The "A Kink For Rat Killing" Edition
Criminal justice reform, Dolly Parton MetroCards, a new Roberta's, a car-free Grand Army Plaza, a history of the Veteran's Day parade, nine favorite fall sandwiches, and more
Today - Low: 65˚ High: 66˚
Rain throughout the day.
This weekend - Low: 38˚ High: 68˚
Thank you so much to Paige and Chana for contributing to The Briefly since the last edition!
• Now that Lee Zeldin is already thankfully fading from our memories, criminal justice reformers are ready to push Governor Hochul. They wisely waited until after the election to avoid giving Zeldin fuel to use against the governor. They are looking to ease parole restrictions on the elderly, overhaul the clemency process, enforce a ban on solitary confinement, and more. (Reuven Blau for The City)
• The city’s Human Resources Administration (HRA) failed to promptly process four of every ten food stamp applications during the 2022 fiscal year when the rate of timely processing plummeted from about 92 percent last year to just over 60 percent. There is nothing as cruel as offering to help and then dragging your feet in following through. (David Brand for City Limits)
• All four of this election's ballot measures passed, kicking in immediately. (Rachel Holliday Smith for The City)
• Attention: There are Dolly Parton MetroCards available. There are only 50,000 available at Penn Station, Herald Square, Grand Central, and Times Square subway stations. Or you could go to eBay for one at a $70 asking price. (Matt Troutman for Patch)
• The Department of Transportation is considering turning Brooklyn's Grand Army Plaza into a car-free space. The DOT is currently soliciting feedback, so we're in the early stages. The last Grand Army Plaza redesign was in 2011. (Stephen Nessen for Gothamist)
• Ideas for a traffic-free Grand Army Plaza have been around for years, like this one from 2007, before Prospect Park West was one-way, which removes a portion of the loop around the arch. I'm interested to see what eventually happens with the area because the current solution backs up down Union St, causing issues throughout that area of Park Slope. (Aaron Naparstek for Streetsblog, 2007)
• A look at how the newly passed climate change bill will affect the city. (Anna Rahmanan for Time Out)
• Data Visualization: Four charts show how Kathy Hochul didn't excite NYC. (Sam Rabiyah for The City)
• After all the bluster and commotion about it, Mayor Adams is shutting down his Randall's Island tent complex and moving the remaining residents into a hotel next week. (David Brand for City Limits)
• To fix "a crisis in the making for 40 years," according to the Sanitation Department commissioner, Mayor Adams is spending an additional $14.5 million on a trash cleanup effort, including hiring 200 additional sanitation workers. The money will go towards more trash cans in tourist areas, cleaning highways on and off ramps, fighting illegal dumping with new cameras, and some money will go towards Mayor Adams's assumed personal kink of murdering rats. (Elizabeth Kim and Michelle Bocanegra for Gothamist)
• Speaking of cleaning the city, more than a third of City Council members spent at least $1.7 million of their discretionary funds to boost local cleanup initiatives. In addition, the Sanitation Department's $1.9 billion budget included an additional $4.9 million for trash can service near bridges and parks. All these additional funds are all money spent before the mayor's new initiative. (Sophia Chang for Gothamist)
• A history of the New York City Veterans Day Parade. (Dana Schulz for 6sqft)
• A 5,000+-square-foot Roberta's Pizzeria is going to open near Penn Station. With this ridiculous expansion and locations in Williamsburg, Montauk, Los Angeles, Houston, Nashville, and Singapore, in addition to the original in Bushwick, does Roberta's get put in the same category as Grimaldi's? (Emma Orlow for Eater)
• Where to Go: Burger By Day. What to Order: The city's best new burger. (Scott Lynch for Hell Gate)
And so, television gurus, please consider this a plea by a humble news editor who is addicted to any sort of show depicting New York to find inspiration in our town once more. We look different than we did a decade ago, but we’re still oh-so-beautiful after all.
-Anna Rahmanan, Let me tell you—it's time for New York to make a television comeback for Time Out
• NYC has a Dungeon Master shortage. (Henry Solotaroff-Webber for Hell Gate)
• Clara Wu Tsai, founder of the Social Justice Fund and co-owner of the Brooklyn Nets, New York Liberty, and Barclays Center, just announced a plan to support BIPOC entrepreneurs in Brooklyn with BX-XL, a 10-week start-up accelerator program. (Angela Johnson for The Root)
• Three Rikers Island correction officers have been charged with what federal prosecutors call an “elaborate scheme” to steal taxpayer dollars by abusing their unlimited sick leave policy. (Samantha Max for Gothamist)
• Meanwhile, incarcerated New Yorkers have lost access to free electronic tablets. The reason given appears to be the city's lack of ability to negotiate a contract with a new provider before the last one expired, but this comes at a time when the Department of Corrections is already enforcing more restrictions on the incarcerated, making it hard not to feel this is somehow punitive. (Matt Katz for Gothamist)
• Pity the owners of $20 million+ co-ops who no longer use co-op board acceptance as a financial dick-measuring contest. (Kim Velsey for Curbed)
• The blood moon in Brooklyn, reviewed. (Esther Wang for Hell Gate)
• A new food hall in Williamsburg where a different food hall used to be. (Scott Lynch for Brooklyn Magazine)
• Saturday night at Slutty Vegan sounds like a good time. (Chris Crowley for Grub Street)
• The story of the yellow submarine in Coney Island, abandoned for over 40 years. (Kevin Walsh for Forgotten New York)
• Apartment Porn: A $7 million Soho townhouse with 3,950 square feet, original moldings and doors, three private outdoor spaces, sitting on property once owned by Aaron Burr, and more. (Michelle Cohen for 6sqft)
• A guide to Thanksgiving Takeout in Astoria. (James Delgenio for Give Me Astoria)
• Apartment Porn: A $3.5 million Red Hook townhouse with four beds, a private pool, a driveway, a roof terrace with outdoor cinema, and more. (Michelle Cohen for 6sqft)
• Nine favorite sandwiches for the fall. (Robert Sietsema for Eater)
• Seventeen places to watch the World Cup. (Aaron Ginsburg for 6sqft)
Most Clicked Links in the Last Edition:
Man Dresses Up as MTA Employee, Sets Up Shop at Busy Intersection For Several Weeks
Governors Island's winter village is back for the holidays next week
City Pet of the Week: Lucille!
It’s a 1-2 punch from Brian today, who also contributed this photo of Lucille, looking regal, enjoying the autumnal atmosphere in Forest Park. Send in your pet shots to thebriefly@gmail.com to be featured!
Hot Take: Roberta's is fine but undeserving of the hype.