The week numbers in the titles here remind us that we’ve reached the halfway point of the year. Well, close enough, anyway. I think this halfway point is a good time to take stock of the things I wanted to accomplish this year and make sure they are moving in the right direction—or at least some direction. In that spirit, I managed to knock a couple big things off the list this week. “Big” in the sense that they were blocking further progress, even if just mentally in some cases.

I attended an employer sponsored volunteer event in the park one day this week. We assembled some outdoor displays then did some weeding and mulching. I think this was my first time volunteering in the park that didn’t involve pulling up English ivy though. That, coupled with the great team made this one of the best events I’ve done.

It looks like we’re in for a heat wave next week. Stay cool out there if you’re on the East Coast.

Links

• The Pudding’s early history of U.S. restaurant dining via waxy.org
• Friday Video: A ‘Grand’ Grand Army Plaza
• Broadway’s Most Famous Restaurant Is About to Change Forever
  “The future for Sardi’s 70-something employees is unclear…”
• Seeking a gritty St. Marks at Search and Destroy
• NYC subway carried more late-night riders after Knicks title than on New Year’s Eve
• Is the city’s tap water as good as New Yorkers claim? We looked into it.
• Artificial intelligence firms are feasting on Manhattan office space
  Doesn’t this feel similar to the heady days of Silicon Alley???
• The Demoralization of The White-Collar Worker