Happy Thursday. New York Metro Weather folks are calling today: “Dreary, rainy, chilly, breezy. The vibes are asleep.” While Stacy Blundell at Currently is saying: “We open the shades to puddles and raindrops. Pour a plentiful cup of coffee because we’ll need the energy to get moving. The rain comes down steadily early in the day so waterproof boots are a good idea. It will be breezy and an easy day to nap the dreary hours away.”
If you don’t decide to stay in bed, you can perk yourself up with a cup of coffee from Vanesa Kim at White Noise — a brand new coffee shop on 11th Avenue. Read more…

W42ST has definitely had a springtime theme this week as we cast off the winter of our discontent and embrace every sign of reawakening that comes our way! Assisting in this warm weather watch is a new guide from NYC Parks with a handy-dandy checklist detailing New York’s most recognizable spring symbols. Read more…

What we’ve been reading
Changes at Instagram are hurting small businesses. (New York Times)
Is inertia the key issue in the richest city in the world not dealing with its trash? (Streetsblog)
Here’s where you can check out New York’s spring blossom. (Untapped New York)
Have you been supplementing your dinner with uni, caviar, or truffle? Seems like it’s become a real (and expensive) thing in NYC. (Grub Street)
Are you doomscrolling? Have you tried a “digital rest stop”? (Washington Post)
Freeze Frame

Thanks to Redditor @chickenfordinnertime for this view from his hotel room at The Pod on W42nd Street looking down on 9th Avenue. His post in the Seinfeld group entitled “Parking fight: Head-first guy is cutting in on back-first guy” is a very New York moment. When asked “Who won the fight?” we were told: “Black car. Truck just drove off.”
Happy birthday to Catie Savage, Sal Salomon and Jesus Gutierrez.