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Meet the Queen of the Deuce — a New Documentary Celebrates the Female Porn Magnate of Times Square
A new documentary tells the unique story of a Hell’s Kitchen character for the ages: Chelly Wilson, a Greek immigrant who became a porn cinema empress, making a fortune during the 1960s and 1970s at…
Update: Hell’s Kitchen Neighbor Confesses to Serial Attacks on VERS Bar
A man who lives just a block from VERS on 9th Avenue was charged Tuesday with being the serial attacker who targeted the Hell’s Kitchen LGBTQIA+ venue four times in four weeks — and said…
What The Dickens? New Hell’s Kitchen Six-Floor Venue Pays Queer Tribute to Classic Author
It’s a “one-stop shop” at Hell’s Kitchen’s newest LGBTQIA+, literary-themed multiplex The Dickens — now open for dinner, drinks and dancing in the space previously occupied by Latitude Bar and Grill. And it also pays tribute…
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Pictured: Serial Brick Attacker Shopping for Soda after Assault on VERS
Police have revealed close-up pictures of the man who threw bricks at VERS on 9th Avenue in a suspected hate crime spree against the LGBTQIA+ venue.…
VERS Bar Hit with Bricks Four Times in a Week in Suspected Hate Crime
A hunt is underway for an attacker who tried to smash the windows of VERS bar in Hell’s Kitchen as many as four times in a…
Sullivan Street Bakery Suffers Major Flooding
A tide of water has swept through Hell’s Kitchen’s beloved Sullivan Street Bakery — flooding them ahead of one of the busiest weeks of the year. …
Bars get new “Roofie” Warning Flyers After Deaths of Julio Ramirez and John Umberger
Hell’s Kitchen’s gay community was warned to be “extra vigilant” Thursday night in a new flyer distributed after the suspected drugging deaths of Julio Ramirez and…
Small Owl Rescued After Window Collision at Port Authority Bus Station
Owl-lo! The latest NYC visitor to come to grief near the Port Authority Bus Station this week was a small owl, rescued from near the bustling…
Back of the Net! Your Guide to Where to Watch the World Cup in Hell’s Kitchen
Ignore the chilly US temperatures, it’s time for the FIFA World Cup — and though the international soccer championship is usually held in the summer, this…
New State Numbers Show Slide in Vacant Rent-Stabilized Apartments
So far this year, landlords have registered 38,000 vacant rent-stabilized apartments with New York’s Division of Homes and Community Renewal — down from more than 60,000…
Dreading Catering Thanksgiving? These Hell’s Kitchen Bars and Restaurants Make Life Easier
It’s a week to Thanksgiving, and you haven’t taken down your Halloween decorations. Maybe the fast-approaching turkey day has you stressed, but worry not — there…
10th Avenue Cycle Lane Plan Unveiled — Community Board Says it Needs to be Safer
The Department of Transportation revealed a sweeping redesign of 10th Avenue on Wednesday evening to Community Board 4 — creating a protected bike lane from W14th…
Food Delivery Workers Would Be Paid $23.82 Minimum Under Proposed New City Rules
New York City’s app-based food delivery workers should be paid at least $23.82 an hour plus tips by 2025, an amount that takes into account their…
Latest Newsletters
You mean you forgot cranberries too?
