City Living

‘Whispering Libraries’ broadcasts music and poetry from hidden outdoor speakers across Brooklyn

Photo by Ajay Suresh on Flickr

April 9, 2021

‘Whispering Libraries’ broadcasts music and poetry from hidden outdoor speakers across Brooklyn

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While the city's public libraries remain open for grab-and-go lobby service only, a new initiative brings poetry and literature right to you. The Brooklyn Public Library this month launched Whispering Libraries, an outdoor audio experience featuring a collection of oral histories, podcast excerpts, spoken word, and more, broadcast from hidden speakers at branches across the borough. The curated playlists can be heard up to five times per day at 10 select branches.
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NYC beaches will open for Memorial Day Weekend

Photo of Coney Island by Dan DeLuca on Flickr

April 7, 2021

NYC beaches will open for Memorial Day Weekend

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After a shortened season in 2020, New York City's public pools and beaches will open on time this summer, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Wednesday. All eight city beaches will open for the season starting Memorial Day Weekend on Saturday, May 29, with 48 outdoor pools welcoming swimmers beginning on June 26. Last year, beaches and pools did not open for swimming until July 1 and August 1, respectively, because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Find out more
Pop-up pools proposed for NYC’s open streets this summer

A “dumpster pool” opened on Park Avenue in 2010 as part of the city’s Summer Streets initiative, courtesy of NYC DOT on Flickr

April 7, 2021

Pop-up pools proposed for NYC’s open streets this summer

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Last year, New York City public beaches and pools did not open until July because of the coronavirus pandemic. This year, city comptroller and mayoral candidate Scott Stringer wants to make sure New Yorkers from all boroughs can enjoy the summer season by making pools, beaches, and the city's waterfront more accessible. In a proposal announced on Tuesday, Stringer called on the city to bring a series of pop-up pools to Open Streets and vacant lots in neighborhoods that lack green space.
More here
Mobile vaccine bus launches in New York City this week

Photo courtesy of NYC Mayor’s Office

April 6, 2021

Mobile vaccine bus launches in New York City this week

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As of today, all New Yorkers ages 16+ are eligible for the Covid-19 vaccine, and one of the ways the city is making the process easier is through a new mobile vaccine bus. The bus can administer 150-200 doses per day and will be focused on NYC's most vulnerable residents. To that end, during its first week, the bus will focus on vaccinating restaurant and delivery workers. Currently, the city's mobile vaccine fleet includes 20 vans.
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Vaccinations should come with meal, museum, and MetroCard vouchers, mayoral candidate proposes

Photo by Eden, Janine, and Jim on Flickr

April 6, 2021

Vaccinations should come with meal, museum, and MetroCard vouchers, mayoral candidate proposes

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New York City Comptroller and mayoral candidate Scott Stringer on Monday proposed a new way to give a "booster shot" to the city's economy. The program would give New Yorkers receiving a coronavirus vaccine shot "VaxPacks," a swag bag of vouchers for local businesses, cultural venues, and a two-trip MetroCard. Stringer said the initiative encourages vaccinations and supports small businesses, while also increasing subway and bus ridership, which has not yet recovered to pre-pandemic levels.
Details here
Transformative East Village drag nightclub Pyramid Club closes for good

Photo by Americasroof via Wikimedia Commons

April 2, 2021

Transformative East Village drag nightclub Pyramid Club closes for good

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After 42 years, the East Village's legendary Pyramid Club has closed permanently, as was first reported by EV Grieve. The club at 101 Avenue A is "credited with creating the East Village drag and gay scenes of the 1980s, launching a new politically-conscious form of drag performance art in the early 1980s," according to Andrew Berman of Village Preservation, and is the place where celebrated performers such as Lady Bunny and RuPaul got their start. The Pyramid Club has remained closed since the pandemic began, as nightclubs were never permitted to reopen until now, but the burden of the past year made the owners decide to shut down for good.
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New York launches digital COVID-19 vaccination pass as part of reopening effort

Photo courtesy of Governor Cuomo’s office

March 29, 2021

New York launches digital COVID-19 vaccination pass as part of reopening effort

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New York on Friday became the first state to officially launch a digital passport for the coronavirus, which involves a smartphone app that shows proof of an individual's vaccination or recent negative test. Developed in partnership with IBM, the "Excelsior Pass" is designed like a mobile airline boarding pass and is part of the state's plan to reopen businesses, entertainment venues, and wedding reception halls. Following a pilot program tested at a Brooklyn Nets game at the Barclays Center and at a New York Rangers game at Madison Square Garden earlier this year, the app will expand to smaller arts and culture venues and theaters on April 2, the same day live performances can return to New York.
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Broadway stars to perform in NYC rooftop concert series

