Metrosource NY - OCT/NOV 2020

IMPORTANT FACTS FOR BIKTARVY®

This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your condition and your treatment.

(bik-TAR-vee)

MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BIKTARVY

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF BIKTARVY

BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including:

BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including:  Those in the “Most Important Information About BIKTARVY” section.  Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections.

Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking BIKTARVY.  Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys. If you develop new or worse kidney problems, they may tell you to stop taking BIKTARVY.  Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat.  Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain.  The most common side effects of BIKTARVY in clinical studies were diarrhea (6%), nausea (6%), and headache (5%).

 Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you

have both HIV-1 and HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking BIKTARVY. Do not stop taking BIKTARVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months.

ABOUT BIKTARVY BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults and children who weigh at least 55 pounds. It can either be used in people who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before, or people who are replacing their current HIV-1 medicines and whose healthcare provider determines they meet certain requirements.

BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS. Do NOT take BIKTARVY if you also take a medicine that contains:  dofetilide  rifampin  any other medicines to treat HIV-1

BEFORE TAKING BIKTARVY Tell your healthcare provider if you:

These are not all the possible side effects of BIKTARVY. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking BIKTARVY.

 Have or have had any kidney or liver problems,

including hepatitis infection.  Have any other health problems.  Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if BIKTARVY can harm your unborn baby.

Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking BIKTARVY.  Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed.

Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with BIKTARVY.

HOW TO TAKE BIKTARVY Take BIKTARVY 1 time each day with or without food.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take:  Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-

counter medicines, antacids, laxatives, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.

 BIKTARVY and other medicines may affect each other.

Ask your healthcare provider and pharmacist about medicines that interact with BIKTARVY, and ask if it is safe to take BIKTARVY with all your other medicines.

Get HIV support by downloading a free app at

MyDailyCharge.com

GET MORE INFORMATION  This is only a brief summary of important information

about BIKTARVY. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more.

 Go to BIKTARVY.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5  If you need help paying for your medicine,

visit BIKTARVY.com for program information.

BIKTARVY, the BIKTARVY Logo, DAILY CHARGE, the DAILY CHARGE Logo, KEEP CREATING, LOVE WHAT’S INSIDE, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. Version date: February 2020 © 2020 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved.

BVYC0197 03/20

CHAD LIVING WITH HIV SINCE 2018 REAL BIKTARVY PATIENT

KEEP CREATING.

Because HIV doesn’t change who you are.

BIKTARVY® is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in certain adults. BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS.

Ask your healthcare provider if BIKTARVY is right for you.

See Chad’s story at BIKTARVY.com.

Featured patient compensated by Gilead.

Please see Important Facts about BIKTARVY, including important warnings, on the previous page and visit BIKTARVY.com.

LIVE IN GRATITUDE

A SEASON TO GIVE THANKS

NOW THAT AUTUMN IS UPON US AND SUMMER ONLY A MEMORY, we can look forward to the leaves falling, weather cooling and days shortening. This new season brings with it the thoughts of pumpkins, hot cider, warm scarves, and of course Halloween and Thanksgiving. In 2020 style, this season and its holidays will continue to include the necessities of health and safety - social distancing, not gathering in large groups, and practicing good personal hygiene. But these necessities do not, and should not, prohibit you from sharing what it is you are thankful for. While the world has been impacted in ways we

VIEWS

EDITOR’S LETTER

could have never imagined, this is the season to cast away the negativity and focus on the positive.

PUBLISHER Bent Share Entertainment, LLC EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michael Westman CREATIVE DIRECTOR Cesar A Reyes MARKETING DIRECTOR Christopher Jackson GRAPHIC DESIGNER Steven Garcia FEATURE WRITER Alexander Rodriguez CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Steve Gottfried

Jeffrey James Keyes Eric Rosen Megan Venzin Michael Westman

Part of our family Thanksgiving tradition - other than the turkey, of course - is joining hands around the table, and sharing what it is that each of us are thankful for. This year, we will not be joining hands, but we will still be speaking our gratitude. I challenge you all to list at least 10 things that you are thankful for this year. Try it! It will get the positive energy flowing and put you in a good mood. Here is my list: • I am thankful to work with the Metrosource team of people, all willing to charge forward even amid challenges.

• I am thankful for my home, and all that makes it more than shelter above my head – namely the love that resides there.

• I am thankful for my pets and the comfort they bring me, indoors and out.

• I am thankful for the all the extra moments spent together with my family via phone, video, and in-person, including the reconnections made through social media.

• I am thankful for the freedom to vote and voice my opinion in municipal, county, state, and national elections.

• I am thankful for first responders, restaurant, and retail workers, who signed up for hazardous duty, so the rest of us could function.

• I am thankful for the sounds of birds outside my window.

• I am thankful for morning walks. The fresh morning air and quiet enable me to process my thoughts and keep healthy.

• I am thankful for streaming services and the ability to make some popcorn and watch a good movie at home.

• I am thankful to be alive and healthy.

My friend Kim Stanwood Terranova, dubbed the chiropractor of the mind, discusses gratitude in her new book The Technology of Intention. “Each day we get to be appreciative of the very blessing of being alive, for being able to take our next breath. Just the opportunity we have to remember that we have a body and we are present in this existence; this alone is so much more than enough to be grateful for…. There is always good waiting for us, yet we are oblivious to it if we are not living in a space of gratitude for all that we already have.”

Live in gratitude. Create your own atmosphere. Expand your heart.

NATIONAL DISPLAY ADVERTISING

Rivendell Media 212.242.6863 sales@rivendellmedia.com

Bent Share Entertainment, LLC 6475 E. Pacific Coast Hwy., #438 Long Beach, CA 90803 800-818-0480 Subscriptions: One year (6 issues): $19.95; 12 issues: $34.95.

Reproduction of any article, listing or advertisement without the written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited. The people, businesses and organizations appearing in Metrosource are supportive of the gay community. Mention of any person, business or organization is not a reflection of their sexual orientation. ©2020 Bent Share Entertainment, LLC. Advertisers in Metrosource acknowledge that they do business in the spirit of cooperation, fairness and service, maintaining a high level of integrity and responsibility. Providers of products or services are fully and solely responsible for same as advertised. Metrosource assumes no responsibility or liability for improper or negligent business practices by advertisers. The appearance of any person, model, business or organization in this publication, by name, advertisement or photograph is not an indication of sexual orientation.

Advertisers and their agencies assume all responsibility and legal liability for the content of their advertisements in Metrosource. Publisher assumes no liability for safe-keeping or return of unsolicited art, manuscripts or other materials.

Metrosource reserves the right to edit all material for clarity, length and content.

All contents are copyright Bent Share Entertainment, LLC. All rights reserved.

Content may only be reproduced with written permission from Bent Share Entertainment, LLC. Metrosource assumes no liability for any claims or representations contained anywhere in this magazine and reserve the right to cancel or refuse advertising at publisher’s discretion.

@metrosource @metrosource @metrosourcemag

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THIS PAGE: MICHELLE VISAGE PHOTO BY KATWILSON CRUZ PHOTO BY AMY BROWNSTEIN • JONATHAN DEL ARCO PHOTO COURTESY BY VIACOMCBS • PHOTO COURTESY OF HARVEY GUILLEN - FACEBOOK.COM/HARVEY.GUILLEN.3 • PHOTO COURTESY OF SETH SIKES - FACEBOOK.COM/SETHSIKES

October/November 2020 | VOLUME 31, NO. 5

CONTENTS

19 19 JONATHAN DEL ARCO

24

THE BORG AND THE BEAUTIFUL

24 WILSON CRUZ TAKING STAR TREK:DISCOVERY INTO THE LGTBQ FRONTIER

34 SETH SIKES THIS BROADWAY BABY IS HAVING A MOMENT

36 A PARTY WITH PRECAUTIONS REVIVING THE LIVE EVENTS INDUSTRY

38 HARVEY GUILLEN COMES OUT OF THE SHADOWS

38

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ON THE COVER: photo by Amy Brownstein METROSOURCE.COM

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

5

DEPARTMENTS

October/November 2020 | VOLUME 31, NO. 5

14 46 CULTURE 7 THE SCOPE Patrick Dempsey is Back on CW Devils

12 FOOD & WINE Cakebread Cellars Pairing Special Wines with Fresh Ingredients

14 HOME HGTV and Orlando Soria are Building You Up

42 43 6

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46 PARTY WITH PRECAUTIONS Reviving the Live Events Industry

BODY 42 HEALTH Beard Care 2020 Products to Make Your Beard More BILF (Beards I’d Like to Fondle)

43 HEALTH Get Board, Not Bored It’s Board Game Season

VIEWS 4 EDITOR’S LETTER Live in Gratitude A season to give thanks

THIS PAGE: PHOTO COURTESY OF ORLANDO SORIA - FACEBOOK.COM/ORLANDOSORIADECOR/ • PHOTO COURTESY OF CCAKEBREAD CELLARS • PHOTO COURTESY OF IN MY ELEMENTS

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CULTURE

THESCOPE

CURATED BY MICHAEL WESTMAN

THIS PAGE: PATRICK DEMPSEY AND ALESSANDRO BORGHI PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CW

WATCH

DEVILS

PREMIERES ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7 AT 8:00 PM ET ON THE CW

PATRICK DEMPSEY, BEST KNOWN FOR HIS ROLE AS TELEVISION NEUROSURGEON DEREK “MCDREAMY” Shepherd in Grey’s Anatomy, brings his steamy good

looks back to television with this intelligent financial thriller on The CW. DEVILS, starring Patrick Dempsey and Alessandro Borghi, is based on the novel I Diavoli by Guido Maria Brera, and follows Massimo Ruggero (Alessandro Borghi, “The First King: Birth of an Empire,” “Suburra”), the charismatic yet ruthless Head of Trading at NYL, one of the world’s most important investment banks, and his mentor, NYL’s CEO Dominic Morgan (Patrick Dempsey, “The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair”).

After Dominic appoints another colleague over Massimo following a bitter promotion battle, Massimo finds himself named prime suspect in a murder investigation. Fighting to clear his name, Massimo becomes

involved in an intercontinental financial war and is forced to choose between supporting Dominic or going up against him.

The series also stars Laia Costa (“Victoria,” “Newness”), Kasia Smutniak (“Loro,” “Perfetti Sconosciuti”), Lars Mikkelsen (“The Killing,” “Sherlock”), Malachi Kirby (“Roots”), Paul Chowdhry (“Live at the Apollo,” “Swinging with the Finkels”), Pia Mechler (“Everything Is Wonderful”), Harry Michell (“Chubby Funny”) and Sallie Harmsen (“Blade Runner 2049”).

Devils is set to air Wednesdays at 8:00 pm on The CW this fall, alongside another international acquisition, the Canadian series The Coroner.

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

7

WATCH

DRAG RACE HOLLAND

DUTCH VERSION OF THE SMASH-HIT FORMAT WILL BE EXCLUSIVELY AVAILABLE ON RTL’S VIDEOLAND FOR DUTCH audiences and on

SNACK

EASTERN STANDARD PROVISIONS ESPROVISIONS.COM

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT OCTOBER AND OKTOBERFEST, you first think about

beer. But perhaps right behind beer are those delicious German-style soft pretzels - and those are precisely what Eastern Standard Provisions Co. specializes in. Made from all-natural ingredients, these heat-and-eat pretzels are available in all shapes and sizes (and gift boxes) and arrive fresh to your door. They also come individually wrapped, which makes them perfect for freezing and enjoying later.

Available nationwide on esprovisions.com, these gourmet pretzels and flavored salts (including Lemon Rosemary, White Truffle, and Chili Lime) have been wowing customers since the brand launched in early 2019 - and in fact their business has grown exponentially even during the pandemic. And when it comes to pairing the pretzels with beer, the Eastern Standard Provisions team owes a lot of its company growth to breweries across New England, which have been selling the pretzels alongside their beer with great success.

Under the guidance of chief product officer and renowned baker, Lauren Moran, Eastern Standard Provisions (after months of tasting, tweaking, and adjusting), perfected a one-of-a-kind gourmet soft pretzel.

The pretzels have the airy qualities of a brioche on the inside and a traditional Bavarian-style crust on the outside. Their pretzels will have you coming back for more!

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THIS PAGE: CHELSEA BOY PHOTO COURTESY OF WORLD OF WONDER • PRODUCT PHOTO COURTESY OF EASTERN STANDARD PROVISIONS

CULTURE

THESCOPE

WOW Presents Plus in the US and internationally. The series will feature ten incredible Dutch drag queens who take part in weekly challenges, where the bottom two face-off against each other in a legendary lip-synch battle for a chance to remain in the competition. Announcing the series via a special RuMail video message, RuPaul said; “I am proud to announce that my beloved Drag Race is coming to you... so you better watch!” And with a brand-new host - celebrity stylist and former Holland’s Next Top Model mentor Fred van Leer.

Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, World of Wonder CoFounders said: “We firmly believe in charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent and can’t wait to welcome these 10 talented queens into the Drag Race family. It’s fantastic to work with RTL and Vincent TV on launching a Dutch version of the franchise, but it’s also a privilege to be able to bring this brilliant new series to an international audience too, via our own SVOD Platform WOW Presents Plus. We know fans won’t be disappointed.”

DRINK

ROSÉ ALL DAY

RADWINEPROJECT.COM

THE GLOBAL CATCHPHRASE THAT HAS BECOME A LIFESTYLE FOR ROSÉ LOVERS

THIS PAGE: BOOK COVER PHOTOGRAPHY © 2020 THE VINTAGE WATCH COMPANY • PRODUCT PHOTO COURTESY OF BIAGIO CRU AND ESTATE WINES

IS NOW MORE THAN JUST SOCIAL MEDIA HYPE. A top trending wine

READ

VINTAGE ROLEX:

hashtag, #RoseAllDay has become a social media phenomenon with hundreds of thousands of Rosé lovers sharing their excitement for the wine by posting pictures emulating a trendy, chic lifestyle.

Harvested and bottled in the South of France, the winemakers chose the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France for Rosé All Day because of the area’s increased focus on quality. It shares many of the terrain and climate characteristics with the neighboring regions of Southern Rhone and Provence, however this region offers far greater value.

Summer might be over, but anytime is a good time for Rosé All Day, with three canned options - still, sparkling, and spritz. The still and sparkling are Grenaches with an elegant aromatic nose of watermelon and strawberry and is crisp and fresh on the palate with a deliciously long, fruity finish; the spritz has a splash of grapefruit.

Sold in convenient four-packs for $14.99. So, sit back and enjoy, Rosé All Day.

THE LARGEST COLLECTION IN THE WORLD, BY DAVID SILVER RIZZOLIUSA.COM

FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY, ROLEX HAS STOOD APART AS THE MOST LEGENDARY BRAND OF WATCH IN THE WORLD. Ever the record

setter—Paul Newman’s Daytona was auctioned by Phillips in New York in October 2017 for $17.8 million—it should come as no surprise that Rolex is the most coveted brand of vintage watches in the world.

Published to celebrate The Vintage Watch Company’s 25th anniversary, the book contains stunning larger-than-life-sized photographs of vintage Rolex watches that have passed through the shop over those years. From early Rolex pocket watches to the world’s first wristwatches, elegant in their simplicity yet revolutionary in their impact, to the very first Submariners, iconic Daytonas, and jewel-encrusted Crown collections, the unparalleled archive of vintage timepieces charts the extraordinary rise of a brand coveted by collectors the world over.

The Vintage Watch Company, owned by father and son duo, John and David Silver, was established in 1995 and is now based in London’s historic Burlington Arcade. It is dedicated to showcasing vintage Rolex wristwatches from c1910-c1990. Their unparalleled collection carries over 2000 pieces and is the largest collection of Vintage Rolex watches on display in the world. The shop is now a destination for watch collectors and discerning shoppers from around the world.

Hardcover / 9” x 12” / 384 pages / 75 color photographs $100.00 U.S. / $75.00 Canadian METROSOURCE.COM

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

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THESCOPE CULTURE

SWEET TREATS

SUGARWISH SUGARWISH.COM

happiness delivered directly to your door. With gifts starting at $19.98 (shipped), Sugarwish is the ultimate, modern-day gift for anyone with a sweet tooth. Give them the delightful (and delicious) gift that includes a delectable (virtual) candy, popcorn, or cookies shop. They get to choose their favorite treats from tons of scrumptious options. Sugarwish delivers their top picks in a gorgeous gift box, directly to their door.

Looking for a Halloween alternative this year? Text ‘em treats this year! New for Halloween 2020 -- recipients can choose their favorites from a Halloween themed Candy Shoppe with custom Halloween packaging options, making it the sweetest way to Trick-or-Treat without ever leaving the house!

A Sugarwish can be sent via email or almost any App and allows the recipient to take a quick trip to one of several Sugarwish treat shops.

Once their favorites are selected, treats are packed in a beautiful gift box and shipped to the recipient’s door. And, Sugarwish is easy to customize with company logos and colors, and perfect for businesses looking to enhance relationships with clients. Get your sweet treats anytime of year at Sugarwish.com.

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THIS PAGE: PEODUCT PHOTO COURTESY OF SUGARWISH

SUGARWISH IS AN ONLINE GIFTING SITE OF DELICIOUS TREATS TO PROVIDE a bit a

FOOD & WINE HOME

CAKEBREAD CELLARS PAIRING SPECIAL WINES WITH FRESH INGREDIENTS SINCE THE EARLY ‘70S, WHEN JACK AND DELORES CAKEBREAD FIRST BOUGHT LAND IN RUTHERFORD, CALIFORNIA, and planted their first Sauvignon Blanc,

Cakebread has established itself as a forward-looking Napa Valley icon that blends trusted quality and a welcoming spirit into each bottle of wine they produce. Best known for its Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon varietals, the family’s offerings now include 17 wines. Cakebread’s success is built on quality, consistency, and continuity – not only in grapegrowing and winemaking, but in the dedicated people who create Cakebread Cellars’ world-class wines. The winery’s intimate tasting experiences, pioneering culinary programs and sustainable practices (Cakebread Cellars was only the second California winery to achieve Napa Green certification), keep visitors coming back. “Quality and sustainability have been Cakebread cornerstones since our first vintage in 1973. We’re a family winery, and we want to protect the land for future

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

METROSOURCE.COM

generations,”says Bruce Cakebread.

Along with best-selling wines, comes fine dining. Developing recipes and preparing meals to highlight Cakebread wines for events hosted at the winery, Cakebread’s Culinary Director, Brian Streeter, is the person in charge. While utilizing the best ingredients Northern California has to offer, Brian draws on the cuisines of the Mediterranean – where food has historically been linked with wine – for inspiration on how to best pair the two. Brian also leads hands-on cooking classes at Cakebread, and spearheads the winery’s annual American Harvest Workshop, a four-day “boot camp” for chefs, sommeliers, press and consumers to interact and increase awareness and appreciation of American viticulture and artisanal food products.

Enjoy these two recipes that Brian has created, and for more culinary pairings and information on Cakebread Cellars, visit www.cakebread.com.

PAGE 12-13: PHOTO COURTESY OF CAKEBREAD CELLARS

BY MICHAEL WESTMAN

GRILLED LOBSTER WITH ROASTED TOMATO-BASIL BUTTER SERVES 2 Ingredients: ½ lb. Early Girl or Roma tomatoes 2 garlic cloves 1 T. olive oil 1 tsp. thyme, picked 2 garlic cloves salt and pepper 8 oz. butter, soft 2 T. fresh basil, roughly chopped ¼ tsp. Pimente de espellette or cayenne 2 lobsters, about 1 ½ lbs each 1 lemon, cut in wedges Preparation: Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut tomatoes in half. Place cut side up on a sheet pan with the garlic cloves. Drizzle with the olive oil.

Scatter fresh thyme overtop of the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes until tomatoes are shrunken and starting to brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Peel the skins and place in the work bowl of a food processor. Add any juices from the bottom of the pan and squeeze the pulp out from the garlic cloves. Add the butter and pulse and until butter and tomato are incorporated and butter is creamy. Add the basil and pimento and pulse to combine. The recipe makes more than you will need to grill the lobsters. To save the tomato butter, place on the bottom of a piece of plastic wrap, roll into a log and refrigerate or freeze for later use. Use on grilled fish, vegetables, or corn on the cob.

To grill the lobster, place a live lobster on a cutting board. With a heavy knife, cut down the length of the lobster, starting at the head and sever into two. Remove the tomalley from the body cavity.

Remove the claws and knuckle pieces. Grill the claws and knuckle pieces until the shell turns red. Remove from the grill and allow to cool. Crack the shells and remove the meat and set aside. To grill the lobster, brush with the tomato butter on the flesh side. Set on the grill, flesh side down. Cook for a couple minutes to sear the meat.

Turn lobster over, place a piece of claw and knuckle meat into each of the body cavities and brush with the butter. Continue cooking over medium heat until lobster is heated through.

Enjoy with a glass of Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay.

BELGIAN BRAISED BEEF & ONIONS SERVES 6 Ingredients: 3 lbs. beef chuck all-purpose flour 2 large onions, sliced thin 2 T. vegetable oil 1 T. butter 4 oz. bacon, cut and blanched 12 oz. Belgian style beer 2 tsp. thyme, picked 1 bay leaf 2 c. chicken or beef broth 1 T. brown sugar 1 T. red wine vinegar 2 T. flat leaf parsley, chopped Preparation: Preheat oven to 350°F. Season the beef with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour to lightly coat. Heat a wide bottom pan with straight sides over high heat. Add the vegetable oil to the pan and brown the beef on both sides. Remove from the pan. Turn the heat to medium and add the bacon. Cook for a minute or two to render out some of the fat from the bacon. Add the onions and cook stirring occasionally until they are soft and starting to caramelize.

Add the beer to the pan and cook to reduce by half. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon or spatula to loosen the brown glaze on the bottom of the pan. Return the beef to the pan along with the bay leaf and thyme and pour the chicken or beef broth into the pan to almost cover the meat. Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat for 2 ½ hours until the beef is tender. Remove the beef and add the brown sugar and red wine vinegar. Reduce the braising liquid so that it will lightly coat the beef. Return the beef to the pan and heat to warm through.

Serve with wide ribbon noodles. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Enjoy with a glass of Cakebread Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon.

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HGTV AND ORLANDO SORIA ARE BUILDING YOU UP ADDING COLOR AND SASS TO YOUR LIVING SPACE DURING EMOTIONAL TIMES

HOME

DESIGN

BY ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ

LET’S FACE IT, BREAKUPS CAN BE DEVASTATING. What is a guy to do when your boyfriend calls it quits, your new job falls through, and you need to find a new place to call home? Take a breath, brush it off, reevaluate and get your own TV show, of course. Not as easy as it sounds, but interior designer and social media personality Orlando Soria did just that. This summer, his show Build Me Up (formally known as Unspouse Your House), premiered its second season in the middle of quarantine adding a bit of color, sass, and hope to our binge-watching schedule. Build Me Up focuses on recreating a living space for people in a life-changing transition, and with most of us stuck at home depressed in our current surroundings, the timing could not be more perfect.

Turning a bad situation into a positive is a current theme that a lot of our community is dealing with right now. This year has certainly brought some unexpected challenges, and constants we thought we could depend on were not really that constant, including jobs and relationships.

My breakup came at a rough time for me. I had just turned 35 and was not expecting it, I was with someone I had expected to marry, and the breakup caught me off guard. And then two weeks after my breakup, just as I had signed an expensive apartment lease, I was laid off my job where I was making decent money. It feels like sometimes when it rains, it pours. I had to really hustle to figure

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out how to replicate my income quickly, and what I learned during that time was that while I had had terrible self-esteem up until then, I was actually really good at figuring things out, taking care of myself, and taking care of other people. I ended up coming out of it so much better than I was before, and for that I am thankful.

My advice for anyone going through a breakup would be that there are no shortcuts. You have to kind of just go through the stages, the mourning process before you can get to the other side. Also, unfollow your ex on social media and block them from your life.

