Good Morning and Happy Friday.

This weather is killing me (I hate the heat), but a great week nevertheless – with lots of new discoveries – as you’ll see below (#1).

1. [WATCH] VIDEO: WHAT’S UP?

2. HUDSON YARDS IS BOOMING. A TOP 5 TOURIST DESTINATION!

This past Saturday was the busiest I’ve seen HY in over a year – and not only with tourists but with shoppers and locals as well!

• Between The Edge, The Vessel and the proximity to the High Line and Little Island, Hudson Yards has become one of the top 5 tourist destinations in NYC.
• I also spied lots of shopping bags this time around – especially from Zara and Arizia
• Restaurants are BUSY. My favorite continues to be PEAK. Dined there twice this week. Fabulous lunch this past Saturday with the Ramseys (visiting from Ohio). Later in the week I also got to treat my good friends, George and Michelle, to a celebratory wedding dinner. Kudos to PEAK for consistently delivering great service, wonderful food, and stunning views. Highly recommend.
• Milos was buzzing as well. Lots of people in business attire – something I have not seen in a long while (pics below).
• One final note: despite the NYTimes’ ongoing effort to cast Hudson Yards as some kind of elitist, gated community, I have never seen an iota of evidence supporting that view. From what I’ve observed, people are drawn to HY because it’s clean, safe, fun, and extremely welcoming ( photos below).

Highlight: lunch with Luciana, Tom, and the fam (and a VIP visit to The Edge directly from Peak!)

3. Sharks pool club (with special shout out to RB Umali)

• RB put Sharks on my radar while he was on the Vans Channel 66 “Max Fish Chronicles” with Marc Razo. I had not been aware of RB’s pool skills! Impressive.
• RB’s favorite private pool venue is Sharks Pool Club. They opened recently and have a few locations around town. You book through an app and you can bring your own booze, food etc. They recommend a minimum of 2 hours.
• It sounded a little sketchy to me at first but they have security cameras so people keep it clean, safe, etc., for the next guests.
• RB’s recommendations are always spot on so if pool’s your thing, check it out!
• One last note on the Van’s Channel. I don’t know if it’s me or if it’s their channel but I found it really hard to navigate and it’s impossible to find past episodes. I spend a lot of time on podcasts, live interviews, etc., and I think Vans needs to step up their game.

4. THE MEN OF TECH Are STEPPING BACK To Be full-time DADS!

• I’ve been a fan of Dennis Crowley’s (and of Foursquare and Swarm) for 12 years!
• I’ve also followed him on Instagram and been along on the ride as he met his wife, fell in love, got married, started a family. He’s clearly a great (and fun) dad so in one sense this does not surprise me. But men stepping away from their careers to be more involved with their kids is not yet quite the norm. While not the first to take this step, he’s on the vanguard of a new movement. {And, of course, it goes without saying that he’s got the means to do so.)
• Casey Neistat, filmmaker, vlogger, and YouTube star (and another favorite of mine) has also gone this route. He’s talked at length about how he’s given up being a workaholic in order to be more “present” for his kids and how satisfying that’s been. Here he is on the Bert Kreischer podcast talking about how it’s going.

This trend intrigues me because:

1. I’m curious to see what these men’s “second acts” will be. People who found businesses rarely just retire.
2. I’m even more curious to see how their kids, especially their daughters, will be shaped by having such involved dads at this early stage of their lives. (My dad and I were pretty inseparable in my youngest years and I know I got my derring-do from him, for which I will be forever grateful! My dad absolutely shaped me and made it possible for me to create – and get – the life I wanted!)

5. Is Clowning the new improv?

• I was fascinated to learn that the Verge Theater in Bozeman MT is doing a clown class.
• They claim that not only does it unlock your creativity, learning clown mentality is essential to be an actor.
• It made me wonder if businesses will start adding clown classes to their corporate training programs as they once did with improv (remember when Second City was being hired by corporate clients to nurture creativity and leadership skills?)
• I did a quick Google search and voila! LA’s rise as a clowning hub comes up immediately. David Bridel, founder of LA’s The Clown School, described it as “vocational training that can then be used in a variety of artistic or professional settings.” I agree. Keep an eye on this!!

