The Case for Optimism and Beauty
Social media is an unlikely place to find truly positive and optimistic people. But occasionally you find one. Today’s example: the charming and determined Coby Lefkowitz, whose relentless optimism can only rub off on you.
Coby is a developer in New York state, and a prolific writer, poster and speaker on the value of beauty in the built environment. He’s written a book called “Building Optimism” and has a Substack by the same name. In his Substack, you can read more about his forthcoming project in Kingston, NY, and what all he’s trying to accomplish.
Coby and I discuss the role of optimism in a longer, healthier life, whether or not building beautifully is actually more expensive, and the intriguing benefits of thinking of your social media audience as just yourself and your Mom. Coby’s story is also a great example of how a young person can gain valuable experience working for someone else for a few years, grinding it out, and refining your skills before embarking on your own.
You can find Coby on X/Twitter here.
Find more content on The Messy City on Kevin’s Substack page.
Music notes: all songs by low standards, ca. 2010. Videos here. If you’d like a CD for low standards, message me and you can have one for only $5.
Intro: “Why Be Friends”
Outro: “Fairweather Friend”
Get full access to The Messy City at kevinklinkenberg.substack.com/subscribe
Available Results
Generated results are saved to the knowledge database for reuse and search.
Extract Knowledge
Pick what you want extracted first. Model, scope, and chapter options appear after a template is selected.
Transcript
The Messy City Podcast The Case for Optimism and Beauty 2 1× 0:00 Current time: 0:00 / Total time: -1:08:23 -1:08:23 Audio playback is not supported on your browser. Please upgrade. The Case for Optimism and Beauty Coby Lefkowitz talks about why developers, like him, should care about beauty Kevin Mar 31, 2026 2 Share Transcript Social media is an unlikely place to find truly positive and optimistic people. But occasionally you find one. Today’s example: the charming and determined Coby Lefkowitz, whose relentless optimism can only rub off on you. Coby is a developer in New York state, and a prolific writer, poster and speaker on the value of beauty in the built environment. He’s written a book called “Building Optimism” and has a Substack by the same name. In his Substack, you can read more about his forthcoming project in Kingston, NY , and what all he’s trying to accomplish. Coby and I discuss the role of optimism in a longer, healthier life , whether or not building beautifully is actually more expensive, and the intriguing benefits of thinking of your social media audience as just yourself and your Mom. Coby’s story is also a great example of how a young person can gain valuable experience working for someone else for a few years, grinding it out, and refining your skills before embarking on your own. You can find Coby on X/Twitter here . Find more content on The Messy City on Kevin’s Substack page . Music notes: all songs by low standards, ca. 2010. Videos here . If you’d like a CD for low standards, message me and you can have one for only $5. Intro: “ Why Be Friends ” Outro: “ Fairweather Friend ” Discussion about this episode Comments Restacks The Messy City Podcast Embracing change, uncertainty and local initiative for our cities and towns Embracing change, uncertainty and local initiative for our cities and towns Subscribe Listen on Substack App RSS Feed Appears in episode Kevin Recent Episodes Seeking Faith-Based Solutions to Housing 1 hr ago • Kevin You Can Just Do Things Apr 14 • Kevin Rowhouses for America Apr 7 • Kevin The Best Life Hack, Ever Mar 17 • Kevin Do our communities need better hardware or better software? Mar 3 • Kevin What is a Starter Home? Feb 10 • Kevin A Conversation with Ross Chapin Feb 2 • Kevin