You might be tempted to write off the 1980’s as a decade of too much— too much hairspray, too much neon, and too much eye makeup, but if you did you’d be dead wrong. And that was proven by one of this summer’s hottest tickets, the “Squeeze Songbook 2019” tour.
Squeeze frontmen and songwriters Glen Tillbrook and Chris Difford were called the “Lennon and McCartney of their generation” by Rolling Stone. Hits like Pulling Mussels from a Shell, Hour Glass, Black Coffee in Bed, Cool for Cats, and Tempted are a testament to the band’s talent and staying power, as was the audience at the sold out Pier 17 show. Their voices are strong—the unmistakable Squeeze sound provided by Tillbrook’s earnest, vulnerable, bluesy top line, and Chris Difford’s sexy, throaty alto and keen sense of irony. Their harmonies are as sharp as ever, and listening to them feels as fresh and exciting as it did in the early 80s. The Squeeze lineup, notoriously, changed a lot over the years, but this tour includes Simon Hanson, Stephen Large, and newest addition, Yolanda Charles on bass.
Squeeze released their first single, Take Me I’m Yours, in 1978, and were at the forefront of what came to be known as the “Second British Invasion.” Their popularity grew with albums like the self-titled Squeeze, followed by Cool for Cats, Argy Bargy, East Side Story, and Sweets from a Stranger. After splitting for a couple of years, they reunited in 1985 and released Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti, and since then have consistently continued to release new music. The band has 15 studio albums, 14 compilations, 4 live albums, and 48 singles. This tour includes some of the bands most well-known hits, as well as some rare gems.
Squeeze is currently touring the UK, and heading to New Zealand in the early part of 2020.
Easy Rider, the iconic film written by Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Terry Southern, roars into Radio City Music Hall on Friday, September 20th to celebrate its 50th anniversary. The film released in 1969, was one of the very first independent movies and was revolutionary for its time.
Most people know the Easy Rider story but just in case: Wyatt (Fonda) and Billy (Hopper) are hippies who have scored in a big drug deal, and with the cash they earned plan to retire to Florida. But they are taking one last trip from LA to New Orleans to go to Mardi Gras. Along the way they meet up with George Hanson (Jack Nicholson), a square who is tired of small town life. The three set off to “look for America” and as they roll down the highway, they discover that they America they are looking for isn’t actually there. They may not have found America, but Billie and Wyatt rode into the American psyche and the movie remains as relevant today as it was in 1969.
To prove that point, Jason Miller of Live Nation and Peter Shapiro of Dayglo Presents have teamed up to present Easy Rider Live. The evening, originally planned to include opening remarks by Peter Fonda, will celebrate Fonda’s major cinematic achievement with the legendary soundtrack performed live onstage, featuring John Kay of Steppenwolf, Roger McGuinn of The Byrds, along with special guests, and produced by T Bone Burnett. Says Shapiro, “Peter was so excited about doing this for the 50th, I know he will be there with us in spirit. This is the coolest film ever made, and we are so excited to bring it to the audience with live music.” Miller and Shapiro were thrilled to bring this film to such a revered venue as Radio City Music Hall. Says Miller, “They have the world’s largest floating LED screen, so we really couldn’t think of a better place to screen Easy Rider.”
Fonda, sadly, passed away at the age of 79, on August 16, 2019, of respiratory failure due to lung cancer. During the planning of this event he said, “What a ride it’s been! From a funky motel room in Toronto, in ‘67 to a roar on the shore at Cannes, in May 1969. A wild ride up the stairs at the Palais into the history books of cinema. Looking for America. Would we find it today? I think not. Did we really “blow it?” You bet. 50 years later, are we blowing it now? You bet. Enjoy the new print. Sing along with the songs. Laugh with the humor! Remember the spirit! Find the love.” He is survived by his wife, Parky, who says of the event, ““We are all still healing from Peter’s sudden passing, but he would insist that the message of Easy Rider and the culture for which it stands carry on. The celebration of a cinematic masterpiece, a Hollywood icon, and my beloved husband will not only be one of a kind, but exactly what he wanted.”
Celebrate National CBD Day today by learning how to incorporate this ubiquitous product into your wellness routine. Several national drug stores and supermarket chains stock it, and it’s in everything from hemp tea, lattes to lip balm. Lower Manhattan has over 35 CBD stores to choose from, with more on the way. In Oregon, Elixinol is working at the highest level to bring quality CBD to the market, and to help their customers understand what they are buying and how to use it effectively. The company’s vice president of marketing communications, Chris Husong, sat down with us to discuss how to make CBD a part of your life.
Downtown: Is there a difference between CBD derived from hemp versus cannabis?
Chris Husong: Biologically, there is no difference. It’s like asking if vitamin C is different from a lemon or lime. CBD is a molecule. The difference is that CBD derived from hemp is legal and, with the passage of the new Farm Bill, can be purchased nationwide. At Elixinol, we use a cannabis plant that is .3 or less of THC, which legally defines it as hemp. If it has more THC, it’s legal marijuana. As far as effectiveness, whether it’s from hemp or from marijuana, it should be “full-spectrum,” meaning that it has all parts of the plant, the waxes, the terpenes, and the CBD. If you are buying isolate, then the product will not be as effective.
WELLBEING – Elixinol’s full-spectrum CBD tinctures come in a variety of flavors including cinnamint, grape mint, and natural.
DT: It is often confusing to find and understand this information. Why do you think that is?
CH: I think there are several sources of that confusion. First, there’s a lack of education. People like myself use marketing words for evil rather than good and trying to understand and take advantage of a Wa-Wa west market place much like bitcoin. Right? There was a lot of confusion over them, right? Same. Truthfully, cannabis, hemp, and marijuana are like craft beer. It should be available to anyone who wants it that is of proper age. They should be able to get it over the counter at the proper age and direction. There’s going to be less effective and less tasty versions, and there will be more effective top quality versions. Some are worth it and some aren’t. Some are going to make it and some aren’t. We’re going from being the weird internet thing to being as big and as prevalent as the aloe vera industry.
DT: Could you elaborate on the difference in cost between full-spectrum products and isolate?
PET CARE – Edibites are formulated by a veterinarian and a professional chef, and can contribute to your dog’s overall health.
CH: It is a little bit cheaper to produce isolate, and it’s easier, too. But additionally, it’s easier to put isolate in anything. It’s a powder. It’s easy to work with from a formulator; you don’t need to have a lot of former expertise to put that in a brownie or a gummy. You don’t necessarily need, do I put this much sugar? Do I put this much isolate? It’s easier. It’s much more difficult to put a full-spectrum oil in something and make it work well, smell well, and taste well consistently. There’s a level of expertise that has to be there. Additionally, you have to have a level of expertise and knowledge in hardware to be able to consistently extract the high-quality CBD, all terpenes, and the profiles that are full spectrum. Using things like propane or butane to extract that is not something that you necessarily want to do all the time. CO2 is much more costly, which is what Elixinol uses, but it creates a much more potent product.
DT: Why is there such a variation in CBD costs on the market today?
CH: As far as costs, that’s becoming part of a bigger conversation because initially, the industry uses to talk about percentages, and then we switched to talking about milligrams of CBD because that’s how you by Vitamin C and that’s how you buy Tylenol. You don’t ask, “how strong is the vitamin C today, pharmacy guy?” Initially, our products had 18% or 22% when we created it, but we made that shift because it’s easier for the consumer to understand, and it speaks to our quality control. We know exactly how much is going to be in there for you and exactly how much you’re taking. Then what we found, and it goes to your cost question, is the more bioavailable the CBD is, the better it’s going to work for you. Costs right now are very variable. I was just in Boston at Paleo F(x)—a big convention for all these biohackers and paleo diet people. A woman approached me and said, “I love CBD, I take it every day. It’s so great, it changed my life.” I asked her what she was taking and she said she was supporting a local guy who makes it in Texas. She was paying $130 for a bottle that said it was 1500 milligrams. I look at the back and it said it was 50 milligrams of CBD, 1400 milligrams of hemp oil. So, she was paying $130 for 50 milligrams of isolate CBD that this guy was making in his kitchen in Texas.
