The Briefly for September 10, 2019 – The "A Horrifying Nightmare Trip on Columbus Ave" Edition

San Gennaro kicks off on Thursday, and amNY has a guide for what you need to know and what you need to eat. (amNY)

The May Room, an art installation from Shantell Martin, has taken over Our Lady Star of the Sea, the military chapel on Governors Island, through October 27. This is the first time the chapel is open to the public in twenty years. (Untapped Cities)

While the amusement area in Coney Island is larger than ever, its neighborhood storefronts are struggling with the third highest vacancy rate in Brooklyn and sixth in the city. (Brooklyn Daily Eagle)

There's a jimsonweed bush growing on the Columbus Ave greenway at the corner of 93rd St. It's an odd pick to be planted there, as jimsonweed is highly toxic when consumed. That's not all. The plant can be made into a powerful drug that is easy to overdose on and if you survive you're almost guaranteed a horrifying nightmare of a hallucinogenic trip that turns its victims into "zombies devoid of free will." Avoid the plant. (Gothamist)

Is there nothing New York won't add alcohol to? Taco Bell, ice cream, and now bubble tea. Bubbleology opens on the 16th in the East Village (Time Out)

A guide to picking apples near the city. (Patch)

This is such a bummer I'm surprised it didn't come from Neil deGrasse Tyson. The Tribute in Lights, which takes place for a few days every year around the anniversary of 9/11, is killing thousands and thousands of birds. It seems that birds get confused by the light during their migration periods, essentially trapping them and preventing them from having the energy to finish their trip south. Since 2006, the tribute has ruined over a million birds' flight patterns. (Splinter)

Think about cake. Now think about a lot of cake. Now think about $90,000 of cake. That's how much cake a deliveryman stole from Lady M in Long Island City. (LIC Post)

City Comptroller Scott Stringer endorsed Elizabeth Warren for president. He joins City Councilmembers Brad Lander and Antonio Reynoso with his endorsement. Do you think it'll get awkward when de Blasio finally fails out of the race and comes back to do his job in the city? (Patch)

Restoration on the World's Fair Observation Towers in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park will begin next month. If you've ever been curious what's at the top of the towers, there are some photos. (Untapped Cities)

We're no Hawaii, but New York state is the 15th "happiest" state in the country. At least we're not West Virginia, right? (Patch)

Good news for the asphalt area in Tompkins Square Park, which is known as the epicenter of NYC skateboard culture. The city had originally planned to turn over the area while East River Park gets rebuilt to prevent rising sea levels from destroying Manhattan, but the Parks Department has changed its plans after an outcry from the community and a rally promoted by City Councilmember Carlina Rivera. (Gothamist)

Is NYCHA ready for the next Superstorm Sandy? After the 2012 storm, nearly 80,000 residents were without electricity for weeks. Seven years later, Comptroller Scott Stringer is questioning the de Blasio administration's preparedness. (Curbed)

More details are starting to emerge about this weekend's banjo-wielding attack by Tevon Varlack from Dallas on the Charging Bull statue. Repairing the statue will cost around $100,000. (Gothamist)

FlyNYON is already under federal scrutiny for its fatal 2018 East River crash which left five people dead. Now it's attracting even more negative attention for its recent promotion offering dogs a spot in its doors-off helicopter rides around lower Manhattan. (Patch)

Here are the street closures for the 9/11 ceremonies this year. (amNY)

Photos from the Coney Island Beard and Moustache Competition. (Brooklyn Daily Eagle)

If you're yearning for the days of Mayor Bloomberg welcoming people into his administration with a handshake, an expectation of hard work, and a quiet "don't fuck this up," "The Many Lives of Michael Bloomberg" may be the book for you. (Politico)

The "where are people going out right now" guide. (The Infatuation)