Good morning and welcome to Wednesday. Not so welcome is a visit from the tail end of Hurricane Fred and the arrival of the Spotted Lanternfly in Hell’s Kitchen.
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. Yesterday, it was spotted in Hell’s Kitchen for the first time — after reported sightings in the Upper West Side and Central Park earlier in the week.
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…
It’s great to see local actors heading back to Broadway’s theaters for rehearsal. On Monday, Krystal Joy Brown (who we interviewed in May 2020) went back to her role as Eliza in Hamilton.
Yesterday, it was the turn of Stephen Carlile, who plays Scar in Lion King to get back to work.
Tonight, Joe Allen returns to Restaurant Row. They will initially be open Wednesday until Sunday — but they hope to expand that as Broadway comes back.
What we’ve been reading
Alvin Ailey will be back in person before year-end. (New York Times)
Scooter sharing has hit the streets of NYC. (The Verge)
Why did New York’s restaurants get so expensive? (Grub Street)
Theater District high-rise development inches forward after Shubert and Extell deal. (The Real Deal)
The top 10 secrets of the Lincoln Tunnel. (Untapped Cities)
Freeze Frame
Thanks to Marc Frishman for today’s Freeze Frame. “For those of you who ask if the stories of increased crime in NYC are true…apparently even our superheroes’ powers can’t be counted on to defend us anymore!” he said on Instagram.
Happy Birthday to Michael D’Angora, Alvaro, Audrey Stimpson and Shiri Eshel.