The "Grocery Stores Are the New Clubs" Edition
What the stimulus means to NYC, people still rent at WeWork, public high schools have a reopening date, where to have an outdoor birthday, and more
Today - Low: 35˚ High: 57˚
Partly cloudy throughout the day.
• If you're an 80s punk type, there's a TV show in the East Village looking for you. (EV Grieve)
• The Senate shit the bed when it came to raising the federal minimum wage, there's $100 billion is coming to New York from the American Rescue Plan, including unemployment benefits, stimulus checks, governmental aid, $6 billion for the MTA, restaurant relief, and more. (Sydney Pereira for Gothamist)
• If you're reading this before 12:30 pm on Tuesday, you're still got a chance to see Patti Smith perform live on the NY PopsUp Instagram page. (Ben Yakas for Gothamist)
• Manhattan's congressional representatives are trying to pass legislation that would ban all non-essential helicopter traffic over Manhattan. The bill would ban helicopters from flying over cities with over 8 million people or with a density of 25,000 per square mile. (Sydney Pereira for Gothamist)
• Answering the question of "who the hell is renting space in WeWork anymore?" (Valeria Ricciulli for Curbed)
• The CDC released new guidelines that allow small, unmasked gatherings in certain situations. For instance, a fully vaccinated household visiting an unvaccinated household where no one is considered high risk. There's a graphic that makes it a bit easier. (Caroline Lewis for Gothamist)
• An impossible ask? A "non-cringeworthy" date spot near Penn Station. (Hannah Albertine for The Infatuation)
• The NYPD officer who was caught on camera flashing an apparent white power hand sign during a Black Lives Matter protest last year in Union Square has been identified as Enrico Lauretta of Queens' 114th Precinct. Laurette will likely face misconduct charges as a result. (George Joseph for Gothamist)
• Mayoral candidate and City Comptroller Scott Stringer is calling for any payments from lawsuits surrounding the summer's protests should come directly from the NYPD's budget. (Greg B. Smith for The City)
• Mayor de Blasio unveiled his plan to "end" solitary confinement. Inmate advocates are calling the proposal an end to solitary confinement in name only and the correction officers' union is calling it reckless. (Reuven Blau for The City)
• In the last year, the place I've heard the most music outside of my home is, sadly, the grocery store. I'm not alone, as Time Out declared grocery stores were the new clubs in pandemic year one. The article is complete with a Grocery Store Music Playlist, of course. (Will Gleason for Time Out)
• The MTA enacted an "enhanced weekend" service starting this week and the results are predictably terrifying. (Jake Offenhartz for Gothamist)
• The Central Park Boathouse is reopening on Monday, March 29. Grab your Rolodex and try to think of someone good for your single friend. (Erika Adams for Eater)
• On Sunday I asked for your "must try pizza slices." Henry suggested Scarr's Sicilian pie slice and Amy recommended Kingsbridge Social Club in the Bronx. Continuing on the pizza theme, the Times takes a look at pizza innovations from Washington Squares in Manhattan and Wheated in Brooklyn to keep pizza fresh for half an hour. (Pete Wells for NY Times)
• If you're looking for a good deed for this week, mutual aid societies are desperate for diaper donations. (Emily Lang for Gothamist)
• Mayor de Blasio, a Brooklyn hipster, was hating Governor Cuomo before it became the popular thing for all mayoral candidates to do. (Elizabeth Kim for Gothamist)
• The YMCA of Greater New York announced Monday it is closing three camps upstate because of a $100 million revenue shortfall, a result of the pandemic. (Justine Re for NY1)
• Public high schools are going to reopen on March 22. Mayor de Blasio shut down the entire school system when positivity rates hit 3%. The city's positivity rate is currently 4.2%. (Jessica Gould for Gothamist)
• Former Acting U.S Attorney for the Southern District of New York Joon H. Kim and Anne L. Clark will lead Attorney General's probe into allegations of sexual harassment against Governor Cuomo. (Gwynne Hogan for Gothamist)
• Podcast: Josefa Velasquez of The City on covering Cuomo for her entire adult life and what might be his last act. (FAQ NYC)
• Interview: Canal Cafeteria's founder Chelsea Ann Slagle on trying to make a free grocery happen on the Lower East Side and the debut of a Canal Cafeteria cookbook. (Brenley Goertzen for Bedford + Bowery)
• Photos: The Frick Madison, the temporary home to the Frick's collection of old masters, while the Frick's usual home on E 70th gets renovated. (Scott Lynch for Gothamist)
• Podcast: Shaun Donovan discusses his run for mayor. (Ben Max for Gotham Gazette)
• The mayoral candidates' stances on the future of biking in NYC. (Stephen Nessen for Gothamist)
• A look at Sona, Priyanka Chopra Jonas's new Indian restaurant on E 20th with chef Hari Nayak. (Tanay Warerkar for Eater)
• The publisher of "American Crisis," Governor Cuomo's book about how friggin awesome he is as a leader, has “no plans to reprint or to reissue in paperback.” What a shame! (J. David Goodman and Jesse McKinley for NY Times)
• Governor Cuomo spent his Sunday calling lawmakers asking them not to publicly call for his resignation. So far 16 of 43 Democrats in the state Senate and 25 of 106 in the Assembly have called for his resignation including the Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. (Josefa Velasquez for The City)
• 30 spots for throwing a birthday outside. (Hannah Albertine & Nikko Duren)
Featured Pet: Hank!
Meet Hank! Hank is a foster dog looking for a forever home. He’s a 60lb Cattle Dog/Southern Couch Potato mix, is an ideal low-key work-from-home companion, and was surrendered at the height of the pandemic when his owner could no longer care for him. Learn more about Hank and please consider giving him a forever home! Thank you to Emily for sending in this adorable photo of Hank.
Get your pet/foster featured by sending a photo and some information to thebriefly@gmail.com!