The "Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote" Edition
Ballot proposals, Penn Station's makeover is threatened, Grand Central Madison hits delays, Mayor Adams makes more and more unforced errors, fifteen famous NYC animals, another food hall, and more
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• A look at the four ballot proposal questions in this election. (Matt Troutman for Patch)
• Here's a weird one: A lawyer who represented Harvey Weinstein, who also has ties to the Adams administration, seemed to know the judge in the case was not going to get reappointed before the decision was made public. Adams's chief of staff appears to be the leak point, but the mayor's office denies it. (Greg B Smith for The City)
• The Brooklyn director of Mayor Adams's Community Affairs Unit has been using illegal license plate covers and whose car was outfitted with flashing lights and sirens as recently as late October of this year, despite the mayor's supposed crusade against these "ghost car" measures to avoid tickets or detection. As Hell Gate says, the illegal license plate covers are coming from inside the administration. (Liam Quigley for Hell Gate)
• Last week, Mayor Adams's Department of Buildings Commissioner resigned after being questioned about a gambling investigation. It turns out Eric Ulrich gave a government job as an aide to someone linked to the investigation. The investigation focuses on gambling and organized crime at a pizzeria in Ozone Park. (Katie Honan for The City)
• What're a few more months when you're already 11 years late? Grand Central Madison appears to be hitting another delay, as safety approval from the federal government may not happen until March of 2023 rather than before the end of the year. (Stephen Nessen for Gothamist)
• Almost 10% of buildings received an F energy efficiency rating this year from the Department of Buildings did so accidentally due to faulty data from ConEd. A+ work all around. (Samantha Maldonado for The City)
• Vornado seems to have backed out of the Penn Station redevelopment, throwing the feasibility of the entire $22 billion project into question. (Stephen Nessen for Gothamist)
• Last fall, the City Council passed a bill that required the Mayor’s Office to create a citywide" climate adaptation plan.” Mayor Adams has risen to the occasion as he does in most scenarios by creating a plan that does too little and is universally despised. (Samantha Maldonado for The City)
• A task force charged with rethinking how New York City distributes school funding released recommendations on Friday that could help shift how hundreds of millions of dollars are distributed to more than 1,500 public schools. (Alex Zimmerman for Chalkbeat)
• Come for the story of how the 78th Precinct bungled a man who attacked and killed a dog in Prospect Park. Stay for the revelation that three officers are suing the precinct captain over management practices. As the article asks: How can a five billion dollar agency be thwarted by a man who appears to live off redeemed soda cans? (John Leland for NY Times)
• The Landmarks Preservation Commission is closer to giving the Lesbian Herstory Archives landmark status. The date of the hearing and vote is not yet known. (Brooklyn Magazine)
• A fascinating story about an artist who set up a makeshift MTA office on the corner of W 73rd and Amsterdam Avenue for weeks. It's a familiar story in theme about something or someone that makes our small corners of the city unique. (Bobby Panza for I Love the Upper West Side)
• An Italian dessert vending machine? Catch it outside Angelina's Bakery in the Garment District before it disappears. (Anna Rahmanan for Time Out)
• It's been a decade, and the fight over the Elizabeth Street Garden continues. The latest is that a judge ruled the site did not go through an appropriate environmental-review process. This is likely only a delay and won't stop the eventual construction of affordable housing in the location. (Kim Velsey for Curbed)
• Photos: Scenes from the NYC Marathon. (Scott Lynch for Brooklyn Magazine)
• A new report shows that micromobility reduces car travel times and emissions. Maybe we should all get electric scooters? (Kea Wilson for Streetsblog)
• Eater's got ten restaurants that closed this week, including the Greenwich Village Pearl Oyster Bar, which closed after 25 years due to pandemic-related economic pressures. (Luke Fortney for Eater)
• Where to Go: Peking House. What to Order: Chile and salted egg chickens, but Ryan Sutton recommends going to your local Sichuan restaurant for la zi ji if you're looking for fried chicken. (Ryan Sutton for Eater)
• It's getting colder (eventually), and Covid-19 cases are increasing in the city. The average daily number of cases is up 25% since August. It's not a surprise, it happens every year, and this is when you should be getting your booster shot before you start getting overly social. Get your booster and flu shot, take a day off work if you can, and be safe. (Matt Troutman for Patch)
• The Governor's Island winter village opens on November 17. (Anna Rahmanan for Time Out)
• What to get at the new Olly Olly Market food hall in West Chelsea. A food hall is just a food court without Panda Express samples or a mall attached, right? (Robert Sietsema for Eater)
• Apartment Porn: Lena Horne's $2.2 Upper East Side co-op with a built-in bar, 2,100 square feet, two beds, and two baths, with amenities like a 24-hour doorman, rooftop terrace, and more. (Michelle Cohen for 6sqft)
• Fifteen of the city's most famous animals. Pepper and Scooter seem to be missing from the list. (Untapped New York)
Top Clicked Links from the Last Edition:
Trevor Noah lists Hell’s Kitchen penthouse with terrace and plunge pool for $13M
New York’s Last Umbrella Guy Faces a Storm of Crappy Umbrellas
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