SOOTHE – Full-spectrum CBD Hemp Balm soothes the skin, provides relief from dryness and irritation and has a pleasant natural scent.
DT: Is there a way for the industry to regulate this problem?
CH: Labeling is a challenge. We are working closely with the FDA and working with the Hemp Roundtable, one of the largest regulatory boards and lobby groups that’s helping to regulate the industry. We’re on their board. We have a marketing committee. Our vice president or our president of the company is on the board. Joy, our regulatory officer, is working closely with them every day to help guide these laws, but overall, the country of origin needs to be important. Where did your hemp come from? How much CBD is in it? Is it full-spectrum? Is it isolate? All those things are important. What we hope is that we move from cost per serving rather than cost per milligram, so that people will understand that something that is 300 milligrams, is CBD in an MCT oil which is good fat.
DT: What is the best way to take CBD?
CH: CBD itself, unlike THC, doesn’t stay in your system. It processes out every six to 12 hours. THC can stay in your body for up to 21 days. Our medical director suggests starting with a 15 milligram serving of tincture, twice a day. The tincture has an MCT oil base and takes up to three minutes to absorb into your system. We also have a liposome version. CBD molecules are bound to fat cells, making it more bioavailable, so it’s going to absorb in ten to fifteen seconds. With the liposome product, we recommend a 5mg per serving twice a day. I don’t know if you remember when people use to do coconut pulling when people were swishing coconut in their mouths. The tincture is used the same way, it a minute to absorb through your system or you can just swallow it. It goes through your body and gets down into your small intestine. It’s mostly bioavailable because we use high-quality MCT oil. Our medical director suggests varying serving sizes when you first start. Starting with the tincture, 15 milligrams, and then rapidly and very quickly adjusting how much you’re consuming, so you see what works for your body best. I can take upwards of 30 to 45 milligrams from the time I wake up to the time I go to bed and not feel any effects of sleepiness. Some people only need 15 milligrams throughout the day. It really depends on your body chemistry.
DT: How does CBD help?
CH: The main thing that CBD does is reduce inflammation and bring the body to homeostasis. It reduces anxiety and can help you sleep by bringing you into balance. So, if your body is way out of balance, you might need more. CBD is an organic material that is an adaptogen that your body uses to heal itself. If you have extra stress, or you worked out really hard, you might need more. Putting yourself in homeostasis means reducing your fight or flight mechanism. It means allowing you to sleep better. If you sleep better, you can digest your food better, you can recover better, and your body has time to regenerate. Over time, you’ll see improvements just by sleeping better.
CLEAN AND GREEN – Sativa is Elixinol’s new, sustainable, 100% hemp line of skincare that includes body wash, moisturizer, shampoo, conditioner, and skin serum
DT: Am I right in saying that hemp is really good for the environment?
CH: A hundred percent. It breathes CO2 instead of oxygen. It puts out oxygen and cleans the soils. They plant it near nuclear wastes and there are huge fields of hemp growing out in Japan to help clean the ground. There are ones in the Chernobyl area today with giant forests of hemp to help clear up the area. That leads us back to the country of origin of why you need to make sure you know where your hemp came from.
DT: Is it also bacteria resistant?
CH: It is, and resistant to insects as well. You can grow ten crops of hemp before you grow one crop of trees. And it has many uses, plastics, concrete, fiber, and on and on.
DT: Can you talk about the benefits of the skin? I use it for pain in my knee as I would use a muscle cream.
CH: Our hemp balm is very unique, primarily because we use a very gifted formulator to make our products; the ingredients in our hemp balm would make our normal $30 hemp balm, if you bought it in regular stores, cost around the neighborhood of $60 to $80. But because of our sourcing skills, because of our formulator, it’s $30. For just the ingredients alone, outside of the CBD, it would make you feel amazing. In addition, we’ve added CBD components, so it’s very effective. It’s an almost immediate feeling to help people with temporary joint pain, inflammation from overextending themselves, but also our customers have told us they use it for psoriasis, eczema, and acne. There are two sides of those. Those are symptoms of autoimmune that CBD helps and can support recovery from and then additionally, inflammation.
DT: Are capsules less effective because of the way it’s delivered? Or comparatively, if someone was saying what would you recommend I do and what’s the best way to get it?
CH: The easiest answer that I give everybody who asks this question, “Which is the best for me?” The simple answer is: whichever one you’re going to take. Because if you’re going to take a tincture, please take the tincture. It’s way better than the capsule you won’t take, or the other way around. So, that’s my first answer. The second has to do with bioavailability. The more bioavailable and more bioaccessible we can make the product, the better it’s going to be. What we focus on is making high-quality delivery systems. When we started, we first made the tincture. That’s why we use MCT oil because it makes it more bioavailable. We took that same formula, and we put it in a capsule because people are, unfortunately, used to taking pills. This is our number one selling product. Capsules fly off the shelves because people are used to it. They can just put it in their normal vitamin daily regimen. So, we focused on putting a very high-quality capsule that’s going to make it to, as close as we can gage, your small intestines so that’ll be absorbed. We use a very high-quality veggie cap, so we’re not adding other gelatins or animal products into your body. We recommend our capsules very highly. Additionally, if you’re really concerned about it because it’s such a high-quality veggie cap, they work great as suppositories. You can skip the gut, and go right into your system. It works really well.
Cafe' OLED on Thursday, July 11, 2019 in New York (Andrew Kelly/AP Images for LG Electronics USA)
Technology and color merge in Cafe OLED, a three-day pop-up in SoHo, presented by LG and Pantone Color Institute. To show off the critically-acclaimed OLED TV by LG, the space is decorated using the Summer 2019 trending colors of Pink Peacock, Tangy Turmeric, Aspen Gold, and Pepper Stem.
Cafe’ OLED by LG (Andrew Kelly/AP Images for LG Electronics USA)
Pantone describes its color selections, which are showcased throughout the space:
PANTONE 18-2045 Pink Peacock – The tantalizingly theatrical Pink Peacock emanates excitement, exerting a youthful and whimsical force and conveying a message of having fun with flair.
PANTONE 15-1264 Turmeric – Outgoing and spontaneous with a touch of tang,Turmeric positively glows. Infused with energy and magnetism, Turmeric’s self assurance and warming presence is winningly appealing.
PANTONE 13-0850 Aspen Gold – Exuding the warmth and splendor of the sun, Aspen Gold brightens the day. Radiating hope and happiness, the inviting Aspen Gold stimulates feelings of joy.
PANTONE 17-0542 Pepper Stem – Zesty yellow-green Pepper Stem encourages our desire for nature’s healthy bounty. Connected to newness and growth, a fertile green that speaks to reinvigoration and replenishment.
Café OLED will marry the billion-plus colors on LG OLED TVs with colorful artisan pastries designed by Amirah Kassem, cookbook author and founder of Flour Shop. Inventive tinted lattes will also be served, allowing consumers to see and taste color in a new way. Cafe OLED brings new meaning to the phrase, “Taste the Rainbow.”
Cafe OLED by LG (Andrew Kelly/AP Images for LG Electronics USA)
The LG OLED series flat-screens display color on a background of perfect black, bringing out the richness, depth, and vibrancy of each color. Throughout the pop-up cafe, OLEDs will be showing off vibrant and impressive digital art by illustrator and artist David McCleod.
“At Café OLED, we want consumers to see extraordinary color like they’ve never seen before, and we want to show them on the ultimate canvas, LG OLED TVs,” said Michelle Fernandez, senior director of home entertainment brand marketing at LG Electronics USA. “LG OLED TVs deliver over a billion rich, accurate colors so partnering with the Pantone Color Institute, an organization that is dedicated to opening up the world to the power of color, is an absolutely perfect color match.”
