My bartender at Ludlow House told me he hasn’t previously made any Dirty Tequila Martinis but he has been making lots of Tequila Espresso Martinis!!

7. New York is the #1 Vegan-Friendly City in the US. Can this be true?

1. NYC ranks No. 1 with 1464 restaurant and food venues offering vegan options — more than double the number of any other city on the list.
2. LA was in second place, with 705 restaurants offering vegan options. LA also has the widest variety of vegan cuisines including vegan Korean, Ethiopian, and Thai.
3. Chicago was #3, with 489 spots. A bit surprising since Chicago is both a meaty town and also best known for deep-dish pizza but vegan alternatives are now available at many Chicago pizza spots.
4. Veganism is growing. As of 2022, one in ten Americans now consider themselves vegan or vegetarian.
5. Sources: AustinCultureMap and Vegconomist

8. john crist: my new fave comedian, love his podcast, checking him out at City Winery in August

1. John Crist has a weird backstory. Christian comedian, dad’s a pastor, home-schooled along with his six siblings. You get the drift.
2. But he was living a double life. Turns out he was a drinker and a womanizer. When it all came out in a major news article, he thought it was all over for him. But he went to rehab and now uses that experience in his act. He’s also (much to his surprise) more popular than ever.
3. He just started a podcast (Net Positive) which I LOVE. After 7 weeks he already has 782K subscribers. His Instagram (1.1MM followers) is exceptionally funny and very engaging. I particularly like the bit he does on “church or weed shop.” Hysterical.

9. identify plants and flowers using just your iPhone camera: No app required. very cool!

Thanks to James Vincent of Verge for this great info!

1. With the introduction of iOS 15 last September, Apple has offered Visual Look Up.
2. Here’s how it works: Just open up a photo in the Photos app and look for the blue “i” icon underneath (outlined in red above). If it has a little sparkly ring around it, then iOS has found something in the photo it can identify using machine learning. Tap the icon, then click “Look Up” (pic top right) and it’ll try to find some useful information.
3. It doesn’t just work for plants and flowers, sometimes it also works for landmarks, art, pets, and “other objects.” It’s not perfect! But I’m sure the more we use it, the better it will get.

10. And finally, this week’s best street style looks

And per Vogue: “This is the summer of the trucker hat.” Certainly was true for the Porch Stomp crowd on Gov Island

AND THAT’S A WRAP my friends!

I’m off to LA next week – super excited to be staying at the new Holloway House AND I was able to snag a reservation at Evan Funke’s new Mother Wolf restaurant. Also, very much looking forward to seeing my LA pals who have been out of my orbit for almost three years! Look for some LA highlights on the blog next Friday. And with that, wishing you all a great weekend!!