To this day I have no idea what mine is up to, and that has been wildly helpful in realizing how little I needed him in the first place.

The show’s first season focused on individuals going through a divorce, featuring a certain catharsis in literally knocking down walls and rebuilding. This second season, the focus has expanded to an even bigger group of people going through an emotional time.

We wanted to open it up and make it possible to work with people going through all types of life changes, so the series name change to Build Me Up was part of that. What I love about it is that we see so many different stories this season - from a single dad who wanted to make a guest house for his mom to be around her grandkids, to a woman who lost her husband to cancer and is just trying to rebuild.

There are so many stories, happy and sad, that really add to the richness of the home makeover stories we are already telling.

AFTER

QUICK TIP: BEDROOM

BEFORE

PAGE 15-18: BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS BY CHELSEY RIEMANN

Swapping out your bedding can completely change the way your bedroom looks and feels.

In addition to the fun in seeing Orlando reinvent a living space with color, furniture changes, and structure modifications, we get to see him bond with his clients (usually over a glass of wine). As the stories from each episode unfold, we see a friendship that is forged between a gay host and individuals that he might not necessarily come across in everyday life. We share the same stories, the same wants, and sometimes, even the same choice in bad interior decorating (gasp!).

I think generally what I have learned is that everyone’s life story has value, and telling those stories helps other people who may be going through something similar in their own lives. I have a lot of gratitude for the people who came on my show and for their vulnerability in sharing their stories.

(Yes, sometimes wine helps with that.) If you give people your attention, let them share what they have been through, ask questions, and express empathy, you do them a tremendous amount of service by making them feel heard and seen. This is something we should all be doing for each other way more and I want to be a part of that.

HGTV has been my personal companion during quarantine, I love the variety of shows and the diversity in hosts.

We do see a little bit of every community being represented, especially the gay community, both from the hosts and the clients that HGTV has helped. It is done without pomp and circumstance… it’s a matter of fact. And it’s enjoyable. I had to know, though, how working for a network can affect the personal life of a gay man in Los Angeles.

Honestly, before I had a TV show, I always thought there would be some big network executive that came and told you

what you could and could not do. No one ever told me to edit myself, my politics, or my presence on any dating or hookup apps. I am a guy in my thirties with a sexuality, and luckily no one has asked me to pretend otherwise. It is definitely weird though when you get hit up by people on Tinder or something who know who you are, it can make you feel “caught” (especially if they have a blank or limited profile). My advice to anyone who sees a public person on an app and wants to reach out is to: a) don’t have a blank profile, that’s creepy; and b) don’t assume that person knows anything about you. Just because you know a lot about them doesn’t mean they have any understanding or awareness of your existence.

QUICK TIP: GUEST ROOM

Adding small treats like a fresh candle or a little water carafe makes your guest feel welcome and considered.

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DESIGN HOME

AFTER

BEFORE

QUICK TIP: THE HOLIDAYS

Spring for some simple linen runners and napkins. You can use those for any holiday and having nice (non-paper) table linens makes all the difference.

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Orlando works with a series of contractors to help finalize his vision for a property. BUT, my favorite Build Me Up co-star is his wardrobe. I don’t think I saw the same outfit twice, even as he is doing demolition in a pile of dirt. Who knew that slim fit khakis would look so good on a construction site?

I had to get a rolling rack while I was shooting to hold the extra clothes. A lot of my favorite clothes are hand-me-downs from my dad. He had great style in the 80s and 90s. I guess my style is kind of vintage and colorful. Though I will say that for the show I wear a lot of brighter colors than I would in normal life. I used to be a production designer so when I get dressed, I’m often thinking ‘what room am I going to be wearing this in? Do we need a hit of pink in there so the shot isn’t colorless? What will this look like next to the cabinets I just installed?’ I’m often thinking more about what I want the shots to look like than what I want to look like, though obviously, that’s part of it.

To say that Orlando is hands-on on Build Me Up is an understatement. He does not just design the project and let other people do the work. He is rolling up his sleeves, waving the sledgehammer, planting a new lawn, and painting the walls himself, even into the wee hours of the night. Each episode can take a four to six weeks to complete.

The reason you see me doing a lot of the work myself is that our budgets are often extremely tight. And when you have budgets that small, and aspirations that big, usually the only way to make it work is to get to work!

AFTER

Premiering a new show during COVID has its advantages and disadvantages. Gone are the press tours around the nation, viewing parties, and personal appearances with the fans. BUT you can do an interview in your pajamas.

You can get so much more done from home and living in LA. I love not having to drive anywhere for appearances. I was a little bummed I didn’t get to go to New York to do any press, because I love going there every few months, but I know it will all be there when this is over. Now just feels good to be staying inside, feeling safe.

As an avid HGTV viewer, I always find myself disagreeing with the clients on the show, shouting at the screen when they appear to be difficult with my favorite hosts. I just had to know, what happens when you do not click with a client, but the cameras are rolling?

Or if the client does not like the work?

Well... that has happened. And that is how I have honed my acting skills. I dare you to try and figure out which clients were nightmares to work with.... I have had clients who did not get it or who were hard to get to emote on camera. So, with that kind of thing, you just must keep trying. My goal is to make everyone happy, so normally by the day we shoot the reveals I have rectified anything that might not be perfect. But some people are just difficult and impossible to please, so you just have to let it slide if they are less than gracious.

BEFORE

QUICK TIP: KITCHEN

Never underestimate the power of a cute, colorful tea towel to make your kitchen just a little bit happier!

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QUICK TIP: PLANTS

HOME

DESIGN

Don’t be too hard on yourself if a plant dies. People buy cut flowers all the time and those are already dead, so if you get a few months out of an indoor plant it is worth it!

Despite Orlando’s dance breaks, sassy one-liners, and onset phone calls to Mom, he commands the room – from the straightest single dad to the construction workers. Has there any been any homophobia from the stereotypically macho construction industry?

That is a good question. Not to my face, but you never know what people are saying behind your back. I think because I started my design career as on-camera talent I have maybe had people be more careful around me than they might otherwise. I am seen more as a person who has power (side note: I DON’T!) so people tend to be respectful.

What is the biggest takeaway from this season of Build Me Up? I think my biggest takeaway is that you can really stretch a budget if you are willing to do some of the work yourself. I basically planted two gardens myself and completely transformed the look of the spaces. Do not be afraid to mess up, you’ll be pleased with how much beauty you can create on your own!

Has Orlando rediscovered love?

My dating life is nonexistent because of COVID - it’s not possible to date in my opinion, I don’t want to go on a weird hike where we stand six feet apart in masks.

Someday, when it is over, I will try again...

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You can binge-watch the full season of Build Me Up, including his special one-hour finale, on HGTV GO. He also appears alongside the handsome Property Brothers for HGTV’s newest show, Brother vs. Brother, in two episodes, including the show premiere.

Quick, let me buy a fixer-upper so these guys can come over – I will provide the rose.

What does the future hold for Orlando?

Well, right now I am working on a product line, which I am selling on my website, and working with clients for the first time in a long time.

I have not had time with my book writing, TV shooting, etc. for the past few years, so it has been fun to get back to working with private clients.

■ FOLLOW ORLANDO ON INSTAGRAM: @MRORLANDOSORIA CHECK OUT HIS WEBSITE WWW.ORLANDOSORIA.COM AND GET HIS DEBUT BOOK, GET IT TOGETHER, ON AMAZON.

QUICK TIP: BATHROOM

Do not be afraid of going bold with colorful towels - it’s a great way to add some life to a bathroom!

THE BORG AND THE BEAUTIFUL

JONATHAN DEL ARCO TRAVELS GALAXIES TO JOIN PATRICK STEWART IN STAR TREK: PICARD

BY ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ STAR TREK FANS WENT CRAZY WHEN IT WAS ANNOUNCED THAT THE LEAD CHARACTER FROM STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION, Patrick

THIS PAGE: PHOTOGRAPHY BY HOLLY PARKER

Stewart’s Jean Luc Picard, would return to television in a new space adventure. Fans were frenzied trying to figure out who else from the original Next Generation cast would be returning. Little did fans know, under the veil of CBS’ secrecy, that one of the series’ favorite guest characters would be returning 27 years after we first saw him – Hugh “Third of Five” of the Borg would once again warm our hearts, played by original actor Jonathan Del Arco (who looks damn good for traveling the galaxies for all those years). Not only is Del Arco part of the Trek family and a fan favorite, but he is also part of the LGBTQ family as a fierce political activist and storyteller.

Jonathan’s love of acting started early on and growing up about 45 minutes from New York City, the theatre was his first love. As early as 16, he was taking himself by commuter train to see every play he could, take acting classes, and audition. Right after high school, he moved to the City and soon after was cast in the touring company of the iconic Torch Song Trilogy. Traveling with such an important show from city to city at such a young age would be only the beginning for Jonathan, but an experience that would shape his career.

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I learned that I am really a gypsy at heart - I love to travel, and I loved the excitement of a new opening night every few weeks. When I was a kid I was obsessed with the circus, always wanted to join one, and being on the road with a show felt a little bit like a higher-end version of that… I mean I do not want to be pitching the tent but if I had to, I would!

Jonathan hit the Broadway stage in several plays with his debut at the age of 21 in Milcha Sanchez-Scott’s Roosters. Critics commented on his sensitivity through his character, a quality that made his Star Trek’s Hugh so memorable.

Part of the joy of theatre is the energy from the audience, part of the memories of theatre come from the onstage mishaps.

I remember I was in Torch Song where I’m supposed to interrupt the two leads as they are about to kiss… my dressing room was on the third floor of some gorgeous old theatre in Chicago and I was chatting with one of my castmates when I heard my cue over the loudspeaker. I flew down three flights of stairs and across a dark backstage, it was a disaster. Another memory was during dress rehearsal with an audience of a Shakespeare adaptation, where I a complicated bit of physical comedy that went awry… I hurt myself and my mind just switched off in a panic and I completely lost my lines. I could not remember a word, so I said “Oh shit!

Line!” and the director, one of my favorites, Bill Rauche, shouted my cue from the audience. Both experiences were SO humiliating!

While he was enjoying an avid theatre career, the LGBT community was fighting a battle with AIDS. The gay community and the theater community were losing loved ones every day, with a sense of terror current generations can only slightly resemble to our current pandemic. The AIDS pandemic hit home for Jonathan; his partner died in the late ’80s.

I think the saddest thing for me is talking to young gay guys have who have zero appreciation for the battles we fought, what we lived through to get us to where we are today. When my partner was dying I could have been thrown out of his hospital room by the family, I had no rights, and I don’t think that’s something a millennial or Gen Z(er) can even wrap their heads around.

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THIS PAGE: PHOTOS COURTESY OF VIACOMCBS

Jonathan had come out to his friends after his performance in Torch Song Trilogy. Coming out to his family took years until he was in his first, real relationship. He never did try to hide his sexuality in his career, although it was certainly not the popular choice.

I have too much respect for women to use them as props or worse, lie to them so that I could protect myself. What I did do, which really messed with my career momentum, was avoid a lot of ‘career events’ Like Hollywood parties, premieres, that sort of thing. I wish I had the courage at that time to just be myself, I would have been so much happier, and I think more successful.

Television was calling and the move to Hollywood was inevitable. Among guest-starring roles in Miami Vice, Sisters, The Wonder Years, and Blossom was his breakout role in Star Trek: The Next Generation. His relationship with Star Trek was not a new one. Born in Uruguay, English was not his first language.

The original series in re-runs was how I learned English. Star Trek was one of a handful of shows I would watch as a kid.

Del Arco would screen test for the role of Wesley Crusher but ultimately play Hugh - a human assimilated by the villainous Borg and turned into a robot being, part of a collective that was out to destroy any inferior beings in its wake. Hugh was rescued by Captain Picard and his Enterprise team and would form a memorable bond with the crew that taught them, and us as the viewers, a little bit about humanity. His performance was beautifully nuanced and though Hugh only appeared in two out of 178 episodes, he remains one of the most memorable guest characters. Why is Hugh so popular with the fans?

Well, that is a hard one to answer without sounding like an egomaniac, but the truth is that for some reason I was able to tap into something primal that was in that beautiful Renee Echivaria script. The thing is we all struggle with loneliness, it’s a part of the human condition and Hugh was the epitome of that feeling. I had just lost my partner a year before, so I was broken and lost and lonely, and I was willing to share that.

Who would have guessed that almost three decades later, Hugh would be called back to duty?

If you had asked me this same question 10 years ago, I would say “no way in hell” would they bring me back, so overall the whole thing has been a very lovely gift.

CBS’ Picard premiered on January 23rd, and it was the first time Trekkies saw some familiar faces among the revitalization of Trek on TV that included Star Trek: Discovery with the more recent animated METROSOURCE.COM

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THIS PAGE: PHOTOS COURTESY OF VIACOMCBS

series, Lower Decks, and plans for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (based on the mission of Captain Pike’s Enterprise) and Section 31 (a direct Discovery spinoff). Long-time fans and new audiences have a lot to be excited about. Picard was not just a rehash of The Next Generation, it was something new, something uncharted, and a complete risk. The payoff was huge. New, pardon the pun, generations and original Trekkies bonded over the show that paid homage to The Next Generation while, at the same time, propelled the brand into the future. What was it like returning to a character so many years after the fact?

Exciting, terrifying, challenging one of the bigger accomplishments of my career to come back and deliver something new that still had all the feels of the original.

One of the biggest challenges Del Arco faced, being a bit of a social butterfly, was being confined to his trailer in the studio’s attempt to keep his character and his character’s new look a secret.

It worked. The unveiling of Hugh’s return was an exciting moment for The Next Generation fans, and his storyline (no spoilers here) would add an emotional and beautiful pivot that we remember from Hugh’s original story so well.

After his original Trek debut, Jonathan would experience a lull in acting jobs and while waiting tables, was recommended to work on an environmental campaign led by Hollywood’s Rob Reiner.

This would lead to another passion of Del Arco’s, political activism. He has worked for several political campaigns, among which were three presidential campaigns, including serving as an Obama Celebrity Surrogate for the 2012 bid. He works to raise awareness for GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) and has received the Visibility Award from the Human Rights Campaign. On the heels of our current political nightmare, I had to ask about present-day politics as compared to Jonathan’s first years as an activist.

Well, there was no social media at the time so the back and forth was not as swift, but people had a much more decent sense of what is beyond the pale. What used to be unacceptable, like the trafficking in crazy conspiracies, where never so front and center.

Also, the advent of reality TV that made stars of people with no real talent opened the door to a President with no real talent… it’s really not a great time in terms of public discourse and so our politics are reflective of this idiotic cultural moment where you are valued by how many followers you have on Twitter or Instagram. The whole term “influencer” makes my skin crawl.

I THINK THE SADDEST THING FOR ME IS TALKING TO YOUNG GAY GUYS HAVE WHO HAVE ZERO APPRECIATION FOR THE BATTLES WE FOUGHT, WHAT WE LIVED THROUGH TO GET US TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY.

Del Arco credits his political involvement for adding fervor to his acting. In 2003, he would once again make a splash on TV playing a recurring guest role on FX’s Nip/Tuck as Sophia Lopez, a transgender woman. Nip/Tuck, an early Ryan Murphy (Glee/American Horror Story/Hollywood) show, was a huge success albeit extremely controversial. Playing a trans woman, by a gay actor, on a hit show was a pretty daunting task.

I really wanted her to be a hero, not a victim. She wanted what she wanted and used all her charm and intelligence to get it. I really LOVED that character.

Given our current conversations about the trans acting community playing trans characters in media, would he take on the role today?

I absolutely would, but I don’t think we are in that place anymore. I think it is important for trans actors to be given the first shot at playing characters that represent their community. Having said that, I am proud to have been a part of the trailblazing that Ryan Murphy initiated with Nip/Tuck on the issue of trans rights.

Jonathan would go on to recur on The Closer as the openly gay Dr. Morales and continue that role on its spinoff, Major Crimes. Theatre would remain a constant in his life and he was able to celebrate his Latin heritage by taking part in the Hispanic Playwrights Project at South Coast Repertory in Southern California for six seasons. What is it about Latins and the arts?

Well, you might have heard that my people are pretty dramatic, so obviously I grew up in a family with a lot of humor and color lots of music and dancing. So, in terms of the Latino culture, it lends itself very well to the arts.

With television and theatre both tugging at Jonathan’s heartstrings, which one is his true love?

Stage acting is like walking on a tight rope and there is nothing to replace the thrill of the ‘do or die moment’ when you are on stage in front of a live audience and no net. But what I love about film and television is the opportunity for intimacy and really using very small and detailed parts of myself. I really love them both equally.

Writer’s Note: I am going to admit that I am a uniform wearing (I have six different ones), Star Trek ring-toning, convention-going Trekkie. Although I can get star struck when meeting or interviewing someone from the Trek world, I pale in comparison with some of the, shall we say, more aggressive fans out there. I had to know, what was Jonathan’s craziest fan experience?

I had a fan who used to fly across the globe to see me at EVERY CONVENTION. She would buy the same picture multiple times just to come to the table and talk to me and she had a really creepy stuffed doll made that looked just like me, down to the outfit I wore the first time she met me. That was a little creepy.

If drooling over Jonathan’s Trekkie pics on his social media makes me creepy, so be it. Beam me up!

■ YOU CAN FOLLOW JONATHAN ON INSTAGRAM @JONATHANDELARCO AND BINGE-WATCH SEASON 1 OF PICARD ON CBS ALL ACCESS.

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BEYOND SPACE WITH

WILSON CRUZ

TAKING STAR TREK:DISCOVERY INTO THE LGTBQ FRONTIER

BY ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ THE STAR TREK FRANCHISE TURNED 54 YEARS OLD THIS YEAR AND THE ORIGINAL SERIES HAS SPAWNED

its own culture. Created by Gene Roddenberry, the original television series (greenlit by none other than Lucille Ball and Desilu productions) pushed the envelope by featuring women in command and a variety of minority actors, and made television history by featuring a network’s first interracial kiss. Civil rights issues of the ’60s were addressed under the guise of extraterrestrial conflict. Even as progressive as the Star Trek Universe was, it was not until the debut of Star Trek: Discovery in 2017 that we would see the first-ever featured gay characters. And who better to be a part of that history than Wilson Cruz, who has been a trailblazing activist and openly gay actor since his role as Rickie in My So Called Life in 1994, making him the first openly gay actor to play an openly gay character in a leading role on American television.

Wilson’s career has paved the way for members of the LGBTQ community and his fight for representation in the media through his political and social activism has given voice to a new generation of storytellers. His characters have reflected the struggle and successes of the LGBTQ community with roles in the musical RENT, Johns, Party of Five, Noah’s Arc, Party Monster, 13 Reasons Why, and his current role as Discovery’s Dr. Hugh Culber.

Wilson has also been an advocate for gay youth, sharing his own experience of being kicked out of the house because of his coming out. He was homeless just before filming My So-Called Life and could not even share the success of the show’s premiere with his family.

In my heart of hearts, I knew my father loved me. What I did not know was if he loved me enough to overcome the indoctrination we are all submitted to, culturally, about sexual orientation and gender expression. But when he reached out to me after watching Rickie Vasquez’s parallel journey, I knew that we had a chance. He reached for me and I reached for him and we agreed to have a very honest and vulnerable and authentic conversation.

Out of that came the relationship I have with him today, which is to say, I finally have a real relationship with him. That did not exist before. We did not see each other. We do now. Like any meaningful relationship, you must choose each other.

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THIS PAGE: PRODUCTION PHOTO COURTESY OF VIACOMCBS • WILSON CRUZ PHOTO BY AMY BROWNSTEIN/PRSTUDIO USA

SEVERAL TELEVISION SHOWS, feature films, animated series, and a fandom that has evolved into

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And while Star Trek’s message is that of equality in the future, there were still fans resistant to seeing a gay relationship on a starship. Social media comments ran the gambit, declaring that sci-fi was no place to promote sexuality. Um, cut to Captain Kirk’s aggressive womanizing, to any alien with a big chest and even bigger hair for the entirety of the original series.

It’s a big Star Trek universe and everyone has an opinion. I’m focusing on all of the overwhelmingly positive excitement the fandom has shown for us, especially from LGBTQ people and allies, young and old, some who’ve waited decades to see themselves and people like them as part of the Trek universe. I’m here for that.

The Star Trek universe was very familiar to Wilson.

My introduction was Star Trek: The Next Generation. I was the right age for it and that led me to the original series and its iconic history. It was a personal goal to someday be on Star Trek.

He took matters into his own hands to make that goal a reality.

I actually read about the development of the new series in one of the trades and saw that Bryan Fuller was involved, so I reached out to him because I loved working for him when I guest-starred in the series finale of Pushing Daisies. He replied that he would “love to see me in a Starfleet uniform” and we left it at that. I continued to monitor its progress and, at least nine months later, I become aware of the casting for the series and the change of producers to Aaron Harberts and Gretchen Berg, who wrote that series finale for Pushing Daisies.

Two great people I had remained friends with through the years. My reps reached out and the next thing I heard they cast Anthony Rapp, so I figured that was the end of it. Sent a note to Gretchen, Aaron and one to Anthony about how much they were going to love each other, and I added it to a list of actor life disappointments. Next thing you know, I get a call with an offer for Star Trek:Discovery, because the gays are coming to the Star Trek TV universe in a pair. I had one last little obstacle to get network approval and here we are. Tada!

Wilson’s character came with a lot of pressure, from both the Trekkie and LGBTQ community. Discovery takes place about ten years before the Captain Kirk stories, so we see some familiar characters, experience some of the same sound effects, and even get a glimpse of the Enterprise. And while the show’s mission was to remain loyal to the original canon, it still had to reflect advances in special effects, acting style, and sci-fi trends to make it appeal to new audiences. Wilson’s Dr. Culber is the ship’s doctor, taking the position of a Dr. McCoy or Dr. Crusher. He is also the partner of fellow crew member, Lieutenant Paul Stamens, played by fellow RENT alum Anthony Rapp. The inclusion of a gay relationship had to be presented as a matter of fact, a norm in what we can expect a diverse crew to look like in the future. The relationship is presented beautifully and imperfectly, a reflection of what any gay, or straight couple, has to go through with the ups and downs of living together while dealing with work and career issues; albeit this relationship also has to deal with the extraordinary elements of the universe. Star Trek has always been focused on the relationships of the characters over special effects and multiple action sequences. This relationship needed to be handled with craft and represent our community effectively.

Like anything in TV and filmmaking, it’s a collaborative process.

I think I have a healthy give and take with the writers and producers.

I feel very comfortable sharing thoughts and inspiration and I love hearing where their imaginations are taking him. It’s fun. In many ways, Hugh is the most personal character I have played since Rickie.

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I feel very protective of him and playing him has expanded me in ways that are hard to describe. I don’t know if I will ever be able to.

I cherish him. He is my patron saint of second chances. I don’t know anyone who has not needed one of those at some point.

It is fitting that his counterpart is played by Anthony Rapp, who has been titled as one of the first openly gay Broadway actors. He worked with playwright Larry Kramer in his youth and was inspired to become an activist and live an open life. His accusations towards actor Kevin Spacey also brought light to the sexual predatory behaviors that can exist for young, gay actors. Anthony and Wilson have become the poster couple to represent us in the future, and even today.

We’re just ridiculously proud to bring this epic love story to life,

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to be a part of a historic franchise, like Star Trek, that stands for everything that Anthony and I believe in and stand for and, most of all, that we have a longtime friend to go on that journey with. We know how fortunate we are to have this experience and this friendship.

This next year, the two actors will celebrate the 25th anniversary of RENT, a milestone in Broadway history for the LGBTQ community.

The entire RENT experience from auditioning for it and being rejected to picking myself up and trying again to finding myself fulfilling a lifelong dream of performing on a Broadway stage, taught me to be BOLD. I was in my mid-20s, I had no fear and you could not tell me I wasn’t the perfect person for that role and when I got it, I found the joy and the agony of life and I was freed by it, because

I had nothing and everything to lose...and I’ve lived my life that way ever since. That is what Angel gave me. FREEDOM. Day one on the set for Discovery was a memory for the scrapbooks for Wilson.

