Hi again, my lovely readers!

Welcome to all the new subscribers who found the newsletter this week. I’m so glad you’re here!

Our New Yorker of the Week today is Prerna. She’s 34, lives in Brooklyn, and is looking for friendship and love.

Interested? Reach out to [email protected]. And if you want to get involved in the newsletter yourself, you can:

• Submit yourself to be a New Yorker of the Week

• Share events that you think should be featured 

• Purchase an ad to promote your business

Now, onto the goodness:

How would someone who loves you describe you?

From my friends:

She doesn't do anything halfway. Whether it's her work, her friendships, or her creative pursuits, she gives everything her full heart. She's always the one who has a plan, and a really good one. She'll organize a trip to Puerto Rico for a friend's birthday or show up at your door with homemade cake when you're going through it.

She loves animals deeply - adores her two cats, and fostered dogs in the past. Like many New Yorkers, her life is full of many pursuits - from a day job in tech to being a filmmaker, writer, playwright / stage director by night - so this is the perfect city for her. But she enjoys getting outside the city regularly to ground herself. She's also one of the most intuitive people you'll meet.

What sorts of things do you want to do with your friends?

Long walks and long conversations, cooking elaborate dinners and hosting people at my place, D&D nights, and making movies together. Most of my closest collaborators started as friends, or became friends along the way.

What's something that people might not guess about you?

I read tarot cards — but only for friends. And I'm a big enough Jane Austen fan that I made a short film about a pivotal day in her life.

Are you looking for love? Tell me about the type of person you're looking for!

She/her, bisexual, and yes! I'm seeking a long-term, monogamous relationship with someone I could build a family with one day. The foundation matters most to me: deep empathy, kindness, and a commitment to clear and respectful communication. I want someone with a rich inner life — capacity for self-reflection, a community of their own, and a genuine love of the arts and travel (you don't have to be an artist, but you have to believe creativity matters). Most of all, I'm looking for someone in whose presence I feel completely at home. A good sense of humor is a very welcome bonus. Oh, and you have to like cats. Non-negotiable.

Anything else that the Joy List community can help you with?

I'm always looking for creative collaborators in film and theatre! I'm currently working on two short films, a play, and a musical — all rooted in Indian mythology. If any of that sparks something for you, please reach out!

The Light Map: A Workshop for Adult Children of Narcissistic and Dysfunctional Families

Growing up in a narcissistic/dysfunctional family makes you believe you were the problem. It was never true. In the Light Map, we'll sit with the space between the self you built to survive and the real self who was there all along. There is no fixing to do — only a homecoming, made easier in an intimate community walking alongside you.

July 13 | Flower Cat (Greenpoint) | $20

Gatherings

Double check details before you go, and contact the organizers with questions! The Joy List does not run these events.

Tuesday, July 7: Vivo Footwear x Othership Williamsburg Runner's Night

• A guided 5K community run led by Vivobarefoot Ambassador Korey Rowe

• Post-run running assessments and movement insights

• A recovery social at Othership following the event at a discounted rate for attendees

Use this link for exclusive $35 tickets to this event. (Or this link if you just want a 2-for-1 pass for Othership in general.) 8 to 11 PM. Williamsburg.

Tuesday, July 7: Olio Read-in: Anne Carson's Eros the Bittersweet

7:30 PM – Doors open. Settle in, grab a drink, and meet a friend.
8 PM – The Olio begins: an intimate, interactive lecture and guided exploration.
9 PM – We shift into a social experience, discussing ideas with others in the room while the teacher joins and floats between conversations.
10 PM - Last call at the bar and we'll start to wind down the evening.

$32. 8 to 10 PM. The Lighthouse. Info here.

Wednesday, July 8: Inner Child Art Nyte

When was the last time you created - just for fun? Join us for Inner Child Art Nyte, an evening that blends creativity, art making, connection, and play - all to get you out of your head, into the moment, and back in touch with your joy. Come make some new friends, make some art, and leave inspired.

$25, 6:30 PM, 12-16 Vestry St. Info here.

Wednesday, July 8: The Way I Are (Timbaland) Dance Social

This is a dance social where no prior experience is needed and is ideal for those who want to try a different physical hobby in a casual, judgement-free space while meeting new friends. Dance Social Club is like a run club, but for dancing, and we feature weekly events on Partiful hosted by friends, for friends.

