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.

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Dine and Dissert

Over the last few weeks I have been having a heart-to-heart chat with various members of my community informally across a number of events in which we have been able to link up and I've asked them what they thought of the community and what they would like to see more of.

I was encouraged to discover that for the most part, people felt that things were going well and that the general sentiment was that things were on the right track.

However, the one thing I did hear more than once was that folks were hoping that there would be more consistent intimate gatherings each month. That would create an opportunity for community members to connect further and more often.

So as I thought about it, it became clear that I should invite my community to join something that I love doing anyway…exploring the dynamic an ever-evolving NYC food scene.

Introducing Dine and Dissert.

Starting this month and every month going forward, I will host a small dinner sometime on Mon.-Wed. at a restaurant that I have personally never tried before. The core group will always sit at six people per dinner table, because I have found that number to be an ideal dinner party size that feels intimate, yet allows just enough room for a dash of discovery and . This may eventually evolve depending on how things go, but for now this is what we'll start with. Besides…who’s to say there can’t be more than 1 table of six…

+1’s always welcome (if there’s space and you can attest to their character).

As many of you know I'm all about discovery and feel quite a bit of excitement in trying new things in general. I think this is the PERFECT way to get something going every month that already aligns with what I naturally do and that I believe can be quite enjoyable for anyone that joins.

I have some concepts that I'm going to be testing that I think will add a little additional variety, curiosity and delight to the overall experience, but that's for me to reflect on and for you to discover by joining.

So if this sounds interesting to you, I invite you to join me in a bit of a culinary adventure in this amazing city of ours.

As always with the Sugary Community and ESPECIALLY since this involves reservations in an intimate setting, flaking is extremely discouraged and considered poor form.

Basically…don't do it.

RSVP for the next series of culinary excursions below:

Monday July 27th, 7pm, Babbo (Italian Cuisine, Greenwich Village)

Wednesday August 12th, 7pm, Titán (Mexican Cuisine, Dumbo)

Sugary 🍬

Reframing the Canvas

Lately there has been a lot of debate regarding what makes a true community. 

I’ve seen content from a variety of sources trying to distinguish between those that are building true community versus those that are only hosting events in the name of community.

But I think this actually runs even deeper than that.

There’s one thing I often say to folks:

“Don’t confuse the business of community with the spirit and practice of community.” 

These two things CAN be mutually exclusive.

What do I mean by that?

Everywhere you look, you will see the word “community” being touted in relation to this or that member’s club, any number of second, third or fourth spaces, a plethora of event series or perhaps even an app / social media construct that offers the “promise” of greater connection...

…A promise that whoever is promoting the idea might be agnostic about keeping.

And when I look at what is out there and I reflect on it, in some ways it's actually not that surprising.

Due to the loneliness epidemic spurred on by a perfect storm of social media addiction, a decomposing cultural landscape and an ever-shrinking attention span, there is a real need out there for meaningful human interaction which generates demand for a solution at a feverish pace.

The notion of community in turn is cast as the antidote or quick fix to solve what people are currently experiencing, and a trend begins to develop.

There’s only one problem with this idea…

…real community building isn’t quick…like at all.

Anything that has ever involved fostering genuine and authentic connection within people can never be rushed.

But it can be “facilitated” and this in turn becomes the gold rush for ambitious entrepreneurs who step up to the plate to fill this glaring need...or at least try doing so.

The thing about many of these entrepreneurs is, their talents and interests don't necessarily lie in actual community building. It is more tied to the idea of generating a sustainable business around an opportunity. And there are those out there that are wickedly talented at doing so. 

But if community wasn't the trending societal need that has dominated our collective mindshare at present, I have a strong suspicion that these individuals would simply identify the next opportunity/trend and move on with minimal emotional or vested interest.

So past all the polished decks, gilded frameworks, exciting concepts and promoted products that these businesses generate, what do you have?

…the actual work of building a community.

And what does this entail?

Given I may have some earned experience on the matter, I figured I would offer my two cents, and I’ll do it by putting my own community Sugary under the microscope.

Aligned Values & Purpose

Any community of people that hopes to thrive needs to share a common DNA, be it a series of tenets that everyone generally subscribes to and/or a shared vision for what the community stands for and where it's going. 

This is the soul of the community, and it needs to be nurtured and reaffirmed constantly. 

With my community, there is a stated purpose to utilize arts and culture in a broad context to drive community and connection within New York City.  This manifests through the numerous events that I host or co-host which draw upon the entire spectrum of arts and culture to create great experiences for people to enjoy.

But doesn't that make me just an events business?

Not exactly.

Because the spine of the events is not predicated based on pure revenue generation and sustainable business considerations.  My line-up of activities serves a deeper calling; that it is quite possible to create a better society by utilizing the power of art and culture to inspire a collaborative ripple effect in concert with my own community members as well as other communities that share this visionary mindset. 

The hope is that this will eventually lead to a social reframing within New York City and eventually beyond its borders.

In putting this greater message out there in this way, I have attracted a group of individuals with varying levels of commitment that prescribe to this idea.  And from that certain interesting ideas have emerged that include but are not limited to:

·       A diverse but culturally curious base of supporters and subscribers.

·       Content of character and artistry above all. 

·       Anti-flaking.

·       Gate Smashing vs. Gate Keeping.

·       Conscious event curation (i.e social battery).

None of my events are ever for just event's sake. You can count on the fact that there is always a larger purpose or a greater message that I aim to instill in people through the events that aligns with the overall goal of Sugary. That becomes the lifeblood of sustaining the integrity of this growing community.

