Good morning! With temperatures not getting out of the 20s today, it’s time to bundle up — and there will be snow at some point(s) this week. It is winter…
We’re reporting today on some big noise in Hell’s Kitchen. First off, the Power Station — the legendary recording studio on W53rd Street — has reopened after a two year, multi-million dollar restoration and refubishment.
From 1977, it became a recording home for artists from Springsteen to Bruno Mars, McCartney to Lady Gaga, Cyndi Lauper to Herbie Hancock, Bob Dylan to Tony Bennett. The albums produced there are legendary – Brothers in Arms, Bowie’s Changes, Born in the USA, and the Hamilton cast recording. Sting’s 2016 album 57th & 9th is named after the intersection he crossed every day to get there.
Stephen Webber, executive director of BerkleeNYC, has pioneered the project and takes us on a tour. Join us…
Down 10th Avenue at W42nd Street, we have a different sort of Hell’s Kitchen sound – a high-pitched high-rise howling.
Two weeks ago, a reader reported that she was being “plagued by a mystery sound in the air most of the day and night — a high pitched noise from afar that sounds like a tuning fork.” We asked W42ST readers if they had been experiencing the sound pollution anywhere else in Hell’s Kitchen. Many wrote into us, and we think we have a good idea where it’s coming from — but it’s not stopped! Read more…
What we’ve been reading
Some cities are moving to better design to cope with snow, especially for the disabled. But not NYC… (Fast Company)
A pandemic desire for home ownership is overtaking sex, according to SNL. (Vulture)
Cultural venues are facing challenges in getting federal rescue cash. (New York Times)
There are plans in place to stop the risk of superspreading when collecting ballot signatures. (Gothamist)
Remember pen pals? They’re making a pandemic comeback! (AnOther Mag)
Freeze Frame
We lost a tree on 9th Avenue yesterday. Thanks to reader, Michael William G, for this picture taken between W48/49th Street.
We had a batch of trees falling back one night in November 2018 when wet heavy snow hit trees that still had some leaves on. One reader suggested on Twitter: “Most NYC street trees have some sort of root issues for various reasons. Many times it’s because someone repaired the sidewalk and cut them, also just stress and limited growing space.”
Be careful this week — don’t walk under ladders, and be keep an eye out around New York trees!