Good morning and welcome to the weekend. We woke up to a National Weather Service advisory about north winds of 15-20mph giving wind chill down to 0 degrees. “If you need to be outside, be prepared for the wind and cold, and dress in layers and wear a hat, heavy coat, as well as gloves or mittens. Frostbite can occur in a short amount of time, so dress in layers and make sure all exposed skin is protected,” they said.
Somehow, we blinked and it was…mid-January?! And yet, it feels like the holiday season — full of pandemic plot twists as it were — is still lingering. And if you’ve got more than a persisting holiday hangover, you may be considering a Dry January (er, Dry Rest Of January. It’s been a slow start, ok?!). Or maybe you’re not going full temperance movement, but are looking to mix in some non-alcoholic options into your cocktail hours. Well, you’ve come to the right place — we’ve pulled together a few reader favorites around town for mocktails and relaxing, non-spirited beverages. Read more…
Here’s what’s been happening around Hell’s Kitchen this week…
Here’s something to warm you up! Food writer Kerry Byrne has become something of a chicken wings aficionado over the years. Now he’s put all that knowledge to good use with the creation of his Byrne in Hell’s Kitchen Hot Wings — which hit the menu at McQuaid’s pub this week. Kerry gives us his insight into the history of wings — and his new recipe! Read more…
We reported that the Mandarin Oriental sold a controlling stake for $98m. Seems like a discount deal when The Watson a few blocks away sold for an estimated $175m last April. Read more…
The last time we ventured into the Palace Theatre was to see SpongeBob SquarePants in 2018. Now, something rather more spectacular is happening there — it’s being lifted 30 feet into the air. Read more…
Thousands of New Yorkers have struggled to redeem their $100 vaccine incentive debit cards — some for weeks — as the company that administers them says it is trying to resolve issues with sign-ups. Read more…
The holidays may be over, but it’s still the most wonderful time of the year — NYC Restaurant Week, also known as the Black Friday of the New York food scene, begins next Tuesday, January 18! Here are the Hell’s Kitchen restaurants taking part…
We were reminded this week that we’d not updated readers on our pre-holiday cliffhanger about the mystery clocks. If you want to check out these 692 suspended timepieces, head to John Jay College on W59th Street between 10/11th (West End). You can only spot them from the north side of the street, but you can wander up the steps on the south side to view/photograph them.
Arbor by Ralph Helmick is suspended above the college’s computer hub. “When observed from a precise location at the building’s entrance this three-dimensional array creates a perceptual phenomenon known as an anamorphosis. From this perspective the timepieces optically coalesce into a depiction of the scales of justice. Jurisprudence is complex, challenging and ever evolving. Time itself can seem both constant and elastic, especially when it concerns our legal system,” says the artist.
The patron saint of W47th and 9th has been unceremoniously deposed — street artist Captain Eyeliner’s popular portrait of Dolly Parton was painted over this week, leaving the neighborhood without one of its most beloved Instagram moments. City Council member Erik Bottcher joined residents in mourning the loss, remarking — “It’s infuriating to see beloved street murals destroyed by vandalism. Since the start of the pandemic we’ve seen an explosion of vandalism, and it needs to stop. Graffiti hurts our small businesses and brings down the quality of life in our neighborhoods. One of my goals as a Council Member is to facilitate the creation of more street art like the Dolly mural. More Dolly, less graffiti!” Details here…
The legendary Roosevelt Hotel in midtown Manhattan has witnessed key events in American history over its 97-year existence. But now there’s a debate boiling about whether the hotel, which closed for business in 2020, should be designated as a landmark. Read more…
If you would like to do more in the neighborhood in 2022, how about joining the Community Board? Thanks to Rachel Holliday Smith at THE CITY for producing this very useful guide.
This year, Community Board 4 (which covers Hell’s Kitchen) is being chaired by Jeffrey LeFrancois. You can learn more about him in this excellent Q&A published by Chelsea Community News earlier this week or check out his West Side Story (first published in W42ST magazine in January 2020 — just before COVID hit).
Gary Vaynerchuk is behind the world’s first NFT restaurant — The Flyfish Club — in New York. Well, someone did pay over $400 for an NFT consisting of a 52-minute recording of farts. Yes folks, we are living in a (semi-dystopian?) Jetsons reality! Read more…
We were guests at the Irish Arts Center this week for the Opening Night of Oona Doherty’s Hard to be Soft – A Belfast Prayer. As well as witnessing an amazing performance it was inspiring to hear the passionate words of IAC’s Executive Director Aidan Connolly before the show about the “COVID Solidarity” of New York’s arts community. “It’s the heroic efforts of people — front of house, back of house, artists, audiences, staffs, programmers, safety teams — it’s truly extraordinary what’s happening here in New York City. We are in solidarity with everyone tonight,” he said.
We are truly grateful for all those showing “COVID Solidarity” in the arts, hospitality and service industries who are helping us keep some level of normality (as we sit in our N95 masks) in these challenging times.
What we’ve been reading
Time to downgrade the fashion and up the mask protection… (New York Magazine)
Restaurant scalpers — moving on that reservation for a fancy eatery. (TimeOut)
Lynn Nottage has a play, a musical and an opera running in New York City — “No easy feat in the midst of COVID”. (CBS)
Do you know anyone who wants to be the next Media Columnist of the New York Times? (Vanity Fair)
Remember when you didn’t tap and go on the subway — but used a token? (Untapped Cities)
Freeze Frame
Thanks to Gary Hershorn for being an early riser and capturing the beauty of our fabulous city this morning. Have a wonderful weekend — keep warm!
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