Good morning and welcome to the weekend. The winds will subside mid-morning to make way for a sunny Saturday with a high of 68 degrees. The rain comes back tomorrow morning as we brace ourselves for more seasonal weather next week.
YouTube creator Carolina Rizzotto wanted to learn more about Times Square’s costumed characters — so she dove in at the deep end by dressing as a shark for a day and trying to earn $100 in tips. Read more…
Here’s the rest of the news from Hell’s Kitchen this week…
In a building once made famous by singer Sting, pests that don’t sting have taken over: bed bugs! All 21 units at 401-403 W57th Street, at the corner with 9th Avenue — an intersection memorialized by the British singer-songwriter in his 2016 album, 57th and 9th — have been infested by the dreaded insects. Read more…
Looking for a pivotal piece of musical history? Midtown’s Hard Rock Cafe is hosting the auction of American Pie singer-songwriter Don McLean’s property, including the acoustic guitar the artist used to record his famous song Vincent (Starry, Starry Night) — and you can still make a bid this weekend! Read more…
Another Hell’s Kitchen pharmacy is about to close. The 8th Avenue and W47th Street Duane Reade branch will become the latest chain casualty on November 17, representatives confirmed to W42ST. Read more…
It took two hours, 45 minutes and 12 seconds for Jacob Caswell to make history as the New York Marathon’s first non-binary winner to take home a cash prize — and Hell’s Kitchen’s first ever local champion. Read more…
The death of Julio Ramirez — last seen at Ritz Bar & Lounge on April 21 before being found dead, his bank accounts emptied — is being linked by the Office of the District Attorney to another man’s suspicious death after a night at Hell’s Kitchen gay bar. Read more…
Amid the red-hot Manhattan rental market, one West Sider has found himself in hot water. He stands accused of illegally subletting his $8,000-a-month Hell’s Kitchen penthouse for as much as $1,500 a night on Airbnb and VRBO while building up rent arrears of nearly $250k. Read more…
Two New York sommeliers with lifelong ties to Hell’s Kitchen have brought a new kind of family-owned wine store and meeting spot to the area, as inclusively-designed Beaupierre Wine & Spirits opened on 10th Avenue. Read more…
The stars, the planets — or in this case, the moon — aligned this week, as two strangers connected over a serendipitous photo opportunity. In a twist of fate, tourist Liza-Jane Sowden spotted herself silhouetted in photographer Gary Hershorn’s shot of the moon rising behind the Edge at Hudson Yards. Read more…
New York State’s Office of Cannabis Management has released new guidance on how recreational marijuana dispensaries will be allowed to operate, as the city counts down to the expected first openings. Although the guidelines have yet to be finalized, they offer an insight into what to expect from the shops that obtain one of the 22 available Manhattan operating licenses. Read more…
The unsung heroes who care for our city’s parks are getting their due acclaim in a new art installation at Bella Abzug Park that turns them into story-telling shadow sculptures. Read more…
USS Arlington docked on the south side of Pier 88 next to Intrepid this week preparing for Veterans Day. For the Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro who came on board for the celebrations, it was a return home. His parents emigrated from Cuba to Hell’s Kitchen as refugees in 1962 when Del Toro was just a year old, with his father working a variety of jobs including janitor, taxi driver, and dry cleaning business owner. His mother worked as a purse factory employee and maid to help make ends meet. As our neighborhood continues to welcome migrants, this is a vision for what each of those children arriving might become.
What we’ve been reading
A new multi-million dollar investment will focus on cleaning up New York. (Gothamist)
In October, prices for alcohol and restaurants rose — while electronics and beef costs dropped. (WSJ)
Calling time on New York as a 24-hour city? (NY1)
Have you been to a secret cannabis dinner? It’s like having a wine flight, but with marijuana. (New York Times)
Do you suddenly feel like dancing? It’s all about the bass, according to scientists… (Vice)
Freeze Frame
Thanks to Renee Lutz Stanley for the picture. “Looking through a construction fence, 11th Ave, opposite the Javits Center. Soon this beautiful view of the Empire State will disappear behind new construction,” she said on Instagram.
Happy birthday to Darik Bradley.