Short n Sweet
All I can muster while lazing on beaches
Look at me, getting a newsletter out while on vacation! But this isn’t a normal newsletter, it’s a cool newsletter 😉 I am so grateful to be able to spend a freakin week in Italy that will eventually culminate with me spending 12+ hours on a plane flying home on my birthday. Here’s hoping my return seat buddy doesn’t take his shoes off!
Anyways, since I’m officially OOO, you’re getting a short newsletter with some highlights from BCLF and from other newsletter friends. If you’re new over here, go back and read some of my favorite issues to see what you’ve gotten yourself into. And if you’re a regular, then go back and read some of your favorite issues or take a journey across substack to discover some of my other favorite writers. Stick around til the end to see some pics from my vacation so far!
When Coffee Was King
I’m finally covid free! I spent a solid 2 weeks melting into my couch (and not because of the weather) because I felt like absolute garbage. For some reason you all liked my fever dream of a newsletter from last week, so maybe I should write while sick more often? While I’m no longer feverish, I have yet to fully regain my taste and my ability to taste
I really enjoyed researching the history of the house I am lucky enough to cat sit in frequently. How many people can say they got to go inside a real ass coffee baron’s mansion??
Deepest Bluest
Disclaimer: Anything in this week’s newsletter was written under the influence of Covid. Yes that’s right, how embarrassing is it to have Covid in fucking 2024? Weren’t we past this? Apparently not, as Covid cases are up 250% in NYC at the moment due to the cutesy FLiRT variant, which I can confirm is anything but cute. The CDC’s current guidance is als…
You all loved the fever dream I wrote up while sick with Covid, so here ya go. A thing about me is that I love the movie Deep Blue Sea, so stick around while I was poetic about that movie and the masterpiece that is on the soundtrack.
The Angel of the Waters
Welcome back to Big City, Little Friend; I hope you didn’t miss me last week. Substack only sent the newsletter to paid subscribers, which is a bummer because I specifically announced last week that I was removing paywalls and making my newsletter pay-if-you-wish
The Angel of the Waters statue in Central Park is one of my absolute favorite statues in the entire city. Read about her fabulous story here along with an account from the Prospect Park Zoo.
It's Gonna Be May
Thank you all for the BCLF birthday wishes last week! Some people were confused and thought it was my actual birthday but isn’t it painfully obvious that I’m a Virgo?
I love Roosevelt Island and I made Lorenzo go there with me so I could enjoy it with his company.
Astoria, Ahoy!
Ok, I know last week I said I was trying to take it easy, but that was before I remembered I had some fun plans already made for the weekend! A couple of my Wowza pals planned a little Astoria outing and I hate to admit it but I do not spend enough time in Queens, so I was totally down for the hang. The day ended up being cloudy and downright
I had a really good lunch and a really fun museum hang with some friends in Astoria and I learned a lot about the neighborhood. Astoria, Ahoy!
P for pancakes
Last week Danielle and I had our annual Pancake/Museum Day! Each year we take a day off of work, eat Clinton St Baking Co’s pancake of the day, and go to a museum (it’s right in the name really). It is truly the best time of the year and I encourage all of you to create similar pancake-based traditions. It’s important to have stuff to look forward to when the weather outside is paler than my white ass flesh.
Every year during Pancake Month, Danielle (who I am currently in Italy with) and I take off from work and indulge in a fat stack of pancakes.
I Hate Summit One Vanderbilt
I don’t really have any benchmarks for what a “successful” newsletter looks like, but I’m truly so thrilled that after switching this to a paid subscription you all still seem to be here. My fear was always that folks would just say fuck it and drop off because of the change and whether you switched to paid or you’re enjoying the shorter free sub, I app…
I fucking hated Summit One Vanderbilt. What a shitty ass waste of a space that blocks out the beautiful Chrysler Building.
First issue of the 2024! I wrote about the very cool Holiday Train Show at NYBG and the history of the Landmarks Preservation Committee.
Other Newsletters I Love 💌
is one of the first Substacks I ever subscribed to (and I’m a paid subscriber). Abigail is a NY native (Queens → Brooklyn) who writes about both going out to eat in the city and staying in to cook and she always posts a stellar collection of links for further reading. This issue featured a mesmerizing scallion wrap video and every year Abigail begins with a Gentle January and ends with a lovely Gift Guide. is written by Tara, who is a gem of a human being. Her writing is snarky and funny and raw and it’s what I strive for on my best days. I’m a paid subscriber of hers, too! She recently asked folks what their Muppet Big 3 are and I haven’t thought this hard about the intersection of me + muppets in a long time. She also has a superb rolodex of friends and sometimes has them do a guest spot - I really liked this one about the best eye fucks in movies. is everything my nerdy little brain wants. Rob has been visiting and photographing every neighborhood in NYC. He weaves amazing historical accounts in with his photographs and always manages to uncover something cool (even about Staten Island). This one is also worth paying for! I’ve actually enjoyed learning about the neighborhoods in Staten Island that I didn’t really know existed (Rosebank and Lighthouse Hill were two faves). The Spuyten Duyvil, Gowanus, and Corona issues are also top picks of mine!
Back to regular programming next week : )
Love the pics at the end! Also chuckling knowing what your plane ride home was like. People love having their feet by you
Hey, thanks for the shoutout! Your trip looks amazing, great photos! Coincidentally, I was just watching videos of that greased pole competition. A Gowanus variant of that would be epic. Even if you win, you lose.
Safe travels!