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!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! 🍬

We will resume our events in Jan 2025 🙂 

NOTABLE NYC EVENTS FROM FRIENDS

January 2025

Sundays at 12pm-1:30pm - The Sensitive Silly Men Summit - Explore the power of your anti-resume, gain new wisdom on your dilemmas and hot topics, and find a new hilarious and accountable community of friends to become the best silly man you can be. Virtual + In-person options are available. You can email David Metler for questions at [email protected].

More Info & RSVP HERE

Tuesday 🍬 1.14

6:00pm (Midtown): Make 2025 Your Breakthrough Year: Your Master Plan for Success - ​​As we welcome a new year, now is the time to set goals that can elevate your life, career, or business—even those goals that often get overlooked year after year. With fierce proactivity, those goals can become your reality. Get your Master Plan for 2025 and hit the ground running! 

Join Rich Bello, COO of Blue Ridge Capital and CEO of Arootah, Yohan Kim, CEO of RFA, and Christina Lobraico, Director of Executive Coaching of Arootah, for an inspiring and immersive evening of goal-setting. 

Includes Dinner, Drinks & Networking for in-person attendees 

Sugary subscribers get free admission. Secure your spot before seats fill up! 

RSVP HERE 

Let’s Build Together: A New Kind of Community + Creator Event

And just like that…

…2024 draws to a close.

I gotta say, it’s been a whirlwind of an experience for DK and I. Another year, yet truly not just, any other year...

Our dream to create a more inclusive community built on culture and diversity wasn’t just a pipe dream.

Because, together we hit some pretty awesome milestones: 

We told the world that we host 4-6 events every month and after doing all the calculations the grand total ended up being: 

😱 53 Sugary Events 😱

That’s an average of 4.4 events per month or a little more than 1 event every week!!!!

Pretty crazy right? And if that wasn’t enough, we promised a diverse palette of programming and here’s how it broke down approximately:

• Arts 20.8%

• Business & Prof. Development 3.8%

• Charity 5.7%

• Community Events 11.3%

• Discourse & Current Affairs 5.7%

• F&B 9.4%

• Film & Cinema 3.8%

• Fitness & Activity 7.5%

• Gaming & Play 3.8%

• Mixers 15.1%

• Music 3.8%

• Sports 7.5%

• Wellness 1.9%

Most Recurring Event:

Most Popular Event:

…I think we did alright in the culture and diversity department :-)

One of our proudest moments was our ability to champion Sofia Kavlin’s Unsent Letter Mailbox (ULM) project. With Sofia’s permission, we helped her grow her own community and expand her vision for the project through our own original creative input and seasoned experience. What was once an occasional pop up in public spaces transformed into an organized pop-up schedule, dedicated writing/reading salons and interdisciplinary collaborations all with the support of greater resources.  

All of this activity caught the attention of the press and ULM was featured in both Secret NYC and on NBC Nightly News.

This is a prime example of how our events and community helped an artist to manifest the greater brilliance of her vision. The amazing thing is…we’re only just getting started.

As far as our newsletter for this year:

• 95.8K Words Written

• 578.9K Impressions

• 59 Total Posts

• 54.3% Avg. Open Rate

• 3% Avg. Click Through Rate

• Most Viewed Posts:

  • The Quagmire of “We Should Meet Up”

  • The Anatomy of a Fail

Whew!!! That was a lot of information, but I gotta say, I think we did alright by the community in terms of effort don’t you think? 

Let’s face it: most memberships promise a lot but deliver the bare minimum. Not here. At Sugary, we don’t just create events; we build connections, curate elevated experiences, and invest nearly 100% of our revenue back into you—our community.

And the results? A year packed with 53 unforgettable events, all designed to help you meet amazing people, grow personally, and have a blast while doing it.

2025 Is Coming—Bigger, Better, and More Impactful

To make that happen, we’re enhancing our membership program to deliver even more. Starting in January, membership dues will increase to $30/month or $300/year, and non-members will pay a minimum of $10 per event.

But here’s the deal: lock in our introductory rate of $20/month or $200/year by signing up before December 31st. That’s an annual savings of $120 compared to our new pricing—and even more if you’re planning to attend events regularly.

Why Join Sugary?

Let’s talk value. Compare your NYC spending:

• Museum membership: $10/month (meh)

• Casual dinner out: $40/meal (forgettable)

• Dating event: $50/night (hit or miss)

• Brick-and-mortar social club: $200/month (yikes)

Now, for $20/month, here’s what Sugary delivers:

• Unlimited free or discounted access to all events (Save $333/year!)

• Priority entry to our rare 🍬¡Sugar Rush!🍬 events

• Exclusive members-only events and private WhatsApp group access

• Guest passes to our community workspace

• Amazing discounts from partners

• Featured promotions in our newsletter (one per month)

• Discounted access to event-related resources

• And so much more!

