Lives of the upper middle class and slightly famous

February 18, 2019 3:57 AM

Especially when I'm stressed out, I love the Sunday Routine section in the New York Times, about how upper middle class New Yorkers spend their relaxation time. Can you recommend similar media to me?

This question about self-soothing with apartment renovations reminded me that I do the same thing with the the Sunday Routine section in the New York Times. Can you recommend other, similar blogs / features / sites / videos / podcasts about the relaxation habits of the well-heeled intelligentsia?

- Unlike the other question, I'm open to video and audio material.
- I'd prefer that the media not be specifically didactic (Here are 10 relaxation techniques!) and instead show by example how people relax.
- I'm not as interested in how the super-rich or celebrities relax (through yacht-buying or whatever) and more in how the upper middle class does it.

posted by 3491again to Society & Culture (8 answers total)

The Observer has a running series called On My Radar that has noteworthy people sharing six of their cultural highlights. Not exactly their lifestyles, but sort of how they spend their time.
posted by sagwalla at 4:30 AM on February 18, 2019 [1 favorite]

I was just thinking that I would like this for MetaTalkTail hour!
posted by Miko at 7:17 AM on February 18, 2019

WaPo's D.C. Dream Day series.
posted by evoque at 8:07 AM on February 18, 2019 [1 favorite]

I really enjoy both the Week of Outfits and Beauty Uniform features on Cup of Jo. Ostensibly about fashion and beauty, respectively, but those topics often just serve as a lens for the subjects (mostly women, some slightly famous) to talk about their day to day lives. Plus, for many of the women featured, fashion and beauty are a form of self-care/relaxation.

Check out this most recent beauty regimen featuring a polar explorer. It's much more about her work and life than any beauty routine (although, super interesting to hear what moisturizer keeps her skin from flaking off in sub-zero temperatures!).

I also loved this one with Samin Nosrat of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat fame!
posted by lakemarie at 8:45 AM on February 18, 2019 [4 favorites]

Grub Street Diet is a diary of everything a well-heeled person ate in a week.
posted by TrarNoir at 12:53 PM on February 18, 2019 [1 favorite]

A site called "Nowness" (for some reason, I dunno) has short video clips of various artsy things, including a series called Rambling (here's Irvine Welsh wandering around Miami), and a series called My Place (here's Kelis showing off her pad), you might find them interesting.
posted by Bron at 6:31 AM on February 19, 2019

Seconding Grub Street which is so fun. They get really good people, who are usually very committed to the concept! Also Into The Gloss has a feature called Top Shelf that is basically this, except for beauty/skincare/wellness routines. A bit product-heavy though.

I'm also obsessed with Refinery29's Money Diaries. It's ostensibly about money but ends up being sort of a food and activity diary as well. They feature a wide range of incomes but you can pick and choose. Anonymous, but mostly millenial or slightly older women. Avoid the comments section unless you want to laugh at the pettiness.
posted by acidic at 1:46 PM on February 19, 2019

They are very extra, but some of the Style Profiles from goop.com could scratch that itch.
posted by BusyBusyBusy at 5:02 AM on March 3, 2019