My first day, to this day, is still a bit surreal and like most of the biggest days of my life, a bit of a blur! [Laughs] I was so overwhelmed and it didn’t help that my first scene was not only the most sci-fi jargon wordy scene I had in the episode, but it took place on the bridge, the grandest and imposing set we have. I just wanted to walk through the turbo lift doors without tripping and say the words in the right order. I will say, standing in that white medical officer uniform as my Starfleet badge was placed on me for the first time, I was filled with a great sense of pride and responsibility.

The cast of Discovery could not be more different and yet cohesive at the same time. Perhaps a glimpse into a positive future where all types are welcome and can work together for a common good, there is unique chemistry to this cast that resembles that of the original series that inspired the franchise.

I do not know how they managed it, but through the various casting decisions, they have managed to gather some incredibly generous, open-hearted, professional, and proficient artists to work on the show. There is a mutual respect that is real and authentic. And I have to say that in terms of the cast and how we’ve bonded, that the example and the tone of how this was going to work was set at the top, by Sonequa (MartinGreen). If you know anything about working on our set, it is that your art will be appreciated, and you are safe to be all of you are with us. The rest is magic.

Another set of costars, as any Trek fan knows, are the props themselves. The blinking gadgets, the laser guns, the shiny handhelds, all have a proper use and a certain way of using them that die-hard fans will, and have, called actors out on for incorrect placement or usage.

Well, I don’t know if it’s true, but I feel like I used EVERY Star Trek medical device we have in my final scene of Season Two alone! Props are important and looking and feeling like they are everyday tools is tricky, at first, but you get the hang of it... I’ve become quite proficient in the Tricorder, let’s just say... but, as you know, we travel far into the future for Season Three, so you’ll have to wait to see what we’re dealing with there.

The debut of Season Three of Discovery propels the cast into the future, who knows what lies ahead in this uncharted future.

And what about the future of the LGBTQ community in media?

I just think, at this point, we need to get to work telling our stories and knowing that our stories are worthy of telling and in need of being told. We should be uplifting LGBTQ content creators, hiring LGBTQ cast and crew, especially trans and people of color. We need to be confident in our abilities to move, excite, and inform people with our stories and be willing to reveal ourselves with our work and invite as many people, from as many experiences into that conversation.

The future seems bright for both the Trek franchise and our LGBTQ community, especially given that this past political and social season seems to have set our movement back by decades.

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YOU CAN WATCH STAR TREK: DISCOVERY ON CBS ALL ACCESS, WITH THE FIRST THREE EPISODES PLAYING ON THE CBS NETWORK. FOLLOW WILSON ON INSTAGRAM @WCRUZ73

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THIS PAGE: PHOTO BY AMY BROWNSTEIN/PRSTUDIO USA

My advice to my fellow citizens is to be sure to be active in this election. Be counted and be heard. This is not the election you want to sit out. This election will decide who we are, as a nation, for the next 30 years, in my opinion. It is all on the line. As to the recent racial upheaval and the movement that has sprung from it, I say to the LGBTQ community: do not look away and do not separate yourself from this movement, in action or responsibility.

As members of a marginalized community, we understand the pain of discrimination, but that does not make us immune to our own biases or excuse our own actions based on them. We need to do the work... but we, too, can and should assert our humanity as well, in this movement. Black LGBTQ+ lives matter just as much and no less. So, there is work to be done everywhere, but if we come from a place of love and respect, we could see our way to a new way of living in solidarity with each other and claiming the power that comes from united Black, indigenous, immigrant, POC and LGBTQ+ communities.

Our social climate has made us look at our own community and hold ourselves and those around us accountable. We discovered that many of us are hurting from the actions of our own group.

The LGBTQ community does not exist in a vacuum. We are part of and live in a society that continues, as it has throughout its existence, to struggle with racism. It permeates every facet of this society. The LGBTQ community is not immune to systemic racism.

We can look back at our own civil rights movement and see racism in the practice of “respectability politics”, early on and see that.

I wouldn’t say that I have experienced more or less racism in the LGBTQ community, just about the same amount, which is already too much. I will say that I am heartened by the recent conversations and education around this issue in our community. I am proud of the seriousness with which our community confronts this issue.

Writer’s Note: Being a part of this interview has been such a special opportunity for me, as a gay man and as a Trekkie. A lot of people raise their eyebrows at the fanaticism that Trekkies can have. I was the uniform wearing, model building, convention-going, and comic book reading kid growing up. My single Mom raised me on Star Trek and would take me out of school whenever a new film premiered, that was our bonding time over characters she had grown up with. The Star Trek family was my family, the characters were my friends and a future where friendships were as important as family relationships rang true to me as my Mom and I were ostracized from our own family for being unconventional. As the chubby, gay, Latin, lower-income kid in an allwhite private school, I did not fit in. I was even cast as the Alien in the school’s Christmas play to the snickers of my classmates. Where I did fit in was the Star Trek Universe, no one batted an eye at what you looked like, what you were wearing, or where you came from. It was more than a sci-fi universe; it was a safe space where I could be myself and discover who I was. Being a fan of Wilson’s work and his courage to be out was an inspiration to me, even before I came out of the closet.

I could not help but shed a tear the moment Wilson hit the screen in his Starfleet uniform. It felt like I had come home. Phasers on stunning, we are the future.

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SETH SIKES THIS BROADWAY BABY IS HAVING A MOMENT

BY STEVE GOTTFRIED

THIS PAGE: SETH SIKES PHOTO BY VICTOR JEFFREYS II

SETH SIKES APPEARS TO BE HAVING A MOMENT. And by all accounts, the 36-year-old crooner appears poised to be in it for the long haul. Having earned rave reviews from veteran critics like Rex Reed and Liz Smith for his sold-out cabaret performances at Feinstein’s/54 Below, the New York Arts Review went all in, anointing him “one of the saviors of the Great American Songbook as we head into the 21st century.”

Like Feinstein did in his day, Sikes’ unabashed exuberance and pristine vocals dust off these golden oldies for a new generation. While the tendency was to change the pronouns to avoid the appearance of impropriety when Feinstein first came to prominence in the ‘80s, Sikes is completely at ease taking on the songs of Judy Garland and Liza without changing the pronouns and infusing these torch songs with a gay sensibility.

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PAGE 30-33: PHOTOS COURTESY OF SETH SIKES - FACEBOOK.COM/SETHSIKES

HIS SELF-PRODUCED GAY-CENTRIC MUSIC VIDEOS ARE EQUAL PARTS GOOFY AND INFECTIOUS. While most of us have been getting our Zoom on or packing on the COVID-19 from stress-induced bingeing during a pandemic with no end in sight, Sikes has been busy creating videos which showcase his vocals and his nostalgia for an era that is well before his time. The videos are of the homegrown, shoestring budget variety. The first, borne out of crushing isolation and shot in his NYC studio apartment, features a slightly inebriated but vocally on-point performance of “A Part of Your World” from “The Little Mermaid.” Extra points for the alluring onesie which prompted his mother to ask if that was meant to be sexy. Another features Sikes in a multicolored mask set to – wait for it –“A Mask of Many Colors”from“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” His most ambitious to date features Seth driving a tractor around Fire Island as a loving send-up of his idol Judy Garland’s song “Howdy Neighbor” from the 1950 movie “Summer Stock.”

While the budget may be meager, the pedigree is not. Collaborating with Tony-winning lyricist Lisa Lambert (The Drowsy Chaperone), Sikes credits Lambert with elevating his game. “She [Lambert] loves writing parody songs and I do too. My lyrics are very clunky, and she always polishes them off in a really smart way.” Sikes says it typically takes about 10 days to knock out the lyrics. “I usually send

her the idea of the draft, with some jokes and some lyrics laid out and highlight lines like “I’m not sure this is working.” And she’ll send them back and they’re always so much better.”

LIFE IS A (GAY) CABARET Many of Sikes’ concert performances can be found on the internet, with Sikes dressed dapperly, backed by a seven-piece band, belting out standards like “Stormy Weather,” “The Man that Got Away,”“Broadway Baby,”“Rock-A-Bye Your Baby” and “Zing Went the Strings of My Heart.” Sikes confesses he has always been drawn to the standards of the ‘20s, ‘30s and ‘40s. I remember singing “I Got Rhythm” on the playground when I was in kindergarten or 1st grade. Close your eyes and you might think you are listening to an old phonograph from the 1920s. While Sikes wryly acknowledges that this voice is not for everyone, citing an eye-opening trip down the internet rabbit hole to datalounge.com which seemed intent on taking the rising star down a peg or two. “They call it [datalounge.com] a gay bitch-fest and they’re just nasty. Someone had posted my “Fire Island Ferry” video and there are 87 comments… how my face is“disappointing”, and my voice sounds so shrill that they would be fine if they never heard it again. How it [the video] is not nearly as amusing as I think it is. The most vicious… I will not even repeat some of the things they wrote. You know, dirty, filthy, scandalous things.”

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FROM PARIS TO BROADWAY To understand Sikes’ shock at the depravity of anonymous online chatter, one need only go back to his Midwestern roots. Sikes was raised a Southern Baptist in ultra conservative Paris, Texas, not quite the ideal place to fly your rainbow flag. Though Seth recalls a happy childhood, he realized early on that he needed to heed the call of Broadway. “My dad’s a high school baseball coach and my mom is a middle school guidance counselor. They were great parents.

They were young and had not met gay people before.

My mom did not know exactly how to handle it, but she came around.” Sikes credits his Aunt Stacey for introducing him to Judy Garland movies at an early age. And as they say, the dye was cast. “I wanted to move to New York because I wanted to go where Broadway was. I also wanted to be where the gay people were, y’know. I was ready to get out of Texas.

So, I found a school in New York that we could afford. Circle in the Square Theater School… conservatory. And moved there when I was 18 and went there to school for two years and never left.”

Metrosource: Were your eyes just like saucers?

Sikes: Oh yeah.

Metrosource: From Kansas to Oz. Sikes: Exactly. It was like that. Looking back, I don’t know how I had the courage to do that at age 18. We were not living on campus or anything. We lived in an apartment in Astoria and I commuted to the city. I’m impressed with myself for having done that at that age.

The boy from Paris, Texas would find there were some detours along the Yellow Brick Road. After graduating from college, Sikes landed a part in an off-Broadway show called“Fame on 42nd Street.” He thought he was on his way. But the show closed after 2 weeks. “I was 20 years old, had my Equity card. I was not a very good actor. And I realized quickly, I would say six months to a year, that the auditioning life was not for me. I was not good at it. I did not want to do it. It was a mourning process to give that up.

But I loved the theater, and people had always said I should be a director. I was going to go back to school to study it or thinking about it. But Steven Sondheim told me, ‘if you’re going to direct, don’t go to school.

Just get in the room with the best directors in the business and assist them and learn from them, hands on.’

And I thought it was really good advice.” Naturally, I had to stop Seth right then and there to pursue his rather nonchalant dropping of Sondheim’s name as if it were perfectly ordinary. I pressed him for details and Seth obliged, “I was a huge fan [of Sondheim], and he’s famous for returning his fan letters. He returned mine and we, with mutual friends, all had drinks and we became really good friends for several

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years.” While I grappled with that for a moment, Seth continued,“Yeah, he’s an amazing person.”

Naturally, I had to ask if Sondheim has followed his success as a singer. “He has never been to a show, but I send him clips sometimes and I did send him these recent videos and he called and said that he liked them. So that made me happy.” The Sondheim connection explained, we got back on Seth’s behind-the-scenes trajectory. “I slowly worked my way from production assistant to assistant director regionally to assistant director on Broadway, off-Broadway. And I worked with some great directors. Jack O’Brien, Lonnie Price, and then my main longtime relationship as an assistant director was with David Cromer, who eventually directed ‘The Band’s Visit.’”

FROM THE TONY’S TO THE PIANO BARS Seth was part of the production team behind “The Band’s Visit” which swept the Tony Awards in 2018, claiming a total of 10 Tony Awards. The experience was undoubtedly thrilling. But 10 years on the sidelines watching others shine left him longing to flex his own creative muscle. “So, after doing that for 10 years and not performing at all, I found myself, too many nights a week, at piano bars, late into the evening, just because I needed this outlet to sing. And at that time, when I was singing at the piano bars, I started singing all these Judy Garland songs, I realized that I could – and I didn’t know this before. When I was in high school, and college, I was singing like pop songs, you know, like pop musical theater songs. And I am not a pop singer. It just did not sound right.

But when I started singing “The

Man That Got Away” or “Stormy Weather” or “Get Happy” – I was like, ‘oh my god, these are the kind of songs I can sing.’ So, I found a whole different tone to my voice and got excited about it. And that is when I got the nerve to somehow do a show at 54 Below. It was supposed to be a one-night-only concert with full band, just for my friends. And that was it. It was just one night only. And I had so much fun doing it, and it was so scary, but it was so fun. And it sold out, so they asked me to come back. And they just kept asking me to come back.

I got press, I got an agent, I got a press agent, I got reviews… and I guess word of mouth. So suddenly, I had performed like 13 or 14 times.”

Ninny Knows Best During those years Seth worked in theater behind the scenes, it was his Grandma Ninny who kept after him to use his God-given talent. “She’s the one who always encouraged me to sing. She is very Southern Baptist and she would say [slipping into a delicate Southern accent], ‘now Seth, if you don’t use the gift that God gave you, He’ll take it away.’” To his credit, Seth made good on that promise and saw to it that Ninny was there on that first one-night-only performance that launched him.

WHAT ABOUT BARBRA? Seth has been mulling recording an album, though he acknowledges the cost might be a roadblock.

Having done live tributes to Judy, Liza and Bernadette, Sikes acknowledges that a Barbra concert is probably inevitable, given his trajectory. But Seth explains it might not be the loving tribute you would expect. “I’ve thought a lot about doing a Barbra show. I have done a Judy show, I have done a Bernadette Peters show. Those were easy because they are my idols. And then a Liza show – another idol. I have a complicated relationship with Barbra, so I am not sure it would be a completely loving tribute. But I think I’ll end up doing a Barbra show at some point.” Did he just throw shade at Streisand? “I just find her to be a little… smug.” Sikes was quick to emphasize his appreciation for her early recordings, that he’s just not crazy about what he deems her schmaltzier recordings from the ‘70s and beyond. “I just don’t have the passion for her that I have for the other ladies. So, it might be a slightly cynical tribute.”

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YOU CAN FOLLOW SETH ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER, AND INSTAGRAM @SETHSIKES.

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A PARTY WITH PRECAUTIONS REVIVING THE LIVE EVENTS INDUSTRY, TWO NEGATIVE COVID-19 TESTS AT A TIME

BY MEGAN VENZIN

ANTICIPATION REACHES FEVER PITCH IN THE CHECK-IN LINE. THE QUEUES ARE LONG. Tickets must be verified. Cars get

combed by security guards. It is a whole process. Only after the ceremonial thumbs up is offered may a festival goer enter the grounds and officially kickstart their fun-filled weekend.

At a retreat called In My Elements, nerves emerge for different reasons. When we roll up to the front gate in our rental car, licensed medical professionals are waiting with long cotton swabs in hand. Though we were tested in Manhattan for active COVID-19 with a PCR test just three days prior, there is still a lingering uncertainty surrounding the potential outcome of today’s result. Worse case scenarios flutter through our minds...

“What if we contracted the virus on the subway ride home?”

“Could we have come in contact at the grocery store where we bought our supplies?”

“Is it possible we’re asymptomatic carriers?”

After a three-hour drive, we are willing to take our chances. A positive test result means we must head home immediately to quarantine for at least 14 days. A negative result, on the other hand, is our ticket to see internationally

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renowned electronic artists like Maceo Plex and DJ Tennis perform at one of the season’s only festival-style events. Producers of this caliber are used to playing the world’s most lavish venues before thousands of fans - this time they will be spinning for less than 200 at a summer camp in Northeast Pennsylvania. It is a rare and hot prospect.

After waiting 20 minutes in a socially distanced parking spot, a staffer emerges with two tiny slips of paper. Underneath our names in capital letters are the words“SARS NEGATIVE”.“You’re good to go,”he says with a smile before pointing us toward a modest cabin where we will be lodging for the next three nights.

“It started with a question: under what conditions can we create a safe, limited-size gathering?” says Brett Herman, Co-Founder of Elements, the production company behind this weekend’s event (which is significantly different than the warehouse bashes he first cut his teeth throwing with BangOn!NYC in Brooklyn, NY).“That launched into research on testing, how COVID-19 spreads and business guidelines. We started with that framework and explored under what conditions we could make something happen.”

This thoughtful approach led Herman to develop a two-part

testing protocol - a cornerstone of the methodology he and a small team use while consulting for events under the company name, Tested Contained Retreats.

All ticket buyers were required to be tested 72 hours prior to the retreat at one of three designated locations in New York City, Boston, and Philadelphia. Those who received positive results were contacted and asked to quarantine. Everyone else was sent an address and told to arrive on-site that Friday during approved hours where they’d be expected to take a second rapid test (Sofia 2 SARS Antigen FIA with 96.7% PPA and 100% NPA sensitivity, manufactured by Quidel) before joining the party.

“As long as COVID remains a factor, and there is no vaccine, then testing has to be a part of the conversation around live events,” Herman says. “We hope the whole process can be scalable for larger crowd sizes and that better and faster technology will come out in the interim.” In the meantime, a series of mitigation procedures aim to fill the gaps at this experimental, open-air retreat, which also features daily yoga classes and educational workshops on topics such as“Ecology in the Age of COVID-19”.

Buying a ticket comes with some commitments. Keeping a contact tracing journal prior to arrival is highly recommended, and guests must attest that they will not be in contact with anyone considered high-risk for 14 days following the event.

After they are screened and admitted to the retreat, attendees are expected to wear masks when coming within six feet of someone else (and if they forget, there is plenty of signage with reminders posted). Free face coverings are provided alongside an arts and crafts table that is stocked with glitter,

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puff paint and other charms for bedazzling.

Capacity is set at 250 people, including staff and artists, which is a fraction of what’s typically seen at the inspirational flagship event, Elements Music & Arts Festival. It typically brings more than 5,000 music lovers together over Memorial Day Weekend each year, however the 2020 event has been officially postponed until 2021.

Consent is another key focal point of a mandatory orientation that takes place early Saturday morning.“Always ask before approaching a new friend”– It is a welcome suggestion that all festivals could stand to push, in these pandemic times and otherwise.

Even though new precautions are present, the lakefront camp feels like a little slice of home. Friends reunite after months of solitude, splashing away to bubbly house music and disco sounds by day. At night, the squad migrates to a cozy, forest cove, illuminated by colorful lights and and blazing flames. Amidst fast-moving techno beats and rumbling bass, ravers reconnect with a feeling that has been universally missed since nightclubs shut down back in March.

“Everybody [has been] tearfully blissful about how important it is for them to finally get out and dance under open skies,”Herman shares with emotion in his voice.“We are clearly seeing the effects of long-term isolation on mental health, which is a real and legitimate health risk, just as much as this disease. If we aren’t able to provide balance, we will see escalating health costs and problems through rises in depression, substance abuse, and general anxiety, and I think finding a way to gather safely has to be a huge part of [the solution].”

The artists are ecstatic to be back in the saddle too. “Playing at In My Elements in July after a four-month hiatus on in-person gigs was a really surreal experience,”says Brooklyn-based DJ, Ria Bird.“I had been streaming live sets from home from time to time, which had its ups and downs. While it was great to be able to share my sets with people all over the world, I very much missed the energy of playing for a live crowd.

So much of what a DJ does [relies on] reading the room and responding to the energy of an audience in real time.”

After being approached by Elements and Tested Contained Retreats Co-Founder, Tim Monkiewicz, Bird said she jumped at the opportunity to be involved. “If nothing else I was excited and curious to see how they would pull off a festival during a pandemic,” she adds.

Still, there are critics who argue that the

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only safe party during a global health crisis is no party. But In My Elements and Tested Contained Retreats are giving cynics a run for their money.

Since taking place July 10th - 12th, there have been zero new cases linked to the small-scale celebration, which clocked a final crowd size well under Pennsylvania’s state-mandated limit for outdoor gatherings.

Following the success of their inaugural event, Tested Contained Retreats partnered with Jake Resnicow, the name behind NYC Pride’s hottest parties, to implement similar measures at his Utopia open-air retreat fundraiser which took place over Labor Day Weekend. It’s another way they hope to expand their reach and keep more communities safe.

With even more plans in store for 2020, Elements will cement their reputation for throwing some of this year’s only well-mitigated music events. Their efforts mark the beginning of a new movement that puts health and safety at the forefront of entertainment.

“If being able to go to a concert motivates more people to get people tested, then that is a huge benefit to society,”Herman explains before revealing that two asymptomatic cases were detected during In My Elements’ first round of testing.“We caught two young, healthy cases and were able to keep them home,” he adds.“That’s a huge net win.”

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DJ, Ria Bird

Co-Founder of Elements and Tested Contained Retreats, Brett Herman

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HOLLYWOOD’S NEWEST CHAMELEON

HARVEY GUILLEN COMES OUT OF THE SHADOWS

BY ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ

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FX’S HIT SHOW, WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS, EMERGED FROM THIS YEAR’S EMMY NOMINATIONS LIKE A BAT OUT OF HELL, earning its place for Outstanding

Comedy Series alongside heavy hitters that included Schitt’s Creek, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. A mix between Addams Family, The Office, and a Christopher Guest film, What We Do in The Shadows, in its two seasons, has garnered much praise from critics and viewers alike for its unique writing, powerhouse guest stars, and a stand out ensemble cast. At the heart of the show is the most unlikely of heroes, Guillermo De La Cruz, portrayed

by Harvey Guillen. Guillermo serves as a familiar, for over a decade, to a group of vampire bandits who are as idiotic as they are enchanting. His only wish? To become a real vampire. Harvey’s sincere portrayal and unapologetic performance have catapulted this GLAAD award-winning actor to become one of TV’s hottest new stars and the media’s newest sweetheart.

With an “aw shucks” attitude and passion to share his joy of acting, he is proving to Hollywood to never judge a book by its cover. This is the new leading man.

PAGE 38-41: PHOTOS COURTESY OF HARVEY GUILLEN - FACEBOOK.COM/HARVEY.GUILLEN.3

Comedy was a part of Harvey’s makeup from his youth. Because his father worked in construction and had to relocate often, Harvey was used to making frequent moves and finding new friends, while dealing with all of the growing pains of fitting in, going through body changes, and dealing with his sexuality. He was the class clown and his big personality quickly overcame any insecurities.

I did use my comedic ability to make friends - it’s easier to be friends with someone who is funny. It also became a sort of a touring show for me, we moved a lot, so every city was like a vaudeville touring company. I enjoyed it. I made new friends that way and developed new characters. So, in a way, it did help.

Just like any good gay boy in entertainment, he was inspired by the musical Annie. He wanted to perform. Not standing in his way, but not being able to financially help, his family let him work his magic and his mother agreed to let him take classes if he could raise the money. He literally would go through the trash and collect cans

to pay for those early improv and acting classes.

Already setting himself apart at such an early age, he was never going to conform to an idea of what a leading actor looked like or what roles they could play.

Some of the things I was told early on was that you have to wait until you’re a Senior in high school or in college cause then you’ll be ready to perform - but no one gives a fuck that you’re a senior or a junior in the real world.

You will get the job if you are good enough for the job. That is one thing to this day that I still believe. No one cares how many years of training you have. If you’re good, you’re good and if you’re not, you’re not.

After doing community theatre, his first big exposure to filmmaking would be in The Internship, working alongside Rose Byrne, Owen Wilson, and Vince Vaughn. This was a long way from community theatre.

I was super nervous to work on that film, I mean it was something like a $56 million dollar budget and working with such big

names like Rose Byrne - who is also one of my favorites – (and since then we’ve become friends and I’ve seen a couple of her plays on Broadway) but I was a little intimidated.

