I hope you all enjoyed the sweltering long weekend. Hello, summer. First off, thank you so much for all the kind words on last week’s issue. It’s now my most read issue. The answer to my question, “Are New Yorkers okay?” is clearly a resounding “No.” If you haven’t read it yet, what are you doing? And BATHHOUSE, if you’re reading, I actually would go back. You’re just the right mix of kooky and ridiculous, like all the best New Yorkers.
One housekeeping note: I still can’t quite believe so many of you want to read about my adventures in this ludicrous city. But it does take me a lot of time to write. For context, last week’s issue took about five hours to put together between the writing and three rounds of revisions with my editor (plus fifteen minutes of slow torture in the sauna with Jacques). So if you do feel so inclined, consider a paid subscription, less than the cost of one cappuccino. For this week only, if you upgrade to paid, I will answer one question you have (within reason) in a private email. Maybe you’d like to know what I actually do all day (aka my corporate job). Or if I really have five L’s in my life or is it maybe one very busy friend (I’ll never tell). Or who my editor is (you’ll never guess, but they run a tight ship). But really, maybe you’d like recommendations for a perfect day in Manhattan, advice on how to balance a corporate and creative life, or how to find events around the city. Subscribe now to ask me one question.
Also if anyone knows how to use LTK, give me a shout.
All About May
I was mostly out of town this month visiting family in San Francisco and Connecticut, so it’s a short list of haunts.
-Sylvan Terrace is a one-block street paved with cobblestones and lined on both sides with wooden townhouses built in 1882. It’s a very surprising visual contrast in the middle of Washington Heights! It’s also across the street from the oldest building in Manhattan, which was used as army headquarters by George Washington during the Revolutionary War. The more you know!
-S. and I went to Future Fair to see Mia’s artwork (read more about her in our interview!) and I really enjoyed the art there. My art budget is sadly $0, but the prices were more accessible than traditional galleries. I always make my friends play “which one are you taking and where are you putting it” when we walk through galleries or museums. I’m taking the painting on the right and putting it front and center in the foyer of my Gramercy townhouse (a girl can dream).
-J. and I completed the annual Great Saunter, which is an event organized by the Shorewalkers. It’s kind of an anti-marathon and you’re only meant to walk. It’s 34 miles around the perimeter of Manhattan and took us 11 hours this year, blowing our previous record of 14 hours out of the water. I had an absolute ball and was lucky to do it with a friend I can spend 11 hours talking to, because that’s the real marathon. My hips were significantly less happy. We are debating if we do it again next year or do an adapted route (like walk the route backwards). In the meantime, the second annual Cappuccino Thoughts walk will be in September. Stay tuned.
-N. and I had a delicious lunch at Dolar Shop on the recommendation of D. It’s a little pricey, but it was truly fantastic hot pot and would be fun with a big group.
-I visited The Well twice in two days for Business Meetings and, let me tell you, all the cool girls were working there while they drank their $16 smoothies. It’s a nice, quiet space and particularly good if you can expense whatever you order. I have not been to the classes (the prices are a bit insane and I certainly can’t expense that), but I have heard they’re nice, too.
-Continuing in the slightly skeptical wellness vein, I went to WTHN for an event and got my ears seeded. It’s not as gross as it sounds. A practitioner puts little beads on your ears that are meant to stimulate acupuncture points and supposedly help with a number of issues, particularly anxiety. I cannot say that I felt any calmer with them on, but I did enjoy having what looked like three tiny piercings for about a week. Being completely needle averse, there are zero piercings in my future, so my one week of punk glam will have to suffice. The venue is a fun space, though, if you need some zen.
-Actually, speaking of, I just remembered I did one more woo woo thing this month. F. and I got our auras read at Magic Jewelry. Mine was completely blue, which will not surprise you if you’ve ever seen me in person. (I’m often dressed in head-to-toe blue and am, in fact, writing this with electric blue nails.) I’m apparently very intuitive and grounded, so maybe those ear seeds did work after all. I was also told I use my “throat chakra” a lot (i.e., I talk a lot), which made F. laugh. Sorry, I have a lot of thoughts!
