🍬 Sugary Scoop: Stuck to Reflect

Welcome to the Sugary Scoop, my free biweekly newsletter where we help you see and experience the magic of NYC that I love so much through curated events, experiences, artists, and community stories.

Let’s get to this week’s Scoop!

🍬The Scoop 🍬

• UPCOMING EVENTS

• WHAT’S NEW?

• THE SUGARY EFFECT

• PAST EVENTS

• AND DON’T SAY I DIDN’T TELL YOU ABOUT…

• ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

• NOTABLE NYC HAPPENINGS THIS WEEK & BEYOND

• EMPATHY PROJECT

UPCOMING EVENTS

June 7th @6:30pm (Tompkins Sq Park): Unsent Letter Project Launch - Our Unsent Letter mailbox is coming to East Village! Drop by for some light refreshments, write an unsent letter for your soul and help support this amazing project. We had over 40 letters written last month! Follow the project on IG for details as it unfolds _{(Social Battery Level: Medium Ambivert - Crowd Size Under 20)}

June 8th @1:00pm (Soho): Summer Rooftop BBQ - Our Summer season kicks off with an epic rooftop BBQ at our friend’s private Soho penthouse. Indulge in some amazing BBQ eats and sip on some crafted libations as we look towards summer bliss and celebrate crossing the 100+ Sugary members! _{(Social Battery Level: High Extrovert - Crowd Size Under 80)}

June 16th @3:00pm (Central Park): Pickleball Social - “I’ve always wanted to try pickleball but _____” The “but” stops here. We will have 2 courts, one for beginners and one for intermediate play. Let’s get it in before we melt this summer. _{(Social Battery Level: Low Ambivert - Crowd Size 16)}

_{(Space is very limited for each of these events so if you’d like to attend to any of these events, please hit the RSVP button below sooner than later!)}

WHAT’S NEW?

The Price is Right.

So one of the most common questions I have received from everyone is why DK and I have decided to make our membership so affordable.

The implication being that we’re charging far less than we should for the effort and time that we put into the endeavor.

Allow me to explain.

My thought was that since this was the first time I was ever “charging” for my services, it might be good to lead with a bit of humility. Sure I have a decade long track record of creating quality experiences for people, but this next chapter is a whole new thing.

My intent was to build WITH the community and since this is the first step, it would be good to build trust one step at a time and inspire respect rather than to demand anything with a more prohibitive price point.

Even though the promotional period has passed, the annual membership is still no more than a night out to dinner for two (in many cases, actually less).

So basically, we’re banking on the fact that our vision and execution in creating connection and community for you will vastly outpace the modest financial sacrifice.

So far since the launch in mid April in just a month and a half, we have already successfully pulled off nine (9) events and shared ten (10) events in our private WhatsApp group!

From a membership launch party, to a 600-person plus picnic of epic proportions, to a secret wellness soiree and so much more. It’s been a breakneck pace but between DK and I, we’ve somehow managed.

Those events alone have long outpaced the price of our membership cost already and it only gets more incredible from here on out!

And have so much more on the way…wellness activities, intimate focused dinners, music showcases, engaging panel discussions, viewing parties and the list goes on and on…

Hopefully the resources we now have at our disposal will allow us to continually elevate the experience for all of you and inspire an overall appreciation for the care and spirit we infuse into the experience of the Sugary community.

Ultimately we feel deeply that this is a strong investment you are making for all things social in your life.

Thank you for joining us this early in our journey and as always, if you haven’t yet joined or know of someone that would absolutely love what we are creating (or both) follow the link below and consider being a part of what we’re building. We look forward to welcoming you…

THE SUGARY EFFECT

Going Up or Down?

*Ring* *Ring*

“Welcome to Courtyard Marriott how may I assist you?”

“Uh yeah hello Crystal, it’s your favorite elevator rider Sugary again…still stranded…don’t mean to add stress to your morning but it’s been nearly 30 minutes and I’m sitting somewhere between floors 10 and 16 with no power and no updates….do I need to call the fire department?”

Needless to say, not how I intended to spend my Saturday morning.

As I slid into a corner in the disquieting quiet of a malfunctioning elevator bank I had nothing but an indeterminate time in isolation.

Three things occurred to me while in imposed solitude…

1) Having time to reflect on the joy in your life is a good thing.

