Happy Friday. Regular readers might remember back in August my Excelsior Vaccination Pass came with my name as PHILLLIP with three ‘Ls”. Amazingly, no eagle-eyed vaccine and ID checker has spotted this anomaly in the past 6 months. However, my vax run came to an end last night. In the line for the vax check at MCC Theater the guy in front had lost his wallet, he had no ID, his friend vouched for him… no problem with that pragmatism. My turn — “sorry, we need to see proof that you’ve had your booster!”
I’ve tried multiple times to work out what name combo to unlock my Excelsior Pass Plus and failed. I was one of many trying to do that outside the theater last night. Many of us went home disappointed — but I immediately took a picture of my booster card for future outings. FYI — there are seven venues requiring booster proof around the city. This is a good source to check — locally it includes MCC, Playwrights Horizons and Signature Theatre.
Earlier in the day, the drama 50 yards away on W52nd Street was much more significant when a domestic dispute turned into a daytime shooting. More here…
New Yorkers are feeling the squeeze. We report today that in the past year rents have surged in the west side by 29% — and that many are facing huge increases in their Con Ed electricity bills.
What we’ve been reading
There are plans to restore Park Avenue’s beautiful park — but it will take 20 years! (Vice)
The push to unionize the Starbucks workforce has landed in New York City. (Eater)
Bike safety activists protest “dangerous design” for $150m refit of 79th St Rotunda. (Streetsblog)
Rite Aid on 8th Avenue and W50th Street closes its doors. (New York Post)
Arthouse movies get a new home on the upper west side. (Gothamist)
Freeze Frame
Thanks to Ashley M Lands for tagging W42ST and telling us the story behind this golden hour picture at The Meatball Shop. “At 4:30pm we stepped into a quiet eatery in Hell’s Kitchen. Afternoon light spilled in as we sat by the cafe window. We hadn’t planned to pop in, but it all just looked so inviting. It’s a funny thing what a few happy faces and pleasant conversations can do to wipe the stresses of the day,” Ashley said on Instagram.
Happy Birthday to Jason Perez