Good morning and happy Saturday. What a lovely-looking weekend! Highs today of 81 degrees and tomorrow that rises to 88 degrees. Humidity is pretty good too. Enjoy…
The remaining studios at the iconic Hit Factory on W54th St may be up for sale. A place where legends like Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston and Bruce Springsteen created magic. Stay tuned — and read more…
Here’s the rest of the news around Hell’s Kitchen this week…
In April, the latest in a series of vandal attacks closed the Hell’s Kitchen Free Store indefinitely — now the volunteer-led initiative is gearing up for a return in September at a new location. Read more…
The city is dropping big bucks on gift cards for big-box stores and Amazon, as part of a $500,000 push to entice New Yorkers into answering some questions. Read more…
Thank you to W42ST reader Nikolay Pokrovskiy for this spectacular photo of a skyline visitor to 10th Avenue’s burnt-out crane. “Our notorious crane is inhabited again. An osprey landed there to enjoy its dinner, which appeared to be a medium-sized fish from the Hudson River,” he told us via email.
Hulu’s murder mystery Only Murders in the Building is back for a third season, starring Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez and… Schmackary’s cookies! Read more…
Professional actor and singer Max von Essen has lived in Hell’s Kitchen since 2005 — “I’m probably happiest when I’m in a Broadway show and get to walk to work,” he says. Read Max’s West Side Story…
Get ready to rat out the rodents! A new interactive rat map lets NYC residents get a localized rodent report on any property in the city. Read more…
Is your Con Ed bill too damn high? Electricity usage typically goes up in the summer, and a recent rate hike isn’t helping. Read more…
“It isn’t a piece of steel — it’s a piece of history,” said Ed Coyne, as almost 200 former crew members gathered on the USS Intrepid to celebrate its 80th anniversary, it was a time for celebration and reflection. Read more…
A memo from Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey urges safety first. It comes after a string of crash injuries and a CITY expose of a surge in vehicle pursuits. Read more…
We panicked a little this week when we saw boards going up around Mee Noodle Shop at the corner of 9th Avenue and W53rd Street. Amazingly, the popular eatery is still open for business as “vault work” gets underway on the building. Please support the folks at Mee through what’s going to be a tough time.
Check out Sarah’s latest edition of “Make Way for the Weekend” for ideas of what to do around New York. Read more…
Hell’s Kitchen actor, singer, composer, director and teacher Anita Hollander lost her leg to cancer in 1982 and moved to NYC the following year — where she promotes greater inclusion, accessibility and employment in the entertainment industry and is currently carrying on the fight on the SAG-AFTRA picket line. Read Anita’s West Side Story…
What we’ve been reading
* Stories that might be behind a paywall are marked with a 💰
Brooklyn Fare’s Chef’s Table on W37th St quietly closes, amid turmoil. (Business Insider)
Radioactive dumping is banned in the Hudson River! (Gothamist)
The debate continues on congestion charge pricing and exemptions. (NBC)
Some of New York’s noisiest stories… (Curbed💰)
You’ll never leave your toilet lid open again after watching this video. 👀 (Reddit)
Freeze Frame
It’s a classic Hell’s Kitchen street scene, which raises questions… When will the new smoke store on W49th store take down its Grand Opening balloons? And why do cannabis stores feel they must have artificial grass outside?
Happy birthday to Stanford Friedman and Elise Holman.