Explorez tous les épisodes de A Great Big City — New York City News, History, and Events
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25 Oct 2019
47: Halloween Events in NYC and the MAGA Bomber is Captured
00:25:06
Last week I walked you through the history of the Guggenheim Museum to mark its 60th anniversary on October 21, 1959, and this week I wanted to point you to a podcast by 99% Invisible, a design and architecture podcast, which worked with the Guggenheim to produce a special audio walkthrough that talks about the history of the building and some of the art that has been displayed in the museum over the years. For instance, you may not have known that Frank Lloyd Wright initially intended for museum attendees to ride an elevator to the top of the building and experience the museum's exhibitions from top to bottom. Learn more about the Guggenheim at 99pi.org and listen to episode 375 of 99% Invisible while you tour the museum. — The Guggenheim Museum Opens on the Upper East Side
A few more details this week on the observation deck at Hudson Yards that we talked about in Episode 13 of the podcast: The deck is the glass triangle jutting off the southeast corner of 30 Hudson Yards that the surrounding neighborhood lovingly referred to as a bird beak! The observation deck is called New York Edge and will be the highest observation deck in the western hemisphere at 1,131 feet above street level, surpassing both the observation deck at 1WTC and the former Sears Tower, but still falling far short of overseas marvels like Shenzhen's Ping An International Finance Centre's observation deck that is 700 feet higher. The most striking aspect is the glass floor section at the center of the triangle, offering a view straight down the side of 30 Hudson Yards. Walking to the tip of the triangle-shaped deck will offer views across the entire city, from the new skyscrapers lining Billionaire's Row, full views of the Empire State Building, and a look down the western side of Manhattan all the way to 1WTC. The deck won't open until March 2020, but tickets are already on sale at an introductory price of $36/person for a specific time or $56/person for a daily pass. If you're a New York resident, you can receive a few more dollars off the list price. Both prices are comparable to what you'll pay to rise above the city at One World Observatory or the Empire State Building's observation decks. — Living with a view like that doesn't come without a hefty price tag, either! In PropertyShark's latest data, Hudson Yards ranked as the most expensive neighborhood, pushed to the top by a slew of expensive new sales in newly-opened buildings. For the third quarter of 2019, Hudson Yards sailed past Tribeca to post a median sale price of $5 million — more than twice Tribeca's $2.4 million median price for the same time period. Since PropertyShark's ranking of expensive neighborhoods is based on real estate transactions that closed during each quarter, neighborhoods can jump up the list quite drastically, as was seen in this report when the Lower East Side made an appearance at #8 on the list, jumping up eight places, after a number of units were sold at 250 South Street, a massive 72 story tower that grew along the waterfront at the base of the Manhattan Bridge. Sales during the third quarter in that building alone had a median price of $1.6 million.
While you're up on the new observation deck at Hudson Yards, bring a pair of binoculars and see if you can spot some new signage in Dumbo: The former glowing-red Watchtower sign that stood along the Brooklyn waterfront for nearly 50 years will now be replaced with a glowing-red Welcome sign. The architectural renderings show a slightly less ominous font than the Watchtower sign, but the new Welcome sign will still be displayed in bold letters and still feature the LED clock above the sign. The building was sold by the Jehovah's Witnesses for $340 million in 2016 and the new owners are redeveloping the site into a mixed-use complex named the Panorama, which will incorporate shopping and innovative outdoor public spaces. Interestingly, the website for the Panorama still features an earlier rendering of the replacement sign, where the word Panorama would be spelled out in a similar font to the Welcome sign which will now be installed.
The Rockefeller Center ice rink recently opened, the Bryant Park rink will open in Winter Village after Halloween, but you may notice a difference at the Central Park rink this winter: After buildings along Riverside Boulevard removed the Trump name from their buildings, two ice-skating rinks in Central Park were some of the last remaining Trump branding in the city, but as skating began this year, the Trump name was covered over or replaced with a small footnote where there had previously been large red letters on the rink's walls. As the Washington Post reports, some of the signs have been amended with a small "Operated by the Trump Organization" note at the bottom, while the skate rental counter simply hung a tarp over the name. According to the Parks Department, the change was unexpected and was the decision of the Trump Organization, which will still run the rinks, but voluntarily decided to downplay their branding for the first time since the 1980s. Although the rinks are still officially named the Wollman and Lasker rinks, the branding is a result of Trump's real estate company aiding the city in completing the construction and renovation project in the 1980s. Skating at Wollman rink is open now at 62nd Street and costs between $12 and $19, and skating at Lasker rink at 110th Street opens on October 27th and costs $9. For a free option, head to Bryant Park or the Conservatory Water pond on the east side at 74th Street, where remote control boats float during the summer, but free ice skating is available once the ice freezes thick enough!
If you're not ready to get in the winter mood and go ice skating just yet, keep an eye on our listing of Halloween events in the city! Coming up on Saturday, October 26: The Fort Greene Great PUPkin costume contest for dogs at 11am and the larger Fort Greene Halloween Festival from noon to 3pm. On Sunday, October 27: The Howl-o-Ween dog costume party in Riverside Park at 87th Street at noon. On Wednesday, October 30: The Halloween Pumpkin Floatilla in Central Park's Harlem Meer at 110th Street at 4pm. And on Halloween, the Riverside Park costume parade at the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument at 89th Street at 3pm and the city's biggest party, the Village Halloween Parade at 7pm along Sixth Avenue in the West Village! Visit agreatbigcity.com/halloween for more info.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
AGBC is more than just a news website: Our fireworks page monitors the city's announcements of upcoming fireworks, lists them on our site, and automatically sends out a notification just before the fireworks begin, so that you can watch the show or prepare your pet for the upcoming sounds of explosions. Visit agreatbigcity.com/fireworks to see the full calendar and follow @agreatbigcity on social media to receive the alerts.
The extreme highs and lows for this week in weather history:
Record High: 83°F on October 28, 1919
Record Low: 28°F on October 27, 1936
Weather for the week ahead:
Rain on Sunday through next Thursday, with high temperatures falling to 58°F next Thursday.
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, or topic suggestions. Subscribe to AGBC News wherever you listen to podcasts: iTunes, Google Play, or TuneIn Radio, Player FM, Overcast, or listen to each episode on the podcast pages at agreatbigcity.com/podcast. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit our podcast site to see show notes and extra links for each episode.
41: Other Early September Terror Attacks Against the City
00:20:53
A quick note on what is undoubtedly the top story of this week: The September 11th attacks. It's a uniquely difficult subject to cover, and one that has a unique interpretation within the city, whether you witnessed it first-hand or have come to understand it by living in the city and walking the same streets. I won't be playing excerpts from eyewitness video of people's final moments. I won't be reinterpreting the attack as a patriotic celebration. I will ask that you look around you and treat your fellow New Yorkers with kindness and compassion to honor those we lost, who were also regular, everyday New Yorkers, walking these same streets. Kindness is stronger than hate. — 18 years ago: The September 11th attacks destroy three buildings in the World Trade Center complex, killing 2,606 people in and around the buildings and 147 aboard the two planes ☮️.
Also 18 years ago, just one week after the September 11th attacks, A benefit concert and telethon is simulcast across 35 major television channels and raises over $200 million for the September 11th Fund — 'America: A Tribute to Heroes' featured musical performances from New York, London, and Los Angeles, and a variety of celebrities both hosting the event and answering calls. The money raised went toward cash assistance, counseling, and other services for individuals and businesses impacted by the September 11th attacks, and the Fund would distribute $528 million by 2004. Although 'Tribute to Heroes' was the first fundraiser held, by October 2001, the 'Concert for New York City' would be held at Madison Square Garden with another all-star line-up and raise $35 million for first responders, and on October 21st 'United We Stand: What More Can I Give' concert was headlined by Michael Jackson from Washington D.C. that unfortunately was haunted by technical problems and scheduling issues with performers.
Recently I mentioned that 4 years ago, the MTA was facing a string of assaults on workers, and this week the same news appears again. The Transit Workers Union Local 100 reports that assaults on bus and subway workers are up 39% year-over-year, with 85 workers suffering various attacks in the first eight months of 2019. While the MTA and the state have been increasing the law enforcement presence in the subways, transit union president Tony Utano accused the MTA of concealing the increasing assault numbers and not making the statistics public. Earlier this year, the union had also called for greater police enforcement in the subway due to incidents where MTA workers were spit upon. This news of an increase in assaults comes as the transit union is in contract negotiations with the MTA, and workers have been without a contract since May 2019. The MTA is simultaneously trying to address increases in the homeless population within the subway system and a push from Governor Cuomo and MTA head Andy Byford to prosecute fare evasion.
This week brought the final sentencing of the student who stabbed two classmates at a Bronx school in 2017. Abel Cedeno was 18 years old at the time and stabbed two younger students with a spring-loaded knife he had purchased from Amazon. One victim survived by was in a coma for several days and of the victims was killed, making the attack the first killing inside a city school in over 20 years. This week, Cedeno received a 14 year prison sentence for manslaughter, 8 years for assault, and 90 days for criminal possession of a weapon, all of which will be served simultaneously. Although the attack was initially explained as an on-going bullying incident, the court documents described the incident that precipitated the attack as a typical school interaction, where one of the victims threw something that hit Cedeno, then claimed that he didn't intend to hit him, but Cedeno challenged the victim to a fight and drew a knife. Further complicating the theory of on-going bullying was testimony given during the trial that the two victims had not had much prior interaction with Cedeno. In an interview with ABC7, Cedeno claimed that he took the knife to school because he felt threatened and that when the attack occurred, he 'just snapped'. In a stunning detail, Cedeno's mother had contacted the school two and a half years before the attack to tell them that he had been taking a knife to school, but administrators failed to take proper action to log the event, instead simply searching his belongings one time and not notifying the school's principal of the mother's concerns.
Another terror attack also took place in the city 99 years ago on September 16, 1920 — A horse-drawn wagon bomb explodes outside 23 Wall Street, killing 38 and injuring hundreds — It was an unorthodox way of delivering a bomb, and no one knew the danger that was carried on a horse-drawn wagon as it was pulled along busy Wall Street. In the wagon was 100 pounds of dynamite surrounded by 500 pounds of sash weights, which are heavy cast-iron weights used to counter-balance windows that slide open. The dynamite exploded at noon and sent the heavy shrapnel flying into the lunchtime crowd outside the financial buildings along Wall Street. The attack is still unsolved, but historians believe it was carried out by an Italian anarchist group. The sheer cruelty of the bombing, which seemed to have no intended target and killed a random assortment of innocent people who were nearby, made it difficult to even theorize what the intent of the bombers had been. The federal Bureau of Investigation did find flyers with vague threats stuffed in nearby mailboxes, but they did not directly reference the bombing. It became the worst single loss of life in the city since the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire from nine years earlier in 1911. Today, you can still see damage from the blast at 23 Wall Street, where part of the stone wall has been preserved showing the chips in the stone from the projectiles in the explosion.
168 years ago on September 18, 1851 — The first edition of the New-York Daily Times is published. Six years later, the paper would shorten its name to the New York Times — The paper published six days a week with morning and evening editions and charged one penny for the day's news. A larger, weekly version was printed to be distributed outside the city. Times Square would not be renamed after the paper for another 53 years, so the first offices were downtown at 113 Nassau Street near City Hall Park, then 138 Nassau Street, then 41 Park Row. By 1904, the paper would move to the Times Tower in what was then known as Longacre Square before it was renamed Times Square in honor of the paper. After establishing the Times Square New Year's Eve ball drop from atop their building, the paper would again outgrow the location, expanding and moving some offices westward until completely relocating to their current building on Eighth Avenue. For a bit of local news, that first edition of the New-York Daily Times contained a front page story on the ongoing construction of the fountain in Washington Square Park, which would be completed one year later in 1852.
In another attack against the city that gets forgotten in the shadow of 9/11: 18 years ago on September 18, 2001 — One week after the September 11th attacks, letters containing anthrax poison are mailed to four NYC-area newsrooms — The letters appeared to have been mailed from Princeton, NJ and a public mailbox near the Princeton University campus was found to be contaminated with anthrax spores. Letters mailed to Democratic Senators in October 2001 contained a similar threatening note referencing the September 11th attacks. In all, 17 people were sickened and five were killed due to anthrax exposure. Victims included assistants who opened or handled the letters, postal workers who sorted the letters, and a woman from the Bronx whose exposure could never be determined. Although the letters were written to appear as if they were from Muslim extremists, an FBI investigation identified the perpetrator as an American microbiologist, vaccinologist, and senior biodefense researcher at a government facility in Maryland. Bruce Edwards Ivins, a 62-year-old white male, became the focus of the investigation seven years after the incidents, after which he started to show signs of strain and was involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital where he went on to suggestively discuss the anthrax letters during therapy sessions. Ivins died by suicide on July 29, 2008 after learning that he had been identified, and the FBI formally closed the case in 2010, identifying Ivins as the sole perpetrator of the letters and detailing how he falsified evidence and attempted to frame co-workers at the governmental research lab to throw investigators off the case.
It was back in July when we discussed mosquitoes first testing positive for West Nile virus within the city, and this week, the first human West Nile infections were documented within the city, with one confirmed infection in Brooklyn, two in Queens, and one in Staten Island, although mosquitoes testing positive for the disease have been found in every borough. Now is the time to be prepared and protect yourself from mosquitoes if you will be outside. Wear clothing that covers your skin, use a mosquito repellent containing the chemical repellents DEET or Picaridin, or use a natural repellent containing oil of lemon eucalyptus. Be sure to seal around your window air conditioners so that mosquitoes won't have an easy entrance into your home, and use window screens if you'll be leaving windows open. If you'll be traveling overseas, take special precaution to avoid mosquito bites, and research which vaccinations you'll need to avoid diseases that are common in the areas where you will be traveling. If you're staying in the city, you can even do your part by calling 311 to report standing water, defined as a place on public or private property where water gathers and remains for more than five days, creating a habitat where mosquitoes may breed.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
AGBC is more than just a news website: It also automatically checks MTA data before morning rush hour and sends out notifications if there are delays on any subway lines, LIRR or MetroNorth trains, and bridges and tunnels. Follow @agreatbigcity on social media to receive the alerts.
Park of the day
Galileo Playground — 75 WEST 175 STREET, the Bronx — Previously named Macombs Park, Galileo Playground is located in Morris Heights in the west central Bronx. A former vacant lot, the land for the playground was assigned to City of New York / Parks & Recreation on December 30, 1993. Construction of the new playground was completed during the Fall of 1999 and features jungle gyms and spray showers.
