52 Comments

Thank you for writing such beautiful, lovely, inspiring and funny stories about our incredible city! It was so delightful to read about this couple and their incredible story! Thank you Anne! You're a gifted journalist!

Expand full comment

I came here from your wonderful post about chess hustlers shared on Work/Craft/Life, and what do I find? PICTURES OF BAGELS! You had me at Scallion cream cheese, and I will now follow you around like a besotted spaniel with cream cheese on its whiskers. Thank you so much!

Expand full comment

Yay thank you Therry! And welcome!!!!!

Expand full comment

What a wonderful story; and wonderfully written. It's been too long since I was in NYC...

Expand full comment

Awww thanks Shane! NYC misses you!

Expand full comment

all going to plan, back next year for a trip!

Expand full comment

I walked to every WWTP in NYC and then walked through every neighborhood in the five boroughs. This makes me feel like I'm in good company.

There's also the guy who had a dollar slice at every dollar slice place and the guy who's walking every street (and pathway) in NYC.

Expand full comment

Cori, I had to google "WWTP" and the result was "Waste Water Treatment Plant." Is that actually the case? If so, we have GOT to talk!

Expand full comment

Yup. Newtown Creek does tours. Their Valentines Day tour tickets are a hot commodity. I'd be happy to chat. http://coricarl.com/#contact

Expand full comment

Oh wow! I am a Londoner and have never had a bagel with cream cheese! That sounds amazing! I really enjoyed your report and the couple's lovely smiles! Such a brilliant idea, someone should do something like that in all our big cities, sharing impressions and photos of course! Who needs expensive flights to exotic locations when you can learn so much about your own neighbourhood and eat traditional food? In London it would have to be Pie, Mash & Liquor if you can still find it among the fast food outlets!

Expand full comment

Thanks Frances! Now I am wondering what on earth is a Pie, Mash & Liquor...

Expand full comment

This makes me want to move to NYC and start walking. Just fabulous.

Expand full comment

Thank you Amy! I hope you can visit soon!

Expand full comment

I'm a Western New York native and spent a lot of time in NYC during my time at Bard College. It's truly the greatest city on Earth and I miss it.

Expand full comment

That is SO much walking - what a commitment! I get winded going for the mail. Also, I love her pretending to be a crazy prospective roommate. "Tell me about your carpet's ply count." 🤣🤣

Expand full comment

Arne't they fun? I love their playful approach to almost everything. And yet it's always backed up by a lot of discipline and rigor. Such a good combo!!!

Expand full comment

Amazing! But how does one run a textile studio, with employees, and walk 11 hours/day?? I'd really love to know!

Expand full comment

Eliza, thanks for your question. It made me reflect and realize I should have been more straightforward in how I reported this. Jessi told me in our initial interview that while Mike walked the entire 26.2 miles five days a week, she typically accompanied him three days a week.

I just got some additional details from Jessi on this. She told me: "I joined Mike three days a week, leaving me four days a week to work at the studio. I also have a small team of people that work for me and I was able to call, text, face time, etc while I was walking--typically I'd check in with my team first thing in the morning, once midday, and once close to the end of the day to keep on track with production. And I asked them to send me pictures at those three times too so I could catch any mistakes and give any notes necessary...t was definitely a lot and meant that I was typically walking 27-36 hours a week, working 30-50 hours a week, recording a podcast on the weekends and then cooking, eating, and sleeping with whatever free time was available."

I am going to update the story now to make sure all this is clear.

Thanks again for the prompt!

Expand full comment

Wow, thank you! Really helpful!

Expand full comment

Just insufferable

Expand full comment

Anne, I love this story! And I also need to know where the best bagel is. xoxo Anna

Expand full comment

Thanks Anna! The top-scoring bagel was HOT BAGELS aka P&C Bagels in Middle Village Queens. "Extra large bagel. Hefty like a river stone, oven fresh and warm." https://everythingiseverything.nyc/reviews/hot-bagels-p-and-c-bagels.

Expand full comment

Now I feel like I should walk there to get one or I don't deserve it!

Expand full comment

Did they wear their branded apparel while on the walks? If no, why not?

Expand full comment

Yes, they specifically designed some clothes just for their walks. I'll see if I can provide some deets in the next issue.

Expand full comment

love this story! I'm not a New York Citier but love bagels and crazy people... the fact they did something fun, healthy and made a few bucks was quite the bonus...

Expand full comment

"Bagels and Crazy People": —band name! I'm with you. It'd be great to live a whole life based on projects like this. So inspiring.

Expand full comment

Obsessed with this!

Expand full comment

I think there will be a lot more coming out of their walking project so I'll keep you updated. :)

Expand full comment

I’m

So

Hungry! 🥯

Expand full comment

HUNGRY FOR NFTS

Expand full comment

This was wonderful. I would guess OMRON would want to use them in their branding. I doubt any pedometer has gotten this much work. I loved that they take the SAME route 5X to get a flavor of the neighborhood. This seems so utterly positive.

Expand full comment

Thanks Mark! I had to look up OMRON, but yes. We talked about them putting ads on their pages or doing product endorsements. They're not really comfortable with that, but then they just got billed $1000 for their bagel site thanks to all the traffic it's getting. Which is making them rethink things a bit....

Expand full comment

btw I only knew omron from the picture

Expand full comment

I think in the early days I had one of those pedometers and it did not last long. It's such an unexpected story, a little bit bizarre, but ultimately heartwarming. When the story pivoted to NFTs I was dumbfounded. Great story!

Expand full comment

Wow! I love that they understand just how bizarre it is. And the NFT thing? So good.

Expand full comment

Right? An appreciation of the absurd is like an extra sense power. Some people gots it and some people don't.

Expand full comment