The "Shop The Bodegas" Edition

40 years of They Might Be Giants, rent out FAO Schwarz, a Dakota penthouse duplex, the Montague Street quandary, bars and restaurants with fireplaces, and more

Today - Low: 44˚ High: 49˚
Possible light rain overnight.

Here’s looking at you. Another excellent entry into the googly-eye sticker hall of fame by reader Jessica. Send your NYC photos to thebriefly@gmail.com

• David Giri, a Columbia University grad student, was fatally stabbed in Morningside Park on Thursday at 11 pm. A suspect was arrested inside Central Park. (Jake Offenhartz for Gothamist)

• In the face of the 15-minute grocery delivery apps, bodega owners are asking the city for financial help fighting back. These are venture-backed companies (with a $1.2 billion valuation in the case of JOKR) coming into our city with subsidized pricing with the specific intention to make it impossible for family-owned businesses to complete. It's hard to argue with lower prices and having something delivered to your home, which is the point. (Kirstyn Brendlen for amNY Metro)

• The federal investigation into resigned-in-disgrace Andrew Cuomo expanded to include a civil rights investigation after the NY Attorney General's office concluded that he had harassed female employees and fostered a toxic work culture. (Luis Ferré-Sadurní for NY Times)

• Mayor de Blasio's last budget of his term is closing some budget gaps but don't let that make you think that the mayor has done some kind of fantastic budget work. National economic trends helped reduce the budget gaps, not the current administration. (Greg David for The City)

• Interview: John Flansburgh on 40 years of They Might Be Giants. (David Furst for Gothamist)

• Why does Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights suck? Curbed dives into the history of a street that even the NY Times was questioning back in 2004 and highlights the conflicting interests of the working crowd who is around during the day and the neighborhood that lives there at night. (Lysandra Ohrstrom for Curbed)

• You can rent FAO Schwarz all for yourself, which might be worth it when we're rounding the corner of our third year of social distancing, and Time Out's Anna Rahmanan spent an hour in the store and reports on what you can expect. (Anna Rahmanan for Time Out)

• Real Estate Lust: A $4.5 million Lincoln Square apartment with a home automation system, four beds, two and a half baths, a piano, heated limestone floors in the main bathroom, all the building amenities you might expect two blocks from Central Park, and more. (Devin Gannon for 6sqft)

• Map: Where to buy Christmas trees. (Adam Nichols for Patch)

• Photos: The Midtown department store windows. (Ben Yakas with photos by Gretchen Robinette for Gothamist)

• It's time, once again, to write your new year wishes on Times Square confetti. (Anna Rahmanan for Time Out)

• Sign up by December 31 and get yourself a free membership at NYC Parks Recreation Centers. (Lynn Lieberman for GothamToGo)

• Review: Emmett’s on Grove, from the owner of Emmett’s, is a “midwestern tavern” supper club for New Yorkers who have never been to or simply miss Wisconsin. (Rob Patronite for Grub Street)

• 17 bars and restaurants with fireplaces. (Alexandra Ilyashov for Eater)

• A look at the history of Symphony Space and the origins of the cultural touchstone on the Upper West Side. (Hazen Cuyler for I Love the Upper West Side)

• Real Estate Lust: A $7 million Dakota duplex penthouse with a floating glass staircase, an octagonal cupola, a sunroom, a terrace, a photo studio and darkroom, and more. (Michelle Cohen for 6sqft)

• 10 secrets of Madison Square. (Stephanie Geier for Untapped New York)

• Have you noticed that Long Island City has been very neon pink as of late? There's a reason for that. (Anna Rahmanan for Time Out)

• Friends Tavern, the oldest gay bar in Queens, will remain a cornerstone in Jackson Heights after the owner purchased the building it's lived in for the last 32 years. (Bill Parry for QNS)

• There's been a resurgence of posts on Instagram and Twitter about "the guy who used to go to clubs around the city rolled up in a carpet for you to stand on." An interview with Kevin Carpet from 2011. (Electric Ghost Punk)

• A look at the very crowded field of candidates for NY Attorney General. (Rachel Holliday Smith for The City)

• Ten secrets of Williamsburg. (Laura Itzkowitz for Untapped New York)

• Michelin added Le Trois Chevaux, Takeda, Torien, Yellow Rose, 63 Clinton, and Le Fanfare to their New York guide but hasn't revealed if the restaurants will be receiving stars. It's all a part of their attempts to stay relevant by drawing out their annual reveals. Either way, it might be time to make reservations before the crowds descend. (Ryan Sutton for Eater)

• The City Council has a veto-proof majority for a bill that will end solitary confinement in city jails. All we need now is Corey Johnson to call for a vote. Mayor de Blasio punted on ending solitary confinement in November, giving the City Council one last time to expose Mayor de Blasio as a coward. (Dean Moses for amNY Metro)

• The definitive guide to dining near Lincoln Center. (Ryan Sutton for Eater)

Featured Animals: Smol Frens!

Thank you to reader Megan (@meganeisdesign) for sending in this photo of some small friends found after rain in Boerum Hill.

I am always looking for more photos of animals and pets! Send them to thebriefly@gmail.com.

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