Grape adventures await! Get your ticket for our annual wine trip to the vineyards of Long Island’s Northfork. If there was only one sale this summer, Gabrielle Carlson’s summer sale is it! Long Island knows how to dine with a view. From the Hamptons to Fire Island and the North Shore, beachfront restaurants serve up sunsets and lobster rolls. Yes, please! The East End has a new home for cabaret and some of the greats are performing. There’s a brilliant new play you must see. And where is our roving photographer? The clue is the photo.

We’re heading to the beautiful vineyards of the North Fork of Long Island Saturday, September 21.  Join us for a fabulous day that includes round trip transportation with two pick-up points – NYC and Hicksville; three vineyards; wine tastings; a picnic lunch, live music and fabulous gift bags and bus prizes too!!!  You’ll meet other fun wine-loving “tomatoes.”  (PS – guys are welcome too.) DO NOT DELAY. Last year we sold out in 48 hours.

The East End’s Home for Cabaret

Roll off the beach and head to the dynamic new musical concert series this HAMPTONS SUMMER SONGBOOK BY THE SEA, produced by Donna Rubin. A roster of the world’s best cabaret and Broadway artists will perform Berlin, Cole Porter, Sondheim, Kern, The Gershwins, Leonard Bernstein, Maury Yeston, Richard Rodgers with Hart & Hammerstein, and countless contemporary American songwriters for a truly robust, diverse season filled with chestnuts, gems and surprising discoveries.

LTV’s Studios in East is complete with state-of-the art lighting and audio merging with the romantic ambiance of cafe’ table seating, modular staging and a gorgeous Baby Grand; all combining for an up-front, live encounter with legendary songs and songwriters as interpreted by today’s finest performers. The schedule includes such stars as Karen Akers, Mark Nadler, KT Sullivan, Christine Andreas & Marty Silvestri, Liz Larsen & Sal Viviano, Tovah Feldshuh, Steve Ross, Karen Murphy, Mark Singer & Darcy Dunn, Anna Bergman, Alex Rybeck and more still to be announced.  GET THE DETAILS.

Spotlight On Long Island: Beachfront Dining

Our Long Island reporter, Andrea Peponokis reports on Long Island’s unique dining experience that rivals some of the world’s most romantic international locales. Imagine savoring gourmet meals with your toes in the sand, surrounded by the soothing sounds of waves gently meeting the shore. Long Island’s sandy seatings deliver an unforgettable coastal culinary adventure.  GET THE DETAILS. 

The NEWS you heard. The STORY that has never been told. UNTIL NOW.

In 2020, Catherine Gropper, international playwright and documentary filmmaker, had a chance meeting with a man who turned out to be a notable Russian/American interpreter, which compelled her to write a brilliant new play, THE MEETING: THE INTERPRETER, now in a limited run thru Aug. 25 at Theater at St. Clement’, is set against the backdrop of the infamous Trump Tower Meeting of 2016. The play illuminates the story of an ordinary man who finds himself entangled in government systems. Facing interrogation from Congress and senators, he grapples with the pressure of questioning and self-reflection. Do any of us truly have a say? Under the intense scrutiny, do we ever stop to question ourselves?

Based on actual events, this play explores the loss of individuality and privacy. It also delves into the plight of Sergei Magnitsky, serving as a parable for the destruction of human rights and the fight to preserve freedom through the new global Magnitsky Laws present in nearly every country.

Now playing at Theater at St. Clement’s  |  423 West 46th Street, NYC. GET TICKETS.

“The” Summer Sale

So, if you’re seeking a touch of elegance, a dash of artistry, and a look that whispers secrets, Gabrielle Carlson Studio awaits. Remember, life is too short for ordinary clothes—wrap yourself in something extraordinary! Don’t miss her sale. Gabrielle Carlson Studio at 1034a Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10021 is nestled in the heart of the Upper East Side, where sophistication meets creativity.

Roving in Williamsburg

Our roving photographer, Nicole Freezer Rubens, writes:

 As trendy and built up as Williamsburg is, what keeps it interesting is the scale of this Brooklyn neighborhood, the variety of cultures living together, and the outskirts that remain untouched.

New developments are going up away from the gleaming new waterfront high rises, in reaches that retain the old-time diversity of New York City.

When Williamsburg was annexed to Brooklyn in 1855 the spelling was changed, and change was off and running. It spans 2.179 miles with a population of 150,000 and includes 3 different zip codes. Williamsburg is divided into South, North, and an East areas housing Jewish Hasidim, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Italian, African American, and Hispanic residents.

Known for its recently built-up art scenes, boutique shopping, vibrant food choices and views of Manhattan’s gleaming skyline, there is much more to explore. Walk away from all of the newly minted glitz and step back in time through neighborhoods that are really just neighborhoods of authentic multicultural New Yorkers living and working together. I’d advise investigating sooner rather than later as this gentrification has not slowed down but our great American melting pot, is still simmering in Williamsburg.

~Nicole Freezer Rubens, author of “The Long Pause and the Short Breath”