Good morning and happy Saturday. The temperatures gently sweep between mid-30s overnight and mid-40s during the day all weekend. Sunny today and cloudy for Super Bowl Sunday. Next rain is forecast for next Friday, when temperatures will hit a springlike 61 degrees!
Juan Carlos Rojas. a Hell’s Kitchen local who arrived in New York from Chile 25 years ago in the hope of rebuilding his life, is offering free training in dementia care to a new wave of migrants. Read more…
Here’s the rest of the news from Hell’s Kitchen this week…
Smoke filled the skies over 9th Avenue last Sunday morning when a fire broke out in a fifth-floor apartment above the Bombay Grill House. Neighbors and activists said this could have been prevented. There have been complaints made for over six months to elected officials, NYPD, FDNY and the City about a “chop shop” in the building. Read more…
Valentine’s Day has snuck up on you — again!! Whether you’re celebrating this weekend, on the 14th, or not at all (we don’t judge!), Sarah has revisited our Valentine’s Day in Hell’s Kitchen guide with exciting 2023 specials from your favorite West Side standbys as well as entirely new places to celebrate the people and the neighborhood you love! Read more…
New York City officials are advising patrons of Hell’s Kitchen’s gay bars and clubs to switch off the facial recognition software on their phones and use a passcode as a security measure in response to the deaths of Julio Ramirez and John Umberger and the recent druggings and robberies of others. Read more…
Neighborhood megastar Alicia Keys has her mind on bringing Hell’s Kitchen to Broadway as a musical — with Manhattan Plaza taking center stage (yes, they are auditioning for Ray, the doorman). Read more…
Mayor Eric Adams and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg declared a new initiative to smoke out New York’s unlicensed cannabis shops, including over 30 stores in Hell’s Kitchen (we counted, mapped and photographed them all — thx, Catie!). Read more…
Move over dollar slices, there’s a new Hell’s Kitchen pizza place (sandwiched between two smoke shops) that tastes like a zillion bucks. Head to W42nd Street, where the team that brought you Steak Frites Bistro is now tossing up marquee-worthy slices at Zillions Pizza. Read more…
Back in the second issue of W42ST magazine in December 2014, we shared the story of artist Asae Soya’s mural on W45th Street (just west of 10th Avenue).
This week, Council Member Erik Bottcher posted on Twitter the clean-up on the bridges over the Amtrak lines and appealed to artists — Soya’s art has long been covered by graffiti. Are you inspired to create something? Email his office at district@council.nyc.gov
Sarah will be sitting down with CM Bottcher to review his first year in office at the City Council. What questions would you like to ask him? Hit reply…
While it’s vital to support NYC Black-owned businesses and cultural celebrations year-round, there are plenty of ways to learn, observe, and celebrate Black History Month locally with a bevy of performances, workshops, festivals, and exhibitions popping up in Hell’s Kitchen and Midtown throughout February! Check out our guide…
The founder of former favorite Shorty’s is back on 9th Avenue with Olde City, just in time for exiled Eagles fans to have a Super Bowl party. Read more…
We’ve been following the travels of Yannick Benjamin from Beaupierre Wine & Spirits through France for the last couple of weeks on their Instagram account. We cannot wait until the fruits of Yannick’s research land at their store on 10th Avenue.
Beaupierre has just become one of W42ST’s Local Business Partners — joining more than 30 local businesses whose adverts you will see in our newsletters, on our website and our social media. Please support them… and if you are a local business that would like to join W42ST in celebrating Hell’s Kitchen — hit reply!
Check out Sarah’s latest edition of “Make Way for the Weekend” for ideas of what to do to round off the week. Read more…
As District Attorney Alvin Bragg begins his second year in charge, we talked one-on-one with him about Midtown’s most pressing safety issues — and his administration’s plans to address them. Our conversation covers homelessness, housing and hotlines — with a bit of crime thrown in. Read more…
Runaway and homeless young people who visit any of New York City’s overnight drop-in centers are now prohibited from “resting” there — and the providers have been ordered to remove any cots or resting places. Read more…
Are you following the story of Flaco the Eurasian Eagle Owl? If not, we’d recommend you tune in to Manhattan Bird Alert on Twitter to check whether Flaco (who got freedom after his cage at Central Park Zoo was vandalized) is still evading capture/rescue. The picture below shows him by a trap (he didn’t fall for it!) photographed by @jacquelineUWS
What we’ve been reading
The MTA is clamping down on persistent toll violators. (NBC)
State officials will allow an emergency COVID rule requiring masks in health care facilities to lapse on February 12. (Politico)
Taking a step back, and looking at what happened at The Watson Hotel. (New York Daily News)
So what will become of outdoor dining? The future remains unclear. (Gothamist)
“Before Midnight” parties promise all the thrills of a night out, but getting home to bed early. (New York Times)
Freeze Frame
Local transport activist and improv artist Charlie Todd posted this on Reddit of a new addition to the 9th Avenue “truffle” extended sidewalk. “Major props to the tactical urbanist who added walking stencils to the new expanded sidewalks on 9th Ave last night. DOT should add real ones,” he said. Who is the mystery stenciller? We are hearing rumors that more rainbow colored walkers will be arriving on the “truffle” soon…
Happy birthday to Jason Perez.