Skillful Sailing ⛵️

This is a writing block.

The piece below is two blocks long.

I’ve picked up sailing, and am sharing my experience.

The color theme is blue.

I’ve gotten into sailing this season ⛵️

Growing up on the Hudson River meant seeing boats of all kinds, and now that I’m of age and esteem to sail them myself, I’m thrilled to be doing it.

After my sailing lessons, I’m able to flex my knowledge of the Starboard and the Port – the kind of knowledge that surely impresses my inner child.

I’m the kid who always yearned to be on the wonderful Hudson River, and now I’m mastering it.

Life always wraps around full circle.

You just gotta allow positive intentions to take the helm.

The piece below is nine blocks long.

It’s about the fall of dating apps and the rise of IRL meetups.

It is a piece I wrote for W42St, A Hell’s Kitchen-based publication. Sign up for their newsletter for Hell’s Kitchen updates, and to read more of my work.

The color theme is pink.

What’s Love? (If It Ain’t Real) 💙

Dating apps are losing ground.

It looks like the people prefer real life instead, and New York City is catching wind.

A Hell’s Kitchen bar is playing matchmaker for singles, hosting weekly walks around the neighborhood.

Every Tuesday, you can head over to the Back Pocket Bar for a free drink and a walk with other singles. 

After a successful few meetups, members are excitedly proclaiming: Hell’s Kitchen is done with dating apps.

“Forget the dating apps,” Suzy Darling, owner of HK’s Pocket Bars franchise says.

“Getting out in real life and meeting real people is the way to go.”

The Walk It and Pocket Club follows a nationwide IRL meetup trend.

While dating app usage surged during the pandemic, young people are backing off from swiping.

79% of college and graduate students say they've never used a dating app. Instead, they’re committed to in-person meetups to find someone special.

Run clubs are sprouting up across the nation to fill this need, but the Pocket Bar’s approach shirks the physical intensity.  

Clocking in at just 2.2 miles total, the social stroll is as pleasant as, well, a walk in the park.

Back at the bar, Ray Maclaren describes the vibe of the group as “eclectically chill.” 

He’s a regular at the Pocket Bars, and is excited about the new life that the club is bringing. 

“There’s always great people here,” he says. “Getting a unique mix of people together at this spot is something special.”

Members consist of lively locals and bubbly Pocket Bar staff who prop up the walk’s adventurous nature. Some walkers chat their way through the journey. Others keep to themselves, silently enjoying the company. Leaders of the charge play music from their phone speakers, dancing along the water on 12th Avenue.

The walk culminates at brand-new Pier 79, where true Hell’s Kitcheners can conquer the best slide in town.

But don’t get it confused – not everyone is familiar with the neighborhood. 

Lila, a first-timer to the club, ventured from Philadelphia to kick it on the West Side.

“I just want to go places where I can meet new people with low stakes,” she smiles. 

Still clinging to the potential of online love?

Darling assures us that the “shallow profiles” of Hinge and Tinder are no match for the real deal.

“The only thing you’ll be left wondering is why you didn’t ditch the apps sooner.”