Lee Walker Helland
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Articles by Lee Walker Helland
Psychedelics have brought mysticism into modern medicine. Researchers are listening.
A collection of essays and videos on life’s biggest questions. Millions of Americans now use psychedelics, as mounting evidence suggests that substances like psilocybin, ketamine and ayahuasca may help alleviate depression and other mental health conditions. “Psychedelic medicine” is becoming increasingly mainstream, with pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly recently agreeing to acquire one such drug developer for up to $3.8 billion.
Widening the frame: Indigenous land rights and the future of climate policy
History and SocietyBusiness StrategySocial MovementsEnvironmental GovernanceClimate Policy Made in partnership with the Skoll Foundation. A woman stands at the edge of the Amazon Rainforest. Behind her, an explosion of life — thousands of animal species, billions of trees, lush canopy. Ahead, another kind: Humanity. People from every corner of the Earth fill the city of Belém, Brazil. It’s a sea of color, music, and emotion as they dance and stomp across asphalt, past highrises in the hot, humid air.
Can art and creativity change our future?
The Secrets of Unreasonable Hospitality Will Guidara Restaurateur and Author, Unreasonable Hospitality
What happens when we admit we don't know?
The Secrets of Unreasonable Hospitality Will Guidara Restaurateur and Author, Unreasonable Hospitality
Is the universe conscious? Panpsychism, religion, and the modern search for meaning
The most surprising and impactful new stories delivered to your inbox every week, for free. For much of the past century, science seemed to be winning the story of reality. Between 2010 and 2020, the number of people with no religious affiliation grew by more than 270 million — nearly a quarter of humanity, according to Pew Research Center. Many of these so-called “nones” look to science alone to tell them what is real.
Social media supercharged our disagreements. Could AI help us resolve them?
The most surprising and impactful new stories delivered to your inbox every week, for free. Big question: What will AI mean for how humans communicate with one another? We’re only beginning to glimpse the answer.
This company throws $30 mystery concerts around NYC, so I tried it
Live music used to seem easier: I basically just stumbled into a bar or club and counted on someone screaming into the mic. In New York City, this was a viable way to support artists. Things work differently now, if they work at all. Due to a confluence of factors — among them, lots of NYC’s indie venues have closed, and I don’t trip around the Lower East Side or Brooklyn like I used to — it can feel impossible to just go and catch a show.
Sandwiches in NYC have become enormous and too big to eat. So I tried some.
As far as enduring New York City icons go, sky-high sandwiches are right up there with pizza, the Statue of Liberty, rats and Carrie Bradshaw. And right now, they’re having a major moment.
Is It Time to Start Planning for Quantum Data Centers? - Area Development
Hardly a day goes by that we’re not absorbed in artificial intelligence news. Unprecedented product launches, enormous data center projects, and concerns around the tech’s energy consumption and sustainability dominate tech headlines. But meanwhile, a smaller and quieter narrative about the future of data processing is quickly gaining volume and momentum.
NYC clubs are throwing parties for Millennials and Gen Xers with bedtimes, so I tried it
As a mid-40s working parent with a long list of priorities that come before partying, lately I’ve been wondering if New York City nightlife will ever feel like mine again. Pursuing the answer to this question is how I recently ended up at one of Manhattan’s trendiest clubs in sweatpants (no, definitely not the chic kind). Why I wanted to try nightlife again I have warm memories of wild nights in the East Village and Lower East Side circa 2005.
NYC's 'Squid Game: The Experience' vows to test your nerves, so I tried it
Getting harassed by an actor in costume isn't unheard of in Midtown, but paying to be screamed at by New York City’s theatrical talents is less common. Yet that’s where I found myself last Thursday night: willingly stripped of my name, reduced to a number on my wrist, and obedient as a cast member named Jonathan barked orders.
Top of the Rock has a new ride that gently soars into the sky and rotates, so I tried it
As much as I enjoy the New York of the sky, I’ve never actually visited Top of the Rock: It’s one of those things you always plan to get to someday, but put off because “it’ll always be there.” On Tuesday, Rockefeller Center opened a new attraction, called Skylift, for guests at Top of the Rock ($40-$61).
A new book looks at nannying for the uber-wealthy while trying to ‘make it’ in NYC
It’s hard to pinpoint my “rock bottom” as a young writer trying to survive in New York City. There was the sunny Fort Greene apartment I had high hopes for — but I failed to consider that it was above Mo’s, a very cool bar that favored extremely loud music seven nights a week. I developed anxiety disorder and broke the lease. Or was my low point that time in Jackson Heights, when a city bus blared the horn behind a double-parked car for an hour while my husband and I tried to put our baby to bed?
Can you take a day trip to the Hamptons? And should you? I tried it.
As a “beach person,” my first few years living in New York City were sometimes tough. Although the coast is right there, it can seem so hard to get to. I started reserving Sundays for spots like Jacob Riis and Rockaway, but the thick crowds made me miss the sparsely populated Mid-Atlantic beaches of my childhood.
