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!

Our @sugary.nyc Instagram has launched.

Some of you might be shocked to learn we haven't had an official IG this entire time. What can I say... dem be the facts.

I've never been much of a social media person, but the brand needs a different posture as we continue sharing our vision of community with the world.

This becomes our go to hub for all things Sugary: event content, recommendations, major announcements, podcast snippets, giveaways, and more. We're keeping it active so it reflects the spirit and values of our community.

Do us a favor: give us a follow and share with anyone in your circle who'd benefit from a community rooted in empathy, indiscriminate in its humanity, and THE resource for all things sweet in NYC.

2026... here we go!

And comment "community" on our latest post for premium access to the Sweet List events app.

🍬 Sugary

THE SUGARY EFFECT

In the Land of Assiduous Resolution

Literally as this latest edition of the newsletter publishes, I will be some 40,000 feet in the air en route to Asia where I will remain until the top of February.

This trip approximately marks the one year anniversary since I last went to visit my parents who have been in a steady state of managed decline since my last visit.

And despite the terrible realities of parental aging, it really is the best I could have hoped for…no big waves, no huge massive developments which at this point is regrettably skewed towards only one inevitable direction.

As I make this journey, I do it also in the context of everything that I had to go through personally in 2025 which brought its own share of unique life shifting occurrences to reconcile with.

And so out of this Molotov mix of experiences and refined perspectives, TIME has emerged as the central theme from which I’ve derived 6 maxims that will govern my lens of 2026:

First, Gratitude Forward. (Starting with my parents)

My rebelliousness may have defined aspects of who I am, but it was done under the sheltered latitude of pretty much wanting for nothing. My basics and then some were always covered. Life has left little doubt that I could have done much much worse as far as a starting hand is concerned and so as traumatic as my experience was growing up, if I can borrow an aviation metaphor, I suffered from the comfort of Premium Economy seating.  My resentment of my parents needs to be replaced with more overall gratitude and some measure of contrition on my part for my own contributions in exacerbating situations to untenable levels.

Furthermore, I have a lot of appreciation for a lot of people that remain unexpressed.  

It’s time to remedy that.

I also think this one will be a good one to document as a content series as well because it could be very healing for me as well as for those interested in joining me on this journey.  It might even involve a bit of travel…

Second, No More Second-Guessing My Uniqueness. (Even if others do)

I often talk about friends I admire who Zig while most others Zag and seem to live comfortably in that zone.  

But it occurred to me that maybe I belong in that category too. 

For so long I’ve tried to take to heart any criticisms or dictates from “Zaggers” in my life without pausing to consider that despite their good intentions and lessons to be learned from their perspective, they also have their own blind spots and may lack the capacity to see or appreciate any of the things that just “occur” to me.

I’ve always looked at life a little differently than other people. And embracing that fact a bit more might be a healthy thing.

The person I am who is critiqued on “wasted energy” spent on “meaningless” outreach and follow up is also the same person who was the first to envision a campaign around “empathy” which has since emerged as THE cornerstone value of our times as our collective society wrestles with its own humanity. 

The person I am that is “impossible” or “challenging” when it comes to business matters is the same person that invented and evolved the concept of salons predicated exclusively on personal character and earned relationships. 

The person I am that overextends himself in the name of “showing up” is also the same person that has a the curiosity and capacity to feed a curatorial eye that’s second to none in the city (and came up with ideas like a “Social Battery” as a key metric for events).

It’s ok that not everyone fully “gets” what I do or why I do it.  It’s OK that some might roll their eyes from time to time at my assertions and beliefs, the mere fact that I have these thoughts backed by action is why people have the potential to be interested in the first place.  What’s important is that they “feel it“ in the end and it adds to their life.  That is the only metric that matters…that and a healthier sense of self.

Ultimately, I am that ultra rare limited edition PSA 10.0 graded 1 of 1 collectible and I’m only appreciating with each passing year.

Which leads me to my next point…

Constructive vs. Reductive (An Observation on Critique).

I am pretty hard on myself in general.  And I try to incorporate feedback I get even if it typically ends up with the mixed results as one might expect out of being a flawed human, just being.  

But I think while I’ll make all the time in the world for thoughts that are ultimately constructive in both intent and tangibly relevant, I think I’ll have less tolerance for thoughts that are purely centered around the notion of a cathartic unloading.  

I no longer need to be the primary port receiving that kind of damaged cargo because I don’t deserve it one and two, I don’t want to pay the emotional tariff that comes with it any longer.

Carpe Diem (Cum or Sine Sociis)

These past couple of months, quietly I bought tickets to see 4 shows that I’ve been wanting to check out but through the gauntlet of endless obligations had failed to do so.  I went by myself without any fuss or planning. Maybe Happy Ending, MJ the Musical, Cocktail Magique and The Met Opera’s Magic Flute.

I loved every minute of it.  

In the year ahead, I’m gonna focus a lot more on things that PERSONALLY inspire me.  Regardless of whether I’m accompanied or I’m flying solo, if it’s something I’m interested in, I’m gonna go for it more than I ever have and I’m gonna accommodate myself first.

Anyone is welcome to join, but it won’t be dependent on that.

The No’s Have It: Daring “The Ask” (Conditioning Audacity).

I’ve always felt sheepish asking for much of anything in life…

…and it’s a problem.

What do they say, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”…well by that measure I’ve missed a ton of shots over the years and essentially plotted against myself by rendering my ability to ask, mute. 

I need to break this cycle. 

