fall fashion

What Do New York City Influencers Do All Day?

Seven of the city’s biggest boosters tell us their secrets.

Photo-Illustration: by the Cut; Photos courtesy the subjects.
Photo-Illustration: by the Cut; Photos courtesy the subjects.

New York City is now the place to be online. (Until now, Los Angeles and Atlanta have been the headquarters of the influencer internet.) Obviously, not every New Yorker is thrilled about their diners, dry cleaners, and dive bars serving as the latest TikTok backdrops. Content creators have attracted a little ire, but also gobs of followers, as they capitalize on the scenes of the city. We asked the rising class of New York City–based influencers, from the “Listen, I was born here” crowd to the “Which way is SoHo” new arrivals, about their realest days and nights of internet hustle.

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Audrey Peters, @theaudreypeters

Screen time per day on average: 8 hrs.

Residence: West Village studio.

Morning Beverage: “A triple shot of espresso from my Nespresso machine in one of my charismatic mugs. Each mug says something different.  Today was ‘Sexy.’”

Photo: Courtesy the subject

Morning Routine: “I have the hardest time waking up before 10 a.m. I always lie in my bed with my coffee for a good 30 minutes.”

Job: “Most people would perceive an influencer as someone who makes money by just posting pretty pictures and videos. Any savvy influencer would see their job as a sales position because that’s exactly what it is.”

Recently Seen at: The airport.

Today’s Receipts: “I had lunch with a client today, which was paid for; my boyfriend paid for dinner. In total, I spent $25 (dry cleaning).”

Transportation: “I hate cars and modes of transportation generally. I am a religious hot-girl walker. Hot-girl walking on average ten miles a day makes up for the fact I haven’t seen a gym since 2019.”

Photo: Courtesy the subject

Evening Plans: “Five p.m. happens to be when my audience is most engaged, so on weekdays, I am always home at five so I can post content without signal or Wi-Fi issues. Dinner with my boyfriend. We ordered Sugarfish sushi.”

Evening Routine: “I’m usually scrolling TikTok and Instagram, catching up on my ‘For You’ page, keeping up with trends.”

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Jae Gurley, @jaegurley

Screen time per day on average: 13 hrs.

Residence: “I just moved into a five-story walk-up in Harlem, and my bedroom is still giving construction site.”

Morning Beverage: “I don’t do coffee. I don’t do caffeine, period.”

Morning Routine: “The first thing I do is write down my dreams in my bougie-bitch handbook. After that, it’s a cold shower to shock me up, damp towel to wipe my face, then moisturizer and SPF.”

Job: “I basically just go to school full time while doing social media and creating content online, sponsored content online for brands. I was very grateful to build my platform during the pandemic when I lived with my parents.”

Recently Seen at: Out on the fire escape, Verde on Smith; 1 Hotel’s rooftop pool; Cafeteria; the Jane; Nordstrom Shoe Bar.

Today’s Receipts: Dry cleaning, $68.77; delivery orders (including ring light), $328.77; açai bowl, $8; caught in the rain, bought umbrellas, $20; train back home, $2.75; split bill at Via Carota, $83.61. Total: $729.41.

Photo: Courtesy the subject

Transportation: “I take the subway. Sometimes, if I have to wear a more feminine outfit, I’ll try to take a car just for safety. I attract a lot of unwanted attention, and it’s kind of scary.”

Evening Plans: “Tonight, I got dinner with my Realtor, Sere, at Via Carota. She’s helping buy my family a home in the city.”

Evening Routine: “At night is also when I’m most creative, so I vision-board; plan content for the next day; respond to comments, emails, and edit for brands. I usually try to wrap at about 2 a.m.”

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Meg Radice and Audrey Jongens (the VIP List), @theviplist

Screen time per day on average: MR: 9 hrs; AJ: 5 hrs.

Residence: Both live in studios in Fidi doorman buildings.

Morning Beverage:
MR: I get a grande iced shaken espresso with skim milk, one pump of caramel syrup, and an extra shot.
AJ: I get a grande iced shaken espresso with nonfat milk and add an extra espresso shot, so four total.

Morning Routine:
MR: Wake at 6:30, walk dog, run four miles, then go to the gym until 10 a.m. I eat whatever I want, zero restrictions. Food is my happiness.
AJ: Wake at sevenish, walk dog for a mile, then back home to work.

Photo: Courtesy the subject

Job: “We both do the VIP List full time” — the duo reviews restaurants, drinks, and rooftops in the city.

Recently Seen at: Via Carota, the Tribeca Whole Foods steam tables, Kyu, Oceans, About Time Coffee, Lafayette Grand Café and Bakery.

Today’s Receipts: Uber to Jue Lan Club, $25.15; Starbucks, $11.86; Hillstone dinner, $409.38; cab from Hillstone to the Maluma event in Williamsburg, $35.92; cab home from Maluma event, $30.89. Total: $513.17.

Transportation: “We used to take the subway all of the time but recently felt unsafe. Our usual mode of transportation is either walking, Citi Bike, or Uber at night.”

Evening Plans: “We got to Hillstone at 5:30 p.m. for dinner; we ordered a spread and weren’t that impressed. Took a cab to Williamsburg, because we had Maluma’s mezcal launch event that night.”

