The Briefly for December 1-3, 2020 – The "New York City's Least Wanted" Tuesday Edition
Today - Low: 35˚ High: 53˚
Possible drizzle in the morning.
The city launched a Covid-19 test wait time tool for Health + Hospitals test sites. Don't get too excited. It's a PDF that updates every 15 minutes, but as of writing this, it was still showing yesterday's wait times. (Matt Troutman for Patch) 400 idiots were found in a party in Manhattan at 3 am on Saturday by the city's Sherrif, who broke up the party. (Mihir Zaveri for NY Times) The Andrew T. Cleckley Funeral Home's funeral director's license was revoked. This is after dozens of decomposing bodies were found in trucks outside of the funeral home at the height of the pandemic. (Kimiko de Freytas-Tamura for NY Times) The MTA was scheduled to receive the first of its new open gangway design cars this year, which won't be happening due to a supply-chain slowdown. The first of the new cars are expected sometime next year. (Jose Martinez for The City) Governor Cuomo laid out five strategies to prevent overwhelming the state's hospitalization system. Hospital capacity, testing, keeping as many schools open as possible, limiting small gatherings, and getting a vaccination program ready. (Dana Schulz for 6sqft) New York's least wanted. Accent: Fake Posh. Eyes: Dead Behind. Married to Slenderman? Yes. (@TGLNYC on Instagram) Being envious of a realistic apartment in a video game may be something that is uniquely New York. (Charles Pulliam-Moore for Gizmodo) 6sqft selects food gifts from 21 NYC restaurants and shops. (Dana Schulz for 6sqft) I love the idea of secret tunnels and passageways existing throughout the city, like the abandoned passageway between the Hotel Roosevelt and Grand Central Terminal. (Michelle Young for Untapped New York) Roberta's Pizza is closed, as a number of workers contracted COVID-19. (David Cruz for Gothamist) What's one way to make viewing the Rockefeller Christmas tree worse during a global pandemic? How about a bunch of rules and needing tickets to see it? I appreciate the idea, but this underscores just how much this year is the worst. (Jen Chung for Gothamist) InThe Coney Island Polar Bear Club has canceled the January 1st swim. (Amanda Hatfield for BrooklynVegan) In better news, SantaCon is also canceled. (Holly Louise Perry for Bowery Boogie) Laying out the unlikely case for AOC for mayor in 2021. (Amba Guerguerian for The Indypendent) Andrew Yang is still considering a run at the mayorship. (Sally Goldenberg for Politico) Arlene’s Grocery may be forced to close on February 1. They're looking to raise $80,000 on goFundMe to stay open. (Elie Z. Perler for Bowery Boogie) "They’re not going to enforce their own laws. Obviously, we’re not seeing the enforcement around precincts, especially some of mine, where police vehicles are parked everywhere, blocking crosswalks." The City Council is fed up with the NYPD treating sidewalks like their own personal parking lot. (Mark Hallum for amNewYork Metro) Middle and high school buildings across the city will not reopen for in-person learning until 2021 with no specific date announced. Elementary and younger will reopen on December 3 and the city will lose the 3% threshold that got us into this mess in the first place. (Reema Amin for Chalkbeat) Also in the "not for a while" category is congestion pricing, which the MTA now says may not be happening until 2023. (Matt Troutman for Patch) Former UCB employees launched The Squirrel Comedy Theater with an aim towards inclusivity after UCB's closure in April. Right now you can find them streaming on Wednesday and Thursday nights on Twitch. (Bill Pearis for BrooklynVegan) The NY Times has discovered that if Times Square is empty, it's pretty depressing. (Corey Kilgannon for NY Times) An ode to New York City's elevated trains. (Joy Masoff for Untapped New York) A look at why eviction filings are up, despite the eviction moratorium. (Beth Fertig for Gothamist) The chief executive of the New York Road Runners, the nonprofit behind the NYC Marathon, will step down in the face of allegations that he fostered a toxic and racist work culture. (Jake Offenhartz for Gothamist) A manhole cover of a mysterious origin. The city's history still has questions we can't answer. (Ephemeral New York) Updated: The ultimate Manhattan delivery guide. (Hannah Albertine, Nikko Duren, & Matt Tervooren for The Infatuation) Thanks to reader Francesca for today's featured photo of Harlem at dawn!