
Good morning and welcome to the weekend. It might be cloudy for most of today, but that’s just the onramp to some lovely spring weather blossoming through the next seven days. Sunny and 55 degrees tomorrow — and by next Friday, we will have a high in the 80s!
Manhattan Community Board 4 unanimously rejected Club Magnitude’s proposal to become “the largest gay nightclub on the east coast”, amid community opposition and concerns over soundproofing and safety regulations. Read more…

Here’s the rest of the news from our neighborhood this week…
Last weekend, police released pictures of three suspects in connection with the homicides of John Umberger and Julio Ramirez last year. Since then arrests and indictments have been made in the cases. Read more…

Texan-born marketing strategist, photographer and animal welfare advocate Gino Hawley has lived in Hell’s Kitchen for 14 years — “It offers the best of both worlds,” he says. Read Gino’s West Side Story…

Lost in the shadow of a sidewalk shed, you could blink and miss the Starlite Deli. The unassuming storefront — a staple of W44th Street since 1984 — doesn’t stand out among the bright lights of the Broadway houses it’s sandwiched between. The Starlite, however, has been running longer than any Broadway show. And while the deli’s proprietor, Jung Minh Kim, known by his stage name “Mr M”, has cultivated a cult following from the theatrical community, he’s decided to retire and set the closing notice on the Theater District’s longest-running production. Read more…

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Vivvi Midtown West is now enrolling in infant, toddler and preschool classrooms. Join us for a fun-filled morning of teacher-led activities and a special performance from Jam with Jamie! [RSVP]
Sarah Mills, director of neighborhood outreach OneCo and mom, moved to Hell’s Kitchen in 2016. The neighborhood, Macy’s and Broadway hold special places in her heart. Read Sarah’s West Side Story…

Take a trip without ever leaving home at Hell’s Kitchen restaurant Gilda — family recipes and flavors from around the world influence the neighborhood’s newest Mediterranean eatery. Read more…

Actor and “unofficial mudlarker of the Hudson” Chris Henry Coffey has lived in Hell’s Kitchen for nine years, after arriving in NYC from Wisconsin in the mid-1990s. Read his West Side Story…

The NYPD Hate Crimes Unit is investigating after a 44-year-old man was stabbed in the leg by a group of around seven youths “making anti-gay comments” in Hell’s Kitchen this week. They later released video of the suspects.

Mirjana Vicari is a New Yorker born and raised, who moved to Hell’s Kitchen 12 years ago. You’ll see her around the neighborhood with an assortment of four-legged furry friends, because she’s best known as Tilly’s Walks! Read her West Side Story…

Check out Sarah’s latest edition of “Make Way for the Weekend” for ideas of what to do around New York. Read more…

He once lived in a refrigerator box on the streets of Hell’s Kitchen, but meeting a neighborhood dog and her owner changed Raymond Goynes’ life. “I love the people in this area,” he says. Read Raymond’s West Side Story…

What we’ve been reading
New York to Martha’s Vineyard ferry is stopping. (Vineyard Gazette)
Life expectancy in New York City dropped 4.6 years during COVID. (NBC)
Starting in May, New York City public schools will be locking their front doors. (CBS)
Local cops caught on tape bragging about milking overtime. (Gothamist)
Is Chipotle consistent enough in its spiciness? (WSJ)
Freeze Frame

Thanks to Deb Cohn-Orbach for emailing us a wonderful selection of spring photos from around Hell’s Kitchen — including this beautiful bird. A northern cardinal, we believe (?)
Happy birthday today to Darius Woo — and tomorrow to Rachael Lambert and Steven Rudin.