Good afternoon, this is W42ST Lifestyle Editor Sarah Beling with “Make Way For The Weekend” — your curated guide to the best of New York events…
VERS attacker caught + The Queen of the Deuce
Good morning and happy Wednesday. The W42ST team is taking a long Thanksgiving break, so this will be the last daily newsletter until Monday. Have a…
Caught on Camera + The Dickens Opens
Good morning and happy Tuesday. It’s a toasty 35 degrees as we wake up this morning! We’ve got three sunny days ahead of us with afternoon…
Hate Crime on 9th + Chi Restaurant Opens
Happy Monday. We’re waking up to temperatures below freezing this morning. The day is going to be sunny, with crisp blue skies and temperatures reaching a…
Flood at Sullivan St Bakery + HK This Week
Good morning and happy Saturday. Today is going to be clear, crisp and very cold. We might just get to 40 degrees this afternoon. Sunday will…
Gay Bar Safety Leaflets + Owl Rescued at Port Authority
Good morning and happy Friday. We’re waking up to freezing temperatures today — and it’s just going to get colder on Saturday and Sunday. Time for…
West side stories
“I Love the Vitality and the Convenience of Hell’s Kitchen” — Alexa Kelly Shares Her West Side Story
Director, actor and educator Alexa Kelly moved to New York 34 years ago and has put down firm roots in the neighborhood. Tonight she will be on the red carpet as Director of Strings Attached at its opening night on Theatre Row. So, what’s your New York story? Born here, or just arrived?Came here from…
“New York Has a Special Place in My Heart” — Cristina Doikos Shares Her West Side Story
A chance meeting on a bus led filmmaker, actor and writer Cristina Doikos to live in Hell’s Kitchen. She shares her loves, hates and memories of the neighborhood she proudly calls home. So, what’s your New York story? Born here, or just arrived?Let’s see, I was born in New York but I grew up in…
Carolyn Maloney: “Hell’s Kitchen is an Incredible Neighborhood — I am Grateful for Growing Support”
Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney has passed over 80 measures during her time in the House and has plans to achieve much more. Here’s her West Side Story. So, what’s your New York story? Born here, or just arrived?My name is Carolyn Maloney. I’m a mother, a former educator, and the Congresswoman representing New York’s 12th…
Suraj Patel: “America is Best When New York Leads — it’s the Greatest City in the World”
Attorney, lecturer on business ethics at NYU and small business leader Suraj Patel worked on both of President Obama’s campaigns and served in the White House as an Advance Associate. Here’s his West Side Story. So, what’s your New York story? Born here, or just arrived?I moved to NYC for law school in 2006 and have been…
Chez Napoleon is Saved! Beloved Hell’s Kitchen Restaurant Will Reopen After 11 Months of Agony
Chez Napoleon was finally given the go-ahead to reopen on Tuesday afternoon, after a 12-minute inspection ended a 358-day snafu. Con Edison inspectors approved turning the gas back on, allowing the beloved Hell’s Kitchen French standard to plan to reopen on December 1 — a week short of a full year since it was forced to…
Hunt for Black Porsche after Street Sweeper Crashes Into Hudson Market on W57th Street
Police are searching for a black Porsche after what they say was a chain reaction collision which caused a Department of Sanitation street sweeper to crash into the front of Hudson Market on W57th Street, near the corner with 11th Avenue, early Tuesday afternoon. Nobody was reported injured when the mechanical broom hit the facade…
“I Fear I was Targeted Twice by Hell’s Kitchen Drug Gangs” — Victim Speaks Out After the Deaths of Julio Ramirez and John Umberger
A Hell’s Kitchen bar-goer speaks out today about his experience of being targeted twice with what he believes was the “roofie” drug GHB, breaking his silence after two deaths and at least one more robbery of gay men at West Side bars and clubs. Edward, who has asked W42ST not to use his surname, said…
Carnival Venezia to Join the Roster of Cruise Ships Departing from Hell’s Kitchen Terminal Year-Round
Carnival is to become the second cruise company using Hell’s Kitchen as a year-round destination — and departure point — starting next year, in a vote of confidence in the Manhattan Cruise Terminal on Piers 88 and 90. The company will use a new ship, the Carnival Venezia, to make New York a year-round port from…