You will meet new people and mingle, stretch and warm up, learn basic choreography to Timbaland's "The Way I Are" and be facilitated into small groups for practice and socialization. Everyone is intentionally introduced to someone brand new and leaves feeling bonded through the shared vulnerable experience of dancing together, often opting to grab food or dessert afterwards!

$20, 7-9 PM, 305 W 35th St Studio 302. Info here.

Wednesday, July 8: Word Play Social: Midsummer Word's Dream

Join us for a friendly night of word games, puzzles, and low-stakes linguistic mischief. Think Bananagrams, Boggle, Scrabble, crosswords...and anything else you’re game for.Word Play Social is a where connecting letters into words becomes the spark for connecting with each other. No pressure, no expertise required...just curiosity, a sense of play, and a willingness to let your guard down faster than you can say “triple word score.”

Free, 6:30 to 9 PM. Antler Accelerator, 33 W. 17th Street, Floor 6 (Flatiron). Info here.

Thursday, July 9: Songs You Can Touch

Songs You Can Touch is an interactive concert series featuring local singer-songwriters and the endless art supplies on hand at recess grove, an arts and crafts bar in Williamsburg. This month, celebrate Cancer season with singer-songwriters, facilitators and July birthday babes Ben Freeman and Emma Jayne!

You'll hear songs from each artist (expect us to go big on the Cancer feels) and be invited to draw, collage, and paint what you hear. We'll make up new songs together, get to know each other through facilitated creative prompts, and find improvised ways to put our music and visual art making into conversation.

$25, doors 6:30 and music at 7, 327 Grand St., Brooklyn. Info here.

Thursday, July 9: Move, Meditate & Mingle

Join us in Williamsburg for an energizing mat pilates sequence, experience a guided meditation, and mingle and connect with new community! A collaborative event with The Movement Loft & We All Feel designed for participants to come solo or with a friend!

$45, 7:15pm-8:45pm, The Movement Loft, 8 Berry Street, Brooklyn. Info here.

Friday, July 10: Soft Summer Reset

Most events for singles are centered around dating. This one is centered around you! Soft Summer Reset is an invitation to check in with yourself, have some fun, and connect with other singles who genuinely understand what it's like to navigate modern dating.

$25, 6-9pm, Fabrik, Dumbo - 20 Jay Street. Info here.

Saturday, July 11: Skinny Dip Day

Sound bath, body painting, music, and more. At clothing OPTIONAL Gunnison Beach, NJ (that means you CAN wear clothes if you'd like)... an easy ferry from Manhattan via the SeaStreak. Join the FUNdraiser as we restore health to women with disabling body shame.

$30 suggested donation, 9 AM - 4 PM, Gunnison Beach. Info here.

Saturday, July 11: Hyggehiking Manhattan’s Makeout Spots

On Saturday July 11th, we’ll explore Manhattan’s most memorable makeout spots, from secret gardens and rooftops to iconic landmarks with dreamy vistas. Note that making out is neither required nor necessarily encouraged during this daylong city wander, but you’ll come away with ample ideas and itineraries for future fraternizing, and by all means feel free to share stories of snoggings of yore and to suggest additional recs along the trek.

Each hygge hike is an exploration of the green spaces throughout our city where we seek to gain a visceral understanding of its neighborhoods and local lore, meet people who can help make NYC feel like a smaller, closer-knit community, and discuss the projects, ideas, and events we're most excited about. Bring your curiosity, reliable footwear, and your friends!

Free ($20 suggested), 10am-10pm, 26 Canal St + 10 mile hike. Info here.

Sunday, July 12: A Walk To Remember

A Walk to Remember is an intentional hourlong phone-free walk that departs from HumorVille, a one-room tourist attraction for the heart in Bushwick. We'll start with an experiential exercise designed to unhook us from our conventional ways of paying attention. Then, we'll lock our phones up, take our hourlong walk without them, and return to HumorVille to notice what has shifted.

Free, donations accepted, 11am-1pm, 164 Meserole St., Brooklyn. Info here.

Sunday, August 9: STEEP&SKETCH

Join us for a relaxed afternoon of tea sipping and art making in a cozy, picnic-style setting. We’ll enjoy a curated tea tasting — mostly iced to stay cool, with a few warm options — as we sketch, paint, and soak in the summer breeze.

$35, 2-4PM, TearDrop Park. Info here.

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Submit your ad here.

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That's it for this edition. Sending hugs.

Stay cool,

Jillian