One fateful afternoon in the Spring of 2004, Ian was playing football with a friend in Riverside Park when something—or someone—caught his eye. He turned his head to see a curly-haired girl he recognized from Hebrew school walking towards the field he always played on.

“Want to play with us?” he asked.

“Sure!” she answered with a confidence that surprised Ian. Impressed with her arm and speed, Ian quickly understood why Isabel carried herself with the swagger of an Upper West Side Dwyane Wade. They played together until it got dark (no one can remember who won…) and eventually went their separate ways, which, it turns out, weren’t too far apart. Isabel and Ian lived right across the street from each other.

When Ian got home, he told his mom about the fun afternoon he had. “Hey mom!” he exclaimed. “I met this great girl from Rodeph in the park! She knows how to throw a football!” That was the first time Ian experienced butterflies in his stomach and learned what it feels like to have a crush.

For the next 13 years, Isabel’s and Ian’s paths did not cross until one night—February 3, 2017—when their worlds collided for a second time. Ian was invited to a party at Amity Hall for the birthday of a high school friend who also happened to be one of Isabel’s best friends from The Town School. Before that evening’s festivities, Ian checked the Facebook event page (Chlo & Mer Turn 23!!) to see who would be attending. Isabel Feldman was marked “Going” and those butterflies from over a decade earlier suddenly started to flutter once again.

While chatting with a friend at the dimly lit bar, Ian saw those same curls from Riverside Park bouncing around the room and abruptly left his conversation to strike one up with his first crush.

An hours-long conversation ensued. Isabel and Ian exchanged phone numbers, and the night ended with a magical fist bump. (Seriously…?) The two exchanged some texts the following day but neither risked asking for a date until March 1, 2017, at 9:19pm, when Isabel sent Ian a message that she and her roommate had been crafting for four straight days: “Hi Ian! How’ve you been? Would love to hang out this weekend if you’re around.” This text was Ian’s first experience with what would become one of his favorite qualities about Isabel: Her ability to identify what she wants and to go for it.

On March 4, 2017, Isabel and Ian had their first date at MyMoon in Williamsburg, and Ianbel was officially born. What started as weekly dates quickly turned into most days of the week, especially after Isabel moved from Williamsburg to Midtown Manhattan, just four blocks from where Ian was living at the time. Ianbel spent the next two-plus years building a relationship strong enough to withstand three years of long distance while Isabel was buried in law books and a global pandemic. Upon graduating from law school, Isabel bolted home from Philadelphia, eager to bring Ianbel to the next level.

Ianbel moved back to Midtown Manhattan and into their first apartment together, swapping morning texts and evening FaceTimes for cozy morning coffees in bed and nightly cuddles. After nine months of living together, Ian could no longer wait. On May 6, 2023, at Kashkaval Garden—their go-to neighborhood spot—Ian asked Isabel to be Ianbel forever.

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