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

What’s new this week?

Difficulties…Technically

Over the last few weeks, you may have noticed something about The Sweet List…

…specifically that there have been ZERO events.

Is it because I’ve lost my appetite or eye for curating events?

Nah…

Actually I haven’t stopped curating…but the problem is, the Sweet List has run into some technical difficulties.

I’ve had to switch inputting platforms and since I’m not much of a tech guy and the Sweet List is vibe coded, it’s just been a longer process to transfer everything over and ensuring there were no issues or bugs along the way while keeping up with the steady complement of events both recurring and developing as well as the editorial for the newsletter.

But I’ve been making progress and pleased to announce that we’re back and running more or less! Just give me a little bit of time to repopulate the list again over the next week or two and we should be in good shape after that (if you check it out, you can already see I have already begun the process).

On a separate note, it’s been really encouraging that so many of you reached out via email and text to let me know there was an issue with the list.

You truly never know who is finding it useful so all the messages have been reassuring to that end.

Appreciate your patience while I figured this out but just know that The Sweet List isn’t going anywhere, it was just temporarily “OUT OF STOCK”.

Sugary 🍬

A City For Us All (Remembering the Summer of ‘26 in NYC)

Summer is over and I don’t know about you, but am I the only one that felt this season was particularly epic and short lived?

I’ve spoken with a bunch of my friends and there’s a general consensus on this.

Looking at it from a big picture standpoint, there were so many standout moments that occurred in relative proximity to each other that it seemed to cultivate the very fabric of our culture towards something better.

I’ve lived in this city for 25 years, and I can tell you I’ve NEVER felt anything quite like this…

…ever. 

It felt unprecedented, yet in a town that has a history for the unprecedented, it also felt remarkably apt.

Here are a few things that stood out to me in particular:

A Shared Smile

“Knicks in 5!” Of course that was the main impetus and fed into the whole narrative of this city…that even against all odds, we could make it if we just came together as a team to overcome…as a city.  And this energy continued with the hosting of the World Cup which displayed and exalted NYC’s baked-in diversity as its greatest asset.  For at least a period of time, it seemed as if intolerance, racism and fear were banished as the city embraced the world…and the world embraced us right back. 

It just felt right.  Like kismet.

This energy was amplified by all of the more culturally specific happenings that harnessed this energy and amplified it in their own way from the Juneteenth celebrations to Pride Parade’s “For All of Us” theme this year to the Queens Night Market that fared particularly well this year.

For a not so brief moment in time, we felt something that for a while felt out of reach…we experienced a collective joy and it was palpable in every bar, watch party and public transit across every borough.

In Zohran We Trust

In his first summer as mayor of NYC, Zohran came in with such promise as the elected underdog upstart poised to make positive and real change in our town.  And in what can only be described as a miracle, he actually lived up to that promise and even seemed to gain momentum as the summer months rolled by.   He was an ally, a friend, and an example…

…all at once.

As an ally he really started making tangible progress on tasks, both large and small in scale amplified by a social media team, that communicated the progress in truly innovative and effective ways. 

Rent freeze and more affordable housing? Done.

Small Business Permit Reform? Check.

Potholes filled and Broken Subway Tiles Fixed Into Art Pieces? You got it.

As a friend, it wasn’t just about what was communicated. It was also about how he communicated. 

Mamdani consistently felt approachable and relatable. Sure, a person that could produce real reform, but just as easily could play a round of soccer with you, and cool enough to issue a city “mandate” repealing children’s bedtimes during the Knicks playoffs…temporarily of course.

As an example, Mamdani generated mayoral envy the world over.  Comment sections across all social media were filled with notes claiming Mamdani, no matter where they lived. I swear every country was .  This wasn’t just noticed among the netizens…mayors of many of the biggest cities in the world collectively made pilgrimages to New York City just to learn how Mamdani and his team were able to create so much change in so little time. Ego no longer mattered, the proof was in the pudding.

250…The Right Way

Whereas parts of the nation welcomed our 250th anniversary with a particularly aggressive form of exclusionary nationalism, NYC adopted a much more inclusive and  inspirational theme.  Apart from the particularly robust Macy’s fireworks display that had extra flare this year, Sail4th filled our harbor with the largest maritime gathering in American history… and it did so with the powerful symbolism of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island in its backdrop, perhaps two of the most distinctive symbols of what actually made America great in the first place.

This, paired with NY historical society’s, opening of the new Tang wing for American Democracy, which created an ambitious permanent place for examining and reflecting on the country’s political history and its possible future.

Admit One

This summer saw the return of something that we almost lost…movie and theater attendance.

I saw twice as many movies and three times as many theatrical productions this summer than I have in a long time.

and you know what I noticed…

… full houses EVERYWHERE.

On the film side, it was just as much about the box office juggernauts like Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the IMAX spectacle that is The Odyssey and Toy Story 5 as it is about the independent breakout hits such as Obsession and Backrooms.