Photo courtesy of TodayTix

March 26, 2021

Broadway stars to perform in NYC rooftop concert series

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Welcoming back the return of live performance in New York City is an outdoor concert series featuring Broadway stars. Next month, ticket-selling company TodayTix will host in-person performances by Lauren Patten and Derek Klena from Jagged Little Pill, Ana Villafañe from On Your Feet!, and The Lion King's Bradley Gibson on the rooftop of a Manhattan building. The shows mark one of the first live ticketed events to take place in the city after over a year.
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NYC’s ‘Open Culture’ program kicks off this weekend with outdoor performances

Mayor Bill de Blasio announces the opening of the Open Culture Program to allow live performances on designated streets. Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

March 19, 2021

NYC’s ‘Open Culture’ program kicks off this weekend with outdoor performances

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More than 100 streets in New York can become stages under the city's Open Culture program that launched this month. Modeled after the Open Streets and Open Restaurant initiatives that close some streets to cars and let restaurants set up creative outdoor dining seating, this new permit type allows ticketed, socially distanced performances, rehearsals, classes, and workshops to take place on blocks in every borough. Mayor Bill de Blasio this week said the first three performances under the program would take place on Friday, with events in Mott Haven, Williamsburg, and Harlem.
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We Remember: New Yorkers share stories of loss, light, and love during the COVID pandemic

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

March 11, 2021

We Remember: New Yorkers share stories of loss, light, and love during the COVID pandemic

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There's no way to describe this past year in words. We can list all the adjectives--painful, scary, hopeful, etc.--but no combination can truly articulate what it meant to be a New Yorker during the COVID-19 pandemic. This Sunday, the city will mark March 14--one year since NYC lost its first resident to the virus--with an official day of remembrance for the nearly 30,000 city residents who passed away. For our part, we decided to speak with our fellow New Yorkers and ask who or what they would like to remember on this somber anniversary. It might be someone they've lost, someone who did something heroic, or a larger group or event that played a role. And with these raw stories, we think we can describe this year, through all the feelings that can never be put into words.
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This website helps you find leftover vaccine doses

A vaccination site in Co-Op City in the Bronx. Photo by Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office.

March 10, 2021

This website helps you find leftover vaccine doses

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In early January, NY Post reporter Hannah Frishberg shared the story of how she received a leftover dose of the COVID-19 vaccine when she happened to be at a Brooklyn clinic at the end of the day. The healthcare worker who was scheduled to receive that dose missed her appointment, and therefore "It was my arm or the garbage," wrote Frishberg. Since then, leftover doses have become more and more sought after, with some New Yorkers lining up at sites from 7am in the hopes of getting lucky. And now, a new New York-based website called Dr. B allows you to sign up on a formal standby list to be notified when local providers find themselves with extra doses.
All the info here
New Yorkers who lost loved ones to COVID can pay tribute to them during city’s memorial on March 14

Photo by Norbert Kundrak on Unsplash

March 8, 2021

New Yorkers who lost loved ones to COVID can pay tribute to them during city’s memorial on March 14

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This Sunday, March 14 marks one year since the first resident of New York City died from the coronavirus. Earlier this year, Mayor Bill de Blasio said the date will be recognized as an official day of remembrance for the nearly 30,000 city residents who passed away from the virus. This week the mayor invited people to share the names and photographs of family, friends, and neighbors lost to COVID to possibly be featured as part of the city's online memorial taking place on March 14.
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Giving citizens a (virtual) voice: How NYC can strengthen public input post-pandemic

Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash

February 26, 2021

Giving citizens a (virtual) voice: How NYC can strengthen public input post-pandemic

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Nearly a year into the pandemic, decision-making in our cities has taken center stage. Locally grown proposals by council people, small business owners, and neighbors have proven the ability to cut through red tape and innovate quickly to solve problems. Outdoor dining structures and pedestrian-only streets were implemented at a rate thought impossible before. At the same time, top-down mandates about public safety and use of funds have been at best called into question, and at worst, completely fumbled. Slow action and political quibbles have left many critical decisions out of public hands. In the face of many more important decisions to come about our city, it is high time to address a challenge that has plagued us long before the pandemic — the lack of substantial public input into big decisions.
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New data estimates 6.2% of NYC COVID cases are the UK variant

