The Briefly for February 8, 2019 – The "MTA Is A Disgrace For This State, We All Know It" Edition

If you normally ride the 4, 5, D, N, and Q trains, get ready for a rough weekend. If you're along the L, you already know what to expect. The weekend is only a few hours away, make sure to check the trains for closures and diversions before you head out. (6sqft)

The city will have to cut $750 million from its 2020 fiscal budget to make up for a near billion dollar shortfall of tax revenues. (amNY)

Andres Lopez Elorez was sentenced to six years in prison for his role in smuggling liquid heroin stuffed inside puppies. (NY Times)

“The MTA is a disgrace for this state, we all know it,” said the man who has so much control over the MTA that he was able to cancel the entire L train shutdown. (Curbed)

Why did an NYPD captain apparently tackle a man riding a bike in Midtown? (Streetsblog)

This is pretty cool. The city’s budget includes money to install technology at 300 intersections that will hold green lights and shorten red lights for keep city buses moving faster. (Streetsblog)

How's the rezoning going in Gowanus? The community's not thrilled. (Bklyner)

Did MTV cancel "Made in Staten Island?" Maybe those 9,300 signatures on change.org made a difference. (amNY)

If you don't love the Mandarin Duck while he molts, you don't deserve him at his best. (Gothamist)

Happy national pizza day on Saturday. Never forget John Stewart's epic anti-Chicago deep-dish "pizza" rant.

Margaret Cho, Jon Glaser, Dave Hill, and more join Red Room Orchestra for two back-to-back evenings of live music from Twin Peaks and the films of Wes Anderson at Symphony Space on February 15 & 16. (Sponsored by Symphony Space)

Metropolitan Republican Club, the epicenter of the Proud Boys fights last year, has a new president. Ian Reilly formerly advised a group that endorsed shooting migrants, forgetting the Holocaust, and marched with neo-Nazis. (Gothamist)

The oil smell in the L train tunnels has lingered all week. The smells have made at least three MTA workers sick and caused the train to stop service for a period of time on Wednesday. (Brokelyn)

The 10 most charming spots in the Greenwich Village Historic District. (6sqft)

"Statues for Equality" will bring 10 bronze sculptures of women to the city. The 10 will raise the number of statues of women in the city by 200%. (6sqft)

The 25 most expensive homes for sale, if you're looking to do a bit of shopping. (Curbed)

Whoops! Public Advocate candidate Ron Kim forgot to mention his ownership of multiple luxury properties to a state ethics agency. (The Real Deal)

The 10 highest grossing Broadway shows of all time. (Viewing NYC)

Say farewell to the Grand Hyatt on 42nd. Donald Trump's first major Manhattan project is being torn down and replaced. (NY Post)

Etna Tool & Die was a staple of Bond Street for a century in a neighborhood with apartments selling for over ten million dollars. The building's new owner has no intentions of giving in to the neighborhood's pressures. (NY Times)

The most romantic restaurants in the city. (Thrillist)

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