Earlier that morning, I found myself atop a penthouse terrace, marveling at an iridescent pastel sheen of twilight as the sun crested over Chicago’s Willis Tower and reflected onto the pristine waters of Lake Erie.

We had been up for 24 hours reveling in marital bliss.

My good friend married his college sweetheart and I was privileged to receive an invite to attend the occasion of their union.

The extracurricular pageantry against the backdrop of a constant respiration between awkwardness and profundity is always a delight to experience.

Me being me, I quickly circulated through the motley crew of attendees and heard origin stories that were as vibrant and original as the groom himself.

What these myriad of stories shared in common were wisps of serendipity...an engaging philosophical discussion, a chance encounter on The Playa, a lent bow tie, a sold art piece, a spontaneous Polaroid taken…

I thought to myself that all these tiny moments had to be captured and then built upon to make this gathering of global presence possible.

It was such a delight to experience this happy moment and I found sincere gratitude in having had the opportunity to be amongst this joyous bunch.

My smile beamed even though I was in a cold elevator shaft hanging precariously over 100 feet in the air.

2) Having something to look forward to is even BETTER.

For all the drama of the experience, I was relatively inoculated from the viral sensation of fear because my dance card was filled with amazing moments ahead.

Assuming I got out, I’d immediately be whisked into a beautiful breakfast catchup with a lovely friend who moved to Chicago and I had not seen in some time.

Once back in NYC I was taking a cab straight to a rooftop sunset BBQ where the lovely ladies of YESBabe were co-hosting an epic gathering of amazing souls and good eats.

And beyond that, I was looking to build upon the new relationships I had forged at the wedding…the grateful artist rep I saved lending one of my many spare phone batteries, the towering NBA regulation-sized beauty I danced together with with utter abandon, the substack journalist with a lot to say yet a man of few words, the effusively grateful ex-soldier I shared half my fish sandwich with after the kitchen closed at the legendary blues bar Kingston Mines and so many more.

My heart and mind remained calm BECAUSE OF the promise of so much ahead…now if I could only get out of this suspended 6x6 steel trap.

3) Value the people you care about and who care about you.

I know this is of course a touch cliche but hey, my experience justifies an authentic reflection on the idea don’t you think?

To be clear, I never thought I wasn’t gonna get out. However, if anything really unfortunate escalated toward mortal demise due to mechanical failure, that would have been it.

Unexpected…undignified…utterly sudden.

You just never really know. That’s life…wonderful when you have it…less so when you don’t.

Take stock in what you’re spending your tie on and who you’re spending it with…be sure it’s all fulfilling to you in some way that brings joy to you and to others…it will all at some point be gone in an instant. And it’s always an instant…be it 5 minutes from now or 50 years from now because regardless of the time elapsed our consciousness will naturally focus on the moment of reckoning itself. Maybe you’ll have time for regret…you may not even get that mu…

*** tap tap***

“Hello?! You in there? It’s Nick from engineering.”

*Grrr* *Ughhhh*

Slowly the reluctant jaws of metal opened revealing a jolly rotund gent who was enjoying his Hercules savior moment in a sullied short sleeve button down, the sound of a million keys jangling in the key ring on his hip.

As it turns out, I was pretty much on Floor 10 just slightly elevated above the natural height it should have been to be flush with the floor. I come to find out that I was the ONLY passenger stranded in all three elevator banks!…lovely. 🙄 

As I stepped out onto the trodden carpet I felt gratitude for the escape from captivity and the prospect of all that was to come (including a fully comped visit from Marriott Courtyard Bonvoy…whose 3-part appellation now seemed darkly ironic given the experience I just endured…especially that last part of the name…).

As I landed on the tarmac of LGA with the New York skyline in full view, my spirits began rising.

I couldn’t wait to see my friends, make new ones and recount all the stories I had just experienced.

“Where ya going?” the taxi driver said.

“Take me to Williamsburg.”, I responded. “To live my life.”

PAST EVENTS

May 18th: Unsent Letter Mailbox Activation - A small contingent of you came out to volunteer for this incredible initiative and within the span of just a couple hours we had collected nearly 50 letters of joy, sadness, anger, love and whimsy. We’ll be collecting letters throughout the summer as we build towards the next phase of the project which we’ll be revealing shortly.