COVID-19 testing site sat the Highbridge Recreation Center in Manhattan on Tuesday, May 19, 2020. Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office via Flickr

February 24, 2021

New data estimates 6.2% of NYC COVID cases are the UK variant

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A report released on Monday by the NYC Department of Health shows that 6.2 percent of new COVID cases in NYC are the  B.1.1.7 variant (more commonly known as the UK variant), an increase from 2.7 percent in January. The estimate is based on 45 identified variant cases of the 724 specimens sequenced the week of February 8-14. The week prior, it was actually 7.4 percent. On their website which has been updated to include data on variant cases, the NYC DOH says that the UK strain is "more transmissible than other variants and may cause more severe illness."
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Jerry Seinfeld, Fran Lebowitz among celebs making new COVID PSAs on the subway

Photo by Jenna Day on Unsplash

February 12, 2021

Jerry Seinfeld, Fran Lebowitz among celebs making new COVID PSAs on the subway

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Jerry Seinfeld, Edie Falco, Cam’ron, Debbie Mazar, Whoopie Goldberg, Fran Lebowitz--these are just a few of the 25 New York celebrities whose voices were recorded by the MTA for a new set of subway PSAs. The announcements, which begin today, are meant to bring humor and some good old-fashioned NYC swagger to the subway as the city begins its recovery. The project was done in collaboration with Nicolas Heller, a talent scout who has gained notoriety for his popular Instagram account New York Nico. "This was such a dream project and I wanna give a huge thanks to my team who helped make this whole thing happen in less than 6 weeks with $0," he wrote in a post today.
Hear some of the announcements
You can stay overnight at Bryant Park’s Winter Village this Valentine’s Day

All images courtesy of Booking.com

February 9, 2021

You can stay overnight at Bryant Park’s Winter Village this Valentine’s Day

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Travel company Booking.com is transforming Midtown's Bryant Park into a unique overnight experience this Valentine's Day. As part of its "Love Letters to America" campaign, the company is celebrating cities across the U.S. that have been hit hard by the coronavirus and inviting others to share adventures they are looking forward to once it's safe to travel again. As a tribute to the Big Apple, Booking.com has converted the Polar Lounge at the Bank of America Winter Village into an après ski-inspired chalet, available to book for two nights only on February 13 and February 14.
Details this way
Track the progress of NYC snow plows with this interactive map

Screenshot of PlowNYC

February 1, 2021

Track the progress of NYC snow plows with this interactive map

By
Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared on Monday a state of emergency for New York City and much of the state as Winter Storm Orlena continues to hit the area with heavy snowfall, over 50 mph winds, and white-out conditions. While many New Yorkers are already working from home, essential workers still have to get to work. With the city expected to get 16-22 inches of snow, the Department of Sanitation has updated its interactive PlowNYC map to see if and when your street has been plowed and salted.
See when your street was plowed last
MTA unveils digital memorial honoring over 100 transit workers lost to COVID-19

Photos courtesy of Marc A. Hermann/ MTA unless otherwise noted

January 25, 2021

MTA unveils digital memorial honoring over 100 transit workers lost to COVID-19

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The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Monday unveiled a memorial dedicated to the 136 employees who have died from the coronavirus since March. The tribute, named "Travels Far: A Memorial Honoring Our Colleagues Lost to COVID-19" after a poem by Tracy K. Smith commissioned for the project, includes an eight-minute video featuring photographs of the frontline MTA workers who lost their lives to the virus. The video will run on 138 three-panel digital screens at 107 subway stations across the city starting Monday.
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Vending machines selling at-home COVID tests are headed for NYC

Image courtesy of Wellness 4 Humanity

January 25, 2021

Vending machines selling at-home COVID tests are headed for NYC

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When the pandemic hit, health startup Wellness 4 Humanity pivoted its mission to aid in providing COVID-19 tests to the public. Unlike many other tests, theirs were all created to be taken at home, including the more standard saliva test, as well as a rapid test that gets results in 15 minutes. The Houston-based company has now broadened its reach with its vending machines, which will be selling at-home tests starting at $119 across cities nationwide. Here in New York City, the first machine is expected to pop up at the office building 225 West 34th Street, but W4H co-founder Pavel Stuchlik told 6sqft that we can expect more machines in easily accessible spots throughout the city.
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46th Street subway station turned into Joe Biden tribute

