Good morning and happy Saturday. With the wind chill this morning, it feels like -11 degrees. Time to turn over and stay in bed! Christmas Day will bring a toasty high of 26 degrees though.
This is our last newsletter of the year. We will return to your inbox on Tuesday, January 3. Thank you for reading along with us every morning. Sarah has taken a look through the year’s coverage to discover what got Hell’s Kitchen talking in 2022. Read more…
After decades as a fixture on 11th Avenue, Metropolitan Lumber and Hardware is chopping its Hell’s Kitchen locations and consolidating operations to its Astoria and Soho branches. Read more…
Here’s the rest of the news from Hell’s Kitchen this week…
New York landlords, including a major Hell’s Kitchen management company, are moving to put the brakes on e-bikes — with buildings increasingly banning the technology over concerns around fire safety, following a series of battery-fueled blazes. Read more…
The New York Times wrote about my extended stay in the UK. The US Embassy has not responded to my lawyer’s request (as well as those of so many W42ST readers — THANK YOU!) for a Supervisory Review of my visa renewal rejection. I won’t be home for Christmas, and the most likely course of action will be a new application in January — which will take 6-8 weeks to process. The only thing I can say is that most of the time I am smiling (unlike the picture below) — and I will be back. I can’t wait to walk the streets of Hell’s Kitchen again next year.
Two anti-drag protesters were arrested on Monday evening after getting into Hell’s Kitchen Council Member Erik Bottcher’s apartment building, amid an escalating campaign of homophobic targeting. The two women were arrested after a demonstration which also left the sidewalk outside Bottcher’s Chelsea home covered in vile slurs, and followed days of the gay legislator being subjected to hate speech. Read more…
As 2022 ticks away and we inch ever closer to another Times Square New Year’s Eve celebration, two signs of the impending festivities made their way to Midtown. You can make a wish for the new year on the official Times Square confetti — and earlier in the week could take a peek at the 2023 sign. Read more…
A new outpost of the Bronx Brewery is topping up its kegs in Hudson Yards, where the outer borough brand hopes happy hour office workers and holiday visitors will find it a welcoming Midtown watering hole amid the corporate towers. Read more…
New Year’s Eve in Hell’s Kitchen is a true choose-your-own adventure. Want a low-key, luxe dinner? No problem! Interested in a sociable craft cocktail party where someone else takes care of the bartending? There are plenty! Looking to dance into 2023? Put on your favorite “going out” shirt! And yes, obviously, you could head for Times Square. But really, why leave the neighborhood? We’ve curated the best West Side options for you. Read more…
Following on his Michelin-starred Hell’s Kitchen hits Kochi and Mari, chef Sungchul Shim is bringing his firepower to 8th Avenue with GUI — a new Korean steakhouse which will take over the location of the Staples store that shuttered during the pandemic. “Just signed a new lease today — let’s start again together!” Shim posted, hailing the nascent eatery. Read more…
For every “Best of 2022” list, there are also the “Worst of” rankings. This year’s “Worst Landlords” list, compiled by New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams is topped by the landlord of the neighborhood’s most notoriously neglected properties — 410 and 412 W46th Street. Williams named the owner as Johnathan Santana, and called him the worst landlord in New York City for a string of violations at properties in Manhattan and Queens. Read more…
Hell’s Kitchen staple Twins Irish Pub is closing after 52 years on 9th Avenue. As demolition looms, the last pint will be pulled on New Year’s Eve, prompting an outpouring of memories. Read more…
Check out Sarah’s latest edition of Make Way for the Weekend for ideas of what to do to round off this holiday season. Read more…
While New York’s only constant is change (and maybe rats?), the good news is that 2022’s changes brought a plethora of exciting new businesses to Hell’s Kitchen. W42ST celebrates the freshman class of shops, restaurants, bars, art studios and gyms who have already made their mark in our neighborhood. Read more…
What we’ve been reading
Where are those rent stabilized apartments disappearing to? (THE CITY)
Check out the new Grand Central Madison station. (Today)
Holiday gift — New York state lawmakers get a 29% pay rise. (Gothamist)
There are more Starbucks in Manhattan than ever. (Commercial Observer)
Great to see Arnold and Little Pie Company in this small business feature. (NY1)
Freeze Frame
One benefit of being in exile in the UK is that I’m definitely experiencing a warmer weekend. Temperatures in Suffolk on the East coast of England are currently a sweltering 48 degrees. Have a wonderful Christmas and a very happy 2023.
Thank you for your readership. If you can support our ongoing work to keep Hell’s Kitchen connected, updated and upbeat — please hit the button below.
