Not sure how we got to Labor Day this quickly, but it’s a moment when I like to look back and realize how much the season held—and how much is still happening. This week’s mix of outings captures the season’s final sparkle—from city escapes that feel miles away, to creative adventures inside Brooklyn’s most imaginative wallpaper studio, to Long Island daycations that end with a Montauk sunset. Even the US Open has stirred debate with its Honey Deuce controversy. And as we approach the 25th anniversary of 9/11, a powerful installation at Bryant Park invites reflection and remembrance. Summer may be fading, but the city’s stories are not.

An Island Getaway Without Leaving NYC

Sometimes the perfect escape is hiding in plain sight. Governors Island delivers a full-on mini‑vacation — car‑free paths, waterfront views, quirky art, cozy nooks, and enough open space to make the city feel miles away. Whether you’re biking, brunching, or simply soaking in the skyline, it’s an effortless adventure that turns an ordinary day into a getaway. Check out this guide to a fun day on the Island.

Spotlight on Long Island: Daycation in Montauk

Andrea Peponakis ends her Long Island daycations with Montauk the perfect finale —starting with jelly croissants at Montauk Bake Shoppe, exploring the historic lighthouse, lunching at The Gig Shack, browsing downtown, relaxing at Kirk Park Beach, savoring ice cream at John’s Drive‑In, and ending with a legendary Montauket sunset. “The End” feels like a beginning for future Long Island adventures. READ MORE.

The Honey Deuce Controversy

The Honey Deuce is the famous signature cocktail of the US Open tennis tournament. If you buy then at the matches they cost $23, but many fans were willing to pay that because each drink was freshly made…but now fans are not happy because they’re now pre-made and served from a spigot…just not the same.

Here’s our advice.  Watch the matches from home (and you won’t be annoyed by all those influencers who are disrupting the matches, and make your very own honey deuce.

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

• 1.5 oz GREY GOOSE Vodka (or vodka of your choice.)
• 3 oz fresh lemonade
• 0.5 oz raspberry liqueur (such as Chambord)
• Crushed ice
• 3 frozen honeydew melon balls (skewered on a cocktail pick to look like tennis balls)

Instructions

1. Fill a chilled highball or Collins glass with crushed ice.
2. Add the vodka and fresh lemonade, then top with the raspberry liqueur.
3. Stir gently to combine.
4. Garnish with the honeydew melon ball skewer resting on the rim or inside the glass.

Roving in Paper

 Nicole Freezer Rubens writes:

I made an appointment to tour the most fascinating factory in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn. Flavor Paper is an apt name for the studio that has been revolutionizing wallpaper and interior design since 2003. Their innovative techniques include utilizing metals, crystals, glow in the dark and even scratch and sniff! The wild wall coverings are hand silkscreened in the studio on the premises or digitally printed off-sight. The results are truly unique works of art and are in the permanent collections of several prominent museums.

Flavor Paper is an ever-evolving collaborative effort working with living artists as well as the Warhol Foundation, utilizing Andy Warhol’s iconic imagery in a respectful manor, continuing his legacy and commitment to graphics and wallpapers. The company has been ensconced in its neighborhood for almost 2 decades, supporting important causes and donating scrapped prints and excess supplies to the local schools’ art programs. The building architecture and showroom decor are as unique and thoughtfully executed as the products. They ooze the same whimsical vibe and match the forward thinking yet retro papers Flavor Paper is known for.

Thank you @flavorpaper for your inspiring and delicious designs!

~Nicole Freezer Rubens is the author of “The Long Pause and the Short Breath” and the upcoming book of photos essays, “New York And Not New York.”

Commemorating 9/11: A Lawn of Empty Chairs at Bryant Park

Sometimes 9/11 feels like it happened long ago. But this year, as we mark the 25th anniversary, it feels like yesterday. Across the city there will be many ceremonies honoring that horrible day, but the one that stands out to me is happening at Bryant Park.

On September 11, 2,753 empty chairs will be arranged across the Bryant Park lawn—each one symbolizing a life lost and the collective grief carried by New Yorkers. Visitors will be able to walk among them, pause in reflection, and place carnations on the chairs. And that evening, the park will host a concert of healing and hope, offering a moment of unity through music.

In a meaningful gesture, Bank of America will donate $25 for each of the first 3,000 flowers left by the public, with proceeds benefiting the @nycpolicefdtn, @fdnyfoundation, and @papd911 PBA Widows’ and Children’s Fund. It’s a powerful way to honor the past while supporting the families who still carry its weight.

Here’s a list of additional commemorative ceremonies.

The Most Fabulous Trunk Sale

Make sure to head to Gabrielle Carlon’s trunk show at Guerlain Spa at the Waldorf. You are sure to find something new for the fall into winter season. And here’s beautiful KT Sullivan…we are big fans of hers and she is a big fan of Gab!