The "What's the past tense for scammed? Scrumped?" Edition
restaurants return to 100% capacity, Little Island opens, talking bagels, why is the next mayoral debate virtual?, and more
Today - Low: 64˚ High: 71˚
Partly cloudy throughout the day.
This weekend - Low: 61˚ High: 85˚
A quick note from Rob: I plan on taking at least a week off at the start of June. If you’re interested in using The Briefly as a platform, please email me at thebriefly@gmail.com. I’d rather use this week to amplify someone else’s voice. Let’s talk!
• 10 great Asian-owned bars. (Izzy Chen for The Infatuation with Warm Welcome)
• The governor lifted most of the state's restrictions on businesses. Why the hell is the next Democratic Mayoral Primary debate on June 2 a virtual debate? Even the candidates are questioning the decision. (Elizabeth Kim for Gothamist)
• The Times profiles mayoral candidate Maya Wiley as it continues its series of candidate profiles. (Emma G. Fitzsimmons for NY Times)
• The City breaks down some of the millions of dollars from billionaires that is being poured into the mayoral race. (Samantha Maldonado for The City)
• "Andrew Yang’s proposal for a municipal takeover of New York City Transit, a Potemkin village of “vision” and “boldness,” is bad enough that it should sink his entire campaign." -Dave Colon, ANALYSIS: Andrew Yang’s Subway Plan is So Bad that It Should Disqualify Him to Run This City for Streetsblog)
• NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea says the NYPD did a “phenomenal job” during last year’s racial justice protests, claims that the two marked police cars that lurched into a crowd of protestors was not a use of force, and openly states that he did not read the Human Rights Watch's report on the protests released in September. The Civilian Complaint Review Board received over 2,000 allegations of police abuse related to the protests. (Greg B. Smith for The City)
• Attorney General Letitia James's civil investigation into the Trump Organization is broadening into a criminal probe. It couldn't be happening to a more deserving family. (Esther Wang for Jezebel)
• St. Mark's Comics is returning from the dead... in Industry City. (Amelia Anthony for Brooklyn Magazine)
• Union Pool, once voted the best place to have sex in a bar bathroom, is reopening this week with outdoor, socially distanced seating with indoor service returning shortly. (Bill Pearis for BrooklynVegan)
• Irving Plaza is reopening on August 17 and announced more than 40 concerts this summer. (Shaye Weaver for Time Out)
• The Drama Book Shop is officially re-opening at a new location in Times Square on June 10. The book store is now owned by Lin-Manuel Miranda and collaborators after saving it at the start of 2019. (Anna Ben Yehuda for Time Out)
• Farewell MCU Park. Coney Island's ballpark has a new name: Maimonides Park. Now you're going to have to learn how to pronounce "Maimonides." (Brooklyn Eagle)
• Six-time All-Star C.C. Sabathia is playing on a new team: a Central Park rec league softball team called The Warriors. He's playing first base. (Joe DeLessio for Curbed)
• Little Island at Pier 55 is now open, originally the vision of billionaire Barry Diller and completed by the state. From noon to 8 pm, times have to be reserved online to preserve social distancing. (Devin Gannon for 6sqft)
• Real Estate Lust: A $6 million mansion in Beechhurst in Queens with 7,500 square feet of living space, seven bedrooms, a Floria room, outdoor kitchen (there's an indoor one too), pool, and hot tub, dock for a 60-foot boat, and more. It looks like a hotel from the photos. (Dana Schulz for 6sqft)
• Talking bagels with the guy from Greenberg's in Bed-Stuy. Their next step is an expansion into pizza. The New York 1-2 punch. (Brian Braiker for Brooklyn Magazine)
• 13 places to go hiking in New York City. (Devin Gannon for 6sqft)
• The best restaurants in Forest Hills. (Hannah Albertine, Nikko Duren, Bryan Kim, and Matt Tervooren for The Infatuation)
• Everything Governor Cuomo touches is turning into shit. Federal prosecutors are looking into if Governor Cuomo's administration granted special access to rapid Covid-19 tests for the governor’s family and other influential people. (J. David Goodman for NY Times)
• The NYPL has a new app for borrowing books digitally. (Will Gleason for Time Out)
• Andrew Giuliani is running for governor of New York as a Republican. Let the shitshow begin! (J. David Goodman for NY Times)
• Everything you need to know about NYC’s new mask rules and return to 100% restaurant capacity. (Hannah Albertine for The Infatuation)
• Hey you! Eater is looking for a reporter. (Eater)
• How to rent a short-term, furnished apartment in NYC without getting scammed. (Evelyn Battaglia for Brick Underground)
• Curators, conservators, editors, and porters of the Whitney Museum staff are organizing with the United Auto Workers. (Colin Moynihan for NY Times)
• Where you can celebrate your second pandemic birthday right now. (Hannah Albertine for The Infatuation)
• Where to eat, drink, and shop in Brighton Beach. (Carina Finn for The Infatuation)
Featured Pet: Lucy!
Thanks to Brian for sending in this photo of Lucy, the “Mayor of 39th Avenue” in LIC, in action! She an environmentalist and likes to pick up bottles on her walks to bring home and recycle. Send in your pets to be featured to thebriefly@gmail.com!