Cafe OLED is located at 386 West Broadway (between Spring and Broome Streets), and is open to the public through July 14, 11am-5pm.
Cafe OLED by LG (Andrew Kelly/AP Images for LG Electronics USA)
Tickets are still available for the annual Project Renewal gala, to take place at Pier Sixty at the Chelsea Piers, on Tuesday, June 4, from 6-10pm. This year, the organization will honor Jonathan Rose of Jonathan Rose Companies. This visionary company, under the leadership of Rose, supports the well-being of communities by creating environmentally, socially, and economically responsible housing. Jonathan has partnered with Project Renewal to develop Bedford Green House, which will provide 234 apartments and support services and wellness amenities to low-income residents and families leaving homeless shelters.
The theme of this year’s gala will be “Project Renewal Works,” and will highlight the organization’s workforce development programs, including the Culinary Arts Training Program, City Beet Kitchens, Next Step, and the Next Step Internship Program. There will be a City Beet Kitchens tasting station at the gala, in addition to an auction, all benefitting the work of Project Renewal.
Geoff Proulx, Chair of the Board of Trustees, at last year’s gala.
Last year’s gala raised $1.5 million, and was attended by nearly 600 guests who enjoyed cocktails, dinner, and a live auction. The event celebrated the Project Renewal new Bronx supportive and affordable housing development, Bedford Green House. The evening was sponsored with support from organizations such as Morgan Stanley, Hollister Construction Services, Gerner Kronick + Valcarcel, Architects, DPC, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, The Johnson Company, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, The Brodsky Organization, Capital One, Delaware North Companies, Fisher Brothers, Guardian Life, ICON Interiors, Jonathan Rose Companies, J.T. Magen & Company, Lane Office, Northwell Health, Sera Security Services, SterlingRisk Insurance and White Hare Solutions.
MISSION: Project Renewal is a New York City-based nonprofit organization that works to end the cycle of homelessness by empowering individuals and families to renew their lives with health, homes and jobs. The organization’s innovative programs are designed to end the revolving door of emergency rooms, jails, shelters, and the streets. For over 50 years, their pioneering approach has created uniquely integrated and comprehensive programs that are replicated around the nation, helping even beyond the 16,000 homeless New Yorkers Project Renewal serves every year. To purchase tickets to the gala, or to donate, visit events.projectrenewal.org.
“Our white asparagus is flown in from Europe every Thursday,” says Emmy-winning, and charming, Chef Erwin Schröttner co-owner and founder of Cafe Katja on Orchard Street. The rare and valuable delicacy’s short season lasts through mid-June, so the time to enjoy them is now.
At Cafe Katja, Chef Erwin serves the crisp, delicately flavored white asparagus stalks warm, with a variety of accompaniments including a delicious, eggy-but-light hollandaise and new potatoes, on a bed of frisée with a lemon vinaigrette, with a traditional pairing of Tiroler speck and drawn butter, and with ever so lightly smoked salmon and an herbaceous, bright green garlic sauce. To complement the white asparagus, Chef recommends a full-bodied Austrian wine Gebeshuber 2015 Muschelkalk Rotgipfler, or a delicious sparkling sec, Szigeti Grüner Veltliner.
White asparagus, or spargel, is celebrated with festivals throughout Europe, especially in Germany and Austria, where Chef Erwin grew up on a farm that has been in his family for hundreds of years. “We grew up in heaven in the foothills of the Alps,” he says, “with the freshest food, and learning the traditional ways of caring for animals and the land.” He recalls that his father, before butchering a pig for the family larder, would spend 15 minutes with the animal, thanking it, and paying respect. It is those memories of home, and the delicious food his mother and grandmother prepared for the family table, that inspired him to leave the world of 5-star restaurants and hospitality, and open Cafe Katja – a comfortably elegant neighborhood place named after his daughter, serving Austrian specialties.
Apfel strudel with schlag
Don’t sleep on this celebration of white asparagus, and other Austrian specialties like wiener schnitzel, house-made liverwurst, sausages, pickles, and pretzels – the white asparagus season ends in June. And save room for dessert. The cafe serves a stellar apfel strudel, with schlag, of course.
Smoked salmon
Cafe Katja does not take reservations, and is located at 79 Orchard Street. You can also learn more about Austrian cooking and traditions on Erwin Cooks, Chef Erwin Schröttner’s Emmy-winning PBS show.
Martinique Series by Vivian Springford, 1974, courtesy Vallarino Fine Art.
Whether you are looking to enhance your art collection or just absorb some art inspiration, the 5th edition of Art New York is just the ticket. The fair includes works by Jean Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol, KAWS, Retna, Damien Hirst, Robert Indiana, Willem de Kooning, Keith Haring, Henri Matisse, Joan Miró, Frank Stella, and Jean Dubuffet among others.
Presented by Art Miami, Art New York’s philanthropic partner is the New York Academy of Art, and they are presenting an exhibit during the fair, curated by Academy president David Kratz, along with Academy supporter Helena Christensen, with works by Academy alumni including Dina Brodsky, Diana Corvelle, Shiqing Deng, Christian Fagerlund, Jacob Hicks, Sara Issakharian, and Will Kurtz, among many others.
Marilyn, by Andy Warhol, 1967. Masterworks Fine Art
The fair, running through Sunday, May 5th, includes nearly 300 artists represented by 70 international galleries. It showcases works by important contemporary, post-war, and pop artists, and features painting, photography, prints, drawings, design, and sculpture. “For our fifth edition, we are proud to present a premium art fair that showcases an impressive selection of artworks from artists of the 20th and 21st centuries as well as work from the most significant emerging artists,” said Nick Korniloff, Director, Art New York. “In addition, our presentation provides a worthy complement to the activities taking place during New York art week.”
During the fair, young art lovers can visit The Children’s Museum of the Arts booth to create their own works of art. Teachers will host one-hour sessions throughout the day, allowing parents and caregivers to enjoy the fair while their little ones learn some contemporary art techniques. Spots are available on a first-come first-serve basis on site, or you can email rsvp@cmany.org to choose a time.
The fair includes many special events, including the Jerkface Interactive 360-Degree Photo Booth presented by Taglialatella Galleries: An enclosed, immersive experience which allows the viewer to step inside one of the artist’s larger-than-life murals.
“Art New York presents a rejuvenated platform to present the finest selection of contemporary, modern, post-war, and pop art alongside our CONTEXT platform with emerging, mid-career and cutting-edge talents,” said Julian Navarro, Co-Director, Art New York. “Following last season’s redesign, our revitalized ambience and amenities will continue to present a fresh and inspired perspective that will provide our collectors with a premier experience.”
Art New York hours: Saturday, May 4, 12 – 8pm; Sunday, May 5, 12 – 6pm. Pier 94, 12th Avenue at 55th Street.
Think of this as an upgrade to your regular mani/pedi date with your mom. In the Buddy Facial, we have a room that is fit for two to get facials together side by side! Skip the boring 20 minute silent peel and have some quality time with mom while your skin marinates to perfection. You’ll be served champagne or a fruity cocktail (non-alcoholic options available, too) for before or after your facial date. During the Buddy Facial, your esthetician will chat with you to create a personalized facial that exfoliates, hydrates, cleans pores, promotes lymphatic drainage, stimulates circulation, brightens, nourishes, and boosts cell turnover. 250 Mercer Street.
Yeah, Mom wants to spend time with you, but if you’re over 21 she probably wants to spend time with you and tequila. Clase Azul is made the old fashioned way, without technological advancements, and comes in a beautiful handcrafted bottle she will be proud to display on any shelf. claseazul.com
Treat Mom to Sagely Naturals Dreamwell Body Oil which is packed with the soothing blend of Roman Chamomile, Evening Primrose, and CBD oil. This special gift pack includes one of Cosabella’s luxurious, 100% prima cotton robes. $99.
Surprising Mom with breakfast in bed is so last year. We’ve moved on to surprising Mom with the softest, most luxurious sheets the night before Mother’s Day so she can wake up feeling refreshed and cozy. Ettitude makes all of their products with Bamboo lyocell fabric, which not only feels silky and amazing but is also sustainable, hypoallergenic, antimicrobial, and temperature regulating. From $138.
These brightly colored, tie dye boxing gloves are sure to make Mom stand out in a crowd. These are perfect for any fitness enthusiast or a mom who is looking to get into boxing classes but needs that extra push. $49.48.
Celebrity facials Joanna Vargas has curated a set of her favorite glow-inducing products for a naturally radiant, youthful complexion. The kit includes Glow To Go Mask Set, Super Nova Serum, Daily Hydrating Cream, and Cloud Bar. $443.65.
Give Mom this special kit from Ashley Black featuring a face kit, mini FasciaBlaster, backpack, t-shirt, and book so she can start her journey to feeling great from the inside out. $99.
This impressive gift set features the beautiful, long-lasting Venus Et Fleur Eternity Roses and the elegant, floral Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Rosé your mom will love. Dazzle your mom with this luxury acrylic home decor that can be used as storage after you finish your bottle of Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Rosé. The set is now available on Drinks & Co with 2 day shipping for all you last minute gift givers! $600.
Design on a Dime, sponsored by Housing Works, is celebrating its 15th year raising funds and awareness to end AIDS and homelessness. The annual event begins tonight and runs through Saturday the 27th. Tickets are available on the website.
This year, over 70 nationally recognized designers will create one-of-a-kind rooms with donated merchandise representing over 700 brands. The opening night reception and sale is Thursday, with a VIP cocktail and preview hour at 5:30. The doors open at 6:30 for general admission and sale.
Following the opening night of Design on a Dime, there are two days of sales to the public with free admission, on Friday the 26th and Saturday the 27th. The four-day benefit takes place at Metropolitan Pavilion, and all of the merchandise used is sold for approximately 80% off retail prices.
Cynthia Spence
Acclaimed designers show off their work while contributing to this worthy cause. San Francisco Bay area designer Cynthia Spence says, “Design on a Dime is such a worthy cause and the construct is unique; to take items of all kinds and pull them into a compelling and cohesive space. Plus, it is creatively fulfilling to step outside your ‘neighborhood’ to see the design work happening elsewhere. And who doesn’t love New York?”
Michael Mitchell and Tyler Hill
Charleston-based design firm Mitchell Hill is bringing their unique style to New York. “We feel fortunate to be doing what we love and be able to give back at the same time through Design on a Dime. Being from Charleston we’ve seen it grow into this metropolitan hub with art, fashion, and culture all at the helm and so we’re honored to have this opportunity to share what we call ‘twisted traditional’ in New York!”
Founder and renowned designer James Huniford shared his thoughts on the continuing popularity of the event. “Everything about Design on a Dime is unique. From the humanitarians we recognize at the Groundbreaker Awards to the goodness and creativity of the participating designers and brands. And, of course, the amazing deals the event offers people on the best home furnishings, linens and art.” He continues, “For the industry, I think Design on a Dime is the annual celebration where we celebrate design and where everyone participates, from young, beginner designers to living legends to name-brands for the home. It’s the design industry’s passion and creative energy put in the service of fighting AIDS and homelessness.”
Design on a Dime, April 24-17, Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 West 18th Street. For tickets and more information, visit the website.
The Ramones at CBGB by punk rock photographer David Godlis
72 Gallery, the newest addition to the Lower East Side’s art scene, opens on Thursday, April 18th (6pm-9pm), with a bang, showing the punk rock and street photography of David Godlis, in It’s a Godlis World.
According to the gallery, “the show begins with David’s most famous work, which documents the New York punk rock scene centered around the infamous CBGB’s. The exhibition then expands out beyond the Lower East Side and onto the streets of New York. David’s street photographs—many of which have never been exhibited before–offer a beautiful and poignant slice of New York life in the 1970’s.”
Godlis photographed some of the most legendary bands in their earliest days, such as Blondie, Patti Smith, The Ramones, the Talking Heads, and Television. His photographs, exhibited in a multimedia installation, capture the emergence of the punk rock scene in the East Village and the Lower East Side of New York City.
Blondie at CBGBs, photographed by David Godlis
In audio commentary, Godlis gives the viewer a unique insight into the photographs and the cast of characters that created this enduring and highly influential culture moment. The show also includes multimedia displays of street photography along with larger format wheatpaste murals and installation works along with prints on paper.
Godlis, who was born in New York City in 1951, picked up his first camera, a Pentax Spotmatic, in 1970, and has been shooting photographs non-stop ever since. After moving back to the city with his Leica camera in 1976, he stumbled into the burgeoning punk scene at CBGB’s on the Bowery. After seeing Brassai’s photographs of Paris in the 1930‘s he began to make photos using long handheld exposures under the Bowery streetlights. His grainy black and white images documented CBGB’s and street life on the Bowery from 1976-1979.
His extensive body of work has been published and exhibited worldwide and was also published in his successful book, History is Made at Night, which can be purchased online, at the gallery, or across the street from 72 Gallery at I Need More.
This is the inaugural show for 72 Gallery, located in The Great Frog on Orchard Street, which will showcase the music, art, poetry, and fashion that emerged in Lower Manhattan in the 1970’s, and had such a profound and lasting effect on global popular culture.
It’s a Godlis World, April 18-May 9, 72 Gallery, 72 Orchard Street, New York City.
Artwork created by Pierre Fraiture, and Nikolai Fraiture of The Strokes, to benefit Luv Michael Foundation for Autism.
On April 3, Downtown Magazine attended a live art performance by Nikolai Fraiture of The Strokes, and his brother Pierre, a New York City artist. It was a captivating evening.
Jimmy Webb, Dara McQuillen, and David Godlis.
The cool downtown crowd included leather jackets and cool vibes, and Downtown Magazine friends like Jimmy Webb and David Godlis. That made it a thrilling evening all around.
The evening was the kick off for World Autism Awareness Month benefitting Luv Michael, a non-profit organization that trains, educates and employees individuals with autism. Pierre created a painting with the help of his brother, Nik, on the guitar, as well as performance artists who moved with the music.
Q&A with Nikolai Fraiture and Pierre Fraiture
DTM Are you still playing with the band The Strokes, and are you touring?
Nikolai, Yes, and yes The Strokes will be touring this summer.
DTM: It’s interesting, you are a musician with the band, The Strokes, and you are an artist. How did this performance come about and how did you get invoiced in raising awareness about autism?
Pierre, I have a very good relationship with the founders of the Luv Michael, and they gave us an opportunity this past summer to create a show benefitting individuals who have autism. Luv Michael’s mission is to train individuals with autism, and help them enter the work force. So we came up with this idea. We were in the countryside actually in a place called Pine Valley which is our family place in Connecticut. My brother starting playing music and I started painting, and it just jelled, we looked at each other and said do you feel what I feel? Nikolai said yes, all of a sudden a week later the foundation was building a kitchen in Tribeca for their foundation space, I created a painting and it sold for $11,000, and we used this money to help benefit the charity.
Nikolai: it was under construction at the time we kind of used all the elements, the contractor, railings into our show making it site-specific performance we used whatever we could. Just like for tonight’s performance we used the backdrop which is amazing, the memorial, the Oculus, all of this has a lot of meaning for us especially being from New York. It means a lot for us.
DTM Is this something you are going to continue to so for other charities or for Luv Michael?
Nik: It’s going pretty well right now, we have a good relationship and down the road we are not sure – we will do it again but wherever we are performing it’s part of the foundation we partner with, it’s part of the whole package.
Pierre: We are doing 12 different shows in 12 different cities, and this is the launch of that – we have much more planned around the world, we have people interested around the world.
DTM: And each different show you are going to use the elements and create from that?
Nikolai: Yes, every city and every show had a theme, this one was Awakening.
DTM Do you create the themes?
Nikolai: Yes, the next one will be Prophecy, in whatever city or for whatever foundation we partner with, we will find a gallery or space which we preform in, this is where the creative comes in.
Pierre: What’s great is that we’re brothers and we have been dreaming of doing something like this, these are ideas and thoughts we grew up sharing.
Nikolai: It’s been germinating for a long time.
DTM: Have you always been an artist and musician, were you always into art and music?
Nikolai: Yes, he was always into art and I was always into music and literature.
Pierre: We’re French and American so we grew up with wall to wall French books. So at 8 years old, we were picking up Camus, our parents read a lot so we have all of these philosophical ideas we want to share with others.
DTM Nik, you helped paint this artwork with your guitar. Did you plan that?
Nikolai: No, not really. It was spur of the moment. The last painting also benefited Luv Michael and it sold for 11k. But this painting from tonight is very special, as I helped to paint with my Fender guitar. We have a basic structure of what we were going to do, but I did not know that I would sit down in the audience in an empty seat while playing the guitar, many other things that were not really planned. That’s what we are really excited about, we work with other people and they incorporate their own personality into the performance.
Pierre: We also had the best cast, tonight we had Kim Tehan,Bethany Hughes,Laure Gourlant, and Fatou Sidibe.
Nikolai: We wanted it to recall the days of the 60s happenings. For us, this is what’s really exciting, the spontaneousness of this. For me, especially this is exciting. In my band The Strokes, we play a lot of 3-minute pop music whereas this type of art is really freeform, it’s very exciting and new. I’m excited to do more.
DTM: Where are you from?
Nikolai: We grew up in New York City, on the Upper East Side.
DTM: Do you live in NYC now?
Nikolai: Yes, I live in the West Village.
Pierre: I live on the Upper East Side.
DTM: What do think of this area, and the growth and changes downtown since after 9/11?
Nikolai: I mean personally, think it’s amazing, just to see the regeneration. That’s kinda the reason we were really excited about this site, specifically for this project, it’s a different place it feels completely different. It’s great that Rob Marcucci is down here. In a crazy twist of fate, he worked at a video store with us, our local video store on 84th and York. [Rob Marcucci, a childhood friend of Nik and Pierre, works for Silverstein Properties.]
Pierre: We all delivered videos together.
DTM: Rob, what was it like working with Nikolai and Pierre again?
Robert Marcucci: It was so refreshing. They are such good souls, and the kind of friends one hopes to have. So naturally, we were all on the same page with this project. Very good energy. It was a real highlight for me.
DTM: What do you think of their new live performance art?
RM: I purposely shielded myself from what the final performance would be. Of course I knew of the basic outline, but I wanted to be surprised. It was way different from what I expected. Nick’s music and sound design was experimental, much to my pleasure – and very well conceived for the performance. Pierre had a very interesting take on stage, almost like in a somnambulistic state, yet present. His art slowly formed in the same fashion. It was intriguing to follow. The same went for the accompanying performers. Very dreamlike. At first I was unsure of the individual parts of the piece, but they all seemed to blend, ultimately, forming a warm and sincere feeling.
Nikolai, that’s what’s so great about the energy in this building, there was beautiful energy in that video store many years ago, and now here. I think what Rob has done down here is great. I saw a show that he did here a few years ago, I told Rob when the timing is right, we must do something. I’ve never in my life seen a show like the one Rob put on down here a few years back, it was great.
DTM: Why is this area important to you?
Pierre: well, my brother’s band The Strokes broke on September 11, 2001.
Nikolai: The Strokes vinyl album came out on September 11, 2001. The message for the show tonight was Wake Up, it ties right into having an awareness to what’s important.
Pierre: And also, I think, the guitar… I’m just still trying to process this show tonight, it was great.
DTM: Last word for our readers?
Nikolai: We are going to be doing more of these types of performances it’s going to be international we are hoping to get into galleries, yeah, we are really excited about galleries.
Pierre: You know I’ve been doing art since I was a kid, this it’s kind of a step in for me. I’m planning to officially launch myself in the Fall so I’m looking for all opportunities.
Nikolai Fraiture of The Strokes and Pierre Fraiture.
Electric Lady Studios, designed by John Storyk, photo by Andrew Matusik
New York has more than its share of historic music spaces, from Carnegie Hall to The Village Vanguard. But the most mythical of these spaces sits in an unassuming little building on West 8th Street in the West Village-Electric Lady Studios.
“My tee shirt should read, ‘Serendipity’ because that really sums it up,” says John Storyk. His firm—WSDG—is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and we are sitting in one of the most legendary rooms in one of the most legendary recording studios in the world: Studio A of Electric Lady Studios. Storyk built this studio when he was just 22, and the project changed the trajectory of his life.
Electric Lady Studios was the brainchild of Jimi Hendrix and his UK manager, Michael Jeffery. The building was home to a blues club called Generation, where Hendrix sometimes played as a young man. Storyk, who was also a blues musician, frequented the club as well, but that isn’t where they met. “I was in a blues band and if you wanted to hear blues you came to New York.” He points out that he probably heard Jimi play, though he doesn’t remember specifically. Hendrix eventually bought the lease for the club. “I always thought he bought it to erase his bar bill,” laughs Storyk.
In the meantime, Storyk, who had graduated from Princeton with a degree in architecture, landed a gig to build an experimental club in SoHo. “I was on line to get ice cream and it was taking too long so I grabbed the East Village Other [an underground newspaper], and was checking out the classifieds. Remember those days? Now we just look at our phones.” He saw something that intrigued him. “There was an ad that said, ‘Wanted, carpenter to work for free in experimental nightclub.’ So I get my ice cream, put a dime in a pay phone and 30 minutes later I am on the Upper West Side with these two nuts who were talking about pods, and people changing into white robes, and there’s smoke and lights and all kinds of stuff.” They needed someone to build the club, and Storyk agreed, provided he could change the plans. The club, Cerebrum, was located in SoHo, and it opened in November 1968. In January 1969 it landed on the cover of LIFE Magazine. Cerebrum attracted New York’s bold-faced names, one of which was Jimi Hendrix. And still, they hadn’t met.
John Storyk, photo by Andrew Matusik
“I get this call from Michael Jeffery and he says, ‘Do you want to build a club for Jimi Hendrix?’ Jimi had been to Cerebrum. And I said ok. It seemed like a normal phone call. In retrospect it was not a normal phone call.” Storyk met with the team and started to design the club but at the last minute, Hendrix’s engineer, Eddie Kramer, talked them out of the club and into a recording studio instead. “It had a little control room already which was pretty unusual in 1968. So the club’s off and I wanted to kill Eddie. Now he’s one of my oldest friends and godfather to my daughter.”
Hendrix, Jeffery, and Kramer asked Storyk to design the studio that would become Electric Lady. “I didn’t know anything about recording studios, I had never even been in one. But they said, ‘Well maybe you can learn, fast.’” So Storyk read everything he could find on the subject and took classes at Columbia. Work started on the space in 1969 and a year later the studio opened.
It was a legendary summer for the young architect. In addition to working on the studio, he was also selected by Edward Schlossberg to participate in a 6-week program with architect and visionary, Buckminster Fuller. “Bucky had a program where he selected 20 students to come in and listen to lectures and then to work on developing his World Game Theory. Eddie had been to Cerebrum and suggested me. So every afternoon we would research subjects like how much energy you could get if you harnessed the Bay of Fundy. Stuff you can get from Google now.” Storyk reflects on his schedule at the time. “In the morning I’m going to school at Columbia. I’m building Jimi Hendrix’s studio, then I’m going to Bucky’s place just down the street. Then at night I’m hanging out in Fillmore East. This all seemed normal to me. It wasn’t until the 25th anniversary of Electric Lady that I took the time to reflect on all of this and appreciate just how special it was.”
50 years later, Storyk is looking back on a career that includes building studios, stadiums, and performance spaces for powerhouse clients such as Bruce Springsteen, Harry Connick Jr, Alicia Keys, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and New York University to name just a few. He lectures at schools all over the country, and is an adjunct professor of acoustics and studio design at Berklee College of Music in Boston. “I love to teach and mentor young people but one thing I always tell them is that it helps, when making a career, to have your first project become famous. That’s serendipity.”
It’s a couple of weeks before Christmas, and I’m sitting on a tiger-striped trunk with downtown fashion icon and owner of I Need More, Jimmy Webb, talking about Jackie Kennedy, Slash, and Lou Reed’s transvestite girlfriend Rachel, among other things. A couple dressed in leather and faux leopard comes into the shop and stops to say hello. She apologizes for interrupting our conversation. Jimmy is gracious. “No, don’t worry! Have fun, Iggy’s on, you look amazing, I’m doing an interview, we’re living the dream!” And he isliving the dream.
The name of his shop—I Need More—is inspired by Iggy Pop, who Jimmy calls his spiritual guide. They are friends, and it was Iggy who was the catalyst for Jimmy to leave his longtime gig at a shop in the East Village. “It was the Iggy stage dive of fate that inspired me. You just run and dive and that’s how you get there. So that’s what I did. I gave notice at my job and I jumped out there to grab a star.” He opened I Need More last year, with friends like Slash and Duff McKagan of Guns N’ Roses there to cut the ribbon. “They told me not to tell anyone because they didn’t want it to be about them.” Jimmy also credits Slash for pushing him to get on Instagram, and to start texting. “In 2010 he told me that I would hear from him more if I texted so I learned.”
A week after the ribbon-cutting, a stylist friend called and said they wanted to do a shoot with Naomi Campbell in the shop. “I texted Slash and told him that Naomi Campbell was in my window, and then it hit me. I have awindow.” He gets emotional when he talks about his friends and the way his life has turned out. “I’ve lived through so many times, and not a lot of people are left. I carry on and I dance for all of those who aren’t here to dance anymore.”
He reminisces about the great times. “I remember the first time I went to Studio 54. I was this little punk boy listening to Iggy’s Nightclubbingon the radio and putting safety pins in my pants, and wearing a feather boa and my 34th Street high-heeled shoes that I spray-painted black. I walked down that opulent hallway and stood on the edge of that dance floor and my whole life changed. I was dancing the night away and kissing Rudolph Nureyev and everything was different after that.”
I ask him if he thinks New York is over. “New York will never be over, but you have to change and grow. You have to be contemporary.” He says, “I wanted this store to be about the past, the present, and the future. I used to get hassled for dressing Lil Wayne or Beyoncé. How can I say I’m rock and roll and edit out half the people because they aren’t someone’s definition of ‘punk’? You know what’s punk?” Everyone in the shop tunes in for this. Jimmy continues, “Jackie Kennedy stepping off the plane in that pink Chanel dress. She wanted everyone to see what had happened. She’s so punk rock I can’t believe it. When she redecorated the White House she may have pitched out Martha Washington’s couch, and then she invited the television cameras in to see it. She graciously walked through the rest of her life without saying a word. Class act. One of my biggest inspirations and the reason I live in pink. It’s such a punk rock color, but it all goes back to Jackie.”I Need More is a celebration of the rock and roll spirit of New York. Says Jimmy, “Never be so stuck in the past that you aren’t adding to the future.”
I Need More carries custom and one-of-a-kind clothing and accessories by brands like Any Old Iron, Schott NYC, Discount Universe, Sterling Assault, and Cindy Guitars. I Need More, 75A Orchard Street, 917.261.5928.
Don’t get us wrong, New York has its fair share of incredible stores and boutiques, with everything from homeware to fashion to ice cream and everything in between. However, there’s just something to be said about European stores that stock a vast an eclectic range of fascinating accessories, food, kitchen items, and clothing. A European vacation should never be too far away when you feel the need to escape the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple, which is why we wanted to shine a light on the shopping options available in Zurich.
Zurich is Switzerland’s largest city and contains an amazing mix of culture, nightlife, and scenery, but we are focusing on the shopping side. You’ll be glad to hear that a flight to Zurich can be completed in less than eight hours direct from NYC, which sometimes feels quicker than a car ride from Brooklyn to Manhattan!
We’ll highlight a few must-have Swiss things that you have to buy when you take a well-deserved vacation to Zurich. Great areas like Seefeld, Bahnhofstrasse,
Niederdorf, and Kreis Districts 4 and 5 are all worth a look, but here’s what you need to pick up on your travels.
Cuckoo Clock
What’s more interesting than knowing the time with an adorable cuckoo clock? While it’s true that we can see the time on pretty much any device, from the microwave to phone to laptop, it’s always nice to be old school with a real wall clock. Swiss cuckoo clocks look like a traditional wooden ski chalet, and while most have the typical bird popping out every hour, it’s also possible to have different designs such as St. Bernard dogs, flowers, or even people dancing. These clocks, as you might expect, feature impeccable craftsmanship and wonderful music, and can be small enough to fit inside a suitcase on the flight home.
It’s true that a cuckoo clock might not be for everyone, which is why we can also suggest the famous Mondaine clock at Zurich railway station. If you arrive at this train station, then it’s impossible not to notice this iconic clock. Created by Hans Hilfiker in 1940, this simple but elegant design is eye-catching and fits in any home. The clock also contains a somewhat unique movement, in that it will tick normally for 58 seconds, then stop for two seconds and continue. Don’t ask why, but people seem to love it for this reason. It still displays the correct time, so don’t worry about any malfunctioning!
Swiss Chocolate
What kind of a visit to Zurich would it be without trying all the delectable chocolate available there? We’re not talking about a melted and squashed Mars Bar from your bag, but instead, a tasty, handmade chocolate that is simply a party in your mouth. You can’t go wrong with anything freshly made from Lindt or Sprungli, but honestly, there are dozens of artisan chocolate shops all over Zurich that sell anything from truffles to milk chocolate and even white choc. Whatever your fancy in chocolate, there’s something for you, but don’t forget to try the macaroons and marzipans as well, as these types of delicacies are hard to find in the U.S. A gift box with a delicious range of chocolates is never a bad present to bring back to someone at home (maybe one for yourself as well).
Swiss Watches
It sounds wacky, but the Swiss have been involved in the art of timekeeping for over 500 years! Wristwatches are somewhat newer, but the sophisticated designs and incredible inner workings of Swiss watches can’t be beaten. From Rolex to Omega to even Swatch, pretty much every watch brand you know comes from Switzerland. Bahnhofstrasse is famous for many luxury brands in fashion and accessories, so it’s a good place to check out your new dream watch. Of course, a lot of these watch brands are available practically all over the world, but it feels somehow right to buy one from where it all began. Find a model that fits your style and budget and roll with it.
Raclette Maker
Naturally, the Swiss take their cheese as seriously as their chocolate! It goes without saying that they’ve devised all sorts of wonderful contraptions to help enjoy the hundreds of delicious cheeses made in Switzerland. One such invention is the Raclette maker. Raclette is a type of Swiss cheese that is full fat (better to have on your cheat day) and is finely melting for the meal. This type of cheese has been eaten in Switzerland for nearly 700 years, and the idea of the meal is to cook meat (or vegetables if you’re a vegetarian) and potatoes on the upper electric grill, then use the sliding devices under the heat to melt the great cheese. You can then pile everything onto a piece of baguette bread or just eat alone.
The melting cheese is not only yummy to eat and a wonder to smell, but the entire experience is meant to be enjoyed with others at the table. The Raclette maker brings out good times and everyone can cook at their own pace with several sliding plates able to be stored under the grill. Trust us, you won’t regret this purchase. At this point, your suitcase is probably about to burst, but we think there’s enough room to fit all those wonderful Swiss items on your flight back to New York.”
The hybrid work environment is not something that most employers, or workers, would have expected to become a reality before the covid-19 global pandemic fell upon the world. But it has become the new way to work, and the model will continue to grow throughout all industries within the next decade or so.
Being productive in a hybrid work environment is no different than working all day at the office. When working from home, the tasks that need to be done for the day can be put aside until they can be done, but they have to be done nonetheless. Sticking to the schedule is the most important thing to maintain productivity in a hybrid environment.
A hybrid work environment is an excellent change for the present and will be a fantastic way to conduct business in the future. It will create a workspace that will be much more productive because families that generally struggle with daycare and school functions associated with their children will be able to schedule around everything. But how can this be accomplished, and how can it be beneficial to all parties involved?
Tips To Keep Productive In A Hybrid Work Environment
As a part-time remote worker and a part-time office worker, you will find that you can get a ton more done in a day. Not just when it comes to work, either. But the thing that will make this possible is to keep yourself productive in the hybrid workplace. A few pointers can help you achieve a high level of productivity and still have a great home life. Let’s take a look.
Organize – Organization and planning will be the one thing that will make you or break you. A daily, weekly, and monthly plan need to be established. One that you follow to the letter. You must break it down by day, location (home or office), and tasks.
Goals – Just like when you spend your entire work week in the office, you will need to set some goals and make sure that you reach them. Being productive at home starts with you and what you want to achieve.
Boundaries – You will need to set yourself some boundaries. Work is work, and home is home. The best way to accomplish this is to have a separate room for the times you plan to work. A space that is free of distractions and visitors.
Communication – One of the first steps that the company you are working for should have been to set up various ways to keep the communication lines open. You need to stay in touch with your managers just as much as they need to be able to reach out to you.
Burnout – When you have the choice of working or not, you will find yourself leaning more and more towards your workspace, spending less time on family and friends. The reason is that you have 24-hour access to your job. The more work hours you put in, the more likely you will experience some burnout. Balance both areas of your life to avoid this on either side of the fence.
There are many different things that you can do to ensure that you are just as productive in a hybrid environment, or even more so. The thing is that you need to put in the effort to accomplish the jobs that you need to get done. Lock yourself away if you have to if you find it hard to stay on task. If that doesn’t work, try working more in the office and less at home. That way, you will still complete everything on your schedule on time.
Conclusion
If you have been part of a hybrid work environment for any time, you have seen how productive you can be. If you are just starting to use the innovative business model, you should be able to see how well it could work. The bottom line is that it all boils down to you.
You need to keep your work ethic high and complete the daily and weekly tasks that have been assigned to you. Keep your work away from your home life, even though you may be working from home more often than not.
New York can be a great place to start a business. It has been rated as one of the top five most entrepreneurial states in the nation, has a diverse economy, and is home to well over a million minority-owned and women-owned businesses.
At the same time, starting a new business in the Empire State is not without its drawbacks. Following are the top five challenges new business owners will face when opening and running a business in New York, along with tips on how to overcome the problems in order to remain successful long-term.
Cost and Complexity of Forming a Business
Recent estimates show that it costs about $100 to register a business in the state of New York. However, costs can be significantly higher if you sell products and/or services related to public safety and health, or if started your business in another state and are opening a branch office in New York. What’s more, there are a lot of regulations to navigate. You’ll need to be prepared to do a lot of paperwork before and even after you start your new business in the state.
Additionally, New York has a high tax rate. The business income base tax for the state is 6.5%, and there are also city sales taxes, UBT, and payroll taxes to attend to. What’s more, the state’s tax code isn’t easy to understand as it lists a number of metrics that must be used to calculate your company’s tax bill.
The best way to deal with the above-mentioned challenges is to partner with experts in these fields. Using an online tool to form your business can help you avoid mistakes when filing paperwork. Working directly with state agencies as the need arises can help you understand the requirements and fulfill them faster and more efficiently than would have been possible on your own. You may also want to find a reliable expert who can help you manage your taxes in the state in order to keep your tax bill as low as possible.
Expensive Real Estate
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the cost of leasing or renting commercial space in New York was well over $82 per square foot. This has fallen as low as $54.85 in Manhattan as many companies that switched to a virtual work set-up struggle to motivate employees to come back to the office. Even so, the cost of renting a commercial office in New York can still be far out of reach for many entrepreneurs, especially those with a limited budget.
To overcome this problem, consider renting a co-working space. Such spaces provide amenities ranging from desks and chairs to coffee and printers to make it easy for you to get your work done quickly, easily, and comfortably. Such a set-up is particularly ideal if you have several employees who need to work together, in person, to complete projects.
Competition
Given the fact that the city is home to so many small businesses, it’s not surprising that it would be a highly competitive business market. Entrepreneurs who want to start a business in the state will need to do careful research to find a niche that isn’t overly competitive. Ideally, you should be only or one of the only businesses in your local area to provide a particular set of products and/or services.
What’s more, a company will need clear and appealing business values. If you haven’t done so yet, take some time to think about your unique value proposition (UVP). This isn’t an elevator pitch, although it can be used to create one. Rather, it’s a list of values and qualities that set your business apart from other, similar companies. There may be other plumbing services in your local area, for instance, but maybe you stand out because you put a premium on the environment and offer sustainable products and services. Maybe there are lots of companies offering tutoring services, but you work with age groups that others don’t.
Once you have chosen the right niche and properly defined your business, you’ll want to brand yourself by selecting brand colors, choosing a font for your business name, and creating a winning logo. You’ll also need to create a marketing plan to generate awareness of your company and what it has to offer. Use all the tools at your disposal, including social media marketing, email marketing, encouraging clients to leave reviews, search engine optimization, content marketing, etc.
Unlike some other aspects of starting a new business, dealing with the competition is an ongoing process. You’ll need to keep tabs on industry developments and business growth in your local area to see if you need to change some aspects of your business model to ensure your business continues to successfully appeal to its target audience. You’ll also want to keep tabs on your stats and analytics online to see who is coming to your site, how long they visit, and which topics/products/services catch their interest.
Balancing Growth vs. Quality
Once your business has gotten off the ground, you may find it difficult to balance growth vs. quality. You don’t want to allow your new company to stagnate; in fact, doing so could lead to your company’s demise. As your customer base grows, you’ll need to expand in order to accommodate new clients. Alternatively, you may need to add new products/services to your line-up in order to keep current customers engaged with your business.
Expanding your business will almost certainly boost your bottom line but only if it’s done right. The quality of products/services must remain the same or even improve if you want to maintain brand loyalty and keep new clients happy. You may be able to lower the cost of some of your products/services if your client base grows, but you should also be prepared to raise costs, if the need arises, in order to hire new employees to help you properly care for current and potential clients.
There is no “one size fits all” plan for business owners who are considering expanding their services. Rather, you will need to carefully research your competition, analyze your target audience and its needs, and assess your finances to decide if, when, and how to expand your business.
Hiring the Right Talent
New York is home to top colleges and attracts talented workers from all over the world. Even so, it can be difficult to find talented workers as there are so many local businesses all looking for good employees. What’s more, you’ll have to not only find the right talent but also work hard to keep your employees long-term.
There are several things you can do to deal with labor challenges in New York State. One solution is to look for independent contractors you can partner with to grow your business. Freelance professionals can help you reach your goals without putting a strain on your finances as you would not have to cover benefits for these workers.