Parks Events
Check out some birds of prey up close at the Central Park Raptor Fest — Saturday, September 14 — The Urban Park Rangers will bring a selection of eagles, falcons, owls, and hawks to this family-friendly event on the East Lawn in Central Park, just inside the park parallel at 99th Street. The event is free and starts at noon. Call (212) 360-2774 for more info.
And on Sunday, there will be the 39th Annual Antique Motorcycle Show in Queens at the Queens County Farm Museum — Sunday, September 15, 2019 — Over 100 antique motorcycles will be part of the show, and live music and food will be available. Tickets will cost $11 at the door to benefit the Queens County Farm Museum. The event runs from 11am to 4pm at Queens Farm Park on the border of Glen Oaks and Floral Park in Queens
And now let's check in with our robot friend for the concert calendar:
Concert Calendar
Here's the AGBC Concert Calendar for the upcoming week:
GRAVITY and DAY6 are playing Playstation Theater on Friday, September 13th.
21: Measles in New York, a Deadly Harlem Fire, and an Asteroid Impact
00:17:54
The measles outbreak continues to grow as new cases are identified. According to the city health department, there have been 466 confirmed cases of measles in Brooklyn and Queens since September, and New York is a major contributor to the nationwide total of 764 cases, the highest number in 25 years. Within the city, Orthodox Jewish communities are hardest hit due to a combination of unvaccinated individuals and travelers returning from Israel, where there has been an outbreak of measles since last year. In the city health department data, Williamsburg has the highest total number of cases, at 379, and has added 31 new cases just in the previous week. The city has also carried through with restrictions outlined in an official health department declaration from last month, closing multiple schools and citing more than 80 individuals for failing to show proof of vaccination or to obtain a new vaccination. Measles is a highly contagious disease that is spread through the air as sick individuals cough or sneeze. The measles vaccination is included in MMR shots, standing for measles, mumps, and rubella, that contain a specially-weakened form of the virus that trains the body's immune system on how to defend against that virus in the future. For information on where to obtain a measles vaccination, call 311 or view information from the Department of Health at nyc.gov/doh.
City data on DSNY salt usage: In the DSNY data, storms are loosely grouped into numbered storms when road clearing takes place over multiple days. From November 2018 to March 2019, there were eight significant storms that required an average of around 41,000 tons of salt per storm, for a season total of 329,849 tons.
A deadly fire at the Frederick E. Samuel Apartments in Harlem claimed the lives of four children and two adults in the early-morning hours of May 8th. In what appears to have been an unfortunate accident, fire marshals found the cause to have been an unattended stove that was left lit. It was unknown whether the stove was being used for cooking, to heat the apartment, or if it was left lit for religious reasons, as was the case in a similar overnight fire in Midwood, Brooklyn in 2015 that killed seven children. Speaking to PIX11, an FDNY source said that the smoke alarm was found disconnected, which could explain why the family was not alerted by the alarm, which was inspected just five months earlier.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
AGBC is more than just a news website — Did you know that we also run Cityblimp, an automated Twitter bot that uses data about the city to teach residents about historic sites, weather conditions, and even draws a picture of the city before bed each night! Visit agreatbigcity.com/cityblimp or follow @cityblimp on Twitter to learn more about the city around you.
Park of the day
Daniel Boone Playground — 1340 WEST FARMS ROAD, the Bronx — American Frontiersman Daniel Boone (1734-1820) pioneered the exploration of and settlement in Kentucky in the 18th century. Commissioner Stern named the playground after Daniel Boone in 1987 because of its proximity to Boone Avenue.
61: America's First Roller Coaster and the Case of the Hollow Nickel
00:18:02
Visit agreatbigcity.com/support to learn how to support New York City local news and allow us to keep bringing you this podcast. If you are a New York-based business and would be interested in sponsoring our podcasts, visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
AGBC is more than just a news website: It also automatically checks MTA data before morning rush hour and sends out notifications if there are delays on any subway lines, LIRR or MetroNorth trains, and bridges and tunnels. Follow @agreatbigcity on social media to receive the alerts.
Park of the day
Michel Triangle — Clay Av bet. E 171 St and Claremont Pkwy, the Bronx — Michel Triangle is bounded by Clay Avenue, Webster Avenue, and East 165th Street. The road that is now Clay Avenue, between 164th and 167th Streets, was part of the old General Staats Morris' racetrack that had been laid out in 1750 and survived through the mid-1800s.
Did you know?
Here's something you may not have known about New York:
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, or topic suggestions. Subscribe to AGBC News wherever you listen to podcasts: iTunes, Google Play, or Overcast, TuneIn Radio, RadioPublic, or listen to each episode on the podcast pages at agreatbigcity.com/podcast. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit our podcast site to see show notes and extra links for each episode.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
AGBC is more than just a news website: Every evening, just before sundown, A Great Big City checks the Empire State Building's lighting schedule and sends out a notification if the tower's lighting will be lit in special colors for a holiday or celebration. Follow @agreatbigcity on social media to receive the alerts.
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, or topic suggestions. Subscribe to AGBC News wherever you listen to podcasts: iTunes, Google Play, or Player FM, Spotify, Podcast Addict, or listen to each episode on the podcast pages at agreatbigcity.com/podcast. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit our podcast site to see show notes and extra links for each episode.
The Department of Transportation's Summer Streets will close streets in Manhattan from 7am to 1pm from 72nd Street down Park Avenue and to the Brooklyn Bridge. The streets will be emptied out and made available to bicyles and pedestrians, with events and activities all along the route.
Saturday, August 3 — Brooklyn Beach Sports Festival — West 10th Street Boardwalk Entrance (in Coney Island Beach & Boardwalk)
Saturday, August 3 — GetCoveredNYC - Table — Organization GetCoveredNYC assists New Yorkers with enrolling in affordable health insurance through in-person outreach. — Stapleton Library
Saturday, August 3 — Bike Camp For Adults — Forest Park Visitor Center (in Forest Park)
Sunday, August 4 — Barry Manilow — 7pm Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in Midtown
12 Jul 2019
31: Manhattanhenge Sundown and the '77 Blackout
00:18:08
New York honored the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team for their fourth World Cup victory with a ticker-tape parade and a presentation at city hall on July 10th where each member of the team received a key to the city. The team has won 48 of its last 50 games played and has now won four of the eight total women's World Cups played. (According to the Department of Sanitation, 7 tons of paper were collected along the parade route and recycled after the ticker-tape parade.)
Back in April on Episode 18 we talked about an attempted arson at St. Patrick's Cathedral, and now Marc Lamparello, the man charged in the attack, has been declared mentally unable to stand trial.
AGBC is more than just a news website: Our fireworks page monitors the city's announcements of upcoming fireworks, lists them on our site, and automatically sends out a notification just before the fireworks begin, so that you can watch the show or prepare your pet for the upcoming sounds of explosions. Visit agreatbigcity.com/fireworks to see the full calendar and follow @agreatbigcity on social media to receive the alerts
Find a new viewing location for the upcoming Manhattanhenge by leaving Manhattan! There will be a unique perspective available across the East River in Hunters Point Park. Located in south Long Island City along the coastline, the new park offers a view straight across the water to 34th Street, giving a view of the entire Manhattan skyline with the sun glowing from within. Plan to arrive at the park early, as Manhattanhenge only shines for a short amount of time just before sundown at 8:21pm, and visit the AGBC Manhattanhenge page for more viewing locations — LIC Henge 2019
Concert Calendar
Here's the AGBC Concert Calendar for the upcoming week:
Visit agreatbigcity.com/support to learn how to support New York City local news and allow us to keep bringing you this podcast. If you are a New York-based business and would be interested in sponsoring our podcasts, visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
The goats brought in to clean up Riverside Park are taking a summer vacation! The original flock brought to the park in May was narrowed down from 24 to 18 after they cleaned out the weeds too quickly, and now the group will be meeting back up at their farm in Rhinebeck, NY while the weeds are allowed to regrow a bit on the steep slopes of Riverside Park that they were maintaining. As part of their going-away party, the Riverside Park Conservancy honored Massey the goat with an award for receiving the most votes in an online contest. The 166-pound, 10-year-old goat is the oldest of the bunch and received a bouquet of edible flowers as a prize. Watch for the goats to return later in the summer when they will be back for a second round of snacking on the invasive plants that will further weaken them and ensure they don't have the energy left to regrow again.
In July, one day before the anniversary of Eric Garner's death, the Department of Justice, now overseen by Trump-appointed Attorney General William Barr, announced that they will not pursue civil rights charges against officer Pantaleo, who was seen in video putting Garner in a chokehold. Immediately after, the NYPD was quick to point out that their own internal disciplinary case against Pantaleo was still underway, and on August 2nd, an NYPD judge ruled that the officer should be fired due to his use of a chokehold when attempting to arrest Eric Garner, a tactic that is prohibited by NYPD policy and was listed by the city medical examiner as a contributing factor in Garner's death. Although the ruling is preliminary, Pantaleo was suspended effective immediately, after being kept employed in administrative duty during the five years since Eric Garner's death. The announcement came days after de Blasio was heckled by protesters demanding he fire Pantaleo during the second Democratic Presidential primary debates in Detroit. In response, he continued to claim that justice would be served in the next 30 days. Fellow Democratic candidate Kirsten Gillibrand had a more decisive answer. \n\n De Blasio has been polling between 0% and 1% among likely voters. \n\n The NYPD judge's decision will now make its way to NYPD Commissioner O'Neill, who will decide whether to fire Pantaleo in the upcoming weeks. City Council Speaker Corey Johnson released a statement saying:
This decision is long overdue. It should not have taken five years to determine what the public clearly understood in five minutes: Officer Pantaleo used an illegal chokehold on Eric Garner, which ultimately led to his death. \n\n Now Police Commissioner O’Neill must act. Pantaleo must be fired immediately. Nothing will bring back Mr. Garner, but I hope this decision gives the Garner family some peace
You may not think of the city as harboring invasive insects, but arborists from the national Department of Agriculture have been inspecting trees in Brooklyn and Queens for Asian longhorn beetles. The beetles are thought to have originally traveled to the United States in 1996 in wooden shipping pallets, and now they threaten trees across the city. Inspectors search for the telltale signs of round holes in the wood of a tree, where the adult beetles emerge in late July. \n\n Keep an eye out for the signs of beetle infestation on your local trees: They create deep round holes big enough for a pencil to fit in and leave a collection of sawdust below the holes. The beetles themselves are about one and a half inches long, mostly black with white specks, and have distinctive blue stripes on their legs and long striped antennae. If you find a tree or piece of wood that may be infested, call the Asian longhorned beetle tip line at 1-866-702-9938 or email foresthealth@dec.ny.gov.
And finally, thanks go out to Eric Boyo, an MTA subway operator for 27 years who stopped his train to help a woman on the tracks this week. As he approached Fulton Street on the G Train line, he noticed people on the platform waving their arms. Seeing that something must be wrong, he slowed his train early and then spotted a woman on the tracks. He stopped the train and opened the door at the front of the train to speak with the woman, and ended up helping her back onto the platform. Whether the woman intended to be struck by the train or had just fallen was unclear, but onlookers praised Eric for remaining calm and showing compassion during the rescue. According to the MTA, the recommended way to flag down an oncoming train during an emergency situation is to light your cellphone's flashlight and wave it side to side while facing the train.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
AGBC is more than just a news website: Our fireworks page monitors the city's announcements of upcoming fireworks, lists them on our site, and automatically sends out a notification just before the fireworks begin, so that you can watch the show or prepare your pet for the upcoming sounds of explosions. Visit agreatbigcity.com/fireworks to see the full calendar and follow @agreatbigcity on social media to receive the alerts
Park of the day
Half-Nelson Playground — 1631 NELSON AvNUE, the Bronx — Named for being halfway down Nelson Avenue, this park features playground equipment built to resemble optical illusions!
Parks Events
The Department of Transportation's Summer Streets will close streets in Manhattan from 7am to 1pm from 72nd Street down Park Avenue and to the Brooklyn Bridge. The streets will be emptied out and made available to bicycles and pedestrians, with events and activities all along the route. At Foley Square downtown, a large group will attempt to break the Guinness World Record for simultaneous people doing a handstand, which currently stands at 399 people, at 51st Street, the Asia Society will be offering free temporary tattoos, and along Centre Street downtown, you can take a ride on a 30-foot-tall zipline!
Concert Calendar
Barbra Streisand is playing Madison Square Garden on Saturday, August 3rd.
Rebelution is playing The Rooftop at Pier 17 on Saturday, August 3rd.
49: Ellis Island Closes and The Macy's Thanksgiving Parade
00:27:32
Visit agreatbigcity.com/support to learn how to support New York City local news and allow us to keep bringing you this podcast. If you are a New York-based business and would be interested in sponsoring our podcasts, visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
If you're one of the 26,000 people who visit the Wall Street Bull on a typical day, you may soon need to ask for a different set of directions. Back in April 2018, when it was announced that the Fearless Girl statue was going to be moved from Bowling Green to outside the New York Stock Exchange, there were also rumblings of a possible move for the Charging Bull statue. The Bull is one of the city's most popular and iconic attractions, but its location in the middle of Broadway has long caused a dangerous situation, with onlookers standing inches away from the taxis and tour buses that travel down Broadway. A small pedestrian area added along the border of Bowling Green plaza has not helped, and concrete barriers are still necessary along the border of the plaza to prevent the multiple lanes of traffic from hitting visitors to the statue. A year after the city moved Fearless Girl, the mayor's office has confirmed that the Wall Street Bull will be moving out of Bowling Green and into the plaza outside the NYSE, where visitors can more safely gather around the iconic statue. Tourists may be asking for directions to the Bull for quite a long time, as Google Maps currently still shows the Fearless Girl statue as being located in Bowling Green, despite being moved to the Stock Exchange a year ago in November 2018. If you're a fan of the Bull, be prepared for its 30th anniversary, coming up on December 15th, when the Bull was first dropped off in front of the Stock Exchange in what sculptor Arturo Di Modica called a gift to the people of New York that was meant to represent the strength and power of the American people. Despite initially placing the Bull in front of the Stock Exchange, Di Modica is no fan of the statue being relocated there again. Although no final placement has been announced, Di Modica was also critical of the placement of the Fearless Girl near his statue, and would likely fight having the statues placed facing each other again. The Parks Department does not purchase art to display in city parks, so in a unique arrangement, the Bull is technically still owned by Di Modica, but has also long outlasted the one-year limit that pieces of art are typically granted to be displayed in public parks. This unofficial arrangement over the statue's ownership will likely cause further confusion if the sculptor disagrees with the city's plans to relocate the statue.
