The latest NYC news digest: Vaccines available for group 1b, the best Thai restaurants, the High Line will be extended, Andrew Yang puts his foot in his mouth, and more
Today – Low: 32˚ High: 40˚
Partly cloudy throughout the day.
A list of who is eligible for the Covid-19 vaccine. Groups 1a and 1b are currently eligible. You can also call the vaccine hotline at 888-364-3065. (NYC.gov)
After failing to disburse more than half of the federal funding in a COVID-19 rent relief program, New York opened a new application window in order to hand out the remaining $60 million. The application closes at the end of January, so get moving. (Emily Lang for Gothamist)
Vice President for Manhattanville Development at Columbia University, Marcelo Velez, is accused of engaging in sex acts with a girl under the age of 13 inside his New Jersey home. (Jake Offenhartz for Gothamist)
"Sometimes you gotta say Heil Hitler" – Republican candidate for Staten Island Boro President Leticia Remauro is apologizing for accidentally saying the quiet part out loud during a video she posted online protesting the closure of Mac's Public House. (Chris Sommerfeldt and Cathy Burke for Daily News)
The NYPD's investigation into Deputy Inspector James F. Kobel, who oversaw the NYPD's Equal Employment Opportunity Division, was using a pseudonym online to hide his racist posts in a police officer message board. Kobel, a coward, filed for retirement last week. (William K. Rashbaum and Alan Feuer for NY Times)
Nicole Malliotakis' Bay Ridge office was greeted by hundreds of protesters over the weekend, showing her just how appreciated her opposition to certifying the election results is with her constituents. (Brian Braiker for Brooklyn Magazine)
An NYPD member is under investigation over accusations they participated in the attack on the Capitol. The mayor stated any city employee at the attack would be fired. (Matt Troutman for Patch)
William Pepe, a worker for Metro-North, "called out sick Wednesday to attend" the attack on the Capitol last week. He's been suspended without pay pending an investigation. (Jen Chung for Gothamist)
A look into the Home Alone group show at the ATM Gallery on Henry Street. (EV Grieve)
New York state is looking to enact a law that would fine food delivery apps for creating listings for restaurants without their written permission. GrubHub currently adds local restaurants without the restaurants' permission when they see local "demand." (Christopher Robins for Gothamist)
Lap dances, karaoke, and secret parties. The NYC speakeasies of Covid-19. (Mihir Zaveri for NY Times)
Real Estate Lust: Six bedrooms, a front porch, side porch, rear deck, a driveway, built-in 1899 $2.6 million house in Prospect Park South. (Dana Schulz for 6sqft)
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Queens Public Defenders are attempting to unionize and their management is calling them a "mob." (Sam Mellins for New York Focus, in partnership with The City)
Sammy Revelo, Retired NYPD Lieutenant, declared his candidacy for Bronx Boro President. (Nowrood News)
One advantage of having Community Board meetings virtually is that anyone can show up, like Chuck Schumer, who popped into a CB2 meeting on the day after the attack on the Capitol. Maybe he needed a break from everything happening that week. (Christian Murray for LIC Post)
Speaking of Chuck, here's what his future as Senate Majority leader means for NYC. (Jesse McKinley and Christina Goldbaum for NY Times)
Video: Meet Violet Brill, a 16-year-old urban forager. (Daniela Sirtori-Cortina for Bedford + Bowery)
Esquire's list "100 Restaurants American Can't Afford To Lose" includes 12 NYC restaurants, including Proto's Pizza, Keens, Bar Tabac, and nine more. (Matt Troutman for Patch)
Prismatica, an immersive art installation consisting of 25 rainbow-like prisms between 39th and 40th streets. The installation is by RAW Design in collaboration with ATOMIC3. (Will Gleason for Time Out)
A supervisor for the NYCHA certified an apartment lead-free, but it was never actually inspected. Now a child has lead poisoning. (Greg B. Smith for The City)
"We live in a two-bedroom apartment in Manhattan. And so, like, can you imagine trying to have two kids on virtual school in a two-bedroom apartment, and then trying to do work yourself?" –Andrew Yang actually gave that quote to the Times about spending most of his time outside of New York City while he's thinking about running for mayor of New York City. (Katie Glueck for NY Times)
14 hours later, Andrew Yang was on the defensive while all the other mayoral candidates saw an opportunity to pounce. (Katie Glueck for NY Times)
The city's Independent Budget Office says that jobs won't bounce back until at least 2024, but the state and city's budget hole initially predicted wouldn't be as bad as predicted. (Greg David for The City)
Dr. Fauci told the conference of the Association of Performing Arts Professionals that live concerts could return "some time in the fall of 2021," depending on reaching herd immunity. (Amanda Hatfield for BrooklynVegan)
"We are not going to achieve any levels of population immunity or herd immunity in 2021" -WHO's chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan. (Science Alert)
Interview Emily Gallagher started her term as a state assembly member representing the state's 50th district. (Julia Kott for Greenpointers)
"Why is New York spending so much money on giant waiting room/malls that all have nowhere to sit? And what does this say about how we've chosen to treat our public spaces and transit infrastructure? Must we make every public space so inhospitable to the people using it or can we find a better way?"
