🍬 Sugary Scoop: The Life and Times of a Wouldbe Podcaster

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Welcome to the Sugary Scoop, my free weekly 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!

UPCOMING SUGARY EVENTS

Tuesday 7/8

🍭 Write to Read Salon Vol IX: Letters I Never Sent My Ex
Candle-lit anonymous-letter salon where your heartbreak becomes someone else’s performance piece.

5:30 pm 📍 Tribeca, Manhattan
Social Battery: 🔋 Ambivert
Your people: Tender-hearted romantics who’d rather read confessions than make small talk—comfortable solo or with a wing-mate.

🎟️ • 🎭🎨💎 Interactive • Creative Energy • Hidden Gem

Thursday 7/17

🍭 Sugary Presents: In Good Company × Bonding
Invite-only cocktail salon where Sugary hand-picks a wildly diverse crowd and lets the serendipity flow—come curious, leave color-splashed.

7:00 pm – 12:00 am 📍 NoHo, Manhattan
Social Battery: 🔋🔋🔋 High Extrovert
Your people: Connection-hungry explorers who collect great humans like rare trading cards—then actually follow up.

🆓 • 💎🍸🔥 • Hidden Gem • Conversational Ping-Pong • Host approval required

WHAT’S NEW?

After receiving over 100 survey responses, we unveiled our new event listing format this past Monday.  The feedback has honestly been amazing and to show you what I mean, the feedback received was wide ranging; calendar integration, skipping the line perks, dark mode email, exportable pdfs, same day mystery event options and literally so much more…. 

As DK mentioned in an email he sent late last week to survey responders: 

After receiving over 100 survey responses, we unveiled our new event listing format this past Monday.  The feedback has honestly been amazing and to show you what I mean, the feedback received was wide ranging; calendar integration, skipping the line perks, dark mode email, exportable pdfs, same day mystery event options and literally so much more…. 

As DK mentioned in an email he sent late last week to survey responders: 

🎯 Your #1 frustration: "Don't know if events are worth my time" (85% of you!)
💎 Your #1 request: Hidden gem discoveries (92% want this!)
👥 Your #1 need: Knowing "your people" - who you'll actually meet

Translation: You want quality curation with social intelligence. We hear you.

You suggested, we listened and I can honestly say I’m pretty happy with the results. DK and I thank you for your participation.

But…I did mention this was an ongoing process (through July at least) so for those of you who have now experienced the new format and have your own thoughts, please take a moment and reply to this email!

Finally, we’re moving the curated events section further down the page (starting with this newsletter) while Sugary events remain on top.

We’re doing this because some of you let us know that it took too long to scroll to the editorial section of the newsletter so we’re basically gonna put all the content back up in front for ease of reading.

Anyways, let us know what you think and we’ll keep iterating until we find that perfect balance of content and constraint.

Sugary

THE SUGARY EFFECT

Wouldbe podcasters, will be podcasters…

The Life and Times of a Wouldbe Podcaster

I announced in the newsletter a month or so back that DK and I are in the process of starting a podcast/YouTube channel.

Emphasis on process.

As we have gone through the initial rounds of preliminary recording, it’s clear that there’s a lot more that goes into pulling this off than I previously imagined.

Especially since I LOOOOOOVE to talk, I was especially confident that this entire process would be a relative no brainer.

Sit down, chit chat ad nauseam, call it a day.

Unfortunately that’s not how things work.

Right from the get go a number of issues became obvious:

  1. Pacing - We all have a stage voice and an everyday voice.  One where we are presenting and one when we’re just shooting the breeze with friends.  Podcasting is somewhere in the middle.  I’m a natural speaker but because I am so comfortable pulling thoughts in real time from my head, I can often speak enthusiastically in a performative way.  That usually is less of a problem when I have moments to give at an event or whatever, but when presented with a 45 minute to an hour space to fill, I can become one excited run on sentence, one thought after the next. I need to consciously give appreciation to pauses and slow things down a bit, it adds weight to what I am saying, and it allows DK to get in a word edgewise, otherwise it’ll be entirely one-sided and that’s not the vibe.