Sober parties have been popping up around NYC, so I tried one
Lately, drinking alcohol makes me feel old. I don’t just mean that my hangovers last longer, or that it takes less booze for me to feel slow the next day — though both have occasionally proven true since I turned 40. I mean that drinking alcohol now seems uncool. It has gone the way of side parts and skinny jeans: Young people don’t do it anymore. A 2023 analysis from Gallup found that only 62% of folks aged 18 to 34 ever drink (like, ever), compared to 72% of that age group 20 years ago.
I tried it: A $200 luxury bus to the Hamptons that serves wine while you sit in traffic
While I know people who summer in the Hamptons, I haven’t actually visited. The place has never felt accessible to me, and high-profile modes of transport seem to reinforce the notion that I'm not a fit: Some wealthy folks hire private jets for a few hundred thousand dollars a year.
Dinner reservations at Tatiana are ‘impossible’ to get, so I spent a month trying
Dinner reservations have never been straightforward in New York City: The wealthiest and most powerful will always get access to dine where others can’t. But in the past year, the exclusivity has achieved new heights. While it seems like there have never been more ways to book a reservation, it also seems like the chances of snagging a table at the most sought-after spots have never been lower.
Why is everything in New York City an ‘experience’?
As I walked through the Oculus with my family a few weeks ago, we happened upon Winter Whirl, a snowy-themed roller rink offering 45-minute “holiday skating experiences” at $30 a pop. The rink was flanked by glimmering faux evergreens, and a big shiny “snowman” stood in the center. I guess the ambiance was what justified billing this as an experience. But the space for the actual activity, roller skating, was comically small.
I tried it! A 'lymphatic drainage' massage meant to de-puff my face and define my features
If you’ve consumed beauty and wellness content on social media lately — and if the answer is “no,” you have my full respect — maybe you’ve been exposed to the #lymphaticdrainage craze.
I walked around suburban New Jersey with a weighted vest
I was recently fed a TikTok of a lady cleaning her floor with a Swiffer. Although the algorithm baffles me every day, this was a new one. Then I read the caption: “I am obsessed with my weighted vest and I truly feel like this is great for at-home workouts or doing chores around the house.” Ah, fitness content. Now it made more sense.
People are losing it over this $10 hot chocolate on the Upper East Side, so I tried it.
A central question I have about viral New York City food trends is: Are they essentially good, or bad? They’re a financial boon for the businesses whose offerings go viral, of course. But what about eaters and food culture on the whole? Can indulging whatever algorithm that fed me the "Suprême" croissant or raclette sandwich enrich my life, or will it just deaden my own sense of what’s worth tasting? Basically: Am I lame for wanting to try the s’mores hot chocolate that TikTok is obsessing over?
News For New Yorkers
Featured Food Stories Latest Food Articles Chef Trevor Lombaer and his wife Sutathip Aiemsaard are getting rave reviews for their Thai-American cafe Little Grenjai. Chef Farideh Sadeghin sampled hoppers, chicken lamprais, kothu roti, and more in Staten Island’s “Little Sri Lanka” neighborhood.
A raclette sandwich made from a melty cheese wheel is going viral. So I tried it.
A few weeks ago I did a deep dive on fun and affordable activities around New York City this winter. I couldn’t stop thinking about raclette: A hot, bubbly cheese that's scraped from a giant wheel and served on a baguette. It's available in the Bryant Park and Union Square holiday markets this month thanks to Wisconsin-based vendor Baked Cheese Haus. Why I wanted to try the raclette sandwich With the aid of social media algorithms, my mind continually returned to the oozy treat.
23 fun and affordable things to do in NYC this winter
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23 fun and affordable things to do in NYC this winter
Winter is coming. The days are getting colder and shorter, and many New Yorkers are about to get crankier. But you don’t have to. The upside of winter in New York City is that there’s something for just about everyone. Here’s a roundup of options for NYC fun this season, whether you prefer to hang indoors or out — or both! Try the raclette sandwich that's gone viral. A traditional Swiss dish, raclette is caramelized cheese scraped from a giant wheel, typically onto potatoes.
23 fun and affordable things to do in NYC this winter
23 fun and affordable things to do in NYC this winter Winter is coming. The days are getting colder and shorter, and many New Yorkers are about to get crankier. But you don’t have to. The upside of winter …
I tried it: NYC's hottest (but potentially risky) new manicure
I’ll admit that I ignore the majority of new beauty hacks, grooming tips and “It Girl” products. It took me 20 years of practice to draw a natural-looking eyebrow… so why turn to stencils now? And do I really have the energy for more facial dew? Still, I recently tried out a nail trend that’s suddenly everywhere in New York City: the Russian manicure.
