Good morning and happy Tuesday. We’re refreshed after a long weekend and last night’s heavy rain has washed down the streets of New York. Let’s go…

Marcia Bricker Halperin looked at her striking photo of children posing on a 1970s Hell’s Kitchen stoop, trying to remember their names. “The other day I was thinking about the kid in the roller skates — I thought his name was Vinny, but he might have just told me it was Vinny because it sounded good. You could be anyone you wanted to be back then!” she laughed. Read more… (and hit reply if you know any of the kids!)

Kids on the stoop W47th Street

Less than 5 years after its much-heralded opening, Amazon has closed its brick-and-mortar bookstore at Columbus Circle. Read more…

Amazon Book Store Columbus Circle

What we’ve been reading

Climate dashboard gives New Yorkers a window on our sustainability. (Gothamist)

The new sanitation chief is planning to sweep New York clean. (Streetsblog)

Why garlic is coming off the menu at New York’s fancier Italian restaurants. (New York Post)

Amenity floors are the new attraction to tempt folks back to the office. (Commercial Observer)

Here’s a summer theme park guide for some thrilling ideas. (Thrillist)

Freeze Frame

Laly and New Kam Wei 10th Avenue

We walked along 10th Avenue yesterday. On this block between W44/45th Streets we have seen Laly Restaurant and New Kam Wei shuttered this month. We reported on the plight of Laly earlier in the year and Kam Wei was run by the same husband and wife team for 26 years. Both said that rent was the main factor for their closure. One neighbor told us: “I think the landlord would be happy having three smoke shops next door to each other!” Hit reply to tell us your thoughts.

Happy birthday to Stephen Carlile.