  2. Rhythm - DK and I across our test sessions have noticed that there are dynamics at play in our interaction that don’t always translate to the podcasting front.  Analyzing it has been fascinating but one of the things we both agree on is much like a person at the gym, just gotta get those reps in. We gotta feel comfortable enough with each other on camera as we are off. And whether it’s me or him or both, we got work to do together to make sure the same lovable odd couple is represented in full :-).

  3. When to Break the 4th Wall (or not) - Do we look at the camera? Do we not?  When do we look at it and for how long? This became an issue we discovered on the fly. It is after all both a YouTube channel AND a podcast so the visual part matters.  And it led to some hilarious BTS, but only because they happened on our test runs.

Despite the challenges, we have managed to figure out a few things that are pretty dope:

  1. Topics - Though the titles may change by the time we launch, we actually dialed in on what we were gonna do pretty quickly.  And after testing it out, I can happily report that we weren’t too far off…not bad for first attempts.  Basically every episode is gonna follow this general format:

    • Prime Pieces - A brief catch up on my weekly misadventures in NyC being a social butterfly.

    • Hard Candy - Focusing on something DK and I are actually working on (it’s not all roses under the hood).

    • Culture Fix - A major topic around culture and community (usually in the form of an article one of us read in need of commentary) that we both have an opinion on.

    • The Cherry on Top - Our interview section where we invite someone from my personal network that I feel is fascinating and is a great person for you to know.  Not because of celebrity status, not because of X amount of followers (though some may have one or both) but because they are just dope people I’ve met along the way…everyday people with uncommon stories.

    • Grab Bag - DK and I will each prepare a clip we got from doomscrolling the Internet and blind react to it in real time while also naturally discussing what we just saw.

    • Sweet Nothings - DK and I will read out and respond to a selection of questions, shoutouts and such that we get from viewers just like you.

  2. Timing - I will say that even through the test runs, we’ve remarkably been able to stay on track and on time somehow.  Despite my ramblings and figuring out the general sections, we’ve managed to maintain a great sense of timing so that none of our tapings have ever gone over.  Let’s hope that continues to be the case.

  3. This Can Actually Work - perhaps the most encouraging aspect of this process is that both DK and I agree, we actually have something here.  In the dark recesses of my mind, there was at least a part of me that worried about this somehow not working out but through our test runs it’s actually very clear that we have something workable and that is truly encouraging.  It’s not perfect, but it doesn’t have to be and we will be launching the podcast long before perfect.  

All in all, despite the challenges, it has been a rewarding process and for any of you out there that have actually thought about launching a podcast/YouTube channel of your own, I’d encourage you just to start. I think you’ll find the process to be incredibly revelatory and who knows…you just might be the next Joe Rogan experience. 

More than anything, don’t let yourself hold yourself back. You truly never know how it’s gonna go, so let’s focus on the fact that it could go wonderfully right instead of catastrophically wrong.

No amount of preparation is going to set you up with a guarantee. Lean into the uncertain with a positive lens and you just might reframe your life.

Are you a Sugary Member yet? Join the 175+ member community that gets you access to member-only events, special event perks, discounts and more

NOTABLE NYC EVENTS, HAND-PICKED BY SUGARY

Every event is hand-picked by Sugary and analyzed through our signature methodology to help you find your perfect cultural match in NYC.

Our Trust System

🍭 Sugary Sweet - Events we organize or are deeply connected to
⭐️ Trusted Source - Organizers we know personally or events we've attended
🎲 Roll of the Dice - Discoveries that caught our eye but we haven't experienced yet

What each event includes:

Experience markers (like Hidden Gem 💎 or Interactive 🎭)
Social battery levels (from Introvert 🪫 to High Extrovert 🔋🔋🔋), and a
"Your People" description so you know exactly who you'll meet and what kind of energy to bring.