-Benjamin Kabak, Some thoughts on Moynihan Train Hall and designing public spaces with nowhere to sit, for Second Ave Sagas
The High Line will be extended to connect to the new Moynihan Train Hall. The $60 million project does not have an expected completion date yet. (Michelle Young for Untapped New York)
If you've got the bitcoin, you could be the new owner of Hellcat Annie's Tap Room and Scruffy Duffy's on Tenth Avenue. Two bars for 25 bitcoins, which works out to be about $862k. (Tanay Warerkar for Eater)
Every business is Schrödinger's cat during the pandemic. Despite rumors to the contrary, Economy Candy is still alive. (Elie Z. Perler for Bowery Boogie)
Sorry Upper West Side crafters, Michael's on Columbus Ave is closing. (Mike Mishkin for I Love the Upper West Side)
The governor's State of the State address (watch the 43-minute speech here) is an outline to "win" the Covid war, but not without a lot of help from Washington. (Jesse McKinley and Luis Ferré-Sadurní for NY Times)
Mayor de Blasio will likely be remembered for two terms of broken promises. In July he promised to accelerate his "affordable" high-speed internet plan for public housing and low-income areas hit hard by the pandemic. IT's been six months and the city has not made a single deal on the initiative the mayor has been talking about since 2013. (Reuven Blau for The City)
The best Thai restaurants in NYC, if you're ready. (Hannah Albertine, Nikko Duren, Bryan Kim, and Arden Shore for The Infatuation)
Thanks to reader Francesca for today's featured photo!
Author Rob BlattPosted on January 12, 2021 January 12, 2021 Categories Daily NYC News DigestTags Art, Bars, Bronx, Chuck Schumer, Columbia University, coronavirus, Economy Candy, Election, Food, High Line, Housing, Infrastructure, Jobs, Lead, Manhattan, Metro North, NYPD, Parks, Politics, Prospect Park, Queens, Rent, Restaurants, Vaccine, Vaccines
The Briefly for December 22 – 26, 2020 – The "Tracy Morgan is the Good Dude of 2020" Tuesday Edition
The latest NYC news digest: Coney Island's new coaster, 2020 most popular NYPL books, you don't love Christmas like this guy does, 19 cozy outdoor dining spots, and more
Possible drizzle in the morning.
Little Island, legal weed, the Open Culture program, and the 11 things we can actually look forward to in NYC in 2021. (Shaye Weaver for Time Out)
The NYPL's most popular books of 2020, which are very 2020 in their themes. (Shaye Weaver for Time Out)
Yeah, you might love Christmas, but not as much as "Frankie Christmas" whose back is adorned with a giant Santa tattoo under "Merry Christmas" and whose house is fully adorned for Christmas starting in September. (Stacie Joy for EV Grieve)
Tracy Morgan continues to be the good dude of the year, this time partnering with the Food Bank for New York City and Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson to give turkeys and toys to NYCHA residents of Highbridge Houses in the Bronx. (Jason Cohen for Bronx Times)
It's not doomsday, at least when it comes to the MTA. The $908 billion federal stimulus includes $4 billion for the MTA which avoids a doomsday scenario. Now, instead of being in a $12 billion hole, the MTA is in an $8 billion hole. Wait, this isn't doomsday? (Jake Offenhartz for Gothamist)
A look at what else NYC gets besides $600 each from the latest pandemic stimulus bill. (Matt Troutman for Patch)
A part of the bill was $15 billion for the Save Our Stages Act, which will go a long way to help venues and theaters by allowing them to apply for Small Business Administration grants to support six months of payments to employees, rent, utilities, and maintenance. Venues that have lost more than 90% of their revenue can apply first. (Elie Z Perler for Bowery Boogie)
A running list of Williamsburg & Greenpoint places closed for good during COVID-19, the latest addition to the list is The Diamond, which closes January 3. (Bill Pearis for BrooklynVegan)
The Classic Coffee Shop on Hester Street is closing on Christmas after forty years. This isn't a pandemic closure or an eviction, owner Carmine Morales decided to retire. (Elie Z. Perler for Bowery Boogie)
The Times looks at the 2021 mayor's race through the lens of hired political consultants, riding the subway, early contenders, failures in leadership, and ranked-choice voting. Yeah, but which contenders have ever had a drink at The Continental? (Emma G. Fitzsimmons and Jeffrey C Mays for NY Times)
360° Video: If you miss riding the subway, take a ride from Astoria to Bay Ridge. (ActionKid)
