WHERE ARE YOU FROM AND WHERE ARE YOU NOW?
I grew up on Long Island, and I moved to New York City to be an art major at NYU when I was 17. We live in SoHo now, and we’re lucky enough to have a place out in Amagansett so we spend a good amount of time there, too. So I guess I mostly live in my car.
WHAT DO YOU FOR WORK?
I work in a family business that my dad started building homes and communities in New York City, Long Island, and in the Carolinas. My favorite project of ours is a neighborhood we developed called Arverne by the Sea in the Rockaways in Queens. When we started it was a pretty dangerous crime-ridden area. We’ve since built over a thousand homes there, and a YMCA, A grocery store, and neighborhood retail including a bank, dry cleaner, surf shop, and a bunch of really good restaurants. The Rockaways is having a bit of a renaissance and it’s definitely in part because of our Arverne project, which is really gratifying to have been a part of.
Is being a new dad easier or harder than expected?
I can’t remember what I expected before to be honest, but I think it’s both. It’s hard because it’s a really abrupt lifestyle change. My life is all about her now and it’s never going back. But it’s also the most fun thing I’ve ever done, and the most gratifying. I’ve never loved anything close to as much as I love my daughter, and that makes the sacrifices seem pretty trite most of the time.
What was it like for you and your wife to be expecting a child during COVID?
It really gave us something to look forward to. No matter how dark things seemed in the world, we always knew that in a few months we were going to meet our daughter. That helped lighten the load.
WHAT ARE YOUR JS STAPLES?
I’d have to say my Thomas Crew tee shirt. It’s super soft and absorbent so you don’t notice any sweat (or tears from me and my daughter fighting sleep at 3AM). Also, I live in the Bowery Pants and Maddux Crew. I haven’t taken mine off in the 8 weeks since our daughter was born, but I don’t mind because they look great and they’re really comfortable.