It was my first multi-million-dollar budget film, but a lot of newcomers were part of the young cast, so we all got to bond together and become friends. Every gig is the same as the last one, just with a different budget is what I’ve learned. So, you put your best foot forward in anything you do.

Other roles would quickly follow, and often, he was cast for characters that he no way fit the description. Playing Cousin Bobbin in Nickelodeon’s The Thundermans put Harvey in spandex and sold him as a superhero…a whole new generation of TV watchers got to see that a curvy Latin kid was as much a hero as what they saw in comic books.

On paper it called for a traditional view of a superhero which was tall, slim, built, Adonis looking. Going in for a role that clearly on paper is not describing you was a ballsy thing to do, but I insisted on auditioning for it and I booked it. I would encourage other actors who think they can play the role to try to push through that door. People do not know what they want until it is in front of them and they realize they wanted it all along.

The multitude of comments on Harvey’s social media resounds in a big THANK YOU from fans, whether they are actors or not, for doing the hard work and sticking with a difficult career to show the world that looking or being a certain way will not limit your dreams or success – whether you are a fuller figure actor, Mexican, or gay. He has made a name for himself and has become a patron saint for every queer kid with a dream.

I think for me sticking to what is important and not changing or trying to alter to the prescription of what I should be is what I pride myself in. I like when I can do roles where I can say “that’s never been done before” or go out for a role that traditionally would not be offered to me or have not even considered me as a potential casting option. I feel very proud that I can, in any way, open a door for someone else coming up behind me to have a less hard time with it just because it is a hard industry. The moment that I realize “yes I’m doing this” is every time I book something. There is never an endgame, there is always the next gig. Everything is a steppingstone if you have your mindset.

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Harvey is a member of the new class of openly LGBT actors. Headlines for articles and interviews that cover Harvey are focused on his role in an Emmy nominated comedy, the secondary headline (if at all) is that he is gay. This is quite a difference from the days of an openly gay Neil Patrick Harris playing (gasp!) a straight man and his sexuality being the leading story. Are things changing? Is the industry able to focus on the craft rather than someone’s sexuality?

I still think there are limitations when it comes to being an openly queer actor in Hollywood because it wasn’t that long ago when people couldn’t imagine someone who is queer portraying straight or being a love interest in a heterosexual love story. We’re learning that as performers, it is the job, as the performer, to completely become that character and bring life to that personality. So, it has nothing to do with that actor’s personal life. I think we are moving in the right direction we still have work to do, but we are going towards the right direction.

Being authentic is the foundation of Harvey’s acting style. His authenticity reads on the camera and every facial expression, lilt in his voice, and line reading rings true. He embodies every character he plays. He insisted on doing his own stunts for Guillermo’s big vampire fight scene, a physical feat with high energy, high kicks, and Van Damme bravado. He lost twenty pounds to gear up for the moment and did not stop rehearsing until he got it exactly right. Cut to the day of filming, he was suffering a 104-degree fever.

Still, he insisted on doing it right then and there, otherwise, the shoot day would be ruined. He nailed it. And when the wrong kind of bunuelos (a Mexican dessert) was brought into a scene, Harvey whipped up his own to make it authentic, minutes before filming the scene.

I don’t think I can let go of small things like that if I can help it.

Even if that means me making bunuelos 5 minutes before we are supposed to do the scene because they are not the right kind of bunuelos.

No skin off my back - it is only going to make the scene more authentic. It is when you let them “Hollywood it” that things are not done right, and the representation starts to fade. Representation matters.

People make note of that and notice the small details of the bunuelos, the colors, the texture, and the way you talk in a Mexican American household. Those things should be taken into consideration because you are portraying somebody’s life and you want it to be as authentic as possible - it is only fair.

Harvey’s career is full of “at the right place at the right time stories.”

Chance meetings and auditions on a whim have gotten him the part. What We Do in the Shadows was no different.

I got the audition by going to a wine and cheese night where I saw my friend MiMi Michaels and her friend, whom I hadn’t met before, Ivonne. She and I got talking and the next day I got a text from Ivonne saying you should audition for my fiancé’s (Garrett Bash) new show.

They had already booked the other members by this point, I was the last from the household to be cast, by this point production was set to start in 48 hrs. This is actually another perfect example for the previous question - this role wasn’t right for me - the character was written to be 20 years older than me so I didn’t know if I was right for it but I fought to do it and the payoff was getting to play Guillermo, a series regular, in an Emmy nominated show.

Without a doubt, Shadows is a huge hit. The comedy is dark and inappropriate, but there is heart to it with overlying themes that deal with identity, friendships, and aspirations. This band of misfit characters is somehow relatable.

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I think Shadows has something for everybody. Yes, it is a comedy about vampires living with a human familiar, but jokes are thrown in there that reflect the current times we are living in. I think that is why everybody is so drawn to it. It’s different but the humor is international.

Guillermo has become a special part of Harvey’s life. There is a chemistry that makes Harvey’s performance standout in a truly stellar cast. Certain character elements are all Harvey’s doing and are the result of a collaborative environment between the actor and show creator.

The character that Jemaine (show creator) had created had very specific characteristics that I already embody. As we shot season one, I asked if I could give Guillermo a last name. I chose De La Cruz which translates to “of the cross” and Jemaine said, “that’s perfect” but didn’t tell me why because they didn’t want to tell me what was going to happen with the character’s storyline. Looking back, I’m glad I was able to contribute to that. It is great to have input in anything we do with the character.

Harvey’s input also comes from a close relationship with horror. Though Shadows is a comedy, it is the dramatic horror genre elements that highlight the comedy.

I love the horror genre. My whole family is into it, my niece is obsessed, and she is only seven. My sister is too. We are kind of a horror family. I think for me I really enjoy the horror/thrillers like I Know What You Did Last Summer and Scream, also those ‘90s teen slasher films were my jam.

Harvey is no stranger to the supernatural in his own life.

When my sister would come to visit me at my apartment, she would never want to stay by herself because she kept seeing

someone across the hall in a trench coat. She kept saying your neighbor is really creepy, and I said, “Neighbor? Nobody has lived there in like 4 years.” So, I’ll leave you with that.

But it is mermaids that really get him going. You need to check out his mermaid photoshoot on his Instagram.

I am obsessed with mermaids and would love them to be real - can we make that happen, please?

Press for Shadows is everywhere – interview after interview, billboards line the streets, it has become a Comic Con darling, and now with the Emmy nomination, shows no sign of slowing down. Harvey even hosted the podcast, Before the Shadows. Does Harvey get tired of talking about Shadows?

I do not mind talking about Shadows because I love the show so much myself.

Ask me in five more seasons and we’ll see where we are. [Laughs] Harvey has not taken a break with the success of Guillermo. He appeared in the recent series finale season of HBO’s Room 104, on Quibi in Don’t Look Deeper with Don Cheadle and Emily Mortimer and will once again hit the big screen in Werewolves Within, costarring Sam Richardson and Cheyenne Jackson. Each project with a wildly different character. He is Hollywood’s new chameleon. What kind of character could possibly be next?

I was offered a role I have not done before. There is singing and dancing involved - so I’m looking forward to it.

And where do love and dating fit into Harvey’s life?

Dating? I just got out of a relationship not too long ago, so I have been pretty content just focusing on work. For the time being, I’m single and ready to mingle — from six feet apart.

■

YOU CAN FOLLOW HARVEY ON INSTAGRAM @HARVEYGUILLEN AND BINGE WATCH BOTH SEASONS OF WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS ON FX & HULU.

WATCH FOR OUR METROSOURCE PODCAST INTERVIEW WITH HARVEY ON APPLE PODCASTS, IHEARTRADIO, AND YOUTUBE.

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SCRUB NIVEA EXFOLIATING FACE SCRUB

BODY

HEALTH

niveausa.com $10.99 Need to prime? Clear out anything unwanted or excess with Nivea Exfoliating Face Scrub. The scrub, which includes aloe vera and pro-vitamin B5, cleanses and protects the skin from drying out. Optimal to incorporate into the morning routine, the scrub can remove dead skin and protect your skin’s natural barrier, getting you ready to allow just the right amount of sun onto your skin.

WASH

BEARD CARE 2020 PRODUCTS TO MAKE YOUR BEARD MORE BILF (BEARDS I’D LIKE TO FONDLE)

BY JEFFREY JAMES KEYES WHILE FACIAL HAIR HAS BEEN IN SEASON FOR SOME TIME NOW, many

need some assistance with that new-ish quarantine beard. Maintaining a quality beard does not take a tremendous amount of work, with a few strong products you can let the oils, lotions, and conditioners do the work. Be sure to properly wash your face and beard and prep your beard and the area around before doing any shaving or trimming. Be sure to introduce quality oils and lotion into your routine and keep it sanitized and free of residual germs from any of those viruses going around. With a little TLC, you can train your beard to look clean and sharp at any length. Here is a selection of products and steps to take that unruly beard to the next level… BILF.

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MALIN+GOETZ GRAPEFRUIT FACE CLEANSER malinandgoetz.com $32 Malin+Goetz is an apothecary launched by Matthew Malin and Andrew Goetz in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood in 2004. The focus of their brand is easy-to-use, gentle treatments helping to cleanse and restore pH balance without harsh ingredients, irritants, or unnecessary detergents, colorants, and synthetic fragrances. Their foaming cleansing gel is gentle on the beard and whole face. This perfect blend of natural grapefruit extract with amino acidbased cleansing agents work to purify and hydrate pH balance to the skin.

PREP AIDAN GILL FOR MEN SHAVE OIL aidangillformen.com $25.00 When Aidan Gil, the infamous Irish barber based out of “the Big Easy” came out with a line of grooming products, we leaned into it. The Aidan Gill For Men’s Pre-Shave oil, was formulated by Aidan, and is used daily in the Barbershops to ensure the most comfortable and close shave. Apply this lightly scented blend of essential oils to clean wet skin prior to the application of shaving cream and you will be able to keep everything clean, safe, and looking great.

LATHER JACK BLACK BEARD LUBE CONDITIONING SHAVE WITH JOJOBA & EUCALYPTUS getjackblack.com $35 If you are looking for a dynamite all-in-one product Jack Black’s Beard Lube Conditioning Shave with Jojoba & EuEu calyptus should be considered a go-to. The translucent for formula does the heavy lifting as a pre-shave oil, shave cream, and even an after-shave conditioner to soften facial hair for a painless shave. In addition to jojoba & eucalyptus, the lube includes macadamia nut oil, heather, menthol, pep peppermint, and a variety of other subtle ingredients. Leave the product on for about sixty seconds before shaving. When finished, rinse with cold water. You will thank us later.

EUFORA HERO FOR MEN EXCEPTIONAL SHAVE eufora.net $23 Eufora, offering clean, quality beauty products since 1997.

Eufora formulations harness the power of more than 100 unique plant and flower extracts, essential oils, vitamins, and natural aromas for their products. While the company is known for their fantastic line of hair care products, the ultimate 3-in-1 pH balanced shave solution is a fantastic product to help you to shave away any excess or unneces unnecessary hair to make your beard look good and stand out. The non-foaming formula is the perfect choice because it allows you to essentially “mark out” detail easily on your cheeks and neck.

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TREAT JACK BLACK JACK BLACK BEARD OIL getjackblack.com $26 This exclusive blend of certified organic natural oils, potent antioxidants and vitamins protect skin from the damaging effects of free radicals and environmental pollutants. Key ingredients like Vitamin E, Kalahari melon oil and Marula oil, work to counteract free-radfree-rad ical damage, soften facial hair and smooth skin underunder neath. Keep your beard healthy.

BILLY JEALOUSY CBD BEARD BUNDLE

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billyjealousy.com $90 Billy Jealousy has a new CBD line to soothe beard ail ailments with an infusion of 420 mg of CBD. The full line includes Their CBD Beard Bundle includes CBD Beard Oil (2 oz.), CBD Beard Balm (2 oz.), and a CBD LeaveIn Conditioner (3 oz.). Billy Jealousy’s CBD Beard Oil will nourish and reinvigorate moisture to even the driest beard, while the Billy Jealousy CBD Beard Balm additionally calms irritated skin while helping hair to retain moisture. Need to take it to the roots?

Billy Jealousy’s CBD Leave-In Conditioner goes deep, providing a light hold for healthy hair and a manage manageable beard. The company’s CBD is derived from select hemp that is cultivated in the USA. It is lab tested to ensure purity, potency, and free of THC.

SHAVE & TRIM BULLDOG BULLDOG SKINCARE FOR MEN ORIGINAL BAMBOO RAZOR bulldogskincare.com $14.99 Fun fact: over two billion plastic razors are sent to the landfills each year in the United States. Bulldog, a skincare company launched by Simon Duffy and Rhodri Ferrier in 2006, takes pride in trying to eliminate the problem. Their Bamboo Razor is making strides to help protect the environment while offering men the shave they deserve. Each razor, built ethically with fully recycled packaging made from recycled stock and environmentally friendly inks features five tempered steel blades and a lubricating strip of aloe, designed to provide a comfortable shave. The handle, designed with a natural bamboo handle, will fit well in your hand, and help to lower your overall environmental impact.

BULLDOG BULLDOG SKINCARE FOR MEN ORIGINAL BEARD BALM bulldogskincare.com $9.99 This fast absorbing beard balm will not leave you looking like an oil slick. Bulldog’s Original Beard Balm is specially formulated for the thick hair found on the face and will leave your beard healthy and conditioned.

Soothing and nourishing, it helps to reduce any itchy sensation you may experience under your beard.

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REMINGTON VIRTUALLY INDESTRUCTIBLE HAIRCUT & BEARD TRIMMER remingtonproducts.com $34.99 Why settle for a mediocre trimmer when you not only have a high-quality trimmer, but an entire 15-piece kit for a reasonable price? Remington’s Virtually Indestructible Haircut & Beard Trimmer comes with a lifetime warranty, which you will not need as it’s designed in a heavy-duty polycar polycarbonate shell to withstand drops, knocks, and falls.

The trimmer includes removable precision ground blades that can be washed, nine combs from 1.525mm, a premium beard brush, another styling comb, and a nice storage pouch. Chances are, you will like the trimmer so much you will want to also order the Virtually Indestructible Nose & Ear Trim Trimmer as well.

SANITIZE SAFE HAIR HAIR INSTANT CLEANSING SPRAY safehair.com.br $14.99 Safe Hair: Instant Cleansing Spray is a new antimicrobial hand sanitizer collection that will help shield the hair from bacteria, germs, and Coronavirus. Safe Hair launched this first-of-its-kind solution specifically formulated to disinfect your hair and beard to banish coronavirus, germs, and bacteria by 99.9%. The three main ingredients in the spray include melaleuca, lemongrass, and aloe vera. To sanitize even more, bring your Safe Hair Shampoo into the shower with you and scrub any bacteria and Coronavirus you might be carrying with you down the drain.

FINISH RICH BY RICK ROSS LUXURY BEARD OIL richbyrickross.com $17.99 Grammy-nominated rapper & entrepreneur Rick Ross launched a fantastic skincare line a few years back. The standout in the line, Luxury Beard Oil, is a beard oil that will make you feel like you are on top of the charts. Rejuvenate your beard with ingredients like jojoba seed oil, olive fruit oil, and grape seed oil and get a closer look to see how your hair will start to glow. Who knows, it might just inspire you to put out a hit.

MVRCK BY MITCH SKIN + BEARD LOTION paulmitchell.com $6.50 Discover the art of uncommon barbering with MVRCK by MITCH (from the good people at Paul Mitchell). MVRCK Skin + Beard Lotion will shape and tame coarse beard hair, from light stubble to full grown and everything in between. Lather a little in your beard and feel an almost immediate sense of control and additional moisture. The rich, hydrating formula contains barley seed extract to moisturize the face, skin beneath the beard, and your gorgeous facial hair so you can go out into the world.

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HEALTH BODY

GET BOARD, NOT BORED IT’S BOARD GAME SEASON

BY JEFFREY JAMES KEYES

AS THE WEATHER CONTINUES TO FORCE US BACK INDOORS THERE IS AN INCREASED NEED FOR OPPORTUNITIES FOR FUN AND RECREATION. There has

never been a better time to pick up a few board games, so you have them on hand to create a bit of extra fun whenever you need it. Stock up so you have plenty of activities and games to play with your immediate family, roommates, or that cluster of friends you have been social distancing with.

This fall we took a closer look into the collections of Hasbro and Ravensburger, two of the top board game manufacturers in the world. Hasbro owns an extensive classic board game portfolio through its ownership of brands like Parker Brothers, Milton Bradley, Avon Hill, and Wizards of the West Coast. Ravensburger, one of the leading manufacturers of puzzles, books, and board games such as the ever-popular Labyrinth brand.

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CRINGEWORTHY Players: 3+ $24.99 When has it ever been okay to aim to be awkward and uncomfortable? In 2020, of course. Cringeworthy puts you and your friends in horrible, hilarious, NSFW situations. In each round, the Cringemaster reads a Situation card that sets up an open-ended scenario. Each player then chooses a Cringe card to play and reads it out loud to the group. Yes, you must read it yourself. Got an “[Insert Name]” Cringe card?

Say the name of any player other than the Cringe Cringemaster to crank up the awkwardness. Whoever makes the Cringemaster feel the most uncomfort uncomfortable wins the round. This game is for adults only, se seriously. Tell the neighbors to leave their kids at home or wait to put any little ones to sleep before pulling the bright yellow box out. HASBRO

SWEET EXISTENCE A STRANGE PLANET CARD GAME Players: 4-8 $19.99 Hot off the presses, this new game brings the cre creativity of Nathan W. Pyle’s Strange Planet webcomic and books to life. Laugh and marvel at the absurd complexities of life with this strategic party card game inspired by his universally relatable beings and their unique perspective on the world. Forming con connections through this game, while experiencing life events, and developing strategies to add more ‘Sweet Disks’ to your stash -- all while avoiding the dreaded Perish card. HASBRO

DISNEY VILLAINOUS: PERFECTLY WRETCHED Players: 2-3 $24.99 Disney Villainous won the 2018 Toy of the Year Award.

Previous versions included notorious villains like Maleficent, Ursula, and Jafar. The new version, Disney Villainous: Perfectly Wretched welcomes Cruella de Vil, Mother Gothel, and Pete to the board in a new expand-alone expansion. In Disney Villainous, players race to complete their own devious objective, while dealing twists of fate to their opponents. Who will prove most villainous? Play and see. Each game includes 3 boards, 3 villain movers, 90 villain cards, 45 fate cards, 58 tokens, 3 reference cards, 3 villain guides, and instructions. RAVENSBURGER

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JENGA BRIDGE Players: 1+ $14.99 You have played Jenga, but have you explored Jenga Bridge yet? Like the original, Jenga Bridge players remove blocks from the Jenga tower one block at a time and then place it on top. With this new edition of the game, things get even more intense as the tower is placed on a wooden bridge that sways.

Get ready for plenty of tension with this one. Each game includes 42 hardwood blocks, so be sure to move your smartphones, cocktails, and anything you do not want knocked over when everything comes crashing down. HASBRO

BODY

HEALTH

3D LABYRINTH Players: 2-4 $34.99 Labyrinth, the international classic, is quickly approaching its 35th anniversary. To celebrate the game, available in 26 languages in over 60 countries, Ravensburger is launching 3D Labyrinth, a new dimension for enthusiasts. Players are now able to move up and down as they climb towers and deep dive into castle dungeons in pursuit of treasure.

Whoever collects their treasure first wins. Each game includes 1 game board, 17 towers, 4 wizard playing pieces, 4 Rune Cards, 12 treasure cards, and 24 magic cards. RAVENSBURGER

MONOPOLY LONGEST GAME EVER Players: 2-4 $19.99 Admit it, you have time for a long game. Really long.

Fasten your seatbelts for Monopoly Longest Game Ever. We are talking tortoise and hare tokens, multiple properties, and all kinds of different features including: no auctions, cash for Free Parking, and the opportunity to rip bills in half (you heard that right).

Each game includes 4 tokens, 22 Title Deed cards, 16 Chance cards, 16 Community Chest cards, 32 houses, 12 hotels, 1 die, a money pack, and instructions.

Put on a pot of coffee, it is going to be an epic night.

HASBRO

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DISNEY HOCUS POCUS: THE GAME Players: 2-6 $19.99 What are you doing on Halloween? Why not light a black candle and pull out a little Hocus Pocus for your nearest and dearest to enjoy. Work as a team to stop the Sanderson sisters before they drain the lives of Salem’s children. You have until sunrise to ruin their potion in this whimsical fantasy art style board game. Use tricks like the Burning Rain of Death and Billy Butcherson might emerge to lend a helping hand. This new title from Ravensburger was just re released in August of 2020. Each game includes a cool cauldron board, 50 ingredient cards, a witch board, 13 spell cards, sun token, stun token, 4 trick tokens, a Binx mover, and rule book. Bubble, bubble, are you in trouble? RAVENSBURGER

CLUE - LIARS EDITION

MONOPOLY HOUSE DIVIDED BOARD GAME Players: 2-6 $19.99 While you might be tired of hearing about the actual 2020 election, the Monopoly House Divided board game is a fun way to celebrate the ups and downs of an election campaign. Players can buy states, earn votes, and collect rent. Go ahead and set up your campaign headquarters, earn votes, steal states, and send your opponent to the big house. If you make it to the White House (by obtaining the token) you will be able to double the rent you charge and add more votes at the end of the game. Each game includes a game board, 6 candidate cards, 6 candidate tokens, 22 state cards, 16 Executive Power cards, I Voted cards (adorable, right?), 36 cardboard voting chips, 40 plastic Campaign Headquarters, 1 plastic White House, 2 dice, a money pack, and game guide. Once all states are claimed the candidate with the most votes wins. May the best (wo)man win! HASBRO

Players: 2-6 $19.99 Hasbro has turned things up a notch this fall with the introduction of Clue - Liars Edition board game, where players use investigation cards to help figure out who killed Mr. Body in the mansion. Pick a card and read it out loud, trying to play it cool and convince other players they are telling the truth. If a player suspects they are lying they hit the “Liar But Button”, which is satisfying unto itself. Move closer to cracking the case with each evidence card. When you are ready to make a formal accusation look at the case file envelope for the big reveal. Was it Mr. Green with the lead pipe in the Billiard Room? Mrs. Peacock with the revolver in the Conservatory? Time will tell. Make a night of it and watch the cult classic film before, after, or during your game. Who knows, it might inspire your victory! HASBRO

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THE QUEST FOR EL DORADO

HEALTH

Players: 2-4 $34.99 Do you dare to search for the golden city? Build your expedition and venture through the jungles of South America through this fun deck-building board game.

Be sure to get your plan in order, assemble the right team, and anticipate any equipment you might need.

Each player starts with the same combination of cards, use these to move through your expedition and get newer and better cards. Each game includes 7 terrain tiles, 2 terrain strips, 1 ending tile, 6 blockades, 8 playing pieces, 4 expedition boards, 1 starting player hat, 1 market board, 86 expedition cards, 36 cave tokens, and instructions. With 100,000 possible layouts and a deck-building strategy component, El Dorado can be played over and over for hours of fun. Who is going to cross the golden border first? Roll up your sleeves and get ready for a race and a true competition. RAVENSBURGER

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THE PRINCESS BRIDE

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Players: 1-4 $24.99 “My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die!” Channel your inner Buttercup as you race through the Cliffs of Insanity and navigate the Fire Swamp to survive the dastardly machinations of Prince Humperdinck, Count Rugen, and Vizzini in The Princess Bride Adventure Book! Now is your chance to indulge in the six chapters of the popular film. Will there be eels? Yes. And interruptions. Now, the only thing missing is Fred Savage...unless you are quarantining with him, then we are coming over.

