Good morning and welcome to this wet weekend. Someone upstairs needs to switch off the tap, enough rain already!
Good news though… This morning you have the chance to plan for a brighter summer. Clinton Community Garden on W48th Street between 9/10th Avenue will be having its first Saturday key sale. Head there between 11am and 12 noon with $15 and a photo ID proving you live in NYC and the kind volunteers in the gazebo will grant you access to this Hell’s Kitchen oasis. HT to Chris LeBron for the reminder.
We were horrified yesterday by the racist attack on two local businesses — Epstein’s Paint Center and Cybert Tire. The stores were targeted with neo-Nazi graffiti and broken windows. Read more…
Here’s the rest of the news from the neighborhood this week…
In the latest episode of the “Never Ending Story” of 9th Avenue construction, more than 30 Hell’s Kitchen restaurants and bars were ordered to dismantle their outdoor dining structures last weekend, leaving small business owners angry and frustrated at more than 500 outdoor dining seats being lost. Read more…
Summer hasn’t begun until you spot crowds of eager New Yorkers lined up at sunset for a performance or film screening in Midtown’s verdant jewelbox, Bryant Park — and this year’s lineup of free performances through the summer series, Bryant Park Picnic Performances presented by Bank of America has something for everyone. Read more…
Can listening to the right music inspire you to enjoy your evening tipple more? According to a study from the psychology team at Heriot-Watt University, happy hour tunes do have an effect on your enjoyment of that cab sav (as does, we would argue, the happy hour price!). We asked some Hell’s Kitchen wine experts. Read more…
It’s a fairly open secret that the US government is watching our every digital move. But for West Siders, the hawk-eyed surveillance falls even closer to home — the National Security Agency is said to be camping out right here on 10th Avenue at the AT&T Building. Read more…
On Tuesday morning, we went over to 10th Avenue to meet the demolition crews taking down one of our favorite Hell’s Kitchen outdoor dining structures outside Scruffy Duffy’s and Hellcat Annie’s. Unlike the recent destruction of outdoor structures on 9th Avenue per City instructions, the choice to remove the shed was made by the bars’ owner, Pat Hughes — under some pressure from the local rat population and the Department of Transportation. Read more…
If you’ve seen Andrés Trujillo around the neighborhood, he was likely on wheels — the longtime Hell’s Kitchen Silver Towers resident and lifelong roller skater prefers it that way. Now, Trujillo is taking his passion for the sport on the road (literally) as he prepares to launch a 600-mile rollerblading tour from Manhattan to Toronto by way of the Empire State Trail this June. Read more…
We are sad to report that Taboon didn’t make it after a fire devastated the popular restaurant back in May 2021. The popular eatery, that had occupied the corner of W52nd Street and 10th Avenue for 17 years, has permanently closed. Although it had been hoped that Taboon could refit the space after the fire, boards went up around the restaurant this week. The landlords are now looking for a new tenant.
Two men were killed early on Thursday morning at a recording studio on W37th Street just east of 9th Avenue. Police are now searching for four suspects believed to be involved in the shooting. Local council member Erik Bottcher told us: “Our city is awash in guns. More needs to be done to stop the flow of guns into our city and to get them off the streets.” Read more…
If you are apartment hunting, we’ve got the latest report on rental prices relative to subway stops — plus two new services are launching that could make your search easier (and save you some fees). Read more…
Head underground to check out The Woo Woo. It’s an 80s bar following the “speakeasy” trend currently hitting New York — and our exclusive pre-opening tour this week leads you through its many layers, velvet curtains and Deuce-inspired porn shop. Read more…
If browsing dream real estate is your favorite rainy day activity, we’ve got just the thing for you. We’re living in one of the wildest housing markets in recent history. Here are a few of the most eye-opening million-dollar West Side listings. Read more…
The deaths of two French artists last month highlight the pilgrimage of foreign subway graffiti artists coming to spray paint and tag New York trains. Read more…
What we’ve been reading
One in five city children is currently living in poverty, according to non-profit Robin Hood. (NY1)
Was Alicia Keys’ New York skyscraper cape a Ralph Lauren copy from fellow high-fashion designer Zang Toi? (New York Post)
The lights go out on the Olympic Flame Diner on W60th Street. (I Love The Upper West Side)
Guess where the real Dr Strange lives… Staten Island! (SI Live)
If you’ve not got your hat already for the Kentucky Derby — pick up one from Christine in Midtown. (NY1)
Freeze Frame
We tagged along in the rain yesterday for a tour of Paddy’s Market led by Joe Restuccia. It was fascinating to discover the food and architectural history of Hell’s Kitchen below 42nd Street. The area was also a significant driver for the Ninth Avenue International Food Festival back in the 70s. In the run-up to this year’s festival next weekend, we will be reliving the street fair’s history by cooking up old recipes. Hopefully, you’ve tried the brownies by now. Watch out for Manganaro’s Arancini, Lilly Gardini’s Torta and Shredded Beef from Filipinas International. Yum…
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