Video: The finished Surrogate's Courthouse skylight restoration project, which is absolutely stunning, and quite honestly might be one of the most beautiful interiors in the entire city. (Nicole Saraniero for Untapped New York)
Speaking of 2021, the "2021" numbers have arrived in Times Square, signaling an end to a cursed year. (Jen Carlson and Jen Chung for Gothamist)
The city plans to launch a mental health screening initiative for public school students, which will be in place by September and not whenever all students are allowed back inside school buildings. (David Cruz for Gothamist)
Coney Island is getting a new roller coaster called the Phoenix as a part of Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park. The coaster is expected to be built along W. 12th St between the Bowery and the boardwalk. (Brian Braiker for Brooklyn Magazine)
Apartment Lust: A $2.3 million, 2,000 square foot condo in Hudson Square with wood-beamed ceilings, brick walls, rustic wood floors, a terrace, and a completely updated kitchen. (Dana Schulz for 6sqft)
19 restaurants for cozy outdoor dining in Brooklyn. (Erika Adams for Eater)
Workers under 25 made up just 10 percent of the city's total workforce before the pandemic, holding 15 percent of the jobs in the hardest-hit service industries. As the Times headline goes, They're Young, Unemployed and Facing Bleak Prospects. Not a catchy chant, but it's the truth. (Winnie Hu for NY Times)
Dozens of judges are being forced to retire to close a pandemic budget gap and in response they're suing New York state, charging age discrimination. (Benjamin Weiser for NY Times)
Answering the question: What is a pied-à-terre? (Laura Vacsey for StreetEasy)
Why New Yorkers love New York. (Jen Carlson for Gothamist)
The 2020 NYC Christmas food guide. (Nikko Duren for The Infatuation)
Thanks to reader Alex for todays featured photo!
Author Rob BlattPosted on December 22, 2020 Categories Daily NYC News DigestTags Christmas, Coffee, Coney Island, Discrimination, Food, Hudson Square, Jobs, Legal Weed, Mental Health, MTA, Rent, Restaurants, Subway
The Briefly for November 15-16, 2020 – The "President of NYC Buses?" Sunday Edition
The latest NYC news digest: The city's new Covid-19 restrictions, the Brooklyn Cyclones are expanding, Pearl River Mark expands, a new RBG mural, and more
Rain in the evening and overnight.
The CDC updated its mask guidance to explicitly say that masks help prevent the spread of disease by protecting people in the mask wearer's vicinity, but wearing a mask will also help prevent you from contracting Covid-19. (Jen Chung for Gothamist)
The state is implementing new rules on the city in light of the rise in Covid-19 cases. Indoor and outdoor dining, along with gyms, will close at 10 pm and Indoor and outdoor gatherings in private will be limited to 10 people. These are the three vectors for spread, according to the state's contact tracers. (Dana Schulz for 6sqft)
The protected Crescent St bike lane in Astoria was finished last month to complaints from cyclists that it didn't provide adequate protection. This week, a scooter rider was killed by a delivery truck driver, making it the 205th person to be killed on city streets this year, up from 185 last year. (Julianne Cuba for Streetsblog)
Speaking of protected bike lanes, there has been a car parking in the 4th Ave protected bike lane in Brooklyn for at least four months. The protected bike lane is literally painted around this car. (Gersh Kuntzman for Streetsblog)
Interview: MTA Bus President Craig Cipriano on a fully electric fleet, what the MTA would do with funding from a Biden administration, and wait, there's a bus president? (Gersh Kuntzman for Streetsblog)
Where to pre-order Thanksgiving pies in NYC. (Hannah Albertine for The Infatuation)
The Congressional race for the 11th congressional district is over with Max Rose conceding to Nicole Malliotakis, who will go on to represent a portion of Brooklyn and all of Staten Island in the House of Representatives. (Nick Reisman for NY1)
While the Staten Island Yankees are dead, the Brooklyn Cyclones have received an upgrade from the Mets. The team will become a full-season High-A team, meaning more games in Coney Island from April through September. (Jim Dolan for The Brooklyn Home Reporter)
The city is set to launch a pilot program next year that will see healthcare professionals responding to people suffering a mental health crisis instead of the NYPD. The pilot will start in two yet to be named communities. (Joe Jurado for The Root)