Meet the Pair Bringing More Vintage New York Style to the Neighborhood
There’s only one way to learn New York City street style — and that’s from a New Yorker. Which is why two Big Apple natives hope to spread the good word at Vintage on 46th, now open in the newly relaunched Paramount Hotel on W46th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues. The nostalgic shop operated…
Powerless Tenants and Landlord Raised Alarms About E-Bikes That Sparked Midtown Blaze
Long before a disastrous fire caused by exploding e-bike batteries erupted inside a Midtown East luxury apartment building at 429 E. 52nd St. in Manhattan last week, the alarm bells were ringing loudly regarding Apartment 20F. Greg B. Smith, The City This article was originally published on Nov 11 2:21pm EST by THE CITY For…
YouTuber Dons a Shark Suit to Get the Skinny on Times Square’s Costume Characters
Times Square’s costumed characters have been splitting opinions for as long as they’ve been posing for photos — and like many New Yorkers, YouTube creator Carolina Rizzotto wanted to learn more about the cast of superheroes and cartoon favorites. Unlike most of us, she was brave enough to dive in at the deep end — by…
What will New York’s Legal Cannabis Dispensaries be Like? (Hint, No Smoking and No Neon)
New York State’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) has released new guidance on how recreational marijuana dispensaries will be allowed to operate, as the city counts down to the expected first openings. Although the guidelines have yet to be finalized, they offer an insight into what to expect from the shops that obtain one of…
Out of the Shadows… Artist Turns a Spotlight on the People Who Keep Bella Abzug Park Beautiful
The unsung heroes who care for our city’s parks are getting their due acclaim in a new art installation at Bella Abzug Park that turns them into story-telling sculptures. Shadows, is the work of mixed-media artist Fanny Allié and features 10 sculptures laid out around the park’s entrance to the 7 train and The Shops…
On the Edge of Belief — The Moon and a Tutu Connected These Magical Photos
The stars, the planets — or in this case, the moon — aligned this week, as two strangers connected over a serendipitous photo opportunity. In a twist of fate, tourist Liza-Jane Sowden spotted herself silhouetted in photographer Gary Hershorn’s shot of the moon rising behind the Edge at Hudson Yards on Monday. Liza-Jane may live…
Mom Appeals After John Umberger’s Death is Linked to Julio Ramirez’s Killers
The death of Julio Ramirez — last seen at Hell’s Kitchen Ritz Bar and Lounge on April 21 before being found dead on the Lower East Side, his bank accounts emptied — is being linked by the Office of the District Attorney to another gay man’s suspicious death. The mother of the second victim told…
Hell’s Kitchen Tenant Sued for Sub-Letting “Paradise” Penthouse for $1,500 a Night on Airbnb — While Owing $246k in Rent
Amid the red-hot Manhattan rental market, one West Sider has found himself in hot water. He stands accused of illegally subletting his $8,000-a-month Hell’s Kitchen penthouse for as much as $1,500 a night on Airbnb and VRBO while not paying his own rent. Jude Onicha, who currently rents the penthouse unit at the Mercedes House,…
Another Hell’s Kitchen Pharmacy to Close — Duane Reade Quits 8th Ave & W47th St Next Week
Another Hell’s Kitchen pharmacy is about to close. The 8th Avenue and W47th Street Duane Reade branch will become the latest chain casualty on November 17, representatives confirmed to W42ST. On Monday, the second floor of the multi-level pharmacy was already closed, and — in a scene reminiscent of the eerie early days of the…
Meet Hell’s Kitchen’s First NYC Marathon Winner: Jacob Caswell makes History as Non-Binary Champion
It took two hours, 45 minutes and 12 seconds for Jacob Caswell to make history: as the New York Marathon’s first non-binary winner to take home a cash prize — and Hell’s Kitchen’s first ever local champion. Caswell, 25, was one of the Hell’s Kitchen heroes to take part in an especially tough marathon, with…
Buy Buy American Pie – Check Out Don McLean’s $1m Starry Starry Lyrics and Memorabilia