Each game includes 1 adventure book game board, 1 replay counter, 5 challenge completed tokens, 5 mirmir acle counters, 4 player reference cards, 40 story cards, 30 special cards, 20 plot cards, 7 character miniatures, a rulebook, and more. The Princess Bride Adventure Book Game is scheduled to come out October 4.

Want to be the first on your block to play the game?

“Inconceivable!” RAVENSBURGER

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OUTDOOR FUN AND THEN SOME

BY MEGAN VENZIN

AUTUMN IS AN ENCHANTING TIME TO EXPERIENCE NEW YORK. Whether you choose to meander through botani-

cal gardens amidst the changing leaves, head indoors for the highly anticipated return of must-see museums, or party at home with the help of your laptop, there’s no wrong way to enjoy the fall season. The following events and attractions are proof of that very fact.

NYBG: N

ative Pla

nt Garden

an, Suspended, 19 77. Gift of Muriel and Philip I. Berm © Menashe Kadis an, Allentown, PA hman Photo courte sy Storm King Art Center

HIKE THROUGH STORM KING ART CENTER Hudson Valley 1 Museum Rd. New Windsor, NY 12553 Wednesdays - Mondays 10:30AM - 5:30PM Since 1960, Storm King Art Center has remained a destination for both art lovers and hikers alike. “It’s been said that walking up to each sculpture is like a journey in itself,” says Communications & Marketing Manager, Jessica Eassa Burke.

Tucked away in the tree-covered hills of New York’s Hudson Valley, this renowned park covers an expansive 500-acres and offers plenty of wide open spaces for guests to feel safe while admiring more than 100 large and human-scale works from revolutionary artists the likes of Roy Lichtenstein, Mark Di Suvero and Maya Lin, whose famous “Wavefield” has earned its reputation as an Instagram sensation.

Through November 9th, guests can also witness two special exhibitions.

The first comes from Kiki Smith who presents a series of nine flag poles in River Light, each donning photographs of New York’s East and Hudson Rivers. Martha Tuttle fills the Outlooks slot, in which Storm King presents an exhibition from artists who are either early in their careers, or new to outdoor works. In Meditations on Place she stacks stones and custom pieces made in partnership with Brooklyn Glass atop boulders selected from the Storm King site. Thoughtful prompts are dictated on signage throughout the exhibition. Advance timed-entry tickets can be purchased online at stormking.org.

NEW YORK

Menashe Kadishm

2900 Southern Blvd.

The Bronx, NY 10458 Tuesdays - Sundays 10AM - 6PM The healing power of plants is palpable in the Big Apple’s northernmost borough, where New York Botanical Garden is now open to the general public. Explore the meadows and walk the promenade of the famous Native Plant Garden before trekking over to a soothing waterfall, which bubbles within the spacious Thain Family Forest. Other key attractions such as the award-winning Rockefeller Rose Garden, the Burn Family Lilac Collection and the Ross Conifer Arboretum also await. In total, the sprawling outdoor attraction covers 250 acres and features one million plants. All that sightseeing can spark an appetite, so grab a table on the sunny Hudson Garden Grill Terrace for snacks and a cold beer, or a glass of wine. Limited timed-entry tickets and selfguided audio tours are available by cell phone to ensure the safety of guests and staff. For more information visit nybg.org.

NY SCOPE

EXPLORE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN

ial Garden

NYBG: Perenn

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The Greens The

Rooftop At Pier17

mini lawns

NEW YORK

NY SCOPE

GO OUT FOR DINNER AND A MOVIE AT THE GREENS THE ROOFTOP AT PIER 17

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89 South St. Manhattan, NY 10038 Booking through mid-October, Hours 11AM - 11PM The minds behind Manhattan’s newest socially-distanced restaurant concept urge diners to “make up for lost sunshine” at The Greens. This stylish rooftop eatery gives yard-less New Yorkers a chance to stretch out in their own 14x14 foot space, complete with lawn chairs, USB charging ports and a built-in Yeti cooler. Catch an unforgettable sunset or play corn hole while noshing on delectable bites like Maine lobster rolls slathered in tarragon mustard and sunburst tomato ($26) or marinated sesame crusted chicken fingers served with a citrus emulsion ($15). High rollers can make the most of their 90-minute seating with the Veuve Clicquot Deux package for two people ($221) which includes a shrimp cocktail appetizer, two cheddar cheeseburgers and one bottle of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label. The happy hour crowd will enjoy signature cocktails like the one that shares the venue’s namesake, made with Sipsmith gin, basil, thyme, mint and citrus juices ($15). Of course, you’ll want to keep those flowing on Tuesday and Wednesday nights when cult classic films like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Hocus Pocus add an extra touch of entertainment.

Reservations open on Mondays at 10AM EST. To reserve your own mini-lawn visit thegreens.pier17ny.com, and to check out the Seaport Cinema schedule visit seaportdistrict.nyc/seaport-cinema.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

rk. tion, New Yo heim Founda ald on R. Guggen otograph by David He m lo So e Th METROSOURCE.COM Ph ©

Club Quarantine

DANCE YOUR HEART OUT AT CLUB QUARANTINE Online Every Friday on Zoom 9PM - Midnight The state-mandated lockdowns of spring 2020 inspired apartment-dwelling New Yorkers to bake sourdough bread, become TikTok stars and watch the Netflix docuseries, Tiger King.

However, those quiet, isolated nights indoors also spawned the birth of Club Quarantine, a popular LGBTQ+ online dance party that still takes place every Friday on the video conferencing app, Zoom. Created by Bronx-born producer, DJ D-Nice, this queer rave has been shouted out by names like Oprah, Michelle Obama and Robyn, proving it’s got legs in a post-COVID world too. For now, the city’s nightclubs remain dark and empty, but electronic music fans can still get their groove on in this upbeat virtual setting, no coat check required. Get on the guest list for the next party at instagram.com/clubquarantine.

REVISIT MODERN MASTERPIECES AT GUGGENHEIM ART MUSEUM 1071 Fifth Avenue Manhattan New York, NY Reopens October 3rd While locals never stopped admiring the cupcake-like facade of The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, many will be happy to hear that Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural wonder will finally be reopening its doors to members, patrons and one-time ticket holders in October. Once inside, guests can peer upon priceless works from modern marvels like Degas, Picasso, Gauguin and countless others who have made the museum a top attraction for art lovers since it first opened in 1960. Also returning after a long hiatus is Jackson Pollack’s Mural, which hasn’t been seen in New York for nearly two decades. Away from the Easel: Jackson Pollack’s Mural is a dedicated exhibition that will bring the largerthan-life painting back into view. Also in the vein of Pollack’s work is a new sculpture presentation called Knotted, Torn, Scattered: Sculpture After Abstract Expressionism including works by Lynda Benglis, Richard Serra, and a new acquisition by artist Maren Hassinger. Can’t make it in-person just yet? Tours can be experienced virtually through Guggenheim’s Website. To explore the museum online, or to purchase future timed-entry tickets, visit guggenheim.org.

Collective Retreats

HIT RESET WITH COLLECTIVE RETREATS Nathaniel Mary Quinn Treasure Hunt #2, 2020 Black charcoal, gouache, black marker, soft pastel, oil pastel, oil paint, and paint stick on wood block 9 x 9 x 1 1_2 inches. Collection of Natha

BECOME A PROUD ART OWNER AT THE DRAWING CENTER 35 Wooster St. New York, NY Reopens October 7th A highly relevant exhibition titled 100 Drawings From Now will set the tone when this SoHo-based art center reopens to the public on October 7th. The new presentation features 100 drawings from a roster of international names, all created since early 2020. Many of the pieces may be considered works of activism, inspired by the dramatic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and other instances of social unrest resulting from police brutality and systemic racism in the United States. The diverse collection symbolizes the power of art and how pencil and paper can be used as therapeutic and communicative tools during these unprecedented and profoundly challenging times. Each drawing was donated to the Center by the artist, and proceeds from their sales will be used to support the country’s only not-for-profit fine arts institution focused solely on historical and contemporary drawings. This specific benefit takes place through October 4th, and access is available to members only.

For more information on how to become a member, or to buy tickets for the general reopening visit drawingcenter.org.

Governors Island New York, NY Booking through October 31st If you’re craving a luxury glamping experience that’s socially distanced by nature, look no further than Governors Island, where Collective Retreats has transformed the secluded location in this summer’s most relaxing outdoor adventure.

Expertly decorated Journey Tents, Summit Tents and Outlook Shelters provide a romantic, Scandinavia-inspired setting for a mini-getaway that’s only eight minutes from lower Manhattan.

Wake up beneath 1,500-thread count sheets and start your day off right with an energizing yoga class, or embark on a scenic bike ride along the sparkling waterfront. Or simply take advantage of working remotely and give your co-workers a serious case of “Zoom background envy.” Of course, you don’t need to rent a room to enjoy an exciting new al fresco dining experience at Collective Retreats’ acclaimed “farm to island” restaurant, Three Peaks Lodge. Indulge in mouthwatering menu items like a Grilled Half Rack of Lamb with Mint-Basil Pistou ($48) or Grilled Atlantic Salmon with Tomato Confit and Olives ($35) while watching the sun descend over the city skyline. Then swing by The Hudson Terrace, where craft cocktails like the North Cascades (belvedere vodka, cucumber, watermelon, soda, $14) also pair exceptionally well with the unmatched views of the Statue of Liberty and other NYC landmarks. To book a retreat visit collectiveretreats.com, or to schedule a one-of-a-kind dining excursion at the signature eatery visit collectiveretreats.com/cgi-dining.

MEET SOMEONE SPECIAL VIA GAY MEN’S VIRTUAL SPEED DATING Online Tuesdays & Thursdays in October You’re a video conferencing pro from 9 to 5… now put those skills to use during the off hours and enrich your personal life! My Cheeky Gay Date’s popular speed dating series (as seen on Bravo!TV) is now connecting New York City’s sexiest singles virtually on weeknights throughout the month of October. A helpful host will be online to walk everyone through the process, as participants embark on a new date every seven minutes. Skip the small talk on dating apps and get in front of real men who want the real deal. To explore the upcoming event schedule and purchase tickets visit mycheekygaydate.com.

Virtual speed dating. Photo by Oleg Ivanov METROSOURCE.COM

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FEATURE NEW YORK

SETH

RUDETSKY A FUNNY MAN WITH A SERIOUS MISSION

BY STEVE GOTTFRIED ANYONE WHO’S LISTENED TO SETH’S BIG FAT BROADWAY ON SIRIUS XM RADIO KNOWS THAT SETH RUDETSKY IS PASSIONATE ABOUT ALL THINGS BROADWAY. Having worked as a pianist in the orchestra

on 15 Broadway shows, Rudetsky knows whereof he speaks.

Not only does he have the gift of gab, but he is a raconteur par excellence. What’s so entertaining about his show are the random and often obscure anecdotes he peppers throughout his show. The commentary feels wonderfully spontaneous and in-the-moment which gives you the feeling of being a fly on the wall. I Zoomed with Rudetsky and his husband, James Wesley, to talk about everything from Seth’s childhood, to the state of Broadway, to surviving this pandemic, with humor and humanity.

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DECONSTRUCTING SETH The first thing to keep in mind is that Rudetsky is no one-trick phony. Perhaps that’s why he talks so fast, because he’s got so much on his plate. Besides being a three-time Emmy nominated writer on Rosie O’Donnell’s daytime talk show, writing books and hosting Broadway themed cruises, he and his husband have been producing live-stream fundraisers for The Actors Fund and other charities close to their hearts.

I first became aware of Rudetsky through his musical deconstructions which feature the classically trained musician analyzing note for note songs made famous by Broadway belters like Streisand, LuPone and Bernadette Peters, among others. For the uninitiated it may seem like the musical equivalent of un-boxing, but for the Broadway devotee, his deconstructions are endlessly fascinating comedic gems with Rudetsky analyzing each song on a granular level, deploying words like detaché (a violin bowing technique) and peppering his speech with Seth-isms like “obsessed,”“delicious” and “tip of the hat.”

Like the refrain from The Sound of Music, I always think it’s instructive to “start at the very beginning” by asking about Seth’s background and if there was any precedent for a funny bone in his family tree.

My great uncle was a big comedian named Yukie Sherin. He was a writer for Sid Caesar or someone like that, back in the day.

One of those early ‘50s shows. So I definitely have that. My family was obsessed with music and Broadway, and like a typical Jewish family, we were exposed to the arts… opera, Broadway, ballet. All my siblings became musicians. I saw my first Broadway at four years old - Hair back in the ‘70s. Every year of Elementary school, I was obsessed with different shows - second grade was The Pajama Game; fourth grade was A Chorus Line and Chicago; and fifth grade was Annie. But the show that really had a big impact on me was The Pajama Game. It set the stage for the kind of musical theater I’m obsessed with where you have seven different people, each with a different opinion, and they’re all talking at the same time. That’s purely musical theatre.

Seth describes how he wound up studying classical piano at Oberlin College almost by default.

Because my sister was a piano major, I guess I thought I had to follow in her footsteps. When I got into Oberlin Conservatory, I was so surprised because I was not what you’d call a serious classical musician. I loved Broadway, but I got in based on my technique. I thought it was so cool that I got in. And when I visited, I immediately loved it because it was so liberal. It was gay positive. I always call it a gay bar with dorms. High school was such a nightmare with being gay and it was so much more accepted at Oberlin. So I was like, I’m definitely going now. So I majored in classical music even though I was not going to be a classical musician. I mean, it was bizarre I spent four years majoring in classical piano. There was no way I was going to tour the country in a tuxedo and play classical music.

When did you come out?

Basically, at the end of high school – I was 17. My family knew by the time I graduated. And then once you’re at Oberlin, you’re still a minority being gay. But it was like, you couldn’t make fun of anyone for being gay. It was the total opposite of high school. It’s not that it was cool to be gay. But it was just really easy to be gay.

We talked about the current state of Broadway and COVID. What has this period has been like for you?

I think I have a very unique experience. I mean, yes, my main source of income has been completely canceled. Before the pandemic, I would basically fly once a week to a city and do a giant Broadway concert with Broadway stars. And that’s been my main source of income, going from city to city every week. And then I do a Broadway cruise every couple months. But the reason why I say I have a different perspective is, as soon as the pandemic began, my husband and I started doing this live-stream for the Actors Fund. And it’s taken up so much time, it doesn’t feel like my life has been disrupted that much because I’m constantly putting on another benefit.

With his finger on the pulse of Broadway, I was curious to hear Rudetsky’s thoughts on what kind of impact the“woke”culture has had on Broadway.

When Broadway comes back, there’s going to be a lot more awareness of how to make it equitable for everybody to be involved. That’s where I see a really big lack of diversity. I’ve played around 15 Broadway shows in the orchestra and it’s mainly white men. Also on the producing end, it’s very white. I think they’ve been striving for diversity on stage, even though, to me, it’s always been kind of like… the lesser characters will be a diverse cast. So it’s like “look, we cast somebody that’s not white.” Yea, but not in a good role. I think people have really had with the lack of diversity in all aspects.

In terms of the anecdotes for your Sirius XM Radio show, did you keep diaries or are they just burned into your memory?

Well… both. But not diaries. I mean definitely, it’s burned into my memory.

Do you ad-lib or carefully prepare for your shows?

[Mock outrage] What! No. I don’t prepare anything. I never prepare. That’s the thing, I’m genuinely interested. That’s why I began doing my interview show which was called “Seth’s Broadway Chatterbox.” I began doing it in 1999, as a weekly interview show for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. It was an hour long and then it turned into my radio show. I began doing it because I would see people being interviewed on TV by other people that really had no knowledge of Broadway. And it drove me crazy! So I don’t have to prepare because I’m genuinely interested and I have [this extensive] knowledge of Broadway.

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A PASSION FOR PHILANTHROPY

NEW YORK

FEATURE

Besides his passion for Broadway, Seth is also passionate about giving back and social justice which fuels a thriving philanthropic cottage industry he and his husband operate.

At this point, Seth’s husband James Wesley (also a Broadway multi-hyphenate) joined the interview to discuss the couple’s extensive philanthropic efforts which kicked into high gear when Trump took office and then went into overdrive with the pandemic. Their current endeavor Stars in the House features live interviews and performances from the biggest names in television and Broadway. As of this writing, they’ve raised over $450,000 for The Actors Fund which provides financial support for actors as well as behind-the-scenes workers in the performing arts and entertainment. They’ve also raised money for a host of other worthy causes including The Trevor Project and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. I had to ask where this philanthropic zeal came from.

James Wesley: Seth and I were both greatly influenced by our parents. Seth’s parents marched for Civil Rights and my mom was such a huge letter writer to our Congressman in Dallas that he actually paid a visit to our house because she had written to him more than any other of his constituents. We also grew up loving artists who were social activists, like Marlo Thomas, Harry Belafonte, and Norman Lear. There’s no denying that their combination of art and activism had a huge impact on us.

Seth: It was right after the 2016 election and we were in London for my show “Disaster!” and Jessie Mueller (Tony winning star of Beautiful: The Carole King Story) was talking about how people were going to be hurting with the new administration. ‘Can you guys put on some big patriotic concert?’

James and I had been talking [about this] anyway. And then when Jesse texted us, we were like, ‘oh wow, I guess we should do it!” We began on inauguration day and we wound up doing it every month. James is really good at finding people with personal stories [that resonate] and that make people want to donate.

James: You do a balance of entertainment and information. The reason we were able to do “Stars in the House” so quickly is because we had our team in place - our volunteers who helped us with “Concert for America.” So we knew who we could call upon to quickly put together a website and figure things out.

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PAGE 54-57: PHOTOS COURTESY OF SETH RUDESKY - FACEBOOK.COM/SETHRUDETSKYBWAY

straight people dealing with gay characters… Trina for example, singing about her husband being gay which was never part of her plan and yet I has to deal with it. And that’s what life is.

Seth sings a few bars to underscore his point: “Life is never what you plan. Life is moments you don’t understand.” Which seemed very apropos to our times and a fitting way to end this interview.

■

Seth and James explained how Greg Berlanti and Robbie Rogers – the telegenic gay super couple – generously came to underwrite both Concert for America and Stars in the House which covered expenses and allowed 100 percent of the proceeds to go directly to the charities.

Seth: We kind of knew that Greg was a fan of my radio show because he followed me on Twitter. So when we were doing one of our many political fundraisers, James said “just reach out to Greg.” I did and we met for lunch. He was just super sweet and very socially active.

With two captive Broadway veterans at my disposal, I couldn’t resist posing a final curveball their way. If aliens came from another planet and you wanted to introduce them to your top 5 shows (musicals) that you feel best represent the human race, what would they be?

Seth: Oh wow, that’s a great question.

Definitely Dreamgirls. You know I’m very old school. So Dreamgirls, A Chorus Line…

James: We would both agree on The Most Happy Fella.

Seth: We’d also agree on In the Heights.

I have one more...? I mean, you know, there’s Gypsy, there’s Funny Girl… West Side Story…

Seth turns to James with: Let’s say West Side. It has to be West Side Story.

James: Yeah.

Seth: It’s so brilliant. And by the way, original choreography, please.

In terms of LGBTQ shows, is there one in particular which you feel really got it right?

Seth: Falsettoland. Because to me, it’s about gay characters that are actually characters. When so many gay characters are just written like stereotypical, sassy, side comment, like “work.” It’s such a beautiful depiction of gay characters, and of METROSOURCE.COM

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SLEEPY HOLLOW & TARRYTOWN

Sleepy Hollow Cemetery

AUTUMN IS CALLING SOME OF OUR FAVORITE FALL

DESTINATIONS IN NEW YORK STATE

BY JEFFREY JAMES KEYES THE LEAVES ARE CHANGING COLORS, APPLES ARE FALLING FROM THE TREES, AND THE AROMA OF PUMPKIN SPICE IS CUTTING THROUGH THAT CRISP MORNING AIR, so why stay indoors when it’s still possible to take in

some of the magic of fall in New York State. Take a long weekend and plan for a scenic drive to take in the vistas, colorful hikes, adorable farms, waterfalls, and everything autumn. A great resource for seasonal updates, activities and happenings, is I LOVE NY (iloveny.com). Their I LOVE NY Fall Foliage Report is the ultimate go-to for leaf peeping and chasing fall colors. We picked some of our favorite fall destinations in New York State, including the legend and lore of Sleepy Hollow, the pristine landscape and gorges of Ithaca, the spirit of Woodstock in the Sullivan Catskills, the castles of Long Island, and the alluring beauty of Lake Placid. Go ahead, call in on Friday, pack the car (or rent one) and hit the road. Autumn is calling!

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by master storytellers. Visitors can tour the 300-year-old Philipsburg Manor that transforms into a spooky Halloween landscape, the Old Dutch Church from Irving’s famed tale and the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, with famously historic graves, including Andrew Carnegie, William Rockefeller and Alexander Hamilton’s children. Plan ahead and book an evening lantern tour, available on Friday and Saturday nights through November 21st, plus Sunday evenings in October and early November. If that’s too spooky, there are also daytime tours Monday through Friday throughout the month of October.

Perhaps the biggest draw for 2020, will be the notorious Jack O’Lantern Blaze, featuring over 7,000 hand-carved illuminated pumpkins set against the backdrop of the Van Cortlandt Manor’s 18th century buildings and riverside. The epic Horseman’s Hollow at Philipsburg Manor will not take place this year, but be sure to make your way through the haunted landmarks like the cemetery, tavern, and Old Dutch Church next year. This frightening haunted tour is not for the faint of heart. For less “frightening” activity, there’s always pumpkin picking! Sleepy Hollow Farm offers fresh air pumpkin picking, a corn maze, and even tractor rides. Tickets for fun at the Sleepy Hollow Farm do sell out, but not to worry, there are several local farms to explore nearby. Dr. Davies Farm in Congers, New York offers apple picking, a pumpkin patch, hayrides, and a corn maze, and further north Wilkens Fruit & Fir Farm is known for their homemade apple cider donuts, apple and peach trees, corn maze and enormous pumpkin patch.

THIS PAGE: PHOTO COURTESY OF SLEEPY HOLLOW CEMETERY

NEW YORK

NY TRAVEL

Is there a better time of the year to get into the spirit of Sleepy Hollow? Over 200 years ago, Washington Irving’s“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” introduced the world to unforgettable characters like the Headless Horseman, Ichabod Crane and Katarina Van Tassel. While COVID-19 put a damper on the opportunity to explore the inside of Washington Irving’s cottage at Sunnyside, it’s still possible to walk the grounds of America’s “Founding Father of Literature” and get a few snaps for Instagram. Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown literally bring the tale to life throughout the months of October and November with dramatic performances

ITHACA

THIS PAGE: ITHACA FALLS PHOTO BY RACHAEL ATKINS/VISIT ITHACA • PHOTO COURTESY OF SANDS POINT PRESERVE

Have you seen those “Ithaca is Gorges” t-shirts? We can vouch that not only does Ithaca have gorges but it’s also gorgeous!

Some of the most popular autumnal waterfalls to explore in the area include Ithaca Falls, Robert H. Treman State Park, Lucifer Falls, and the Cascadilla Creek Gorge. Plan a little extra time to explore and hike through an autumnal wonderland in Taughannock Falls State Park and Buttermilk Falls State Park. The picturesque Cornell University campus is a wonderful place to spend the day. Founded in 1865, this dynamic Ivy League institution is known as one of the strongest and most rigorous in the country. Take a campus tour for more insight into the grounds, or just meander around the 745 acres nestled into woodlands, waterfalls, and more. The Cornell Botanic Gardens spreads out across 3,600 acres of the land and features cultivated gardens, an arboretum, and a variety of natural areas. The Cornell Botanic Gardens are the caretakers of Cornell’s two iconic gorges: Cascadilla Gorge and Fall Creek Gorge.

Downtown Ithaca is a great place to get a bite or shop till you drop. In the spirit of social distancing, many companies are offering curbside pickup at six downtown locations. Is there

Ithaca falls

a wine lover in your party? The Finger Lakes is known as one of the top wine regions in the East. Ithaca sits at the southern tip of Cayuga Lake, and there are over 25 unique wineries you can explore. Taste and sip on the area’s top Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir offerings. Take in the spirit of the season with a pint of Kite & String cider at Finger Lakes Cider House. If you have a little

extra time, head out on the farm where you can pick a bushel of apples to bring home with you.

