The Briefly for April 25, 2019 – The "Do Not Pull the Emergency Brakes on the Subway" Edition
Book yourself an appointment at the DMV, because your ID might not be REAL enough for the TSA. Starting in October 2020, you need to have a REAL ID. If you have a star in the top right corner or a flag in the bottom right corner, you're set. If not, get in line. (Gothamist)
Mayor de Blasio wanted to create a Civic Engagement Commission so bad that he had it put on the November ballot. He had five months to name is eight appointees to the new 15-member commission. Of course, he named his appointees three weeks past his own deadline. (Gotham Gazette)
Taco Bell's happy hour is "totally worth it" according to Bushwick Daily.
Okay, who's the asshole who pulled the emergency brake on the F train? It was weekend-level confusion and chaos during the morning commute with some trains trapped for 30 minutes, some never arriving for nearly an hour, and others diverted every which way. Don't pull the emergency brake. (Gothamist)
A redesign of the Van Wyck Expressway kills two busy exists near JFK Airport to make way for new exclusive lanes for buses, taxis, and vehicles with three or more passengers. (Queens Crap)
Nearly half of the city's tallest building's under construction are near the Hudson Yards. (The Real Deal)
You wanna watch a guy throw a brick at a LinkNYC kiosk? (Gothamist)
Daniela Soto-Innes, the 28-year-old chef who runs Cosme and Atla, won the ‘World’s Best Female Chef’ award. No, of course, there is no 'World's Best Male Chef' award. (Eater)
If you can't make it to Fort Tryon Park, The Cloisters and Washington Heights, this video walking tour is your next best hope. (Viewing NYC)
It's been decades since the city took a good look at Marine Park, and it shows. The estimated price tag for a renovation is $11 million, which is nearly 30% of the Park's Department's maintenance, security, and repair budget. The work is likely to take years. (Brooklyn Paper)
The Flower Guy looks back at 25 years of NYC graffiti. (Gothamist)
Here's the latest information about congestion pricing. (NY Times)
First, there was news that New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy came to an agreement with Governor Cuomo to give New Jersians a discount on coming and going into Manhattan's congestion zone if they'd already paid a toll to cross the Hudson. Next, the head of the MTA denies any deal exists. Wouldn't be the first time the governor went around the MTA's back to make a big decision. (Politico)
A guide to drinking and buying natural wine in NYC. (Grub Street)
What is "natural wine?" (Wine Enthusiast Magazine)
The city's measles outbreak reached 390 cases, which now includes two pregnant women. 12 people have been fined and four schools were closed for violating the city's vaccination order. (amNY)
The global measles outbreak is at the highest number since 2000. Just a reminder that this was completely avoidable. (NY Times)
The 14th Street "busway" plans can be partially credited to New York City Transit president Andy Byford. The plan is partially based on a similar solution he implemented when he was the head of Toronto's Transit Commission. (Streetsblog)
It's not every day you catch a live manhole explosion on film. (@JesseJHamilton)
Why do manholes explode? (HowStuffWorks)
If “unlock additional real estate value” sounds like some greedy real estate nonsense, you wouldn't be very far from the truth. Macy's plans to "unlock" that value by building a 1.2 million-square-foot office tower on top of the flagship store in Midtown. Maybe they should take a closer look at how the Chrysler Building was recently sold for a 90% loss. Even Beanie Babies haven't lost that much value. (The Real Deal)
Congrats, New York City made the top ten list for US cities most polluted by ozone. Let's all celebrate by buying gas masks and learning to hold out breaths forever. (Patch)
Where to actually eat well in Little Italy. (Eater)
The allure of Brooklyn is hard to fight. Even pharma-bro and hall of fame asshole Martin Shkreli moved to Brooklyn. Some people move to Brooklyn for Prospect Park or the neighborhoods. Shkreli was moved to the federal prison there because of rumors he was using a contraband cell phone from inside the federal prison in New Jersey. (CNBC)
There's a new stop on the F train at 2nd Ave and 4th? Yes, but also no. Mr. Robot is filming and built a fake, but extremely convincing, subway entrance. (EV Grieve)
Governor Cuomo announced $14.6 million in funds for building and updating new bike lanes and pedestrian improvements in the city, which includes new bike lanes on Roosevelt Island, Randall's Island, and the Harlem River bridges. (Roosevelt Islander Online)
Nothing to see here but a teeny tiny kitten that was saved from a sewer grate on Easter. The NYPD named him Cadbury. (@NYPD63Pct)
The plan was to burn down St. Patrick's Cathedral, according to prosecutors. The man accused of attempted second-degree arson for trying to walk into the church with two jugs of gas and lighter fluid faces 15 years in prison. (NY Times)
Looks like Grand St's bike lanes will (mostly) stay permanent. This follows the 12th and 13th street lanes also staying put. The lanes' future was in doubt when the L Train Shutdown became the L Train Slowdown. (Streetsblog)
The 13 best tacos in NYC. (Thrillist)
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