The "Seven Pools Full of Dollars" Edition
The "Seven Pools Full of Dollars" Edition
Whipped cream correction, Times Square goes gun free, the Brooklyn Democratic Party does more shady business, ten abandoned places, Panda Express, a $7 million penthouse, and more
Today - Low: 69˚ High: 77˚
Clear throughout the day.
This weekend - Low: 72˚ High: 81˚
Thank you to reader Emily, who contributed to The Briefly since the last edition.
• Former NYPD officer Thomas Webster was sentenced to ten years for felony assault during the January 6 insurrection. The sentencing memo explicitly mentions his involvement with the NYPD as disturbing. (Jake Offenhartz for Gothamist)
• An NYPD Detective punched a teenage girl in the face while other officers were arresting her boyfriend. The girl was charged with assault, obstructing governmental administration, and resisting arrest. Mayor Adams defended the officer's actions, despite the officer's history of substantiated civilian complaints against him. Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg reduced the charges, and the girl was released without bail. Meanwhile, the Detectives' Endowment Association is exploring a civil suit against the girl on behalf of the officer. (Thomas Tracy, Graham Rayman, Nicholas Williams, and Larry McShane with Tim Balk and Molly Crane Newman for NY Daily News)
• Correction: You don't need an ID to buy whipped cream; you need an ID to buy a whipped cream cartridge. The cartridges are small canisters with nitrous oxide in them. This has caused some confusion, including in the last edition of The Briefly, where I also made this mistake. (Michael Dorgan for Queens Post)
• An inmate who slit his own throat, and bled out while guards failed to act for 10 minutes, is the 13th inmate to die in Rikers Island this year. Michael Nieves had a history of mental illness and had previously attempted suicide. (Matt Troutman for Patch)
• As you're reading this, Times Square is a gun-free zone. This is in response to the Supreme Court's ruling about New York's previous gun laws. The new laws declare parts of the state and city to be "Sensitive locations" where legally permitted firearms are banned and implement new requirements for a carry permit. One problem that I have with this is that the signs say "GUN FREE ZONE" when it should be hyphenated. (Greg B. Smith for The City)
• The new gun law is already being challenged for its constitutionality but was allowed to take effect by a federal judge. (Jon Campbell for Gothamist)
• The city tested using speed cameras 24/7 for three weeks instead of from 6 am - 10 pm. If you can believe it, they issued more speeding tickets. A bit surprisingly, they issued 70% more speeding tickets. (Julianne Cuba for Streetsblog)
• When you think about corrupt politics, you should consider the Brooklyn Democratic Party. The latest move was a literal closed-door meeting that consolidated power among higher-level officials and will limit public attendance at party meetings to restrict information about party finances. What a bunch of assholes. (George Joseph and Yoav Gonen for The City)
• The Hudson River tunnel project will cost $2 billion extra and the already delayed estimate of 2031 is now updated to 2038. At this point, why not just fill the entire tunnel with money? I did the math, and 16 billion dollars would fill seven Olympic-sized swimming pools. Maybe not enough to fill the tunnel. (Stephen Nessen for Gothamist)
• Congrats to us all. NYC has the most stressful commute in the United States. Thank goodness corporate overlords, emboldened by our mayor, want everyone back into offices as soon as possible. (Shaye Weaver for Time Out)
• Despite state-wide legalization, the city's Administration for Children's Services still cites marijuana use as a reason for family separations. (Michelle Bocanegra for Gothamist)
• A second baby's leg was found in a sewage plant in the Bronx. Both were discovered this week. What the hell is going on? (Matt Troutman for Patch)
• It's September, so naturally, NYC holiday markets have official opening dates. Jeez, let us get through spooky season fight, alright? (Shaye Weaver for Time Out)
• Should you still have to pay for dinner if you were robbed while eating it? (Alan Syysma for Grub Street)
• The Wing is gone, abruptly closing all of its locations on Tuesday. What happened? *shrug* (Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner for Time Out)
• Luna Park in Coney Island promised new rides for the 2022 season, and at this point, we can reliably say it ain't happening. Luna Park has consistently gotten sweetheart deals from the city for more and more of Coney Island's Entertainment District with little respect for the neighborhood's history or long-time tenants. (Jessica Parks for Brooklyn Paper)
• Speaking of Coney Island, did you know that you used to be able to grab a hot dog and check out newborn babies in incubators in a neonatal intensive care unit? (Irene Magrigal for Untapped New York)
• A guide to the Bushwick vintage scene. (Nicol Maciejewska for Bushwick Daily)
• Five public new art installations to see in September. (Irene Madrigal for Untapped New York)
• There's a Panda Express opening on 14th and 1st. (EV Grieve)
• The city is looking for artists to paint garbage trucks. You can submit a proposed design to the city through September 18, you'll have three seven-hour workdays to do it, and you'll get paid exactly nothing. (Anna Rahmanan for Time Out)
• Apartment Porn: A $7 million Upper West Side penthouse with 3,000 square feet of indoor space, a private elevator, and more. (Devin Gannon for 6sqft)
• A conversation with Lucy Sante about her book Nineteen Reservoirs, which looks at the flooded 26 villages in upstate New York to create the city's water supply. (Esther Wang for Hell Gate)
• Ten abandoned places to discover in Brooklyn. (Untapped New York)
• Eleven places to eat like the mayor. Literally no vegan restaurants on the list. (Melissa McCart for Eater)
Top Clicked Stories from the Last Edition:
Moose's Attacker Assaulted A Prospect Park Dog Years Ago, Owner Says
21 NYC concerts, festivals, and music events you don’t want to miss this fall
Featured Pet: I ran out of photos!
I’m pretty sure I’ve used every pet photo that’s been sent in! Send your pet photos to thebriefly@gmail.com to make sure this space doesn’t sit empty ever again.
Just kidding, here’s a photo of a donkey at the state fair.
