Honestly, the cityscape of NYC has got to be the best in the world and it never seems to stop inspiring. No matter which way you look at it, from whatever direction, all you see is a rawness to its beauty. Where the coldness of steel and concrete meld perfectly with the vibrant warmth of a living energy that just will not quit. When I approached my friend Atlantic Melon about submitting a photo, he sent me this beauty and it honestly took my breath away. I swear it never gets old, and to see the cityscape through my friend's artistic lens... even more stunning.

This is life in silhouette, and with each step you take closer towards the city, you find a town teeming with life and activity and a vibrancy that cannot be matched anywhere else.

This photo was taken on a Bushwick, Brooklyn rooftop on November 8th, 2022.

Artistic Statement

This is what I see through my camera when I look at the Manhattan skyline from a rooftop in Bushwick. It’s a place I come to often to decompress and process the nonstop daily swirl of things that I live through in this city. 

When Sugary asked me for a photo and a quick reflection, I came up again to take a breath and look at the skyline. I remembered how people say that you're only a New Yorker after ten years of living here. But I’m not entirely sure that’s the whole story. 

The longer I live here, the more I realize it's not time. It's experiences. Small or big, all of them shape who we are. 

From taking the subway the wrong way for the first two years, to meeting the love of your life who turned out to be a summer fling. The many times someone said "let's have coffee" and it never happened. The times you were intentional and spent time with people that became unimaginably important to you. The jobs you took that sounded like a dream, and the ones that offered things that turned out too good to be true.

New York. You make it. You define it. That's the magic of this city. You get wiser and sharper, and you learn to balance a city that pushes you forward relentlessly with the wisdom of finding your tribe, creating space for rest and much needed recovery. 

I love this city. I'm inspired by every person who comes here to reinvent themselves, to learn, to explore, to cry, to laugh, to thrive.

At the end of the day, only you get to define what it means to be a New Yorker. 

For more incredible photos, please follow Atlantic Melon HERE.

If you have any amazing photos you’ve taken or that you’ve come across, that you think are simply incredible representations of community and culture in NYC, please send them my way [email protected] (when sending, please include photo credit as well as the location in NYC where this was taken and when as well as a brief description no more than a paragraph long of what’s happening in the photo and why it inspires you.)

Early Burdz

Art can be a powerful catalyst for human connection.

Art galleries, museums, and other creative spaces can be turned into unexpected meeting grounds for people looking to expand their social circles.

That's the spirit behind Early Burdz, a cultural events community that creates opportunities for professionals, creatives, and curious New Yorkers to explore culture together.

Art is meant to be a communal experience and so Early Burdz organizes weekly gallery hops, museum mixers, art parties, singles gatherings, and industry-specific events. One evening might involve wandering through contemporary galleries in Chelsea; another could mean exploring an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art before continuing the conversation over drinks. The artwork provides the icebreaker, while the people provide the reason to return.

One of its signature experiences, Art House, takes the concept a step further by transforming exhibitions featuring emerging artists into lively social gatherings.

Guests can discover and purchase original artwork while mingling with fellow art lovers, and participating artists gain opportunities to introduce their work to new audiences. It's a particularly appealing arrangement whereby artists receive greater visibility, cultural spaces attract new visitors, and attendees get to experience art as something social and participatory rather than solitary.

The community which started in NYC has grown well beyond its borders now operating across more than 25 U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco…but it all started right here in Gotham.

According to the organization, its events attracted more than 16,000 RSVPs in 2025, reflecting a growing appetite for real-world experiences surrounding art.

There's also an interesting technological layer beneath the decidedly analog experience. Early Burdz has developed its own event chat platform, complete with icebreakers, attendee coordination, and compatibility matching.

It’s called Find Your Flock and uses a short questionnaire to help participants discover people with similar social preferences, whether they're seeking friendships, professional relationships, creative collaborators, or romance. Rather than replacing in-person connection, the technology is intended to make that first encounter a little easier. After all, the challenge often isn't just in finding interesting people, it's also finding an approachable reason to meet them.

Early Burdz makes it so that you don't need to be an art expert, a seasoned collector, or particularly outgoing. You can simply show up, look at something fascinating, ask someone what they think, and see where the conversation leads.

So check out any one of their upcoming meetups and get ready to experience some great art and hopefully better company.  If there’s one thing the Early Burdz art afficionado community is always looking for,,,

…it’s a fresh perspective.

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

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!