May 27th: Private Wellness Soiree: Nearly 70 of you came out to enjoy a sneak preview of NYC’s newest social wellness spas. A guided journey helped us commune across the elements in hot sauna 🥵 and cold immersion therapy 🥶 together and it was just a sublime way to kick off the week ahead.

May 29th: 🍬¡Sugar Rush!🍬 A Secret Grand Housewarming for Francis. - Over 100 of you came out as my dear friend Francis invited us to help warm his gorgeous new home in spectacular fashion. It was a magical evening of great company met curated by yours truly and one of those rare NYC moments that remind you why you just might be in the greatest city in the world. Epic vibes…

AND DON’T SAY I DIDN’T TELL YOU ABOUT…

Bloomtanica

A bacchanal of blossoming bliss has taken center stage in NYC… the inspired creative fever dream of celebrity florist Jeff Leatham, the temporary exhibit in an immersive walk-through of faux floral fantasia. Many of the flowers are drawn from Korean indigenous flora and the entire exhibit is thoughtfully laid and is a master class in color blocking, textures, mirroring techniques and the interplay of nature and tech brought together into one seamless masterpiece surrounding you every which way you go.

Now here’s the thing. It’s beautiful…but it’s tiny. 15 minutes for IG post heaven in exchange for 1-2 hours of wait time. The image above is the “pièce de résistance” the archway both in an out of the immersive digital immersion panel room that is pretty thrilling though people that tend to have motion sickness beware given the fast moving graphics in close proximity.

My best recommendation is to arrive early so you don’t have to wait as long. (Open Tuesday - Sunday 11AM - 8PM CLOSED ON MONDAYS)

The exhibit which is FREE to the public is only here until June 9th and is located at Genesis House in the Meatpacking district.

If you can afford the spare time, take a moment to check out this splendid exhibit which is a feast for the senses and will offer countless image worthy content for any social media you could possibly have.

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

Sub-Radio

This viral sensation is another TikTok discovery. These guys started amassing a large following online by powering through countless hours performing on the now shuttered Omegle, which is basically a digital social encounter randomizer which pairs complete strangers with each other for as long as they both would like to interact before moving on again and again to new encounters with strangers.

I came to find that my good friend and music attorney Barry Heyman represents the group out of DC and invited me to attend one of their performances at Elsewhere sometime back, and I immediately recognized the faces, the vibes and the tunes.

These guys are really fun with an uplifting pop rock lineup of fun saccharine tunes and high energy hi jinx. Their sound is youthfully bright with a certain nostalgic flavor from the influences and styling of the 90s and early 2000s.

All throughout it is safe to say that attending a Sub-Radio performance is one that will leave you entertained and humming some of their catchy tunes. Definitely keep them on your radar as they are just beginning their journey and have much more to share with the world.

Flashback (most popular song)

1990something (lesser known song)

Ceilings (newest song)

NOTABLE NYC HAPPENINGS THIS WEEK & BEYOND

6/3 @6pm - #NYTechWeek Tulum Vibes | Curated Wellness Experience + Sound Journey - RSVP HERE

6/5 @10am - THE ANNUAL NY MUSIC MONTH CONFERENCE - RSVP HERE

6/5 @6:30pm - The Feels NY ed 30: a mindful singles dating event in Brooklyn, NY- RSVP HERE

EMPATHY PROJECT

Support the Empathy Project by purchasing any of the items from the collection. Be a part of a unique initiative that empowers seven diverse artists to create one-of-a-kind empathy-inspired t-shirts. These shirts serve as iconography tied to our identity, promoting compassion-driven societal impact. 

Each artist picked a 501(c)3 charity of their choice to donate a portion of the sales of their t-shirt design. Your purchase also empowers voices, amplifies the message of empathy, supports charities, and elevates storytelling within our communities, all while building a network for compassion-driven societal change. Join us in making a lasting impact through art and empathy.

You can check out and purchase the 7 different empathy tees HERE

Thank you for taking the time to read to the end!

I hope you found something inspiring and meaningful in my content and until next time, explore the possibilities of NYC.

-Sugary

🍰🍭🍩🍦🍫🍪🍨🧁

PS. Don’t be shy and hit reply and tell me how you’re doing!