Don't you wish your landlord was more like this?

W42ST Daily 5/02/2020

Good news! My landlord’s email drops in my inbox five weeks ago. Keep paying your rent on time and we’ll give you a 25 percent discount on the final month’s rent at the end of your lease.

Ooookaaaaaay. So, if you REALLY cared about your tenants and their ability to pay, you’d offer that discount now, right? Not pile on the pressure.

Amanda’s landlord didn’t even pretend to be nice about it. “Now more than ever, it’s important to pay rent on time. We are no longer accepting checks, so if you haven’t set up the online payment system, you have to now.”

Classy.

With nearly 370,000 people filing for unemployment at the beginning of April (compared with 13,304 for the same week the previous year), I’m guessing rent is kind of problematic for a lot of us. And, as the #cancelrent movement gathers momentum, who hasn’t been wishing their landlord was a little more like this guy?

If you’re worried about paying rent, and are under pressure from your landlord, I want to hear from you.

If you, like me, are facing a lease renewal and are examining your options, let’s talk.

If you’re facing a move, and can only see your potential future home through a tiny phone screen’s virtual tour, tell me about it.

If you’re a landlord, let me know what’s on your mind.

And if you’re thinking: “You know? Enough of this bullshit. Crazy rents, tiny apartments, and none of the New York fun? I might as well be in Idaho …” I’d love to chat more.

As we start to imagine what a post-COVID-19 New York looks like, with businesses gradually reopening, bars spilling out into the streets, sitting six feet apart in restaurants, and Broadway houses half empty – is the entire conversation null and void if New Yorkers can’t afford to live here anymore?

SPREAD THE LOVE
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Imagine interviewing yourself from four months ago about the coronavirus? You have travel plans? Oh, girl …

NEW YORK STORIES
Looking at the same four walls for the last eight weeks has most of us thinking about a change, amiright? So it seemed a good time to revisit this interview with Jason Witcher, who gave his alcove studio apartment a new look using items that can be found in most hardware stores. Read his story, and others like it, at w42st.com.

DO THESE THINGS
Answer the call
The 24-hour Call to Unite livestream event is already happening, with appearances from Elizabeth Gilbert and Marianne Williamson, Naomi Campbell, Common, Quincy Jones, Michael Stipe and more still to come. Tune in to see more stars’ messy bedrooms.

Drag Con goes digital
Todrick Hall, Cyndi Lauper, Rufus Wainwright, Alan Cumming, and more join Ru Paul’s Drag Con today and tomorrow, in support of the LGBTQ nightlife industry. Werk!

Which reminds me …
This video from Todrick Hall made me snigger …

You’re hot … for an Asian guy
The Mixed Space hosts a moderated discussion about Asian American Masculinity. The larger community will break out into small groups, so be prepared to take part. Join the conversation at 4pm.

First Saturdays
Brooklyn Museum has moved the energy of its free First Saturdays event online. Expect hands-on art, workshops, poetry, a cocktail making workshop, and music. It all kicks off at 6pm. And to get you in the mood, here are dancers from Alvin Ailey opening the Studio 54 exhibit – it’s disco heaven, baby!

Watch comedy sketch writing … live!
A bunch of all-star writers from the Upright Citizen’s Brigade are putting together a character comedy show. They start writing, do rewrites, then send to the actors to perform and record for a midnight streaming. Usually done live, it’s been adapted to an online experience. Start laughing here.

Mix up a sober cocktail
Listen Bar’s Happy AF Hour (that’s Alcohol Free, friends) includes music, Q&As, tips, and a lesson from the bar’s founder Lorelei Bandrovschi, as she shares the story behind each drink. All attendees play on-camera truth-or-dare and compete to win raffle prizes. Join the party here.

Which reminds me …
In case you missed Kristen Jongen’s column this month, about sober living in isolation. Here it is again.

NAME GAME
What’s your name, and what made you laugh this week? I’ll go first. Hi chums, my name’s Ruth, and last night my friend Vivian and I laughed like drains at Tik-Tok dog videos. How about you?

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