Whether you're seeking mindful moments or networking opportunities, we've decoded the social dynamics so you can choose events that match your mood and energy level.

Tuesday 7/8

⭐️ Reading Rhythms @ Hudson Yards
Silent reading party with a live-music sound-bed, capped by guided discussion.

5:30 pm 📍 Hudson Yards, Manhattan
Social Battery: 🔋 Ambivert
Your people: Bookworms who crave community but appreciate enforced hush between chats.

🆓 • 🧘🎭🍷 Mindful Pace • Interactive • Social Hour

🎲 Cultura “The Takeover Night”
Latina-led mercado, power panel, DJ & bites—unapologetic cultura y comunidad.

5:30 pm 📍 SoHo, Manhattan
Social Battery: 🔋🔋 Low Extrovert
Your people: Visionary jefas and allies eager to toast, dance, and build Latin power.

🎟️ • 🍷🔥🌍 Social Hour • Hot Right Now • Global Perspective

🎲 Watch Party — Lost in Starlight 
Netflix’s first Korean-animated feature gets the living-room-cinema treatment—free popcorn, optional house-made ice-cream and post-credits chatter.

6:00 pm 📍 Union Square, Manhattan
Social Battery: 🔋 Ambivert
Your people: Film-loving polyglots who flip between subtitles and snack chat with ease.

🆓 • 🎭 🌍 🍷 Interactive • Global Perspective • Social Hour

Wednesday 7/9

⭐️ Cian Ducrot Summer Concert
Irish pop balladeer brings earnest anthems to the waterfront sunset stage.

5:00 pm 📍 Hudson Yards, Manhattan
Social Battery: 🔋 Ambivert
Your people: Casual pop fans happy swaying solo or belting choruses with new friends.

🆓 • 🔥🍷🎨 Hot Right Now • Social Hour • Creative Energy

🎲 ReelAbilities Rooftop Drinks + Marlee Matlin Screening
Mixer and inclusive film night under the skyline—Oscar-winner on the big screen.

6:00 pm 📍 Upper West Side, Manhattan
Social Battery: 🔋🔋 Low Extrovert
Your people: Culture lovers who mix advocacy with Aperol spritzes.

🎟️ • 🍷🎨🌍 Social Hour • Creative Energy • Global Perspective

🎲 Philosophy Club × Sugar Mouse
Three rounds of big-thought dialogue—then wine-fueled lingering till close.

7:00 pm 📍 East Village, Manhattan
Social Battery: 🔋🔋 Low Extrovert
Your people: Idea junkies who love Socratic back-and-forth in a cozy bar-café setting.

🎟️ • 🎭🍷🧘 Interactive • Social Hour • Mindful Pace

Thursday 7/10

🎲 Friend Speed Dating (Girls Who Meet)
Rapid-fire matching for NYC women—with complimentary wine and a surprise gift.

6:30 pm 📍 Tribeca, Manhattan
Social Battery: 🔋🔋 Low Extrovert
Your people: Social butterflies who like structured mingling and swapping Instagrams at warp speed.

🎟️ • 🍷🎭🔥 Social Hour • Interactive • Hot Right Now

🎲 Open Group Artist Talk & Premiere
Ukrainian collective debuts wartime karaoke film “Repeat After Me” with pierogies & dialogue.

7:00 pm 📍 Meatpacking, Manhattan
Social Battery: 🪫 Introvert
Your people: Thoughtful art-world observers seeking global context over quiet reflection.

🆓 • 🧘🎨🌍 Mindful Pace • Creative Energy • Global Perspective

⭐️ FAM: Film, Fashion, Art, Music & Media
Live podcast chat and intimate set from The Voice winner Maelyn, plus backyard hangs. 

7:00 pm 📍 Clinton Hill, Brooklyn
Social Battery: 🔋🔋 Low Extrovert
Your people: Cross-disciplinary creatives seeking inspo, collaboration and a $10 high-value night out.

