The Briefly for December 13-14, 2020 – The "Second Wave" Sunday Edition
Today - Low: 41˚ High: 60˚
Partly cloudy throughout the day.
Tonight is the peak of the Geminid meteor shower for those in the darker areas of the city with "relaxed" eyes with up to 120 meteors per hour. (David Cruz for Gothamist) Rendering: A look at the giant apartment complex coming to Coney Island, complete with roof pool, in the old Gargiulo’s Restaurant parking lot of. The Tompkins Square Park Holiday tree is lit. (EV Grieve) The state's pension fund will divest from many fossil fuels in the next five years and sell its shares in other companies that contribute to global warming by 2040. (Anne Barnard for NY Times) Looking for an interesting place to spend a night in the city? You can Airbnb FAO Schwarz for a night. (Nicole Saraniero for Untapped New York) Here's an explanation of the NYC Sheriff's office, because if you're confused about the distinction between the NYPD and the NYC Sheriff, I don't blame you. (David Cruz for Gothamist) A guide to the Victorian mansions of Flatbush. (Nicole Saraniero for Untapped New York) Two officers lied in paperwork and in court about their arrest of a Black Lives Matter protester in 2016. Manhattan DA Cy Vance's office cleared them of perjery. (Nick Pinto for Gothamist) Where to go ice skating in Brooklyn this winter. (Jessica Parks for Brooklyn Paper) If you never stepped inside CBGB, this virtual version of the club from 2006 will be the closest you'll ever get. Yes, it includes the bathrooms. (Alex at Flaming Pablum) DCLA and Borough Arts Council funded artist and cultural organizations, venues, or institutions to be able to utilize public outdoor spaces for ticketed events and performances starting on March 1 thanks to a new Open Culture bill passed by the City Council. The maximum charge for a program will be $20. This will be the first ticketed live entertainment legally allowed in the city since March 2020. The Open Culture program is an extension of the Open Restaurants, Open Streets, and Open Storefronts programs. (Ben Yakas for Gothamist) If you're feeling like you just have to get out of the city for good, may I suggest Topeka, Kansas, which will pay you $10,000 if you are a remote worker and move there. There are many cities that will pay you to move there. (Matt Troutman for Patch) Kathleen Casillo was charged with reckless endangerment after she drove her sedan into a crowd of ICE protesters in Murray Hill on Friday, sending six people to the hospital. Casillo says she panicked and hit the gas when protesters were banging on her car. (Sophia Chang for Gothamist) It seems New Yorkers got an early jump on buying Christmas trees this year. (Caroline Lewis for Gothamist) If you've had your usual Christmas plans canceled, this year presents a great opportunity to shake things up and join the Audubon Society's Christmas Bird Count. Don't lie, you've loved following this year's bird news. (Matt Troutman for Patch) Max Rose, fresh off a defeat for Congress, filed paperwork to run for mayor. (Rose Adams for Brooklyn Paper) The Google Doc of holiday light displays, that everyone could edit as they please, from Time Out has been updated into an interactive map. (Shaye Weaver for Time Out) The Manhattan sushi delivery guide. (Matt Tervooren for The Infatuation)
The city is well beyond its thresholds for new hospitalizations, the 7-day average of new cases, and the 7-day rolling positivity average. "This is clearly a second wave in New York City" -Mayor de Blasio. (Jake Offenhartz for Gothamist) The governor has shut down indoor dining in the city (again) starting Monday the 14th, thanks to an increase in every single Covid-19 metric the state and city have established. (Michael Gold for NY Times) Eight hospitals in the city have reached more than 90 percent fullness in their ICUs. Flushing Hospital in Queens is at over 100% capacity. (Anna Quinn for Patch) Only 1.4% of the state's Covid-19 spread comes from restaurants and bars, but that number doesn't specify between indoor and outdoor dining. 73.84% of COVID-19 cases spread through private gatherings. (Erika Adams for Eater) The reactions from restaurant owners ranges from sad, but understanding, to absolutely delusional. (Christina Izzo for Time Out) “Anyone who thinks that their privilege puts them ahead of other people in greater need, that’s not going to happen in New York City.” -Mayor de Blasio. (Matt Troutman for Patch) An ultra-Orthodox synagogue in Williamsburg seems to have broken social distancing rules for the last time. The mayor stated this week that the city will "move to shut down the building once and for all" after a funeral on Monday brought hundreds of people into the building with no masks. The article threads the needle between the recent Supreme Court case the state lost about religious gatherings and the rules that are still in place regardless of the lawsuit. But also this is a threat coming from Mayor de Blasio, who regularly ignores his own deadlines and threats. (Jake Offenhartz for Gothamist) Staten Island's Mac's Public House liquor license has been suspended, finally. It was one of 23 city businesses whose licenses were suspended last week. (Robert Pozarycki for amNewYork Metro) The Brooklyn Monarch is also on the list of businesses whose liquor licenses were suspended after city sheriffs broke up a party with nearly 400 people inside. (Amanda Hatfield for BrooklynVegan) Congrats to Gravesend, which has the highest Covid-19 positivity rate in the city. (Anna Quinn for Patch) The city clarified when outdoor dining can remain open during snow and when snow removal is happening. When a Winter Operations Advisory is given, outdoor dining will stay open, but during a Snow Alert, outdoor dining will close. (Ben Yakas for Gothamist) How scientists are tracking the flow of the city's Covid-19 outbreak, using your poop. (Corey Kilgannon for NY Times) A day in the life of a contract tracer. (Fred Mogul for Gothamist) Find your public school's Covid-19 testing rate online. (Sophia Chang for Gothamist) The New York City Board of Health passed a measure extending the order for total mask compliance at every school in the city, not just public schools for students, staff, and faculty. Yes, before this order, there was no enforcement of masks in non-public school buildings. (David Cruz for Gothamist) Thanks to reader Francesca for today's featured photo of Fortitude, the NYPL lion, dressed for the season, and the pandemic.