-Not sure how I never found Sunrise Mart when I used to work near Bryant Park. It’s a Japanese grocery store and small QSR. I devoured a poke bowl right after coming off the train at Grand Central and would reco as an easy Midtown spot that’s not outrageously expensive.
-After becoming completely obsessed with Just Kids, I was very excited to visit Café Chelsea. The vibe was not quite the bohemian sanctuary for artists that was described in the book, but it was still a lovely spot for a drink.
-I hosted chief restaurant critic of New York Magazine Matthew Schneier at the Yale Club and he was a hoot. He said that fashion and food have more in common than people imagine (think haute couture: fast fashion as Michelin restaurants: fast food.) and I have not stopped thinking about that.
-I really thought I messed up when I walked into West Village restaurant Bobo and club music was thumping in the bar at 8pm on a Friday. Thank goodness, I was quickly escorted to an outdoor patio that was a sublime spot for dinner in this warm weather. The menu was simple and French-influenced and they didn’t kick us out after 90 minutes like so many restaurants are doing now (boo). Would recommend.
-Next time I will share my full Coney Island report, but for now I will say I had the best Russian food I’ve had outside of St. Petersburg at Ocean View Café (get the pelmeni) and picked up a bunch of Eastern European favorites like tvorg and my favorite tea at Tashkent Market. It was a real Proustian madeleine moment when I took a sip of the redberry crumble tea.
Diary of an entrepreneur
I’ve decided to rename this section since my years in the branding world taught me the power of a good name (shoutout to the CEO who refused to name his new company the name I came up with that everybody else liked because it was the last name of his high school ex-girlfriend in the ‘80s. Sigh. Buy me a coffee sometime to hear other tales of the trade).
This week was a lot of behind-the-scenes organizing. I am preparing for my biggest drop ever, in July, with 25+ bags and multiple custom orders (eek!). That meant this week I had to clean and polish all the bags, pair them with their linings, print a contact sheet that shows which bags go with which linings, and make a stop at Mood for some final bits and bobs. I’ve been planning a secret new product 100% designed by me. It’s something I’ve wished that I had for a long time, and I’m so excited to bring it to you. Stay tuned for more.
Look of the week
This skirt is really something. I might have styled it differently (I’m envisioning a third button down in white, tied à la Sharon Stone at the 1998 Oscars with sleek ballet flats and a Chanel-y bag). But I’m into it—can anyone make me one?
What’s on the bedside table
This week, I’m reading Armistead Maupin’s (amazing name) Tales of the City, set in none other than San Francisco. I can’t believe I never came across this series while growing up there. The book is set in a technicolor SF where everything seems to sparkle. It starts as a classic fish-out-of-water tale with Mary Ann Singleton (all the names are hilarious) moving from the Midwest and encountering a 1970s San Francisco filled with joyful members of the LGBT community, hippies, drugs, and new ways of thinking. It’s so fun to read since I recognize all the places he incorporated, but I think it would be fun for anyone who wants light but highly textured fare. The story is told through a tapestry of interwoven characters, many of whom are based on real San Francisco characters and socialites. The first few books were originally serialized in San Francisco newspapers and apparently incorporated many current events. Will I attempt to watch the Netflix miniseries featuring Laura Linney, an actress who ruins everything she’s in? Well, I’m just about out of F1 races to watch (and rewatch), so let’s see.
P.S. While we’re on the matter of books, did you know that I have a whole list of nearly every book I’ve mentioned here? You can find it on Bookshop if you’re ever looking for a specific book I referenced.
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This week I will be….hosting a talk on preppy style and seeing Illinoise, a show combining ballet and Sufjan Stevens. Could it get any better?
Catch up on recent issues: