Tag Archives: Insider Interviews

Tatiane Moribe: A Fashion Technical Designer You Must Meet!

Curiosities Insider Interviews Tatiana Moribe Fashion Technical-Designer

New York is known as one of the fashion capitals of the world yes! But meeting the people behind it, is what makes the difference. So, come meet Tatiana Moribe, a fashion technical designer that is beautifully paving her way in New York’s competitive fashion industry!

Curiosities Insider Interviews Tatiana Moribe Fashion Technical-Designer
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Meet Tatiane Moribe, a fashion technical designer who left her small town in Brazil to become part of the Priscavera New York team.

She has collaborated with Project Runway’s Layana Aguilar and is behind Adam Selman’s designs. Today, she is building her way as an incredible talent in the NYC fashion scene.

Layana Aguilar: ”Tatiane’s high level of creativity, immense skill and knowledge make her an irreplaceable force in the fashion field”

Tatiane, who in her early twenties worked as a professional dancer, had her first steps in the fashion industry designing costumes. She has been a key element in the development of designs for names such as Katy Perry and Rhianna.

It was not only through making costumes that Tatiane has forged her way in the fashion field. Her skills as a technical fashion designer is what makes her a star.

Her knowledge and abilities in this niche is what makes it possible to produce the clothes that hit the stores we love to shop.

We talked to Tatiane to discover what it is like to be such a key element in the backstage of the NYC fashion scene.


Tell us about your job as a fashion technical designer?

What I mainly do is sketches that contains all the creative and technical information a garment needs to be produced.

It has the fun, creative side of experimenting and changing it until the final product is done. And, also the rigorous technical side of measuring and perfecting the minutiae of the garment, such as the distance between buttons or the length of a hem.

It all feels like a fun puzzle to me. I love it!

I also make 3D sketches where I get to test the fit, type of fabric, and the look of a garment. It’s amazing! You can really see exactly how a garment will look on the screen.

Curiosities Insider Interviews Tatiana Moribe Zelik Photoshoot

How did you start your career in fashion?

I did my B.A. in Fashion Design in Brazil and participated in all the fashion contests that I could during my time in college. It is very important to stand out since the fashion industry is so competitive.

One of them really changed my life, the Concurso dos Novos hosted by Dragão Fashion Brazil.

Seeing my creations on the runaway of such a prestigious fashion event made me want to be a fashion designer. A similarly foundational contest I participated was one where I got to design the uniforms of the whole staff of the Continental Inn Hotel, known in Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina, which gave me a lot of prestige.

After that I worked for Leticia Sarabia, a nationally recognized jewelry brand, and freelanced as a technical costume designer.

How did you end up in our beautiful New York City?

If you work in fashion, New York is the place to be. I knew that if I wanted to grow even more in my career I had to move to a city that would allow me to.

At first I just thought about the fashion aspect, so I came to get some experience in New York’s fashion field as an intern, but when I got here, I fell in love with the city.

The art throughout the city, the nightlife, and naturally the fashion scene made me not want to ever leave.

What inspires you?

I would say that the first thing that inspires me is talking and exchanging ideas with people, living in a city that is so culturally diverse, meeting others that have incredibly different backgrounds to mine.

And, of course, thrifting at vintage stores, spending hours at museums, and the street fashion in New York.

You worked for Adam Selman, right? How amazing was that? What were the challenges?

Yes, it was an amazing experience! I got to design garments, create crystal layouts, and design prints.

Developing the crystal layout for the sandy pants for the FW18 collection was a huge challenge. It was a difficult layout to make it easy to eventually produce, but it worked it out – and Naomi Campbell wore it!

Curiosities Insider Interviews Tatiana Moribe Naomi Campbell Essence Cover
Naomi Campbell on the cover of Essence

What is it like to develop costumes for celebrities? Which one was your favorite?

It was the most fun I had in fashion up to date!

You get to be very creative and of course, you get to see the garments that you worked on, in some of the most prestigious events.

These garments have so many details and they do demand a lot of work. I think my favorite one was Amy Sedaris’ since meeting her was super fun, she is hilarious.

Adam Sedaris: “Tatiane Moribe is of the highest caliber in her field when it comes to technical drawing, I have seen it with my own eyes.”

Curiosities Insider Interviews Tatiana Moribe Amy Sedaris Sky Vodka

What are some of your future projects?

I have some super fun projects in development with Zelik NYC, a Brooklyn-based jewelry brand. It’s very exciting, since I get to work with jewelry design again, something that I do love.

I’ll also spend some time in Los Angeles styling some photoshoots, which I’m pretty excited as well and looking forward to.


Credits: Courtesy

Andre Vasconcelos: NYC’s Top Shelf Guitarist And His Studio Ghidrah Music

Curiosities Insider Interviews Andre Vasconcelos Ghidrah Music Studio Pronoun

We’re excited to share another exclusive interview with Andre Vasconcelos. He’s one of NYC’s top shelf guitarist and now founded his studio Ghidrah Music. His journey is brilliant and his skills in working both roles, are undeniably amazing.

Curiosities Insider Interviews Andre Vasconcelos Ghidrah Music Studio Pronoun
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Pronoun

Back in June of 2017, we featured an exclusive interview with the guitarist Andre Vasconcelos, where we talked about how we was shaking up New York with his music. Today, we’re going to talk about his thriving studio Ghidrah Music.

The word, love and appreciation for his talent and skills have spread through out New York, and certainly to other parts of the globe.

Since then, we’ve been to countless shows where he’s performed with his own band, RANN, and we’ve followed his steps when performing beside other great musicians.

It’s been an amazing journey to see Andre thrive from (still) being one of New York City’s top shelf guitarists to now additionally starting his new business, a music studio: Ghidrah Music.

Check out the inspiring interview below and learn more about Ghidrah Music:


1. After our 1st interview a while back, so much has happened, and we’re curious to have an update on what you’ve been up to in NYC.

I’m glad to be back here on this amazing platform of yours Fernanda! I meet lots of people on a regular basis and your platform has made a big name for itself. People constant refer to it and one can easily spot the success it’s been garnering! I’m happy for you both on a professional and on a personal level! Congrats!

Life has been very busy, challenging and productive on the creative world for me. Me and the RANN boys instituted a plan for 2020 “A Song a Month” and we’ve been at it since last December really. With 6 songs out now, a 7th to come on June 26th and a lot of added Spotify traction (we got placed in 2 editorial playlists and increased our fanbase to everywhere in the world, places like Stockholm, Lithuania, Korea are jamming to RANN now!) we’re happy to have made that plan as it proves itself quite the fun challenge. We’re excited to feed both our old and new fans more music every month!

I’ve also been performing a lot as a sideman with some really cool pop artists. Last year I was invited to perform at Zara Larrson’s (Massive Europop star) intimate set at Billboard and Buzzfeed, toured North America with EZI (opening for Top 40 artists MAX, Bryce Vine and Nina Nesbitt), played a bunch of festival dates in both the US and Europe and was supposed to be going on another North America run with Kat Cunning and Allie X before the whole world got shutdown over COVID. So life’s busy and chaotic as usual over here in my camp.

A lot of what I’ve been doing lately as well is more on the songwriting side of the art as well.

Me and my music house-mates of Ghidrah Music, are writing tons and tons of music for/with a bunch of different artists all over the world like Loren Allred, Marcus Paul James, Marta Galuszewska, Maria Mathea, Tom Martin, Cathy Richardson (from Jefferson Starship) and many more.

We’ve written theme songs for TV shows, movies, trailers, video games and many many more.

Curiosities Insider Interviews Andre Vasconcelos Ghidrah Music Studio RANN
Andre Vasconcelos with RANN Band – Photo Credit: Courtesy

2. So, what is Ghidrah Music? What type of services are you offering and lastly, how are you guys distancing ourselves from others in the same industry?

Ghidrah Music is the production outfit of RANN. Composed by the same team as the indie rock band, Ghidrah is a Studio Team that meets over at the wonderful production room that we have at Studio G, in Williamsburg.

Our work is mostly dedicated to writing music and placing songs via sync licensing. We are partnered up with vocalists and writers from everywhere on the planet that are interested in doing the same thing. We write these songs, produce, mix and master them, then we send them out to the various pipelines. Finally, we have in the hopes to sell these licenses to tv shows, movies, video games and such.

Some songs that made their way into big productions are RANN’s “Childish Ways” that was featured in the mega movie “Tudo por um Pop Star” in Brasil and “Cellophane” also placed in a Brazilian blockbuster movie named “Entrando Numa Roubada”.

Other examples are MR VVOLF’s “Never Look Back” that got placed on the movie “All For Nikki” and a parody song we did in for Axe’s North American Campaign “Don’t Overthink It”.

We are currently working with at least 20 different artists trying to diversify and populate our song catalog for placement and we are truly excited about it.

As far as social distancing and pandemic rules go, our Studio got shut down when the Governor gave the order. We split our gear into 3, creating individual “home stations” for each of us and we tackled the work that could be done from home.

It was a challenging time but we adapted correctly and we made the best we could with what we had. This is truly a historic and defining time in all our lives and the main choice here is to not lose focus of what’s important, our health. Being responsible and considerate is paramount. So for now, we’re minimizing our in person sessions very close to 0%. And, we’ll loosen the grip on that restriction as the weeks of successful reopening go by.

3. How was this transition from being on stage, to going behind the scenes and starting Ghidrah Music?

Honestly, you can hardly say it’s been a transition. This is just the natural growth of both paths of my life that were always present. I’ve been on the road and on stage for a long time, but those activities typically happen later during the day.

The production and writing stuff is often occurring during morning of weekdays so, between these two roles you can imagine my schedule gets pretty hectic. A good example of how this works can be be illustrated by last December.

In the morning the Ghidrah boys and I finalized an instrumental cue that we sold the publishing off to NBC, for the show “Making It” with Nick Offerman and Amy Poehler. Right after that I had to get to a rehearsal, so I left the studio, did the rehearsal and made my way to the Bowery Ballroom, where we played a sold-out show with Pop Star songstress Kat Cunning.

Typically my days work like that, mornings and early evenings for Ghidrah, the rest of the evening and nights for side man or RANN live performances.

Curiosities Insider Interviews Andre Vasconcelos Ghidrah Music Studio Apoena Frota
Andre Vasconcelos with Apoena Frota, RANN Band – Photo Credit: Courtesy

4. I’ve seen that in a super short time, you’ve worked with major brands in Brazil and other corners of the globe. Can you share a bit about some of these great projects?

Having discovered that what we truly wanted to do was also our strongest asset was incredibly lucky and fortunate.

We are a group of originally 3 producers. Our company was even called 3P, for 3 Productions. We did the entire debut record by the Brazilian artist Rachell Luz under that alias. We eventually decided to change the name to Ghidrah Music, to honor our ridiculous tendencies. With the name change also came a change of focus, we wanted to use our time and our talents to write music together instead of working as producers for artists. We still do that, but it isn’t the main focus of the company anymore.

What started happening was, the people that knew us as producers and now as songwriters started using us to write songs for their business campaigns. Sometimes it would be a big advertisement campaign, such as the Claro “Novo” campaign we did last year for South America’s biggest phone and internet company.

Sometimes it’d be for an intro for a podcast, or for Call of Duty professional e-sports team Twitter teaser trailer. The point being is that we took our one stop approach for audio solutions from before and we added something even more rare and hard to come across: the ability to write good songs.

That expanded the horizon for us and let us work with a ton of different companies and entities everywhere in the world.

5. A question, maybe hard to answer at this time, but with the global situation of Covid-19, have you been able to identify any new trend or opportunities in the music industry? How severely did the Pandemic affect the industry?

The pandemic has been extremely harsh to the music industry. With shows and events cancelled for the foreseeable future, a lot of my music professional peers are suffering greatly.

I know so many people that have been living exclusively on the road, whether they are side man like me, or road crew, lighting tech, tour managers, day-to-day managers, FoH engineers, etc. Every single one of these guys have had their futures cancelled for an undetermined amount of time. And, that is a very scary thought.

Hopefully the world will arrive at a solution for this horrible virus problem and we’ll be able to return to some form of normalcy soon. Personally, I’ve lost so many concerts, rehearsals and recordings, frankly too many to count.

From a main stage festival slot at Central Park to two mini tours in Mexico and Japan, to a RANN + Jefferson Starship throw down at the Westhampton Theatre, the losses are actually incalculable.

But, what isn’t is the fact that I am alive, well and healthy. We can always regain opportunities and earn back money lost, but we can’t always recover people from the damage caused by this brutal virus.

Curiosities Insider Interviews Andre Vasconcelos Ghidrah Music Studio Stage Pronoun
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Pronoun

6. Do you have any upcoming projects that you can share with us? We’d love a sneak peek!

Too many upcoming projects!

We’re working on a songwriting competition with the awesome Marcus Paul James, that’ll be happening on Friday. We wrote a song together for it and we’re super excited to support our amazing friend belting his beautiful voice in favor of positive change.

We are also expecting to receive Cathy Richardson’s vocals on a song we wrote for a big feature film to be produced in Los Angeles once production re-opens.

And, last but not least, RANN is releasing our newest and most exciting song to date named “When I’m Lucky”. We are so thrilled to share the song with the world, we did an amazing quarantine collaboration video with Brad Wagner and it’ll reach all streaming platforms and Youtube on June 26th, so stay tuned for it!


Thank you, Andre, for this amazing and inspiring interview.

It’s been an amazing journey to see you thrive from (still) being one of New York City’s top shelf guitarists to now additionally starting your new business venture, your studio Ghidrah Music! It’s truly inspirational and amazing to see all you’ve achieved.

No doubt your career in New York City, and across the globe, only continues to skyrocket!

Good luck and keep up posted!


Photo Credits: Courtesy Andre Vasconcelos / Ghidrah and Pronoun

The Perfect Girl’s Night Out in NYC with Holly Burt

Curiosities Insider Interviews Holly Burt Naked Cowboy NYC

“Legs bigger than your future!” as Holly Burt says on her Instagram bio! This New York-based lady has quite a story and has shared with us her 7 tips for the perfect girl’s night out in NYC!

Curiosities Insider Interviews Holly Burt Naked Cowboy NYC
Credit: Courtesy of William Foster (aka dubfoster)

This week we interviewed a great lady called Holly Burt! If you Google, one of the first things you’ll probably see about her is that she has the 2016 record for Longest Legs in America, measuring 49.5″ (126cm)!

Aside from having this beautiful natural gift, Holly is also a super talented designer and has a pretty funny and kind personality that just brightens your day!


My name is Holly Burt and I have been living in NYC since 2013.

I came up here for school where I attended Parsons School of Design and was so lucky to have experienced an unorthodox college experience where the city was my campus.

Now having graduated, I work in graphic product development for a huge childrenswear manufacturer working with brands like Nike, Converse, Jordan, Hurley, and Levi’s.

Although, you may know me from the internet or TV as having the record (obtained in 2016) for the Longest Legs in America (49.5 inches).

The past couple of years I was featured on shows like TLC- primetime documentary, Comedy Centrals – Tosh.0, The Travel Channel, the New York Post and much more!

Recently I have been working with tall women’s apparel companies which I am so passionate for standing at 6’5 (198cm), I’m hoping to start my own tall apparel company one day.

Now, 2020 has a lot in store! Shortly, I will be moving to London to accompany my boyfriend who just moved to start his job at Amazon. We’re now in the process of obtaining my Visa. For now, I am quickly checking off everything that’s been on my NY bucket list before the big move! 

Lastly, I also have a graphic design website and have worked with great brands like Nike, Converse, Levi’s, Snapchat and others!


Holly shared her 7 best spots for the perfect girl’s night out in New York City. And we have to confess…it’s a pretty cool list of places!

We were super excited to see that she chose spots in 3 neighborhoods that we are also super fond of: the East Village, the Lower East Side and Bushwick in Brooklyn.

So, take a look at Holly Burt’s 7 spots to enjoy the perfect girl’s night out in New York City:


Good Night Sonny

Curiosities Insider Interviews Holly Burt Good Night Sonny
Credit: Courtesy of Good Night Sonny

Located on the East Village border is a poppin, but not too poppin of a place to grab dinner and drinks with friends.

Good Night Sonny has a long bar and small tables aligned on a big window front. The acoustics are great so you can actually have a conversation.

A good friend, Chad Shaner is the head chef here and has a lot of awards under his belt like a 2-star review in the New York Times (critic’s pick), as well as a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand.

I know you will be in good hands here – also the cocktails are BANGING!

Hours:
Daily, until 4am
Brunch: Saturday & Sunday: 12pm – 4pm

Location: 134 1st Avenue

https://www.goodnightsonnynyc.com


Souvlaki GR (LES)

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Love this place because you could spend hours on end here and not even know it. It’s Greek/Mediterranean vibes and I’ve been here a lot before I start my night out.

Really amazing food and the interior it’s very jammed packed but it feels like you’re in Santorini.

I highly recommend the lamb chops, shot of Mastika (literally tastes like an edible pine candle- in a good way) and a bottle of Ouzo.

If you come here in the summertime you can sit outside on the streets and watch all the bar goers go by since it’s conveniently located in a strip of amazing bars in the Lower East Side.

Hours:
Sunday – Thursday: 11am – 11pm
Friday – Saturday: 11am – 12:30am

Location: 116 Stanton Street

https://www.souvlakigr.com


Lovers of Today

Curiosities Insider Interviews Holly Burt Lovers of Today
©Behind the Scenes NYC

This lovechild-of-a-speakeasy-and-lounge right off Tompkins Square Park might be easy to walk past.

It’s a fairly nondescript bar, but as soon as you walk through the mini alley and enter the dark basement, you’ll be ready to set the scene for a sultry rendezvous with a special someone, be it a lover or a friend.

There are hints of red neon lights to brighten up the dark corners and a disco ball glimmering to the 2000’s hip hop music.

They have a pretty awesome happy hour- goes until 8PM!

Hours: Daily: 5pm – 4am

Location: 132 1/2 East 7th Street

https://www.facebook.com/loversoftoday


Mr. Purple

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It’s happy hour and my friends and I tend to get thirsty before 5pm. We always like to start a night out at a bougie rooftop if the weather permits.

A favorite rooftop of mine is Mr. Purple. I personally think it has the best views of the city because I prefer a Downtown backdrop of the city as opposed to Midtown/Uptown.

Oh, and it does have a pool on the rooftop, so in the summertime you can jump in with an Aperol Spritz in your hand.

But this place also holds a special place in my heart because this is where my boyfriend and I had our first date!

Hours:
Monday – Wednesday: 4pm – 2am
Thursday & Friday: 4pm – 4am
Saturday: 11am – 4am
Sunday: 11am – 2am

Location: 180 Orchard Street, 15th Floor

https://www.mrpurplenyc.com


Double Down Saloon

Curiosities Insider Interviews Holly Burt Double Down Saloon
Credit: Courtesy of Double Down Saloon

If you are looking for a gritty and disgusting dive bar, Double Down Saloon is your place! Super cheap drinks and you have to try their signature shot “Ass Juice”.

I still can’t figure out what it is, but it sits in a warm jug under the bar. The bartenders are super mean, but it goes with the ambience – I’m pretty sure most of them are ex-dominatrix’s.

There is an ancient myth that when the bartender does “last call” she hops on top of the bar and screams “LAST CALL” with a whip in her hand, and everyone must respond simultaneously “YES MA’AM”.

They also have a pool table and 80’s porn going on the big screen.

This may not be for you, but if you’re looking for an experience, this is your place.

Hours:
Monday – Friday: 12pm – 4am
Saturday: 10am – 4am
Sunday: 11am – 4am

Location: 14 Avenue A

https://doubledownsaloon.com/nyc


Turks Inn

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Off to Bushwick! ​Turks Inn is whimsical and has crazy decorations.

Everywhere you look has something outrageous, including clowns, various birds and old photos.

The outside does stand out a little for the strip, but it does nothing to prepare you for inside.

First thing you notice when entering is the low light with a red cast. Then your eyes just go all over and are overwhelmed in a good way. So many layers of whatever all over the place.

They have pretty good Turkish food, but having a Turkish boyfriend and going to Istanbul has ruined me for American Turkish food.

I would say: go to this place for the experience, they also have a dance club right next door with a live DJ called Sultan Room.

Hours:
Sunday – Thursday: 6pm – 10pm
Friday & Saturday: 6pm – 11pm

Location: 234 Starr Street

https://turksnyc.com


House of Yes

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Right down the street from Turks Inn is the grand finale, House of Yes in Bushwick, Brooklyn.

This is the perfect place to dance your heart away until 4am. ​Most events are themed, and people tend to wear amazing costumes.

I’ve been here for several parties and always had a blast.

The scene here is LGBTQ friendly and you won’t run into anyone that doesn’t have a smile on their face, it truly is magical.

If it’s a themed night, be prepared. They will not let you in if you aren’t dressed to the theme, but no worries – they have a thrift like costume shop out front that comes equipped with everything you need to dress to theme.

House of yes has a live DJ set, cage dancers, and acrobatics, don’t be surprised if you see people dancing from ropes 20ft up!

Hours: May vary. Please check their website.

Location: 2 Wyckoff Avenue

https://houseofyes.org


Thank you, Holly, we loved your girl’s night out list and we wish you all the best in your future home, London! We’re sure you’ll all have a pretty good time at all these carefully curated spots, so let us know what you thought!

If you want to explore a few other cool New York secret places, you might want to check out the 9 best speakeasies in New York City.


Photo Credit: Courtesy of Holly Burt, ©Behind the Scenes NYC, William Foster (aka dubfoster) and all the venues

The Best Of Vegan With Kim-Julie Hansen

Curiosities Insider Interviews Kim Julie Hansen Best of Vegan by Edward Gebel Thumbnail

From a meat-eater to being one of the most renowned Vegan experts in the world, Kim-Julie Hansen shared with us how she started Best of Vegan, as well as her Vegan Reset blog and most recently launched a fantastic 28-Day Vegan Plan book!

Curiosities Insider Interviews Kim Julie Hansen Best of Vegan by Edward Gebel
Photo Credit: Edward Gebel

Tell me a bit about you! Where you’re from, what you studied, where you’ve worked, how you ended up in NYC…

I’m Kim-Julie, I’m 32 years old and originally from Brussels, Belgium, although that’s only partially true. I was actually born in West Berlin (two years before the Berlin Wall fell) and have lived in many places throughout my life.

I studied modern languages and comparative literature (BA and MA) in Brussels and I’ve worked all over the world in tourism and hospitality before starting my own business.

Five years ago I came to New York for an event and stayed with a friend for 5 days. On the fifth day, I knew that I needed to move here.

Luckily, my online business’s audience was located mostly in the US, so I got my Visa thanks to that (and the advice and support of amazing friends who had undergone the process before me!).

Curiosities Insider Interviews Kim Julie Hansen Best of Vegan Creamy Mushroom Penne
Creamy Mushroom Pasta – Photo Credit: Best of Vegan LLC

You have countless different platforms and social channels. I’d love if you could share a bit about each of them!

My two main platforms are Best of Vegan and Vegan Reset.

Best of Vegan is a digital culinary publication focused on crowd-sourced and crowd-pleasing recipes for every occasion and showcasing the best the vegan culinary scene has to offer.

Vegan Reset is my health conscious blog within Best of Vegan. It’s where I share meal prep and plant-based lifestyle tips, as well as my own quick and easy recipes. It’s also the name of my book and online program.

In addition to those, I also share the things that inspire me on my personal page and blog, @KimJulieHansen and I have two additional vegan Instagram accounts: @VeganChallenge based on the free 7-day vegan challenges I host and @IDontWantSalad, an ode to vegan comfort food, which I created to show that vegans can eat much more than just salad.

Curiosities Insider Interviews Kim Julie Hansen Best of Vegan Green Smoothies
Green Smoothies – Photo Credit: Best of Vegan LLC

How was your journey into the Vegan lifestyle?

Unexpected, overnight and life changing. I was the furthest thing from a vegan you could possibly imagine.

I loved meat, dairy and eggs and had them every day. Then, in 2011, I read two books that made me change my eating and lifestyle habits instantly: Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer and Slaughterhouse by Gail A. Eisnitz.

It was a strictly ethical decision for me at first and I didn’t even know that veganism could be healthy. I ended up researching and trying to find out everything I could for months.

That’s how I ended up learning more about whole foods and cooking with unprocessed ingredients, incorporating more fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds. I had never liked any of these foods, so no one was more surprised than me.

Curiosities Insider Interviews Kim Julie Hansen Best of Vegan Muffins
Blueberry Muffins – Photo Credit: Best of Vegan LLC

What are some myths about Vegan cuisine that people believe?

That it’s bland, boring, not nutritionally adequate, hard to adapt to and impractical.

I believed all of that too before going vegan myself, so as you can imagine, I wasn’t thrilled to give up so much of what I enjoyed, but I soon found out that you can actually veganize practically anything.

Latte? Make it a soy or oat latte. Sushi? Make it a sweet potato or avocado roll. Pizza? Add some vegan cheese and pepperoni. It obviously doesn’t taste exactly the same, but it’s close enough and, given the ethical implications, definitely worth the sacrifice.

What I at first feared would be restrictive ended up opening the doors to a whole new world for me. I enjoy cooking and eating out so much more now. Vegan cuisine is also neither boring nor deficient. You can get all the same nutrients from plants and whenever they’re harder to get, you can take a vegan supplement for convenience.

I do want to note that vegan foods and products aren’t readily available to everyone equally, so I think that as someone who does have access to the lifestyle, it’s important to simultaneously educate and motivate those who are in the same position while also actively working on making access easier for those who do not without ever judging them.

Curiosities Insider Interviews Kim Julie Hansen Best of Vegan Salad
Smoky Tempeh & Vegan Cheese Salad – Photo Credit: Best of Vegan LLC

What are your favorite NYC Vegan spots? Sorry for this tough question, Kim… 🙂

There are far too many to list!

I love using the app “Vegan NYC” to discover new spots, but my all time favorites are Seasoned Vegan, Avant Garden, Adelina’s, Little Choc Apothecary, Bar Velo, Jungle Cafe and Délice & Sarrasin.

I’m probably forgetting half the list…!

How about your top Vegan brands that are really disrupting the industry, in New York?

I love brands that emphasize quality and/or community and are based right out of New York. Some of them include Egunsi Foods, Raaka Chocolate and Foreal Foods.

Curiosities Insider Interviews Kim Julie Hansen Best of Vegan Yogurt
Vegan Breakfast Idea: granola, fresh fruit & plant-based yogurt with toppings – Photo Credit: Best of Vegan LLC

Ah! And you have a gorgeous life changing book and I was lucky enough to follow closely it coming to life! So tell our readers what it’s all about and what they can expect.

Thank you for the kind words!

My book, Vegan Reset (called The 28-Day Vegan Plan in the U.K.), is a practical guide, a cookbook and a 28-day meal plan. It’s an introduction to ethical veganism, plant-based living and a holistic approach to health.

It’s not a diet in the sense that the goal is feeling good physically and mentally, not weight loss.

While it teaches you how to incorporate more fresh produce and unprocessed foods, there are no strict guidelines and you can adapt everything as you see fit. The main motivation is ethical rather than dietary.

Do you have any super cool upcoming project you can share? Anything exclusive no one knows yet!? Lol!

I may or may not be planning my second book! 🙂

Curiosities Insider Interviews Kim Julie Hansen Best of Vegan Rice Pudding
Cinnamon Rice Pudding – Photo Credit: Best of Vegan LLC

More about her Book!

Curiosities Insider Interviews Kim Julie Hansen Best of Vegan Book Vegan Reset
©Behind the Scenes NYC

Vegan Reset: The 28-Day Plan to Kickstart Your Healthy Lifestyle is a 28-day plan for new vegans or anyone looking to get their diet back on track, from the wildly popular creator of Best of Vegan!

No matter what diet you practice, a reset is a way to jump-start or refocus healthy habits and get your body to a state of optimum health. Here, NYC-based blogger and Instagrammer Kim-Julie Hansen of Best of Vegan offers a practical and easy-to-follow program, laid out day by day with meal plans, prep, shopping lists, recipes, and personal tips and inspiration.

If you want to become a vegan and don’t know where to start, this is the ultimate guide. But it’s also invaluable for anyone (vegan or not) looking to kick-start healthier habits, whether to lose weight, become fitter, or simply cultivate a more balanced lifestyle.

Kim-Julie introduces you to the benefits of a reset; guides you through the 28-day meal plan; and finishes with additional recipes to carry you beyond the reset—all brought to life with her gorgeous photography throughout. With its emphasis on satisfying plant-based foods and its achievable 28-day plan, this program is a great way to meet your goals of health and well-being.

Buy book here!


Thank you Kim, my dear friend, for sharing your amazing story with everyone and congratulations on all that you have built during these amazing years in New York City!

I’ve had the opportunity of seeing it from close and I couldn’t be more proud of you!

Plus, I can’t wait to see more of your work and continue trying out all of your food (yes, please continue inviting me over for dinner, lol!) and following your tips!

And finally, if you want to uncover more Vegan spots in New York, be sure to explore our website!


Photo Credits: ©Behind the Scenes NYC, Best of Vegan LLC and portraits by Edward Gebel
*Last Update on April/2020.*

16 Things NO ONE EVER Tells You About NYC [PART 2/4]

16 Things No One Ever Tells You About NYC Part 2 Photo Sam Truong Dan

New York is a great city to visit and there is so much you can do! But, if you’ve never been, it can be a bit overwhelming. So, I decided to share 16 things NO ONE EVER tells you about NYC.

16 Things No One Ever Tells You About NYC Part 2
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Andre Benz

Yes, believe it or not, there are a few rules and tips to make your NYC experience seamless and memorable. This fast paced city certainly has its particularities. But, I can guarantee, that it’s what make this city so unique! You just need to learn a few tips and tricks, to survive in NYC!

We split this topic into 4 different posts, so see below Part 2!

And if you haven’t seen Part 1, go check it out!


#5 Why don’t yellow cabs just STOP when you signal!? And what are these green cabs?

16 Things No One Ever Tells You About NYC Part 2 Taxi
Photo Credit: Courtesy

Many tourists don’t know that the light on top of the cab helps identify if they are free or with a passenger. When the light is ON, they are free for you to try and stop them. So, when the light is off, they are in the middle of a trip and will pass straight by.

Ah! Have you ever seen the green cabs in Manhattan before!?

Well, these cabs will never stop to pick you up in Manhattan, even if they are free. They are only allowed to get passengers in the other boroughs (Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx and Staten Island), but they can commute anywhere, of course. So, you’ll only be able to grab a yellow cab, while in Manhattan.


#6 This is for the art lovers!

16 Things No One Ever Tells You About NYC Part 2 Free Museums
©Behind the Scenes NYC

Even though the city is known for being a very expensive one, there are several ways to save money.

Some museums can have pretty high fees, but most have free entrances a few specific days a week, or a few free hours. And still, others might be “pay what you wish”.

NYC residents: If you have that City ID or another document proving you live in NYC, be sure to tell them. Many paid museums are free for us! WUHU!

The NYC Arts website has a detailed list of all of them to help you out!

And the art galleries? They are all free to enter and see the current art works!

New York also offers countless free events, by the way. You just need to stay tuned to our IG Page or other pretty great accounts too like FomoFeed! We love them!


#7 Always have money on you!

16 Things No One Ever Tells You About NYC Part 2 Have Money Photo Jack Harner
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Jack Harner

Why? Well, believe it or not there are countless places around New York that are “cash only” spots and will not accept any other payment method. For example, one of my all time favorite spots in Williamsburg, Brooklyn called Beco Bar, is a cash only bar/restaurant. Well, they JUST recently added Amex credit card machine, but many others, have no other option.

Regardless, having a bit of money in your pocket, is always advisable during a trip. You never know what might happen, so you might as well be prepared. But, if you do forget, most of the “cash only” spots or have an ATM inside or they are close to one that you can run to.

Now, don’t come with a $100 bill. You’ll have a pretty hard time exchanging them or getting change if you’re purchasing something cheap. Plus, banks aren’t allowed to give you change for them. Bummer! I guess everyone is just skeptic it might be a fake.


#8 Tipping is CRUCIAL!!!

16 Things No One Ever Tells You About NYC Part 2 Photo Sam Truong Dan
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Sam Truong Dan

This is something not all visitors agree with or feel comfortable, but it’s a reality! New York is a city where you tip for absolutely everything! You need to breathe? Tip! Just joking….but not joking.

So, let me give you the basics on how this goes. And of course, just be reasonable guys!!! I know many people are traveling on a budget, and that’s totally fine too, so just be mindful when you are at different places.

In general, restaurants vary with tips from 18% – 22%. I always end up tipping 20%, but you can feel free and pick what suits you best. For bigger groups, some restaurants will automatically include 25% in the bill, so be sure to see that.

At bars, I also just usually tip 20% to make it easier, but you can just consider at least $1 a drink, and for the pricier cocktails, at least $2. Guys, the tireless barmen and bar-women are working their asses off all-night-long to be sure you have a great time, so help them out too!

By the way, when the bar is super full, nicer tips might give you an extra attention when getting future drinks at the bar.

Now, as I mentioned, tipping is not limited to only restaurants and bars. If you’re getting an Uber/Lyft/Via/Juno, you can always tip the driver at the end of the ride through the APP, but yellow cabs also expect tips. Yes, even the lousy, dirty, smelly ones… You can tip 15% – 20% and if you’re paying with a card, you just pick the tipping amount on the screen.

Tipping at the hotel is also important. It’s always nice to tip the bellboy that helps bringing your luggage into the hotel and up to your room. Generally, it’s $1 per bag, but if you’re at a nicer hotel, be nicer too! Lol! When your leaving the hotel, and a staff grabs a taxi for you, yes, tip him like $1-$2. Oh, and most people most often forget: the cleaning lady! She was the one that kept your room super neat and clean during all these unforgettable days in New York. You might want to leave around $2/day for her at the end for your stay. I always also customize the tip with a smiley note!

So, as you can see….tipping is crucial and this is also one of the reasons you have to have cash on you!!! But, as I said, be mindful and reasonable within the budget you have too!


If you enjoyed our Part 2 of the 16 things NO ONE EVER tells you about NYC, be sure to check our Part 3 coming up next! There is still so much more to learn!

For any questions regarding travel or event planning for Corporate Groups, contact our experts to help you out!



Photo Credit: ©Behind the Scenes NYC, Courtesy of Jack Harner, Sam Truong Dan and Andre Benz
*Last Update on March/2020.*

The Beauty Of Forms By Anastasia Komarova

Shop Ladies Forms New York White Bag

A brand you must know about! Forms by Anastasia Komarova gives you a sense of the importance of a little surface detailing. Architectural aesthetics translates into to something wearable, simplifying complex ideas and taking a great care for textures and volumes.

Shop Ladies Forms New York White Bag

As we’ve mentioned before, New York City is really a natural incubator with entrepreneurs from diverse industries and coming from different parts of the globe! We’ve interviewed some, if you want to check them out!

I recently learned more about the talented Anastasia Komarova and her unique and carefully crafted work.

This was our first contact:

“…I went to read further and was touched by your story. As an immigrant itself (I came to NYC in 2016 from Russia) I sincerely understand your feelings and passion. I think it is absolutely great that you have that project. It helps people who just beginning to explore the city as well as one who lives here an entire life. Insider interviews with creative people having a great contribution to the image of the city too.”

And from this message, we started talking and I was impressed with her work and her talent!

So, take a look below at the short interview we did with her and read about her impressive story:


Tell me about you and your background.

I received a Masters from the Moscow Architectural Institute, a scion of the famed Vkhutemas school, which was instrumental in the Russian avant-garde and constructivist movements of the early 20th century. We had a great course of sculpture and painting that helps me a lot for my future projects.

It also helped me develop the sense of proportion and details not only from the technical drawings and constant travels, but from the eye observation while I was working on furniture design.

Shop Ladies Forms New York Anastasia Komarova
Anastasia Komarova

How did you ended up in our beautiful New York City?

New York was never a dream for me while I was living in Russia. I traveled a lot and was fascinated with the Asian ancient culture.

The first time I came to the NYC was because my best friend needed an emotional support at that time. A week after being here, I fell in love with the atmosphere of the city and vowed to stay here.

What inspires you in your work and how is NYC’s architecture translated into your pieces?

New York City itself is my main inspiration. People, architecture and historic buildings, sounds…all work as a creative force while I am working on new designs. I have never aimed to reflect any particular architecture developed or created by myself or other architects.

I am just trying to reflect some fundamental things that architecture is based on. Furthermore, my favorite areas are Tribeca and Financial District. I like to feel the scale of architecture, observe the intricacy of the old facades.

Shop Ladies Forms New York White Architecture

What is the general style of the women/men that purchases your pieces?

Simply describing it is a smart fashion. People who are inspired by art, curious and enthusiastic I think will find my work compelling.

Tell me about your collections.

Forms gives you a sense of the importance of a little surface detailing. Architectural aesthetics translates into to something wearable, simplifying complex ideas and taking a great care for textures and volumes. Accessories, with their pronounced shapes and sharp lines, invite you to touch them and feel their exceptional structure.

What is the biggest challenge for a startup in NYC?

Biggest challenge for me was setting up, finding the studio. People in NY are generally open for discussion and new ventures in the same way they can be easily distracted by overwhelming number of exiting events. So, that “toughed” me to be more social sensitive and patient.

Shop Ladies Forms New York Grey Tote

Where can people find FORMS?

All collections are available at the brand’s online store f-o-r-m-s.com. Some pieces you can find in The Store at MAD – Museum of Arts and Design and also Henrik Vibskov boutique has some items.

What would you say for those that aspire to start their own brand?

Most importantly is “do what you love”. All the rest will be accumulated around you driven by your passion.

Shop Ladies Forms New York Backpack


Thank you Anastasia for sharing your exciting journey! We’re excited to follow your work and see where New York City will take you!

In addition, if you’re interested in learning more about Russian designers in NY, you might want to check out Julia Seregina and Figura.

www.f-o-r-m-s.com


Photo Credits: Courtesy of Forms
*Last Update on March/2020.*

Justin Teodoro: Statue Of Liberty Illustration Gone Viral

Curiosities Insider Interviews Justin Teodoro Statue of Liberty Illustration

Justin Teodoro is the powerful  and creative name behind the Statue of Liberty’s illustration that went viral a few weeks back! We talked to him about his breathtaking career, his inspirations and discovered his 7 secret spots in NYC.

Curiosities Insider Interviews Justin Teodoro Statue of Liberty Illustration

A few weeks back, the social media universe went wild with a beautiful illustration created by the NY-based illustrator, Justin Teodoro.

In a powerful response to the first lady, Melania Trump’s Zara jacket, which had “I really don’t care. Do you?”, written on the back, Justin’s creative, powerful and positive reply, moved the world.

The outrageous act that has been moving people to stand up against the zero tolerance policy of family separations at the boarder, led by President Trump, was spread through out the internet.

Even those that chose to be isolated for the political scene, were touched.

Like us, countless other media platforms and Instagram users, reposted Justin’s illustration, supporting the cause.

Our interview below, will show you more about Justin’s story, career, conquests, inspirations, finishing off with 7 of his secret spots in NYC!

Curiosities Insider Interviews Justin Teodoro Kevin Lamarque Reuters
Photo Credit: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

1. Can you tell me a bit about your background? Where you’re from? What you studied? Where you’ve worked?

I’m from Vancouver, BC Canada – born and raised there. I did my undergrad at University of Toronto and after I graduated in 2003 I moved back to Vancouver to figure out what to do for a career.

I’ve always drawn and loved art, but never knew how to make that happen as a “job”. I was always into fashion but, that seemed so far away to me as a career.

I then found about the Associates Fashion program at Parsons and with the support of my family applied and got in. So, I moved to NYC in 2005 to pursue a career in fashion.

I worked as a womenswear designer for 8 years for brands as Tuleh, Cynthia Steffe and Kenneth Cole, before I made a career change to focus on my own illustrations and art.

Curiosities Insider Interviews Justin Teodoro Installation

2. Was the Barney’s window in NY your first major fashion project? Tell us a bit about this project! Or, tell us about your first major project that boosted your career.

My first big project as an illustrator was probably working with Lorenzo Martone and his brand Martone Cycling – we met through mutual friends and I began doing illustrations for him.

That led to us working together on a small capsule range of illustrated tees for Martone Cycling, then a pop up in NYC and finally an artwork for a window display when Martone Cycling was sold at Colette in Paris. That was a major first for me.

I’ve worked with Barneys NY a few times – first on their website doing a few illustrations stories. Those projects led me to working with Barneys New York Japan in 2015 for their holiday campaign. Another major milestone in my career – I created artwork for their holiday campaign and was invited to Tokyo for the holiday launch.

Curiosities Insider Interviews Justin Teodoro Colette Lorenzo Martone3. You’ve done so many amazing works around the world like Colette in Paris, the subways in Tokyo! I believe you obviously enjoyed them all, but is there one that you’re exceptionally proud of and would love to relive it? Why?

I’ve been lucky to have worked on some pretty amazing projects with really great brands, so it is hard to choose.

I guess though I would always cherish the projects that allowed not only my work to travel internationally but me as well!

So, my project with Barneys in Tokyo and recently doing artwork for Six Senses in Kaplankaya, Turkey was amazing. It’s been great to expose yourself and your eyes to what is out there.

Curiosities Insider Interviews Justin Teodoro Tokyo Subway Barneys New York

4. The entire Social Media universe saw your latest illustration of the Statue of Liberty with the child. We were one of the hundreds of accounts that share it. Can you give us a taste of how the idea can about and how the creation process was? Did you expect this amazing repercussion?

Curiosities Insider Interviews Justin Teodoro

It really came about from me just reacting to all the news that week – I remember it being so hard to hear all the stories of these families being separated and then seeing all those images in the news.

It was hard not to react.

I think I tried to do something that felt true to what I wanted to say, but also to my art and I think I just wanted to put something out there that was perhaps positive, a sense of hope in all of this sadness, anger and messiness.

So, it kind of just came naturally – I don’t remember exactly what the process was but putting the jacket with what I think we all wanted it to say on the statue of Liberty seemed to be my creative reply.

The reaction was pretty amazing to see – definitely all the viral attention was amazing.

But, it was much more amazing to me to have people email/message me to say thank you for doing this artwork, that it gave them a sense of hope and light in all this darkness.

That really touched me and made me realize that the work had taken on a more powerful meaning that I ever anticipated.

5. Is there any exciting upcoming project you can share with us first hand?!

A few projects in work, so stay tuned!

6. Can people find your work in NY and also to purchase online?

I have a few t-shirts/prints available on my website. Below an image of the gorgeous Jane’s Carousel.

Curiosities Insider Interviews Justin Teodoro Janes Carousel Dumbo

7. What are you +7 top secret spots in NY you love to go with friends, or for work inspiration?

  • Communitea Café – A neighborhood coffee spot in LIC;
  • FIT Museum – For fashion inspiration;
  • Lucky Strike – A classic NYC happy hour in SoHo;
  • Tuffet – A great bar in Brooklyn for cocktails and drinks;
  • McNally Jackson – A great local bookstore/magazines and coffee spot in SoHo;
  • Strand Bookstore – A classic and has an amazing vintage book collection;
  • Blick Arts – I’m a sucker for an art store and I’m always here getting more paint or pens.

Take a look at a few cultural activities in New York, if you’re into arts, music, museums, etc!


Thank you Justin, for the amazing work, your strong voice and talent, and for sharing with us a bit of your life!

Keep up the amazing work!


Photo Credits: Justin Teodoro and Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
*Last Update on April/2020.*

7 Secret NYC Spots by Kelley Louise, A Travel Entrepreneur

Curiosities Insider Interviews Kelley Louise

Kelley Louise is a travel entrepreneur, Founder of Impact Travel Alliance and passionate about storytelling and social good! Come explore her favorite 7 secret NYC spots!

Curiosities Insider Interviews Kelley Louise Streets

I’ve known Kelley Louise probably for as long as I’ve been in New York City. I was introduced to her through a friend in common somewhere back in 2015.

Throughout these past years, I’ve been following her work and how she’s also changing the travel industry across the globe!

A travel entrepreneur passionate about storytelling and social good, Kelley specializes in creative marketing and social media management for clients in the travel and impact space. She is also the Founder and Executive Director of Impact Travel Alliance – the world’s largest community for socially conscious travelers.

Kelley has built her career through carefully selected opportunities in the United States and abroad, including leadership roles in entrepreneurial endeavors, social good projects, marketing and media strategy.

A content creator herself, Kelley is an avid photographer and writer, and runs a travel and lifestyle blog, The Culture Collective – focused on travel & lifestyle, she showcases local gems and off-the-beaten-path adventures, and covers social good, empowerment and entrepreneurship.

A passionate connector, Kelley has an innate ability to build loyal and diverse communities.

Kelley has a bachelor’s degree in Media & Culture from The New School. She lives in Brooklyn, and you can follow her adventures on social media account: @KelleyTravels.

Now, take a look below and see her favorite 7 secret NYC spots!


League of Kitchens

Curiosities Insider Interviews Kelley Louise League of Kitchens Sweets
Curiosities Insider Interviews Kelley Louise League of Kitchens Rosbeef
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Curiosities Insider Interviews Kelley Louise League of Kitchens
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“Hands down, my favorite experience to recommend to New Yorkers and newcomers alike. League of Kitchens is an Airbnb-style format that offers you the opportunity to take a cooking class in an immigrant’s home. Nothing beats breaking bread and learning about someone’s culture through food.”

Pretty awesome, right? These amazing cooks host you + 5 people at their home and teach everything about their traditional cuisine from back home. Plus, you are able to go home with a detailed shopping list of what to buy and the recipes, so you can also cook at your own home.

Oh, it’s also a great opportunity to meet like-minded people!

www.leagueofkitchens.com


Nowadays

Curiosities Insider Interviews Kelley Louise Nowadays

“I’ve been a part of the Mister Sunday crowd since it’s early days in Gowanus Park, and it’s been amazing watching how Eamon and Justin have grown this community. Nowadays is their permanent outpost, which opened in 2017. Go for the music, stay for the good vibes and crowd.”

And I love it too! I’ve been there a few times and it just gets better and better!

The music is fantastic, there are a few food trucks so you won’t get hungry, drinks have super reasonable prices, you can be sure you’ll have a fantastic time and even get to meet a few new friends!

They’re located in Ridgewood, Queens, but it’s an easy commute through the L train to Halsey station.

Hours:
Monday – Wednesday: 4pm – 12am
Thursday – 4pm – 2am
Friday – 4pm – Late
Saturday – 12pm – Late
Sunday – 3pm – 12am

Location: 56-06 Cooper Avenue

Other Infos:

  • Nowadays is always free except for indoors on Friday and Saturday nights, and indoors and outdoors every Sunday until 9pm.
  • The kitchen closes at 11pm Sunday through Thursday, and 1am on Friday and Saturday.
  • 2-for-1 happy hour runs from 4pm to 8pm Monday to Friday.

https://nowadays.nyc


LIC Landing

Curiosities Insider Interviews Kelley Louise LIC Landing Queens

“The magic of the NYC skyline never gets old, and LIC Landing is one of my favorite places to soak in the view. Bring friends and grab a drink – take some time to enjoy the slow(er) life in NYC.”

This beautiful, brand-new waterfront park at Hunters Point South, offers a 2000 sqft outdoor event space and a high-quality outdoor café.

It definitely has a priceless view of the city!

Try going before sunset and you’ll be able to witness Manhattan’s lights lighting up.

After all, we all know how beautiful this experience can be! While you’re around the neighborhood, be sure to explore close by spots like The Standing Room, a great bar and comedy bar!

Hours: Every day – 7am – 10pm (Summer Hours)!

Location: Center Blvd. between 50 Avenue and 54 Avenue

http://www.liclanding.com


Beer Street

Curiosities Insider Interviews Kelley Louise Beer Street

“Beer Street is the bar that ruined all other beer bars for me — other bars just don’t compare. Somehow, all other menus just don’t compete with Cory (the owner’s) exceptional taste and attention to detail. Pro-tip: If you’re indecisive on what you want to order, follow Beer Street’s golden rule — Trust your bartender.”

Well, to start, they were chosen as “America’s 100 Best Beer Bars by Draft Mag” for the years of 2014 and 2015.

Located in Williamsburg, they have 10 taps with amazing draft beer, plus great wine, cider and other drinks.

Hours:
Monday – Thursday: 5pm – 1am
Friday: 5pm – 2am
Saturday & Sunday: 12pm – 2am

Location: 413 Graham Avenue

https://www.beerstreetny.com


Furnish Green

Curiosities Insider Interviews Kelley Louise Furnish Green Beach Chair
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“From the conventional to the quirky, Furnish Green has it all. My favorite vintage furniture store in the city, Furnish Green is great for finding anything from a well-designed dresser for your bedroom to a vintage carousel house (the latter of which I have).”

These guys are vintage experts! Every week you can expect 5-15 new items in the store. As they say, their philosophy is:

“To provide creative local consumers with unique, well-made, long-lasting and reasonably priced pieces of furniture.”

Pretty cool right!? Plus, in a city where most people buy at the same stores, you’ll be sure to have different items decorating your beautiful home!

Hours:
Monday – Friday: 10am – 8pm
Saturday: 10am – 6pm

Location: 1261 Broadway, Suite 309

http://furnishgreen.com


Bistro Petit

Curiosities Insider Interviews Kelley Louise Petit Bistro Oysters
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“This is a big statement, but I stand by it: Bistro Petit is the best restaurant I’ve ever been to. It’s a charming little spot – only fitting about a dozen or so people into the entire space – and you can’t help but to fall in love. The cuisine is French/Korean fusion, and BYOB. For the perfect date night, bring a bottle of red, and sit on the bar stools for a view of the kitchen and sit side by side with your date.”

The owner and chef, Sung Park, is truly an artist, in the kitchen. His bold and innovative cooking style is surely what makes the difference for his guests, and obviously, what makes them come back.

Located in South Williamsburg, they explain that they only use only use the freshest seasonal ingredients, local produce, natural organics, grass fed beef, local fish, and free-range chicken.

Plus, for vegetarians, they have great options, so don’t worry about it! You can go and be sure to have a great time!

Hours:
Wednesday – Saturday: 6pm – 12am
Sunday: 6pm – 11pm

Location: 774 Driggs Avenue

http://www.bistropetit.com


Erie Basin

Curiosities Insider Interviews Kelley Louise Erie Basin Jewelry Antiques

“An exceptionally well-curated collection of jewelry (both vintage and new pieces that were crafted using antique stones), pretty much everything you see at Erie Basin is one of a kind. Even if you’re not ready to invest in your next piece of fine jewelry, they’re worth the follow on Instagram for some daydreaming.”

Launched in 2006, the store is located in the far end of Brooklyn in a neighborhood we adore called Red Hook! They are “specialized in antique and vintage jewelry, but also have a selection of furniture, art, and objects dating from the 18th to mid 20th century.”

The brand is, up to date, basically a one-man show, and was founded by Russell Whitmore. An avid collector and antique lover, Whitmore launched in 2014 a fantastic collection around antique gemstones he has collected and many are exclusive, one-of-a-kind pieces.

Hours: Wednesday – Saturday: 12pm – 6pm

Location: 388 Van Brunt Street

http://eriebasin.com


Thank you to my dearest friend, Kelley Louise, for these truly amazing 7 secret NYC spots! I loved them all and will surely visit the ones I haven’t been to yet!

You should too, after all, exploring New York, through the eyes of true New Yorkers, is definitely the best way to do it!


Photo Credits: Courtesy of Tutti del Monte, Clay Williams for The James Beard Foundation and all the venues.
*Last Update on April/2020.*

Top 8 Spots In NYC By Andrew Chen, An Experience Curator

Curiosities Insider Interviews Andrew Chen My Inspire Project TriBeCa

This week we talked to the handsome Andrew Chen from My Inspire Project. He told us a little about his fantastic career, his adventures across the globe and, of course, his top 8 spots in NYC!


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Andrew Y. Chen was born in Taipei, Taiwan. He has lived and studied in major international cities between Taipei, Shanghai, Paris, London, before moving to New York.

He has built a solid background in luxury and fashion throughout his career in LVMH, Bergdorf Goodman, Gilt Groupe and Issey Miyake before he founded “My Inspire Project”, a platform specialized in Experiential Marketing, Digital Strategy and Content Generation, in February 2017.

Known as the trendsetter, living expert and unique character among his circles, Andrew started sharing his discovery across fashion, art, entertainment, design, travel, hospitality and real estate categories on his platform and has established a network and community of global elites, celebrities, press/editors, travel enthusiast and creative minds across North America, Asia and Western Europe.

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He also partners with renowned organizations and businesses to curate special events and create one-of-a-kind experience throughout exclusive venues in the world. He believes Authenticity, Exclusivity and Individuality are the core values of the new luxurious experience.

This summer, Andrew and his team are preparing to launch their online lifestyle channel and take their story and journey into the next level.

That said, take a look below and see his Top 8 Spots in NYC:


Favorite Restaurants: La Mercerie and Agern

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“La Mercerie is my favorite new hotspot by Chef Marie-Aude Rose, the wife of renown chef and my dear friend, Daniel Rose from Spring & Le Coucou. It is a perfect place with incredible and curated decor – inside the beautiful new Roman & Williams Guild, also my favorite furniture store – that brings French cuisine into an everyday experience. I love the buckwheat crepe and the amazing dessert selections there.”

Yes, this place is the talk of the town! All foodies, influencers, food connoisseurs, travel experts and curious folks are stopping by to check the place out!

Besides the restaurant, if you’re passing by for a quick bit or you’re in a rush, they have a grab-and-go counter with delicious pastries and coffee!

Hours: Open every day!
Breakfast Menu: 9am – 12pm
All Day Menu: 12pm – 10pm

Location: 53 Howard Street

www.lamerceriecafe.com


Curiosities Insider Interviews Andrew Chen My Inspire Project Agern
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“Agern is a Michelin starred delight hidden in the business Grand Central Terminal. It is quite an experience just to discover this beautiful place for the first time visitor. It is by far my favorite Nordic cuisine in town and I loved their focus on pairing the season driven menu with local American wine.”

We love it too! Our experience there has been certainly priceless. Service is fantastic, food is to-die-for and ambiance is very comforting and dim lighting.

The price is a bit high, but worth every dollar, especially if you’re looking for a special night out with your loved one or with friends & family.

Hours:
Lunch: Monday – Friday: 11:30am – 2:30pm
Dinner: Monday – Saturday: 5:30pm – 10pm
Closed Sundays

Location: 89 East 42nd Street

http://agernrestaurant.com


Favorite Bars: The UES and The Office

Curiosities Insider Interviews Andrew Chen My Inspire Project The UES

“The UES is a new speakeasy bar behind the ice cream shop storage, you would need the right dress code and people in order to enter and enjoy the swanky cocktails. The concept is unique for the uptight neighborhood. Since we live in the area, this is our new go-to spot for a chic but casual night.”

Yes, we are lovers of all speakeasies around the city and this is a place you should certainly visit! Oh yes, and the dress code! They ask to:

“Kindly refrain from wearing t-shirts, collarless shirts, torn or baggy jeans, flip flops, sandals, tennis shoes or athletic wear of any kind.”

Hours: Storage open Monday – Saturday: 5pm

Location: 1707 2nd Avenue

www.theuesnyc.com


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“The Office is probably the most fabulous and luxurious speakeasy bar in NYC, and possibly around the world. Inside the Mandarin Oriental at Time Warner Center, this reservation only bar is only accessible through a hidden passageway. It is my favorite place to take my special guests, celebs and visitors for meetings and drinks. Their truffle cocktail and truffle pairing menu is surely a different level.”

New York is certainly the home of some of the most luxurious spots on Earth. If you’re into art, they feature some amazing collectors’ art and artifacts.

In addition, if you enjoy learning and tasting spirits, they have an “extinction” collection of some of the rarest spirits in the world! So, it’ would be obvious to say that their signature cocktail list is fantastic, right!?

Hours:
Sunday – Wednesday: 5:30pm – 11:30pm
Thursday – Saturday: 5:30pm – 12:30am

Location: 80 Columbus Circle at 60th Street

www.mandarinoriental.com


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The MET


Favorite Club: Jia Lounge

Curiosities Insider Interviews Andrew Chen My Inspire Project Jia Lounge

“I would go to LES, not for the vibrant bar scene, but the beautiful 1930’s Shanghai-themed lounge club, Jia Lounge. Hidden in the back of Rivington Hotel, Jia Lounge is a new nightlife experience in New York City with curate cocktail, music and selective crowd. It has the best deep house night in town and caters to the many tastemakers and international jetsetters in the city.”

This place is really something! Besides what Andrew mentioned about cocktails, music and a great crowd…the décor is certainly a highlight.

Everything was meticulously cared for and details are everywhere to be noticed! Plus, if you love being part of the super late-night New York Scene, this is the place for you! It’s open until 4am!

In the video, we talked a bit about Café Medi, also inside the Rivington Hotel – great spot for brunch!

Hours: Tuesday – Saturday: 11pm – 4pm

Location: 105 Rivington Street

www.hotelonrivington.com


Favorite Gallery: David Lewis Gallery

Curiosities Insider Interviews Andrew Chen My Inspire Project David Lewis Gallery

“David Lewis Gallery, located in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, is one of my favorite contemporary art galleries in NYC that presents most promising upcoming artists and their works. Their unique vision and direction has drawn attention from major international art collectors, art fairs and museums including Whitney Museum in New York and Tate Modern in London.”

If you love art, but don’t really enjoy going alone, since your not necessarily a super savvy about it, let our fantastic art expert lead the way!

After all, there is nothing like having a specialist with you!

Hours: Wednesday – Sunday: 11am – 6pm

Location: 88 Eldridge Street

http://davidlewisgallery.com


Favorite Store: The Apartment by The Line

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UNFORTUNATELY THIS STORE IS PERMANENTLY CLOSED!

“When the retail industry is upside down, the well-curated boutique The Apartment by The Line, offers a new way of shopping. Hiding in the loft space in SoHo, The Apartment offers a full lifestyle selection that you could enjoy and shop from. It constantly brings in different designers and objects for the customers to learn and explore.”

They offer everything from fashion and home, to beauty. So, expect to find some of the most amazing brands like Kiki de Montparnasse, Lemaire, Eres, Marni, Le Labo, The Nue, Rodin Olio Lusso, Esker, and even Taschen Books, Atelier De Troupe lamps, Harlow Henry throws and Skagerak furnishing.

Hours:
Monday – Saturday: 11am – 7pm
Sunday: 12pm – 5pm

Location: 76 Greene Street, 3rd Floor

https://theline.com


Favorite Park: Fort Tyron Park

Curiosities Insider Interviews Andrew Chen My Inspire Project Fort Tyron Park

“Fort Tyron Park is indeed quite a ride from the heart of Manhattan, but it would never disappoint you. Once you arrive at the Remnants of Billings Estate and the massively arched structure known as the Billings Arcade, you feel like you are in Europe already. This park is surely one of the city’s most beautiful outdoor pieces of art.”

We love it too! Previously owned by no one less than John D. Rockefeller, Jr., in the year of 1931, he gifted the property to the City of New York. What a gift, right?

Construction started and 4 years later, in 1935, Rockefeller and Robert Moses – the “master builder” of mid-20th century, officialized the park as a public space for everyone to be able to visit! Lucky us!

Location: Riverside Drive to Broadway, W 192 Street to Dyckman Street

www.nycgovparks.org/parks/fort-tryon-park


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Thank you,  Andrew, for this fantastic interview and sharing all these true NY gems! We loved shooting this YouTube video with you!

If you are coming to New York, be sure to explore the other amazing Insider Interviews. For any type of corporate assistance, contact our experts!


Photo Credits: Courtesy of Andrew Chen, @thirdness, @a_gaut, @robertwright, @evansungnyc and the venues.
*Last Update on April/2020.*

Jason Naylor: 7 Best NYC Secret Spots By A Multitalented Artist

Curiosities Insider Interviews Jason Naylor Live Life Colorfully

We interviewed the multitalented artist, Jason Naylor, and learned about his journey, his upcoming projects and also his 7 best NYC secret spots! Check it all out below!

Today we bring you a fantastic interview with Jason Naylor! We’re sure many of you are already huge fans – as we are – and, have seen his work throughout New York City.

But, did you know that Jason is a multitalented artist? He is not only the Creative Director at his design company, but also a brand consultant, an artist, a designer and also, an illustrator. Phiuf!

He told us a bit about his journey:

“Well, I was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. My mother is an artist, and so I spent my youth making art and entering art contests.

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I always did well in art class and that evolved into going to Design School and studying Communication & Graphic Design. This sort of led to the designs I now use in my art, which are very typographic and design heavy.

My work ranges from graphic designs and paintings as well as illustration, to video and digital graphics. I currently am in a very colorful kick and love holographic colors and rich blacks.

I just finished a collaboration with COACH, where I used their logo to create a massive, colorful LOVE mural. The bright colors and blacks came together nicely to shape that piece, and the colors really fortify the message of love.

What better to explain love in a piece of art than bright colors, right?

In addition, I have a pretty cool series of projects coming up this spring, where I’ll work with schools to develop messages of empowerment and then paint the messages as murals on the walls of the playgrounds.

This will start to come together hopefully in the next few weeks, so I’m pretty stoked on that!”

Check out his breathtaking work on his website: http://jasonnaylorcreative.com

Now, take a look at his 7 best NYC secret spots:


Best unexpected date spot – LGA Airport

“Watching the planes land at LGA. Ok, if you don’t know about this, its SPECTACULAR.

Across the street from the Enterprise car rental at LGA, there’s a small park that overlooks both the freeway and the runway… and it’s the closest place you can get to the planes landing.

It’s literally like 100ft from where they land, and you can sit on the bench and watch / listen to the planes come in. It’s riveting. Great date spot too!”


Best hotdog – Anchored Inn

Curiosities Insider Interviews Jason Naylor Anchored Inn

“The Anchored Inn is in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Little “divey” metal bar with a great kitchen. Amazing hotdog – a must try. Get the cheese fries too, you won’t be bummed.”

Their menu serves Mexican-American food, the décor is pretty cool, they have a few pool tables (FYI, we LOVE playing pool) and pinball machines.

As they say, it’s “a place to get fed and drunk”.

Who’s in!?

Hours:
Monday – Friday: 12pm – 4am
Saturday & Sunday: 11 am – 4 am

Location: 54 Waterbury Street

www.theanchoredinn.com


Best inspiring lunch – Carthage Must Be Destroyed

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“I am not even going to say anything about Carthage Must Be Destroyed. You just have to go with at most one other person, or maybe just by yourself, and have lunch. It will change your perspective on the word beautiful.

This place doesn’t have a street sign, so pay attention when you’re looking for it. It’s really something! From the outside you’d never expect to see what’s inside.

As Jason said, we’ll let you go and experience it yourself!

Hours: Open 7 days a week and holidays: 9am – 4pm

Location: 222 Bogart Street

http://carthagemustbedestroyed.com


Best place to people watch – SoHo Park

“This is an obvious one, but this a place I like to go to sit and get fashion inspiration. Good place to sit and hang and soak in the beautiful people of SoHo.”

We have to agree! SoHo is one of the best neighborhood in New York City to people watch. You’ll be able to experience every style in only one place.

So, grab your coffee, sit back and enjoy!

Hours:
Monday – Thursday: 12pm – 10:30pm
Friday & Saturday: 12pm – 11pm
Sunday: 12pm – 9:30pm

Location: 62 Prince Street


Best dinner – Beco Bar

Curiosities Insider Interviews Jason Naylor Beco Bar

“I always order the Brazilian Steak at Beco Bar, in Greenpoint. Bring cash, for it’s cash-only. Put plenty of salt on your meat and be sure to order their famous Pão de Queijo too!”

We’ve written about Beco before and posted about them countless times, and our Founder, Fê Paronetto, is also literally always there.

They have been chosen by locals as one of the neighborhood’s favorite to-go spots and it can get quite busy! Besides the fantastic food and specialty Brazilian cocktail drinks – like the Caipirinha and the Batida de Coco, they still have awesome live music performances.

One of our favorites bands is Regional de Nova York that plays the traditional Brazilian “Chorinho” music. This happens every other Sunday afternoon!

Hours:
Monday – Friday 8am – 12am
Saturday 10am – 12am
Sunday 10am – 11pm

Location: 45 Richardson Street

www.becobar.com


Best secret place to watch NYC fireworks – Parking lot at Western Beef

“At the edge of Ridgewood there’s a grocery wholesaler called Western Beef. The parking lot sits on a hill and has a view of the entire city.

You can see ALL the fireworks that happen just by parking in the parking lot and hanging by the fence. It’s not the closest view, but you can see them all, as well as the NYC skyline, and it’s pretty quiet.”

Location: 47-05 Metropolitan Avenue


Best Bar – Boobie Trap

Curiosities Insider Interviews Jason Naylor Boobie Trap Nicole Dissier Bedford Bowery
Photo Credit: Nicole Dissier for Bedford + Bowery

“My friend owns this bar called Boobie Trap, and I designed a lot of the stuff in the place including the logo, which has boobs!!! You can also sit in my chair which is covered in art!!!”

Yes, this place is quite something!

Be sure to observe the details around the bar…you’ll certainly have a great time uncovering each one of them!

Have fun!

Hours:
Monday – Saturday: 12pm – 4am
Sunday: 12pm – 12am

Location: 308 Bleecker Street

www.boobietrapbrooklyn.com


We also uncovered a few other curiosities about Jason:

Read below to get deeper into Jason’s journey. He shared more about his murals, his inspirations, what he enjoys working on the most, where we can find his murals around New York, which are his favorite artists and still, his passion with tattoos!


How did you start working with painting murals and what was the first one you did?

“The first mural I did was in 2013 – a producer friend called me in panic with an event for Microsoft at SXSW and their graphics for the event fell through.

She asked if I could get graphics up on the wall for the space as I had done that a lot before for brands – you know, design graphics to be printed on vinyl and wrapped on to walls.

But there was no time to have them printed so I offered to paint a mural on the wall during the event. I assumed it couldn’t be that hard? Get the right supplies and get to work?

So, I did, and it was a huge success, and they brought be back the next year to do it again! Meanwhile, I was hooked on large scale. Never looked back.”

Curiosities Insider Interviews Jason Naylor Studio

What are your inspirations to create these fantastic art works? Does your hometown of Salt Lake City have a part in it?

“Well, I’m inspired by anything uplifting. I like a ‘feel good’ vibe, and I like to brighten things with color and positivity. So quotes, motivational speaking, self help… these things inspire me, as well as anything colorful.

My upbringing I’m sure plays a big part, but that is a very long story, LOL. Suffice it say that I am happy about where I came from and happy about where I am now, and I feel inspired by anything that is optimistic or positive.”

You are gifted with so many expertise, from doodles, logos, typography, design, etc…what do you most enjoy doing?

“First of all, thank you! I honestly enjoy the range of things I do. The variety enables me to put all my love into each project, as it keeps things fresh and never feeling tiresome or old.

I think diversity in mediums and tools and projects keeps me on my toes, as well.”

Where can people find your murals around New York?

“On 16th Street with 6th Avenue, 60th Street with 2nd Avenue, Houston with 1st – 2nd  Avenues (in the park), Orchard & Houston (the ice cream shop gate), Bowery & Hester, Suffolk & Delancey,  (collaboration with HekTad).

Also, in Queens, on Queens Blvd with 46th Street and in Brooklyn, across from Kings Plaza.”

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This is tough, but what are some of your favorites works?

“Ohhh. Well. I love Tristan Eaton murals. Insanely cool and well planned. I love the photography of Nick Knight. I love Kaws, so smart and James Jean, his magical illustrations make me swoon.”

How about your tattoos? Are they all your drawings? If not, how do you choose the tattoo artist to be part how these drawing come to life?

“The only tattoo that I drew is the first one. I drew and re drew it 100 times before getting it tattooed.

Now, I’ve learned that you have to enable the tattoo artist some creative liberty, if you want a good tattoo. So, I try to selects artists based on their portfolio, style etc…and talk it through with them.

They know how your ideas will come out on the 3D surface of your body. Sometimes flat art doesn’t translate, and it’s best to let the artist do his/her thing!”


Jason, we had a great time interviewing you and learning more about your journey, your work, your 7 best NYC secret spots and all the upcoming exciting news!

Keep up this fantastic work and continue leaving your mark throughout our beloved New York City!

If you want to know who else is talking about Jason Naylor, read this interview with the Foodie Influencer, Cheryl Wat. And still, if you’re into street art, check out this Bushwick graffiti tour and last, for the curious ones out there, take a look at a few more city secrets.


Video Credits: @FreshNewYorkers and Test Truck by NotBeAfraid2Fail
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Jason Naylor, Nicole Dissier for Bedford + Bowery, @HeyDavina, @SheraStClair and all venues
*Last Update on April/2020.*

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