Today - Low: 34˚ High: 35˚
Clear throughout the day.

The latest seven-day positivity rate: 34.72%
72.54% of city residents have received two shots, 81.81% of city residents have received more than one shot. Source: NYC Department of Health.

• "We are not in a good place" is what Governor Hochul had to say while announcing "surge plan 2.0." The governor announced a five-step plan, which doesn't amount to much of anything when the plan includes such detailed information like "keep masking, keep testing" and "work with local partners." (Matt Troutman for Patch)

• Amid the surge in cases, city employees are asking the mayor for flexible work-from-home rules. The mayor, to his credit, is saying that he is "re-examining the policy" and is open to the possibility. Meanwhile, city employees continue to attend Zoom meetings from their desks in their offices. (Caroline Lewis for Gothamist)

• A test for Adams's "the schools will stay open" policy is staffing shortages. It wasn't uncommon for classes with absent teachers to be sent to an auditorium to sit out the class time. Yes, the schools are open, but we should question if learning is happening. (Alex Zimmerman for Chalkbeat)

• There's no date announced, but Mayor Adams has begun talking about a booster shot mandate for city employees. The current talk is around April. (Matt Troutman for Patch)

• Covid-19 crew shortages forced the closure of the B, Z, and W lines on Monday with no announced date for their return. Over the weekend, the D, E, A, L, and R lines, SIR, and bus lines saw cancellations. (Kevin Duggan for amNY Metro)

Many people in city government — and apparently our new mayor — dismiss placard abuse as a secondary issue, a government version of a smug, apathetic, illegally-parked driver who tells cyclists, “Just go around.”

Mayor Adams’s Blind Spot on Placard Abuse is Alarming, Given His ‘Covid and Crime’ Focus (NYC Bike Lanes for Streetsblog)

• Century 21 in Bay Ridge was a great place to find a deal. Now you can find a deal for the Century 21 in Bay Ridge. (The Brooklyn Home Reporter)

• The Peloton death? The painfully cringe podcast? No. The least believable part of the Sex and the City reboot is still the real estate. (Kelly Kreth for Brick Underground)

• All of the Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group restaurants will require proof of a booster shot starting on January 24. (Anna Rahmanan for Time Out)

• Ten new public art installations for January. (Irene Madrigal for Untapped New York)

• Bette Midler's nickname "Bathhouse Betty" was earned in the burlesque club slash bathhouse in the Ansonia on the corner on Broadway and 73rd. Just one of the reasons the Ansonia is legendary. (Christia Galushko for I Love the Upper West Side)

• Nine places to check out if you’re ‘celebrating’ Dry January. Or take PBR's advice. (Brooklyn Magazine)

• Pancake...cake. Now available as part of Milk Bar's diner menu theme along with french toast soft serve and red velvet cheesecake. (Anna Rahmanan for Time Out)

• Real Estate Lust: A $825k Brooklyn Heights co-op with one bed, one bath, a bay window highlighted with stained glass, a decorative fireplace, and more. (Devin Gannon for 6sqft)

Sidecar @SidecarBrooklyn

It is with a heavy heart that I am announcing that Sidecar will be closing for good on Monday, January 31st. A huge thanks are due to our loyal customers and my amazing staff for all the support in making it possible over the past 15 years. It’s been a true pleasure…

9:35 PM ∙ Jan 3, 2022

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• A look at the laws around heat in NYC. Your rental needs to be able to maintain at least 68 degrees between 6 am and 10 pm when it’s below 55 degrees outside and 62 degrees when it’s not between October 1st through May 31st. (Alana Schubach for Brick Underground)

• NYC must provide dedicated, separate housing for homeless trans and gender non-conforming people in city shelters in four boroughs, according to the terms of a recent legal settlement with Mariah Lopez, an activist with the Strategic Transgender Alliance for Radical Reform. New York City, once more, is being legally forced to treat people with dignity and respect. (Gwynne Hogan for Gothamist)

• The hottest political struggle in the city isn’t over an elected position or mayoral appointment, but the fight over the next Artistic Director position at Coney Island USA. Dick Zigun, the “unelected mayor” of Coney Island, and Coney Island USA are back at the negotiating table to discuss plans for his succession. (Ben Brachfeld for Brooklyn Paper)

• Photos and Video: Central Park’s Great Horned Owl pair. (D. Bruce Yolton for Urban Hawks)

• A look at City Council’s changing LGBT Caucus as Corey Johnson, Jimmy Van Bramer, Daniel Dromm, and Ritchie Torres leave City Council. (Matt Tracy for Gay City News)

• The ghostly outlines of former buildings in Manhattan. (Ephemeral New York)

• Required Reading: A complete look at the city’s incoming City Council members. (Claudia Irizarry Aponte, Katie Honan, Clifford Michel, and Gabriel Sandoval for The City)

• Step inside Chocobar Cortés on Alexander Avenue in Mott Haven, the first location outside Old San Juan in Puerto Rico. Everything on the menu has chocolate as an ingredient in some way. Even the burger, chicken, steak, etc. (Scott Lynch for Gothamist)

• 40 of the best inexpensive dining destinations. (Robert Sietsema for Eater)

Featured Pet: Isabelle!

Thank you to reader Elizabeth for sending in this shot of 12-year-old devon rex cat, Isabelle, giving us all of us a delight in that backpack.

Thank you to the three readers who contributed to The Briefly using this Ko-Fi link since the last edition! Your contributions keep my Grammarly subscription active (I apologize to all the copyeditors in the crowd and keep my pups swimming in non-shredded toys.