Looking for a pivotal piece of musical history? Midtown’s Hard Rock Cafe is hosting the auction of American Pie singer-songwriter Don McLean’s property, including the acoustic guitar the artist used to record his famous song Vincent (Starry, Starry Night) — and you can check out the memorabilia for free this week steps away from Hell’s…
News to Make Your Skin Crawl: Hell’s Kitchen Building is One of City’s Worst for Bed Bugs
In a building once made famous by singer Sting, pests that don’t sting have taken over: bed bugs! All 21 units at 401-403 W57th Street, at the corner with 9th Avenue — an intersection memorialized by the British singer-songwriter in his 2016 album, 57th and 9th — have been infested by the dreaded insects, according…
Omakase Off the Menu as Ikebana Zen Switches to Small Plates, Cocktails and Cabaret
After two pandemic-challenged years in Hell’s Kitchen, the team at Ikebana Zen is pivoting from omakase to speakeasy, with a focus on craft cocktails and tapas-style Japanese cuisine, plus live performances. Manager Pat Wongboot, bartender Jommie Ratchoo and owner Andrew Yuan opened Ikebana on W53rd Street between 9th and 10th Avenue in July 2020, after…
How to Watch the Hell’s Kitchen Heroes and Celebs Running in Sunday’s New York Marathon
On your marks, get set and get ready for this year’s New York City Marathon, as over 50,000 runners from more than 90 countries prepare to sprint across the five boroughs this Sunday — and you can spot everyone from pro-running champions and celebrities to Hell’s Kitchen locals! While the race is chock-full of speedy…
Still Seeking Answers, Julio Ramirez’s Friends Prepare for Holidays Without Him by Fundraising for Memorial
As they approach the first holiday season without their loved one, friends and family of Julio Ramirez have launched a seasonal fundraiser for a memorial bench dedicated to the New Yorker who died in mysterious circumstances in April after a night out in Hell’s Kitchen. The 25-year-old mental health counselor and regular Hell’s Kitchen visitor…
Just One Piece of Paper Stops Reopening — as Chez Napoleon Sets Make-or-Break Date to End 329-Day Nightmare
The owners of beloved Hell’s Kitchen restaurant Chez Napoleon have set a fast-approaching reopening deadline — stating that if the single piece of paper keeping the 62-year-old institution shut is not issued imminently, they will close permanently on November 30, ending an 11-month struggle which has seen them lose $750,000 in revenue. Elyane Bruno, 75,…
Anti-Gay Arsonist Targeted Hell’s Kitchen Venues in Hate Spree, District Attorney Says
A man accused of torching Hell’s Kitchen outdoor dining sheds, smashing windows and trying to set fire to LGBTQIA+ spaces across the West Side in August 2021 has been charged with hate crimes after prosecutors found anti-gay material on his Facebook account. Alex Blodgett, 39, faces up to 25 years in prison if found guilty…
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Serves Up a Tasty Array of Special Guest Performances
There’s no better way to kick off the New York holiday season than with the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade — and this year’s event boasts a mouthwatering lineup of special performances, with guests ranging from musical legend Dionne Warwick to Lea Michele and the Broadway cast of Funny Girl. The department store’s 96th annual…
Don’t Squish This Spotted Lanternfly! West Side Designer Wins Halloween as NY’s Least Welcome Visitor
While New York’s Halloween season saw its fair share of topical pop culture costumes, one intrepid theater artist took on 2022’s unofficial and least-liked celebrity: the spotted lanternfly. Freelance designer Brendan McCann turned to the infamous invasive pest for inspiration, then risked being squished in a spectacular photo shoot which he generously shared with W42ST.…
Stars Unite to Rename Broadway Theater for Pioneer and Civil Rights Icon Lena Horne
Broadway stars gathered in a glittering ceremony Tuesday afternoon to rename the Brooks Atkinson Theatre after Lena Horne, in honor of her legacy as a performer and civil rights trailblazer. The dedication itself made history: the W47th St venue became the first Broadway theater to be named after a Black woman. Horne, who died in…
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