The Clock’s Ticking…

Why wait? Join the #1 community for cultural and personal growth in NYC and kick off 2025 with a full calendar of unforgettable experiences. Take advantage of this introductory rate before it’s gone—rates go up January 1st.

👉 Explore Membership Options Here

We’re beyond proud of what we’ve built together this year, and we’re just getting started. To those already in our community, thank you for your trust. To those on the fence—let’s make this your best decision of the year.

With gratitude and excitement,

Sugary & DK

THE SUGARY EFFECT

Études of Gratitude (Part III)…

As my monthly trip drew to a close, I started to make preparations for my journey home.

Before I left though, I wanted to invite my entire extended family out to dinner as a way of saying, thank you for really stepping up to the plate, especially in my absence to take care of my parents both prior to my visit as well as upon my departure.

Beyond treating everyone to the meal, I had prepared general points for an off the cuff speech that I thought would honestly “bring the house down”.

I mean, you should’ve seen it…I had humor, poignant details, references to Mahjong, wisdom filled Chinese aphorisms, and even a tie-in into my community back in NYC lined up and I felt confident in delivering that “WOW” factor and in Chinese no less.

At the conclusion of the meal, I drew everyone’s attention and began to make my speech. Having the floor, I started out of the gate super strong but by the middle of the speech something happened that I didn’t anticipate at all.

It crept in under the radar and without warning I felt a weight of emotion build in the back of my chest that started messing with my flow.  And before I could recover…

…I was overwhelmed.

Right there in front of my extended family and this fancy feast, a man that usually “has all the words"…

…had none.

And yet somehow, this moment ended up becoming one of my most profound speeches to date.

In that instant my silence and my tears spoke of an appreciation in a way my extended family could feel that perhaps even the most inspired prose could not achieve.

The sincere appreciation was in fact more than words and a clear indication…

I was grateful for my family.

When we got home from dinner, I prepared for bed while my mother looked on. 

She made her way to the couch and just gazed over at me not saying a word. This was something of a regular occurrence during my entire trip though it would get more frequent as my time there drew to a close.

I’ll admit it was a bit unnerving at first, but over time I started getting used to it.  I just never really knew what she wanted, even though it looked like she wanted to say something she just couldn’t get it out somehow.

This time however as with a few other fleeting moments during my trip, something was different…

This particular time, my mom approached me, hands outstretched and took my face into both her hands as she gently lifted my head.

Looking at me, she whispered the words, “I love you…my baby boy” over and over again as she slowly brushed my hair to the side.

I was in disbelief, because just like my parents towards each other, my mother never expressed her love in this way to me.

Throughout my life, her love was expressed through the standard issue Asian parenting two-fer: providing for me and tough love.  

Beyond that everything else was implied to be generally understood and never vocally expressed.

Yet here was my mom making a very faint but deliberate expression through the fog of her clouded mind that I had truly never heard her say to me up until this trip.  It was almost as if her urgency to utter the words overrode her mental state.

I was so surprised in fact, that I fumbled for my iPhone to record her saying it one more time…which she miraculously obliged. 

As I recorded her making her pronouncement, I tried to hold back tears to no avail.  Like water bursting through a failing dam, tears streamed down my face to slake the thirst of a barren wasteland that was my heart.

I clearly wasn’t ready for this moment, technologically or emotionally. But I was so thankful to have it.  

Sometimes moments happen that you don’t even know you ever needed…and then it happens and you know beyond a shadow of a doubt…that you always needed it.

In moments like this..

I was grateful to hear my mom tell me, “ I love you”.

On the last night prior to my departure, I moved aside all the furniture in the living room and over the objections of my mom set a camera to record a possible miracle. 

Nearly 2 decades ago, I had first taught my mother the basics of American style waltz. 

My mother, who was never physically active or coordinated, was surprisingly agile when it came to dancing.

The question was would she remember? I had heard that music is an incredible “back door” to memory for people with dementia and Alzheimer’s (see Anderson Cooper’s interview with the late Tony Bennett). They don’t remember much but they do remember things tied to music.

So with a tiny bit of apprehension, I pressed play on Spotify and took my mother’s hand to Waltz No. 19 in A Minor by Chopin.

There in that modest living room my mother on beat 1 danced as if she had never stopped and was better than some who have been training far longer than her. She was so nonchalant about it once she started. If you didn’t know her better you’d think she was low-key flexin’ on people. 

Of all the partners I could have in this world at that moment…

I was grateful to have one more dance with my mom.

30,000 feet.  

It’s high enough to get a better perspective on things.

I had a lot to reflect on during my trip back from Taiwan.

On the forefront of that reflection was that:

1. Maybe I wasn’t as indifferent to parents and family as I imagined myself to be.

2. That it’s truly important to take what time you have to be with those you care for.

3. Despite the challenging circumstances, maybe ultimately this was all a blessing and I have a lot to be grateful for.

Now that I am back in NYC, the phone calls to my parents are more frequent, I’ve become more active on my extended family’s group text channel and I’m more present regarding my parent’s ongoing care.

