Hi there, my adventurous readers!

Hundreds of you found me this week through a Tik Tok comment. If that’s you, welcome!

Each week, you can expect a New Yorker of the Week profile and events that you can attend solo and leave with a new friend. They have an element of facilitation to make things easier on you.

If there’s no New Yorker of the Week, I’ll share some random stuff that I’ve been loving recently.

After that, I sometimes have paid ads. Those have orange headers. And that’s the newsletter!

My goal is to make NYC less lonely. I’ve been sending these out weekly since 2016! I also wrote a book called Un-Lonely Planet in 2019.

If you’d like to say thank you and pay for a dirty chai latte, you can do that here. It makes my day!

Now, onto our New Yorker of the Week…

Today’s New Yorker of the Week is Dave. He’s 32, lives in Staten Island, and is interested in friendship and love. Email him at [email protected]

If you’re interested in being featured, submit yourself here. I know at least 3 relationships have started from these, as well as many friendships!

How would someone who loves you describe you?

I posed this question to a few friends and here's what we've got:

I've been described as "loyal and honest to a fault." Make sense to since I'll go to the ends of the earth for the people I care about.

"An amazing friend, 5 out of 5 stars."

"You're so easy and fun to talk to. All our conversations feel like opening up new tabs on a Google search. I've never met anyone I can talk to like you. It's crazy how insightful you are about so many random things."

"Dave, I think you have what it takes to win Big Brother, you keep talking about it and should really just audition."

"You have a very dangerously dry and sarcastic type of humor.", Okay, then

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

I'm the type of guy where I rather just skip the small talk and dive straight into deeper conversations. Probably why I really enjoyed trying my luck at dating events such as the Feels. I crave deep connection, the surface doesn't do it for me.

I enjoy being active, going to the gym regularly, hiking when I can, occasional rock-climbing gyms, and even horseback riding albeit not as often as I'd like. I know an awesome spot to ride in Sayreville, NJ that's beautiful in the Autumn!

I like to drive, so I'm always down for a mini last-minute adventure. I love trying new things and meeting new people. If it's an invite or opportunity to try something I never have or if it's a place I've never been before, I'm almost always down! This is probably the most New Yorker thing I can say but yes, I always love finding a new restaurant, especially mom and pop hole in the wall spots.

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

I always find it so surprising how people react when I tell them I'm super into Metalcore. Spiritbox, Periphery, Erra, and Poppy anyone? I like other variations of rock and metal as well, especially genre blends. Lately, I've been obsessed with the Alt Z Mix on Spotify, don't ask me what Alt Z is, I don't fully get it, but for the entirety of filling out this form "Feel" by FKA Rayne has been on repeat. It's just vibes, if you get nothing else from reading all this, may I have hopefully encouraged you to find new music.

I'm also (not so) secretly working on a book series and teaching myself how to draw. My goal is to give myself visual representations of the worlds and characters I'm creating. I'm a very goal-oriented person.

Are you looking for love?

I'm a straight male, open to friends but more so looking for love. I'm seeking someone looking to grow and constantly be the best version of herself. A dedication to self-growth is super attractive to me and I hold myself to that same standard. Beyond that, my ideal partner is an engaging conversationalist, knows what she wants, and cares about health and longevity. If we click, don't we want to be together for a long time?

Call it cliche, but I can't imagine a happier life than finding my forever person and raising a family in a fully paid off home. Like I said, I'm a goal oriented guy.

Artist Rebirth Cycle: a "birthing" course for artists + seekers in transformation

The Artist Rebirth Cycle is a self-paced video course to support the gestation of new projects in the format of a birthing course. Combining philosophical frameworks with practical exercises, participants will be called to reimagine their artistic purpose and creative habits.

Gatherings

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

Monday, September 29: Reflection Workshop: Career Values & Boundaries

​What do you value in your work life?What boundaries can you create to ensure your values are honored?​Come explore these questions with Funemployed ?! & Friends at a Reflection Workshop on Career Values & Boundaries! There will be written reflection with provided prompts (solo) and small group discussion (sharing is optional!).