On the other hand, companies that do need full-time employees in New York should be prepared to offer attractive compensation packages. Such packages should include not only a high starting salary but also benefits such as paid leave, paid vacation days, medical insurance, dental insurance, etc. You’ll also want to find ways to help your employees grow their skills and develop their talents. Make sure your office environment is welcoming and professional in order to retain the talent you need to grow your business.
Running a business in New York can be an incredibly rewarding experience. The state has much to offer small business owners and can be an ideal venue for entrepreneurs of all ages and walks of life. Even so, it’s not easy to start a business in the Empire State. Consider the pointers outlined above, tweak them to meet your needs, and make sure you know what you’re getting into in order to boost your odds of success.
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Acne tends to show up during the most inopportune times, whether it’s a date night, photoshoot, or another occasion. While we all hope to hide our pimples, keeping them at bay is easier said than done.
A visit to a dermatologist may be the best solution for treating your breakouts. However, you might be putting off scheduling an
appointment due to cost or time constraints. Thankfully, there are plenty of things you can do at home to help solve acne woes.
The all-too-common conundrum is knowing just where to start. Everyone, and most brands, claim to have the solutions when it comes to skin hygiene and acne treatment. They all want to sell you their products, regardless of how effective they might be. Many skin care products available offer “expert” advice, you may have more questions than answers.
We have four ways to help treat your acne without seeing a dermatologist.
Find the Cause
The first step, find the cause. Acne can appear for a variety of reasons but generally manifests when dead skin cells clog your pores. Your breakouts may also be triggered by stress or eating certain foods. If you had acne as a teenager, you might have problems with similar, instigators. Finding the cause can help prevent acne from reappearing. Acne usually appears due to excess oil on the skin, typically surfacing on the face, chest, and back.This excess oil can be from hormonal changes, diet, stress, or other culprits. Identifying what is causing your acne situation, is key. When a pimple appears, think about what you’ve done
differently over the last few days. This will help you narrow down the cause of your acne so you can treat it and
prevent future breakouts.
Be Consistent With Your Skincare
Once you have determined the cause of your acne, it’s time to establish a consistent skincare routine.
For many people, skincare is self-care. Making time for a regular skincare routine is vital to
maintaining healthy skin and lessening your breakouts. No matter where you are starting from, there are a variety
of acne remedies available. They can include everything from topical creams to retinoids to antibiotics.
Fortunately, there are ways to get acne treatment online from the comfort of your own home. Choose cleansers and
moisturizers that are hypoallergenic and acne- or sensitive skin-friendly.
Alter Your Habits
You get home from exercise, if you are nervous or stressed at work, try not to touch your face.
If you are too tired to meal prep, order fast food or go through the drive-thru, these habits can have a big impact
on your skin health. Take a look at your routine or rituals, switching behaviors can be beneficial to your acne.
Rather than judging yourself for bad habits, make small changes to improve your skin health. Bring packaged cleansing wipes
to the gym to wipe off the sweat from your face after your workout. Use a stress ball for relieving tension and find
easy recipes that make cooking at home. Small tweaks in your day can introduce healthy habits and help keep acne away.
Know Your Hormones
As an adult, one of the biggest contributors to consistent breakouts is your hormones. When
estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone levels fluctuate, the result is can be acne. Changes in
hormones occur during menstruation cycles, pregnancy, and menopause. Women experience increases in
estrogen before their period, so the skin may be more prone to clogged pores during this time. Cleansing skin
more frequently and using a product that contains salicylic acid, prevent clogging. Applying moisturizer regularly can
offset any dryness, another hormonal imbalance side effect you may experience.
Men experience fluctuation in testosterone levels which can create more oil, which may lead to breakouts.
Understanding the effect of hormones will help you care for your skin.
Takeaways
The “less is more” principle can be applied to many aspects of life, especially acne treatment. Taking care of your skin and treating your breakouts shouldn’t be complicated or overwhelming. Knowing your triggers will help you determine how to treat unwanted spots. Establish a consistent skincare routine, and change your habits for prevention. Finally, understanding how your body may be affected by fluctuating hormones will help you be proactive about your skincare.Acne is nothing to be ashamed of, it is a part of life many people experience.
The trick is finding what works best for you.
Does your office desk always look clustered? It can be very difficult to deal with a messy desk when you are in a hurry and looking for something. A cluttered desk is not just a menace when looking for something, but it can also affect your work performance.
Decluttering your space is important if you want to improve your office performance and get all your work done on time. While there are several things you can do to improve your organizational skills, a good way to organize is to get an executive desk with hutches.
An executive desk with hutches is an ordinary desk with shelves and other features. A desk with cabinets can make it extremely easy for you to organize your workstation. This piece of furniture can declutter and help you put everything in its place. With the vertical storage space, you can keep all your things on the table without using too much space and making it look cluttered.
An office desk with hutches seems like a great idea, but you need to choose the right one. There are different things you must consider when choosing a desk with a hutch.
Shelves
There are several different shelving options you can choose from. For instance, you can get open shelves, or you can go for one with doors. Open shelves will not give you the security you might need if you work with sensitive documents.
You can get closed shelves with doors so that you can lock them when you are not at your workplace. Other than that, there are other shelve styles you can pick, such as paper slots, drawers, and small compartments.
Lighting
If you work late into the night while everyone goes home, then you may need lighting under the top self to help you work more comfortably. You can choose a desk that comes with built-in outlets to have proper lighting when you work. You can easily hide the wires behind the desk and the cabinet. You must take all the details about the lighting fixtures before you decide.
Measurements
It is important to get the right measurements for the desk with the hutch to fit in your office space perfectly. If you already have a desk and are looking for a hutch over it, then you need to measure your desk, so the hutch fits perfectly over it. Also, make sure that your ceilings are tall enough for the hutch to even be in place. Other than that, if you have doors on your hutch, you need to make sure that they open and close easily, as you do not want to be struggling with them while you are working.
Keep all these factors in mind when choosing a desk with a hutch for your office.
Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/blur-breakfast-chef-cooking-262978/
The hospitality industry in New York is thriving, and there are many venues that are frequented by locals and visitors from around the world. This includes hotels, bars, entertainment venues, and restaurants. If you are looking to gain employment at a restaurant in New York, you should remember that competition can be stiff. So, it is important to ensure you can offer the right skills and that you use online resume templates to help you to create a very impressive and solid resume.
Working at a New York restaurant in any capacity can be exciting and rewarding in many ways. Remember, New York is a place that is visited by people from around the world, so you can look forward to meeting a diverse array of people. In addition, you can expect good pay and benefits when you work at a restaurant in this state, which means that you can achieve higher job satisfaction levels. Of course, you first need to secure a New York restaurant job if you want to enjoy these benefits, and in this article, we will provide some tips on how to do this.
Boosting Your Chances of Success
There are various steps that you can take if you want to boost the chance of securing a job at a New York restaurant. Some of the things you need to consider are:
Consider the Type of Job You Want
One thing to remember is that there are many different types of jobs that you can choose from within the restaurant industry in New York. This could be anything from a chef or kitchen assistant to a server, bartender, front-of-house, or reservationist, among others. You need to think about what type of job you want to do or are trained to do, and you can then start searching for the most suitable opportunities.
Improve Your Skills and Experience
Another thing you must do is to look at what the requirements are for the type of restaurant work you are interested in. Some jobs may require certain skills and training, so this is something that you need to look at so you can work toward achieving the right qualifications and skills. Once you know what is needed, you can take relevant courses either online or at specialist training institutions.
Create a Killer Resume
One of the additional things you should do is to create a solid resume that will impress decision-makers in New York restaurants. It is important to remember that your resume could make all the difference between getting a face-to-face interview and ending up on the rejection pile, so it is important that you do put a lot of thought into your resume. Make sure you add any relevant training, skills, and experience that are relevant to the job you are applying for, as this will help to impress those who select candidates for interviews.
These are a few of the key steps that you should take if you want to work in New York restaurants.