And I think what I’m gonna do is set a weekly goal of “No’s” I get and consider that the success.  This way I’m putting myself out there and even if it’s a No Fest it’s proof that I’m trying to overcome my irrational fear of “imposing” or “being viewed as a taker”. 

Frankly, I’m not that type of individual, I’m not built that way fundamentally so the first person that should be denying this perception is me, not enabling it.

I predict a lot of major changes this year and it all begins with me. I’m super excited to see what 2026 brings and so grateful you’re joining along for the ride.

🍬 Sugary

NOTABLE NYC EVENTS, HAND-PICKED BY SUGARY AKA THE SWEET LIST HAS MOVED!

Big news: The Sweet List is now a full mobile app.

Same hand-picked events. Same social battery levels and "Your People" descriptions. But now you can actually filter by what matters to you instead of scrolling through a wall of text every Monday.

Plus we're no longer limited by newsletter character counts, which means more events, more opportunities, more options for your liking.

What's changing:

• All events now live at sugarynyc.com

• Free users see this week's events

• Paid subscribers get a 3-week lookahead so you can actually plan.

What's staying the same:

• Every event is still personally vetted by me

• Trust icons, experience tags, social battery levels, "Your People" descriptions

• You'll still get this Monday email with highlights

• The vibe remains "events you'd never find on your own"

Free premium for a week: Follow us on our new IG @sugary.nyc and comment "community" on our latest post. We'll auto DM you a access code for free premium access.

We just dropped 42 vetted events for the next few weeks.

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

Cocktail Magique

What IS the perfect recipe for a fantastic evening exactly?  

You starts off with 2 parts spectacle for sure, add on top of that equal parts whimsy and decadence and finished off with a little dash of the unexpected. 

Shake vigorously, pour generously and voila…you have Cocktail Magique.

This delectable 2 hour romp (w/ intermission) is a fun cabaret-esque chapter within the tome of offerings from Company XIV, a performing arts troupe known for it’s exceptional artistry paired with playful debauchery which seems to seep into the very DNA of their productions.

This particular show’s draw centers around the variety of acts and the themes are libations and legerdemain.  

As audiences imbibe and the artists dazzle under the backdrop of circus-like boudoir bordello atmosphere, the observant eye will find so much to appreciate as far as Company XIV’s attention to detail.

The appointments are lavish, the costumes are extravagant and the tableau is sumptuous.

All in all, the experience is truly fun and by the end of it audience members were dancing in the aisles encouraged by the artists themselves who seemed genuinely happy to have inspired such enthusiasm.

Definitely check out Cocktail Magique.  It’s honestly a fun light hearted affair that will leave you charmed…and buzzed all at once.

NYC Community Week Update

We made it to Round 2 for The David Prize!

For those unfamiliar: The David Prize gives five New Yorkers $200,000 each, no strings attached, to pursue ideas that can genuinely change this city. Thousands apply. A fraction advance. We're still in it.

Round 2 required longer, more detailed answers. They wanted to understand the "why" behind what we're building. I figured you might find it interesting to see exactly what we wrote. Here's the unfiltered version:

"Tell us about your New York and the opportunities you see for the city."

I wrote about the gap between being surrounded and being seen. Millions of people brush past each other every day yet feel more disconnected than ever. The pain is ubiquitous: from the transplant who moves here with hope and leaves within a few years because they never found their people, to the depressive accounts that seem to be a collective struggle shared among our friends and colleagues.

NYC's cultural richness is the most underused public health asset we have. Culture is the perfect catalyst for connection, yet most social offerings here default to scale, status, or digital performance. The opportunity is to rebuild the city's social fabric through in person, culturally rooted, intentionally curated experiences that help people bond deeply and belong meaningfully.

"What have you already done to move your vision forward?"

I shared the receipts: went to 3 to 5 events a day, seven days a week, for years. Connected with 300 to 500 New Yorkers monthly. Not online. Face to face. 500+ curated gatherings across music, art, food, and storytelling. Nearly 35,000 contact details exchanged. A 19,000+ subscriber newsletter sourced almost entirely from IRL relationships. The Bond to Belong to Build to Become framework that's helped thousands form genuine friendships, creative collaborations, and lasting community.

"Explain what difference $200,000 would make."

$200,000 would convert a proven community method into citywide infrastructure. Staffing support. Research capacity. Content creation. Cultural partnerships. Micro community grants. A replicable public framework for building meaningful connection in NYC.

It would free us from survival mode. The constant tradeoff between hosting gatherings, managing logistics, writing, community care, and doing the on the ground connecting that fuels everything. The Prize would give us time, stability, and legitimacy, allowing sponsors and civic partners to step in and sustain the work long term.

What stands in the way?

Capacity and infrastructure. Together with DK, we're doing the work of an entire community organization: research, design, curation, outreach, sponsorship, promotion, operations, evaluation, and storytelling. To scale this vision citywide, we need stable funding and personnel support. The only barrier is the gap between what we can do alone and what New York actually needs.

That's the honest pitch I sent over. No polish. No performance.

Community Week is happening this May. If this resonates with you, there are three ways to help:

Donate: Even small contributions add fuel to a fire that's already burning. Link HERE.

Bring programming: If you're part of a community, host events, or have ideas for activations during Community Week, reply back. We want to hear from you.

Sponsor or partner: If you or your company wants to be part of something that's actually building social infrastructure in NYC, let's talk. Reply to this email.

This is collective action that we’re excited to build together with you.

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

Othership

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!