Free. 5:30-7:30 pm. Fabrik DUMBO. Info here.

Tuesday, September 30: DIY Fabric Patches with the Slow-Poke Collective

This month is New York City’s textile month, climate week, and fashion week - join us on September 30 to learn how to design and make your own fabric patches to up-cycle clothes, tote bags, or hats, and give them new life! The Slow-Poke Collective will facilitate a discussion around sustainability and crafting and share how to make a fabric patch using fabric paint and sewing on fabric. After a brief demo, we will have time to work on DIY patches while we continue the conversation on slow fashion, crafting, and climate optimism. No prior sewing experience is necessary, we'll be there to answer any questions that might come up.

$23. 6-8:30pm. Wild East Brewing Brooklyn. Info here.

Wednesday, October 1: Underbelly: The Art of Slowing Down

Join our slow movement space with stunning live music by composer/filmmaker Damon Hankoff! Some things we practice: taking a break from consuming, relaxing into trust, becoming more emotionally and energetically available to ourselves and others, coming and going more slowly with one another, resting, pausing, listening, not having a plan or agenda, becoming resilient in the unknown, non-verbal communication, becoming more intimate with our bodies and nervous systems, allowing space to be the teacher. No prior experience necessary.

$25, 7-9:30pm. 68 Jay St. #605A. Info here.

Friday, October 3: What Clings - An Interactive Art Exhibition

What Clings is an immersive, interactive exhibition —exploring a past we can never fully return to, offering evidence that collective making is still possible, and opening a portal back to our childhoodMore than a solo exhibition, it features works from 150+ community members who gathered for birthdays, water balloon fights, pop-up cafés, cemetery walks, and improvised dance routines between March and September 2025. You’ll be invited to contribute through making and play. Come once, twice, or all three days to see what transforms.

Pay What You Wish, Multi-Day, Gazal Pop Up (607 Vanderbilt Ave.)Info here.

Saturday, October 4: Homecoming: A Celebration Lab Workshop by The Confetti Project

​Join us on October 4th for "Homecoming: Celebrating Yourself, Feeling It All, and Making Space for the Mess," a workshop designed for you pause, play, and reconnect to joy amidst the beautiful mess of being human...while in pounds of confetti. Through creative somatic exercises, grounding meditations, and heartfelt conversations, we’ll explore how to use joy to embrace messiness, establish joy rituals, and nurture self-connection while navigating life's duality. Together, we’ll plant seeds for practices that help you stay present, hold space for joy, and check-in with yourself.

What to expect: a 75-minute workshop, personalized journal, unencumbered play in pounds of confetti, a confetti goodie bag, video portrait, and opportunity to write a letter to yourself.

$65. 12pm or 3pm sessions. 199 Cook St #212 Brooklyn, NY 11206. Info here.

Sunday, October 5: Touching & Tasting: 9 Studies in Sensory Proximity

Touching & Tasting: 9 Studies in Sensory Proximity is a multisensory performance that explores the intimate connection between flavor, texture, and human experience through interactive encounters. Created for the Museum of Food and Drink (MOFAD), audiences are greeted with individualized personality cocktails followed by controversial salad assembly, improvisational pasta choreography, and other studies in sensory proximity. Together we explore how embodiment shapes our understanding of attachment, memory, and materiality. Ticket price includes light food and alchoholic/non-alcholic beverage choice.

$30. 3:00PM & 6:30PM. Museum of Food and Drink, 55 Water Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11201. Info here.

Sunday, October 5: Sensory Play Night

Join us at the beautiful Hit Me Up space for a Sex-Positive Sensory Play Night, an immersive evening designed to awaken every sense. Explore stations like temperature play, erotic chocolate, sensual touch, and cozy cuddle spots, alongside vendors and tarot readings. Whether you arrive solo, with a date, or with friends, you’ll find playful opportunities for connection, curiosity, and delight. Come ready to taste, touch, feel, and experience how fun it is to be human with senses.

7pm $30 120 Walker St floor 5. Info here.

That's it for this edition.

Jillian

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