🎟️ • 🎨 🍷 💎 Creative Energy • Social Hour • Hidden Gem

Friday 🍬 7.11

⭐️ SummerStage COLORS Showcase
Next-wave R&B and soul talents light up the park in a free block-party setting.

5:00 pm 📍 Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn
Social Battery: 🔋🔋 Low Extrovert
Your people: Trend-spotting music heads who come early for good blankets and better vibes.

🆓 • 🔥🍷🌍 Hot Right Now • Social Hour • Global Perspective

🎲 ThespyHouse Sounds at BARLUME
Genre-bending live sets plus a DJ-led dance floor for NYC’s film/theater creatives.

6:30 pm 📍 Flatiron, Manhattan
Social Battery: 🔋🔋 Low Extrovert
Your people: Fashion-forward storytellers happy to network between sets.

🎟️ • 🍷🎭🎨 Social Hour • Interactive • Creative Energy

RSVP HERE + More Info (use code SUGAR for preferred pricing)

Saturday 🍬 7.12

🎲 NYC Poetry Festival
Two-day verse carnival—four stages, open mic, food trucks, and sun-dazed stanzas.

11:00 am 📍 Governors Island
Social Battery: 🔋 Ambivert
Your people: Straw-hat literati toggling between quiet listening and impromptu haiku.

🆓 • 🎨🎭🌍 Creative Energy • Interactive • Global Perspective

🎲 Among Friends × Symphony Summer Soirée
Massive outdoor bar takeover with lawn games and “Brooklyn’s largest adult playground.” Free.

2:00 pm 📍 Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Social Battery: 🔋🔋🔋 High Extrovert
Your people: Outgoing friend-collectors who thrive in big-group mingles and casual day-party energy.

🆓 • 🍷 🎭 🔥 Social Hour • Interactive • Hot Right Now

⭐️ NYAFF Opening-Weekend Gala
Red-carpet awards kick-off for North America’s premier Asian-film festival.

8:30 pm 📍 Upper West Side, Manhattan
Social Battery: 🔋🔋 Low Extrovert
Your people: Cinephiles and industry insiders swapping festival tips between hors d’oeuvres.

🎟️ • 🍷🎨🌍 Social Hour • Creative Energy • Global Perspective

RSVP HERE (VERY LIMITED preferred-price tickets using THIS specific link)

Sunday 🍬 7.13

🎲 Mindful Photography Walk + Poetry Fest 
Smartphone L.E.N.S. method workshop, optional Island Oyster lunch, then NYC Poetry Fest wander.

10:45 am 📍 Governors Island
Social Battery: 🔋 Ambivert
Your people: Reflective creators eager to slow-shoot, share perspectives, and stroll with kindred spirits.

🎟️ • 🎭 🧘 🎨 Interactive • Mindful Pace • Creative Energy

RSVP HERE (Use code SUGARY for preferred pricing)

⭐️ Second Sundays @ Pioneer Works
Open-house mash-up of studios, science demos, live music, and garden hangs.

12:00 pm 📍 Red Hook, Brooklyn
Social Battery: 🔋🔋 Low Extrovert
Your people: Omni-curious creatives happy to gallery-hop, stargaze, or just sip in the yard.

🆓 • 🎨🎭🍷 Creative Energy • Interactive • Social Hour

⭐️ Giant Water Gun Fight
Massive community water battle with automatic team matching and epic summer chaos.

3:00 pm 📍 Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Social Battery: 🔋🔋 Low Extrovert
Your people: Playful adults seeking active fun and structured community bonding without pressure to network.

🆓 • 🎭🍷⚡ Interactive • Social Hour • Quick Hit

🎲 Tiến Lên Night feat. Ch-Yeah!
Vietnamese card-game tourney plus fusion snacks and specialty cocktails.

4:00 pm 📍 Bushwick, Brooklyn
Social Battery: 🔋🔋 Low Extrovert
Your people: Competitive foodies ready to trash-talk over Big 2 and bánh mì sliders.

