Shout out to businesses (big and small) that are being so extraordinarily creative as we enter the reopen phase of the pandemic.

• On a personal level, after more than a year of pandemic life, I too know that I need to be adaptable and creative to get through these crazy times.
• My mission now is to stay positive and nip negativity in the bud, e.g., I’m only allowing myself to check the Citizen app twice a day as opposed to every time I get an alert. And I’ve moved the app off the first page of my home screen.
• I’m also broadening my horizons to add more exploration to my day-to-day. This is not that hard since NYC is rebounding, e.g., Governor’s Island (one of my absolute fave biking destinations) is reopening on May 1st.
• Going forward, I’m doubling down on learning, growing, and most importantly staying focused on the bright side of life. And that’s a win in my books.

And on that note, please Scroll down for this week’s Top 10

1. NY launches the nation’s first blockchain-powered vaccination passport.

New York just rolled out “Excelsior Pass.” This IBM digital health pass validates your vaccination status or recent history of a negative COVID-19 test. It’s how we’ll gain access to events, flights, weddings, etc. But even more importantly, this is how businesses, hotels, restaurants, casinos, and even hospitals, are going to verify that employees are vaccinated.

Here are some handy tips on using Excelsior:

• Download it from the app store.
• You have to wait a full 2 weeks after your last vaccine for the pass to show up on the app. Not a minute sooner!
• Also, it gets deleted in 30 days so you have to keep downloading it? I don’t understand why they would do this. It surely doesn’t mean the vaccine is only good for 30 days?

Getting this assignment from NY State is excellent news for IBM (and a boost for their blockchain division). However, IBM does have competition. Walmart is also offering digital proof of vaccination to anyone who gets a shot in one of its pharmacies. (Source: Silicon Angle)

2. Anyone else notice Jack Dorsey’s blockchain clock?

It’s basically a ticker for the cryptocurrency blockchain.

• It’s called the Blockclock Mini and is made by Coinkite, a Bitcoin security hardware manufacturer. (Source: CNet)
• The constantly changing numbers are up-to-the-minute updates on the Bitcoin blockchain housed in a dedicated “Bitcoin Data Display.”
• The Blockclock connects to your local network and keeps tabs on the price of Bitcoin, average fee rates, conversion rates, etc.
• Dorsey’s display seemed to be alternating between showing how many blocks currently exist in the Bitcoin blockchain, and how many Satoshis (the smallest unit of Bitcoin possible) it takes to add up to a dollar. 
• The clock costs $399 but, not surprisingly, after appearing in Jack Dorsey’s kitchen, Coinkite’s website informs buyers “no delivery date guarantees due to high demand.“

3. Superchief opens first NYC gallery dedicated to NFT art

Significantly, it’s in collaboration with Blackdove, a manufacturer of “digital canvases,” i.e., commercial-grade displays that enable permanent cryptoart installations in collectors’ homes or offices.

• This first exhibition, from March 25 through May 25, titled “Season One Starter Pack” features over 300 artists, each auctioning a one-of-one NFT of their displayed work, as well as a 72-print drop. The gallery accepts cryptocurrency as well as credit card payments.

But keep an eye on The digital frame business. It’s going to be major:

• Crypto startup Qonos offers a range of digital frames to display NFTs in the home. Their first batch of 2,000 digital frames sold out in 24 hours taking in around $2 million in revenue.
• Another key feature of Qonos will be a royalty platform enabling artists to have their work put into curated galleries and getting paid royalties for the length of time their work is shown.

“It’s really a Spotify model but for art. We hope to see some artists be shown in hundreds of thousands of homes around the world and be paid for that.”

Moe Levin, CEO Qonos (Source: Decrypt)

4. Frick on Madison: no crypto, but so cool.

One of the BEST museum shows I’ve seen in a while. Juxtaposing ornately-framed works in a minimalist contemporary environment (only 4 shades of grey on the walls) is brilliant. I saw everything with fresh eyes. ONE MAJOR COMPLAINT: The “No photos allowed” rule sucks the joy out of the experience for me.

