The Briefly for January 31, 2020 – The Weekend "Three Story Tall Taco Ball in Midtown" Edition

Today - Low: 37˚ High: 44˚

Mostly cloudy throughout the day.

This weekend - Low: 34˚ High: 45˚

Decolonize This Place plans to "fuck shit up" on the subways today. The group declared the 31st as a day of protest to send the message that New York will not tolerate the surge of police on the subways. (Kathleen Culliton for Patch) 100 bus stations in 18 neighborhoods across the city will sport a photo exhibition from artist Farah Al Qasimi called Back and Forth Disco, which celebrates "individuality and the aesthetic choices that make spaces and surroundings uniquely personal." (Howard Halle for Time Out) De Blasio's panel focused on what to do with the crumbling BQE has a recommendation: Preserve the Brooklyn Promenade and close one lane in either direction, limiting the amount of traffic that can be on the road and encourage diversions. The recommendations are for the remaining time the BQE stands, but it will have to be replaced at some point in the future. If the city wants to break car culture, things have to get worse for drivers before it gets better for everyone. (Winnie Hu for NY Times) Is Midtown ready for a three story Taco Bell Cantina? (Nicholas Rizzi for Commercial Observer) City Comptroller Scott Stringer has a plan for universal affordable housing. The mayoral hopeful's plan would require a quarter of new apartments in any development with more than 10 apartments be set aside for tenants earning 60% of the area median income or $58,000 a year for a family of three. (Allie Griffin for LIC Post) The most "affordable" neighborhood in Manhattan is Washington Heights, where you'll only pay $652 per square foot. (emily Davenport for amNewYork Metro) Four Queens borough president candidates have been eliminated from the ballot, leaving Consta Constantinides, Elizabeth Crowler, Jim Quinn, and Dao Yin for March 24. (Allie Griffin for Sunnyside Post) Nearly 2,000 kids might not be able to find a kindergarten to meet their needs this spring, amid a shortage of space in special education pre-K classrooms, according to a new study released Thursday. (Kathleen Culliton for Patch) Dermot Shea is the city's first NYPD commissioner registered with a political party. in over 30 years. Does the Republican Shea support the president's anti-immigration policies? (Jake Offenhartz for Gothamist) Photos: The Times Square Valentine Heart Design Competition winner was unveiled on Thursday. Heart Squared is a 125 mirror installation arranged in the shape of a heart and is in Father Duffy Square in Times Square. Check it out the next time someone tricks you into going there. (Michelle Young for Untapped New York) The Brooklyn Eagle fired four employees, their editor-in-chief Ned Berke, managing editor Sara Bosworth, reporter Meaghan McGoldrick, and growth manager Cambria Roth, in what seems to be a combination of a failed attempt to secure investment and the publisher of the company's issues with "woke journalism." (Sydney Pereira for Gothamist) The First National City Bank building, on the corner of Canal and Broadway, will become Mercato Fabbrica, a 35,000-square-foot Italian-style food hall, with groceries, a tea parlor, coffee house, nano-brewery, boutique, rooftop terrace, and a "culinary social club with cowering lounge". (Alexandra Alexa for 6sqft) Using the Tessa Majors murder as a backdrop, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer is calling for every school in the city to have a full-time social worker. The three suspects in the case are all teenage boys who were attending P.S. 180 in Manhattan. P.S. 180 has 500 students and until recently had only been served by a single part-time social worker. (Elizabeth Kim for Gothamist) Who better to review a Dolly Parton-themed bar than Doll Parts, a Dolly Parton cover band. (Maggie Robinson Katz and Julie Sirna-Frest for Brooklyn Paper) In a "just when you thought it couldn't get worse" scenario, a Brooklyn mother's day went from "no good" to "very bad" very quickly. One of her children got sick and puked on a bus, which was taken out of service. On the street, another passenger on the bus pulled a knife and slashed her face before running off. The mother went to Brookdale Hospital for the slash. (Jake Offenhartz for Gothamist) Say hello to the four new flavors at Van Leeuwen: marionberry cheesecake, Irish cream, ginger lemon poppy seed crumble, and churros & fudge. (Alex Mitchell for amNewYork Metro) Video: Maybe We Woke Up: The Saving of Neir's Tavern, a six minute documentary. (Christopher Ming Ryan and Evan Fairbanks) The NYPD is sending high ranking officers to talk to the public to scare monger against the state's new bail reforms. (Christian Murray for Sunnyside Post) Shakespeare in the Park announced its shows in its 2020 season: Richard II and As You Like It (Adam Feldman for Time Out) When contemplating a cab vs a Lyft/Uber, you weight the options. The inconvenience but lower price of a cab vs the convenience and potential surge pricing of a Lyft/Uber. Throw that out the window, because a panel is set to recommend surge pricing for taxis. (NY Times) The best meals for around $20 on the Upper East Side. (Hannah Albertine & Bryan Kim for The Infatuation) Thanks to reader Murat for today's featured photo!