Explore the greater area for even more cider options. Ithaca’s cideries were awarded 10 out of the top 14 medals available at the 2020 Great American Cider Competition. In addition to Finger Lakes Cider House, some of the top ciders include Black Diamond Cider and South Hill Cider.

House, you can still feel the energy of flappers and men in smart ‘20s suits sipping on bubbly and dancing the night away. Do the buildings and grounds look familiar? Sands Point Preserve has served as the backdrop for numerous films and television shows like The Godfather, Great Expectations, The Blacklist, Boardwalk Empire, and Gotham. Take in sweeping views of the Long Island Sound before hitting the shops and restaurants in Port Washington. In sunnier days you can book a ride on the Great Gatsby Boat Tour for an up close and personal look at the glitz and glamour of “that slender riotous island which extends itself due east of New York.”

Continue your fall Gatsby adventure at Eagle’s Nest, home to William K. Vanderbilt II, heir to one

of America’s greatest fortunes. Explore the grounds of his mansion and museum, situated on 43 acres of prime Gold Coast land.

Plan ahead and reserve a ticket for a space show at the Charles and Helen Reichert Planetarium. For another outdoor adventure, head to Huntington to explore the Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve, situated on a beautiful peninsula that extends out into the Long Island Sound. Marshall Field III bought and developed his estate on the land in the 1920’s and the beautiful four seasons park was listed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1979. There’s no place like Oheka Castle Hotel & Estate, a member of Historic Hotels of America. Hang your hat in the second largest private residence in America, built for Otto Hermann Kahn during the Gilded Age. If you haven’t been to Oheka for a special event, wedding, or even a tour in the past you are in for a surprise. The perfectly manicured grounds will make you feel like you’ve escaped to a chateau in France for the weekend. Fun fact, Oheka Castle starred in the classic Orson Welles film Citizen Kane. The castle served as “Xanadu” in the opening montage.

LONG ISLAND Long Island is of course a fabulous summer destination, boasting hotspots like Fire Island, Montauk, and the Hamptons... but fall in Long Island is just as alluring. If you’re looking to have a Gatsby-like adventure, head to the North Shore of Long Island. Sands Point Preserve boasts several grandiose mansions (Falaise, Hempstead House, Mille Fleur, and Castle Gould) where you can start your journey.

Sands Point was F. Scott Fitzgerald’s inspiration for the “East Egg” in his classic novel, The Great Gatsby. As you approach The Hempstead

Sands Point Preserve

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NEW YORK

NY TRAVEL

SULLIVAN CATSKILLS

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The Sullivan Catskills Visitors Association (SCVA) took COVID-19 restrictions head on with their “Catskills Confidence” campaign to assure all member businesses follow NYS and CDC guidelines. If you need an escape there’s never been a better time to take in fall colors and escape to the area. Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, the site of the 1969 Woodstock festival, is recognized on the National Register of Historic Places. Walk the grounds and feel the spirit of Janis Joplin, Ravi Shankar, Joan Baez and Jimi Hendrix in the distance. Catch the tail end of the Bethel Woods Harvest Festival,

a “socially-distant farmer’s market” where you can shop locally at the infamous venue.

Be sure to take in “Meet Me at Woodstock”, the augmented reality tour that will give you the chance to experience the history of the Woodstock festival first-hand. Woodstock fans should lean into the Sullivan Catskills Dove Trail, a collection of 50 dove sculptures perched across the area to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the festival. Each dove is hand-painted by a local professional artist and inspired by the 1969 Woodstock festival. Speaking of trails, be sure to stop and sample local crafts and ciders along the local“craft beverage

LAKE PLACID Tucked perfectly inside of Adirondack Park, Whiteface Lodge is a stunning Lake Placid lakefront fall destination onto itself. Spend the morning hiking mountain trails, or biking through the scenic pathways, take a fall rock climbing expedition, or even explore one of the local golf courses. Or, plan a spa day and pamper yourself at the 5,700-square-foot Whiteface Lodge Spa. There’s plenty of room to rest, relax, and indulge in all the best things in this Adirondack Mountain inspired location. The Whiteface Signature Package Full Day runs at just $355, and includes your choice of any two 80-minute treatments and a healthy spa lunch. The 80-minute Purifying Lodge Retreat, which includes a mineral clay wrap and a full body Hot Stone Massage is the perfect way to welcome a bit of fall bliss back into your life. Find a cozy spot at a fire pit in the evening and enjoy a hot chocolate or a smooth cognac under the stars.

Lake Placid was host to two Winter Olympic Games, in 1932 (North America’s first Winter Olympics) and 1980. It’s possible to explore many sites, hear the stories and take in the history of the games at the Lake Placid Olympic Museum. For optimal fall color viewing, drive up the historic Whiteface Veterans’ Memorial Highway to reach the top of New York’s fifth-highest peak. Another great option is riding up on the eight-passenger Cloudsplitter Gondola. The ride will take you up over ski trails, woods, and scenic overlooks with breathtaking views. If you’re in the mood to hike, explore the Heaven Hill Old Orchard Loop, Mount Van Hoevenberg East Trail, Indian Head or the Long Trail at Mount Jo. Have a fun social distance après back at Whiteface Lodge, where you can relax in the heated indoor/ outdoor swimming pool, bring out your inner child in the game room, or throw some balls at the bowling alley.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

METROSOURCE.COM

Aerial View Whiteface Lodge

Kanu Dining Room

THIS PAGE: PHOTO COURTESY BETHEL WOODS CENTER FOR THE ARTS • PHOTOS COURTESY OF WHITEFACE LODGE

Bethel Woods Center for the Arts

trail.” Some places to catch a local fall libation include Forthright Cyder & Mead in Youngsville, Seminary Hill in Callicoon, Shrewd Fox Brewery, and the BANG BANG BAR at Stickett Inn. Drive along the Route 97 Corridor, a scenic byway along the National Park’s Upper Scenic Delaware River. If the weather’s nice and you’re interested in getting out on the water, check out Lander’s River Trips, a family owned and operated business founded in 1955. Whether it’s canoeing, kayaking, rafting, or tubing - they’ve got you covered. Take in more of the “taste of fall”at Callicoon Farmers’ Market, open rain or shine every Sunday through November 29th.

Cider, flowers, fresh bread, and produce - Callicoon is a “producer only market”, meaning all vendors either grow or produce their own goods within a 75 mile radius. What’s the best place to hang your new fall jacket at the end of the day? The Stickett Inn, in Barryville, is an adorable gay-owned and operated Inn right in the middle of everything. Book one of the four two-room suites, adorably named DRINK, EAT, SOAK, and STEAM. With Halloween on the horizon, spending a night at the Burn Brae Mansion is the spookiest option in the area.

The subject of numerous paranormal investigations, there’s a good chance of rubbing elbows with spirits from the other side.

NY HOTSHOPS

CREAM OF THE CROP BRINGING THE BEST PLANT-BASED CHEESES TO MANHATTAN’S VIBRANT LOWER EAST SIDE.

BY MEGAN VENZIN

THIS PAGE: PHOTO COURTESY OF RIVERDEL

It packs a funky punch that comes only as a result of patience, precision and top-of-the-line ingredients. Then there are gooey triple creams that boast sensual qualities capable of turning a bitter day into a rather spectacular one. Cheese is - dare we say - magical.

Other words commonly associated with wine’s best friend include: luscious, decadent and rich.“Vegan” rarely makes that list… unless however, we’re talking about Riverdel, a local purveyor that assumes the title of New York’s “original vegan cheese monger.”

“It took me more than 30 years of my life to realize that, if I call myself an animal lover, then I shouldn’t be eating them,” says Riverdel Owner, Michaela Grob.“When I made the connection, I just couldn’t anymore. Plus, when I learned about what’s happening in the agriculture industry, I decided it wasn’t something I could support any longer.”So instead, the savvy business woman began to put her money where her mouth is. Literally.

Grob grew up in Austria, where cheese is a mealtime staple. Her upbringing fueled a desire to bring those familiar European traditions to the stateside tables of ethical eaters.

“I would pop into supermarkets to see what kind of vegan cheese options they had, but ultimately I had to travel all over the country to

find the best ones,” Grob shares, speaking with a subtle accent. “I thought it would be great to have one place where [customers] know everything is vegan and there’s a decent cheese selection - then they’d be less worried about missing out by switching their diet.”

So, Grob dreamed up that place and made it a reality - first in Brooklyn, where her brainchild launched in 2015, and quickly became a popular destination for its handcrafted sandwiches. That location has since closed its doors, and now Riverdel finds its home in the upscale Essex Market. Here, fans of life’s finer things will discover a well-stocked stall set up like a traditional cheese shop.

Vegan varieties are available by the quarter pound, each prepared by local artisans like Cheezehound (Fleishmann’s, NY), Conscious Cultures Creamery (Philadelphia, PA), and Rind (Brooklyn NY). Flavors such as Porcini Blue, Cashevre Italian Herb, and Double Cream Saffron Pistachio, tease the taste buds and bring incomparable zest to a dairy-free lifestyle. Pair these smooth, spreadable delicacies with other specialty items like baked crackers, toasted nuts and meatless “charcuterie” for a new-age cheeseboard that satisfies cravings while making a positive impact.

Grob says more than 75 percent of the “cheeses” she carries are nut-based, including

Riverdel’s own Pepper Billy which is made from cashews and raw cultures that contribute to its irresistible tang and texture. Others are made from soy or grain. Those made with oat milk provide an especially creamy mouthfeel and round flavor.

For those exploring the idea of adopting a dairy-free or vegan lifestyle, Riverdel currently offers online classes for amateur cheese-makers to learn tricks of the trade. A portion of their proceeds go to support animal sanctuaries around the country.

Grob also extends to them some words of advice. “Start small. You want to feel like your horizon is opening rather than closing,”she says.

“You would not compare a cow cheese to a goat cheese, and so you shouldn’t try to compare a cow cheese to a nut cheese. However, you’ll find nut cheeses can have the same satisfaction.”

And though at Riverdel some varieties sell out quickly, satisfaction is always in surplus. ■

NEW YORK

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HOURS:

Essex Market, Stall 35 88 Essex St. New York, NY 10002 riverdelcheese.com

Tues..Fri., Sat. 11AM - 7PM Weds. 11:30AM - 7PM Thurs: 11:30AM - 7:30PM Sun. 11AM - 6PM

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BEYOND SPACE

WILSON CRUZ

NY Edition

LA Edition

National Edition

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62

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

METROSOURCE.COM

COUNSELING/PSYCHOTHERAPY – DENTISTS Bloom Psychotherapy NYC

19 W 34th St, PH NYC��������������������������������������������347 921-0431 www�nycbloomtherapy�com

Campbell, Robert D�, LCSW Psychotherapy for Individuals & Couples NYC������������������������������������646 783-8155 www�robertdcampbell�com Davies, Ann Conant, M�S�W�, L�C�S�W�

740 West End Ave, Ste 1 Cell ���������������������������������������������917 923-2257

Dicker, Phyllis D�, L�C�S�W�, A�C�S�W�, B�C�D�

Ross, Steven, LSCW

Lew, Spencer, D�D�S�

Schuetz, Volker, PsyD

30 E 40th St #706 NYC��������������������������������������������212 286-1717 www�nycdental�com

Union Square ������������������������������917 406-7900 www�stevenrosstherapy�com 1133 Broadway #913 NYC��������������������������������������������212 470-9024 www�nychangemanagement�com

Schwartz, Alan, M�D�, Psychiatrist

West Village/Chelsea NYC��������������������������������������������212 727-0923

Tallent, Marc, Ph�D�

51 Fifth Ave NYC��������������������������������������������212 645-5795 http://therapists�psychologytoday�com/rms/33692

NYC��������������������������������������������718 855-5171

COUNSELING/SUBURBAN

Factor, Rhonda J�, PhD

Kingan, Peter L�, Ph�D�

85 5th Ave, Ste 912 NYC��������������������������������������������347 834-6057 www�rhondafactorphd�com

Jarratt, Kent, L�C�S�W�

19 W 34th St, NYC ������� 212 947-7111, ext 119 Oceanport, NJ �����������������������������917 686-6179 www�kentjarratt�com

Johnson, Thomas E�, L�C�S�W�

Chelsea���������������������������������������212 645-3952

Kingan, Peter L�, Ph�D�

99 University Pl, 4th Fl NYC ������������������������������������������������917 428-2431

Koetting, Michael E�, L�C�S�W�

NYC��������������������������������������������212 741-2606 www�koettingpsychotherapy�com

McFadden, Stephen, LCSW SEP

435 W 23rd St NYC��������������������������������������������212 627-8419 www�smcfadden�com

Nelson, Joshua, Ph�D� 71 W 23rd St, Ste 1115 NYC������������������������������������646 512-0043 www�jnelsonphd�com Rayhill, Daniel, Ph�D� 276 Fifth Ave #1101

31 Oak St Patchogue, NY ����������������������������631 447-6425

DATING SERVICES

LuxDen Dental Center 2579 E 17th St, Ste 11 Brooklyn �������������������������������������718 382-3444 www�luxden�com

Rosa, John D�, D�D�S�, P�C� 40 Newport Parkway, Ste P-1 Jersey City, NJ ���������������������201 626-2700 Sengos, Demetrios, D�D�S� West 10th Dental P�C� 45 W 10th St NYC��������������������������������������������212 982-5883 www�west10thdental�com

SEE ALSO INTRODUCTION SERVICES

ManMate

NYC��������������������������������������������212 564-4025 www�manmate�com

ManMate Dinners For 8

NYC��������������������������������������������212 564-4025 www�manmate�com

Wheaton, Grant

Dating Coach NYC��������������������������������������������212 564-4025

DENTISTS Babushkin, Howard, D�D�S�, L�L�C�

525 West End Ave #1G, NYC ���������212 874-2880 www�manhattanoasisdentistry�com

Cassidy, J�R�, D�D�S�

West 10th Dental P�C� 45 W 10th St NYC��������������������������������������������212 982-5883 www�west10thdental�com

De Bonis, William B�, D�D�S�

World Wide Plaza Dental Associates 370 W 50th St NYC��������������������������������������������212 333-2650 www�wwpdental�com

West 10th Dental P�C� 45 W 10th St NYC��������������������������������������������212 982-5883 www�west10thdental�com

DENTISTS/PERIODONTISTS Bizzell, Steven J�, D�M�D�, D�A�B�P� 50-02 5th St Ste B, Long Island City ��������������������������718 530-6539 www�licdentalassociates�com

OMNI Aesthetic MD Eviatar, Joseph, M�D�, F�A�C�S� 5 W 19th St NYC��������������������������������������������212 257-0007 www�omniaestheticmd�com

DENTISTS/SUBURBAN Rosa, John D�, D�D�S�, P�C� 40 Newport Parkway, Ste P-1 Jersey City, NJ ���������������������201 626-2700

NYC��������������������������������������������212 683-2454

METROSOURCE.COM

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

63

DERMATOLOGY – HOTELS

DERMATOLOGY SEE ALSO PHYSICIANS

Advanced Dermatology Associates

200 Central Park South #107 NYC ...........................................212 262-2500 NYC ...........................................212 246-0800 www.adv-derm.com

(SEE AD IN THIS ISSUE)

The Riverside Church 490 Riverside Dr� NYC��������������������������������������������212 870-6762 www�trcnyc�com Yachts for All Seasons NYC��������������������������������������������212 534-6380 Cell ���������������������������������������������917 864-7670 www�y4as�com

EVENT SERVICES

Arora, Navin, DO, FAAD

Arora Dermatology 115 Broadway, Ste 1800 NYC��������������������������������������������212 244-1252 www�aroraderm�com

Goldman, Barry D�, M�D�

Big Apple Event Audio Visual 519 8th Ave, Ste 815 NYC�������������������������������������212 518-3175 www�avnycrentals�com

150 Broadway #111 NYC��������������������������������������������212 962-1115

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Juva Skin & Laser Center

Lance R� Kash, Financial Advisor, CFP® 122 E 42nd St #2215 NYC ����������� 646 964-9400

60 E 56th St #2 NYC������������������������������������������� 212 421-9501 www�juvaskin�com

Lumos Dermatology

Peter Chien, MD, PhD 37 E 28th St, Ste 304 NYC��������������������������������������������646 820-1716 www�lumosdermatology�com

OMNI Aesthetic MD

Eviatar, Joseph, M�D�, F�A�C�S� 5 W 19th St NYC��������������������������������������������212 257-0007 www�omniaestheticmd�com

Ameriprise Financial Services

Law Offices of Thomas Sciacca, PLLC

44 Wall St, 12th Fl, NYC �������������212 495-0317 www�sciaccalaw�com

New York Life/NYLIFE Securities

Marlon J� Altoe 420 Lexington Ave, 15th Fl NYC������������������������������������������� 646 227-8605 Cell �������������������������������������������� 646 761-4372 www�newyorklife�com/agent/maltoe Peloso-Barnes, Julia A�, CFP, CPM, CRPC Purchase, NY ������������������������������914 225-6391 www�advisor�morganstanley�com/the-pelosobarnes-group

EMPLOYMENT Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD)

Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD)

700 E Temple St, B-38 LA�����������������������������������������������866 444-LAPD www�joinlapd�com

EVENT PLANNING & EVENT SPACE/RENTALS SEE ALSO CATERING, WEDDING SERVICES

Elite Private Yachts NYC��������������������������������������������866 862-7245 www�eliteprivateyachts�com www�entertainmentcruises�com/new-york Hornblower Cruises & Events Pier 40, NYC �������������������������������646 832-2805 www�hornblowerny�com/metrosource Houston Hall 222 W� Houston St NYC������������������������������������������� 212 582-2057 Patina Events - Brooklyn Botanic Garden Brooklyn �������������������������������������718 307-7133 www�patinaevents�com OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

Chelsea Pines Inn

317 W 14th St NYC��������������������������������������������212 929-1023

Colonial House Inn

318 W 22nd St NYC��������������������������������������������212 243-9669

Incentra Village House

32 8th Ave @ W 12th St NYC��������������������������������������������212 206-0007 www�incentravillage�com

MisterBandB

www�misterbandb�com

HAIR REMOVAL Advanced Dermatology Associates 200 Central Park South #107 NYC������������������������������������ 212 262-2500 NYC������������������������������������212 246-0800 www�adv-derm�com Brisk N Posh 132 Crosby St, Ste 8E NYC ...........................................212 433-4477 www.brisknposh.com (SEE AD THIS ISSUE)

OMNI Aesthetic MD

Eviatar, Joseph, M�D�, F�A�C�S� 5 W 19th St NYC��������������������������������������������212 257-0007 www�omniaestheticmd�com

HAIR REPLACEMENT/REPLICATION

1700 Stadium Way LA�����������������������������������������������213 847-LAFD www�joinlafd�org

64

GUEST HOUSES/B&B’S

METROSOURCE.COM

FITNESS/GYMS/PERSONAL TRAINERS Mercedes Club

550 W 54th St NYC��������������������������������������������212 265-1111 www�themercedesclub�com

FLORISTS la Fleur d’Harlem

OMNI Aesthetic MD

Eviatar, Joseph, M�D�, F�A�C�S� 5 W 19th St NYC��������������������������������������������212 257-0007 www�omniaestheticmd�com

Stoller, Roy B�, D�O� 515 Madison Ave, Ste 1205 NYC������������������������������������212 920-4499 www�hairdoctornyc�com

203 W 144th St NYC �������������������������������������������646 850-5973 www�lafleurnyc�com

HOTELS

FRAMING

The Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa

14th Street Framing Gallery

225 W 14th St NYC��������������������������������������������212 691-8156

GIFTS Li-Lac Chocolates West Village: 40 8th Ave, NYC Greenwich Village: 162 Bleecker St, NYC Grand Central: 43rd & Lexington, NYC Chelsea Market: 75 Ninth Ave, NYC Industry City: 68 35th St, Brooklyn NYC��������������������������������������������212 924-2280 www�li-lacchocolates�com

Atlantic City, NJ ��������������������������609 317-1000 www�outatborgata�com

Foxwoods Resort & Casino

www�foxwoods�com

The Graham & Co

Phoenicia, NY �����������������������������845 688-7871 www�thegrahamandco�com

Holiday Inn Manhattan 6th Ave - Chelsea

125 W 26th St NYC��������������������������������������������212 430-8500 www�hi-nyc�com

HOTELS (CONTINUED) – PHYSICAL THERAPY Hotel Hayden 127 W 28th St NYC��������������������������������������������844 423-6004 www�hotelhaydennyc�com

Hotel Henri

LIPOSUCTION

PET SUPPLIES

Marfuggi, Richard M�D�, D�M�H, F�A�C�S�

Nulo Pet Foods

50 E 69th St, NYC����������������������� 212 317-1188 Denville, NJ ��������������������������������� 973 377-8950 www�askdrm�com

37 W 24th St NYC��������������������������������������������844 277-9123 www�hotelhenrinyc�com

OMNI Aesthetic MD

Opus Hotel Vancouver

MARKETING SERVICES

322 Davie St, Vancouver, BC Canada ���������������������������������������604 642-6787 www�opushotel�com

Sandman Suites on Davie 1160 Davie St Vancouver, BC Canada ���������������������������������������604 681-7263 www�sandmanhotels�com

Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre Hotel 1088 Burrard St Vancouver, BC Canada ���������������������������������������604 331-1000 www�sheratonvancouver�com

Sunset Marquis

Eviatar, Joseph, M�D�, F�A�C�S� 5 W 19th St, NYC ����������������������� 212 257-0007 www�omniaestheticmd�com

Brand2Fly

San Jose�������������������������������������� 408 763-7924 www�brand2fly�com

GayVan�com Travel Marketing www�gayvan�com

OPHTHALMOLOGISTS Coad, Christopher T�, M�D�, F�A�C�S� Chelsea Eye Ophthalmology 157 W 19th St NYC�������������������������������������������� 212 220-0066 www�chelseaeyeophthalmology�com

OMNI Aesthetic MD

nulo�com/love

PHARMACIES/DRUGS Ansonia Pharmacy

446 6th Ave NYC��������������������������������������������212 477-0762 www�ansoniapharmacy�com

Apthorp Pharmacy

2201 Broadway, NYC ������������������212 877-3480 Arrow Pharmacy 883 Ninth Ave NYC��������������������������������������������212 245-8469 www�arrowpharmacy�com

Avalon Chemists

7 2nd Ave, NYC ��������������������������212 260-3131

Bigelow Chemists

414 Sixth Ave, NYC ��������������������212 533-2700

Chelsea Specialty Pharmacy

171 Seventh Ave NYC��������������������������������������������212 255-9900

CVS Specialty

1200 Alta Loma Rd West Hollywood CA ����������������������������������������������800 858-9758 www�sunsetmarquis�com

Eviatar, Joseph, M�D�, F�A�C�S� 5 W 19th St NYC�������������������������������������������� 212 257-0007 www�omniaestheticmd�com

126 8th Ave NYC ...........................................212 807-8798

VIVE Hotel Waikiki

OPTOMETRISTS

Mayfair Chemists 21 Seventh Ave, NYC ���������� 212 242-1444

2426 Kuhio Ave Honolulu, Hawaii ������������������������808 687-2000 www�vivehotelwaikiki�com

INSURANCE HealthSherpa Toll Free ��������������������������������������844 346-9476 www�metrosource�healthsherpa�com

INTRODUCTION SERVICES SEE ALSO DATING SERVICES

Coad, Christopher T�, M�D�, F�A�C�S� Chelsea Eye Ophthalmology 157 W 19th St, NYC�������������������������������������������� 212 220-0066 www�chelseaeyeophthalmology�com

OMNI Aesthetic MD

Eviatar, Joseph, M�D�, F�A�C�S� 5 W 19th St NYC�������������������������������������������� 212 257-0007 www�omniaestheticmd�com

