The Briefly for June 25, 2019 – The "UFOs in NYC Would Explain A Whole Lot" Edition
Don't forget to vote in today's elections! (Gothamist)
Check to see if there's an election in your district. (Poll Site Locator)
Is NYC a hotbed for UFO sightings? It would explain some of the things that we saw at the Mermaid Parade this year. (Patch)
Second Avenue in the Upper East Side has a protected bike lane, but the Department of Transportation's version of a "protected bike lane" is some paint on the ground. The NYPD has resorted to erecting barriers to create actual protection for the bike lane from drivers, which seems like time that could be better spent doing something else if the DOT did their job right the first time. (Streetsblog)
10 secrets of the New York Historical Society. (Untapped Cities)
Another reminder about street closures during WorldPride and the 5th and 7th Ave route. (Curbed)
It wasn't long ago that New York was a major banana port and "banana handler" was a real job title. (6sqft)
We're #2! That is to say, we're the second least patriotic state in the nation only behind New Jersey. (Patch)
If you've never built up the courage to take a ride on the swinging cars of the Wonder Wheel, this POV video is your next best option. (Viewing NYC)
A truck driver hit and killed 20-year old Robyn Hightman as they were biking on Sixth Avenue on Monday. The driver was issued five summonses and was not charged. This is the twelfth cyclist killed in 2019, where Mayor de Blasio's Vision Zero remains in a crisis. (Streetsblog)
Some realistic postcards from New York City. (Gothamist)
From a distance, it looks like a jumbled mess of colors, up close it's a passage from 'Call Me By Your Name' in braille using Lego bricks on Ave A between 3rd and 4th Sts. (EV Grieve)
30 Great LGBTQ Bars. (The Infatuation)
Here's a good way to put the city's volume of construction into perspective. Nearly half of all real estate listings in the city are within 525 feet of construction. The number jumps to 70% when you only consider homes built after 2016. (Curbed)
The best cheesecake on the Upper West Side. (I Love the Upper West Side)
The anti-homeless shelter petition in Park Slope has some competition with a pro-homeless shelter petition and the YIMBYs are nearly doubling the NIMBYs. (Gothamist)
Photos from last weekend's Punk Island. (BrooklyVegan)
The City Council began their inquiry into the taxi cab medallion situation that has bankrupted and financially ruined thousands of cab drivers in response to a yearlong New York Times investigation. (Gothamist)
Back in April, critical GPS systems in the city crashed during a once-in-20-years event and we finally have an answer: No one upgraded the software when it was necessary. (NY Times)
Every attempt the mayor makes to humanize himself backfires. (Splinter)
Did you know that the NYPL has a movie-streaming service? Well, it's ending on July 1, although the Queens libraries will still have an option using Overdrive. (NY Times)
A section of Mermaid Avenue in Coney Island was christened Woodie Guthrie Way on Saturday, coinciding with his son, Arlo Guthrie, taking on the mantle of King Neptune during this year's Mermaid Parade. (Brooklyn Paper)
The city's 26 most iconic pizzerias. (Eater)
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