The Briefly for April 26, 2019 – The "We Never Thought It Happen, But Here We Are" Edition

It's been three years in the making and three months in the re-making, but this weekend the L train construction finally begins. Getting around is gonna be trying, but if you take the MTA at their word, things are still gonna be terrible if you need to get anywhere along the line. (Gothamist)

Here we go. The L Train Slowdown is finally upon us. You won't find the L train on any lists of diversions or service changes, it will be running once every 20 minutes. The damage to the subways this weekend is relatively minimal. (Subway Changes)

One thing is certain about the L train slowdown: Like any great compromise, no one is happy. (NY Times)

Pollen is high and AccuWeather suggests if you have allergies that you should stay indoors until October. (Patch)

Mayor de Blasio revealed his budget, which increased by $300 million compared to his preliminary budget and is up $3.4 billion from last year. (Gotham Gazette)

Say farewell to Show World, which survived from 1977 until 2019, the last vestige of Midtown's porno and prostitution history. (Curbed)

Body parts were found on the F tracks in Gravesend after NYPD officials supposedly removed the victim from the scene on Monday night. The body hasn' been identified, but the police believe he was a Marine Park resident. (Bklyner)

The 64 people killed on NYC streets in 2019 is up by 49% from last year at the same time. The total amount of crashes are down, but there are still 560 crashes every day. (Streetsblog)

Deep breaths while you hear this. It was a bottle of seltzer, not an emergency brake, that jammed up the F train on Wednesday morning. A bottle of seltzer. (Gothamist)

10 "fun" facts about Central Park. (Untapped Cities)

The Queens Public Library's One Court Square branch has been paying an annual rent of $1 since 1989 for the first floor of the Citigroup Building in Long Island City, but without Amazon temporarily taking up residence in the building the library is facing the boot when their lease ends on August 31. (The City)

Built that wall, but instead of a megalomaniac's useless pet-project, it's a 4.3-mile seawall off the coast of Staten Island to protect against climate change and prevent another Sandy. (Curbed)

Bushwick is heading for a rezoning. Five years after residents complained about the development in the neighborhood the Bushwick Neighborhood Plan calls for creating and preserving affordable homes, parks, historic buildings, and small businesses. (6sqft)

“Every time you say you’re taking out a lane, you’re slowing traffic down. I don’t care what they’re saying, it slows traffic down.” -Community Board 9's Transportation Chairperson Carolyn Thompson. There's no arguing with someone who concedes they don't and won't believe facts. (Streetsblog)

The NYC version of "Millennials are killing," is "rising rents are killing." Their next victim could be Manhattan's flower district. (NY Times)

Next time you find yourself between the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges in Manhattan, think about how that neighborhood was once known as the "Lung Block," a slum with whose name indicates the high rate of tuberculosis. (6sqft)

New Yorkers love some dog breeds more than others, and a king of the canines has been crowned. (Patch)

After a staff revolt at the Museum of Natural History, a gala honoring Brazilian president and a man who "would be incapable of loving a homosexual son," Jair Bolsonaro will take place at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. (Gothamist)

Sweetgreen, makers of salad and a once favorite of former HQ host Scott Rogowsky, has abandoned their cashless policy amid a growing backlash against cashless businesses. (NY Times)

Broadway is car-free from Union Square to Times Square to celebrate Earth Day on Saturday from 9am to 3pm. (Gothamist)

It's National Pretzel Day, go out on the street and get yourself a classic NYC salty bread snack at the nearest cart. If you're too good for a street pretzel, here are some snootier options. (Patch)

Is Jersey Governor Phil Murphy playing make-believe or is MTA chairperson Pat Foye out of the loop? Murphy continues to insist that he has a "conceptual understanding" with Governor Cuomo about giving Jersey drivers a congestion pricing discount and Foye says he has "no idea" about what Murphy is talking about. (Politico)

Maybe it's time we accept that the LinkNYC kiosks are surveillance data-sponges. Police arrested 41-year-old Juan Rodriguez for smashing up dozens of the kiosks. (Gothamist)

The mayor, now known for keeping to a deadline, moved up his estimation of when Rikers Island will close from 2027 to 2026. (Patch)

The worst person in the city has been found. Dominiqua Parrish is accused of throwing a small dog down a trash chute on the seventh floor, believing she was throwing the dog into an incinerator. The dog was saved and was treated for scrapes and bruises by the ASPCA. (QNS)

Over 40 art shows to see right now. (NY Times)

Anna Delvey/Sorokin, the Soho Grifter, was found guilty of most of the charges against her. "Fake it till you make it" said her lawyer. Looks like she might make 15 years in prison. (NY Times)

Support for driver's licenses for all is growing amongst New York voters. (Gotham Gazette)

10 neighborhoods where rents are going down. (Street Easy)

A good (and long) weekend read: "Her ‘Prince Charming’ Turned Out to Be a Crazed Hit Man on the Run" (NY Times)

Fabián von Hauske Valtierra, the winner of Eater's best desserts award in 2018, picks his top five desserts in the city. (Eater)

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