Checking in with the 14th Street busway, the Department of Transportation will be installing new bus-boarding platforms along 14th Street from now through December 2019. These are snap-together plastic islands that allow faster boarding of buses without taking up sidewalk space. The plastic platform extends out from the bus shelter and prevents vehicles from being able to block the bus stop and allows the bus to continue along the route without pausing to merge back into traffic. This, combined with the all-door boarding of the Select Bus Service allows faster bus stops with more room for passengers while exiting or waiting for the bus. Each platform will take about six days to install and will temporarily close the bus stop at that location, but the DOT will stagger the installations so that the nearest surrounding bus stops remain in service. The busway itself just passed one month in operation after a series of lawsuits delayed its opening. Both city Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg and Transit Authority president Andy Byford have publicly praised the results of the busway and see it as a template for possible busways in other parts of the city where traffic has slowed buses to a crawl. The 14th Street busway program is expected to last 18 months, after which the DOT will examine the results and decide whether the program will continue.
If you're elsewhere in the city and can't catch one of the frequent 14th Street buses, soon you'll be able to flag down a truly unique taxi option. This week, the Taxi and Limo Commission added the 2019 Tesla Model 3 as an approved vehicle to be converted into a city taxi. The electric cars have a minimum range of 220 miles, but excel in city driving as they don't waste energy while stopped in traffic. During the Taxi of Tomorrow competition, part of the complaint against the winning Nissan NV200 was the cost of maintenance, another area where Teslas would shine, as they have no required maintenance. According to Allan Fromberg of the TLC, there are already Teslas operating as for-hire vehicles in the city, but none have gotten the full taxi treatment yet. Any potential Model 3s that will be used as city taxis will receive the same makeover as all other vehicles, from the yellow paint job to the clear partition and roof-mounted lights. It would be up to the taxi company using the Model 3 to figure out how and when to recharge the car, as Tesla explicitly prohibits taxi and rideshare vehicles from using its Supercharger network, which is the fastest way to recharge a Tesla vehicle. Taxi operators would instead need to install high-power electric hookups at their garages, much like companies install private gas pumps to refuel their fleets of vehicles.
Coming up November 28th, the 93rd annual Macy's Thanksgiving parade will feature 16 giant balloons, 40 smaller balloons and inflatables, 26 floats, 1,200 performers, 11 marching bands, and more than 1,000 clowns. New giant balloons this year are Astronaut Snoopy, Green Eggs and Ham, a new Spongebob Squarepants design featuring Gary the snail, and the reappearance of Smokey the Bear. If you've ever followed AGBC during the Thanksgiving season, you may know that this is also the season for the AGBC Thanksgiving Parade — a page on our site that takes all 93 years of balloons and jumbles their names into a wacky new lineup. Let's hit the randomizer and see what ideas we come up with for this year's AGBC parade: Visit agreatbigcity.com/thanksgiving to shuffle the list and generate your own funny balloon names. Where else will you see the Buzz Rugrats balloon, How to Train Your Santa Claus, and Mama and Papa Doughboy? Only in a hypothetical AGBC parade, of course!
Bill de Blasio finally called it quits after attempting a Presidential run back in September, but this week former Mayor Bloomberg indicated that he may take another swing at the campaign, himself! Bloomberg has toyed with the possibility of running for President over the years, but seemed to declare his most serious effort for the upcoming 2020 election. While he has not officially declared his candidacy, this week Bloomberg filed paperwork to appear on the Alabama ballot, which had an early deadline candidates must meet, and is in the process of filing in Arkansas and is listed as a potential candidate by the Michigan Department of State. According to various reports from people close to Bloomberg, he has not made a final decision, and will soon announce his intentions. In a statement, top advisor Howard Wolfson stated that this was not a campaign announcement, but that Bloomberg was increasingly concerned that the current field of Democratic candidates are not well positioned to defeat Donald Trump. Neither Bloomberg nor Wolfson provided any specific criticisms on policies or candidates that they find troubling, earlier in October, Bloomberg had reportedly only considered entering the Presidential race if front-runner Joe Biden dropped out. With Bloomberg's recent filing of paperwork in Alabama, the latest Quinnipiac poll was only able to ask the final half of those surveyed about a potential Bloomberg Presidential run, and although the sample size is only 636 potential New Hampshire Democratic voters, the results are certainly less than encouraging: Of the 636 surveyed, 54% responded that they would definitely not vote for Bloomberg in the Democratic primary. Among the full 1,134 likely New Hampshire Democratic primary voters, Joe Biden still takes the top spot, but with only 20% of those surveyed choosing him if the primary were held today. In a separate question, 61% indicated they might change their mind on which candidate they'd vote for before the primary. In a November 8th poll by Morning Consult, Bloomberg faced high unfavorability numbers, but would fare about as well as Biden, Sanders, and Warren in a hypothetical match-up against Trump if the election were held today.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
AGBC is more than just a news website: It also automatically checks MTA data before morning rush hour and sends out notifications if there are delays on any subway lines, LIRR or MetroNorth trains, and bridges and tunnels. Follow @agreatbigcity on social media to receive the alerts.
The extreme highs and lows for this week in weather history:
Record High: 80°F on November 15, 1993
Record Low: 17°F on November 16, 1933
Weather for the week ahead: Light rain tomorrow and next Monday.
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, or topic suggestions. Subscribe to AGBC News wherever you listen to podcasts: iTunes, Google Play, or Podcast Addict, Player FM, Spotify, or listen to each episode on the podcast pages at agreatbigcity.com/podcast. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit our podcast site to see show notes and extra links for each episode.
Friday, May 3 — Infest, Scapegoat, and The Fight will play a hardcore punk and post-hardcore show at The Kingsland in Greenpoint
Friday, May 3 — TR/ST brings dark electronica to Elsewhere in Brooklyn along with Juno Award-nominated artist Lydia Ainsworth
Friday, May 3 — Old Cathedral Outdoor Market — Prince Street Between Mott Street And Mulberry Street in Manhattan
Friday, May 3 — St. Anthony Flea Market — West Houston Street Between Thompson Street And Macdougal Street in Manhattan
May 3–4 — Bike Expo New York — Basketball City along the East River at 299 South Street in Manhattan
Friday, May 3 — Free Adult Lessons in Fencing at Bryant Park — Learn the basics of the sport of fencing beginning at 1:30pm in Bryant Park on the rear terrace of the library. Registration is required at the Manhattan Fencing Center website manhattanfencing.com
Saturday, May 4 — NYC Cannabis Parade & Rally will march down Broadway starting at 32nd Street and end in Union Square, where there will be speakers and performances beginning at 1pm to bring attention to marijuana legalization.
Saturday, May 4 — Run the Bronx will bring runners and walkers to Bronx Community College in Morris Heights. Registration begins at 7am, but the run will begin at 10am. The event will also honor Roscoe C. Brown, Jr., a former member of the Tuskegee Airmen and president of Bronx Community College for 17 years who established the run in 1978.
Saturday, May 4 — Maren Morris with RaeLynn — Terminal 5 — 610 W 56th St. — Hell's Kitchen / Midtown
Sunday, May 5th
128 years ago on May 5, 1891 — The first performance is held at a newly-constructed music hall on 57th Street that would later be renamed Carnegie Hall after Andrew Carnegie, who funded its construction. For the grand opening performance, Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky served as a special guest conductor. Although only initially named "Music Hall", board members for the performance space convinced Carnegie to allow the building to be named after him two years after opening.
Sunday, May 5 — TD Five Boro Bike Tour — The 40-mile ride begins at Franklin and Church in Lower Manhattan, heads north through Central Park to the Bronx, back down Manhattan along the East River, across the Queensboro Bridge to Astoria, all the way south through Brooklyn to the Verrazzano, and across to Fort Wadsworth in Staten Island, where there will be a festival with food, music, and free bike repair.
Sunday, May 5 — Cinco de Mayo Parade will take place at 106th and Central Park West in Manhattan from 1pm to 3pm with music and dancing in celebration of Mexican culture.
Sunday, May 5 — Broadway Spring Festival is coming to Broadway between 86th and 93rd in Manhattan
Hudson Yards opens Friday, March 15th, with the public being able to visit the new shopping mall and food court, the massive sculpture of stairs (tentatively) called the Vessel
History
Hudson Yards is a unique development. Other areas in Manhattan may change names, like the Lower East Side splitting to become the East Village, and new areas may be built, like Battery Park City, but Hudson Yards will be the last neighborhood to grow from previously undeveloped land. The site has been a railyard since the turn of the last century and had been the target of many developers over the years, but only recently did plans come together to build the largest private real estate development in the United States on top of the block-long open area of train tracks. A cutaway model shows the multiple layers at the site: Amtrak and NJ Transit trains at the deepest level in the Hudson Tunnel, 30 tracks of LIRR storage just below ground level, then an elevated platform constructed over the tracks that contains machinery to run the complex, support structures drilled into the bedrock, and the street-level parks and building entrances. If you take the new 7 Train extension to Hudson Yards, you'll emerge from even deeper under the complex since the new station is 125 feet below street level, making it one of the deepest in the subway system. The part of the development opening now is really only half of what will ultimately rise from the rail yards. This section, east of Eleventh Ave, was developed first, but more residential towers and open public space will be added in the next phase west of Eleventh. In this episode we'll learn about a few new features opening this weekend in this new neighborhood.
Stores
Shopping at Hudson Yards will be pretty similar to the retail space that has opened at the new World Trade Center complex, with high-priced fashion brands filling most of the space. A multi-story Neiman Marcus will anchor the shopping areas, with stores like Louis Vuitton, Coach, and Zara showing up along the mall's corridors and stores from luxury watchmakers Patek Philippe, Rolex, and Piaget. Visit B3ta on the second floor where shoppers have the ability to try out products that are usually ordered online and produced by smaller companies that can't afford to open an entire storefront.
The Shed
The structure sitting along the High Line that looks like an inflatable ice cube is the art, performance, and event space at Hudson Yards, called The Shed. It's a transforming building with sliding panels and a rolling canopy that can host a variety of events. There's a very cool video animation on the Hudson Yards site showing how the Shed transforms to change from an indoor venue for concerts and art to an open-air plaza for watching movies, and the Shed will even announce on social media when it will be transforming the building for a new event, so you'll have advance notice if you want to stop by watch the four-story structure move. The Shed will be opening in early April with a five-night concert series.
The Vessel
The Vessel sculpture has fast become one of the most recognizable features of Hudson Yards. 150 feet tall with 154 interconnected stairways, visitors can climb onto dozens of observation platforms and view Hudson Yards from multiple directions. It's sure to become a favorite of photographers. The name may be "The Vessel" for now, but Hudson Yards will be accepting suggestions for a more-fitting name for the sculpture. During the opening ceremony where Big Bird helped Anderson Cooper officially open the Vessel to visitors, Big Bird compared the sculpture to his own Sesame Street bird nest, which is an interlocking nest of brown branches. Visiting the sculpture currently requires making a free reservation, but it's unclear if this will continue into the future or if it's only intended to keep crowd numbers low during ongoing construction at Hudson Yards. If you take any innovative photos of the Vessel or have a suggestion on a better name than "The Vessel", send them in to A Great Big City on social media!
Observation Deck
If you're longing for a higher vantage point, make your reservation for The Edge, an observation deck at Hudson Yards that will become the highest public balcony in the city. Jutting out to the southeast corner from 30 Hudson Yards, the triangle-shaped deck will offer a variety of views across the city and the Hudson River, all from a height of 1,100 feet. The glass walls surrounding the observation deck will lean outwards at the point of the triangle, giving daredevils an opportunity to lean forward and look straight down from a point 65 feet away from the building. The deck won't open as part of the Hudson Yards grand opening, but you can reserve a spot on the list to be one of the first visitors when it does open.
The Future
It may look out of place at the moment, but just like the World Trade Center complex, Hudson Yards will begin to blend in with the New York around it as construction is finished and more open spaces are added. The plaza is open to visitors and will have wifi access, so it may prove popular as a place to take a rest in Hell's Kitchen, which otherwise had a limited amount of public green space. The upcoming parkland along the High Line and the Hudson River will add a much-needed boost to an area where pedestrians were either relegated to a narrow sidewalk next to the highway and the only was the concrete rear wall of the Javits Center. Much like the open lawns along the Hudson in Battery Park City, the green space at Hudson Yards will likely prove to be a popular space for watching the sunset or having an afternoon picnic, and will really come to life when attendees from various Javits Center conventions explore the new spaces instead of trying to catch a cab out of the area. Welcome to the neighborhood, Hudson Yards!
Davidson Playground — Morris Heights in The Bronx — Little is known about Oliver Mathias Davidson for whom this playground and the adjacent Davidson Avenue are named. Davidson served as Chief Engineer of Streets from 1867 to 1872, and at one time owned land in Fordham. The small neighborhood park contains playground equipment and many lush trees providing shade.
The Queens Botanical Garden will be holding a Backyard Composting Workshop on Saturday, March 16th where you can learn what goes in a compost bin, how to maintain it properly, and how to use the compost after it has had time to develop. Registration is required, but the event is free. Call (718) 886-3800 for more info.
Concert Calendar
This is the AGBC Concert Calendar:
Teenage Fanclub and The Love Language are playing Music Hall of Williamsburg on Thursday, March 14th.
The Movielife and Travis Shettel are playing Brooklyn Night Bazaar on Friday, March 15th.
THE 1ST WORLD TOUR ‘WARNING’ and Sunmi are playing The Town Hall on Friday, March 15th.
Have a Nice Life, Consumer, elizabeth colour wheel, Midwife, and Planning for Burial are playing Market Hotel on Friday, March 15th.
Massive Attack is playing Radio City Music Hall on Friday, March 15th.
The Purple Tour and Lukas Graham are playing Hammerstein Ballroom on Friday, March 15th.
DEATH CULTS, Husbandry, and LAPêCHE are playing Union Pool on Friday, March 15th.
Have a Nice Life, Consumer, elizabeth colour wheel, Planning for Burial, and Wreck and Reference are playing Brooklyn Night Bazaar on Saturday, March 16th.
The Bouncing Souls and Strike Anywhere are playing White Eagle Hall on Saturday, March 16th.
Massive Attack is playing Radio City Music Hall on Saturday, March 16th.
Youth of Today, Glitterer, KRIMEWATCH, and Line Of Sight are playing Brooklyn Bazaar on Sunday, March 17th.
Kenny O’Brien and The O’Douls and Kevin Devine are playing Mercury Lounge on Sunday, March 17th.
This Heat, This Is Not This Heat, and Yvette are playing (le) Poisson Rouge on Monday, March 18th.
20 Years: An Intimate Conclusion To Thursday's 20th Anniversary, Thursday, and American Pleasure Club are playing Saint Vitus Bar on Monday, March 18th.
An Evening with Fleetwood Mac and Fleetwood Mac are playing Madison Square Garden on Monday, March 18th.
The extreme highs and lows for this week in weather history:
Record High: 83°F on March 20, 1945
Record Low: 7°F on March 18, 1916
Weather for the week ahead:
Light rain tomorrow, with high temperatures falling to 46°F on Sunday.
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, or topic suggestions. Subscribe to AGBC News wherever you listen to podcasts: iTunes, Google Play, or Podcast Addict, Spotify, and Castbox or listen to each episode on the podcast pages. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit agreatbigcity.com/podcast to see show notes and extra links for each episode.
52: Widespread Flu and the Bernie Goetz Subway Shooting
00:26:48
Starting off with a bit more busway news this week: In a study released by Sam Schwartz Transportation Consultants [PDF link], the 14th Street busway has improved travel times on multiple modes of transit by evaluating a variety of data sources, including the Department of Transportation, independent traffic counting, and Citibike data. M14 A and D bus weekday ridership is up 24% compared to last year, and transit times between Third Avenue and Eighth Avenue are faster by 36%, making the crosstown bus ride 5.3 minutes faster. Although the criticisms of the busway before it was even implemented were that the surrounding streets would become parking lots, the data shows that travel time on the surrounding crosstown streets stayed the same or increased by an average of one and a half minutes during weekday rush hours, with the biggest total increase found on 17th Street, the first crosstown street to the north of 14th that isn't broken up by Union Square. By comparison, travel times on the next-closest two-way crosstown streets, 23rd to the north and Houston to the south, showed a variety of increases and decreases in total travel times compared to October last year. On the Avenues, only minuscule changes were seen in drive times, with speeds actually increasing significantly during morning rush hours. The preliminary report released by Sam Schwartz Transportation Consultants is the first of seven scheduled reports, with the final report on the project set to be released in Spring 2021.
In the span of just 16 hours, four people were struck and killed by drivers across the city. In Manhattan, a 26-year-old woman was struck at a crosswalk in SoHo by a box truck driving in reverse, a man in Hell's Kitchen was struck and killed by a sanitation truck driver, an 85-year-old man was killed in Sunset Park by a truck driver, and a 57-year-old man was struck by three drivers separate and killed in Park Slope. According to Streetsblog.org, that brings the total number killed by drivers this year to 214, an 8% increase over 2018. In response, Mayor de Blasio stated that the NYPD will be deploying extra officers citywide to increase truck enforcement. The news sadly coincides with bicyclist Daniel Cammerman being struck and killed by the driver of a school bus on the 96th Street Central Park transverse on December 18th and the Brooklyn Supreme Court handing down a $43 million ruling this week in the case of a young girl struck and seriously injured by the driver of a school bus in 2017.
Now is the time to focus on avoiding the flu this winter. The measles outbreak was a rare occurrence that was confined to small communities and mostly young children who hadn't yet been vaccinated, and only a few hundred people were affected, but different types of flu viruses take hold each year and flu vaccines must be built to properly address the flu strains that will be most prominent during each flu season. Data from the New York Department of Health shows that flu activity in New York City is already at a high level and there has been a 48% increase in hospitalizations statewide due to influenza. Within the city, there have been a total of 2,028 cases since the flu season began in October, with the past week showing a sharp increase of nearly 1,000 new cases within a week. The number of total cases is much higher at this point in the season than it has been in previous years. Given the early arrival of flu season, it's important to get a flu shot as quickly as possible, and it is a vital step for young children and older adults, especially anyone with heart disease, diabetes, asthma, lung disease, liver disease, or those who are pregnant. Just like the measles vaccine, everyone should receive a flu shot to avoid potentially spreading the disease to someone else in the city who may have a more compromised immune system. To find flu vaccinations across the city, use the NYC.gov Health Map at nyc.gov/flu or visit your neighborhood pharmacy, hospital, or clinic and ask if they administer flu shots. And please, everyone, wash your hands and cover your mouth by coughing or sneezing into your elbow! It's one of the easiest most impactful actions you can take to stop the spread of disease, and everyone holding the subway pole after you will be thankful.
Christmas and Hanukkah are on the way, and our list of tree and menorah lightings at agreatbigcity.com/christmas or agreatbigcity.com/hanukkah has the times and dates of 50 lighting ceremonies across the city! You can sort the list by holiday and past events are still listed, so that you can find a local Christmas tree to visit and keep track of public menorah lightings for each day of Hanukkah. If you don't see your local event on the list, drop us a note and we'll put the info up, whether it's the Rockefeller Center tree or just a neighborhood gathering to hang homemade ornaments on an evergreen in the local park!
8 years ago — A Very Shepherd Christmas - Stories From Jean Shepherd's New York City Radio Show — Shepherd hosted a late-night show on WOR for 21 years, and each night was packed with the same storytelling and clever insights that became the inspiration for 'A Christmas Story'. While his voice has become ingrained in Christmas pop culture as the narrator of 'A Christmas Story', the recordings of his radio career from 1956-1977 paint a raw, impressionistic vision of New York City life. When Christmas came around each year, Shep would retell some of the various anecdotes that would be gathered together into 'A Christmas Story', some of which had recently been published in Playboy magazine and some of which made their debut on his radio show.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
AGBC is more than just a news website: Every evening, just before sundown, A Great Big City checks the Empire State Building's lighting schedule and sends out a notification if the tower's lighting will be lit in special colors for a holiday or celebration. Follow @agreatbigcity on social media to receive the alerts.
The extreme highs and lows for this week in weather history:
Record High: 72°F on December 24, 2015
Record Low: -4°F on December 20, 1942
Weather for the week ahead:
No major precipitation throughout the week.
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, or topic suggestions. Subscribe to AGBC News wherever you listen to podcasts: iTunes, Google Play, or Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, or listen to each episode on the podcast pages at agreatbigcity.com/podcast. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit our podcast site to see show notes and extra links for each episode.
Back in April 2019 on Episode 19 of the podcast, I first talked about the possibility of a tower rising above Macy's in Herald Square, and this week, the speculation of the tower moved closer to reality as the retail giant revealed new architectural renderings of a 900ft tower planned to be built on top of the classic Midtown store.
Upcoming Events:
February 10: Tu B’Shevat 🌱, a minor Jewish holiday celebrating the planting of new trees
February 12: Lincoln's Birthday, in recognition of the 16th President's birth in 1809
February 14: Valentine's Day 💖
February 15: Susan B. Anthony Day, celebrating a pioneer in securing women's right to vote
February 17: Washington's Birthday, in recognition of the 1st President's birth in 1732
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
AGBC is more than just a news website: Every evening, just before sundown, A Great Big City checks the Empire State Building's lighting schedule and sends out a notification if the tower's lighting will be lit in special colors for a holiday or celebration. Follow @agreatbigcity on social media to receive the alerts.
Park of the day
Barretto Point Park — Located on the East River waterfront in Hunts Point in the Bronx, with facilities for fishing, boating, volleyball, basketball, a playground, and even a floating public pool that is made out of a barge and floats off the coast of Barretto Point Park!
Parks Events
Bronx Winterfest — Date: February 15, 2020 Join NYC Parks for a day of family fun at the 10th annual Bronx Winterfest at Brady Playground in Bronx Park. This free, family-friendly event will include winter sports, dance performances, games, prizes, and much more! Activities include winter sports, workshops, dance performances, arts and crafts,...
Concert Calendar
This is the AGBC Concert Calendar for the upcoming week:
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, or topic suggestions. Subscribe to AGBC News wherever you listen to podcasts: iTunes, Google Play, or Overcast, Player FM, TuneIn Radio, or listen to each episode on the podcast pages at agreatbigcity.com/podcast. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit our podcast site to see show notes and extra links for each episode.
3: Cleaner Food Carts, Lunar Eclipse, and a City of Millionaires.
00:09:34
Welcome to A Great Big City News, recorded Sunday, January 20.
Today: Cleaner food carts, a lunar eclipse, and a city of millionaires.
Visit agreatbigcity.com/support to learn how to support New York City local news and allow us to keep bringing you this podcast. If you are a New York-based business and would be interested in sponsoring our podcasts, visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
The Amateur Astronomers Association of New York will be hosting viewing opportunities where you can see the moon through a telescope: Find them in Manhattan in Lincoln Center Plaza and in the Bronx at Skyview on the Hudson near 259th and Riverdale Avenue, and you can check their website for more info at aaa.org.
NYC Parks - The Supermoon — NYC Parks' Urban Park Rangers will also be holding an event to view the eclipse on Central Park West at 106th Street, beginning at 7pm. Call 718 360 1444 for more info.
Federal workers food bank in Morrisania The program offers free delivery anywhere within the five boroughs, or furloughed workers may come to 488 East 164th Street in Morrisania between 9am and 5pm.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2011, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
Thank you. A Great Big City would not be what it is today without your support.
Park of the day
Abingdon Square — A pleasant piece of green in between some classic low-rise West Village apartment buildings. The park comes to life in late April when 10,000 tulip bulbs bloom and create a spectacular display. Stop by during Halloween to see the yearly Pumpkin Patch, a large display of jack-o-lanterns carved by local residents. In November, there is a tree lighting with food and caroling. Abingdon Square may not be as famous as some larger parks, but it ranks as one of the oldest parks in the entire city!
If you're interested in starting a garden in your community, attend the Find your Green Thumb: Starting a Community Garden presentation on Tuesday, January 22. You'll learn from community gardeners how to develop an empty lot in your neighborhood into a green garden and how to follow the GreenThumb community garden rules and regulations. The presentation starts Tuesday at 6pm at GrowNYC's Project Farmhouse at 76 East 13th Street in Manhattan. Contact 212 602 5300 for more info.
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, or topic suggestions. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit agreatbigcity.com/podcast to see show notes and extra links for each episode.
22: Marilyn Monroe, Wegmans in Brooklyn, Measles Outbreak Update
00:19:52
We looked at the city's number of measles cases last week on episode 21, and new numbers this week show that the outbreak continues to grow. Within the city, there have now been 498 total confirmed cases, and increase of 32 over last week, and in data from the CDC, the nationwide total is now at 839. A new school has been ordered closed this week for failure to follow the city health commissioner's public health emergency plan introduced last month. On May 13th, the city ordered the Yeshiva of Central Queens closed for failing to "exclude unvaccinated students for 21 days following a known exposure at the school." This is the 9th school closed by the city, and all others have since been allowed to reopen after modifying their practices to comply with the emergency plan.
This outbreak is the worst the United States has seen since 1994, when the yearly total was 928 cases nationwide.
In response to the ongoing outbreak of measles, the city has partnered with local (hut 'zu lah) Hatzolah emergency medical groups and the Maimonides Medical Center to make the measles vaccine available to the community, regardless of medical insurance or ability to pay. Various times and locations are available on a poster provided by the city that you can view online, or you can call 311 for more information or stop by the Hatzolah offices Boro Park, Williamsburg, or Flatbush.
Within the city, Orthodox Jewish communities are hardest hit due to a combination of unvaccinated individuals and travelers returning from Israel, where there has been an outbreak of measles since last year. In the city health department data, Williamsburg has the highest total number of cases, at 379, and has added 20 new cases just in the previous week. The city has also carried through with restrictions outlined in an official health department declaration from last month, closing multiple schools and citing 98 individuals for failing to show proof of vaccination or to obtain a new vaccination. Measles is a highly contagious disease that is spread through the air as sick individuals cough or sneeze. The measles vaccination is included in MMR shots, standing for measles, mumps, and rubella, that contain a specially-weakened form of the virus that trains the body's immune system on how to defend against that virus in the future. For information on where to obtain a measles vaccination, call 311 or view information from the Department of Health at nyc.gov/doh.
Wegmans supermarket comes to the Brooklyn Navy Yard on 7am on October 27th, when the 74,000 sqft store opens where Admiral's Row once stood.
An update to last week's deadly Harlem fire at the Frederick E. Samuel Apartments that claimed the lives of four children and two adults in the early-morning hours of May 8th. FDNY fire investigators determined the cause to have been an open flame on the stove, and that Andrea Pollidore had a habit of disabling the smoke detector while she cooked because it would begin to alarm so easily. A source told NBC4 that the stove was found in the "on" position, so it seems to have been left burning at some point that day and eventually fire spread late in the night, when smoke overtook the apartment before the family inside could escape. Killed in the fire were 4 y/o Elijah, 6 y/o Brooklyn, 8 y/o Andre, 11 y/o Nakyra, their mother Andrea Pollidore, and family friend 32 y/o Mac Abdularauph, who was previously reported as a step-son. A GoFundMe page has been set up by a family member to cover the funeral costs and has received over $40,000 in just six days.
Mayor de Blasio held an announcement at Trump Tower on May 13th: In what was either a shortsighted location choice or an attempt to draw attention to a possible presidential run, de Blasio faced a cacophonous scene for his New York City Green New Deal press conference, with Trump Tower turning up the music in their lobby speakers and about a dozen protesters taking endless rides on the escalators behind the podium while carrying "Trump 2020" and "Worst Mayor Ever" signs. The city's Green New Deal plan would fine large buildings like Trump Tower for the pollution they emit, and buildings account for 70% of carbon emissions within the city.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
AGBC is more than just a news website — Our fireworks page monitors the city's announcements of upcoming fireworks, lists them on site, and automatically sends out a notification just before the fireworks begin, so that you can watch the show or prepare your pet for the upcoming explosion sounds. Visit agreatbigcity.com/fireworks to see the full calendar!
Park of the day
Triborough Bridge Approach Triangle — A small piece of Parks property that contains one big road sign! This triangle at the corner of 93rd and FDR Drive is nicely landscaped and surrounded by a low, decorative fence, and inside is a large stone monolith that reads "East River Drive Triborough Bridge Approach". This marker is from the 1930s when both the East River Drive (FDR Drive) and the Triborough Bridge (RFK Bridge) were built and is giving drivers some very advance notice that this road leads to the bridge on-ramp at 125th Street, much like the green overhead highway signs do today.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2011, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
With your support, you can guarantee that A Great Big City will survive to tell future generations of the giant New York ferris wheel that never was 🙏🏻
Park of the day
Queensboro Oval — Bounded by York Ave and between 59th and 60th, this park uses the bridge as a covering for baseball and tennis facilities.
If you'll be on the Upper East Side this weekend, stop by:
Winter Jam NYC — Saturday — Skiing, sledding, live ice sculpting, and more at our annual winter sports festival at the bandshell area in Central Park! — Learn to Ski, Go Snowshoeing, race on snow shovel sleds, Try Curling, Ice Bowling, and Dodgeball — There will be a Winter Food Market and food trucks onsite. —Learn more at nyc.gov/parks/winterjam — Saturday, 11am to 3pm at the Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park at 72nd Street, just south of Bethesda Terrace.
Concert Calendar
This is the AGBC Concert Calendar for the week of Wednesday, January 23
The weather for the week ahead will be rain on Thursday, with high temperatures rising to 54°F on Thursday.
The historic extreme temperatures for the week were -6°F on January 24, 1882 and 72°F on January 26, 1950
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, or topic suggestions. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit agreatbigcity.com/podcast to see show notes and extra links for each episode.
58 years ago on January 11, 1961 — The Throgs Neck Bridge opens to traffic, carrying 20,000 vehicles and generating $5,000 in tolls in the first 12 hours, which helped put a dent in its $92,000,000 cost to build — In other bridge news, the old Tappan Zee, first opened in December 1955, is set to be demolished this Tuesday at 10am, weather permitting.
66 years ago on January 16, 1953 — A Staten Island ferry and a freighter collide due to heavy fog, injuring 13. The foggy conditions would cause another collision involving a Staten Island ferry and an Ellis Island ferry four days later on January 20th.
In happier ferry news, the city announced that the NYC ferry system will expand over the next few years with new routes connecting all five boroughs and a new Staten Island route bringing ferry service to the Hudson River at Battery Park City and Midtown. A Coney Island route will depart Wall Street and make one additional stop in Bay Ridge. The Astoria route will add a stop at the Brooklyn Navy Yard before sailing over to Wall Street. The Navy Yard stop is expected to open by May 2019, while the other routes are projected for 2020 and 2021. The fare will remain at $2.75 per ride, despite figures showing that the average cost of each ride was almost $9 in previous years.
The Port Authority will be relocating candy sculptures from downtown to JFK Airport after the sculpture bearing the Saudi Arabian flag drew online criticism for its placement near the site of the September 11th attack. The sculptures depict the flags of every G20 member nation and have been displayed in 25 countries since 2011, including the Garment District in Manhattan in October 2018. The sculptures were scheduled to be displayed outside the Oculus at the World Trade Center complex through February 2019, but will now move to locations along the JFK Airport Airtrain.
According to Olshan Realty’s Luxury Market Report, someone purchased apartment 95A on the 95th floor of 432 Park Avenue for $41.25 million, making it the most expensive sale of the week, at almost double the second-most-expensive sale. The corner apartment is just under 4,000 square feet and has three bedrooms, 3.5 baths, a library, an entry foyer, and views of Central Park. But hey, it's a north-facing apartment, so even with windows providing a panoramic view of the city from east to west, it won't get the invigorating rays of sun in the winter that your sixth-floor walk-up gets! If you're still in the market, there's a similar rental unit on the 70th floor for just $70,000 per month.
10 years ago on January 15, 2009 — Captain Sully Sullenberger lands USAir Flight 1549 in the Hudson River, an event that would become known as the Miracle on the Hudson. An investigation determined that an engine had been damaged after striking a flock of Canada Geese on takeoff from LaGuardia Airport. Sullenberger told ABC News in an interview ahead of the 10th anniversary that during pilot training, flight simulators did not simulate a water landing, and he had only received classroom training on how to handle the situation. Upon hitting the water, Sullenberger and co-pilot Jeff Skiles simultaneously said "That wasn't as bad as I thought!"
62 years ago on January 21, 1957 — The Mad Bomber is arrested after planting at least 33 bombs that injured 15 people. He attacked various public locations across the city for 16 years with small bombs, justifying his crimes as retribution for an injury he received while working for ConEd in 1931. He was found incompetent to stand trial and was committed to a mental hospital. Metesky was identified by a ConEd clerk named Alice Kelly who had been searching employee records for someone who matched the police profile based on details revealed in the bomber's letters.
Park of the day
Winston Churchill Square — 10 Downing Street at Bleecker and Sixth Avenue, Manhattan — A small and intimate park that is filled with greenery and surrounded by a high iron fence. Named for Sir Winston Churchill because of the nearby similarly-named "10 Downing Street".
Skate Night: Disco Get Down — Date: January 18, 2019 Join NYC Parks for a fun skate night at Tony Dapolito Recreation Center. Dance and enjoy a night of disco roller skating! Skates will be provided but are limited. Feel free to bring your own skates. The use of socks is required. Socks will not be provided on site. RSVP only for one session. 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. // Family Skate 6:15 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. // Adult Skate Only Please note: RSVP is required at skatenighttd.eventbrite.com. Contact Colleen Flood at colleen.flood@parks.nyc.gov or at (212) 242-5228 for more information regarding accessibility. Start time: 5:00 pm End time: 8:00 pm Contact phone: (212) 408-0243 Location: Tony Dapolito Recreation Center
Weather
The historic highs and lows for Monday, January 14
Record High: 70°F in 1932
Record Low: -5°F in 1914
Weather for the week ahead:
Snow (4–8 in.) over the weekend, with high temperatures peaking at 46°F on Friday.
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46: The Guggenheim Opens and the Busway is Buzzing
00:22:58
Visit agreatbigcity.com/support to learn how to support New York City local news and allow us to keep bringing you this podcast. If you are a New York-based business and would be interested in sponsoring our podcasts, visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
We've been following the 14th Street busway since it was first proposed, and after being blocked twice by legal complaints, the street has been swept free of cars and the buses have been roaming free for two weeks now. In a press release from the MTA, preliminary data shows that ridership is up and buses are moving faster along 14th Street. A cross-town trip from Third Avenue to Eighth Avenue will now take 10.6 minutes, compared to a 15 minute trip from last year. While collecting data on the Select Bus Service plan implemented along the M14 route, the MTA saw a jump in ridership, with 15% more people choosing to take the prioritized buses, and in the short time the 14th Street busway has been operating, the ridership has jumped again, topping 31,000 daily riders on an average weekday. The busway, which limits traffic on 14th Street from 6am to 10pm, is planned to last 18 months, after which the DOT will assess the impact it has had on bus transit and traffic in the surrounding area. — Also this week, independent data analysis firm INRIX evaluated traffic data from the streets surrounding the 14th Street busway and found that there was no change in traffic speeds, and zero impact on traffic to the immediate north or south of 14th. The initial objections raise by local community groups claimed the busway would negatively impact nearby streets by pushing 14th Street's traffic into their neighborhoods, but the speed increase for 31,000 daily bus riders came at no expense to traffic, with differences in average speeds on surrounding streets never slowing more than a half a mile per hour. Here's how INRIX described the results: "The impact, or lack-there-of, may seem surprising but similar projects around the world have had similar results. The reallocation of space from vehicles to buses represents a far more efficient use of a limited public resource. Whereas one urban lane in congestion can move roughly 1,000 people an hour, a transit way can hit 25,000. As a result of this project, more people are getting where they need to be faster and more reliably."
Beginning October 18th through the 20th, you'll have the once-a-year opportunity to explore the city like never before when Open House New York brings you exclusive tours of the city's architectural masterpieces that are sometimes hidden from public view or pass by unnoticed the rest of the year. Visit ohny.org for the full schedule of events, some of which require advance registration, but most of which are open all day to the public. The choices range from brand-new developments like 277 Mott Street to historic homes like the Alice Austen House, built on Staten Island in the 1690s. Going beyond architecture, you can also tour special projects like a solar rooftop in Harlem and an urban farm run by Brooklyn Grange in Long Island City. Each site sets its own visitation hours, so visit ohny.org to plan out your weekend!
And, if you're planning on marching in the Village Halloween Parade, you better be finishing up your costume soon! Halloween is less than two weeks away, and the city's biggest party will be stepping off Thursday, October 31st at 7pm at Sixth Avenue and Canal. The parade is unique because it lets anyone participate! If you wear a costume centered around this years theme of "Wild Thing", you'll be allowed to march is a special section of the parade, but anyone who shows up in a costume will become part of the parade, and usually more than 50,000 people show up! Visit halloween-nyc.com for full info, and if you haven't decided on a costume yet, visit the AGBC costume ideas generator at agreatbigcity.com/halloween-costumes where you can get funny New York-themed costume ideas like dressing up as a vintage traffic jam now that the 14th Street busway is open or strike fear in the heart of anyone who has walked the city streets by becoming the Starbucks Bathroom of Doom!
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
AGBC is more than just a news website: Every evening, just before sundown, A Great Big City checks the Empire State Building's lighting schedule and sends out a notification if the tower's lighting will be lit in special colors for a holiday or celebration. Follow @agreatbigcity on social media to receive the alerts.
Mana is playing Barclays Center in Boerum Hill on Saturday, October 19th at 8pm.
Steely Dan is playing Beacon Theatre on the Upper West Side on Saturday, October 19th at 8pm.
Benin International Musical is playing Carnegie Hall - Stern Auditorium in Hell's Kitchen / Midtown on Saturday, October 19th at 9pm.
85 South is playing Apollo Theater in Central Harlem on Sunday, October 20th at 5pm.
85 South is playing Apollo Theater in Central Harlem on Sunday, October 20th at 9pm.
Tidal X with Alicia Keys is playing Barclays Center in Boerum Hill on Monday, October 21st at 8pm.
Steely Dan is playing Beacon Theatre on the Upper West Side on Monday, October 21st at 8pm.
Charli XCX is playing Terminal 5 in Hell's Kitchen / Midtown on Monday, October 21st at 8pm.
Charli XCX with Allie X is playing Terminal 5 in Hell's Kitchen / Midtown on Tuesday, October 22nd at 8pm.
Steely Dan is playing Beacon Theatre on the Upper West Side on Tuesday, October 22nd at 8pm.
Dermot Kennedy with Talos is playing Kings Theatre in Ditmas Park / Flatbush on Tuesday, October 22nd at 8pm.
Jessie Reyez is playing Brooklyn Steel in Greenpoint on Wednesday, October 23rd at 8pm.
Fantasia with Robin Thicke is playing The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in Midtown West / Chelsea / Hudson Yards on Friday, October 25th at 7pm.
Billy Joel is playing Madison Square Garden in Midtown West / Chelsea / Hudson Yards on Friday, October 25th at 8pm.
Alec Benjamin is playing Terminal 5 in Hell's Kitchen / Midtown on Friday, October 25th at 8pm.
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, or topic suggestions. Subscribe to AGBC News wherever you listen to podcasts: iTunes, Google Play, or Pocket Casts, Spotify, Player FM, or listen to each episode on the podcast pages at agreatbigcity.com/podcast. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit our podcast site to see show notes and extra links for each episode.
42: De Blasio Drops Out and Christmas in September
00:21:45
Those new state license plates may have hit a bump in the road. As we predicted when online voting opened began to choose the new plate, the actual replacement of the plates became a contentious issue, just like when the gold 'Empire' plates were rolled out in 2010. The uproar surrounded the mandatory $25 fee and the additional fees if you wanted to keep your current plate number. Vehicle owners were taken aback and now Governor Cuomo and the DMV have released statements indicating the new plates will likely follow the same path as the gold 'Empire' plates, which were changed from a mandatory replacement to a rolling schedule where only new plates were issued with the new design. The core issue in choosing a new design is to replace damaged plates that may not be readable by traffic cameras and the upcoming congestion pricing camera system, but owners with old plates that appear undamaged did not want to pay a minimum of $25 and also change their license plate number. Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Mark Schroeder stated that "If a plate is damaged or the reflective coating is degraded the camera will not work and the person will not be charged the toll. The revenue loss will be borne by other drivers which is unfair. The national standard by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators is that 10 years is a license plate's useful life. It is possible that a plate may still be in good condition after 10 years but that determination would need to be made on a plate by plate basis after inspection. If the legislature can agree to a cost effective and practical plate inspection mechanism to determine what plates are still in good operating condition after the 10 year life and thus do not need to be replaced we would welcome the opportunity to be cooperative. The 10 year life replacement program does not go into effect until next April so we have time to work with the legislature to explore alternatives. We support reducing costs wherever possible."
Bill de Blasio finally ended his run for President Friday morning on MSNBC. In an 18 minute interview, de Blasio reflected on his campaign, claiming that he actually entered the race too late, and gave various talking points on national politics and policies, including a vague endorsement on a plan similar to candidate Andrew Yang's tax on automation as it replaces manufacturing jobs, but de Blasio also played the opposite side of the issue, saying that American workers "want jobs, not Universal Basic Income". This looks to be the final President de Blasio News update, and New Yorkers may or may not be cheering the Mayor's return to the city to serve out his last two years. In the latest polling, Joe Biden remains the top pick, with Elizabeth Warren gaining in recent polls and turning out an estimated 20,000 supporters at a rally in Washington Square Park this week.
The air is getting cooler and it's beginning to look at lot like Fall, but 122 years ago this week, one little girl had her mind on the Christmas season! 122 years ago on September 21, 1897 — 'Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus' is first published 🎅
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
AGBC is more than just a news website: It also automatically checks MTA data before morning rush hour and sends out notifications if there are delays on any subway lines, LIRR or MetroNorth trains, and bridges and tunnels. Follow @agreatbigcity on social media to receive the alerts.
Park of the day
Devoe Park — The history of Devoe Park in University Heights begins with the construction of the First Reformed Dutch Church in 1705 on the site. Although the church building was destroyed in the Revolutionary War, a new church was built near Kingsbridge Road in 1802. The Devoes were a wealthy Bronx family and congregants at the First Reformed Dutch Church
Parks Events
37th Annual Queens County Fair — Date: September 22, 2019 Get a little bit country at the Queens County Fair! The first county fair was held in Queens in 1693. Step back in time and enjoy pie eating and corn husking contests, tractor pulls, hayrides, carnival rides, and midway games.* Visit our Bavarian beer garden featuring...
Concert Calendar
Here's the AGBC Concert Calendar for the upcoming week:
Lizzo with Ari Lennox is playing Radio City Music Hall in Midtown on Sunday, September 22nd at 8pm.
Lizzo with Ari Lennox is playing Radio City Music Hall in Midtown on Tuesday, September 24th at 8pm.
Bastille with Joywave is playing The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in Midtown West / Chelsea / Hudson Yards on Tuesday, September 24th at 8pm.
Mark Knopfler with Bonnie Raitt is playing Madison Square Garden in Midtown West / Chelsea / Hudson Yards on Wednesday, September 25th at 7pm.
Steve Hackett is playing Beacon Theatre on the Upper West Side on Wednesday, September 25th at 8pm.
The extreme highs and lows for this week in weather history:
Record High: 97°F on September 23, 1895
Record Low: 40°F on September 21, 1871
Weather for the week ahead:
Light rain on Monday and next Saturday, with high temperatures peaking at 88°F on Monday.
Outro
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, or topic suggestions. Subscribe to AGBC News wherever you listen to podcasts: iTunes, Google Play, or Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, or listen to each episode on the podcast pages at agreatbigcity.com/podcast. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit our podcast site to see show notes and extra links for each episode.
Happy Birthday! 🐂 The Wall Street Bull turns 32 years old
00:02:47
The iconic "Charging Bull" statue has become recognized worldwide as a symbol of New York, but it was originally an illegal art installation that was dropped in the middle of the street on December 15, 1989.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
AGBC is more than just a news website: It also automatically checks MTA data before morning rush hour and sends out notifications if there are delays on any subway lines, LIRR or MetroNorth trains, and bridges and tunnels. Follow @agreatbigcity on social media to receive the alerts.
Park of the day
Benjamin Gladstone Square — Hoe Ave., Westchster Ave., W. Farms Rd., the Bronx — Named for Benjamin Gladstone (1897-1935), a New York City native who represented the Bronx's Fifth Assembly District in the New York State Legislature.
Concert Calendar
Here's the AGBC Concert Calendar for the upcoming week:
Cold War Kids is playing Webster Hall on Tuesday, February 4th at 8pm.
Cold War Kids is playing Webster Hall on Wednesday, February 5th at 8pm.
Dijon is playing Bowery Ballroom on Thursday, February 6th at 7pm.
Poppy with VOWWS is playing Brooklyn Steel on Thursday, February 6th at 8pm.
Rex Orange County is playing Radio City Music Hall on Friday, February 7th at 8pm.
Amber Liu is playing Terminal 5 on Friday, February 7th at 8pm.
Mayer Hawthorne is playing Music Hall of Williamsburg on Friday, February 7th at 9pm.
Apollo Music Cafe is playing Apollo Theater on Friday, February 7th at 10pm.
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, or topic suggestions. Subscribe to AGBC News wherever you listen to podcasts: iTunes, Google Play, or Pocket Casts, Overcast, TuneIn Radio, or listen to each episode on the podcast pages at agreatbigcity.com/podcast. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit our podcast site to see show notes and extra links for each episode.
This may be the final measles update for this season: The city Health Department declared the Brooklyn outbreak over as of September 3rd. During the outbreak, 33,805 doses of the MMR vaccine were administered to people younger than 19 years old in Williamsburg and Boro Park, and the 2018 to 2019 outbreak involved 654 confirmed cases. Numerous others who were unvaccinated received vaccinations from other health professionals. Although the increased vaccination rates will help prevent transmission if the disease appears again, it's important to make sure newborn children receive their vaccinations on schedule, which involves two separate doses of the vaccine. Nearly all the infections during the outbreak were in children under 18 years old. For more information on city resources, call 311 or visit the Department of Health at nyc.gov/doh.
It's been one year since Emirates flight 203 from Dubai landed at JFK after passengers reported feeling sick. On-board the plane, people were posting to social media, describing a group who seemed to all know each other, and all of who had been sick during the flight, but gotten much worse as the plane approached New York. Ten people were hospitalized and tested positive for the flu. Although the United Arab Emirates, where the flight originated, currently has CDC travel notices for diseases like MERS, which have similar symptoms to the flu, it seems like last year's flight that caused an endless string of Twitter jokes about horror movies was instead just a routine case of the flu, which is also a great reminder to get your flu shot this season, which can eliminate your chance of getting the flu this winter or lessen its impact if you're exposed to it. You can find flu shots at local pharmacies, private hospitals, and city health clinics. Visit nyc.gov/flu for more info.
Just before making a second political appearance on the Fox channel, Bill de Blasio declared this week that he will likely maybe consider thinking about suspending his presidential run if he does not meet the polling and fundraising requirements for the next month's debate, after already not qualifying for the upcoming September debate. The requirements are the same for October as they were for the September debate: Candidates need to achieve 2% in four polls or have 130,000 unique donors. While de Blasio is still polling between 0% and 1%, some more-recognizable fellow candidates throw in the towel, including New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. Facing a multitude of problems at home, from NYPD officer suicides, the long-delayed firing of officer Pantaleo, and ever-increasing traffic fatalities, de Blasio took some time to visit the city this week and propose requiring Citi Bike riders to wear helmets and that all bicycles should be licensed, two measures that have previously been proposed, will never be implemented, and have shown to result in less cycling. In a reference to the Iowa state fair where de Blasio had been campaigning, comedians Jason Selvig and Davram Stiefler took the opportunity last week to lay out some corn dogs and ears of fresh corn on a bed of hay outside City Hall, in an effort to lure the Mayor back home.
One of the fake Buddhist monks in Times Square was arrested for knocking the phone out of a person's hand when the person tried to take a picture of the scammer, one of the imitation monks who roam Times Square, handing trinkets to tourists, then aggressively demanding payment.
Also 4 years ago, a string of incidents in the subway showed the danger that subway conductors face while trying to keep the city moving. That week started out with five separate assaults on MTA employees, occurring at all hours throughout the day, including three attacks within the span of two hours. By 2018, after an increase in incidents targeting their workers, the MTA proposed a voluntary program for MTA workers to wear body cameras, but it's hard to tell what the status of the program is today. As recently as this year, the transit workers' union has called for greater police enforcement in the subway due incidents where MTA workers were spit upon.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
AGBC is more than just a news website: Our fireworks page monitors the city's announcements of upcoming fireworks, lists them on our site, and automatically sends out a notification just before the fireworks begin, so that you can watch the show or prepare your pet for the upcoming sounds of explosions. Visit agreatbigcity.com/fireworks to see the full calendar and follow @agreatbigcity on social media to receive the alerts
Park of the day
Eastchester Playground — Adee Ave. at Tenboeck Ave., the Bronx — This playground bears the name of one of the earliest settlements to have existed in the Bronx area. Eastchester was originally the name of the second English community, after Westchester, to be founded in what was considered the Dutch colony of New Netherland.
Parks Events
Urban Starfest in Central Park — Date: September 7, 2019 See the universe from Central Park! Join the Urban Park Rangers and the Amateur Astronomers Association (AAA) of New York for their Annual Autumn Starfest. Our Urban Park Rangers will be your guides to the solar system, discussing the science, history, and folklore of the universe....
9th Annual Washington Square Park Folk Festival — Date: September 8, 2019 The Washington Square Park Folk Festival features the best of local New York and sometimes national talent in the field of folk music - including old-time string bands, Blues, jug bands, traditional Mexican and Balkan music, songwriters, New Orleans Jazz, Klezmer music and more! Washington Square...
Concert Calendar
Here's the AGBC Concert Calendar for the upcoming week:
Vampire Weekend is playing Madison Square Garden on Friday, September 6th.
Avail is playing Warsaw on Saturday, September 7th.
Mitski and Lucy Dacus are playing Central Park SummerStage on Saturday, September 7th.
In a preliminary report, the NTSB has released details this week on the June 10th crash of a helicopter atop the AXA Equities building in Midtown.
New measles cases continue to decrease as the city's outbreak continues. In the latest data, there have been just 16 new cases reported in June 2019, down from highs in March and April of around 170 new cases per month. Combined with the outbreak in Rockland County, New York State continues to make up the largest percentage of the nationwide total, which, at 1,077 cases, has now surpassed numbers last seen 27 years ago and has become the largest outbreak seen since the disease was declared eliminated in the year 2000. As a comparison, there were only 86 cases of measles reported nationwide in 2016.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
AGBC is more than just a news website: It also automatically checks MTA data before morning rush hour and sends out notifications if there are delays on any subway lines, LIRR or MetroNorth trains, and bridges and tunnels. Follow @agreatbigcity on social media to receive the alerts.
NYC Pride Island is playing Pier 97 — Hudson River Greenway at W 57th Street — West Village on Sunday, June 30th at 2pm.
Tini & DeWalta is playing Knockdown Center — 52-19 Flushing Avenue — Maspeth on Sunday, June 30th at 2pm.
Black Label Society (18+) is playing Bowery Ballroom — 6 Delancey Street — Lower East Side on Sunday, June 30th at 6pm.
Guaco is playing Irving Plaza — 17 Irving Place — Noho / Union Square on Sunday, June 30th at 7pm.
Bathiya with Santhush is playing St. George Theatre — 35 Hyatt Street — St. George / Tompkinsville on Sunday, June 30th at 7pm.
Phony Ppl (18+) is playing Mercury Lounge — 217 East Houston Street — Lower East Side on Sunday, June 30th at 7pm.
Hillsong United with Amanda Cook are playing Madison Square Garden — 4 Pennsylvania Plaza — Midtown West / Chelsea / Hudson Yards on Tuesday, July 2nd at 7pm.
Visit agreatbigcity.com/support to learn how to support New York City local news and allow us to keep bringing you this podcast. If you are a New York-based business and would be interested in sponsoring our podcasts, visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
AGBC is more than just a news website: Every evening, just before sundown, A Great Big City checks the Empire State Building's lighting schedule and sends out a notification if the tower's lighting will be lit in special colors for a holiday or celebration. Follow @agreatbigcity on social media to receive the alerts.
Park of the day
Ionia Avenue Forest — A very densely-forested triangle at the southern end of Staten Island
New York Fact
Here's something you may not have known about New York:
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, or topic suggestions. Subscribe to AGBC News wherever you listen to podcasts: iTunes, Google Play, or RadioPublic, TuneIn Radio, Player FM, or listen to each episode on the podcast pages at agreatbigcity.com/podcast. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit our podcast site to see show notes and extra links for each episode.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2011, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
The extreme highs and lows for this week in weather history:
Record High: 84°F on March 21, 1921
Record Low: 10°F on March 21, 1885
Weather for the week ahead:
Rain today and tomorrow, with high temperatures rising to 60°F on Sunday. Gusty winds will be of concern on Friday the 22nd and may reach 40mph gusts overnight into Saturday
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, or topic suggestions. Subscribe to AGBC News wherever you listen to podcasts: iTunes, Google Play, or Player FM, Spotify, and RadioPublic or listen to each episode on the podcast pages. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit agreatbigcity.com/podcast to see show notes and extra links for each episode.
Last week, I started out with a quick measles update saying that the outbreak has mostly subsided, but I want to reiterate how important it is to get yourself and any young children vaccinated before the next outbreak begins. Israel-based Ynetnews revealed this week that a 43-year-old flight attendant who had contracted measles while working on the New York to Tel Aviv route for Israeli airline El Al died this week after a long hospital stay. Rotem Amitai was a mother of three who fell ill and was admitted to a hospital in Israel, where there has been a serious ongoing measles outbreak. She had only received one dose of the measles vaccination and was therefore still susceptible to the disease. In the United States, one does of vaccine is usually administered when a child turns one year old and a second is administered before the child enters school, and in city data, 46 of the total 653 measles cases in this year's outbreak were children or adults who had only received one does of the vaccine. El Al Airlines now requires all flight attendants to be vaccinated against the disease, and it's believed that people flying home from overseas trips and returning to communities in Williamsburg and upstate in Rockland County were the initial sources of New York's current measles outbreaks.
16 years ago on August 14, 2003 — A cascading power outage plunges millions into darkness across the northeast — What began as a damaged power line and a software malfunction in Ohio led to overloaded equipment throughout the interconnected power system stretching from Canada into the northeast United States. The power surge from Ohio triggered safety systems across the region, creating what is thought to have been the most widespread outage in both United States and Canadian history and the second-most-widespread in the world. It took around two days for all overloaded components to be checked and brought back online, with some smaller areas remaining without power for nearly a week. In New York, the city and most of the state were in the dark. Traffic lights were out and elevators and the subway were stopped, leaving many commuters in need of emergency evacuation and with no way to reach their homes as night began to fall. Some stayed in office buildings, on the floors of generous co-workers who lived nearby, or even slept outside, while others attempted to walk home or catch a ride on a bus or taxi, turning Manhattan's bridges into one-way exits.
Update: The suspect was taken into custody around 1am on August 17th — Police are still looking for a possible suspect in Friday morning's bomb scare where two empty rice cookers were left in the Fulton Street subway station downtown. The proximity of the station to many government offices and the sheer number of commuters that pass through the station during morning rush hour, the area was quickly evacuated and subway lines were disrupted beginning around 7:30am. Police found the large silver rice cookers to be empty and deemed the situation safe, but a third, identical rice cooker was then found next to a city trash can in Chelsea at Seventh and 16th. The rice cookers were empty, and they may have been intended as hoax devices to cause disruption. Police released stills from security camera footage showing a white man in his 20s or 30s with dark, curly hair and a distinctive tattoo on his outer forearm, and described him as a person of interest. After seeing the security camera footage, a West Virginia man identified the person as his son, who may have recently been pan-handling in the city. No further info has been released and the police are still searching for the suspect as of this recording. Although the incident brings to mind the Chelsea pressure-cooker bombing of 2016, there have also been recent scares from abandoned rice cookers, one found in a suitcase in Midtown at a 6 Train station in 2017 and another in an F Train station on the Lower East Side in 2018.
OMNY, the MTA's new fare-collecting system, sees 1 million uses in just over two months — The new MetroCard replacement is only available at 16 subway stations along the 4/5/6 and on Staten Island buses, but the tap-and-go system reached the 1 million target four times faster than the MTA has predicted. To use the system, you wave a credit or debit card or a cellphone or watch above the glowing panel. The system aims to reduce the waste and complexity of issuing disposable MetroCards since the contactless system uses your payment method directly, just like at a cash register, although there will be a refillable OMNY card once the system expands, and the MetroCard is still scheduled to be used through 2023. According to the MTA, 80% of the OMNY swipes have used mobile wallets where people have added their payment cards to their phone, since very few credit or debit cards have the built-in technology, which is different from the chips that are now seen on some cards.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
AGBC is more than just a news website: It also automatically checks MTA data before morning rush hour and sends out notifications if there are delays on any subway lines, LIRR or MetroNorth trains, and bridges and tunnels. Follow @agreatbigcity on social media to receive the alerts.
FlyNYC Kite Festival in Riverside Park South — Learn to fly a kite or just enjoy the view as decorative kites take to the skies above the Hudson River at Pier I in Riverside Park South across from 70th Street in Manhattan. If you have your own kite, bring it along, or a limited number of free kites will be available for children to try. Saturday, August 17, 2019 12:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
Concert Calendar
Here's the AGBC Concert Calendar for the upcoming week:
No new information on the Midtown helicopter crash as the NTSB continues their investigation, but the incident has stoked local officials to criticize the conditions that led to the crash: Carolyn Maloney, the Congressmember who represents the district where the helicopter came down renewed her calls for private transit and tourism helicopter flights to be banned over the city. After a deadly helicopter crash atop the Pan Am building helipad in 1977, flights to helipads in Manhattan were banned, but no new restrictions have been put in place despite multiple deadly crashes around Manhattan by helicopters and small planes. In a statement on Representative Maloney's web site, she says: "We cannot rely on good fortune to protect people on the ground. It is past time for the FAA to ban unnecessary helicopters from the skies over our densely packed urban city. The risks to New Yorkers are just too high." Senator Chuck Schumer also called on the FAA to require helicopters be equipped with flight data recorders, and cited years of recommendations from the NTSB that the FAA should mandate flight data and cockpit voice recorders. Schumer noted how the lack of flight data will now impede the investigation. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand added: "After last week’s helicopter crash in midtown, the FAA should immediately reconsider the recommendations federal transportation safety investigators have urged since 2011 and take steps now to implement these basic safety features. Flight data recorders provide critical information to help prevent future crashes, and I urge the FAA to act quickly to ensure black boxes are in every helicopter." A memorial service was held for the helicopter pilot, Tim McCormack, in Poughkeepsie, NY.
This week finally brought the sad confirmation that a swimmer has been found dead after going missing during a race in the Hudson River. Renowned AIDS researcher, Charles van der Horst, had been competing in the Eight Bridges Hudson River Swim, a 120-mile, week-long competition that was scheduled from June 8th to June 15th, with swimmers covering about 17 miles per day between Hudson River bridges. On Friday, June 14th, Charles had disappeared beneath the water near the George Washington Bridge and did not resurface. His disappearance occured at the end of that day's swim, which had begun 15.7 miles away at the Tappan Zee Bridge. The Coast Guard and NYPD boats began searching immediately, but it wasn't until four days later that his body was discovered near Fort Tyron, north of the GWB. In a statement from the van der Horst family, Charles is described as living life to the fullest and will be remembered for his work in social justice and in the medical field. He immigrated to the United States as an infant from the Netherlands, and was the son of a Holocaust survivor. As a professor of medicine, he provided care to HIV/AIDS patients, contributed meaningful research concerning the diseases, and volunteered at a free clinic after his retirement. When Charles disappeared, he was under the watch of safety crew in kayaks following each swimmer, and another participant describes the extreme care taken to ensure the safety of each swimmer, so it was unclear how this tragedy took place.
A baby doll wearing a "Crawling Dead" t-shirt was realistic enough to be officially pronounced dead by first responders after an early-morning 911 call on June 18th. A jogger spotted the horrifying scene of a baby lying face-down in the grass at 215th Street and 35th Avenue in Bayside, Queens and police quickly arrived to seal off a crime scene. It wasn't until hours later that officials announced it was actually realistic doll that they had earlier pronounced dead without physically inspecting it. In a statement, the FDNY described the doll as having "discoloration consistent with signs of prolonged death" as it was painted gray and blue to simulate loss of oxygen. Once the doll was physically inspected, the ruse became known, and the doll was found wearing a shirt that said "Crawling Dead", presumably a play on the classic horror film "The Walking Dead". The police have opened an investigation into who placed the doll and if it was intended as a prank.
There won't be a new tower rising up between NYCHA houses as the city scrapped a plan this week that would have begun the first proposed building in their 50/50 project.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
AGBC is more than just a news website: Our fireworks page monitors the city's announcements of upcoming fireworks, lists them on our site, and automatically sends out a notification just before the fireworks begin, so that you can watch the show or prepare your pet for the upcoming sounds of explosions. Visit agreatbigcity.com/fireworks to see the full calendar and follow @agreatbigcity on social media to receive the alerts
Park of the day
Charlton Garden — EAST 164th and Cauldwell Avenue in Morrisania in the Bronx — This garden honors the heroism of Korean War Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Sergeant Cornelius H. Charlton.
The extreme highs and lows for this week in weather history:
Record High: 100°F on June 26, 1952
Record Low: 49°F on June 20, 1914
Weather for the week ahead:
Rain through Tuesday, with high temperatures rising to 86°F next Thursday. Saturday and Sunday will be clear to partly cloudy with highs in the 80s.
8: The Beatles Meet NY, Empty Skyscrapers, and Travel Tips from 1977.
00:14:03
Welcome to A Great Big City News, episode 8.
Today: The Beatles Meet NY, Empty Skyscrapers, and Travel Tips from 1977.
Visit agreatbigcity.com/support to learn how to support New York City local news and allow us to keep bringing you this podcast. If you are a New York-based business and would be interested in sponsoring our podcasts, visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2011, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
Park of the day
Haviland Playground — Haviland Ave., Watson Ave. bet. Virginia Ave. and Pugsley Ave., the Bronx — Set on land that was part of Pugsley Farm and named for earlier landowners Joseph and Mary Haviland. Serves as the playground for adjacent I.S. 125.
Concert Calendar
Toni Braxton and SWV are playing Kings Theatre in Flatbush on Sunday, February 10th
Pete & The Stray Dogs are playing Sunny's Bar in Red Hook on Sunday, February 10th
Gang Gang Dance, Geologist, and Weak Signal are playing the Bowery Ballroom on Tuesday, February 12th beginning at 7pm.
Rachael Yamagata is playing the City Winery on Tuesday, February 12th
Real Clothes, Danny Tre, Motteo, and The Afterbirth are playing The Well in Bushwick on Wednesday, February 13th at 7pm.
Lydia Lunch, Matt Nelson and Tim Dahl are playing El Cortez in Bushwick on Thursday, February 14th at 7pm.
Sevendust, Cane Hill, and Kira are playing the Starland Ballroom on Saturday, February 16th beginning at 5pm.
Owen is playing Rough Trade in Williamsburg on Saturday, February 16th at 9pm.
Interpol, Car Seat Headrest, and Snail Mail are playing Madison Square Garden on Saturday, February 16th at 8pm.
The extreme highs and lows for this week in weather history:
Record High: 73°F on 02-15, 1949
Record Low: -15°F on 02-09, 1934
Weather for the week ahead:
Mixed precipitation on Monday through next Saturday, with high temperatures rising to 53°F next Saturday.
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, or topic suggestions. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit agreatbigcity.com/podcast to see show notes and extra links for each episode.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2011, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
With your support, you can guarantee that A Great Big City will be here to give future generations of New Yorkers tips on how to figure out the address of the unnumbered building they're standing in front of.
The extreme highs and lows for this week in weather history:
Record High: 78°F on February 21, 2018
Record Low: -8°F on February 15, 1943
Weather for the week ahead:
Mixed precipitation on Sunday through Thursday, with high temperatures falling to 37°F on Wednesday.
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, or topic suggestions. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit agreatbigcity.com/podcast to see show notes and extra links for each episode.
The extreme highs and lows for this week in weather history:
Record High: 75°F on February 24, 1985
Record Low: -1°F on February 24, 1873
Weather for the week ahead:
Mixed precipitation today through Saturday, with high temperatures falling to 32°F on Wednesday.
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, or topic suggestions. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit agreatbigcity.com/podcast to see show notes and extra links for each episode.
Visit agreatbigcity.com/support to learn how to support New York City local news and allow us to keep bringing you this podcast. If you are a New York-based business and would be interested in sponsoring our podcasts, visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
AGBC is more than just a news website: Our fireworks page monitors the city's announcements of upcoming fireworks, lists them on our site, and automatically sends out a notification just before the fireworks begin, so that you can watch the show or prepare your pet for the upcoming sounds of explosions. Visit agreatbigcity.com/fireworks to see the full calendar and follow @agreatbigcity on social media to receive the alerts.
Park of the day
New Lots / Dumont Triangle — A possible competitor for smallest park, this traffic island features just one tree and no grass, with paving stones surrounding the tree.
Parks Events
Astronomy: The Full Moon — Date: March 8, 2020 The wonders of the universe are ready to be discovered and New York City parks are the perfect place to stargaze and explore the night sky.
Concert Calendar
Celine Dion is playing Barclays Center on Thursday, March 5th at 7pm.
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, or topic suggestions. Subscribe to AGBC News wherever you listen to podcasts: iTunes, Google Play, or TuneIn Radio, Pocket Casts, Overcast, or listen to each episode on the podcast pages at agreatbigcity.com/podcast. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit our podcast site to see show notes and extra links for each episode.
On previous episodes we've covered the threat of measles and West Nile virus, but this week another mosquito-borne virus took the spotlight as Eastern Equine Encephalitis, or EEE, was found in mosquitoes in the surrounding area. The CDC describes the disease as rare, with only a few cases per year, but one out of three people die from the resulting flu-like symptoms. Even though the weather is getting colder and will eventually end the mosquito season, take steps to protect yourself if you'll be in an area with mosquitoes. Wear clothing that covers your skin, use a mosquito repellent containing the chemical repellents DEET or Picaridin, or use a natural repellent containing oil of lemon eucalyptus. You can even do your part by calling 311 to report standing water, defined as a place on public or private property where water gathers and remains for more than five days, creating a habitat where mosquitoes may breed.
7 years ago — The Bagel Store in Williamsburg brought back their candy corn bagels. Long before the rainbow bagel would make the shop world-famous, The Bagel Store was experimenting with new color and flavor combos. The shop premiered the orange-and-white swirled candy corn bagel the year before, and in 2012 it was back again, this time paired with marshmallow chocolate-chip cream cheese and alongside the equally-festive pumpkin pie bagel with pumpkin cream cheese! Unfortunately, when I checked in again to see what 2019's fall flavors would be, it looks like the shop has fallen on hard times, and photos posted on their Yelp page show New York state tax seizure notices posted on the closed store's roll-down gates. It's the same tax seizure notices that recently shut down Di Fara pizza and dozens of ice cream trucks in the city. The shutdown hasn't shut down bagel maker Scot Rossillo, who is still posting photos of new creations like rainbow-filled chocolate chip cookies, a waffle bagel, and modified bagel recipes suitable for a Keto diet!
5 years ago on September 30, 2014 — Three parachutists make an early-morning jump from 1WTC, landing on nearby street — Three parachutists make an early-morning jump from 1WTC, landing nearby in front of the Goldman Sachs building \n\n The breathtaking video of the stunt shocked viewers as to how the jumpers accessed the city's tallest building while it was under construction and were able to glide down to the street on parachutes. The answer would come five months later when four men were arrested for the parachute jump. \n\n One of the men arrested was revealed to have been a construction worker at the site, and they gained access to the site via a hole in a fence. The parachute jump and an earlier trespassing teenager who dressed as a construction worker led to criticism of the building's security practices and the resignation of the site's head of security. \n\n The four men arrested were fined $2,000 and sentenced to community service, but did not receive jail time for the stunt.
Well, we've been tricked before, namely back on Episode 37 in early August, but the Department of Transportation will again try to turn 14th Street into a restricted busway beginning on October 3rd. 14th Street was originally scheduled to convert to a traffic-restricted busway on July 1st to quickly move buses across the city during the L Train shutdown, but then L Train plans were modified to keep the subway open and community groups took legal action against the Department of Transportation's plan. A judge agreed to stop the busway from going into effect until the DOT provided more information, which they did, and it appeared that the buses would be allowed to roam free until another last-minute legal ruling kept cars on 14th Street. The busway was scheduled to begin on August 12th, when traffic would be restricted and buses given priority to increase transit speeds, but downtown community groups submitted a petitionrenewed their complaints on August 9th, claiming the Department of Transportation hadn't done sufficient studies into the impact that removing traffic from 14th Street would have on the surrounding area. \n\n This week, an appeals court ruled against the complaints and cleared the way for the busway to take effect, three months later than originally planned. \n\n Beginning on Thursday, October 3rd, only buses will be allowed on 14th Street between Third and Ninth Avenue from 6am to 10pm, with all other vehicles able to enter the street only for one block to make a local trip. Those vehicles will be required to exit immediately at an intersection to keep the street clear for M14A and D buses, one of the most heavily-used bus lines in the city. Left turns will be banned to keep traffic from backing up in front of the buses and automated traffic cameras will be used to monitor vehicles. The DOT estimates that the changes will increase the speeds of buses by 30%, and the plan is expected to run for 18 months.
Just a week earlier, the Occupy movement had held a protest march near Union Square, where the large numbers of protesters brought attention to the group and the NYPD's use of mesh nets to corral protesters into makeshift pens. Just south of Union Square, eyewitness video showed a group of young women being sprayed with pepper spray while on the sidewalk, which brought worldwide press coverage and criticism of the NYPD's handling of the growing protest group.
8 years ago, New York Apple stores were mourning the loss of Steve Jobs, who died of pancreatic cancer on October 5, 2011. At Tekserve in Chelsea, a memorial was placed in the front window of the store. At Apple stores in the Meatpacking District, SoHo, and on Fifth Avenue, makeshift memorials formed, with flowers and apples placed in front of each store. People used post-it notes to write their own memorial messages, forming colorful displays on the windows of the stores. The walls of post-its would continue to grow, and by the next week, street artist and muralist The Me Nobody Knows would put a custom piece of memorial art at the SoHo Apple store — 8 years ago — Steve Jobs Memorials at Apple Stores in NYC — Thursday, October 6
2 years ago — Suspects Arrested in Terror Plot to Strike New York — The Joint Terrorism Task Force charged two 19-year-old suspects, one Canadian citizen and one from the United States, and one 37-year-old from the Philippines in a terror plot that had advanced to the point of purchasing explosives. All three were charged with terrorism, with the 37-year-old communicating online with the two younger suspects and actively providing funding for an attack against the city. The group acquired bomb-making materials and a cabin outside the city and planned to bomb Times Square, the subway, and conduct random shootings within the city. The Canadian citizen received a 40 year prison sentence, but Pakistan has refused to extradite the American citizen accused in the plot, who had been living in Pakistan at the time of the plot. The older suspect was arrested in the Philippines and the United States has been attempting to secure his extradition since 2017.
1 year ago — Central Park Squirrel Census Will Give City Rodents a Proper Head-Count — The census set out to count the number of squirrels roaming around Manhattan's center. 323 volunteers divided up the park and recorded their squirrel sightings, with the data becoming part of a printed art project with maps and photos from the survey. The final statistical analysis revealed about 2,373 squirrels in Central Park based on the project's observations. It seems a bit low, but it's interesting nonetheless. While nearly 82% of the squirrels were the gray variety, count yourself lucky if you see a squirrel with black or cinnamon-colored fur: They were much more rare in Central Park, with black fur being the least common.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
AGBC is more than just a news website: It also automatically checks MTA data before morning rush hour and sends out notifications if there are delays on any subway lines, LIRR or MetroNorth trains, and bridges and tunnels. Follow @agreatbigcity on social media to receive the alerts.
Park of the day
Clearview's Tail — Clearview Expressway at Whitehall Terrace, Queens — A small slip of a park, this land lies at the "tail" of the Clearview Expressway at Hillside Avenue.
Parks Events
Bronx Fit Fest — Date: October 5, 2019 Join us for free fitness and dance classes, healthy living tips, wellness screenings, and more at Bronx Fit Fest! Activities may include: Yoga Roller and Silent Disco Outdoor spin classes Chairobics Zumba Learn to Salsa Tennis Obstacle Course Line Dance* Healthy living workshops There will also...
