DISTRICT PROFILE: Song Chong

Name: Song Chong

Title: Gallery Director

Organization/Business: MILK GALLERY / MILK STUDIOS

Social: @foxyzola

What do you do, and how did you get here?

I curate and manage 8-10 photography exhibitions at the gallery. I worked at Magnum Photos before Rassi asked me to join the Milk team (an offer I couldn’t refuse – and the best decision of my life)! I also work as an adjunct professor of photography at NYU and Parsons.

What do you love about Meatpacking?

I love that the Meatpacking is a community and neighborhood within the larger cultural context of NYC.  I love the cobbled streets and the sense of industrial history here.

If you had 15 minutes, how will you spend it in the neighborhood?

I would eat lunch on the terrace of The Whitney!

If you had a few hours, how would you ideally spend the day?

I would have brunch at The Standard Grill, walk to The High Line, check out the show at Milk Gallery, and then have ice cream at Ronnybrook in Chelsea Market!

Where do you go to escape the crowds? People watch?

The Top of the Standard. At the Penthouse level of the hotel, there are great views of the neighborhood from every angle.

Where will you recommend for a great cocktail or bite?

I love to sit on The High line and people watch! You can also get a killer view of the sunset over the Hudson.

What’s your most memorable moment or experience in Meatpacking?

My most memorable moment was when we threw a Kendrick Lamar concert on the loading dock of Milk.

Of all the personalities you can think of (whether you know the person or not), whom would you want to grab a drink with?

I would love to have a drink with Adam Weinberg of The Whitney in the Milk penthouse terrace, watching the sunset with a good single malt scotch.

What should we know about you outside of work. Hobbies, life, that sort of thing?

I’m a California girl, so anything that takes me out to the mountains for a hike and a swim is how I recharge and rejuvenate. I love hiking with my 15 year old dog, Trixie. She looks like a little bear cub.  Take me to a lake, give me a great book and I am in heaven!  I also love to go on little adventures: road trips, getting lost in the MET, exploring parts of the city that I don’t usually hang out in.  That’s why I walk everywhere.  There’s nothing more romantic than walking around the city, at night, listening to Miles Davis.