On TikTok, I always talk about how interesting people are interested people. 2025 is for rediscovering your passions and hobbies outside of your career. Every one of you has the potential to be the most interesting person in a room, you just have to cultivate a life that is uniquely yours. While I can’t map out a life and activities plan for each one of you, I can give you the tools to go cool places, be a good conversationalist, impress your dates, purchase items actually worth your money and find community within the city you live in (which for most of you is New York).
Every Friday this year, I will be sending out my newsletter as a mini guide to maximizing or surviving your weekend. I’ll highlight important news topics you should be aware of, interesting articles I read that week, new spots in New York or globally that you should know about, buzzy products of the week, things to do that weekend, my weekly favorites and then some New York gossip/tea/hacks which will be exclusive for my lovely paid subscribers.
As with anything new, the format will evolve over time, but I’m so excited to grow together and so happy you’re all here.
The Serious Stuff
At this point, I think we’re all aware of the horrific wildfires occurring in LA. You can find ongoing coverage of the situation here. If you’re looking for ways to help, this has good resources on reputable organizations for your donations.
If you’re doing Dry January, you can feel really good about your decision after the U.S. Surgeon General called for cancer warnings on alcohol this week. He stated that alcohol directly contributes to 100,000 cancer cases and 20,000 related deaths each year. You can read all the research and potential implications here.
The college football playoffs kicked off last night with Penn State playing Notre Dame. I don’t closely follow college sports, but I love watching a football game. If you want to brush up on your knowledge, here’s some high level information.
Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods debuted a new indoor golf league this week. The broadcast averaged almost one million viewers during its two-hour debut. The league is called TGL and features 15 matches that will be played through March 4 and then finish with playoffs.
Not quite serious, but equally important, is a reminder that Love Island All Stars returns next week and has announced the initial 12 returnees.
Interesting People are Interested
The Atlantic went viral this week for an article titled “Americans Need to Party More”. While I think I have the opposite problem, it was shocking to read and makes me concerned for the state of in-person interactions and communities in the years to come.
The Observer published their list of “The Most Important People in Nightlife & Dining”. It gives great insight into what you can expect this year in hospitality trends from some of your favorite restaurant groups.
It’s January which means every form of media will be emphasizing health & wellness for the next 21 days. The New Yorker published an article on why the American diet is so deadly. There’s lots of discourse on why Europeans seem so much healthier and in shape, and this starts the conversation on ultra-processed foods and if they’re really bad for you.
New Kids on the Block
New year and new destinations for dining, going out and everything in-between.
The Snail- Greenpoint’s answer to the growing crowd at Bernie’s. This new American bistro one block from Bernie’s is replicating the Bernie’s formula with the New York meal of a martini, salad, burger and instagrammable sundae. For now, the restaurant is strictly walk-ins only.
Zimmi’s- Chances are someone you know who lives in the West Village has already made this new French bistro their personality in the past month it’s been open, but don’t let that take away from the magic of Zimmi’s.
Santi- A stunning new Italian restaurant in Midtown from the chef behind Marea and Ai Fiori. This will be very popular with the business dinner crowd, but I think will be an under-the-radar new gem for the area. The food looks delicious and beautiful, and the space screams special occasion. For those of you who plan in advance, this could be great for Valentine’s Day.
Ha’s Snack Bar- A popular pop-up that now has its own cozy restaurant on the Lower East Side. This Vietnamese spot with a constantly changing menu is perfect for drinks and small bites. They take reservations and accept walk-ins at the counter.
Bagel Joint- This popular Smorgasburg vendor opens today in Greenpoint. You can order classic bagels here, but they’re known for their Asian-influenced, non-traditional creations like the miso bagel and the scallion pancake schmear
Rude Mouth- Williamsburg has a new walk-in only wine bar from a Four Horsemen alum.
Shopaholics
As mentioned on my Hot Girls Obsessions round-up this week, brown sneakers are the casual, but still fashionable shoe for winter 2025. The big trend is flat, track style sneakers, but so many brands have really cute brown pairs in an abundance of styles. If you’re looking for a new shoe to brave the elements in, I love these pairs from Adidas, Alohas, New Balance, Rag & Bone, Maison Margiela and Vince. The full style round-up can be found here.
