Good morning and happy Thursday. While we are in for a perfect summer day in NYC, our friend Stacy Blundell at Currently in NYC points out that around the world it’s a little different. “In Basra, Iraq the high is forecast to reach 120°F!! At Concordia Station, Antarctica it will be -40°F. Yeah, I’m pretty happy with 86°F,” she said.
Grammy Award-winning pop sensation Ed Sheeran is heading to the West Side this fall — and he’ll surely be bringing his Galway Girl along as he headlines this year’s Irish Arts Center anniversary gala. Read more…
A long-vacant MTA parking lot in Hell’s Kitchen is officially set to become affordable housing after the City Council voted to approve construction on The Lirio project — and Stile’s Farmers Market will be offered the retail space at the site. Read more…
What we’ve been reading
There are half-a-billion dollars in parking fines outstanding in NYC. (The Guardian)
Police seize 20 weed trucks for allegedly selling cannabis. (PIX11)
In the midst of the pandemic, the government gave unemployment benefits to the incarcerated, the imaginary and the dead. (New York Times)
All you need to know about polio vaccinations — and how to check if you’ve had one. (Gothamist)
Great to see Lum Lum Thai getting a rave review from Robert Sietsema. #youhearditherefirst (Eater)
Freeze Frame
There was outrage throughout the neighborhood a month ago when the New York City Districting Commission released their first draft map of new City Council districts. Under the proposal, Hell’s Kitchen would be split between three Council Members — currently, the majority of the area is represented by one, Erik Bottcher.
Check out the explainer video above to see what you can do in the next few days to protest this and make sure that Hell’s Kitchen remains whole. For more information head to onehellskitchen.org
Happy birthday to Michael D’Angora, Shiri Eshel, Alvaro and Audrey Stimpson Rosenfeld.
