Good morning, Hell’s Kitchen. It’s been a tough 24 hours in the neighborhood — and it’s unlikely that today will see much improvement. However, it is April tomorrow…
The background to my WFH this week has been the trial of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd. Yesterday, the proceedings were dominated by reports of how the police did not let bystanders help Floyd as he was “begging for his life”.
Out of home, I gathered with other media for a press conference and rally at 360 W43rd Street in the afternoon. The reaction to the closing of the door by the staff in the luxury building brought as much anger (maybe more) than the vicious attack on the 65-year-old woman on her way to church. New Yorkers cannot stand by and let this hate happen.
This morning, we report that an arrest has been made of a 38-year-old man who was on parole after serving a 17-year sentence for the murder of his mom. He was living at a local hotel that’s being used as a temporary homeless shelter.
Today, I will take some time to reflect on all those elements and understand the feeling of the community on what has happened and what’s next. I’ve seen appeals for “citizen patrols” and business owners are buying their staff pepper spray. This is not the way any of us want to live. Please hit reply and email me with your considered thoughts.
Kilty Reidy is always standing by. He’s a Broadway swing — and you might have met him doing the coat check at Bar Centrale.
We had a cross-hemisphere chat with Kilty in Australia where he’s in the Melbourne production of Come from Away. Standby for a Broadway and Hell’s Kitchen comeback.
What we’ve been reading
NYC congestion charges have been given the green light. (PIX11)
Nice shout out for Market 57 in Best NYC Florists. “This most basic corner market… has amazing flowers,” says Hell’s Kitchen resident Tessa Connelly. (Curbed)
Co-op Boards might need to reveal why they reject a buyer. (Brick Underground)
Momofuku’s Kāwi has closed at Hudson Yards. (Eater)
A labor of love… Cleaning the 9/11 Memorial Pools. (Tribeca Citizen)
Freeze Frame
Thanks to Gary Hershorn for adding a little brightness to our day. Sunset out on the river last night!