Everyone is talking about Summer Fridays and Rhode, but the actual lip balm star is the lip balm line from Ole Henrikson. My favorite shades are Cocoa Creme and Lingonberry Jam Glimmer.
This is slightly psycho, but my favorite time to run outside is the winter. I love how fewer people are out, and I feel way more energized for long distances when I’m running in the cold. The key to success for winter runs is how you dress. I recently discovered Lululemon’s fleece lined leggings, and I’m obsessed. They’re super lightweight, but the fleece lining keeps you warm even when it’s below 30 degrees. My biggest hack for surviving the cold is to wear two pairs of gloves. Your hands will feel the cold the most if you’re not dressed properly. I love these liner gloves from Under Armour to wear as a base layer under my running touchscreen gloves. They come in women’s and men’s.
Maximize Your Weekend
Lai Rai- A tiny Vietnamese natural wine bar in Chinatown that’s inspired by Folderol in Paris (iykyk). This is the perfect place to stay cozy this winter, and I see this bar blowing up on social media this year.
Cosmo- This new nightclub was a hotspot before it even officially opened with large crowds waiting outside during its soft launch weekends. Cosmo is now officially open and making its 2025 return on Saturday. The music is similar to Gospel or Ketchy Shuby, but the space is bigger and the crowd is more energetic.
Winter Jazzfest- Last night kicked off Jazzfest in New York. Through the 15th, you can find numerous jazz-focused events around the city.
Ice Rinks- Bryant Park has brought back its bumper cars on ice for the winter which I think is the cutest, most fun winter activity. If you want to go the more traditional route, Wollman Rink is my favorite ice rink in the city both for the views and the size.
Joxer’s- The famous Dead Rabbit debuts their new Irish sport bar themed pop-up at Pier 17 today. It will be on The Rooftop featuring private dining cottages, bungalows and an ice rink.
Community Events- The fitness queen & human ray of sunshine, Grace Freyre, is hosting a Manifestation & Vision Board Workshop on Sunday at Charlie Bird. Your ticket includes a welcome glass of bubbles or a mocktail along with everything you need for your vision board. Grace is one of my favorite people and one of the friendliest people in the city. Highly recommend this if you want a fun, reflective and positive Sunday activity. You can get tickets here.
My Weekly Favs
In a very rare occurrence for me, I’ve had a mostly slow week at home outside of attending my very first Knicks game, so my fixations are all in the same tiny radius of my current routine. However, I did go out to see Babygirl this weekend and I do not recommend it to anyone. The plot is lacking, the chemistry is lacking and the most redeeming part was the New York penthouse they used as Nicole Kidman’s home.
I’m a secret bookworm and am on my third book of the week. I’ve been in a random Fantasy kick and just finished the first two books in the Crowns of Nyaxia series. If you read the Fourth Wing series or any series by Sarah J. Maas, you’ll love this vampire-focused slightly Hunger Games style series. I’m halfway through a book called Disney High which is a nonfiction book about the “rise and fall of Disney Channel’s tween empire”. If you were a Disney Channel kid, this is a really interesting look at the behind-the-scenes of some of the most popular shows, movies and stars.
Fuze House- The second hardest class to book in New York, but I finally planned in advance and can confirm that it’s fully worth the hype. I took Sina’s Sunday 8:30am pilates and it was the most enjoyable class. The temperature is hot, but not stuffy. The moves are challenging, but you change exercises enough that the class flies by and keeps you engaged.
Chloe on Bleecker- I’ve been a Chloe fan since I was in college, so I was ecstatic when she came back to the original ByChloe location last year with her own restaurant. I’m not vegan, and this is still one of my favorite fast-casual, “healthier” spots in the city. My favorites here are the avocado toasts, quinoa taco salad, sweet potato fries, cinnamon roll, vanilla sprinkle cake slice and vanilla caramel chocolate chunk cookie.
Bonberi- This has been my hyper-fixation since they introduced their peppermint mocha and holiday donuts in December. It’s a little market in the West Village with drinks, baked goods, pre-made healthier meals, various small business snacks and sweets and cute merch. Their tiny donuts are supposedly healthy, but insanely delicious and cute. I love their matcha latte and the salads look really good.
The Tea
The real gossip that isn’t for everyone’s eyes on the internet.