The Briefly for April 24, 2019 – The "14th Street Will Be Closed to Cars" Edition

The design for the Shirley Chisholm statue at Prospect Park has been selected. Artists Amanda Williams and Olalekan Jeyifous's design is the first of five She Built NYC monuments announced. (Women.nyc)

Finally, some decision about 14th St during the L Train Slowdown. Starting in June, 14th St will be closed to traffic from 3rd Ave to 9th Ave. In addition to 14h St, the bike lanes on 12th and 13th will be made permanent. Maybe this is in hopes of softening the blow of just how rough it will get for commuters. The MTA is already warning that even if you allocate extra time to your journey on the L train once the Slowdown takes hold, you probably won't make it on the first train anyway. (amNY)

Federal immigration trial attorneys refuse make the 1.1 mile trip between Federal Plaza and the new immigration courtrooms on Varick St and are choosing to appear via video conference instead. (Gothamist)

Cardinal Timothy Dolan announced an affordable housing portfolio with 866 apartments across six developments in the city. (Bronx Times)

There are bad ideas and then there are "grab a cop's taser and zap three NYPD officers" bad ideas. (Gothamist)

Over fifteen years since it was set up, the makeshift memorial for 9/11 victims in the Union Square subway station is beginning to show its age. (Untapped Cities)

It's shocking just how bad the city's procedures can be for the people affected by lead paint. Local Law One was the city's promise to end lead poisoning by 2010. Even with a spotlight shone by WNYC/Gothamist, the city's Housing Preservation and Development failed the city's residents while their children are poisoned by their homes. (Gothamist)

Two NYPD officers are being investigated for the police's response to the horrific ax murder and attempted murder in the Bushwick Houses. (amNY)

If laying in the sun under JFK's busiest runways, the TWA Hotel's pool and observation deck are right up your alley. (6sqft)

A love letter to the MTA's R-46 subway cars, the ones with a faux wood interior, orange and yellow seats, and have been in service since the mid-70s. (Gothamist)

Those newly $3.00 expensive MetroCards could win you an all-expenses-paid vacation to Hawaii if you buy one of the quarter million qualifying cards at specific subway stations. Once you have a card, you have to remember to register it online and a single winner will be chosen next month. Good luck. (Gothamist)

The SummerStage lineup was announced. (Time Out)

59% of New Yorkers support having a homeless shelter in their neighborhood. It seems the NIMBY opposition to shelters appears to be the minority. (Patch)

Watch this hypnotic animation showing how the L trains will operate during the Slowdown. (@NYCTSubway)

NYC's recycling program's mascots finally have names and OH MY GOD WHAT ARE THOSE THINGS. (amNY)

Planned Parenthood of New York City’s Project Street Beat is bringing a mobile health center which will offer HIV testing, overdose prevention, counseling, and other services in an attempt to expand coverage to marginalized communities. (amNY)

Two new ax-throwing bars are coming to Brooklyn. Just when you thought Brooklyn couldn't get more Brooklyn. (Gothamist)

The average commute to work in the city is 43 minutes, the longest of any large American city. Just another way to show that NYC is #1. Only 4% of New Yorkers can get to work within 30 minutes. (Patch)

Go to Bowling Green and you'll see two lines of people waiting to take photos at the Charging Bull. One by the bull's head and the longer line are of people looking to snap a photo of themselves rubbing its balls. Why? (Atlas Obscura)

Shanghai has its own Charging Bull, but in contrast, no one is rubbing its balls. (Business Insider)

The five best cakes in the city.

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