The Briefly for August 13, 2018 – Machete Bandit, Subway Platforms are Boiling, No More Watchtower Sign, and More
The temperature on subway platforms regularly comes close to 100 and when the Regional Plan Association tested last week, Union Square, Columbus Circle, and Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall were over 100, with Penn Station's 2/3 platform and Times Square sitting 99.
One portion of the Uber "cap" that passed the City Council last week was a minimum wage for drivers. Despite the growth of Lyft and Uber, the median hourly earning of a driver was $14.25. The new $17.22/hour wage brings drivers in line with the minimum wage that the state is moving towards while also taking considerations into the cost of driving the cars themselves. 40% of drivers qualify for Medicaid and 18% for food stamps.
The "zombie" raccoon problem persists in Central Park. The city is warning dog owners to keep their dogs on leashes to prevent from from catching distemper from the trash pandas.
Vegan tacos in Brooklyn? Brokelyn runs down the best you can find.
New ferry schedules are available for preview on the Soundview and Lower East Side routes. Each runs once every 30 minutes during work hours and hourly at nights and on weekends. The Soundview line starts operating this week.
Jim Allen, thirty-year pianist at Marie’s Crisis Cafe, lost his battle with cancer at 52.
NYPD are looking for the "Machete Bandit," who robbed six women who were walking alone between 29th Street and 43rd Street in Astoria.
Is Instagram culture ruining sushi?
"The Commuter's Lament" poetic installation between Times Square and the Port Authority has lost its humor in 2018.
The MTA had their stupidest idea ever to stop subway car graffiti in 1981.
Filming around town: Marvelous Mrs. Maisel w/Rachel Brosnahanis at Lorimer St and Calyer St in Brooklyn and also Waverly Pl and Macdougal St, The Deuce w/James Franco is at Walnut Ave and E 136th St in the Bronx, God Friended Me w/Joe Morton is at W. 81st and Central Park West, Leave Not One Behind is at 2nd and Bowery, Orange Is The New Black is at 33rd St and 30th Ave in Astoria, Tell Me A Story w/Kim Cattrall is at 23rd Ave and 37th St in Astoria, Netflix/Marvel's Jessica Jones is at 51st and Park and 58th and 6th Ave, Law and Order: SVU is at Pierpont St and Montague St in Brooklyn, and Manifest w/Josh Dallas is at 17th and 3rd.
Over 10% of privately owned rental housing in Bushwick had serious violations between 2016 and 2017.
Mayor de Blasio says the city will “aggressively enforce the current policy” regarding the 90 degree cap on carriage horses operating in Central Park but his record on keeping promises when it comes to those horses is already full of failures.
State Sen. Simcha Felder lost his attempt to throw his primary challenger off the ballot for using a middle name. "Blake Morris" will appear on the ballot instead of "Lawrence Blake Morris" thanks to the Marty Markowitz defense.
A series of tragic actions lead to the death of 23-year-old Madison Jane Lyden on Central Park West. She was biking in the bike lane when an Uber double parked ahead of her. To get around the illegally parked car, she merged into traffic and was hit by Felipe Chairez, who was driving a Mellifont Construction Corp private sanitation truck while under the influence. A protected bike lane would have prevented her death.
Ben Shapiro, an insufferable asshole who is not running for Congress, challenged Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to a debate and offered her campaign $10,000 to do so. She said no and likened being catcalled, calling it an "unsolicited request from men with bad intentions." Shapiro, of course, missed the point of the metaphor and likened Ocasio-Cortez' challenge to Joe Crowley, who she was actually running against in the primary, catcalling.
The "Watchtower" sign that once overlooked Brooklyn Bridge Park can't be replaced because it was illegal the whole time. The developer who purchased the buildings are appealing the city's decision.
Halloween comes earlier and earlier each year.
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