Good morning and happy Monday. The weather is damp and horrid, so let’s discuss something cheerier! Three years ago, I pressed send on W42ST’s first daily newsletter as COVID came to call. It’s a little bizarre that for the last 5 months, I’ve been sending every day from the UK — but that’s our new #workfromanywhere world. Lots has changed — but I’m so happy that from the initial few hundred who subscribed, we are now enjoyed by over 7,000 locals in Hell’s Kitchen. Thank you for your readership and support over these three years!
W42ST’s Sarah Beling joined fellow curious straphangers, seen-it-all New Yorkers, veteran MTA workers and those completely unaware of the change on a weekend quest to find the elusive, newly-released blue and gold R211 ‘A’ Train subway car. Read more…

Paul Ford has lived in Hell’s Kitchen since the 1970s and played piano for Broadway shows for over 40 years, with Stephen Sondheim declaring him the “indefatigable master of the musical theatre”. Read his West Side Story…

What we’ve been reading
A woman was robbed at knifepoint while her friend was held in a headlock in Hell’s Kitchen early Sunday. (New York Post)
Strutting your stuff on Broadway will become easier with this new pedestrian plan. (Gothamist)
The social workers in B-Heard teams share their experiences of helping with NYC’s mental health emergencies. (amNY)
The history of the battle for Penn Station and MSG. (New Yorker)
Nice to see Ink48 and The Press Lounge at the top of this list. (The Travel)
Freeze Frame

It might be gray for the next couple of days, but thankfully photographer Gary Hershorn captured this magical New York sunrise on Sunday morning for us. Have a great week!
Happy birthday to Jillian Maloney