No, it’s not a hair salon. It’s a living-room salon — an evening of ideas, music, and magic hosted in an Upper West Side apartment that’s equal parts art show, house concert, and gathering of the curious.

Please arrive on time — we’ll mingle for 20–30 minutes, grab a drink, find a seat, and then settle in. The night features 3–4 presenters, each with a 15–20 minute slot, with short breaks to stretch, snack, or tinkle between sets. Some are musicians, some give talks or demos, some invite a bit of participation — every salon has its own rhythm.

The full experience lasts about two hours. Please plan to stay for the entire program; every presenter deserves a full, present audience. This isn’t a “pop-in, pop-out” kind of thing — it’s a lean-back-and-listen, sip-something-sparkly, leave-feeling-inspired kind of night.

Attendance is free. We do, however, collect optional donations during the evening to help compensate our presenters, who generously share their time and talent. If you’re able, contributions via Venmo (@Salon4J) are appreciated. Link to Venmo here.

Anything that says: I read… but I also party.

Absolutely — as long as there’s room! Just have them RSVP directly so they get all the event details and reminders.

BYOB! But a small heads up: the living room rug is white. Is it shaggy and sexy? Yes. Is it allergic to red wine? Absolutely. So if you’re bringing a beverage, aim for clear or light-colored. The rug says thank you.

Living-room salons began in 15th-century Italy, when artists and thinkers realized the best ideas don’t happen in lecture halls—they happen in someone’s sitting room with a glass in hand. The tradition then moved to 17th-century Paris, where salonnières like Madame de Rambouillet shaped rooms of influence, and later to Gertrude Stein’s famously overfull living room in 1920s Montparnasse, where masterpieces and arguments shared the same couch. In Harlem, A’Lelia Walker’s “Dark Tower” extended the salon into a new cultural renaissance—joyous, dazzling, defiant. Salon 4J carries that lineage forward: an intentional gathering where curiosity matters more than credentials, and the living room is the laboratory.