Big shout out to the organizers of this excellent show: Xavier F. Salomon (above), Frick’s chief curator and host of the extremely popular Cocktails with a Curator, and curator Aimee Ng. Shown behind them are the Cupid-themed overdoors from Fragonard’s iconic 18th-century series “The Progress of Love.” Photo Credit…Joe Coscia/ NYT

5. Chuck Hellman (Cincinnati) is One of the most influential men’s voices on TikTok ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Hellman Retail Group has over 580K followers on TikTok. The post below has been viewed 2.9MM times. Friends in fashion, highly recommend you check out all his TikToks, e.g., the John Wick Suit, the GTA look, Prom Fit, and the Joker-inspired look.

How did he get into TikTok?

• He hired a brand director, Christian Barker, who first interned for him but then came on full-time. Barker was the one to first suggest TikTok.

“He (Christian Barker) brought it to my attention that this is a platform with 2 billion users all across the world, and I thought it was something we could make a difference on.”

Chuck Hellman, Hellman’s Clothiers (Source: BizJournals)

6. K9 Sport Sacks: the cool new way to transport your pooch around town.

Dogs of all sizes and breeds are being transported in backpacks by their bike-riding owners. They call it the doggie-Uber. Some days I encounter at least 5-10 dogs in backpacks on bikes just on my street. This trend has blown up since the pandemic but I have not yet found statistics to support my observations.

7. beer gardens are going to be huge This summer

I’m not a beer drinker but I do love to hang out at a beer garden with a chill outdoor vibe. And this year, while we’re coming off the pandemic, spacious beer gardens will have their best year ever. Here are a few examples.

Pittsburgh (Source: PGHCityPaper)

Hofbräuhaus, Las Vegas Hiring for June Re-Opening (Source: Eater)

Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas with its 100-foot ceilings and room enough for 1,000 customers, is currently hiring for all positions. Online dining reservations are being accepted starting June 1.

Loreley Beer Garden, NYC

Loreley, and their bouncer/security guy, Shannon, are renowned and beloved throughout the neighborhood. Never more so than since the pandemic. Loreley and Shannon were key to bringing our neighborhood back from the brink. I will be forever grateful – and will be enjoying a glass of wine (or a Manhattan) here throughout the summer months. This is one of the all-time great spots on the Lower East Side. Highly recommend.

8. Anybody watching “calls,” the new thriller series on Apple TV?

• It’s based on a French series of the same name and coproduced with Canal+.
• It consists entirely of the audio of phone calls between two or more characters.
• This is so on-trend with the new audio-chat mania that Clubhouse has created.
• And finally, big shout out to Mike Gibbons for putting “CALLS” on my radar during his Sunday Papers Podcast.

9. Austin: “the hottest market in the country right now.”

For the first time in the history of the CBRE’s annual commercial real estate survey, big-time investors (those that manage assets of more than $50 billion) preferred smaller markets like Austin over mega-markets like New York City and San Francisco.

Culture Map Austin 3/30/21

Why? Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!

And keep an eye on Boise – it’s shaping up to be the next Austin (and not everyone is happy about that)!

Austin and Boise share many similarities. They’re both blue cities in red states, host a research university, and are experiencing rapid growth due to quality of life and a strong economy. 

Boise Dev, 3/31/21

10. Homeownership Gender Gap: Single Women Own More Homes Than Single Men Do (Source: Lending Tree)

Not bad given that women in the U.S. make an average of 81 cents for every dollar men earn.

Highlights:

• Single women own nearly 1.6 million more homes than single men do in America’s 50 largest metros. Single women own 5.2 million homes, while single men own 3.6 million homes. (And there isn’t a single large metro where single men own more homes than single women.)
• Las Vegas has the smallest gap in homeownership rates among single women and men.
• Tampa, Fla., has the highest share of homes owned by single women followed by Cleveland and New Orleans.
• Buffalo, N.Y., has the largest share of homes owned by single men – but still fewer than the percentage owned by single women there.

And that’s a wrap for this week, my friends!

I am so looking forward to Easter Weekend. A calendar full of lunches, brunches, and dinners!

I am also super excited to check out the newly opened Salon 94 gallery on the UES today (4/2). Their website is extraordinary. One of the very best I’ve seen. Big shout out to Allison Knoll, Salon 94’s new head of digital (previously at The Shed) for pulling this together. Super cool.

And with that, my friends, it really is a wrap. Stay safe, stay well, have fun – and let me know if there are any cool things you discover that I should be writing about!