Summit Coffee: A Relaxing Local Stop After Sullivan’s Island
After attending a recovery meeting on Sullivan’s Island, I wasn’t ready to head home. I wanted a locally owned coffee shop where I could write, use Wi-Fi, drink coffee, and have a small bite. Summit Coffee was nearby, open until 4 p.m., and checked all those boxes.
The parking lot is quite small, with one accessible space and perhaps four additional spots. Inside, I counted roughly eight tables and a long four-seat high-top overlooking Ben Sawyer Boulevard. Since I needed an outlet, the high-top was perfect. The air-conditioning was especially welcome on such a brutally hot and humid day.
The shop was clean, and the staff was friendly. This is what I remember a coffee shop being: a comfortable place to hang out, enjoy a drink, eat something small, and relax without trying to be everything to everyone.
I ordered a 16-ounce decaf Americano in a ceramic “stay” mug. It was good and served piping hot, so I let it cool while I worked. The self-service area had Stevia, Sugar in the Raw, stirrers, cup stoppers, and plastic utensils.
I also ordered a Nutella croissant. It was flaky and had just the right amount of Nutella—enough chocolate and hazelnut flavor without being overwhelming. There were a few other small food options. The closest thing to a sandwich was a bacon-and-cheddar biscuit. When I asked whether it contained egg, the answer was, “I imagine so.” Since I strongly dislike eggs—and because ingredient knowledge can matter for allergies and dietary restrictions—I would encourage the staff to become familiar with exactly what each item contains.
A slightly more substantial lunchtime option would also be a welcome addition. Overall, though, Summit Coffee is a super-cool neighborhood spot with good coffee, reliable Wi-Fi, friendly service, and a relaxed atmosphere. I would happily return.
Well, That Was Fast: I Got My First Hinge Match
Remember when I said the Tinder experiment was over and I had moved on to The Hinge?
Remember when I wondered how long it would take before I got a match?
Apparently, the answer was:
Not very long.
I woke up this morning and got a bit of a late start. No dialysis today, so there wasn't an alarm dragging me out of bed at an ungodly hour. I eventually got myself moving, checked my email, and there it was:
“Niel and Kelli, you matched!”
Wait.
WHAT?
I actually matched with someone?
On a dating app?
Already?
I was surprised.
I was amazed.
And against everything I've learned from online dating thus far, I was even a little...
Hopeful.
Her name is Kelli, and she's in Conway, South Carolina.
That's roughly an hour away from me.
Some people might look at that distance and say, “That's kind of far.”
I look at it and say:
I like to drive.
Problem solved.
But First, I Had Stuff to Do
Despite receiving this potentially historic notification, I didn't immediately drop everything and begin crafting the greatest opening line in the history of online dating.
I had things to do.
Also, let's establish something very important:
I don't spit mad game.
There was no:
"Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?"
No carefully researched pickup line.
No ChatGPT-generated Shakespearean sonnet about her eyes.
I eventually opened the conversation with:
“Hello Kelli! How are you coping with the stupid heat and humidity?”
Smooth?
Debatable.
Authentic?
Absolutely.
Because it is stupid hot and humid.
We're in South Carolina in August. You can walk outside for four minutes and somehow need another shower.
So rather than pretending I'm some suave dating-app Casanova, I went with something every person in South Carolina can currently agree upon:
Why is the air wet?
And now...
I wait.
This Is Where the Experiment Gets Interesting
The first hurdle has officially been cleared.
I got a match.
Now we move on to Phase Two of The Hinge Experiment.
Will Kelli respond?
Will we have an actual conversation?
Will we discover we have things in common?
Could there eventually be a drive to Conway—or somewhere in between—to actually meet another human being in person?
Or will the universe continue its recent tradition of using dating apps to teach me valuable lessons about cryptocurrency, WhatsApp, and international investment opportunities?
I don't know.
But right now, I'm choosing optimism.
A real match appeared.
I sent a completely normal message.
She's about an hour away.
I like driving.
And, most importantly, nobody has tried to sell me anything yet.
This is already progress.
Now we wait.
Pray with me, Forest. Pray with me.
Day 65: A Reset—But Not of the Clock
It's Day 65 since I originally requested Nextdoor's Home Insurance Insights study.
That clock isn't resetting.
What I'm getting at with a semi-reset is my approach.
I've written plenty. I've sent detailed emails. I've asked questions about communication, leadership, moderation, accountability, and most recently, whether my experience represents differential or discriminatory treatment.
Today, I stripped all of that away.
Simple. Short. To the point.
I sent Jacob Chavis an email requesting two things:
1. The Home Insurance Insights study I've been requesting for 65 days.
2. The full “How Neighbors Approach Financial Advising and Investing” study, which Nextdoor recently published and specifically tells readers to contact Jacob for additional detailed data.
That's it.
No lengthy explanation.
No 65-day history.
No commentary about Nirav Tolia, Sarah Leary, Communications, or Investor Relations.
Just two requests.
Now let's see what happens.
Maybe Jacob responds.
Even better, maybe I simply receive both studies, and we can finally put this particular question to rest.
If I don't?
Then the question I've recently raised about discrimination or differential treatment becomes even more interesting to me.
I'm not asserting that unlawful discrimination has occurred. Whether there is a viable legal claim—and whether any broader group has experienced comparable treatment—is something an attorney would need to evaluate based on the facts and applicable law.
So I'll put this out there:
Is there an attorney experienced in discrimination, corporate practices, consumer rights, or shareholder matters who finds this situation worth exploring?
Potentially even whether there's a broader pattern affecting others?
If an attorney believes the facts support an individual or class-action case and is willing to evaluate it on a contingency-fee basis, I'm open to a conversation and, if appropriate, serving as a lead plaintiff.
