Good morning. The city is waking up to a raft of new initiatives from Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio. Indoor dining is returning a couple of days earlier than planned, plus there is Open Culture and a star-studded NY PopsUp scheme. Read more…
We were sad to hear of the loss of Joe Allen yesterday. Everyone knew the restaurant, but few got close to the man.
We spoke to Jim Lahey — Joe was his original investor and business partner in Sullivan Street Bakery.
“I admired Joe deeply. He was always enigmatic. He managed to be an optimist and a cynic at the same time,” said Jim. “He was very shy — I would even say painfully shy — if you didn’t know him. He’d rarely make eye contact. He was a deep, deep soul.”
Jim also reminded us that it was Joe Allen who brought Le Hamburger to Paris back in 1972. Le Hamburger now appears on the menu of 85% of French restaurants. Read our interview…
What we’ve been reading
Say ‘hi’ to the MTA’s Chief Accessibility Officer. (New York Post)
An interesting perspective on celebrity fitness instructors and Soul Cycle. (New York Times)
Illustrating the new New York skyline. (New York Yimby)
Here’s a chance to voice your opinions on plans for the Port Authority. (Checkpeds)
“I think we just found the Goonies treasure” – the photo studio discovered in a NY attic. (Smithsonian Mag)
Freeze Frame
Is it a trick of the light, or is that real ice? Thanks, Ani Solano, for sending us our Freeze Frame this morning from her walk along W37th Street between 9/10th Avenues.