Good morning and happy Friday. Well, it’s a relief to check New York’s real-time air quality monitor this morning and see us back to near-normal levels. This roller coaster of a week is graphically illustrated below!
We listed all the outdoor events that were canceled yesterday, but there’s a hope of a return to normal today. Although, keep your mask handy as there is still a chance of more smoke clouds. Otherwise, it’s sunny this morning and clouds this afternoon. A high of 72 degrees.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced the re-investigation of unsolved cases involving LGBTQIA+ victims. The initiative follows the tragic deaths of Julio Ramirez and John Umberger, victims of fatal drugging and robbery in Hell’s Kitchen in 2022. Read more…
SPONSORED POST
Join the Intrepid Museum for a conversation on the contributions and experiences of LGBTQ service members and military children! Tickets and more info here…
President of Hell’s Kitchen Democrats and the W55th Street Block Association, Christine Gorman, waited nine years before finding her perfect apartment in the neighborhood. The former teacher and science journalist shares her West Side Story. Read more…
What we’ve been reading
* Stories that might be behind a paywall are marked with a 💰
Mandatory composting is on its way to NYC. (New York Times💰)
The crackdown on NYPD personal vehicles is sinking morale with cops. (New York Post)
What help is being given to New York’s street homeless under the smoke cloud? (City Limits)
David Barton opens a new gym concept in Chelsea. (WWD)
Businesses are taking wildly different approaches as they try to convince workers to return to the office… (Washington Post💰)
Freeze Frame
Thanks to Ben Mejia for this photo of fireworks down at Pier 60 last night (and for solving the mystery of the noise that I was hearing). Ben said: “I’m not sure why, but it was nice after the bad air we’ve had the past few days!” The display was a celebration for “Gift of Life”, according to the NYC 311 site. Down in Chelsea, Council Member Erik Bottcher was not impressed, though. He tweeted: “Massive fireworks display over the Hudson River during an air quality emergency? Not cool!”
Happy birthday to Kevin O’Brien.