Evening Routine:
AJ: Dog walking, skin care, TikTok.
MR:  I will scroll on TikTok until I fall asleep. I literally watch TikTok more than TV.

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Brian Lindo, @briancantstop

Screen time per day on average: 8.5 hrs.

Residence: “Williamsburg one-bedroom doorman building with my girlfriend.”

Photo: Courtesy the subject

Morning Beverage: “My day typically starts with a Celsius, and then, after I work out, I switch to a coffee that I make at home with my Breville machine.”

Morning Routine: “Wake up at 5 a.m. First thing I do is chug water. The routine kicks off with daily devotion and prayer. Five minutes journal, meditate, and stretch. Then I head out for my workout class, Mile High Run.”

Job: “I make income through my job at Salesforce doing tech sales and sponsored posts with brands on my Instagram.”

Recently Seen at: 4 Charles Prime Rib, Cafe Spaghetti, Faicco’s, Wenwen, Funny Face Bakery, Session gyms.

Photo: Courtesy the subject

Today’s Receipts: Dinner for two people (“A lot of people think I’m getting everything for free, but for the most part we pay for our meals”), $120; Uber, $30; subway rides, $5.50. Total: $155.50.

Transportation: “I subway when I can but also use Citi Bike and Uber when it makes the most sense.”

Evening Plans: “Tuesdays are typically content nights, but my girlfriend and I treat it a bit more like a date night, so we are having fun. Dinner is at 5:30 at Bongos Lower East Side.”

Evening Routine: “Lay out my workout clothes, doing a little Instagram engagement from bed. I typically post on social media at 9:30 p.m. Then I’m usually hanging out with my girlfriend, casually scrolling on social media and sometimes reading.”

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Serena Kerrigan, @serenakerrigan

Screen time per day on average: 6 hrs.

Residence: One-bedroom apartment in the West Village. “I was conceived in this neighborhood — a line I use on every date.”

Morning Beverage: “Starbucks iced coffee, blonde roast, unsweetened with Califia Farms vanilla oat-milk creamer, a handful of ice, and one Splenda in my Simple Modern cup.”

Morning Routine: “I absolutely reach for my phone when I wake up. I’ve recently discovered that finance guys jog the West Side Highway around 7 a.m., which has served as great motivation to get my ass there. Then camera ready by 10 a.m.”

Job: “Most of my day is structured around running my dating and card-game business, Let’s Fucking Date. I try to make at least two TikToks a day, one on trend and another that’s original content.”

Recently Seen at: Sadelle’s, Sag Harbor, Ruschmeyers, the Surf Lodge, the middle of Greene Street.

Today’s Receipts: “Today was a big spend day because I’m buying costumes and props for a shoot this week. I’m buying a latex dominatrix outfit and a large-scale poster of the periodic table. I ordered a Sweetgreen salad between meetings.”

Transportation: “I must walk 10,000 steps a day. If I ever go missing, I’m actually probably just walking down Club West Side Highway. I recently Citi Biked to a date and was a little scared for my life. These legs are built for the runway.”

Photo: Courtesy the subject

Evening Plans: “At 5 p.m., I’m going over my calendar for the next day — I tell this to everyone: I live by my calendar. I FaceTimed with my mom, too. Tonight, I am going to dinner with Tefi and Charles Gross.”

Evening Routine: “Ending tonight like I do every night: with a Highline Wellness CBD gummy to chill out a bit, sending a text to my crush, and turning my phone on loud for the ka-ching notification from Shopify.”

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Dutch deCarvalho, @dutchdeccc

Screen time per day on average: 3.5 hrs.

Residence: Manhattan studio apartment. “This year, I finally got off the waiting list for an affordable apartment. I was on 196 wait lists and had been rejected four times before getting this apartment.”

Morning Beverage: “In the morning, I stick with a large glass of water!”

Photo: Courtesy the subject

Morning Routine: “I wake up around 7:30 a.m. Breakfast is two frozen waffles (toasted, obviously). I’ll also have some fruit usually. And my skin-care routine — the Ordinary Niacinamide and Innisfree sunscreen are my go-tos every morning.”

Job: “I’m a professional dancer and work freelance and dance with Amy Marshall Dance Company. I also work at a school part time as a specialist in pre-K to second grade, then nanny for a few different families.”

Recently Seen at: Bed, Bath & Beyond, Auntie Anne’s, Trader Joe’s, Aldi, a Rent Guidelines Board hearing.

Today’s Receipts: Subway/bus, $11; Dunkin’ iced green tea, $3.50; small grocery-shopping trip, $21; afternoon snack (muffin before work), $3; dinner from La Isla (arroz con pollo), $10 (plus leftovers). Total: $48.50.

Photo: Courtesy the subject

Transportation: “I pretty much walk or take the subway/bus everywhere. I never learned how to ride a bike, so you will not catch me on a Citi Bike.”

Evening Plans: “I’ve worked with this particular family the longest, and I’ve loved being able to see the child I take care of grow up! We spend time painting and playing with stickers. Bedtime is around 8 p.m., and the parents get back around midnight.”

Evening Routine: “I have to shower no matter how late it is. I do my skin-care routine. I have anxiety, and often it gets worse before bed — everything that happened in the day and everything that could happen the next day. I try not to scroll on my phone.”

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What Do New York City Influencers Do All Day?