🆓 • 🎭🍷💎 Interactive • Social Hour • Hidden Gem

Monday 7/14

⭐️ Creation Lake: Rachel Kushner × Molly Young
Paperback launch + spy-lit banter in a cozy Seaport bookshop

6:30 – 8:00 pm 📍 McNally Jackson Seaport, 4 Fulton St, Manhattan
Social Battery: 🔋🔋 Low Extrovert
Your people: Page-turning introverts who’d rather debate anarchist fiction than small-talk about the weather.

🎟️ • 📚💎 Lit Lounge • Hidden Gem

RSVP HERE + More Info

Tuesday 7/15

⭐️ Bubbles & Botanicals with Norïe
Free tasting of flower-fermented NA sparkling wines plus take-home bloom

5:00 – 7:00 pm 📍 La Compagnie, Flatiron, Manhattan
Social Battery: 🔋 Ambivert
Your people: Sober-curious sippers and floral-forward foodies seeking low-stakes mingling.

🆓 • 🍷💎🧘 Social Hour • Hidden Gem • Mindful Pace

Wednesday 7/16

⭐️ Fabrik’s Built By Builder Series: Zach Hawtof
Fireside chat with Tightknit’s CEO on scaling community & serendipity

10:00 am – 12:00 pm 📍 Tribeca, Manhattan
Social Battery: 🔋🔋 Low Extrovert
Your people: Community-obsessed operators who love structured Q&A and post-talk networking.

🆓 • 🍷🎨 Social Hour • Creative Energy

🎲 Paul Russell — Hudson Yards Summer Concerts
“Lil Boo Thang” hit-maker serenades the Vessel at golden hour

5:00 – 8:00 pm 📍 Wells Fargo Stage, Hudson Yards
Social Battery: 🔋 Ambivert
Your people: TikTok-savvy pop lovers looking to vibe with skyline views and zero cover charge.

🆓 • 🎤☀️ Sunset Set • Social Hour

🎲 Kanso: Here & Now
Phone-free cocktail salon fostering deep, distraction-free conversation

6:30 – 9:00 pm 📍 Union Square, Manhattan
Social Battery: 🔋🔋 Low Extrovert
Your people: Builders & founders craving digital-detox connection—with zero doom-scrolling.

🎟️ • 🧘🎭 Mindful Pace • Interactive

Thursday 7/17

🎲 Summer Mixer & Networking with Universal Blockchain
Multi-chain campaign kick-off bringing builders & clubs together over drinks

5:30 – 9:00 pm 📍 Midtown, Manhattan
Social Battery: 🔋🔋🔋 High Extrovert
Your people: Crypto-curious students, devs and investors hunting for cross-chain collabs.

🆓 • 🍷🌍 Social Hour • Global Perspective

🎲 Artificially Un-Intelligent: NYC Tech Comedy
Tech-inside-joke stand-up night featuring comedians from Netflix & NPR

7:00 – 9:00 pm 📍 Broadway Comedy Club, Hell’s Kitchen
Social Battery: 🔋 Ambivert
Your people: Founders, VCs & devs who’d rather laugh at Jira tickets than file them.

🎟️ • 🔥🍷 Hot Right Now • Social Hour

Friday 7/18

🎲 Warm Up 2025 — Opening Night
Six-hour courtyard rave marrying cutting-edge electronic sets with MoMA-PS1 art vibes

4:00 – 10:00 pm 📍 MoMA PS1, Queens
Social Battery: 🔋🔋🔋 High Extrovert
Your people: Dance-floor lifers who treat BPM as a vital sign and call their friends “legend” unironically.

🆓 • 🔥🎛️ Hot Right Now • Social Hour

⭐️ POP UP PARTY: art gurl’s 3rd Birthday
Open-air craft stations, raffles & mocktails to celebrate three years of “bad” art joy

6:00 – 8:00 pm 📍 McCarren Parkhouse, Brooklyn
Social Battery: 🔋🔋 Low Extrovert
Your people: Color-marker maximalists and DIY creatives ready to make friends over glitter & glue.

