Good Morning and Happy Friday.

My neighborhood is lit (as the kids would say). Really lively with almost every single storefront on Rivington now leased.

Ian Schrager’s Public Hotel also just re-opened with a hot new Peruvian restaurant anchoring the lobby. I checked it out Wednesday and LOVED IT (see #1 and 2 below).

[WATCH] Video: What’s Up This Week

2. Ian Schrager is Back!

Ian Schrager reopened Public Hotel in NYC on June 15 and it is fabulous (more photos below).

• Interiors are revamped, rooftop bar is open and so is his new Peruvian restaurant, Popular. John Fraser is in charge of all Food & Beverage for the hotel while Chef Diego Munoz (from Lima Peru) is leading the charge in the kitchen.
• Rooms are currently $200-ish (until September) so if you’re planning to visit NYC, I highly recommend a stay at the Public.
• Schrager’s embrace of greenery both inside and outside the hotel is noteworthy. It’s a major trend in hospitality and also mirrors the direction Daniel Boulud has taken with his buzzy new restaurant, Le Pavillon. I think it symbolizes wellness and a connection to the natural world. And who doesn’t want that right now?

Public Hotel lobby, Pisco Bar, Dining Room

3. Loving Summer Jazz in NYC

• Jazz first burst on my radar in late May when I discovered the Max Dolgin Trio while strolling around the Meatpacking District.
• Since then I’ve been seeing jazz trios and quartets EVERYWHERE – and the musicians and their fans are getting younger. Which, of course, makes it a bona fide trend!

But check this out:

• It’s all a bit hush-hush (which is absolutely the trend these days) but according to Time Out, Misha Piatigorsky launched Daddy Rabbit at an undisclosed location in midtown Manhattan a few months ago and has since then, set up two separate shows each attended by 70 guests who had heard about it via word of mouth.
• The next show is scheduled for July 2 (I’m on the mailing list but doubtful I will make the cut). If you’re interested, email them at daddyrabbitnyc@gmail.com.
• The majority of the music lovers who attended the first two shows were under 27 which goes to show that jazz is getting younger. Remember, you heard it here first!

4. WENCOD, OG MURALIST FROM THE BRONX, FINISHING RTV ExoticS ON RIVINGTON STREET

LOVE this guy’s work. Met him on Tuesday at this soon-to-open retail location.

• Previously at 40 Rivington as a tobacco and vape store. It has now moved closer to Ludlow, near Serafina, and sells “exotic candy” (and I’m sure a myriad other things).
• Great looking interior and kudos to all involved for their creativity and entrepreneurial spirit!

5. Trendspotting: Making a statement on the LES

• LOVE both of these looks: mix and match patterns on those fab pants on the left and that back tattoo is MAJOR (it’s a tattoo mural!)

6. Is Pan-Asian the new tiki?

Tyger, the cool, newish spot in Soho, first got me thinking about tiki:

• Colorful drinks
• Tropical furniture
• Lots of greenery
• Highly Instagrammable

But CH’I Miami takes it to another level

• CH’I is a new multi-faceted entertainment venue on Brickell. It fuses a garden, a mercado, a lounge, and a Latin-Chinese restaurant – all with a hat tip to tiki influences. (Source: Local10)
• I’m making note of this because restaurateurs and bar owners have been trying to kick off a new tiki trend (with rum drinks) for years without getting much traction. These new Pan-Asian spots, on the other hand, are embracing tiki as an influence but they’ve updated the drinks and food menus to be more contemporary and it’s working.

7. Nashville is Booming!

• Nashville’s 4th of July celebration kicks off with a star-studded concert followed by the largest fireworks show in the entire country (per the American Pyrotechnics Association).
• The city is expecting more than 350,000 people to show up. (Source: WKRN)

And Brooklyn is also (finally) setting up shop in Nashville.

• Brooklyn Bowl Nashville was originally scheduled to open in March 2020 but was delayed due to COVID and a tornado.
• It is finally opening this weekend in the Germantown neighborhood. It’ll be the third Brooklyn Bowl location, joining the flagship in Williamsburg, and the Las Vegas location. (Source: Nashvilleparent)

8. ANSWER ME THIS: IF Our ELECTRIC GRID IS this fragile WHY ARE we pushing for ELECTRIC VEHICLES?

It looks like killer heatwaves and power outages are going to get worse, not better, in the foreseeable future. Especially out West.

• California, which has the most electric vehicles in the country, is now routinely asking people to conserve energy and limit when and how they charge their cars. That’s like reliving the ’70s oil crisis.
• California has 425K electric vehicles out of a total of 14.8mm registered vehicles. If it’s problematic to have less than 10% be electric, how will California’s electrical grid support 50% let alone 90-100%. Where is that energy coming from? Solar? Wind?
• Making matters worse, more people are moving to “hot” states, e.g., Arizona, Texas, Florida which puts even more stress on the grid as people power up their airconditioners.
• In mid-June more than 40 million people in the US experienced triple digit temperatures and more than 200 million people experienced temps over 90 degrees.
• Who in their right mind would get an EV when it’s plain as day that you aren’t going to be able to charge your car when needed? Looks like your EV is for “virtue signaling” while your air-conditioned, gas-guzzling SUV is what really gets you around.
• Elon Musk, who I have huge respect for, sees it differently but in this instance, I have to disagree with him:

“It’s financially insane to buy anything other than a Tesla. It would be like owning a horse in three years.”

Elon Musk 2019 (Source: CNBC)

9. Life as we know it, canceled. due to lack of workers!

Just a few examples from around the country:

• Colorado gas stations empty as fuel driver shortages delay deliveries. (Source: koaa.com)
• Popular summer camp in Sandy (Utah) canceled due to lack of workers. (Source: ksl.com)
• Cost of ride sharing (Uber/Lyft) skyrockets for lack of drivers. (Source: cbs austin)
• American Airlines cancels hundreds of flights due to staffing crunch. (Source: CNBC)
• Subway worker shortage threatens NYC’s push to bring workers back to offices. (Source: NYPost)
• Wolfgang Puck on restaurant recovery: ’Waiters make $120,000 a year but I can’t find them.’ (Source: Yahoo Finance)
• Desperate to deliver their goods, New York Food suppliers are hiring mercenary truckers from Alabama — and they’re putting them up in hotels in the Bronx because they can’t find local drivers. (Source: Fox Business)

10. Quote of the week.

“I’ve never seen drivers get paid what they are paid today. They are getting well into the six figures and they can easily make $3,000 a week. A commercial driver’s license is like a golden ticket right now.”

Rich Jennings, VP, Regional Supplemental Services
(Source: Business Insider)

And that’s a wrap for this week.

However, I do want to share this podcast from Steve-O. Episode 61, with his 78-year old dad, is an absolute gem. I watched it last week on Father’s Day and found it incredibly moving and oh so relatable! For any of you – whether you were that always in trouble, feral child (as I was) or a parent trying to deal with that wild, independent offspring, Steve-O’s inspiring chat with his dad will warm the cockles of your heart.

Worth taking the time to watch/listen!!

And with that, my friends, I am signing off for this week. Wishing you all a great weekend. Stay cool – hopefully it’s not too hot where you are.