The Briefly for May 1, 2019 – The "Wouldn't We All Love to Ban Tour Guides With Groups" Edition
The mayor's "Turning the Tide on the Homeless" program is facing criticism in a new report from the Coalition for the Homeless. The city's homeless population has grown by 10% for each year Mayor de Blasio has been in office. January was a record-breaking year for the number of men, women, and children spending each night in a shelter at 64,000. (Gothamist)
The list of Tony nominations are in. This year's big winner is "Hadestown" with 14 nominations. (NY Times)
A new lawsuit filed this week accuses the NYC Department of Education of failing to protect students against sexual assaults, file official complaints, conduct proper investigations, and support survivors dealing with trauma. Legal Services NYC filed the lawsuit on behalf of four girls aged 12 to 18. (Gothamist)
The National Park Service took an action on Liberty Island that most of us wish we could take anywhere we need to go: banned tour guides. (NY Times)
The Essex Market opened in 1940 at the behest of Mayor Fiorello Laguardia. This May the market's original location closes to move across the street. (Untapped Cities)
"The one that I almost leapt over the counter to get was a quesadilla panino." Eater's weekly sandwich column from Robert Sietsema got a bit intense. (Eater)
Coney Island is getting another music venue, located in the center of the Coney Island Art Walls. "Amuse" will have a capacity of 4,000 and have programming between Memorial and Labor Day. (Gothamist)
If you're looking to make an appreciable change in the city, the charter review process is your opportunity. (Curbed)
Was the body found under the Verrazzano Bridge an NYC Marathon runner? The body under the Verrazzano was one of two bodies found in the city's waters last weekend. (Gothamist)
An Absolut Ban. An executive order from the mayor put the kibosh on newsstands, bus shelters, and LinkNYC alcohol ads, sponsorship or branding. The city doesn't expect to lose any revenue as a result of the ban. (Patch)
What's going on with the hundreds of "unfounded" rape cases in Queens? The 14.2% of reported rapes in Queens being unfounded is significantly higher than the city's other boroughs. (QNS)
The problem with the city's plan to divert L train riders to the J and M trains is that the J and M trains are just as reliable as they've ever been. Overnight Monday a switch problem brought both train lines to a halt, effectively turning the L train slowdown into a full-on East River shutdown. (Gothamist)
Today is the anniversary of the Empire State Building's opening in 1931. A piece of trivia to unlease on unsuspecting people in your life. (GVSHP)
Speaking of trivia... tonight's the night for JOHN TRVIALTA at Parklife:
Amazon is still coming to Queens but in the form of a new distribution center in Woodside. (The City)
Bronx Councilmember Andy King was accused of sexual harassment for the second time in two years. King is refusing to cooperate with the City Council. (Patch)
Billionaires’ Row is missing something significant. Billionaires. Nearly half of the apartments are unsold, including some buildings seven years old that remain half empty. (Curbed)
Take a look, because there are new renderings of Brooklyn's Wegmans. (6sqft)
The Queens Library got a six-month extension on their Court Square lease to remain in the building through March 31, 2020. (LIC Post)
The NYPD found a new way to make biking or walking over the Brooklyn Bridge a nightmare. (Streetsblog)
What's that tree outside your building? There's a map for that. The New York City Street Tree Map is the world’s most accurate and detailed map of a city’s street trees. (Viewing NYC)
The art galleries to see right now. (NY Times)
Nomiki Konst is under fire for questionable practices and payments during her Public Advocate campaign and is accused of being a "plan from the right." You'd be forgiven if you couldn't remember her or her campaign, she only garnered 2% of the vote. Konst's campaign manager came forward about questionable donations, which were publicly matched, and even more questionable invoices. Konst has attempted to distance herself from the potential scandal, but she served as her own treasurer, which makes her legally responsible for her campaign's financial system. (Politico)
Soon your apartment may be powered by poop! No, we're not talking about your roommate. (Gothamist)
An appellate court upheld the city’s measles vaccination mandate on Monday, denying a request for a temporary restraining order by a group of anti-vaxxer parents as the number of confirmed cases in New York City rose to 423. (Brooklyn Daily Eagle)
With all the measles talk going around, you're not alone if you're wondering if you should get yourself a booster shot as an adult. (NY Times)
Story update. Remember how the Board of Elections put all the city's voter rolls online for anyone to look at? Well, that's over. The BOE realized that maybe posting all of our names, addresses and party affiliations online wasn't the best idea. (NY Times)
The MTA will begin support for ApplePay in the "early summer," as the OMNY system is scheduled to go live on some 4, 5, and 6 train stops on May 31. (Engadget)
The latest city landmark debate is over Tin Pan Alley, the birthplace of popular music. The conversation made a surprising turn towards some of the racism expressed in songs created there. (Curbed)
The "NOT GONNA SUCK YOUR DICK" graffiti tag is getting attention. (Bowery Boogie)
Featured walk: The essential Upper West Side. (GoRoam)
Where to go if you want to eat a burger at the bar by yourself. (The Infatuation)
Get your photo featured or suggest stories for The Briefly by responding to this email or tagging your NYC photos and news on Instagram or Twitter with #thebriefly.