Happy Saturday! If you see the John J Harvey Fireboat at the end of W42nd Street spurting water into the air around 12:30 today, you will know that my birthday celebrations have begun. I turn the big 60 on Tuesday and will be taking the week off in honor of the occasion. Don’t worry, there will still be W42ST’s regular news service on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok provided by Sarah, Sandra and Naty.
This is a story worth sharing with friends. Sarah’s done an amazing job threading together the 30-year history of Amy’s Bread on 9th Avenue. We’ve anecdotes from a Broadway star, a master baker, a Presidential candidate along with a leaf through Amy’s photo albums. It’s a great weekend read for anyone who loves the bakery. Read more…
Here’s what’s been happening around Hell’s Kitchen this week.
Jeffrey Galaise knew something was wrong. “I had fatigue, achiness, low-grade fever, swollen glands, a headache, a little bit of a cough and an overall dizzy, lethargic feeling,” said the longtime Hell’s Kitchen resident, who was unsure if they were a cold, flu or monkeypox. Doctors and politicians agree that his journey to a monkeypox diagnosis and then treatment has been unnecessarily complicated. Read more…
On 10th Avenue, a wrap-around outdoor dining structure was demolished Sunday afternoon — revealing a much-loved Hell’s Kitchen mural by Selwyn Senatori. Read more…
The Circle Line set sail last Saturday for its inaugural Pawsitively Perfect Pup Cruise with a deck packed with Hell’s Kitchen hounds. Check out our readers’ gallery of pictures…
No longer just a concrete jungle where dreams are made of — Times Square roars to life as a new augmented reality exhibition brings the great outdoors to the Crossroads of the World in a virtual summer safari. Read more…
Crispy, crunch Detroit-style pizza makes its way to Midtown as popular eatery Emmy Squared prepares to open a new location in Hell’s Kitchen — taking over the spot vacated by Patzeria Family and Friends during the pandemic. Read more…
We made a map — you can too. Redraw New York City Districting Commission’s draft map that divides Hell’s Kitchen into THREE. Our story gives you a checklist of how to get involved and engaged in stopping the split (oh, and there’s a funny Daily Show video about political mapping at the end!). Read more…
Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine and local pols are proposing an expanded, protected bike lane on the West Side Highway converted from a lane of traffic. Read more…
We first met Marc McBarron Kessler on March 31 when he stood on the steps of 412 W46th Street alongside a gaggle of local politicians holding a press conference. The fight was to save his Hell’s Kitchen home and correct the “deplorable conditions”. On Wednesday, the trucks arrived with scaffolding to start the demolition of 412. Since a fire and floods, Marc has been living in the building next door — which has the same landlord and is in a similarly derelict condition. He wrote this essay about how he has to leave as the demolition gets underway. Read more…
As the newly-rendered 12th Congressional District’s contentious primary draws near and polls tighten, will reports of voter registration nightmares, a potentially absentee Hamptons-bound voter base and Upper East vs Upper West battles bring the focus on the voters of Hell’s Kitchen? Read more…
The Port Authority — once dubbed “the single worst place on Planet Earth” — has gathered a world-class design team to create a new bus terminal by 2031. Read more…
Tasked with playing “New York City Ambassador” for friends and family? Need to duck inside during one of New York’s sweeping summer rainstorms? Embarrassed to admit that you live here and know very little about the Big Apple? Head to RISENY, Midtown’s newest multimedia, interactive museum, featuring a curated tour through the city’s history — and a fully-functioning theme park ride that will impress any out-of-town guest. Read more…
Have you been struggling with unwanted dinner guests? We spent Thursday evening swatting away Spotted Lanternflies at a local eatery. What’s been your experience? Our first report on these pests was on August 17 last year — it’s concerning there are so many so early!
What we’ve been reading
The Loeb Boathouse in Central Park might not be closed forever! (NBC)
It takes a lot of effort to get a ticket written against one entitled federal perp in a city full of them. (Streetsblog)
It’s been a rough ride for New York’s double-decker buses and their tour guides. (Crain’s)
There’s concern about the community spread of polio in New York State. (Eyewitness News)
DC foodies are being smug about their grub getting popular in NYC. (Washingtonian)
Freeze Frame
We happened to be doing a photo shoot at the end of Pier 86 yesterday when the USCG Auxiliary Brass Ensemble Quintet struck up a tune as they waited for the arrival of the training ship, the USCGC Eagle. The tall ship will be at Intrepid Museum until Sunday and you can take a free tour from 11am-6pm today and tomorrow.
Happy birthday today to Peter Shankman and Katharina Hoerath — and coming up this week… Bob Bruno, Aviva Mohliner, Danny Jordan, Chaya Cooper, Zach Aaronson, Nancy McGoff, Nancy Kaufer and Maros Salazar.
I’ll be back with you on Monday, August 15 — in the meantime, connect with Sarah at sarah@w42st.com with any story tips.
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