🎟️ • 🎭🎨🍷 Interactive • Creative Energy • Social Hour

Saturday 7/19

⭐️ Not Your Garden Variet(al) Tasting Pt. II
Small-pour natural-wine garden party with refreshed bottle lineup & bites

1:00 – 5:00 pm 📍 Brooklyn, NY
Social Battery: 🔋 Ambivert
Your people: Chill nat-wine nerds looking to lounge, sip and chat without sommelier snobbery.

🎟️ • 🍷💎 Social Hour • Hidden Gem

⭐️ DJ Rekha’s Basement Bhangra Beyond
Bollywood bass, Bhangra dance lesson, and Queens-sized Desi pride

6:00 – 9:00 pm 📍 Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens
Social Battery: 🔋🔋🔋 High Extrovert
Your people: Rhythm-addicted global citizens who think dhol beats count as cardio.

🆓 • 🥁🌏 Global Groove • Interactive

🎲 Found Footage Festival: VHS Deep Cuts
Hosts Joe & Nick roast bizarre thrift-store tapes—nostalgia served snark-hot

8:00 – 10:30 pm 📍 The Bell House, Brooklyn
Social Battery: 🔋 Ambivert
Your people: Meme historians who still own a VCR and laugh in tracking-line static.

🎟️ • 😂📼 Throwback Reels • Social Hour

Sunday 7/20

⭐️ The Roots + DJ Scratch — SummerStage
Questlove, Black Thought & co. bring live-band hip-hop thunder to the World’s Borough

7:00 – 10:00 pm 📍 Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens
Social Battery: 🔋🔋🔋 High Extrovert
Your people: Lyric-soaked soul-philes who’ve argued over greatest-rapper lists since dial-up.

🆓 • 🎤🌳 Outdoor Jam • Hot Right Now

Want To Post Your Event In Our Newsletter to 19K Subscribers?

Submit your event info HERE

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

Oppa Gangnam style (BBQ and Hotpot at least)…

Gangnam BBQ & Hot Pot

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Korean BBQ…and Hotpot.

And last week I had a chance with both DK and Andy to check out this spot in Chinatown that seemed to offer all you can eat options for both.

Now Hotpot I understand. But Korean BBQ? And at $38.99 per person?!…

…felt like a recipe for disaster akin to an “affordable" all-you-can eat sushi bar.

But we decided to give it a go and you know what?…

…not bad at all.  Actually, quite good.

Now before you Korean BBQ purists raise arms against me, no it’s not at the level of Nubiani or even a JongGro.  The cuts are pretty thin and certainly some of their offerings have been frozen at some point.

But the meat was surprisingly tasty (especially the hanger steak), you have quite a bit of variety, and it…never…stops.

Plus did I mention their Soju is like $6? Insanity.

DK, Andy and I went to town and we left feeling good about our life choices at a fraction of the price at about $150 for all three of us (FYI a meal like this at a traditional Korean BBQ joint would run upwards to about $250 - $400 for the experience).

So if you’re looking for an affordable, no frills new spot to check out, definitely give this place a visit and bring friends, the space is impossibly large and can accommodate big groups and events.

Go on and eat yourself silly…Psy would be proud.

THE SWEET & SALTY

Space…the final frontier…

“4th Spaces” Aren't A Thing

I was recently sent an article that discussed the new advent of this concept of 4th spaces emerging onto the scene as a trending development in our social culture.

What are 4th spaces you ask?

Well to refresh your understanding before delving into that aspect of it, 1st spaces are your homes, 2nd spaces are your workplaces, 3rd spaces are places to commune over both work and play…

…and now 4th spaces are apparently, “the emergent playgrounds of 21st-century belonging, where digital interests and offline human needs converge to create new formats of connection and community—driven by autonomy, exploration, and a hunger for meaningful, values-aligned gathering.”

Examples?

  • Instagram-led live-coffee meetups

  • Pop-up coworking

  • Self-organized fitness, learning, creative, or advocacy clusters

It seems that 4th spaces are defined by a hybrid construct of digital communities and unstructured IRL interest based meetups.