I think back to when I started this journey and it absolutely has been a transformational one.

At this moment I recall the sage words of ancient Master Oogway who once said, “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present."

Happy holidays everyone. May you find gratitude being present in the company of loved ones. 

I’m grateful for you all.

Sugary

PAST EVENTS

Dec 11th: Sugary x Joust: Upscale Board Game Night - About 20 of you joined us for an amazing evening of gaming.  Those things got heated in moments of innocent enough competition, it was all in good humor and we had an amazing time playing a variety of games that kept us entertained for hours.

Dec 14th: Sugary’s Handwritten Holiday Card Invitational - A handful of you joined us for an afternoon of intentional card-writing that followed my 25 year tradition.  It was a beautiful afternoon of serene scripting as we all made the effort to connect a bit better with those we actually care about.

Dec 15th: Unsent Letter Mailbox (The NBC News WSQ Pop-Up) - In this special unannounced pop up Unsent Letter Project setup in Washington Square Park and a handful of you joined us NBC Nightly News w/ Lester Holt covered the project and interviewed artist Sofia Kavlin about the project.  A milestone for the project for sure!

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

The Bygones

This dynamic indie folk duo carries a dynamic presence that harkens back to the days of yore.

With an utterly nostalgic sound that blends elements of folk, country, jazz and a touch of pop, Joshua Lee Turner and Allison Young are quickly becoming this next generation’s June Carter and Johnny Cash in my opinion.

I first discovered their sound of TikTok and recently had a chance to catch them front and center at the Bowery Ballroom as part of their first ever nationwide tour.  

After the experience, I can attest, these two are the real deal.

There is an effortless chemistry framed within a picture perfect classic look that’s a whole vibe in and of itself.

And of course the sound…

“For us, it’s about finding what’s golden in the past and bringing that forward.” By their own words, the duo draws inspiration from the past and brings it to a relevant present.

With their expert musicality and pristine harmonies, The Bygones seem up for the task.

Their sonic choices are authentically vintage and I think as their popularity grows they’ll not only draw new listeners to their sound but cultivate a new generation of audiences seeking out singers of bygone eras…how apt.

Regardless, The Bygones have something real going for them and I urge you to check them out as soon as you can, theirs is a talent that cannot be denied.

Plastic Jesus (Most Popular Song)

Lucy (Lesser Known Song)

The Collector- Alternate Version (Most Recent Release)

Become a Curator for the Unsent Letter Mailbox!

The Unsent Letter Mailbox is a grassroots storytelling movement creating anonymous spaces for vulnerability and radical honesty in New York City.

Over the past six months, we’ve hosted 18 park installations, 5 sold-out salons, we've seen over 15 people cry in public, and received over 500 unsent letters capturing the full spectrum of human emotion.

We’re thrilled to launch our pilot Curator Program, inviting like-minded folk to host anonymous gatherings in their communities. If you're keen, fill out this form!

Connect IRL. Experience Fabrik.

Get in touch with NYC’s brightest communities and make new friends.

Fabrik is a home for communities and where everyone has a place to belong. With spaces designed to feel more like your living room than your office, Fabrik’s 'third spaces' are vibrant hubs where you can come together in real life, explore interests, forge meaningful connections, and enjoy a sense of community.

Sign-up here to experience a day pass at Fabrik.

Weekly events at Fabrik HERE

Othership offers immersive sauna and ice bath experiences that help human beings feel good now. A sanctuary for social self-care to move you from city buzz to inner calm.

Dive into the largest performance saunas in North America, experience otherworldly ice bath spaces and connect in an intimate amphitheater-style tea lounge surrounding a cozy fire place for socializing.

Expect towel-waving performances, aromatherapy, guided breathwork, visualizations, and somatic release to help you shift your state and regulate your emotions, in a world that can’t be regulated.

The founders of Othership have gifted us a New York 2 for 1 Deal. Get yours while they last!

EMPATHY PROJECT

DONATE to the Empathy Project

Your support matters right now.

Over 80% of year-end giving decisions get made in the last week of the year. If you’ve been fortunate this year—perhaps a windfall in stocks or crypto—consider making a tax-deductible donation to the Empathy Project before December 31. Every bit helps us continue growing this work that’s all about encouraging understanding and compassion.

Company Matching? Let’s Put It to Good Use!

If your company offers a matching donation program and you haven’t used it yet, we’d love for you to choose the Empathy Project through Do Good Points as your charity of choice. It’s a powerful way to double your impact and truly make a difference.

Easy Ways to Give

All donations are tax deductible. And we’re nimble on that front, (i.e. credit card, stocks, crypto) — whatever works for you.

Every bit helps us continue growing this work that’s all about encouraging understanding and compassion.

You can donate by clicking below:

Thank you for being part of this journey.