Starting December 3 through March 4, you can catch a monthly light show projected onto the side of the Manhattan Bridge. The installations are part of the LIGHT YEAR project and will be viewable online because who the hell knows when this pandemic will ever end. (Shaye Weaver for Time Out)
The lawsuit seeking to expand indoor dining from 25% capacity to 50% capacity was thrown out. (Luke Fortney for Eater)
Photo: A new mural of Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the corner of 1st and 11th. This replaces the Shepard Fairey "Rise Above" mural. (@ellestreetart)
The top 100 albums of the year, from Williamsburg's Rough Trade. (Bill Pearis for BrooklynVegan)
Farewell to The Creek & The Cave, the comedy club in Long Island City open for 14 years, forced closed bt the pandemic. (Bill Pearis for BrooklynVegan)
On Tuesday I was worried about a cold being something worse and found out what all people looking to get tested have discovered, with the rise in cases in NYC, long lines for testing have returned. I tested negative. (Jake Offenhartz for Gothamist)
This is the same Staten Island that is now NYC's epicenter for Covid-19. Or as the Times puts it "Staten Island has bristled at coronavirus restrictions, but now has the highest positive test rate in the city," which is the most inappropriate use of the word "but" in the history of the Times. (Emma G. Fitzsimmons and Alexandra E. Petri for NY Times)
This week Dr. Anthony Fauci was honored by Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams for being a Covid-19 Hero. (Devin Gannon for 6sqft)
Inside the city's billion-dollar PPE bungle. (Greg B. Smith for The City)
Attention Upper West Siders with dogs: don't use the Museum of Natural History's fenced off as a dog toilet. The museum is adjacent to a dog run and across the street from Central Park. (I Love the Upper West Side)
No matter what side you land on in the Industry City rezoning, the debate over the plan's merits made clear that our Sunset Park community is in dire need of new housing — especially affordable units.
-Nelson Santana, Without Industry City rezoning, Sunset Parks needs affordable housing to stop displacement, for Brooklyn Paper
Marseille and Nizza in Hell's Kitchen are giving actors a break and allowing them to eat now and pay whenever they're able to again. (NY1)
Pearl River Mart is expanding beyond its original concept as a department store. The Pearl River Mart Foods is now open at the Chelsea Market, a market devoted to Ascian foods. (Roger Clark for NY1)
A look at the city's manufacturing industry and what businesses are doing to stay relevant and in NYC. (Greg David for The City)
"It is sad to see how deep this cowardice goes." -AOC on Republicans refusing to acknowledge Biden's victory. (Erin Durkin for Politico)
RIP Pearl Chin, founder of the Upper West Side's Knitty City. (Alex Vadukul for NY Times)
Two years after the Civilian Complaint Review Board announced that it would begin to investigate police sexual misconduct, the CCRB is starting the process again and seeking public comment on new rules that allow it to probe sexual misconduct claims against the NYPD. (Josefa Velasquez for The City)
The unmasking of "Clouseau" set us back, not only in the relationship between the NYPD and the community but within the department itself. The NYPD is one of the most diverse police departments in the country, with over 50 percent of its members being non-white. It should come as no surprise that members of the NYPD experience racism and sexism, just like the citizens they protect.
-Berby St. Fort and Eric Adams, a ranking member of the NYPD and the Brooklyn borough president, Time for NYPD to have a reckoning over equality within the ranks, for Brooklyn Paper
The restaurant rent crisis is continuing, with 88% of restaurants and bars unable to make rent in October. (Tanay Warerkar for Eater)
Brian Maiorana was ordered heled without bail for threatening violence against people celebrating the election results and also violating restrictions imposed against him as a registered sex offender. (Noah Singer for Brooklyn Eagle)
Where to eat in Williamsburg right now. (Eater)
Author Rob BlattPosted on November 15, 2020 Categories Daily NYC News DigestTags Bail, Bike Lanes, Brooklyn, City Hall, coronavirus, Dogs, Food, Healthcare, Jobs, Manhattan, MTA, NY1, NYPD, Racism, Restaurant, Rezoning, Streets, Thanksgiving, Williamsburg