West Village Eyecare Associates

(SEE AD IN THIS ISSUE)

New London Pharmacy

246 Eighth Ave, NYC ������������������212 243-4987

New York Chemists

77 Christopher St, NYC���������������212 255-2525 www�newyorkchemists�com

Thompson Chemists &

Thompson Alchemists 137 Thompson St 449 West Broadway NYC��������������������������������������������212 598-9790 www�thompsonchemists�com

Village Apothecary

ManMate

NYC��������������������������������������������212 564-4025 www�manmate�com

10 Sheridan Square NYC�������������������������������������������� 212 242-6592 www�eyecarenyc�com

LASER VISION CORRECTION

PAIN MANAGEMENT

SEE ALSO OPHTHALMOLOGISTS

Samuelson, Stefan T�, MD

PHYSICAL THERAPY

PERIODONTISTS

RestoreRehab Physical Therapy 664 10th Ave NYC��������������������������������������������212 245-5259 www�restorerehabpt�com

Coad, Christopher T�, M�D�, F�A�C�S� Chelsea Eye Ophthalmology 157 W 19th St NYC������������������������������������212 220-0066 www�chelseaeyeophthalmology�com OMNI Aesthetic MD Eviatar, Joseph, M�D�, F�A�C�S� 5 W 19th St NYC��������������������������������������������212 257-0007 www�omniaestheticmd�com

44 E 12th St, Ste MD1 NYC�������������������������������������������� 212 993-8573 NYC�������������������������������������������� 212 594-1600

Bizzell, Steven J�, D�M�D�, D�A�B�P�

Periodontist 50-02 5th St Ste B Long Island City ��������������������������718-530-6539 www�licdentalassociates�com

346 Bleecker St NYC ...........................................212 807-7566 www.villageapothecary.com (SEE AD IN THIS ISSUE)

Galán, Antonio, PT, DPT, MBA, CHC

Symbio Physio Therapy

214 W 29th St, Ste 901 NYC��������������������������������������������917 338-6268 www�symbiopt�com METROSOURCE.COM

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

65

PHYSICIANS & MEDICAL SERVICES

PHYSICIANS & MEDICAL SERVICES Advanced Dermatology Associates 200 Central Park South #107 NYC������������������������������������ 212 262-2500 NYC������������������������������������212 246-0800 www�adv-derm�com

Int� Med�, Gastr� 121 E 60th St, 3rd Fl NYC��������������������������������������������212 980-8800

Dillon, Stephen, M�D�

Amida Care NYC������������������������������������855 462-6432 www�amidacareny�org

Int� Med�, Inf� Dis� 314 W 14th St NYC��������������������������������������������212 620-0144

154 W 14th St, 4th Fl NYC��������������������������������������������212 627-7560

Astor Medical Group

Dormer, Anita L�, M�D�, F�A�C�C�P�

67 Irving Place, 5th Fl @ E 18th St NYC��������������������������������������������212 253-2968 www�astormedical�com

22 E 72nd St, 5th Fl NYC��������������������������������������������212 535-5905

Central Park Medical Associates

Fonville, T�W�, Int� Med�

200 Central Park South #107 NYC ...........................................212 262-2500 NYC ...........................................212 246-0800 www.centralparkmedicalassociates.com

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Goldberg, Edward S�, M�D�

Coad, Christopher T�, M�D�, F�A�C�S� Chelsea Eye Ophthalmology 157 W 19th St NYC��������������������������������������������212 220-0066 www�chelseaeyeophthalmology�com

29 Fifth Ave @ 10th St NYC��������������������������������������������212 674-1020

VILL AGE APOTHECARY

Hsu, Ricky K�, M�D�

Icochea, Rosendo S�, M�D� 117 E 18th St NYC��������������������������������������������212 387-9199

Jaeger, Lawrence D�, D�O� 200 Central Park South #107 NYC������������������������������������212 246-0800 NYC������������������������������������ 212 262-2500 www�adv-derm�com Jarratt, Kent, L�C�S�W� 19 W 34th St, Penthouse Ste NYC������������������������������ 212 947-7111, ext 119 Oceanport, NJ �����������������������������917 686-6179 www�kentjarratt�com

Leach, Eric G�, N�P� 154 W 14th St, 4th Fl, NYC ��������212 627-7560

Lexington Plastic Surgeons 113 E 39th St NYC��������������������������������������������646 374-2410 www�try�lexingtonplasticsurgeons�com/ metrosource

T H E C O M M U N I T Y P H A R M AC Y T H AT C A R E S Mandell, William, M�D�

fREE wELCOmE KIT! Come in

for your

BRInG THIs CARd In And RECEIVE $10 off On AnY PuRCHAsE Of $25 OR mORE fOR OTC PuRCHAsEs & nEw CusTOmERs OnLY. LImIT 1 PER CusTOmER

Store HourS: Mon - Fri 8aM - 8pM • Sat 9aM - 6pM • Sun 10aM - 5pM 346 Bleecker St • Greenwich VillaGe, nY 10014 • VillaGeapothecarY.com

2 1 2 . 8 0 7. 7 5 6 6 66

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

METROSOURCE.COM

Infectious Diseases 31 Washington Sq West NYC��������������������������������������������212 475-8833

Marfuggi, Richard A�, M�D�, D�M�H�, F�A�C�S� 50 E 69th St NYC��������������������������������������������212 317-1188 Denville, NJ ���������������������������������973 377-8950 www�askdrm�com

Maze Sexual & Reproductive Health

Maze Men’s Health Maze Women’s Health Maze Labs Maze Cord Blood 633 Third Ave, Ste 9B NYC ...........................................646 585-8980 www.mazehealth.com (SEE AD IN THIS ISSUE)

Midtown Integrative Medicine Aziz, Michael, M�D�, FRSM 509 Madison Ave @ 53rd St, Ste 1111 NYC��������������������������������������������212 906-9111 www�michaelazizmd�com

PHYSICIANS & MEDICAL SERVICES (CONTINUED) – SCHOOLS Namdar, Isaac, M�D�

Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist 425 W 59th St NYC��������������������������������������������212 262-4444 1090 Amsterdam Ave NYC��������������������������������������������212 663-2210 www�newyorkentspecialist�com www�namdarmd�com

OMNI Aesthetic MD

Eviatar, Joseph, M�D�, F�A�C�S� 5 W 19th St, NYC �����������������������212 257-0007 www�omniaestheticmd�com

Pearl, Alan, M�D�, Psychiatrist

135 W 70th St, NYC �������������������212 724-5188

Samuelson, Stefan T�, MD

44 E 12th St, Ste MD1 NYC��������������������������������������������212 993-8573 NYC��������������������������������������������212 594-1600

PLASTIC SURGERY Dr� WW Med Spa and Laser Clinic

85-16 Queens Blvd, 2F, Elmhurst, NY 139 Centre St #224, NYC �����������718 457-0707 www�drwwmedspa�com

Lexington Plastic Surgeons

113 E 39th St NYC��������������������������������������������646 374-2410 www�try�lexingtonplasticsurgeons�com/ metrosource

Marfuggi, Richard A�, M�D�, D�M�H F�A�C�S�

50 E 69th St NYC��������������������������������������������212 317-1188 Denville NJ �����������������������������������������������973 377-8950 www�askdrm�com

OMNI Aesthetic MD

Eviatar, Joseph, M�D�, F�A�C�S� 5 W 19th St, NYC �����������������������212 257-0007 www�omniaestheticmd�com

REAL ESTATE

RETAIL

Bonavita, David Compass NYC������������������������������������ 212 501-8281 www�davidbonavita�com

Eva’s Supplements

11 W 8th St (bet 5th & 6th Aves) NYC������������������������������������������� 212 982-2500 www�evassupplements�com

Chroughan, Judy

Julie B� Fee Sotherby’s 49 Purchase St Rye, NY ��������������������������������������914 262-5323

Coldwell Bank Residential Brokerage

SCHOOLS Brooklyn Heights Montessori School

185 Court St, Brooklyn ���������������718 858-5100 www�bhmsny�org

JC Waterfront – Team Francesco Robert G� Harris 1 2nd St, Ste 1 & 4 Jersey City, NJ �����������������������������201 604-4200 Cell ���������������������������������������������646 334-0559

Enzo Morabito Team

Douglas Elliman Real Estate Bridgehampton �������������������������� 631 537-6519 Cell ���������������������������������������������516 695-3433 www�theenzomorabitoteam�elliman�com

Hendler, Lisa E�

Berkshire Hathaway Blake Realtors Kinderhook, NY ��������������������������518 929-4519

McGrotty, Amy, JD

Castelli Luxury Real Estate Services Fort Lauderdale, FL����������������������954 347-1732 www�amy�castellihomes�com

Powell, DeWayne A�

Town Residential NYC��������������������������������������������917 748-5100 www�townresidential�com

Prince, Keith A�

Brown Harris Stevens NYC��������������������������������������������917 826-3451 www�brownharrisstevens�com

TF Cornerstone www�tfc�com

Sexual Health Men

290 Madison Ave 6th Fl, NYC �����973 493-7607 www�sexualhealthmen�com

Skintology

Cosmetical Aesthetics 157 E 57th St, NYC 181 7th Ave, NYC�����������������������212 989-6555 www�skintologyny�com

PODIATRISTS Ciment, Ethan J�, D�P�M�

Collins, Michael, D�P�M� Chelsea Foot & Ankle Center 37 W 20th St, Ste 308, NYC �������646 929-4149 www�chelseafootandankle�com

Wright, Daniel Compass NYC��������������������������������������������917 304-4270

REAL ESTATE/SUBURBAN Habeeb-Clark, Deborah

Keller Williams Hudson Valley, NY �����������������������845 800-5413

Perasso, Matt Prominent Properties/Sotheby’s International Realty 2 Main St, Edgewater, NJ ������������201 840-8898 Cell ���������������������������������������������917 834-0454 www�goldcoastcribs�com

METROSOURCE.COM

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

67

SCHOOLS (CONTINUED) – WINE & SPIRITS Rudolf Steiner School

15 E 79th St NYC��������������������������������������������212 535-2130 www�steiner�edu

SPA/SALON SERVICES Brisk N Posh 132 Crosby St, Ste 8E NYC ...........................................212 433-4477 www.brisknposh.com (SEE AD THIS ISSUE)

TRAVEL Bucks County Pennsylvania www�visitbuckscounty�com

Kennedy Travel 130 W 42nd St #401 NYC������������������������������������212 398-0999 Toll Free ������������������������������ 800 237-7433 www�kennedytravel�com

TRAVEL/GETAWAYS Foxwoods Resort & Casino

www�foxwoods�com

Visit Philadelphia

Philadelphia, PA ��������������������������215 599-0776 www�visitphilly�com

WEDDING SERVICES Bespoke Matchmaking

1180 Avenue of the Americas, 8th Fl NYC��������������������������������������������888 422-6464 www�bespokematchmaking�com Elite Private Yachts NYC��������������������������������������������866 862-7245 www�eliteprivateyachts�com www�entertainmentcruises�com/new-york

Feinstein’s/54 Below

254 W 54th St, Cellar NYC����������������������������������� 212 302-5559 x114 www�54below�com

Ogunquit Chamber of Commerce 36 Main St Ogunquit, ME ���������������������207 646-2939 www�visitogunquit�org

www�gatheringsfloraldesign�com

Sullivan Catskills Catskills, NY ���������������������� 800 882-CATS www�sullivancatskills�com

Pier 40, NYC �������������������������������646 832-2805 www�hornblowerny�com/metrosource

Gatherings Floral Design

Li-Lac Chocolates West Village: 40 8th Ave, NYC Greenwich Village: 162 Bleecker St, NYC Grand Central: 43rd & Lexington, NYC Chelsea Market: 75 Ninth Ave, NYC Industry City: 68 35th St, Brooklyn NYC����������������������������������212 924-2280 www�li-lacchocolates�com Make My Cake

NYC�����������������������������������������212 234-2344 www�makemycake�com

Manhattan Penthouse

NYC�����������������������������������������212 627-8838 www�manhattanpenthouse�com

New York Zoos and Aquarium

NYC�����������������������������������������718 741-3836 www�nyzooevents�com

Oheka Castle

135 West Gate Dr Huntington, NY �����������������������631 659-1400 www�oheka�com

Our Wedding Officiant NYC

Hornblower Cruises & Events

Peter Boruchowitz NYC�����������������������������������������917 523-1438 www�nyc-gay-weddings�com

Houston Hall

Patina Events - Brooklyn Botanic Garden Brooklyn ����������������������������������718 307-7133 www�patinaevents�com

222 W� Houston St, NYC ����������� 212 582-2057 Paul Evans Catering 20 W 20th St NYC�����������������������������������������212 321-1822 NYC�����������������������������������������212 243-4494 www�paulevanscatering�com Proposition Love www�propositionlove�com The Riverside Church 490 Riverside Dr� NYC�����������������������������������������212 870-6762 www�trcnyc�com Yachts for All Seasons NYC�����������������������������������������212 534-6380 Cell ������������������������������������������917 864-7670 www�y4as�com

WILLS Law Offices of Thomas Sciacca, PLLC

44 Wall St, 12th Fl NYC�����������������������������������������212 495-0317 www�sciaccalaw�com

WINE & SPIRITS Cork Wines & Spirits

1450 Washington St Hoboken NJ ��������������������������������������������201 942-9964 www�corkwines�net

68

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

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Advanced Dermatology Associates Proudly Serving the Community for Over Twenty Years MEDICAL, COSMETIC & SURGICAL DERMATOLOGY

All Skin, Hair & Nail Disorders.

All Skin Growths On-Site HIV & STD Screening, Immediate Results

Dermatology and Sexually Transmitted Diseases.

Board Certified.

University Affiliated.

Confidential Treatment of All STD’s

www.adv-derm.com 200 Central Park South, Suite 107

212-262-2500 Day, Evening, Weekend and Same Day Appoitments Available.

All Major Credit Cards and Insurance Plans Accepted.

The Genital Wart Treatment Center A private medical facility specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of genital warts and all STD’s in a caring, supportive and confidential environment.

Board Certified Specialists • Diagnosis and Treatment of ALL Sexually Transmitted Diseases Painless Treatment with the Latest & Most Effective Therapies Available • On-Site HIV Antibody Testing • Immediate Results • Specializing in the Successful Treatment of Recurrent Genital Warts

www.CentralParkMedicalAssociates.com Central Park Medical Associates 200 Central Park South, Suite 107

212-246-0800

COMPLETELY CONFIDENTIAL

Day, Evening and Weekend Appointments Available. All Major Credit Cards and Insurance Plans Accepted. 77 METROSOURCE.COM FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020 METROSOURCE.COM

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

69

FIRE ISLAND PINES – CHERRY GROVE FIRE ISLAND PINES – CHERRY GROVE Horizon Beach House

BARS Blue Whale

Cherry Grove ������������������������������631 597-6278 NYC��������������������������������������������212 689-2699 www�horizonbeachhouse�com

Cherry’s

Cherry Grove ������������������������������917 763-9029

Pines �������������������������������������������631 597-6500 www�bluewhalefireisland�com Cherry Grove ������������������������������631 597-6820

Cultured Elephant

Pines �������������������������������������������631 597-6500 www�thepinesfireisland�com

Harbor Club

Pines �������������������������������������������631 597-6500 www�thepinesfireisland�com

GYM

Sip n Twirl

Bay Walk Pines �������������������������������������������631 597-6237

Pines �������������������������������������������631 597-6500 www�pavilionfireisland�com

Pines �������������������������������������������631 597-3746

CLOTHING/GIFTS

LIQUORS/WINES

Gostoso

Beachscapes

The Pines Liquor Shop

Pines �������������������������������������������646 262-1910

Summer Solstice

Harbor Walk Pines �������������������������������������������631 597-6442

Harbor Walk Pines �������������������������������������������631 597-4200

POOL MAINTENANCE

CONTRACTING

Pines �������������������������������������������631 597-7748

Walter Boss, Custom Builder

REAL ESTATE

Pines and Pools

Pines �������������������������������������������631 597-6262

Main & Bayview Cherry Grove ������������������������������������ 631 597-6140

Pines Propane

D� Katen Fire Island Properties, LTD

Pines �������������������������������������������631 597-6262

Pines �������������������������������������������631 597-9191

GROCERIES

Dependable Pools

A Summer Place

Pines �������������������������������������������631 597-7000 www�fireislandpines�com

Pines Harbor Realty

Grove Market

Main Walk Cherry Grove ������������������������������631 597-6239

The Pines Pantry

Harbor Walk Pines �������������������������������������������631 597-6200

GUEST HOUSES/HOTELS

36 Fire Island Blvd Pines �������������������������������������������631 597-7575

RESTAURANTS Blue Whale

Pines �������������������������������������������631 597-6500 www�bluewhalefireisland�com

Cultured Elephant

Pines �������������������������������������������631 597-6500 www�thepinesfireisland�com

Belvedere Guest House

Bay View Walk, Cherry Grove������631 597-6448 www�belvederefireisland�com

Carousel Guesthouse

Cherry Grove ������������������������������631 597-6766

Pines Bistro & Pizza

Cherry Grove Beach Hotel

TRANSPORTATION

Pines �������������������������������������������631 597-3597

Sayville Ferry

Dune Point

Cherry Grove ������������������������������631 597-6261

River Rd NYC��������������������������������������������631 589-0810

DECEMBER 2019/JANUARY 2020 METROSOURCE.COM 8080FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020 METROSOURCE.COM

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

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APPLE SOFTBALL LEAGUE BIGBIG APPLE SOFTBALL LEAGUE West 208208 West 13th13th St St New York, 10011 New York, NY NY 10011 212212 696-7482 696-7482

CHEER NY NY CHEERLEADING CHEER CHEERLEADING Felipe Hernandez Felipe Hernandez 888888 671-7312 671-7312 www.cheerny.org www.cheerny.org

CITY CRUISERS MC MC CITY CRUISERS Old Chelsea Station Old Chelsea Station PO Box 1614 PO Box 1614 New York, NY 10011 New York, NY 10011 www.citycruisers.com www.citycruisers.com (gay men’s motorcycle club)

EZRYDERS SNOWBOARDING EZRYDERS SNOWBOARDING W 46th St #4D 445445 W 46th St #4D New York, 10036 New York, NY NY 10036 www.ezryders@ondbdx.com www.ezryders@ondbdx.com

FAST AND FABULOUS CYCLING FAST AND FABULOUS CYCLING 23008, Ansonia P.O.P.O. BoxBox 23008, Ansonia Sta Sta New York, NY NY 10023 New York, 10023 212212 567-7160 567-7160

FRONT RUNNERS NY NY FRONT RUNNERS P.O.P.O. BoxBox 87 87 Ansonia Sta Ansonia Sta New York, NY 10023 New York, NY 10023 212 799-8781 212www.frny.org 799-8781 www.frny.org

GARDEN STATE GAY

GARDEN STATE GAY BOWLING LEAGUE BOWLING LEAGUE www.gsgbo.com www.gsgbo.com

GOTHAM VOLLEYBALL GOTHAM VOLLEYBALL P.O.P.O. BoxBox 961961 New York, 10034 New York, NY NY 10034 388-8208 212212 388-8208 info@gothamvolleyball.org info@gothamvolleyball.org

KNIGHTS WRESTLING KNIGHTS WRESTLING CLUBCLUB P.O.P.O. BoxBox 720161 720161 Jackson Heights, NY 11372 Jackson Heights, NY 11372 718718 815-3244 815-3244

JERSEY G&L BOWLERS NORTH NORTH JERSEY G&L BOWLERS Belle Aire Lanes Belle Aire Lanes West Caldwell, NJ West Caldwell, NJ 201 823-2250 201 823-2250

GAYLEAGUE POOL LEAGUE NY GAYNY POOL PO Box PO 1502 Ansonia Sta Box 1502 Ansonia Sta New York, NYYork, 10023 New NY 10023 212 496-4585 212 496-4585

NY RAMBLER’S SOCCER SOCCER NY RAMBLER’S CLUB, INC. CLUB, INC. 917 767-9789 917 767-9789 www.nyramblers.com www.nyramblers.com

NYC GAY BASKETBALL LEAGUE NYC GAY BASKETBALL LEAGUE www.nycgaybasketball.org

www.nycgaybasketball.org

OUT OF BOUNDS OUT OF BOUNDS NYC & TEAM NYC & TEAM NEW YORK NEW YORK 372, PO Box PO 372,Box Times SqTimes StationSq Station New NY 10108 New York, NYYork, 10108 www.oobnyc.org www.oobnyc.org

PINKNY PONG NY PINK PONG Sunnyside, Sunnyside, Queens Queens 718 623-2926 718 623-2926 www.pinkpongfoundation.org www.pinkpongfoundation.org

SUN/MON/TUE SUN/MON/TUE NIGHT TEAMS NIGHT TEAMS c/o Chelsea Piers AMF Bowl c/o Chelsea AMFYork, Bowl NY 10011 Pier Piers 60, New Pier 60, 212 New835-2691 York, NY 10011 212 835-2691

SUNDANCE OUTDOOR

SUNDANCE OUTDOOR ADVENTURE SOCIETY ADVENTURE SOCIETY www.sundanceoutdoor.org www.sundanceoutdoor.org sundanceoutdoor@yahoo.com sundanceoutdoor@yahoo.com

TEAM NEW YORK AQUATICS TEAM NEW YORK AQUATICS 212 691-3440 212 691-3440 (hotline) (hotline)

CULTURAL, CULTURAL, ETHNIC & & ETHNIC SOCIAL SOCIAL

Grove Pizza & Restaurant

185 Holly Walk Cherry Grove ������������������������������631 597-6612 Cherry Grove ������������������������������631 597-6600

ATHLETIC ATHLETIC

HARDWARE

LANDSCAPING/FLORAL

The Pavilion

Metrosource is committed to helping

Metrosource is committed to helping non-profit organizations in ongoing their ongoing non-profit organizations in their efforts to serve our diverse community. efforts to serve our diverse community.

Steel Gym

Pines www�steelgym�com

Pines Hardware & Sundries

36 Fire Island Boulevard Pines �������������������������������������������631 597-3599

70

SeaBreeze Rentals

NEW YORK NEW YORK COMMUNITY COMMUNITY RESOURCES RESOURCES

LONG ISLAND LONG ISLAND RAVENS MCMC CLUB RAVENS CLUB c/oc/o Long Island Eagle Long Island Eagle 94 94 Clinton Ave Clinton Ave Bayshore, NY 11706 Bayshore, NY 11706 631631 968-2750 968-2750 www.liravensmc.org www.liravensmc.org

MONDAY NIGHT FOURPLAY MONDAY NIGHT FOURPLAY BOWLING LEAGUE BOWLING Syosset Bowl LEAGUE Bowl 631Syosset 842-5166

631 842-5166

APICHAAPICHA 400 Broadway 400 Broadway New York, NYYork, 10013 New NY 10013 212 334-6029 212 334-6029 www.apicha.org www.apicha.org

BEST FRIENDS BEST FRIENDS ANIMAL SOCIETY ANIMAL SOCIETY 5001 Angel Canyon Rd 5001 Angel Canyon Rd Kanab, UT 84741 Kanab, UT 84741 435 644-2001 435 644-2001 www.bestfriends.org

www.bestfriends.org

ADVERTISECALL CALL 800-818-0480 212 691-5127 TOTO ADVERTISE

NEW YORK COMMUNITY RESOURCES Metrosource is committed to helping non-profit organizations in their ongoing efforts to serve our diverse community.