13 fall drinks from NYC coffee shops that aren’t Pumpkin Spice Lattes
The Pumpkin Spice Latte — or “PSL,” as it’s called for short — was created by Starbucks and celebrates its 20th anniversary this fall. Thus we enter a third decade of polarization — some people love these limited-time beverages, while others hate the flavor and/or the basic attitude it stands for. But why only pumpkin spice? Fall, perhaps more than any season, is full of strong aromas, and New York City’s coffee shops have bountiful options to make you feel like you're sipping leaf-peeping.
15 fun things to do in NYC this fall that won’t break the bank
Fall is when New Yorkers finally reunite after dispersing for the summer and get serious about what the city is known for: culture, fun, community and a surfeit of pumpkin-flavored things. After having some time and space to process the pandemic against the backdrop of the ongoing writers' strike and the increasing presence of AI, New Yorkers are hungry for the type of raw, vulnerable and passionate art that only humans can make. And as always, New York delivers.
I tried it: A viral Hot Cheetos burrito in Ditmas Park
Welcome to ‘I tried it!’ an ongoing series in which our reporters try novel or trendy experiences in New York — so you can decide if you want to. A couple months ago, I stumbled upon a TikTok that stopped my swiping thumb in its tracks. “This is a Hot Cheetos Crunch Wrap,” opens the reel, quickly cutting to a close-up of what looks like a giant, outrageously overstuffed quesadilla as it splits — very, very gooily — to reveal neon-pink Cheetos stuffed among meat and cheese.
A robot in Greenpoint made my coffee because why not
Welcome to ‘I tried it,’ an ongoing series in which our reporters try novel or trendy experiences in New York — so you can decide if you want to. On a hot afternoon in mid-July, I walked into Botbar on Manhattan Avenue in Greenpoint to watch a controversial robot make me some coffee. What made me want to try Botbar It's safe to say we’ve all become accustomed to computers doing things for us.
Rent in NYC is really high. Here are 15 ideas that could help you get a deal.
As of May 2023, the median rent in Manhattan is now $4,500. That's an increase of 7% over 12 months prior, according to a Corcoran report – an all-time high and the steepest in the country. And if you’ve done any apartment hunting in the past couple of years, you may have PTSD: Bidding wars and lines around the block just to see a unit have become commonplace.
I tried it! Willingly freezing my buns off to reduce muscle soreness and anxiety
Welcome to ‘I tried it!’ a series where our reporters try new and trending experiences in New York — so you can decide if you want to. As I approached Kollectiv, a wellness spa on East First Street in NoHo, there was a vague waddle in my stride. I’d signed up to try whole-body cryotherapy — “WBC” for short — rumored to be a magic bullet for exercise-induced pain, joint inflammation, and even depression and anxiety.
I tried it! Standing in an hourlong line for the Suprême croissant
Welcome to ‘I tried it!,’ a new series where our reporters try new or trendy experiences in New York — so you can decide if you want to. Combine sweet pastries, TikTok, and actual scarcity and you have yourself a recipe for a New York City food sensation.
I tried it! An NYC yoga class with a soundscape to 'mimic the grounding vibrations of the earth’
Welcome to ‘I tried it,’ a new series where our reporters try novel or trendy experiences in New York — so you can decide if you want to. I'm not sure if it’s my entry into middle age, the relentless shuttling of my three kids, or my confusing position as a Gen X-Millennial cusper, but lately I find myself much more open to unconventional ways of releasing the pressure — i.e.: fully game for the woo-woo.
Articles by Lee Walker Helland
Lee Walker Helland Articles by Lee Walker Helland Humming Puppy is a Chelsea yoga studio whose group classes feature a custom audio experience called “The Hum.” Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
35 lessons from Precision Nutrition’s most successful clients. Advice on how to get in your best shape from people who’ve done it.
Tired of so-called “experts” telling you how to eat better and improve your fitness? If so, this article is your antidote. In it we share 35 tips, ideas, and strategies that actual clients — folks like you — have used to get into the best shape of their lives. +++ Imagine a life where you… …feel physically and mentally strong, capable of taking on any challenge without worrying that your energy levels or body weight will get in the way.
Which Rest Is Best?
If you’ve wondered what circumstances call for “active rest” (taking it easy while still moving) versus “static rest” (stopping completely) between sets, let us clear something up right now; static rest is never the ideal choice. For that 60- to 90-minute period while you’re working out, the only reason you should come to a full and complete stop would be an emergency situation (as in, you're about to pass out). That said, there’s so much more to your rests than simply resting.
A case for low-intensity cardio
You’re already well aware that incorporating intervals into your training gives you the most bang for your workout-buck. High-intensity interval training, or HIIT—alternating between powerful, limit-pushing bursts and slowed-down recovery periods—has been shown to rev your calorie burn, boost fat reduction, increase strength and muscle mass and more.
MNN: The Place for Independent Coverage and Analysis of the 2014 Elections
If you know MNN, you know we're more dedicated than ever to bringing New York City voters unprecedented coverage of the elections and civic issues that shape all of our lives. That's why we've got unbeatable coverage planned for the November 4th elections.
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