Reach out.
But I'd much rather have the simpler outcome.
Two studies requested.
One short email.
Let's see if Nextdoor responds.
The reset starts today.
The 65-day clock does not.
Full timeline at NielFlamm.com/blog.
✈️ New York This Weekend… Maybe. Mother Nature Has Entered the Chat.
This Saturday, I’m supposed to be flying to New York—LaGuardia (LGA), specifically—then heading over to Astoria, Queens for a yearly gathering.
Normally, I’d be excited.
It’s a nonstop flight, which already makes the trip significantly more appealing. No sprinting through Atlanta. No sitting in Charlotte wondering why my connecting flight has changed gates four times. Just get on the plane, land at LGA, and head into Queens.
And then there’s Queens itself.
The bagels. The pizza. The Greek food in Astoria. The seemingly endless supply of carbohydrates that somehow taste better once you cross into New York City.
I grew up in New York, so there’s also something familiar about going back. Even if the trip is short, there’s always a little nostalgia mixed in with the carbohydrates.
There is, however, one potential problem:
The weather.
Right now, Saturday is looking a little questionable, with about a 55% chance of rain throughout the day.
Now, I’m willing to travel for a good bagel.
I’m willing to travel for New York pizza.
I’m willing to tolerate LGA, traffic, questionable drivers, expensive everything, and the possibility that someone will honk at me for absolutely no reason.
What I’m not particularly interested in doing is flying all the way to Queens just to spend the day staring out of a hotel-room window watching rain fall.
I can sit inside and watch rain in South Carolina. It’s significantly cheaper.
Of course, weather forecasts several days out have approximately the same reliability as some dating profiles: interesting information, but I'm not making major life decisions based on them just yet.
So, for now, the trip is still on.
The suitcase isn't packed.
The bagel order hasn't been placed.
And I'm watching that forecast.
Will I be eating pizza in Astoria this weekend?
Or will I be sitting comfortably at home thinking about the money I saved by not flying to New York to watch it rain?
Stay tuned.
Is Nextdoor Discriminating Against Me?
After writing my other posts today, I came across something that changed the conversation.
Nextdoor published a new Insights report today:
New Nextdoor Insights Report: How Neighbors Approach Financial Advising and Investing
And at the bottom?
Nextdoor tells readers who want the full report with detailed data, additional audience segments, and strategic recommendations to contact Jacob Chavis, Customer Analytics & Insights Manager.
Yes.
This is the same Jacob Chavis I've been trying to get a study from for 64 days.
So I'm going to use a word I haven't used throughout this experience:
Discrimination.
To be clear, I'm not stating that Nextdoor has engaged in unlawful discrimination.
I'm asking whether I'm being treated differently, why, and whether that differential treatment could raise more serious questions.
For weeks, I've considered other explanations.
Maybe Jacob's responsibilities changed.
Maybe Nextdoor stopped publishing these studies.
Maybe Insights was on pause.
Maybe Jacob wasn't the appropriate contact anymore.
Today's publication makes those explanations much harder for me to reconcile.
Nextdoor is publicly saying:
Want detailed research? Contact Jacob Chavis.
Well...
I did.
Sixty-four days ago.
And again.
And again.
I've also contacted Nirav Tolia, Sarah Leary, Investor Relations, Communications, and others.
Still no substantive answer.
So I think it's fair to ask:
Am I specifically being treated differently?
And if I am:
Why?
Is it because I'm publicly critical of Nextdoor?
Because I'm a shareholder asking uncomfortable questions?
Because I've challenged its moderation model?
Because I've questioned leadership?
Has someone internally decided not to engage with me?
Or is there another explanation?
I don't know.
Different treatment doesn't automatically constitute unlawful discrimination. I'm not making that allegation.
But when Nextdoor publicly invites people to contact Jacob for detailed research, while my comparable request has remained unanswered for 64 days, I believe that asking about differential or discriminatory treatment is reasonable.
Let Me Play Devil's Advocate
Someone could look at my emails, posts, tags, comments, and follow-ups and say:
"Niel, maybe they think you're contacting them too much."
Fair question.
I'm persistent. I'm publicly documenting my experience and following up on this.
But persistence and criticism aren't automatically harassment.
I'm not threatening anyone. I'm not advocating violence. I'm not seeking anyone's private information. I'm asking questions about a publicly traded company, its leadership, policies, research, and my experience as a shareholder.
If Nextdoor believes my communications have crossed a boundary, please let me know.
"We're declining your request."
"Direct future inquiries here."
Even:
"We will not engage further."
That's still communication.
Instead, I'm left wondering whether Nextdoor has deliberately decided not to communicate with me.
And I'd ask every business, advertiser, news organization, government agency, and partner working with Nextdoor to consider something:
Today it's me. Could you eventually find yourself on the other side?
What happens when your experience doesn't match the corporate messaging?
What happens when you ask an uncomfortable question?
What happens when your company needs information Nextdoor publicly says is available—and suddenly nobody responds?
Partnerships aren't just about reach, impressions, WAU, and revenue.
They're also about the organization you choose to do business with and how it behaves when the conversation becomes uncomfortable.
So I'll ask Nextdoor directly:
Has Nextdoor decided not to respond specifically to me?
If yes, why?
If no, how does Nextdoor explain 64 days without a response while publicly directing others to Jacob Chavis for detailed research?
Earlier today, I was asking where Jacob was.
Then Nextdoor answered part of that question.
Apparently, he's exactly where I've been told to look all along.
Now I'd like Nextdoor to answer the rest.
Join the discussion at NielFlamm.com/blog. I'd genuinely like to hear your perspective.