
Good morning and happy Wednesday. We’ll just about get to 70 degrees today and it will be cold tonight. Weather wise, we are tracking where the tail end of Hurricane Ian will head after cutting electricity in Cuba and strengthening towards the Florida coast.
Eighty five years after the opening of the Lincoln Tunnel, 9th Avenue is reclaiming a lane of traffic back for pedestrians, as the sidewalk expansion and water main repair projects make progress. Read more…

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New York’s matching-funds program doled out a record $127 million to election candidates in 2021 — and first-time candidates got a major boost. Read more…

Every day this week, we are announcing the shortlists for the W42ST Best of Awards 2022 in the runup to Friday’s presentations. The voting was amazingly tight. In one of the categories, there was just one vote between the winner and runner-up.
We had nearly 200 nominations in the Place to Eat category. The shortlist includes previous winners 44&X and Empanada Mama along with Chez Napoleon (which is still shuttered after 10 months), Jaz Indian Cuisine, Marseille, Sesamo and West Bank Cafe. All will receive awards on Friday — and one will be the winner!

Hell’s Kitchen loves coffee! There were more than 50 places nominated (and yes, that did include Starbucks and Dunkin’) — and we’ve now got a shortlist of these places. Previous winners Kahve and Amy’s Bread are on the list alongside Bird & Branch, Grind, The Jolly Goat Coffee Bar, Rex, Sullivan Street Bakery and UT47.

What we’ve been reading
Landlord Brodsky doesn’t want to be held responsible for tenants renting apartments for Airbnb. (The Real Deal)
How the owners behind HAGS turned a famous — and famously dark and cramped — space into a colorful restaurant that’s decidedly queer. (Eater)
Storm surge gates are being proposed to protect New York from flooding. (Gothamist)
Drag racing is still a problem on New York’s streets. (New York Daily News)
The City Winery will be opening at Grand Central Terminal in November. (6sqft)
Freeze Frame

The Instagram account @nyctrashstories spotted this deflated and discarded blow-up doll in a Hell’s Kitchen trash can. The image gave inspiration to a poem…
I found you dying in the sunset,
As autumn in the City began.
Another woman took your picture,
And we laughed at your trash can.
Though we didn’t know your story,
We could feel there was sadness.
Because nightfall on 10th Avenue,
Is its own form of madness.
Your brown eyes were radiant,
Framed by the yellow of your hair.
But your body was completely empty,
And your spirit void of air.
Tragedy is often quiet,
The unspoken abuse of others knowing.
So we keep on breathing,
In our attempt to keep on going.
But sometimes air isn’t enough,
When 10th Avenue gets rough.
So I pocketed my phone and walked away,
Not knowing I’d see you again the next day.
Happy birthday to Isaac Martinez.