One of the things we focus on in the Sugary Community is to get folks off of digital and actually coming out more to enjoy IRL experiences.

However, if we’re talking spaces, I think the conversation has always centered around physical points of gathering and the nature of how we utilize the space for meaningful IRL experiences.

The notion of a digital / analog hybrid only works if you redefine what “space” is and if that’s the case, thriving online communities have existed forever and that would naturally be considered a designation in and of itself.

When you get into the business of actually gathering people IRL, 1st-3rd spaces work because they are clear in their function as it relates to how the physical space serves clear definable needs for our day to day lives. 

4th spaces as they are currently defined are a bit murkier. The nature of the gathering alone feels insufficient to make a case for a new kind of physical meeting point.  Simply because a community starts online and crosses over into real life doesn’t automatically make it a “new space”.  It’s still using a space outside of home and work to gather which in my opinion still falls into the category of a third space which as a concept are quite varied and versatile these days.

I have no intention of policing how people gather, and maybe at some point there will be a legitimate advent of a 4th space that we haven’t seen yet.

But if we’re gonna have any definitions at all to serve our collective understanding, best ensure the general ground rules are the same before becoming too theoretical in our interpretations.

At the end of the day, as long as we continue finding meaningful ways to gather IRL we should be good…I’ll hold space for that.

Unsent Letter Salon Event

Support for the Unsent Letter Project!

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

Over the past year, we’ve hosted 19 park installations, 9 salons, we've seen countless people in public, and received over 1000 unsent letters capturing the full spectrum of human emotion and has captured the attention of press outlets such as Secret NYC, NBC Nightly News and the Kelly Clarkson Show.

Apply for the Unsent Letter Curator Program 

We’re rolling out the ULM Curators Program! We're looking to onboard five born storytellers with a curiosity for what makes us human. This program is meant to make anonymous storytelling accessible across boroughs in NYC and abroad, and if you have experience facilitating community events and salons, you're the person we're looking for.

This is a chance to:

✧ Bring a high-impact storytelling experience to your community

✧ Curate and champion anonymous voices

✧ Be featured across our IG, Substack, and site

✧ Join a growing collective of narrative bridge-builders

Applications are open now.

Deadline: July 30

Launch: August 1

If you've been waiting to bring something beautiful to your corner of the world and spread genuine human connection, apply here. 

Join The Unsent Letter Mailbox as a Social Media Intern!

The Unsent Letter Mailbox — an NYC-born art project that lives at the intersection of anonymous writing, emotional healing, and urban play — is growing FAST. We’re looking for a volunteer content collaborator who wants to grow with us.

You:

  • Are emotionally fluent and creatively intuitive

  • Know how to make something stop the scroll without screaming

  • Love language, letters, and soft power

  • Want to build something you can be proud of

We:

  • Have been featured on NBC + The Kelly Clarkson Show + Secret NYC

  • Are planning scavenger hunts, secret salons, and continued urban pop-ups

  • Are small, self-funded, and full of momentum

  • Will give you full credit, mentorship, and future paid work if things align

This is 3-5 hours a week. Remote is cool. And vibes are everything.

If you're curious, email [email protected] or DM @unsentlettermailbox on IG! 

One of Gather’s workshops around the art of Kintsugi

Call To Gather

Call to Gather’ champions creative play as essential for health and wellness; fostering mental, emotional, and social well-being. They believe everyone is a maker, and that its through shared creative experiences human beings build trust, collaboration, and can develop a deep sense of community.

Gather Artists are all highly experienced in their craft, providing quality creative sessions from a wide range industries for individuals to begin to explore their creative potential, heal, and connect - ultimately igniting personal and collective transformation in community.

Start your creative play HERE (use discount code: Sugary)

Fabrik Community Space in Tribeca

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 free trial at Fabrik.

Weekly events at Fabrik HERE

Located in Flatiron, NYC

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

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!

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