Happy New Year. We managed to create an “Around the World of COVID” tasting menu to welcome in 2021 and bid farewell to 2020. What did you get up to?
Let’s take a look back at what happened last week.
Donna Bell’s Bake Shop served its last scone to customers in Hell’s Kitchen on Sunday afternoon. The Southern-style bakery, created by NCIS star Pauley Perrette and her two best friends, Darren Greenblatt and Matthew Sandusky, closed for good after a struggle to survive during the pandemic.
The business struggled through until the end of the year with the help of shipping orders — boosted in recent months by Thanksgiving and the Holidays. “Thank you to everybody who placed their orders since July,” said Matthew in November. “You’re literally the only reason I’m still here in New York and the only reason that we’re still open.”
We took a twisted look at the new entrance to Penn Station. It’s a planned (or unplanned) optical illusion that makes it the “Leaning Tower of Penn” when looked at from left or right… Did you go to visit the new Moynihan Station yesterday?
In a week where we’ve watched the video of a woman falsely accusing a Black teenager of taking her phone, we shared this story of Thomas Hutchings’ experience in the summer of 2017 (and written in December of that year). Read on…
Central Park’s Carriage Horses have been a part of the city’s streetscape for more than 160 years, but is it finally time to put them out to pasture? We got input from both sides of the debate — mixed with some facts, figures, and history. Read more…
The election of a new Mayor will be a significant turning point this year. It looks fairly certain that Hell’s Kitchen foodie, Andrew Yang, will be joining the race. We reported on him filming his announcement video with a catchphrase: “Can you digit it?” — and his first Instagram post of 2021 riding on W42nd Street.
What we’ve been reading
These horror tales from pandemic restaurants go to prove the customer is not always right. (Food and Wine)
NYPD will be leaving its Hell’s Kitchen tow pound by the end of the month. (Patch)
Should the vaccine testers who got placebo jabs now be given the real vaccination? (NY1)
The MTA has now completed its OMNY rollout. (Gothamist)
Enjoy a nostalgic glimpse of 1930s New York. (NASS)
Freeze Frame
Happy New Year!