Gadiel goes solo and asks the question every single New Yorker is thinking: is dating in NYC a scam? He breaks down the real cost ($180 dinners, $19 cocktails, dates who post "self-care" instead of posting you), compares NYC women to LA women, explains the Dominican Sanky Panky phenomenon, and shares his honest hack for dating in the city without going broke. Plus: his reaction to the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting, the boomer who kept eating his salad, and why our nervous systems are completely fried in 2026.
In this solo episode, Gadiel tackles dating in New York City head-on. He opens with the economics of it — a first date in NYC runs around $180 on average, cocktails cost $19 each (you could buy the whole bottle for that price), and meanwhile she's posting "self-care" on her story and didn't even take a picture of you. He shares a dating horror story from LA where his date spent the entire dinner on her phone taking photos of the food but never once took a photo of him. Gadiel breaks down how millennials and Gen Z are ditching dating apps and opting for book clubs and in-person meetups instead. He talks about the cultural differences in dating — how Caribbean women in NYC are thoughtful and offer to Venmo you after a date (even though you say no), while LA women don't even say thank you. He shouts out NYC women in their late 30s and 40s who have careers, know what they want, and are holding it down. The conversation takes a turn into Dominican culture with the Sanky Panky phenomenon — men in the Dominican Republic who wait on beaches for American and European women to fall in love with them so they can get a visa. Gadiel shares a personal encounter with a Sanky Panky and breaks down why these guys speak four languages out of sheer determination to leave the island. He then reacts to the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting, the viral moment of a boomer casually eating his salad during the chaos, and reflects on the state of the world in 2026 — how our nervous systems are fried from constant bad news and how he's been journaling to recenter himself. He closes with love for New York City, gratitude for his audience, and a reminder that he's here every Wednesday. Timestamps: 00:00 — "$180 for a date and she posted 'self-care'" — dating in NYC is a scam 04:52 — NYC women are built different — Caribbean women vs. LA women 07:00 — Gen Z men are quitting dating & Sanky Pankys in DR 12:03 — The White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting & the boomer eating salad 18:48 — Journaling, nervous systems & why NYC is still the best city 🎥 Full video on YouTube: [LINK] Clips on TikTok & IG: @GadielDelOrbe New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe & leave a 5★ review! Business / booking: contact@gadieldelorbe.com