I can’t believe this is our 1,000th post. It seems like it was just yesterday I wrote my introduction post “Hello World”… I am not hyperlinking the post because it’s pretty terrible. Time sure does fly, and I never thought in a million years that I would be doing this full-time.

I had a tough time trying to figure out what I would put up for this huge milestone. 1000. Wow. In 2.5 years, we wrote 1000 articles which included interviews, events, top things to do, listicles; you name it. When people ask me if I will ever run out of things to write about, the answer is a big fat NO. Right now, sitting in the queue are over 30 articles, and we have a list of another 40 that we would like to get done by the end of next month.

For the past six months, we’ve been throwing many events, with the upcoming one Terminal of Terror being our biggest production yet. Suffice it to say; I almost missed this huge milestone. To be honest, writing this post became a daunting task. I have about three different versions sitting on my computer, one that talks about the ups and downs of the blogging world, another one that is just a bunch of venting about how hard it’s been to get to where I am, and then there is this one… I decided for this milestone to commemorate my most memorable blog posts and interviews.

Before I dive into this, I want to acknowledge the “village” it took to get to where I am. Without all my wonderful contributors and amazing team, I would not be where I am today. We’re all a family, and I am so grateful to call these people my team. We recently went for a fun and seriously cheesy team photo shoot at JCPenney! Stay tuned for all the pics haha. Here’s a taste:

Alright. Let’s do this shit.

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Favorite Concept Photo Shoot

One of my personal favorite photos and interview were taken at Virile Barbershop two years ago. This post was shot by photographer Greg Pallante. I absolutely loved the concept of being androgynous and really took on that character. There are some amazing photos in this post and I lowkey love dressing like a boy.

Read Virile Barbershop →

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Most Intense Interview

Till this day, the most intense and hardest interview I’ve ever done was the story of Keith Brennan, a Jersey City native who was abused as a child by two priests from his church. He invited me to his home in Bayonne that he shares with his lovely wife, Diane. I remember sitting there for about 2 hours listening to his whole life story. It was truly heartbreaking. It actually took me a few months to sit down and write the article. It was very hard to transcribe and re-live. Once it was published, I was so proud of how it turned out and I got a lot of accolades for putting this article out there.

Read Of God & Gucci →

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Most Monumental Interview

My interview with Mayor Steven Fulop was my most monumental. When I started the blog, my goal was to interview him for a blog post. A few months before ChicpeaJCturnsone I sent him an email and asked if he would agree to meet me for an interview. To my surprise, he said yes. It was so great to get to know him on a personal level. It was honestly one of my most favorite interviews, he was so personable, engaging and he really opened up! So much so the Jersey Journal wrote this article about the interview.

I am really happy he is running for Mayor again! I think maybe it’s time for a part 2!

Read Mayor Steven Fulop →

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Most Fun Interview

My interview with The Scully brothers at their vape shop stands out for some reason. I think it’s because we are friends, and when you interview people you are already comfortable with, things flow naturally. Also, Nabil did the photos, and he is also a homie! Add some vaping, and that is the perfect formula for a fun interview.

Read Seraphim Vape Shop →

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Sexiest Blog Post

I couldn’t choose one for this category because there are two that stand out as sexiest. The first one is the first collab post I did with the Big Hair Girls; I wore a sheer bodysuit with pasties… suffice to say it was controversial. My family wasn’t exactly pleased with the photos! Oh well, I love you guys, but I am not a teenager! The second sexiest was my collab with Taproot Organics, a special post for my birthday. We came together to make a soap “Party” which is made with Champagne and Hemp… When we met to discuss the interview and photo, shoot we decided that the only way you can really “sell” soap is with a shower scene. I recently got into really great shape, so it was really fun to show off my hard work! Andy Mac did an amazing job with the photos.

Read Taproot Organics →

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Best Cringeworthy Post

I wrote this post when I was still working in the corporate world. I’d go out with one of my colleagues during our lunch break to take my outfit of the day, and I’d write a quick intro. I don’t do this anymore. This post makes me cringe because the photos are awkward, it’s not very well-written, and it reminds me of a time where I would need to escape my office job.

Read Work Styles: Aztec and Flowers →

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Most Delicious Interview

This post sticks out the most, even though it’s been a while since I’ve been back. The food there is so comforting. It truly felt like a home-cooked meal. I still dream about the delicious chicken every day and also hugging Berta.

Read La Concha →

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Most Stylish Peep

Steven Santander is one of the most stylish people I know in Jersey City. He’s a renaissance man, which is a rare thing to see these days.

Read Steven Santander →

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Favorite Sponsored Post

This was my second time interviewing the owners of Hamilton Inn when they first opened their new BBQ spot, Hamilton Pork. Yes, this was a sponsored post, which I’m very thankful for, but enjoyed writing it and hanging out with the guys so much that I needed to include this article in the list. The food at Hamilton Pork is amazing. The weekend the article went up, they were fully packed, and all I saw were people on my feed eating there. I’d like to think that maybe, just maybe, this sponsored post helped. I, for one, went to eat there multiple times after the interview. I love the Gondevas brothers; they are awesome.

Read Hamilton Pork →

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Favorite Event Post

Aside from Chicpea Turns 2, my favorite event this year was the Forever Young Festival. It was amazing to be able to put together a full day outdoor event showcasing local Jersey City talent and businesses at The Pop Up in Liberty State Park. The Forever Young Festival represents everything that I am. The idea of being forever young and forever free was an amazing thing to celebrate. I’m really excited to plan this annual event and hopefully make it even bigger. Woodstock JC, maybe?

Read Forever Young Festival 2016 →

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Favorite Photo Shoot

Two years ago we did a whole week theme around my favorite vintage shop, Another Man’s Treasure. I got together with lady boss Meika, who is the owner of the shop, for a fun photo shoot at their warehouse and their store. For this one, we dressed up in Victorian-style dresses and took these amazing editorial photos. The photography was by Greg Pallante, who has an amazing eye. These pictures are definitely my favorite. It was so great to be transported to a different era.

Read Victorian Styles →

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Most Interesting Post

Ernie P is a legendary photographer. He documented the whole hip hop movement and has photographed every icon in the hip-hop world you can think of. Ernie P is also a very spiritual man, and spending a few hours with him was nothing but life-changing. This post is a MUST. Read it if you haven’t already!

Read Ernie Paniccioli: “The Photographer” →

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Most Inspiring Post

This goes to my recent interview with Pamela Johnson, the Executive Director of the Jersey City Anti-Violence Coalition. She is a real life angel, who doesn’t sit and complain behind a computer but is actually out there in our community making a real positive change. As soon as we met, we instantly connected, and I know it’s not the last time our paths will cross.

 

Read The Jersey City Anti-Violence Coalition Movement →

All Time Favorite

Technically not an interview, this post is my all-time favorite because the event was a monumental occasion in my blogging career. Seeing all these different people, from politicians to street artists to stylish peeps and business owners, all in one room celebrating the best of Jersey City was amazing. We worked hard for months to plan and throw this event, and we pulled off an amazing fashion show, which I was extremely proud of. This was a group effort, and I’m so thankful for everyone who made my vision a reality. I know I’m always going to look back at this post whenever I’m feeling discouraged. I re-read it every so often to remind myself of how far I’ve come in such a short amount of time.

Read ChicpeaJCturns2 Recap & Photos →