The Briefly for July 9, 2020 – The "They Don't Call it a Subway Doomsday for Nothing" Edition
Today - Low: 76˚ High: 85˚
Humid throughout the day.
What's the worst place in NYC? Seems there's some consensus around Penn Station. (Collier Sutter for Time Out) Despite what he may think, the president doesn't actually have control over how the city's schools operate. Mayor de Blasio's plan, which is only a plan, is still subject to the state's approval. Early August is the state's deadline for approving or modifying the city's plan. (Alejandra O'Connell-Domenech for amNewYork Metro) The city's schools are facing $642 million in budget cuts. The city's private schools received tens of millions of dollars from the federal government's PPP program. (Sophia Chang for Gothamist) The mayor announced his plan for school openings in the fall. His plans call for a partial reopening this September. Classroom attendance would be limited to one to three days a week. While it's a burden for children, teachers, parents, the economy, and everyone involved, it's a burden that is not worse than death, which is what his plan is hoping to prevent. (Eliza Shapiro for NY Times) A deeper dive into the options already presented for the city's schools for in-person learning. (Christina Veiga for Chalkbeat) Here's a terrifying map of what the city's subways could look like if the MTA doesn't get any federal assistance and uses the Riders Alliance 2010 "Doomsday on the MTA" report. To accommodate the loss in revenues, the MTA would have to cut the 1, 2, 3, 7, B, D, F, M, G, J, Z, and Franklin Avenue Shuttle. They don't call it doomsday for nothing. (Dave Colon for Streetsblog) Things were already projected to be bad for the MTA, but for each tax dollar the city doesn't collect, the MTA is pushed further and further into the economic abyss. The MTA's projected tax revenue for 2021 will be $1.4 billion lower than expected. (Robert Pozarycki for amNewYork Metro) The subways shut down for four hours a day and that may seem inconvenient, but a transit strike in 1966 shut the subways down for two weeks. (Nicholas Loud for Untapped New York) A Queens driver hit and killed 64-year-old Richard O'Flaherty in Far Rockaway on Tuesday. The driver was not charged. (Gersh Kuntzman for Streetsblog) Governors Island will reopen on July 15th for "passive recreation" from 10 am - 7 pm. You'll need tickets in advance and they can be reserved beginning on Friday. (Michelle Young for Untapped New York) Apartment Porn: It used to be a school, now it's a $22.5 million penthouse with four bedrooms, a two-level terrace, and a double-sided marble fireplace. (Dana Schulz for 6sqft) Photos: Why the hell is the NYPD protecting statues of Christopher Columbus across the city 24/7? (Gerch Kuntzman for Streetsblog) Someone driving an SUV drove through a crowd of protesters in Times Square, sending at least one to the hospital. The driver was taken into custody, but not arrested or charged. If the NYPD can do it with initial mayoral support and no consequences, what's to stop a citizen from doing the same thing? (Sydney Pereira for Gothamist) New York Attorney General Letitia James is calling for an "entirely new accountability structure" for the NYPD, including reducing Mayor Bill de Blasio's role in overseeing the force. Under James' recommendation, a commission of the City Council, Public Advocate, Comptroller, and the mayor would have control over the NYPD's budget. (Anna Quinn for Patch) The development announced for the failed Amazon HQ2 site has hit a wall: City Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer. Without Van Bramer's support, the project's needed rezoning can't happen. Long Island City's newly constructed apartments are 60% empty. This plan would bring an additional 2,700 apartments to the area. Van Bramer's idea for the land is simple: it's public land and should be used by the public. (Christian Murray for Queens Post) 8 tips for negotiating your lease renewal in NYC. (Localize.City) In an article about how graffiti is on the rise during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Times starts by saying the conditions are perfect for "a new generation of graffiti writers." The Old Gray Lady indeed. (David Gonzalez for NY Times) The city's oldest gay bar, Julius’ Bar, launched a GoFundMe campaign to keep the bar and it employees afloat until indoor dining comes back, which may be a while. (Dana Schulz for 6sqft) The availability for Covid-19 testing has increased across the city, but the availability of labs to process those tests hasn't risen to meet the demand. As a result, wait times for test results have slipped from the three-day range to upwards of a week. Is your result still relevant if it's been a week since the test? (Elizabeth Kim and Fred Mogul for Gothamist) Where to pick up food near Central Park. (Matt Tervooren for The Infatuation) The staff at Jack the Horse in Brooklyn Heights are accusing the owners of misusing thousands of dollars in donations intended for employees. The GoFundMe states (errors and all) "We still hoping to raise money to support our wonderful staff who are out of work due to COVID-19." The owners paid food and alcohol vendors and insurance bills with the $15,000+ of donations to the GoFundMe. (Erika Adams for Eater) A five-story building partially collapsed in Murray Hill on E 38th in Manhattan on Wednesday afternoon. One person was injured and was brought to the hospital. (Ben Yakas and Gwynne Hogan for Gothamist) What's your favorite pre-pandemic food? (Robert Sietsema for Eater) A few NYC holy grail apartments: 2 bedrooms for under $2,000 a month. (Erika Riley for StreetEasy) The story of how an Angela Davis quote ended up being displayed prominently towards the Barclays Center subway entrance. (Norman Oder for BKLYNER)
The Board of Elections in New York City turns Election Day into Groundhog Day—we see the same problematic deficiencies each cycle: despite a bipartisan cross-ideological desire to fix them, they reoccur like clockwork. The time has come to use the important expansion of vote-by-mail to finally fix these consistent problems.
- City Councilmember Carline Rivera, Voting by mail must be expanded to fix existing problems
Interactive Map: More than 13,000 Manhattan-based businesses secured loans of more than $150,000 from the federal government through the Paycheck Protection Program. (Brendan Krisel for Patch) Major League Soccer announced the schedule for their summer tournament and NYCFC's first game is today (Thursday) morning at 9 am. (Joe Pantorno for Bronx Times) RIP Jane Walentas, the artist behind the three-decade restoration of Jane's Carousel in Brooklyn Bridge Park. (Rose Adams for amNewYork Metro) Twenty places across the city to enjoy nature. (Jenna Fanelli for Bronx Times) The city will only retain 50 of its 95 park rangers, thanks to the city's budget cuts. In a budget of $88.2 billion, the cuts to the park ranger program are saving $10 million, or 0.01% of the budget. (Reuven Blau for The City) 13 places to get frozen boozy drinks in Astoria. (Claire Leaden for We Heart Astoria) Thanks to reader Lisa for today's featured photo!