Happy Friday. We’re winding into the weekend with some rainstorms early afternoon. Otherwise, things are set fair for the end of summer with highs in the mid-80s and lows of 73 degrees on Saturday and Sunday.
As Hell’s Kitchen fills with smoke shops, the city is to initially grant only 22 licenses to open recreational marijuana dispensaries across the whole of Manhattan. Read more…
Busloads of asylum seekers continue to arrive at Port Authority, and West Siders are welcoming their new neighbors at Hell’s Kitchen hotels with community gatherings, donation drives and school supply fundraisers. Read more…
What we’ve been reading
The Mayor’s sledgehammer might have destroyed an award-winning outside dining shed — but it created some parking spaces. (Streetsblog)
The life of New York rental brokers, from cans of tuna and through the pandemic to TikTok crazy times. (The Guardian)
The theft of catalytic converters is on the rise in New York. (New York Post)
How much would it cost to give New York’s subway stations air conditioning? (New York Times)
Lin-Manuel Miranda is set to adapt the movie “New York, New York” for Broadway. (Indiewire)
Freeze Frame
It was the final call for American Retro on 11th Avenue last night. They closed their doors after a few beers (and Shirley Temples) with regulars — but will reopen on 9th Avenue (where The Distillery used to be) in a couple of weeks. “Thanks for all of the wonderful memories. We’re moving to 785 9th Ave. Let’s make new memories together,” they said on Instagram.
Happy birthday to Lindsey Caplan and Garret Corcoran.
