I have been involved with many non-profits led by people who want to make a difference. Sometimes, they replicate what others are doing in the same city; sometimes, they grow into something unique, and other times, they never get off the ground. Hospitality Pathways is unique because it was started by someone who wanted to give back after spending her entire career in hospitality and to share her knowledge with others with the hope that she could help others end up in a career that she loved: hospitality. We supported this last cohort through The Public Housing Community Fund, and I enjoyed s ..read more

This morning, we went to the Farmers Market Cafe. Everywhere we ate, people would ask if we were from Montgomery. Perhaps it was just an icebreaker in a town of less than 200,000. An egg and cheese biscuit sandwich and a pancake to share was the call. Good coffee, too! One of us came in a day later, so she had not seen the park, which is an absolute must, so we dropped her off while we headed to a farmers market. This one is open on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. We were told that it was much busier on Saturday. FYI, nothing here is regulated. There are signs at every farmer’s booth notin ..read more

We had breakfast in the hotel and plotted our day. We always check out the local art. I had found two spots, and we started our day at one of them, the Alabama Artist Gallery, located on the first floor of a very tall Government building. There are a bunch of enormous government buildings but few people on the streets, which made us ask multiple questions that were never answered. What we found at the gallery was an installation of the local high schoolers’ work, many of whom had been given colored ribbons. Seeing what kids at that age make is definitely insightful. This was one of the pieces ..read more

I traveled to Montgomery, Alabama, with two friends this past week to see the Legacy Sites. These three sites are the brainchild of Bryan Stevenson, the Founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative. I am sure there are many others to acknowledge, but he leads the charge. In 1989, Stevenson, then 29, moved to Montgomery and began the Equal Justice Initiative to guarantee legal representation to every inmate on the state’s death row. He has dedicated his life to defending injustice in the criminal justice system. Everyone should read his book, Just Mercy, a Story of Justice and ..read more

I am a big fan of the ability to work from home a few days a week. Everyone should have flexibility in their lives. It makes for a happier work culture. Most people do the right thing and get their work done no matter where they hang their hat on a particular day. Then some don’t. Through my experiences, I know and have heard stories of employees working two jobs simultaneously. God knows why someone would want to do that, but eventually, everyone figures it out. The first question I ask is where integrity has gone. Perhaps it is easier to pull this off with Chat GPT and AI. We are all asking ..read more

NYC can be very small for a city of over 8 million people. I love it when I bump into people I have not seen for a while, be it at events, a restaurant, a play, a gallery, or on the street. It’s always fun. I do have one pet peeve that I would like to believe should end with my generation, but it appears it has not. It only happens with women, too.   The first question I get asked is, “How are the kids?” I am happy to share with you what our kids are up to, aka adults, but there are many other things to question. How have you been? What have you been up to? How are you spending ..read more

We have been collecting art since we graduated from college. We are drawn to various mediums, from paintings to charcoals to sculptures and more. We have met some of the artists we have collected, but not enough. I purchased a piece from Gaetano Pesce years ago. His big rubbery vaselike structures. The one we own sits in a corner. He was a multi-faceted artist who worked as an architect, an industrial planner, an urban planner, and a lover of color. I love this quote, “One day, you have an idea for a poem; the next, you have an idea for a song. The best artists are also physicians, mathematic ..read more

Last night, I attended an event to honor Danny Meyer for his incredible, city-changing work at Madison Square Park. Under a tent in the pouring rain, he shared a story with the audience, one that I already knew. It is one of the joys of living in this city long enough to be part of its history and remember what has changed. Fred and I moved to the city in August of 1983 and into 80 Madison. At that time, the neighborhood was filled with single-room occupied hotels that the city had put people up in. The area was overwhelmed with prostitutes, homeless, and drug addicts, but we could both walk ..read more

This week, I read an article in the Washington Examiner on why Republicans must turn against cannabis. The article confirms that the media is no longer fact-checking real data; at least the Washington Examiner isn’t. Here is a paragraph from the article. “Besides the data behind why recreational marijuana should be discouraged and prohibited, why indulge in it, to begin with? Seeking a high in all its forms is illogical and foolish. You lose even the slightest control of yourself, and you will either do something you will regret or be incapable of reacting spontaneously in an unexpected situa ..read more

It will take years for us to truly understand the trauma that COVID-19 leashed on all of us. The list is long. People lost friends and family members, and education fell into an abyss with the onus on parents’ shoulders; we woke up to racism instead of the reality of classism, and most of us thought about how we wanted to live our lives when we got out of this mess. The US Government dealt with the entire national crisis so poorly. Now, we are out on the streets again, but something has changed. It appears that most Americans are unhappy with their country even though the stock market is doin ..read more