What’s Happening: Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, and Patti Smith have joined legions of letter-writers entreating New York City Mayor Eric Adams to grant, in Smith’s words, a “stay of execution” to the beloved green space.

The Download: Almost dead-center in the middle of Downtown Manhattan is perhaps the unlikeliest place to stumble into the dreamlike reverie of a walled garden. Yet for nearly 25 years, the raised beds of wildflowers, verdant lawn, gravel walking paths, and sculptures from Elizabeth Street Gallery have offered just that to all manner of tourists, residents, schoolchildren, and visitors by way of Elizabeth Street Garden. The parcel of land the garden sits on has a nearly 200-year history as a space for public enrichment and later, recreation. That might come to an end as soon as Sept. 11, when the City of New York may make good on its plans to sell the land to developers, evicting and forever closing the garden in favor of an influx of luxury retail, temporarily affordable housing, and office space.

Efforts to save the garden have been ongoing (and thoroughly documented), with a new, desperate effort seeming to emerge with every passing day. The latest is a batch of letters written to Mayor Eric Adams by Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, and Patti Smith. In their letters, which were published on the garden’s Instagram page on Aug. 22, the trio make impassioned entreaties to Mayor Adams to halt its planned demolition. Their letters joined those penned earlier this summer by the first through fourth graders who frequent the garden as students of nearby P.S. 130, raising to him the issues of climate change, overdevelopment, and mental health that would ensue from its demolition.

In Their Own Words: Scorsese, who was raised in nearby Little Italy, wrote of the neighborhood’s “need of a beautiful, refreshing oasis,” while De Niro emphasized the value of “preserving the character of [our] neighborhoods,” their vital role in rebuilding downtown life in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and the insurmountable cultural loss the city faces if the garden is demolished. It was Smith, a longtime downtowner and keyholder to the city, who shone a light on the garden’s soul. She wrote of it as a “public sanctuary where art, nature, literature, and activism peacefully abide” in the presence of its “flourishing fig trees, flowers, and ivy,” as she pleaded with the Mayor to grant the green space “a stay of execution.”

Surface Says: Scorsese, for one, has had his hands full with cultural initiatives tied to New York City’s historic architecture. He and a slew of other industry names are buoying Ira Deutchman and Adeline Monzier’s efforts to revive the Upper West Side’s Metro Theater.

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In the age of experimental flavors, obscure ingredients, and elaborate presentations, the elegant simplicity of the Paloma is demure.

The exact details of its origin are disputed, but most agree the recipe gained popularity in the 1950s at Jalisco’s bare-bones watering hole La Capilla. Traditionally made with tequila, lime juice, and a splash of Squirt grapefruit soda, the highball is beloved by bartenders for its distinctly unfussy nature. While its conception is still in question, the Paloma’s newfound popularity beyond the borders of Mexico—from the toniest haunts in Mayfair to Ibiza’s chiringuitos to rooftop bars in L.A.—is undeniable. Anointed the “Cocktail of Summer” several years running, Maestro Dobel Tequila put their own stamp on the recipe.

Surface teamed up with the tequila brand to showcase its Ace Paloma cocktail in a new light—swapping its traditional highball glass for more eccentric vessels. Keep reading to see the humble summer staple’s luxurious makeover inside high-concept glassware.

Mister Jiu’s, the celebrated Cantonese restaurant in the heart of San Francisco’s Chinatown, has found a spiritual successor more than 2,300 miles away in Nashville newcomer Choy. Its founders Moni Advani and Nishaan Chavda are alumni of Brandon Jew’s Michelin-starred hotspot and tapped him to consult on their new Music City venture, where Art Deco influences and nods to 20th-century Shanghai coalesce in dramatic interiors by Carlton Edwards.

Seated among the sensational emerald banquettes and black marble bar, guests can look forward to Chinese cooking with regional flair by chef Brandon Griffith. Here, the former Mister Jiu’s sous chef dishes up compelling savories like pressed pig ear with Lanzhou chili and black vinegar, and a peking roast duck aged up to 17 days in a 10-spice blend. Wash it down with a cocktail brainstormed by Abe Vucekovich—we have our eye on the namesake House of Choy, in which bénédictine throws an unexpected punch—or a glass of old-world wine curated by advanced sommelier Justin Mueller.

From his perch on Prince Street and Broadway, Jean-Andre Antoine captures fleeting moments of everyday New Yorkers using long-discontinued instant film on a 1947 Crown Graphic camera. His subjects often keep their portraits, but the Harlem-born photographer occasionally holds onto polaroids with a powerful essence—the bright red durag makes this particular portrait pop.

Here, we ask an artist to frame the essential details behind a recent work.

Title of work: Street of Rouge (2021).

Where to see it: Fotografiska, New York, until Sept 29.

Three words to describe it: Glowing, love, strength.

What was on your mind at the time: His red durag seemed to glow as he walked down the block towards me, so I was captivated by that visual experience.

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Amagansett’s The Reform Club feels like a well-manicured family estate rather than a hotel: boasting seven suites and three cottages that dot the grounds and for larger groups, a private four-bedroom home, called 21 House. All guest rooms are white and airy yet welcoming year-round, while spread-out privacy does not come at the expense of location: Reform Club is mere minutes from Amagansett town. Guests can expect a stellar art collection, beach cruisers, in-room spa appointments, and a dedicated concierge.

Surface Says: There’s a reason the in-the-know flock to the picket-fence idyll of Amagansett’s Reform Club: its five-acre grounds and art-filled accommodations attract privacy-minded creatives seeking to balance fun and respite.

One TikToker has sparked a widespread cucumber shortage in Iceland.

Flubber IRL? This AI jelly can play—and gradually improve at—Pong.

Art schools have started increasingly integrating AI into studio courses.

From furniture to clothes and caskets, the rental economy is booming.