The "Latest Reason for Cuts to Subway Service" Edition
The "Latest Reason for Cuts to Subway Service" Edition
Making to-go drinks permanent, the private business vaccine mandate is in place, a Coney Island shakeup, shortened quarantine times, where to get sushi takeout or delivery, and more
Today - Low: 45˚ High: 51˚
Light rain overnight.
The latest seven-day positivity rate: 15.72%
71.71% of city residents have received two shots, 80.45% of city residents have received more than one shot. Source: NYC Department of Health.
• The end of the year marks the end of Mayor de Blasio's eight years in office, but it will also mark the end of Dick Zigun's 40-year run as the unofficial mayor of Coney Island. It appears that disputes over succession and ownership of the Coney Island Circus Sideshow and Mermaid Parade led to Zigun's firing as the Artistic Director. Adam Rinn, aka Adam Realman, will be taking the mantle from here on out. Disclosure: Adam Realman was the person who taught my Coney Island Sideshow class. (Ben Brachfeld for Brooklyn Paper)
• What would it take to make to-go cocktails a permanent reality? Jen Carlson is asking the questions close to our hearts. Well, closer to our livers, I suppose. (Jen Carlson for Gothamist)
Covid-19 news follows until the next divider
• Looking ahead to the city's first woman majority City Council, who have publicly stated they will be co-leaders of the city along with Mayor-elect Eric Adams. (Brigid Bergin for Gothamist)
• Covid-19 hospitalizations among children are up almost fivefold in the state. (Gus Saltonstall for Patch)
• Despite the rise in hospitalizations and a "disappointingly low" vaccination rate for children 5-11, Governor Hochul is pushing to keep schools open. The official push from the state is that everyone should get vaccinated. (NY1)
• You can get tested for Covid-19 at Grand Central and Times Square's subway stations from 8 am - 2 pm at Times Square and 3 pm - 8 pm at Grand Central. These are walk-in testing locations. (Shaye Weaver for Time Out)
• The MTA is cutting back subway service due to the increase in Covid-19 positivity rates as a proactive step. The MTA does not have a vaccination policy in place. (Jake Offenhartz for Gothamist)
• The official CDC quarantine time for Covid-19 has been reduced from ten days to five if you are asymptomatic. (Robert Pozarycki for amNY Metro)
• A first-person account of what it feels like to catch the Omicron variant of Covid-19. (Nsikan Akpan for Gothamist)
• New testing sites open in North Brooklyn. (Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner for Greenpointers)
• The vaccine mandate for private businesses in NYC is now in place. (Dana Rubenstein for NY Times)
• If you're a subscriber of how Bushwick-area nightlife venues have reacted to the surge. (Tasha Sandoval for Bushwick Daily)
• The Times puts a spotlight on Broadway's understudies; in many cases, they're the only way the show can go on. (Grace Ashford for NY Times)
• Patti Smith was awarded the key to the city. (Bill Pearis for BrooklynVegan)
• For a short time, NYC had a 14th Ave. (Ephemeral New York)
• Real Estate Lust: A $1.8 million Clinton Hill duplex with two beds, two and a half baths, outdoor space, 11-foot high ceilings, 1,900 square feet, and more. (Michelle Cohen for 6sqft)
• The most honest store in NYC, Very Expensive Flowers, is moving from 3rd St in the East Village. (EV Grieve)
• Are you ready to compost on the street? (Jake Offenhartz for Gothamist)
• 11 secrets of the Upper East Side. (Noah Sheidlower for Untapped New York)
• Interview: Caryn Coleman of The Future of Film is Female, recent director of programming at Nitehawk, on 2022 plans, future screenings, funding new films, community building, and more. (Jennifer Rosini-Gentile for Greenpointers)
• How do you pronounce "Fteley Ave?" A real street name from Bronx history. (Kevin Walsh for Forgotten New York)
• A federal judge ordered the city to install more than 9,000 signal devices at intersections to make it easier for visually impaired pedestrians to cross streets more safely. The headline is "Why New York City May Soon Be More Walkable for Blind People," and the real story is "New York City Will Be Forced By Court Order to Be More Walkable for Blind People." As a result of the ruling, a new federal monitor will be appointed to oversee the installation because it is obvious that NYC cannot be trusted to make it happen. (Ali Watkins for NY Times)
• "Goodbye December sidewalk, And your hopeful bluff." (NYC Trash Stories)
• Where to get sushi takeout and delivery. (The Infatuation)
Featured Pet: Hendrix at Foliage Garden!
Thanks to reader Meghan for sending in this photo of Hendrix, the in-house cat at Foliage Garden (@foliagegardennyc). Does Hendrix look judgemental to anyone else? Send your pet/animal photos to thebriefly@gmail.com!
Thank you so much to everyone who has used the Ko-Fi link at the bottom of the digest to support The Briefly, especially the two people who contributed since the last edition.