Happy Saturday and welcome to the weekend. We’ve got a tropical storm warning in place for Henri — so batten down the hatches!
Two years ago, Sal Salomon was living in a homeless shelter. He approached Sting’s voice coach, Karen Nimereala, and told her his story — she gave Sal free lessons. Tonight he will appear around the world in a 60-second commercial during the “WE LOVE NYC: The Homecoming Concert”. The sad twist is that despite the TV paycheck and a recent GoFundMe he cannot find a home in New York City. More here…
Here’s your chance to catch up on what’s been happening in Hell’s Kitchen this week…
Grants of up to $5,000 are on offer to theater workers who left New York during the pandemic. The Places Please Project is open to actors, musicians and designers, as well as technical and admin staff. Details here…
Hell’s Kitchen bars and restaurants were damaged as a man went fire-raising around the city in the early hours of Monday morning. He appears to have started by breaking the windows of Atlas Social Club and then moved downtown setting light to outdoor dining and dumpsters. More here…
Anyone for tennis? The former NYPD tow pound site at Pier 76 is being transformed by American Express into a tennis center during the US Open — and fans of the sport can book one of the six popup courts for just $5. Details here…
It was great to see the cast and crew of Hamilton back at work at the Richard Rodgers on Monday. We caught them at lunch on their first day “in the office”. Everyone was optimistic when news of Broadway’s reopening first came out in May, but now Delta cases are surging and so are concerns within the theater industry. Ticket sales are lagging (even for Hamilton) as theatergoers face a renewed threat from COVID’s latest variant. More details here…
When the Spotted Lanternfly dropped in to Pennsylvania from China, NPR reported that it could be the worst invasive species in the United States in 150 Years. This week, it was spotted in Hell’s Kitchen for the first time. Even NYC Parks is asking us to kill these bugs: “Harming our city’s wildlife is prohibited, but we are putting out a one-time call: if you see a spotted lanternfly, please squish and dispose of this invasive pest.” More here…
Later in the week, we spotted the lanternfly’s number one predator, the Praying Mantis, outside the Apple Store in the UWS. Could this be our savior from the bug invasion? More here…
Back in November 2014, we rented space for the first time at Manhattan Mini Storage next to the Market Diner on W43rd Street to take delivery of the first issue of W42ST magazine. Since then the storage has moved, expanded and contracted until last month when we organized a dumpster and finally gave up our storage (and the costs). It’s a New York story — and yes, there are a few boxes that have ended up in my GF’s storage!
So it’s no surprise that Manhattan Mini Storage is a cash cow business. So good that it’s up for sale with a price tag of $3 billion. Read it and weep… (to cheer you up, here’s a pic of some 11th Avenue nostalgia!)
Hudson Yards — an area once known for its slaughterhouses and a cow tunnel — is bringing the cows back home. The new arrivals are among a selection of the work of over 70 artists on display with the aim of raising money for God’s Love We Deliver. Details here…
Times Square’s latest attraction is the wheel deal — a giant Ferris wheel is currently being constructed near to Duffy Square. But if you want to take a spin you’ll have to be quick, because the 110 ft-high ride will be in town for less than a month. More here…
What we’ve been reading
What can a landlord do? A renters’ guide to NYC housing laws. (Bushwick Daily)
The process for a family to get into a homeless shelter is broken and traumatic. (Politico)
Urban biking tips for New Yorkers. (New York Times)
The New York City TV and film business is back. (The City)
George Hahn appeals to stop driving in the city — and get on your bike. (Streetsblog)
Freeze Frame
If you didn’t manage to snag tickets for the Homecoming NYC concert, you can still grab some live entertainment this afternoon. Over 50 performers from TSQ Project will be in action in Times Square. There is a preview show at 2pm and the main performance at 3pm in Duffy Square.