My guest this week is Sachin Srinivasan, comedian, writer, and host of NAAN BRED podcast. Sachin talks about his fight for the art life in New York City, the cyclical nature of criticism in comedy, and how 3,000 job rejections inspired him to take the stage. Listen for Sachin's secret spot to buy the best deli sandwich in Queens, where you can find him performing regularly, and hear his story about how the New York Times building welcomed him to the city. Links from Sachin's episode: Naan Bred Pod - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKSlsQkCUEe_UyOeL6KCq8g http://instagram.com/srinivasansachin

My guest this week is Meri Civorelli, owner of the 9th St. Vintage shop in the East Village, and like the chillest person ever. Her shop, I will tell you over and over again, is one of the best kept secrets in New York City and you really must go see it for yourself. Meri shares her view of the city with me from the perspective of a small business owner, a New York State native, and a parent. We chat about the cost of living today, who is even shopping right now, and tell a whole lot of 'city quitters' to f*** off. Links from Meri's episode: https://www.9thstvintage.com, http://instagram.com/9thstvintage

Inaugural guest of the pod is New York-based film and television actor JES DAVIS (Russian Doll, The Punisher, OITNB). Jes talks candidly about booking roles as a Black actor pre- and post-pandemic, catches me up on the work she's doing with community organization Brooklyn 4 Black Lives, and shares the lessons she's learned about self-love from her eight years of living in New York. Links from Jes's episode: http://www.instagram.com/jesxdav, http://www.instagram.com/bk4bl, https://www.gofundme.com/f/bk4blacklives, https://venmo.com/bk4bl, www.jesdavis.com

New York-based filmmaker Laura Sampson Hemingway interviews residential New Yorkers about the city post-pandemic by starting every conversation with the not-so-simple question: are you gonna stay?