Rachel Josar
Rachel Josar is the host and founder of They Had Fun, which you can read in newsletter form here. She has lived in New York City for 18 years and isn’t going anywhere. Don’t miss Rachel’s Recs here!
Describe your show in 10 words or less.
Stories about the most fun ever had in NYC.
Why are you the perfect host for this show?
Because I am completely, wildly, unabashedly obsessed with New York City. (also great at having fun)
If people haven’t listened yet, where should they start?
While every episode is my baby and I truly enjoy all of my guest's stories no matter the subject matter, a crowd-favorite episode that really led to a turning point in my understanding of my own show is, “Professional Baseball Players Take The 7 Train… with Jesse Sullivan”. (Ed. note: here’s mine!)
What do all the stories have in common?
It is wild how this idea I had for a show about basically people getting drunk, is so goddamn sentimental. Gotta love New Yorkers. Community, and loving the community you have here no matter which you’re in, is the number one throughline in pretty much every episode. And I never really saw that coming.
Based on the very little bit you learned about me in the story I told you, give me three Rachel’s Recs.
Gene’s- Amazing, old-school Italian restaurant in Greenwich Village that has a great bar and even better bartender, Franco.
Hotel Chelsea Spa- As a new mom, I think you’re due a little R & R. And the new spa at Hotel Chelsea is equal parts luxurious, deigned-minded, and reasonbably priced. Treat youself to some extra time in the sauna (and the lobby bar after)!
A walk through Midtown- I know, I know, Midtown? Riveting. But hear me out! You recently moved out of the city ( 🙁) and it had me thinking about if I had to leave the city. What would I want to do that would make me feel so New York? And just what the doctor prescribed is a long walk through Midtown alone. I’m personally a fan of the 50’s. Stroll through Le Grand Boucherie’s massive indoor, open to the public restaurant, sneak into a fancy building with Lichenstein on the walls, sit at the bar at the newly redone St. Regis, peruse Bergdorf’s, stop in at one of the cute little French or Italian spots to have al fresco lunch. I find that when I need to be revived, a good stroll through a dead Midtown on a Saturday usually does the trick.
If you could make another show, don’t worry about logistics (time and space don’t exist/you can bring someone back from the dead) or whether or not anyone can like it, your budget is $1M, what would it be?
Well, you said show, not podcast. So, this is my chance to say my dream is to turn some of the stories from They Had Fun into a short, episodic series. Think High Maintenance. Our premiere episode would actually the perfect place to start, and I can envision the entire episode in my head already. These stories are perfect to be shared in a visual episode form and if I had no budget, I’d shoot them all on the streets of New York and I’d direct them.
Who would be the best sponsor for They Had Fun?
Citi Bike is the most obvious answer. I’m trying! Citi Bike sponsor us!!
Thanks, Rachel!