Quality & Consistency 

This pretty much goes hand in hand. But any community that is worth its salt needs to provide an offering that conveys a sense of quality and is present enough over time for it to be an anchor point that can be relied upon.  Within quality you find the unspoken gift of effort which translates into a message of care and concern.  Consistency renews and reinforces this idea over time so that people begin counting on what you are doing to bring a sense of balance and support to their lives.

The Sugary community and its experiences are built on three pillars, a superb experience, a curated group of lovingly imperfect yet beautiful individuals of good character, and a commitment to curiosity and wonder.  And the proof is in the pudding that this community continues to grow, slowly but surely, but always forward. This community is in this for the long haul and what we are creating here is priceless.

The newsletter comes out every week and attempts to bring real value to all who read it.  Apart from when I had my health scare, I haven't missed a single week since The Sugary Scoop was launched nearly four years ago.  In it, folks have access to my values distilled through my heartfelt reflections (non A.I.), my specific curatorial instinct, and greater possibility to enrich their own lives here in NYC.

Trust & Reciprocity 

This only comes after you have the first two.  But after enough time when your aligned purpose and values are met with quality and consistency over time, you really start developing trust and that is the genesis of true connection.

I can genuinely say that I have real relationships with my community members.  I am active with them, I know them by name and what they're about, as well as sharing brilliant experiences with them countless times.

My people know that they can call me at any time and I will be there.  And while admittedly I do need to work on boundaries for myself, my commitment to those that are part of my world is beyond reproach.

This investment has yielded a return best exemplified by the way people show up not only in support of the events I organize or community led initiatives whenever I have ever asked (i.e Empathy project, Community Week, Fine Folk, etc…), but also for each other.

I delight in stories that I hear of genuine relationships formed through the community.

Moments that are totally organic.  Moments that often take place without me.

I live for this stuff.

The ripple effect is real.

Do I think that building a sustainable business around community is possible?

Yes.

But the next time somebody tries to sell you something in the name of community, reflect on the points I have mentioned and see if what is being sold to you is truly invested in your experience and journey rather than their bottom line. 

They can co-exist, but it's up to you to be more discerning.

I feel we really need to bridge a fundamental disconnect that I feel exists within how facilitating community is approached by entrepreneurs.

And it begins with a fundamental understanding and appreciation that community building and the connections that result from it are the slow food for the soul. 

It needs to be nourished over time with intention and dedication.

It deserves that and this must be the priority, not traditional ROI.

Anything less and the art of it never takes shape and it remains an empty shell.

A nice frame without the creation itself…

Sugary 🍬

Clinaman

Some art asks you to look. Some ask you to listen. clinamen, the mesmerizing installation by French artist Céleste Boursier-Mougenot, invites you to do something much rarer: slow down.

Now on view inside the soaring at the Park Avenue Armory through Aug. 9^th , the installation transforms the cavernous space into a living, ever-changing meditative soundscape. Hundreds of white ceramic bowls float freely across nearly 30,000 gallons of water, gently drifting with a subtle current. As they softly collide, they create delicate, bell-like tones that are never repeated in quite the same way twice. There are no musicians, no conductor, and no recorded soundtrack, only water, porcelain, time and a heavy dose of chance composing the music together.

The title, clinamen, comes from the ancient philosophical concept describing the unpredictable "swerve" of atoms, a tiny deviation that makes spontaneity, and ultimately free will, possible. That idea lies at the heart of the work.

Every movement of every bowl is governed by natural forces, yet each collision is wonderfully unpredictable. The result is an installation that feels simultaneously accidental and inevitable, reminding visitors that beauty often emerges not from perfect control, but from allowing systems to evolve on their own.

After experiencing clinamen in person, I found myself walking away with a related yet different interpretation. To me, the installation isn't simply about sound or chance, it's a metaphor for life itself.

Each bowl drifts forward toward an uncertain future, never quite knowing when or where its next encounter will happen. We do the same. We move through our lives without knowing which conversations will change us, which strangers will become lifelong friends, or which seemingly insignificant moments will quietly alter our direction. Yet those collisions inevitably occur. And much like the bowls, the only evidence they have happened, is the fading resonance they leave behind, soon to be audibly eclipsed by a more recent proximal collision.

Our relationships, our shared experiences, the memories we create…these are the echoes of those encounters. They ripple outward long after the moment itself has passed.

What struck me most was the atmosphere inside the room.

On paper, hundreds of ceramic bowls colliding in a vast pool of water sounds like a recipe for cacophony. One might expect an overwhelming chorus of clatter and noise. Instead, the opposite occurs. The space is remarkably serene. The collisions never seem to compete with one another. They become a collective composition, an aural harmony emerging from countless independent interactions.

That calmness extended beyond the installation itself. There was a palpable stillness among the audience. Visitors lingered quietly. Some stood motionless for several minutes, others slowly circled the water, all seemingly drawn into the same contemplative rhythm. In a city that so often rewards urgency, everyone seemed content to simply exist together for a while.

Perhaps that's what makes clinamen so moving. It suggests that chaos and harmony aren't opposites at all. What appears random from up close can reveal extraordinary order when viewed as a whole.

Life often feels this way. We spend so much of it navigating uncertainty, wondering whether our paths have purpose or whether our encounters are merely accidental. But when viewed from a greater distance, those countless interactions begin to resemble something larger…a composition continually being written by millions of people moving through time together at different paces and angles yet always forward.

The installation offers no beginning and no ending. The bowls continue drifting. They meet. They separate. They meet again. New harmonies emerge while old ones quietly fade away.

Perhaps that is the lesson clinamen leaves us with: that life isn't about avoiding collisions, but embracing them. Every interaction, however brief, contributes to a larger symphony we can never fully hear from our own perspective. We are all floating through uncertainty, each on our own course, creating fleeting moments of resonance with others before drifting onward once again.

And somehow, despite all that unpredictability, the result is not noise.

It's harmony.

 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!