Happy Saturday and welcome to the Tonys weekend. Today is the better day for weather (with some rain forecast for tomorrow). If you’ve not got plans yet, check out Sarah’s “Make Way For The Weekend” newsletter.
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a — mystery??? Late Thursday evening, when many locals stayed in to watch the much-anticipated January 6 hearings, Hell’s Kitchen residents were baffled by a low-hovering NYPD helicopter over 9th and 10th Avenue. As of today, it remains a mystery, despite 24 hours of concerted investigation by your favorite local news publication. Read more…
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Register today to celebrate the Summer Solstice at one of seven free yoga classes in Times Square on Tuesday, June 21. Sign up here…
Here’s what else has been happening in the neighborhood this week…
The race to replace Assembly Member Dick Gottfried is hotting up — and the Penn Station redevelopment is a key agenda issue. Katie Honan from THE CITY reports on funding for one contender. W42ST will be offering the 4 candidates —Layla Law-Gisiko, Chris Lebron, Harrison Marks and Tony Simone — for the Democratic primary (and Republican candidate Joseph Maffia) the chance to tell their West Side Story in the coming weeks. Read more…
Mark your calendars for 7pm on Tuesday (6/14) for the Hell’s Kitchen Neighborhood Coalition District 75 NYS Assembly Candidate Forum. All the candidates will be on Zoom that evening. Register here…
Thanks to some dazzling technical artistry, a striking double rainbow will be shining a light on both the start of PRIDE Month and the continuing need for LGBTQIA+ advocacy at the Crossroads of the World throughout June. Read more…
However, in the colorful world of marijuana… Proposed packaging and sales restrictions from a state board preview the future of cannabis consumption in New York — drained of the eye-catching colors and candy concepts that street sellers from Washington Square to Washington Heights use to entice customers. Read more…
New York has lost another iconic dive bar. Holland Bar on 9th Avenue closed last weekend — and by Tuesday it had been totally stripped back to the brick walls. What are your memories? Read more…
This week, we took one of the new public tours of the Javits Center, where the A-to-Z of food, from Arugula to Zucchini, flourishes on the rooftop farm above Hell’s Kitchen. It’s a great way to spend 90 minutes and $5. Read more…
On Wednesday evening, Hell’s Kitchen mourned the loss of Julio Ramirez with a candlelit vigil on Restaurant Row and walk to Times Square. Earlier that day, Ritz Bar owner Tommy Greco spoke about the death of the 25-year-old after leaving his bar and appealed for safety during PRIDE. Read more…
A true West Side Story came to the neighborhood. Leonard Bernstein’s biographical film Maestro — starring, directed, and co-written by Hollywood leading man and frequent Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper (along with Matt Bomer and Kate Eastman) — filmed on Thursday in Hell’s Kitchen. Read more…
It’s a seamless bit of theater magic — in what seems like mere seconds after Broadway’s Tony Awards, signs outside each venue proudly proclaim each honor. That’s down to 60-year-old Hell’s Kitchen business Fine Art Imaging. Read more…
If the US Supreme Court allows more guns on NYC streets, will legally permitted guns be allowed on the subway? In Broadway theaters? On college campuses? What about Central Park and Times Square? Greg B Smith from THE CITY reports. Read more…
Thanks to an eagle-eyed reader, we found that Jennifer Lopez was in Hell’s Kitchen this week. If you look out the window of this shoot you can see W42nd Street. The photos are taken in Shop Studios (a popular TV, movie and photoshoot location on W39th Street) as she promoted her documentary Halftime. “You never know where you’ll see me in NYC,” J.Lo said on her Instagram account.
What we’ve been reading
Broadway cleaners are hoping to sweep up rewards, not awards. (Gothamist)
“First world worries” — the cost of West Side helicopter rides to The Hamptons tops $1,000 this season. (Bloomberg)
Get off the sidewalk! New Yorkers are finding ways to deter wheeled warriors weaving around walkers. (The Village Sun)
Have you been seeing “shrinkflation” at your local store? (NPR)
Have you tried “healthy Coke”? Apparently, it’s made with balsamic vinegar and La Croix. (Newsweek)
Freeze Frame
Thank you to Cynthia for this image from her walk to work yesterday morning. “Happy Friday!! 7:43 am 6/10/22 ilovenyc ❤️,” she said on Instagram.
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