The Briefly for April 4, 2019 – The "De Blasio Does His Best Cuomo Impression" Edition
12 new art installations to check out in Apriln. (Untapped Cities)
Queens Councilman Eric Ulrich is calling on the mayor to fire the Department of Homeless Services Commissioner Steve Banks in a change.org petition. Ulrich says Banks' failure to address chronic homelessness is the base reason for the petition. (QNS)
The mayor announced an "expert panel" to fix the mess that is the BQE construction. The panel will be lead by the CEO of a construction trade lobbying group and include people from a Google/Alphabet subsidiary, the Regional Planning Association, NYU, multiple trade and construction groups, and others. The panel is light on urban planning experts and will be tasked with finding an outcome that is "in the best interests of everyone." (Gothamist)
It seems Rock & Roll is an acceptable art form now, getting its first exhibition at the Met. (Gothamist)
Donald Trump's first Manhattan real estate project pioneered the tax incentives whose lineage can be traced all the way to the recent imploded Amazon deal. (Curbed)
Yesterday we learned that we're paying the highest taxes in the country, and now there's an indication that the city is over-taxing hundreds of small buildings accidentally, in some cases 4x the appropriate rate. (The Real Deal)
Taking a dip in the East River anytime soon? Here's a field guide to what you might find in the water. (Gothamist)
If you're interested in working the 2020 Census, there will be a job fair at Queens Borough Hall on May 1. (QNS)
The list of the world's best hospitals includes three hospitals in the city. (Patch)
A look in photos of what is left of "Italian Williamsburg." (NY Times)
Here's a look at the OMNY subway NFC systems in the wild. If the demo iPhones in Apple stores can always be found to have fecal matter on them, imagine how gross these screens are going to get. (Gothamist)
Something is fishy about the city's purchase of buildings for $173 million when their first estimate valued them at $50 million. Also, the landlords are represented by a lawyer who is helping the mayor raise money to fly around the country pretending anyone wants to see him run for president. (NY Times)
As a reminder, 76% of New Yorkers don't want the mayor to run for president. Only 42% approve of the job he's doing in New York. (amNY)
Why does no one want the mayor to run for president? Maybe it's a moment like this, where he blamed the federal government for all of the city's problems. (NY Post)
Manhattan has its own leaning tower. A 58-story condo on Maiden Lane is leaning North by three inches as a result of a faulty foundation, according to a lawsuit. Construction is still continuing, despite complaints. (Gothamist)
638 of the city's bridges are considered "structurally deficient," which include the Brooklyn Bridge and the Throgs Neck. (Patch)
In the last four years, Uber spent $2 million lobbying in favor of congestion pricing. (NY Post)
A body of a 53-year-old man was discovered in the water near the Brooklyn Navy Yard. (Brooklyn Paper)
A look into Chinatown's "Bloody Angle." How Doyers Street's gang violence earned it that nickname. (Streeteasy)
A look at The Shed, Hudson Yards' cultural center which has more configurations than a transformer. (Engadget)
20 tasty Thai restaurants in the city. (Eater)
The city's comptroller wants the Department of Transportation to take control of the NYC Ferry system from private company Hornblower after learning how astronomically high the city subsidizes each rider's trip. (Curbed)
After a 10-year fight with the MTA, Luis Colon was awarded $22 million after needing spinal fusion surgery from a fall from a makeshift platform on the Henry Hudson Bridge. (NY Post)
Take a look at this insane plan from the 1940s to build an airport on top of buildings from 24th to 71st Streets. (Viewing NYC)
The best spring break food and drinks. (amNY)
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