Happy Tuesday. I’m happy to be here to tell the tale. A lady stepped out in front of my Citi Bike on 8th Avenue last night. I hit the brakes, hit a pothole, and took a tumble. Fortunately, the kindness of bystanders (loved the young guy who kept on saying “shake it out, shake it out”) and the apology of the lady left me with just bruises and a story to tell.
Building super Regis Moore is recovering at Mount Sinai from a brutal, unprovoked attack early on Saturday morning. We’ve all seen the video by now — truly awful. Regis has a history of picking himself up. You can trace his Hell’s Kitchen history to being homeless and picking up cans to make ends meet in his 40s. In his 60s he was hit by a car on 10th Avenue. This time he needs help getting back on his feet, please do consider giving something to his GoFundMe (and Tom and Michael — I feel a telethon coming on!)
Simon Owens from the Business of Content, wrote about W42ST’s pandemic pivot from a monthly print magazine to a digital daily newsletter. Here’s our backstory…
W42ST is still here — but more than 40 local businesses are not! This is the week that we say farewell to those bars, restaurants and stores that were COVID casualties. We will give them a send-off with love, laughter, tears and tales. Please hit reply and tell us about the hardest loss, share your stories and dig out your pictures. All will be commemorated by the week’s end. Here’s the running list … who have we missed?
9th Avenue Saloon, Adella Wine Bar, B-Squared Pizza, Bann Restaurant, Bar Bacon, Bettibar, Black Sushi, Blossom Du Jour, Bolivian Llama Party, Boxers, Cakes ‘n’ Shapes, Cara Mia, Carve (8th Ave/W46th), Chimichurri Grill, City Pizza, Donna Bell’s Bake Shop, Empire Coffee, Esca, Friendly Jerry’s, Gustaly, Haru, Hourglass Tavern, Ivan Ramen Slurp Shop, Kilo, Kodama sushi, Lansdowne Road, Maison Sevilla, Mazella’s Market, Mentoku Ramen, Mont Blanc 52, Morning Star, MTHR Vegan, Otto’s Tacos, Perdition, POSH, Real Pam Thai, Room Service, Rustic Table, Samudra, Sangria 46, Taladwat, The Coffee Pot, The Distillery, Theatre Row Diner, Therapy, and Treadwell Park.
What we’ve been reading
How Times Square Hotel was converted to affordable housing. Is this a model for struggling post-pandemic hotels? (NBC)
Eleven Madison is helping those in need with a food truck project. (TimeOut)
The 11pm curfew is a problem for sports bars. (Crain’s)
Beware of songbirds bearing salmonella… (New York Daily News)
Is Amazon convenience destroying us? (New York Magazine)
Freeze Frame
Thanks to Jesse Hamilton for spotting this new addition to “Open Streets” in the neighborhood. “Home is where the art is. This is someone’s home here in midtown at the corner of 51/8 – and it’s decorated with artwork & part of a couch,” he said on Instagram.