Photo by Adrian Wilson / @plannedalism

January 21, 2021

46th Street subway station turned into Joe Biden tribute

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Street artist Adrian Wilson decided to mark the momentousness of yesterday with a special NYC-themed tribute to our new President. At the 46th Street subway station in Astoria, he used stickers to change the "46th St" mosaic to read "46th Joe" with a change to the directional below to read "45th Out." In his Instagram post, Wilson wrote, "Total cost including 4 train rides, $12. Anyone could have done it. But I had to do it. For Joe."
Get the scoop
New York City’s tributes to Martin Luther King Jr.

Stanziola, P. (1964) Mayor Wagner greets Dr. & Mrs. Martin Luther King, Jr. at City Hall / World-Telegram & Sun photo by Phil Stanziola. 1964. [Photograph]; Courtesy of the Library of Congress

January 15, 2021

New York City’s tributes to Martin Luther King Jr.

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While some of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s most memorable moments of his career happened further South, like the Montgomery bus boycott and his "I Have a Dream" speech in Washington, support for his goals hailed first from advocacy organizations based in New York City, like the National Urban League. King held sermons at Riverside Church in Morningside Heights, led a march from Central Park to the United Nations in protest of the Vietnam War, and received a Medallion of Honor from Mayor Robert Wagner. As a way to honor King and his immense impact on the advancement of civil rights, the city has named streets, parks, playgrounds, and more after the icon. On MLK Day this Monday, celebrate by learning about memorials dedicated to him citywide.
Learn more about NYC's MLK memorials here
You can buy Gem Spa’s iconic storefront sign, egg cream machines

All photos courtesy of Gem Spa

January 4, 2021

You can buy Gem Spa’s iconic storefront sign, egg cream machines

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While you can no longer order an egg cream at Gem Spa in the East Village, which closed its doors for good in May, you can own a piece of the legendary institution. The landmark newsstand, which has been located on the corner of St. Marks Place and Second Avenue for a century, is auctioning off iconic memorabilia and signage from the store, including its bright yellow storefront sign, egg cream equipment, and gates with designs by the artist Paul Kostabi. The auction has been extended to January 7 at 10 p.m.
Details this way
NYC extends Open Storefronts program through next fall

Photo by ozgecan on Flickr

December 29, 2020

NYC extends Open Storefronts program through next fall

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New York City's Open Storefronts program, which allows small businesses to use outdoor space in front of their stores to sell goods, has been extended through the fall of next year. Mayor Bill de Blasio on Tuesday signed an executive order extending the program, which was originally expected to end December 31, through September 30, 2021. The program will also expand the number of restaurants and retail stores that can use sidewalks to sell take-out. "We think that's going to help them as they fight to survive in this environment," de Blasio said Tuesday.
Details here
The Village Voice is coming back next month

Photo (cropped) of the Village Voice’s Cooper Square offices by Ajay Suresh via Wikimedia Commons

December 23, 2020

The Village Voice is coming back next month

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In August of 2018, after 63 years as a NYC icon, The Village Voice folded. But in some good news for local journalism, the New York Times reports today that the Voice will "[rise] from the dead." Brian Calle, chief executive of Street Media which owns LA Weekly, has acquired the publication from its current owner Peter Barbey. Calle said he will start publishing online content next month, with a quarterly print edition set to launch in March. He also said he hopes to re-hire former Voice staffers.
More details here
Over 1,000 NYC chain stores have closed this past year, the biggest drop in a decade

Photo by Peter Burka on Flickr

December 23, 2020

Over 1,000 NYC chain stores have closed this past year, the biggest drop in a decade

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More than 1,000 chain stores in New York City have closed over the past year, the largest year-over-year decline in over a decade. According to the Center for an Urban Future's annual "State of the Chains" report, nearly one out of every seven chain retailers open at this time last year is now closed, due to the coronavirus pandemic coupled with the continued growth of e-commerce. Even Dunkin', the city's largest retailer, closed 18 locations in 2020, the first time the coffee chain experienced a decline since CUF began tracking chains 13 years ago.
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