W42ST Daily — 10/3/2020
Happy Saturday! There are two things that come to mind when writing this daily newsletter and doing this weekly roundup:
1. Where does the time go. Did all of this really happen in just 7 days!?
2. I do my best editing after I hit send (apologies for the typos and superfluous/missing punctuation).
If there is one thing we have learned this week, it is “Wear a Mask”
WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK?
We started off with some trash talk. Did you get a chance to look at Richard Panchyk’s new book, “Hell’s Kitchen Trash”? If not, follow the link and get down and dirty with the neighborhood.
We continued on with our book theme on Monday with Comedian Colin Quinn, who has been working on his new book “Overstated: A Coast-to-Coast Roast of the 50 States” while he’s not been able to take to the comedy club stage. His introduction gets straight to the roast: “I’ve been to 47 of the 50 states, not counting the Dakotas and Wyoming, so I guess I’ve been to all 50.”
By Tuesday we were starting to see positive changes in the neighborhood. A new coffee shop arrived on 9th Avenue and W43rd St, Grind. PRINT restaurant reopened on 11th Avenue and has a new retail market to bring the farm to your table.
Dalton’s is back, as well as Beer Culture. It’s been a great week for old favorites coming back to the neighborhood.
The flood of Instagram images of the night sky this week made us think all this good news might be because of the moon! Thank you Lora for this picture from your moonlit night at The Press Lounge.
Wednesday was the day that Hell’s Kitchen bars and restaurants opened again for indoor dining. We asked our neighbors to send in a picture of their team getting ready to welcome your inside for the first time in six months.
For one restaurant, Ikebana Zen, Thursday was the first time they could serve indoors. They planned their opening for March 20, which got somewhat delayed. They’ve been working outdoors during the summer at their W53rd St and 9th Avenue location.
On Thursday, Big Apple Meat Market moved a few blocks to their new 9,000 sq ft space on 9th Avenue between W41/W42nd Street.
A call to “defund the politicians” was a rallying cry for change as local leaders called for urgent action “after a complete failure of leadership from the Mayor’s office”. The board meeting of the Hudson Yards Hells Kitchen Alliance shone a light on the public safety issues surrounding the housing of homeless men at local hotels. Read our report here…
W42ST is in the Best of NYC awards for our daily work in the community during the pandemic. Please take the time to vote for W42ST, tell your friends, and share widely. You can vote every day for the next 10 days! Please go VOTE!
We reported on Central Park Horses returning to Hell’s Kitchen from their furlough in the countryside. They start work again today pulling carriages in the park. New York returning to normality? Or you thought that Mayor de Blasio would have slipped in his ban while they were on vacation?
“Are you a New Yorker?” was our big question to end the week. We’ll concede that if you were born in New York and lived here all your life, you’re a New Yorker. For the rest of us wannabees!?, we’ve discovered a way of categorically proving whether (or not) you are one, take the Subway Station quiz to find out…
WHAT WE’RE READING
Nearly half of New Yorkers will be more likely to get a flu vaccination this fall due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. (Amsterdam News)
No heat lamps at the Inn! With outdoor dining becoming permanent and winter approaching, a rush of orders and shipping delays have driven up prices and created backlogs on heaters. (Real Deal)
Cops who ignore the state mask mandate will now face unspecified “disciplinary action,” according to a memo sent out to all NYPD officers yesterday. (NY Post)
While the owners of the fabled Chelsea Hotel battle the city’s housing agency for the right to convert the landmark into condominiums and high-end rooms, long-time residents are at odds with each other over their home’s fate. (The City)
Check the NY Fall Foliage Report. ” Spectacular peak fall foliage will make its first appearances in New York State this weekend in many areas of the Adirondacks and Catskills. Leaves are rapidly changing color following days and nights of cooler weather.” (I Love NY)
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