And as for theater, from the campy outrageous humor of Oh Mary to the brilliant revivalist vision of Cats: The Jellicle Ball there was hardly an empty seat in any of the shows that I attended. Despite Broadway’s continued challenge to make theatrical production investment a profitable one, I can tell you it’s not on account of the lack of interest or tickets sold.

Art for All

The greatest celebration of human spirit is through creative expression. 

Art is essential and this summer had so many milestones that really reflected a shift in the city, embracing art through greater accessibility and affordability.

SummerStage had its 40th anniversary (of which Sugary was an official partner with) and was firing on all cylinders, Lincoln Centers “Summer in the City” became a public campus for free daily cultural programming while Sing for Hope had its 25th Anniversary in providing pianos to public spaces, schools, hospitals, and community centers citywide.  MoMa PS1 also celebrated its 50th anniversary and officially became New York’s largest free museum by eliminating all admission charges for everyone for three whole years while the Met Opera (in conjunction with the mayor‘s office) closed out the summer by offering a 70,000 ticket lottery for free opera tickets for the foreseeable future. 

If that wasn’t enough, the city welcomed its newest maestro, the legendary Gustavo Dudamel to helm the New York Philharmonic!

Even legendary conductors it seems

couldn’t resist that NYC swagger…

Pro-Publica

No not the publication, but the more generous use of public spaces in the city. 

The summer streets program produced more than 20 miles of car-free corridors for the public to enjoy while the ferry system saw its most expansive schedule in history.

To make things even more amazing, roadway outdoor dining became a PERMANENT fixture for the cultural food scene which most have viewed as a welcome addition to the city post pandemic. 

As I look back and take all of this in, it has been such a remarkable time in the city, and I am so grateful to have been present for all of it.

When I think about what made this summer feel so incredible and brief is that while most summers contain a few events that become the milestones for the season, somehow in 2026 the cultural landscape felt exceptionally rich.

Before you could process it all, there were already several “somethings” that were happening simultaneously.

Iconic moments that were unusually abundant were paired with a public desire to feel, connect and share in anything inspired complemented by a city that felt supportive of that energy.

And while the summer is over, I take heart knowing that our collective potential for greatness isn’t governed by a mere change of weather.

Temperatures may rise and fall but the one thing that is perennial is the titanic potential that this town carries 365 days a year.

The summer of ‘26 gave us a glimpse of that potential in action and let us know…

…in a town like this, it’s ALL possible.

 Don’t lose focus, don’t lose heart…

…Fall…it’s your turn to shine…

Sugary 🍬

DAYDREAM: Air Becomes Art  (at The Balloon Museum)

“Let's Fly. Art Has No Limits.”

…or at least that’s the wonderfully playful premise behind the newly opened Balloon Museum and their inaugural exhibition DAYDREAM: Air Becomes Art (DDABA).

The international contemporary art project is devoted to exploring concepts around one simple material:

Air.

Since launching in Rome in 2021, the exhibition has grown to become a sort of global phenomenon, welcoming more than 8 million visitors across 23 cities. Rather than simply displaying artworks, Balloon Museum joins a host of other similar interactive pocket museum experiences, this one specializing in enormous inflatable and interactive installations designed to be entered, touched, activated, and experienced.

Now that the Ballroom Museum has planted permanent roots in New York as of August 7 at the Tin Building formerly home to the failed Jean-Georges F&B concept in the South Street Seaport area, ease, its first permanent flagship opened with DDABA in which the audience isn’t separate from the artwork, it actually completes the eco-system.

Instead of quietly moving from painting to painting, you might find yourself surrounded by monumental forms, immersed in light and sound, or physically interacting with an environment that feels somewhere between a contemporary art exhibition and a particularly sophisticated playground.

And perhaps that playfulness is what makes the concept especially appealing for adults and not just kids. It flies right in the face of outdated notions that museums should exclusively be serious and stale affairs.

There’s also something inherently communal about experiencing art this way. When everyone is navigating something strange together, normal museum etiquette gives way to curiosity: people react, laugh, photograph one another, and occasionally become part of the artwork themselves. The experience reminds us that art doesn’t always have to be decoded or understood intellectually. Sometimes its purpose can simply be to make us feel something together.

Having experienced DDABA personally, I can say that I honestly enjoyed the experience, with my only critique being that it felt too short, and the exhibitions themselves didn’t feel like a connected experience but rather separate concepts that are standalone, interesting as they may be.  Maybe it's asking for too much, but I felt that the experience should have been twice as long so in terms of value for your money, it doesn't earn the highest marks... but it sure has some moments that bring out the whimsical kid in all of us, and that in and of itself is something to respect.

For a society that could probably use a little more permission to play, the Balloon Museum feels perfectly necessary. You may arrive expecting oversized balloons and a great photo opportunity. But wonder isn’t something we should necessarily outgrow, we just need places that give us permission to experience it again…

…and that isn’t just hot air.

 Sugary 🍬

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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

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