BIG GAY MEN OF NEW YORK 9111 Liberty Ave #662 Ozone Park, NY 11417 631 780-2807 www.convergence.nyc

LESBIAN HERSTORY ARCHIVES PO Box 1258 New York, NY 10116 718 768-3953

QUEENS L&G PRIDE COMMITTEE PO Box 580445 Flushing, NY 11358 718 460-4064

EMPIRE CITY MEN’S CHORUS P.O. Box 1017 New York, NY 10185 empirecitymenschorus.org

LESLIE-LOHMAN MUSEUM OF GAY AND LESBIAN ART 26 Wooster St New York, NY 10013 www.leslielohman.org

QUEENS PRIDE HOUSE 76-11 37th Ave Jackson Heights, NY 11372 718 429-5309

GAY & BI FATHERS FORUM OF GREATER NY PO Box 1321, Midtown Sta New York, NY 10018 212 721-4216 (recording) 718 728-0476 GAY & LESBIAN ALLIANCE AGAINST DEFAMATION (GLAAD) 150 West 26th St New York, NY 10001 212 807-1700 www.glaad.org GAY FATHERS OF NY 245 Eighth Ave #897 New York, NY 10011 212 388-2618 GAY MEN OF AFRICAN DESCENT 44 Court St, 10th Fl, Ste 1000 Brooklyn, NY 10201 718 222-6300 www.gmad.org GAY MEN OF THE BRONX PO Box 511, Bronx, NY 10451 www.gmob.org IMPERIAL QUEENS & KINGS OF NY 70-A Greenwich Ave #120 New York, NY 10011 212 229-5900 x3655 IN OUR OWN WRITE 208 West 13th St New York, NY 10014 212 620-7310 x305 (monthly readings) IN THE LIFE 30 West 26th St, 7th Fl New York, NY 10011 212 255-6012 JERSEY CITY LESBIAN & GAY OUTREACH (JCLGO) 113 Pavonia Ave #247 Jersey City, NJ 07302 201 333-5725 LATINOS & LATINAS DE AMBIENTE/NY (LLANY) 208 West 13th St New York, NY 10014 212 367-1092 LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL & TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY SERVICES CENTER 208 West 13th St New York, NY 10014 212 620-7310 www.gaycenter.org LESBIAN & GAY NATURAL HISTORY GROUP OF NY 80 Garfield Pl Brooklyn, NY 11215 718 965-0013

LIVE OUT LOUD 45 West 36th Street, 6th Fl New York, NY 10018 212 378-4095 www.liveoutloud.info THE LOFT-LOWER HUDSON VALLEY LGBT CENTER 252 Bryant Ave White Plains, NY 10605 914 948-2932 www.loftgaycenter.org THE L.I. GAY & LESBIAN FILM FESTIVAL ORG P.O. Box 360 East Northport, NY 11731 www.liglff.org LONG ISLAND GAY & LESBIAN YOUTH 34 Park Ave Bay Shore, NY 11706 631 665-2300 www.ligaly.org LONG ISLAND RAVENS M.C. c/o The Long Island Eagle 94 North Clinton Ave Bay Shore, NY 11706 631 968-2750 www.liravensmc.org

QUEENS RAINBOW COMMUNITY CENTER 30-74 Steinway St, 2nd Fl Astoria, NY 11105 718 204-5955 SERVICES AND ADVOCACY FOR GLBT ELDERS (SAGE) 305 Seventh Ave New York, NY 10001 212 741-2247 www.sageusa.org SOUTHERNERS/L&G MEN IN NY PO Box 881 New York, NY 10008-0881 STONEWALL CHORALE Box 920, Old Chelsea Sta New York, NY 10011 212 971-5813 STONEWALL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 119 West 24th St, 7th Fl New York, NY 10011 212 367-1155 www.stonewallfoundation.org TRI STATE LG&B STUDENT COALITION 208 West 13th St New York, NY 10014

MALES AU NATUREL (MAN) MEN’S NUDIST GROUP 347 704-0704 www.males.org

HEALTH/ COUNSELING

MEN OF ALL COLORS TOGETHER NEW YORK PO Box 1518 Ansonia Station, NY 10023

AIDS CENTER OF QUEENS COUNTY 97-45 Queens Blvd #1220 Rego Park, NY 11374 718 896-2500

NYC GAY MEN’S CHORUS 561 Seventh Ave, Ste 803 New York, NY 10018 212 344-1777 www.nycgmc.org NYC PRIDE 154 Christopher St, Suite 1D New York, NY 10014 212 807-7433 www.nycpride.org PARENTS AND FRIENDS OF LESBIANS AND GAYS (P-FLAG) PO Box 553 New York, NY 10021 212 463-0629 THE POINT FOUNDATION 5757 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 370 LA, CA 90036 866 33-Point www.pointfoundation.org PRIME TIMERS c/o Don Hargus 208 Anderson St, Suite 8DS Hackensack, NJ 07601 201 488-4839

AIDS DRUG ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (ADAP) 800 542-2437 AIDS HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION 475 Atlantic Ave Brooklyn, NY 11217 718 637-2970 888 AIDS-CARE www.ahfpharmacy.org AIDS HOTLINE/NYC DEPT OF HEALTH 311 Broadway, 4th Fl New York, NY 10007 800 TALK-HIV

THE ALLIANCE FOR POSITIVE CHANGE 64 West 35th Street, 3rd Fl New York, NY 10001 212.645-0875 www.alliance.nyc (SEE AD PREVIOUS PAGE) AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR AIDS RESEARCH 120 Wall St New York, NY 10005 212 806-1600 ANTI-VIOLENCE PROJECT 240 West 35th St, 12th Fl New York, NY 10001 212 714-1184 212 714-1141 (Hotline) BAILEY HOLT HOUSE 180 Christopher St New York, NY 10014 212 337-3000 BAILEY HOUSE 275 Seventh Ave, 12th Fl New York, NY 10001 212 633-2500 BETH ISRAEL MEDICAL CENTER AIDS CLINICAL TRIAL UNIT DIV OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES 350 East 17th St, 3rd Fl New York, NY 10003 212 420-4519

GAY MEN OF AFRICAN DESCENT 44 Court St, 10th Fl, Ste 1000 Brooklyn, NY 10201 718 222-6300 www.gmad.org GAY MEN’S HEALTH CRISIS 446 West 33rd St New York, NY 10001 212 367-1273 212 367-1489 800 243-7692 www.gmhc.org GOD’S LOVE WE DELIVER 166 Ave of the Americas New York, NY 10013 212 294-8142 212 294-8100 www.godslovewedeliver.org www.racetodeliver.org GREENWICH HOUSE 80 Fifth Ave New York, NY 10011 212 691-2900 HEALTH EDUCATION AIDS LIAISON PO Box 1103 New York, NY 10113 212 873-0780 HETRICK MARTIN INSTITUTE 212 674-2400 www.hmi.org

NAMES PROJECT NYC 75 Varick St #1404 New York, NY 10013-1917 212 226-2292 NYC DEPT OF HEALTH OFFICE OF G&L HEALTH 125 Worth St, Suite CN67 New York, NY 10013 212 442-6944 PROJECT ACHIEVE New York, 212 305-2201 Project ACHIEVE (Union Square) New York, 212 388-0008 www.nycvaccine.org www.hopetakesaction.org THE SAMARITANS OF NEW YORK SUICIDE PREVENTION HOTLINE PO Box 1259 New York, NY 10159 212 673-3000 (24 Hours) TALK SAFE + PLUSES 203 West St #408 New York, NY 212 604-1500 TREVOR PROJECT 9056 Santa Monica Blvd #100 West Hollywood, CA 90069 310 271-8845 VILLAGE NURSING HOME DAY TREATMENT PROGRAM 133 West 20th St, Ground Fl New York, NY 10011 212 633-1616

BODY POSITIVE OF NY 19 Fulton St Suite 308B New York, NY 10038 212 566-7333 800 566-6599

HEALTHSHERPA 844 346-9476 www.metrosource. healthsherpa.com

LEGAL

BROADWAY CARES/EQUITY FIGHTS AIDS 165 West 46th St #1300 New York, NY 10036 212 840-0770

HISPANIC AIDS FORUM, INC. 213 W 35th St, 12th Fl New York, NY 10001 212 868-6230 www.hafnyc.org

LAMBDA LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATION FUND 120 Wall St #1500 New York, NY 10005 212 809-8585

HIV STOPS WITH ME www.hivstopswithme.org

LEGAL (L&G LAW ASSN OF GREATER NY) 799 Broadway #340 New York, NY 10003 212 459-4873

BROOKLYN AIDS TASK FORCE 465 Dean St Brooklyn, NY 11217 718 783-0883 CALLEN LORDE COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER 356 West 18th St New York, NY 10011 212 271-7200 CHEST (CTRHIV/AIDS EDUCATION STUDIES & TRAINING) 250 West 26th Street, 3rd Floor New York, NY 212 206-7919 DESIGN INDUSTRIES FOUNDATION FOR AIDS (DIFFA) 200 Lexington Ave #1016 New York, NY 10016 212 727-3100

AIDS RELATED COMMUNITY SERVICES 2269 Saw Mill River Rd Elmsford, NY 10523 914 345-8888

F.E.G.S. MANHATTAN COUNSELING CENTER 80 Van Dam St New York, NY 10013 212 366-8289

AIDS SERVICE CENTER NYLIVEC 64 West 35th St New York, NY 212 645-0875 www.ascnyc.org

FRIENDS HOUSE IN ROSEHILL PMB#248 50 Lexington Avenue New York, NY 10010 212 995-5000 www.friendshousenyc.org

INSTITUTION FOR HUMAN IDENTITY 322 Eighth Ave, Suite #802 New York, NY 10011 212 243-2830 www.ihi-therapycenter.org LI ASSN FOR AIDS CARE (LIAAC) 631 385-AIDS (hotline) 631 385-2451 MEN OF COLOR AIDS PREVENTION PROGRAM (MOCA) 125 Worth St, Box 67 New York, NY 10013 212 788-4402 MEN’S HIV SUPPORT GROUP 212 877-8227 x214 MINORITY TASK FORCE ON AIDS 475 Riverside Dr New York, NY 10115 212 870-2691 NAMES PROJECT NJ P.O. Box 716 New Brunswick, NJ 732 249-3933

METROSOURCE.COM

LESBIANS LESBIANS ABOUT VISUAL ART 118 Fort Greene Pl Brooklyn, NY 11217 LES HERSTORY ARCHIVES PO Box 1258 New York, NY 10116 718 768-3953 LESBIAN MOTHERS @ THE LOFT 180 East Post Rd Lower Level, White Plains, NY 914 948-4922

POLITICAL LOG CABIN REPUBLICANS OF NY Radio City Station PO Box 2321 New York, NY 10101 212 202-6431 www.newyork.logcabin.org

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

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NEW YORK COMMUNITY RESOURCES Metrosource is committed to helping non-profit organizations in their ongoing efforts to serve our diverse community.

PRIDE DEMOCRATS 70 Greenwich Ave New York, NY 10011 212 613-6039 STONEWALL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 119 West 24th St, 6th Fl New York, NY 10011 212 367-1155 STONEWALL DEMOCRATIC CLUB 212 561-9008 www.stonewalldems.com STONEWALL REPUBLICANS PO Box 650052 Fresh Meadows, NY 11365 718 357-7075

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LESBIAN AND GAY AFFIRMATIVE PSYCHOTHERAPISTS 250 West 15th St New York, NY 10011 212 517-1722 FSIX FINANCIAL SERVICE INDUSTRY EXCHANGE www.fsix.org GAY OFFICERS ACTION LEAGUE PO Box 2038, Canal St Sta New York, NY 10013 NATIONAL GAY & LESBIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE NY 340 West 42nd Street New York, NY 10108 646 964-5027 www.nglccny.org OUT PROFESSIONALS 332 Bleecker St #149 New York, NY 10014 212 462-9255 THE PUBLISHING TRIANGLE 332 Bleecker Street #D36 New York, NY 10014 www.publishingtriangle.org

REFERRALS/ SWITCHBOARDS G&L SWITCHBOARD P.O. Box 693 New York, NY 212 989-0999 THE GAY PARENTING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FUND New York, NY 10011 www.menhavingbabies.org

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TREVOR PROJECT 212 545-0081 www.thetrevorproject.org

RELIGIOUS BROADWAY UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 263 West 86 St, 3rd Fl New York, NY 10024 212 316-5700 www.bwayucc.org CHURCH OF ST PAUL & ST ANDREW 263 West 86th St New York, NY 10024 212 362-3179 COMMUNITY CHURCH OF NY 40 East 35th St New York, NY 10016 212 683-4988 www.ccny.org CONGREGATION BEIT SIMCHAT TORAH 130 West 30th St New York, NY 10001 212 929-9498 DIGNITY NEW YORK PO Box 1554 New York, NY 10150 646 418-7039 Brooklyn - 718 565-2171 Metro NJ - 973 857-4040 New Bruns. - 732 968-9263 Nassau - 516 781-6225 Suffolk - 631 654-5367 INTEGRITY/NEW YORK (LBGT EPISCOPALIANS) PO Box 20067 New York, NY 10011 212 691-7181 MARBLE COLLEGIATE CHURCH 1 West 29th St New York, NY 10001 212 686-2770 www.marblechurch.org METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH OF NY 446 West 36th St New York, NY 10018 212 629-7440 www.mccny.org MIDDLE COLLEGIATE CHURCH 112 Second Ave @ 7th St New York, NY 10003 212 477-0666 www.middlechurch.org NOT SO CHURCHY www.notsochurchy.org ST. JOHN’S LUTHERAN CHURCH Reverend Mark Erson 81 Christopher St. New York, NY 10014 212-242-5737 www.stjohnsnyc.org

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RESTAURANT BITES Edited by Jeffrey James Keyes

CHELSEA THE BRESLIN

The Spotted Pig folks are behind this vintage-rustic restaurant in NoChel’s Ace Hotel. The British-inspired fare is egg-centric at breakfast and meat-and-terrine heavy for lunch and dinner, while martinis are the thing to drink at the bar. 16 W. 29th St. between Broadway & Fifth Ave., NYC 212-679-1939. www.thebreslin.com

CAFETERIA

Super-popular 24-hour dining scene offering great American fare and a trendy, heavily gay clientele. 119 Seventh Ave. at 17th St., NYC 212-414-1717. cafeteriagroup.com

ELMO

This mod restaurant, featuring comfort food with a spicy edge, takes its name from fab 40’s nightclub El Morocco. 156 Seventh Ave. between 19th and 20th Sts., NYC 212-337-8000. elmorestaurant.com

TENTH AVENUE COOKSHOP

Executive chef Marc Meyer takes American cuisine to the next level by keeping it real. Hormone-free animals, humanely raised in local farms, are used in simple but flavorful meals served amidst furnishings at once rustic and urbane. 156 Tenth Ave. at 20th St., NYC 212-924-4440. cookshopny.com

EAST VILLAGE/LOWER EAST SIDE BEAUTY & ESSEX

This eatery’s entryway is set up like a pawn shop. It leads to two sprawling levels with multiple dining rooms with a menu of shareable small plates for eclectic tastes. 146 Essex St. between Rivington and Stanton Sts., NYC 212-614-0146. beautyandessex.com

GRAMERCY PARK/FLATIRON DISTRICT GRAMERCY TAVERN

Danny Meyer’s creative American emporium never fails to please either in the formal dining room or the easier-on-the-wallet Tavern Room. 42 E. 20th St. between Broadway and Park Ave. South, NYC., 212-477-0777. gramercytavern.com

HARLEM LIDO HARLEM

Brunching in Harlem? Get into this adorable Italian hotspot in the center - with bottomless mimosa brunch, hunties - in one of the most popping gayborhoods in the city. 2168 Frederick Douglass Blvd. at 117th St., NYC 646-490-8575. lidoharlem.com

RED ROOSTER

This Harlem hot spot features regional American comfort food by Marcus Samuelsson and a casual, lively environment filled with neighborhood-centric art and artifacts. 310 Lenox Ave. between 125th and 126th Sts., NYC 212-792-9001. redroosterharlem.com

SOLOMON & KUFF RUM HALL

Harlem elites and Columbia giants mix and mingle at this delicious upscale Caribbean restaurant offering incredible rum cocktails, bites like yuca fries, and dishes like Sangria Braised Short Ribs. 2331 12th Ave. between 133rd St. & 12th Ave., NYC 212-939-9443. solomonandkuff.com

HELL’S KITCHEN AÑEJO

Find upscale, creative, beautifully prepared Mexican small plates served in a rustic setting at this hotspot with a hopping bar scene.

The cocktail selection features a variety of refined margaritas (available by the pitcher) and tequila and mezcal flights. 668 Tenth Ave. at 47th St., NYC 212-920-4770. anejonyc.com

44 & X HELL’S KITCHEN

A bit of South Beach on Tenth Avenue, this sleek haven of upscale comfort food has large and plentiful windows and a sidewalk cafe.

The perfect spot for people watching... 622 Tenth Ave. at 44th St., NYC 212-977-1170. 44andx.com

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EL CENTRO

The tiny space packs a big punch with inexpensive Mexican street food, frozen margaritas and upcycled-Corona-bottle light fixtures.

824 Ninth Ave. at 54th St., NYC 646-763-6585. elcentro-nyc.com

HELL’S KITCHEN

Hell’s Kitchen brings south-of-the-border flavor north to Ninth Avenue. Whether it’s tacos, quesadillas, or an after work margarita you crave they’ve got it. 754 9th Ave. between 50th and 51st Sts., NYC 212-977-1588. hellskitchen-nyc.com

IPPUDO WESTSIDE

Decadent Japanese bites, small plates, craveable ramen and arousing cocktails - nestled just between the theatre district and the gayborhood. 321 W. 51st St., NYC 212-974-2500. ippudony.com

PIO PIO

Guests sip pisco cocktails and craveable sangria while grazing over family-style Peruvian dishes, Chinese-Peruvian stir fries, steak, and fish below an elaborate ceiling made from thousands of tree branches intricately woven together. Pio Pio has eight locations but this one is takes the cake (Tres Leches, of course!) 604 Tenth Ave. between 43rd and 44th Sts., NYC 212-459-2929. piopio.com

VICEVERSA

ViceVersa puts a sublime spin on run-of-the-mill Italian. The atmosphere is also darn near perfect — with elegant accents and a nicely tended outdoor seating garden. 325 W. 51st St. between Eighth and Ninth Aves., NYC 212-399-9291. viceversanyc.com

WEST BANK CAFE

This elegant neighborhood fixture attracts theatergoers; Broadway and off-Broadway performers; and former and upcoming) Drag Race contestants to load up on the latest gossip while downing American eats. Be sure to check out “Showbiz Spitfire Paige Turner” and Jackie Cox whenever they perform. 407 W. 42nd St. between Ninth and Tenth Aves., NYC 212-695-6909. westbankcafe.com

HUDSON YARDS LEGACY RECORDS

At this chic, fun 85-seat restaurant brought to you by the team behind Charlie Bird and Pasquale Jones, the menu features fresh, flavorful cuisine inspired by Italy’s northern coasts. The cocktail menu is curated by mixologist Jeff Bell from P.D.T., and Arvid Rosengren is the reigning “Best Sommelier in the World.” 517 W. 38th Street between Tenth and Eleventh Aves., NYC legacyrecordsrestaurant.com

MERCADO LITTLE SPAIN

José Andrés and his team have been cooking up this love letter to Spain, which includes three restaurants, two bars, fifteen tapas kiosks, and a market on 35,000 square feet of brand new Hudson Yards real estate. 10 Hudson Yards between Tenth and Eleventh Aves., NYC 646-495-1242. littlespain.com

TAK ROOM

Thomas Keller’s Hudson Yards adventure, TAK Room takes a contemporary look on the classic Continental meal. Think throwback style, glamour, sweeping views, champagne carts, and old school New York glamour in brand new digs. 20 Hudson Yards between Tenth and Eleventh Aves., NYC 929-450-4050. takroomnyc.com

MEATPACKING DISTRICT MORIMOTO

Two floors of high-design touches (like a wall made of 17,000 Ty Nant water bottles and upholstered walls) set the scene for haute Japanese cuisine by Masaharu Morimoto. 88 Tenth Ave. between 15th and 16th Sts., NYC 212-989-8883. morimotonyc.com

STANDARD GRILL

The hip cafe just beneath the southern tip of the High Line offers a long bar in the front, a dining room with arced red-leather booths, an open kitchen, plus a sidewalk patio for entertaining Meatpacking people-watching. Surprisingly, the prices are pretty moderate throughout. 848 Washington St. between Little W. 12th and 13th Sts., NYC 212-645-4100. thestandardgrill.com

DECEMBER 2019/JANUARY 2020 METROSOURCE.COM OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020 METROSOURCE.COM

MIDTOWN/TIMES SQUARE LAMB’S CLUB

This gorgeous Theater District destination serves casual yet upscale contemporary American fare in a retro-swank supper-club environment with long red-leather banquettes, chrome torchères, head shots of movie stars and an18th-century fireplace. 132 W. 44th St. between Sixth Ave. and Broadway, NYC 212-997-5262. thelambsclub.com

NOBU 57

The David Rockwell design of celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s uptown showplace for his peerless Latin-shaded sushi is a sexy, bubbly delight. 40 W. 57th St. between Fifth and Sixth Aves., NYC 212-757-3000. noburestaurants.com/fifty-seven

SOHO/TRIBECA THE DUTCH

This multi-room eatery is sizzling with a SoHo crowd that’s half downtown scene-makers, half-foodies and all hot. Andrew Carmellini’s comfort-skewing menu features renditions of American Southern staples, international inpirations and an oyster bar. 131 Sullivan St. at Prince St., NYC 212-677-6200. thedutchnyc.com

SUSHI NAKAZAWA

Daisuke Nakazawa, the former apprentice to sushi guru Jiro Ono, created this posh West Village joint where comfortable, high back, leather chairs at the sushi bar set the scene for an impressive twentycourse dynamic tasting menu. 23 Commerce Street between Seventh Ave. and Bedford St., NYC 212-924-2212. sushinakazawa.com

UPPER WEST SIDE LANDMARC

This Time Warner Center eatery serves flavorful French bistro fare in a setting that stylishly mishmashes industrial and woodsy, with floorto-ceiling windows that overlook Central Park. 60th and Broadway, 3rd Floor, NYC 212-823-6123. landmarc-restaurant.com

MAREA

Chef Michael White has been awarded two Michelin stars, the 2010 James Beard Award, and other impressive accolades. His high-end Italian cuisine combines with over 750 wine options for a fresh take on coastal cuisine. 240 Central Park South Between Broadway and Seventh Ave., NYC 212-582-5100. marearestaurant.com

PIZZERIA SIRENETTA

The people behind Mermaid Inn serve Neopolitan pizzas and rustic Italian fare. Stop by 5-7pm for their happy hour featuring $12 pizza specials, an $8 aperol spritz and more! 568 Amsterdam Ave. between 87th & 88th Sts., NYC 212-799-7401. pizzeriasirenetta.com

TESSA

Chef Nicholas McCann blends French, Italian and Spanish fare in this neighborhood-approved hotspot. Wine Lovers, pay special attention to the TESSA Reserve list with over fifty labels. 349 Amsterdam Ave. between 76th & 77th Sts., NYC 212-390-1974. tessanyc.com

WEST VILLAGE COWGIRL

This Texas-style West Village favorite, conceived after Sherry Delamarter visited the Cowgirl Hall of Fame, has been serving great food and no frills fun for 25 years. Blood Orange and Prickly Pear frozen margaritas in mason jars go perfectly with Tex-Mex fare. 519 Hudson St. at West 10th St., NYC 212-633-1133. cowgirlnyc.com

TEA AND SYMPATHY

Adorable spot serving tra British favorites like Bangers & Mash, Shepherd’s Pie, Welsh Rarebit, and Roast Beef with Yorkshire pudding. Save room for Sticky Toffee Pudding! 108 Greenwich Street, NYC between Jane & Horatio Sts., 212-989-9735. teaandsympathy. com

THE LITTLE OWL

This bold Mediterranean spot boasts gravy meatballs and pork chops that rival your grandmother’s secret recipe. 90 Bedford St. at Grove, NYC 212-741-4695. thelittleowlnyc.com

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