Happy Saturday and welcome to the sweltering weekend. Scattered thunderstorms look like being our light relief for the next few days.
It’s always great to see a new shop opening in the neighborhood. We went to see Preston Konrad yesterday as he prepared to open his first retail venture in the old November 19 space on W49th Street. Read all about him and his fragrances here…
Here’s our round-up of the week in Hell’s Kitchen…
The New York City Triathlon took place on Sunday for the first time in three years. It was stopped in 2019 by heat and in 2020 by COVID. However, there was disappointment for competitors when the swim was canceled “due to the recent heavy rainfall, bacteria levels in the Hudson River have been found to be nine times higher than what is deemed safe.” Yikes!
Living in the West 50s, we’ve been exploring up to Waterline Square, which is a 5-acre space between W59th and W61st Street on the far west side. There’s a lovely park in the middle of the luxury apartment buildings. This week we got to peek inside the vast new Harry’s Table by Cipriani after the paper was pulled down and as the windows were getting cleaned. More details and pictures here…
Thinking of getting The Vessel tattooed onto your calf? Someone beat you to it… Thanks to Owen Langan for this Tweet!
The Restaurant Revitalization Fund has awarded over $137 million to 168 Hell’s Kitchen eateries, averaging out at $818,363 per business. The funds were handed out in amounts ranging from $5 million to $3,919. It’s a lifeline for those businesses fortunate enough to get an award — but many struggling restaurant owners have been left with rejection and $0. Details here…
Matt Fox and Enrique Crame returned from their vacation in Provincetown to open up Fine and Dandy this week, only to discover that they both tested positive for COVID — despite being fully vaccinated. “We’re hearing about lots of breakthrough cases of people who are vaxxed. We’re fine. We have minimal symptoms. But this Delta variant is no joke. Please get vaccinated if you haven’t. We’re all excited about life returning to normal but Delta is throwing a wrench into those plans. Take care and stay safe,” Matt told us. The shop is expected to reopen on Monday.
The New York Times reported this week that the test positivity rate has doubled in the city. Let’s be careful out there…
If you are a fan of splashing about there’s a real treat in store for you. Fireboat John J Harvey is offering free trips on the river — and we know from our experience that it’s never a dry ride! More details here…
On Thursday morning, we reported on how the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) had helped out our local theaters to the tune of $221 million — and how Speaker Corey Johnson’s discretionary funding for the west side in the New York City budget is benefiting theater and locals. All the details, line-by-line, here…
By that evening, the fund was updated with the list of Theater District and Hell’s Kitchen businesses receiving SVOG funds reading like a Broadway Playbill — with the addition of neighborhood favorites Intrepid Sea Museum ($8m) and Alvin Ailey ($10m). More details…
Last night, PBS started airing a new six-part docuseries — ICON: Music Through the Lens. We were lucky enough to interview Bob Gruen, a legendary New York music photographer, who features in the show. He shared with us his stories of being John Lennon’s personal photographer and friend — and his photographs taken at Hell’s Kitchen’s recording studios. More here…
What we’ve been reading
Retired NYPD boss Moynihan is in charge of making visitors feel safe. (CBS)
Allegations have emerged that Muslim workers at Mount Sinai West were forced to trim their beards so they could wear masks. (New York Post)
Water testing of NYC fountains leads to concerns about lead. (City Limits)
The Atelier is at the center of a lawsuit alleging it is being used as an illegal hotel. (Habitat Magazine)
Had enough of WFH? Many co-working options are opening up. (New York Times)
Freeze Frame
Hell’s Kitchen is in bloom. Thanks to Jenny Pierson for these pictures from this morning at Clinton Community Garden on W48th Street between 9/10th Avenue. Beautiful!