Good morning and happy Wednesday. Unfortunately the rain is back with a few showers in the morning, but the sun may break through the clouds this afternoon. As usual for spring, the warmest day of the week is the day it rains!
Crime and quality of life issues have always been hot topics in New York City, and last week, we asked Hell’s Kitchen residents how they felt about life on our streets. More than 40% of the respondents said they had a personal experience with crime in the past year. When asked about the level of trust in the crime-related statistics shared by city officials and politicians, only 13% showed confidence in the figures. Read more…
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Actor and writer Jon Spano moved to New York right after graduation, almost 45 years ago — and in that time has worked briefly with a young Madonna and rubbed shoulders with the likes of Jackie Onassis and Barbra Streisand. Read Jon’s West Side Story…
What we’ve been reading
* Stories that might be behind a paywall are marked with a 💰
Over 400 responded to this NYC sidewalk etiquette survey — and their biggest gripes will not surprise you. (Gothamist)
Arrest have been made after the random punching of seven women. (NBC)
Jogger films a coyote in Central Park. (NY Post)
Bankruptcy filing forces closures for fashion retailer. (Crain’s💰)
Congestion pricing concerns for Hell’s Kitchen burger joint. (NY1)
Freeze Frame
In other state budget news, Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal has championed a few pieces of legislation including Sammy’s Law which gives NYC control to lower speed limits to 20 mph, a law making it easier to shut down unlicensed smoke shops, and — to the potential benefit of small news publications like W42ST — a law sponsored by Hoylman-Sigal that provides an up to $25,000 tax credit, per employee, to local news organizations when they take on new staff members.
“I’m very proud that we’re providing a leg up for local news publications and broadcasters,” Hoylman-Sigal said before casting his vote. “They say that democracy dies in darkness … We need that spotlight on us, not for ourselves but for our constituents so that they can vote appropriately and make their own decisions.”
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