The Briefly for July 31, 2019 – The "Getting Paid Not to Show Up to Work" Edition
Balance your anger with hope and vision appears to be the message from Danny Harris, the new executive director of Transportation Alternatives, the largest advocacy group for better bicycling, walking, and public transit. In an interview with Streetsblog, he comes across more pragmatist than angry bike guy yelling at people on the Brooklyn Bridge. (Streetsblog)
Could hackers bring the city's streets to a halt? Yes, and here's how according to the journal Physical Review. (Patch)
Queens Community Board 2 rejected a plan to add 100 apartments to the development that replaced 5Pointz in Long Island City. (Curbed)
A state audit proved what every New Yorker already assumed: the MTA's projects are plagued by overruns. Contractors were paid and sometimes didn't show up, design problems lead to delays, and nearly everything costs more than budgeted. (Curbed)
Can brand-new bar with a wine selection and a $6 Miller High Life be considered a dive? (Grub Street)
A tribute to Arcade Bakery, "one of New York's best bakeries hiding in plain sight," which closes its doors for good on August 2. (Grub Street)
A town hall centered on rent laws has the potential to be contentious enough before a bunch of anti-vaccination idiots decide to commandeer the room. (The Villager)
Denizens of Coney Island are protesting one of two options for a city ferry dock in an attempt to preserve a fishing area. (Brooklyn Daily Eagle)
A preview of the Gansevoort Peninsula, a 5.5-acre space and the future home of Manhattan's first public beach. (The Villager)
Was the shooting in Brownsville a mass shooting? According to the mayor and failing presidential hopeful, no. (Brooklyn Daily Eagle)
The city's Public Advocate Jumaane Williams is calling for more anti-violence funding and not more police after last weekend's shooting in Brownsville. As he put it, "If police could solve the problem, it would be solved already." (Gothamist)
Video: Who preserves the MoMA's vintage electronic art? Meet television repairman Chi-Tien Lui. (Viewing NYC)
When the NY Times suggests going to the East River for "the freshest fish," you should note Pete Wells is reviewing The Fulton and not suggesting catching and eating your lunch. (NY Times)
Is this marker in Woodside, Queens really the center of NYC? (6sqft)
A new mural in NoMad pays tribute to Evelyn Nesbit, aka "The Gilded Lady," an actor, model, and New Yorkers whose life would be considered scandalous today, let alone in the early 1900s. (Untapped Cities)
The MTA is facing claims that three of its agents discriminated against a black woman wearing a hijab earlier this year. (amNY)
The person who doored Em Samolewicz, the act that lead to her death, was given a summons for $133, but the truck driver who hit and killed her remains uncharged. (Streetsblog)
Let that Kubrick obsessed friend of yours know that a comprehensive 2001: A Space Odyssey exhibit is coming to the Museum Of The Moving Image. (Gothamist)
When a pool and gym isn't enough, luxury buildings are turning towards amenities like private IMAX screens, Turkish baths, a wine tasting room, and private driveways. (StreetEasy)
It's not uncommon for a subway station to hit triple digits in the summer. (Viewing NYC)
The Global Citizen Festival announced its 2019 lineup with Queen + Adam Lambert, Alicia Keys, and Carole King among the headliners. Unlike OZY Fest, a festival in Central Park in late September has a low chance of being canceled due to heat. (BrooklynVegan)
G train operator Eric Boyo saved a woman's life by pulling the emergency brake while pulling into the Fulton Street station after discovering a woman was on the tracks. (amNY)
The Brooklyn Botanical Garden is taking its advocacy fight against a proposed building complex with a new exhibit called "Fight for Sunlight." (amNY)
The New York City Community Garden Coalition is protesting the city's new four-year agreements citing overly restrictive rules and regulations. As a result, less than half of the city's 550 gardens have signed leases. (amNY)
A look at the new technologies that the MTA will be piloting. Most of the startups are focused on attempting to make eventual failures and crowding easier to anticipate and communicate. (Curbed)
Governor Cuomo tried to hide the real reason the former MTA chairman Joseph Lhota quit last November. The real reason was the state's ethics watchdog determined he couldn't do his job and avoid conflicts of interest with his work outside the MTA. (amNY)
A definitive guide to the city's dine-in movie theaters. (Eater)
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