6. Trendspotting: the older crowd isn’t afraid to flaunt their style and originality

• Gentleman on the left, in polka dot suit (doesn’t show up well in photo) and Disney T-shirt, was also sporting a very jaunty hat when he first sat down for lunch. I have no idea who he is but he looked major to me.
• Woman in the red suit and Ann Demeulemeester’s “I Am Red With Love” t-shirt ($230) was a big hit on the subway. People were approaching her left and right to compliment her on her look!
• Gent in the top hat (bottom right) cuts a dashing figure at Hudson Yards.
• In other words, these babes are all still rocking it – no matter their age!

7. Tattoo removal procedures spike post-pandemic

Shout out to Jeanie Vance for tipping me to this back in February. She was the first to call it in my world (#6 in this post)

• CBS ran a story on this trend and AZ Central featured DELETE, a Phoenix tattoo removal salon.
• What’s interesting about this trend is that it is NOT anti-tattoo. It is about maintaining only those tattoos that are meaningful to you. As tattoo removal becomes less onerous, we may actually see more people getting tattoos – simply because it is NOT forever.

8. TRANSRACIAL: the next identity battlefield?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fccOsafAXgE

‘If you can be transsexual you can also be TRANSRACIAL’

Oli London, Influencer (formerly British, but now wishing to only be identified as Korean)

Oli London is facing a lot of backlash after publicly identifying as Non-Binary Korean.

• They (their preferred English pronoun) spent $150k on 18 surgeries over 8 years to look like BTS singer, Park Jimin.
• Some of the 18 surgeries included extensive work on their eyes, and a brow lift.
• London’s also changed their name to Jimin and requests everyone refer to them as Korean not British.

9. Vintage Vespas with Sidecars: The chicest way to get your Espresso on!

Saw this recently in Soho. More popping up every day.

• Felix Roasting Co. has added this vintage Vespa and sidecar to their gorgeous outdoor cafe. They spent the time and effort to bring the Vespa/Sidecar back to life, outfitting it with a custom tap and drain system. They will be utilizing it around town all summer for special events.
• This past weekend, I also spotted a fabulous set-up in Little Italy called #NiceDayMoto. It’s a vintage Ural motorbike with sidecar that has been customized to serve coffee and in this instance was booked by Gelso and Grand Restaurant on Mulberry Street. You can book Moto (online) for events by the hour. Eye-catching and very cool idea. (Photo below)

10. and finally! Kudos to Chipotle for this awesome Team Chipotle Unwrapped Series!

It just launched and based on what I’ve read/seen, it is the most authentic brand partnership I’ve come across in a LONG time.

• Thanks also to Patch AZ for putting it on my radar. Two of the eight athletes on Team Chipotle are from Mesa/Phoenix: soccer player Julie Ertz and skateboarder Jagger Eaton.
• For a limited time, Phoenix-area Chipotle fans can order the Julie Ertz Bowl and the Jagger Eaton Burrito using the Chipotle app.
• Each of the 8 athletes also has an “Unwrapped” video, which shows behind the scenes training content. Ertz’s video here and Eaton’s video here. (But all are available on the website.)
• Ertz will also be starring in Chipotle’s first-ever national TV ad featuring a professional athlete. The ad will air starting July 5 during the US Women’s National Team game. Check it out here.
• Cute side note: Julie Ertz had her first date with husband Zach Ertz at a Chipotle restaurant!! As I said, it feels more authentic than most celebrity endorser deals.

And that’s a wrap for this week.

I’ll end exactly where I started: at Hudson Yards. Based on my photo stream, I spent a whole lot of time there this week!

And it also looks like – some people at least – are returning to the office….

And on that note, wishing everyone a great weekend! I will be celebrating with a Perfect Manhattan (or two). Cheers!!