And now let's check in with our robot friend for the concert calendar:
Concert Calendar
Here's the AGBC Concert Calendar for the upcoming week:
Tedeschi Trucks Band is playing Beacon Theatre on the Upper West Side on Tuesday, October 1st at 7pm.
We've been following the back-and-forth on Macy's plans for their flagship store in Herald Square, and this week the CEO confirmed to Bloomberg News that the company is moving forward with a plan to place a skyscraper on top of their existing landmarked store that was built in the early 1900s.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
AGBC is more than just a news website — To provide better information about what's going on in the city, AGBC watches FDNY data and automatically sends out an alert if a fire or emergency becomes a serious event, and posts that info to social media along with a map, the neighborhood name, and the nearest intersection, so that you know what is happening if you see smoke rising into the sky. Follow AGBC on Facebook or Twitter to stay up-to-date everyday.
Park of the day
Castle Hill Playground — Castle Hill Av and Parker St in Parkchester in the Bronx — This playground, like the adjacent school, takes its name from the surrounding neighborhood, Castle Hill. During the Revolutionary War, the Castle Hill area was owned by wealthy landowner and politician Gouverneur Morris Wilkins, who constructed a home at what is known today as Castle Hill Point.
Parks Events
Learn the basics of canoeing at Harlem Meer in Central Park — New York is surrounded by water, but it can be intimidating to think of paddling in the Hudson. Take a lesson from the Urban Park Rangers in the calm waters of Harlem Meer at the northeast corner of Central Park, beginning at 11am on Sunday, May 19th. The event is free and open to all ages, but opportunities may fill up quickly, so arrive early.
Concert Calendar
Garbage, LCD Soundsystem, Mercury Rev, Phoebe Bridgers, The Messthetics, and Wye Oak are playing the Festival of Disruption at Brooklyn Steel on Friday, May 17th.
The Dream Syndicate and 75 Dollar Bill are playing Mercury Lounge on Friday, May 17th.
Mr Twin Sister and Ava Luna are playing the Warsaw on Friday, May 17th.
Tacocat and Sammi Lanzetta are playing the Music Hall of Williamsburg on Friday, May 17th.
Uniform, Blame God, and Wear Your Wounds are playing Saint Vitus Bar on Friday, May 17th.
Sidewalks and Skeltons are playing H0L0 on Friday, May 17th.
BTS are playing MetLife Stadium on Saturday, May 18th and Sunday, May 19th.
Worriers and awakebutstillinbed are playing Baby's All Right on Sunday, May 19th.
Juice WRLD and SKI MASK THE SLUMP GOD are playing the Hammerstein Ballroom on Monday, May 20th.
Chromatics, Desire, and In Mirrors are playing Brooklyn Steel on Monday, May 20th.
Chromeo is playing Webster Hall on Monday, May 20th.
Sum 41 are playing Gramercy Theater on Tuesday, May 21st.
Chromatics and Holy Ghost are playing Brooklyn Steel on Tuesday, May 21st.
Mono and Emma Ruth Rundle are playing Music Hall of Williamsburg on Wednesday, May 22nd.
American Football and Pure Bathing Culture are playing Warsaw on Friday, May 24th and Saturday, May 25th.
58: Special Edition — The Coronavirus Hits The City
00:18:03
Visit agreatbigcity.com/support to learn how to support New York City local news and allow us to keep bringing you this podcast. If you are a New York-based business and would be interested in sponsoring our podcasts, visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
AGBC is more than just a news website: Our fireworks page monitors the city's announcements of upcoming fireworks, lists them on our site, and automatically sends out a notification just before the fireworks begin, so that you can watch the show or prepare your pet for the upcoming sounds of explosions. Visit agreatbigcity.com/fireworks to see the full calendar and follow @agreatbigcity on social media to receive the alerts.
Park of the day
Estella Diggs Park — 3436 3 AVENUE, the Bronx — Formerly known as Rocks and Roots Park, the park was named after Estella Diggs, the first African-American woman to represent the Bronx in the NY State Assembly.
Did you know?
Here's something you may not have known about New York:
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, or topic suggestions. Subscribe to AGBC News wherever you listen to podcasts: iTunes, Google Play, or TuneIn Radio, Spotify, RadioPublic, or listen to each episode on the podcast pages at agreatbigcity.com/podcast. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit our podcast site to see show notes and extra links for each episode.
The city's number of measles cases have flattened out in data this week showing just 12 new cases since May 20th and 54 new cases in the month of May. This brings the total number of cases observed during the current outbreak to 535 within the city and 940 cases nationwide in 2019. As of May 24, there have been 122 summonses issued to individuals for failing to comply with the city health commissioner's public health emergency plan introduced in April, which required everyone within affected zip codes to show proof of vaccination. Although new cases have been seen in Sunset Park outside the initial Williamsburg cluster, the health commissioner is confident that the high vaccination rates in Sunset Park will prevent the disease from spreading. Measles is a highly contagious disease that is spread through the air as sick individuals cough or sneeze. The measles vaccination is included in MMR shots, standing for measles, mumps, and rubella, that contain a specially-weakened form of the virus that trains the body's immune system on how to defend against that virus in the future. For information on where to obtain a measles vaccination, call 311 or view information from the Department of Health at nyc.gov/doh.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
AGBC is more than just a news website — It also automatically checks MTA data before morning rush hour and sends out notifications if there are delays on any subway lines, LIRR or MetroNorth trains, and bridges and tunnels. Follow @agreatbigcity on social media to receive the alerts.
Park of the day
Devanney Triangle — E. Burnside Ave. bet. Creston Ave. and G, the Bronx — Devanney Triangle is in the historic central Bronx neighborhood of Tremont, which includes the smaller neighborhoods of Claremont, Mount Eden, and Mount Hope. On February 1, 1888, the City of New York acquired the land that is now Devanney Triangle as a street by condemnation. Bounded by Burnside Avenue and Grand Concourse, Devanney Triangle opened as a small sitting park with a series of walkways, 12 benches, and 15 decorative trees and greenery, encompassed by a pipe rail fence.
Parks Events
City beaches opened last weekend, and now the countdown begins to the opening day of city's public pools. In one month, The Parks Department's free outdoor pools will open on Thursday, June 27. The city's 53 free pools will be open from 11am to 7pm, and the Parks Department even provides learn-to-swim programs and free sunscreen!
The extreme highs and lows for this week in weather history:
Record High: 99°F on June 4, 1925
Record Low: 42°F on May 30, 1884
Weather for the week ahead:
Rain through Thursday, with high temperatures rising to 84°F on Saturday.
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, or topic suggestions. Subscribe to AGBC News wherever you listen to podcasts: iTunes, Google Play, or Spotify, TuneIn Radio, Overcast, or listen to each episode on the podcast pages at agreatbigcity.com/podcast. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit our podcast site to see show notes and extra links for each episode.
37: Buses Get Blocked and New Photos of Ground Zero
00:20:23
In the latest city measles data, just six new cases were registered in July, with none so far in August. The number of new cases have steadily declined since the high point in April, when there were 183 new cases in one month. As the disease spreads through communities, it naturally reaches a maximum number of infections as the vast majority of people are vaccinated against the disease, and the city's efforts to distribute vaccinations ensured that the disease didn't spread further. Of the 642 total cases within the city, 88% were either unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status. The outbreak was mainly contained within a few Brooklyn neighborhoods, with 460 cases in Williamsburg, 123 in Boro Park, and 17 in Sunset Park. While the outbreak is coming to an end, it's important to make sure newborn children receive their vaccinations on schedule, as nearly all the infections were in children under 18 years old. Measles is a highly contagious disease that is spread through the air as sick individuals cough or sneeze. The measles vaccination is included in MMR shots, standing for measles, mumps, and rubella, that contain a specially-weakened form of the virus that trains the body's immune system on how to defend against that virus in the future. For information on where to obtain a measles vaccination, call 311 or view information from the Department of Health at nyc.gov/doh.
The M14 bus along 14th Street recently won the distinguished award for the city's slowest bus line, averaging just 4.3mph, and it won't be getting a boost anytime soon if the surrounding neighborhoods have their way. 14th Street was originally scheduled to convert to a traffic-restricted busway on July 1st to quickly move buses across the city during the L Train shutdown, but then L Train plans were modified to keep the subway open and community groups stepped in to take legal action against the Department of Transportation's plan. The DOT estimates that the changes will increase the speeds of buses by 30%, and the plan is expected to run for 18 months, whenever it finally goes into effect.
If you're ordering takeout food or picking something up from a street vendor, keep an eye out for styrofoam containers. The city's new styrofoam ban went into effect on January 1st, but businesses had a six-month grace period to adjust, and now the numbers are in for the first full month of enforcement. In the first month, the city delivered 57 styrofoam violations, which each carry a $250 fine. Styrofoam cups and containers are notoriously difficult to recycle, and can't be accepted for recycling at all once they have been used for food, which leaves a permanent piece of trash sitting in a landfill for hundreds of years. To report a business using styrofoam products, call 311 with the business name, address, and type of product being used.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
AGBC is more than just a news website: Our fireworks page monitors the city's announcements of upcoming fireworks, lists them on our site, and automatically sends out a notification just before the fireworks begin, so that you can watch the show or prepare your pet for the upcoming sounds of explosions. Visit agreatbigcity.com/fireworks to see the full calendar and follow @agreatbigcity on social media to receive the alerts
Park of the day
Great Kills Park — The Great Kills beaches along Staten Island's east coast are perfect for summer recreation or watching wildlife. The city park portion is near Oakwood and New Dorp Beach, whereas the national park, also named Great Kills, is to the south at Bay Terrace. Watch your step in the national park portion, because nearly half of the park land is closed and being tested for radioactivity! ☢️
Parks Events
Summer Sports Experience Jamboree — Coming on Wednesday, August 14, the Summer Sports Experience brings an array of sports activities to youngsters at the Williamsbridge Oval in the Bronx. The program is geared toward children aged 6 to 13 and Parks Department will be on hand from 11am to 3pm to show kids how to use the wide variety of sports fields at Williamsbridge Oval.
Concert Calendar
This is the AGBC Concert Calendar for the upcoming week:
Laraaji is playing The Noguchi Museum on Sunday, August 11th.
Top story this week has to be the blackout that hit west Manhattan. Coming 42 years to the day after the 1977 blackout from last week's show, this year's power outage was much less dramatic and lasted only a few hours. ConEd CEO John McAvoy described the failure of both the primary and backup protection systems at a power substation at 64th Street and West End Avenue, leading to power outages once the system was interrupted by a subsequent substation at 49th Street.
Although the blackout wasn't caused by a spike in electricity usage, the heat is still on in the city, with daily high temps in the 90s. In response, cooling centers have been opened across the city in senior centers, public housing, and public libraries. On July 18th, Mayor de Blasio signed a local state of emergency that calls on city government buildings and all office buildings over 100 feet tall to conserve energy and set their thermostats no lower than 78°. Temperatures are set to rise and humidity will increase, leading to heat indexes over 100° before rain arrives on July 22nd. You can do your part by turning off your air conditioner when leaving your home and using public transportation instead of driving, which will keep the air quality clear during the heat wave. If you'll be opening your windows to get some ventilation, you can install safety devices called vent locks for sash windows or metal clips for sliding windows that make sure windows can't be forced all the way open from the outside.
Be aware of your surroundings during this time of year, as two of city's steam explosions have happened during just this week in history. If you see any bulging pavement or steam escaping through cracks in the ground, stand clear and call 911 to report a dangerous condition.
Citi Bike announced they will be expanding their coverage area over the next five years that will eventually triple the number of bikes to 40,000 and double the coverage to include the Bronx for the first time and further expand into Brooklyn and Queens.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
AGBC is more than just a news website: Our fireworks page monitors the city's announcements of upcoming fireworks, lists them on our site, and automatically sends out a notification just before the fireworks begin, so that you can watch the show or prepare your pet for the upcoming sounds of explosions. Visit agreatbigcity.com/fireworks to see the full calendar and follow @agreatbigcity on social media to receive the alerts
Celebrate Open Garden Day with the NYC Parks Department's Greenthumb program, where your local community gardens will open their doors and host fun events and information sessions.
Concert Calendar
This is the AGBC Concert Calendar for the upcoming week:
Robyn is playing The Barclay Center on Friday, July 19th.
The extreme highs and lows for this week in weather history:
Record High: 104°F on July 21, 1977
Record Low: 55°F on July 20, 1890
Weather for the week ahead:
Rain today through Monday, with high temperatures peaking at 98°F on Sunday.
Now that summer has arrived, so have warnings about high UV exposure: Now is the time to start protecting your skin and eyes from ultraviolet radiation, which will be higher during the summer months. Look for a skin protectant that is labeled as "broad spectrum" and at least SPF 50 and wear sunglasses with both UVA and UVB protection.
Outro
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, or topic suggestions. Subscribe to AGBC News wherever you listen to podcasts: iTunes, Google Play, or Overcast, RadioPublic, Player FM, or listen to each episode on the podcast pages at agreatbigcity.com/podcast. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit our podcast site to see show notes and extra links for each episode.
7: Thirteenth Avenue Becomes a Beach, NTSB Limo Investigation, and Staten Island Chuck.
00:12:56
Visit agreatbigcity.com/support to learn how to support New York City local news and allow us to keep bringing you this podcast. If you are a New York-based business and would be interested in sponsoring our podcasts, visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2011, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
With your support, you can guarantee that A Great Big City will be here to tell future New Yorkers whether or not Staten Island Chuck's premonitions come true.
Weather for the week ahead:
Temperatures will remain above average on Tuesday and Wednesday, with mixed precipitation on Wednesday through next Monday. High temperatures peaking at 61°F on Friday.
The extreme highs and lows for this week in weather history:
Record High: 70°F on February 5, 1991
Record Low: -15°F on February 9, 1934
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, or topic suggestions. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit agreatbigcity.com/podcast to see show notes and extra links for each episode.
This week, the city Department of Health detected mosquitoes infected with West Nile virus within the NYC area. July begins the active season for West Nile infections, which are spread via mosquito bites, and no human cases of West Nile have been detected yet, so now is the time to be prepared and protect yourself from mosquitoes if you will be outside. Wear clothing that covers your skin, use a mosquito repellent containing the chemical repellents DEET or Picaridin, or use a natural repellent containing oil of lemon eucalyptus. Be sure to seal around your window air conditioners so that mosquitoes won't have an easy entrance into your home, and use window screens if you'll be leaving windows open. If you'll be traveling overseas, take special precaution to avoid mosquito bites, and consider a vaccination against diseases that are common in the areas where you will be traveling. If you're staying in the city, you can even do your part by calling 311 to report standing water, defined as a place on public or private property where water gathers and remains for more than five days, creating a habitat where mosquitoes may breed.
The Straphangers Campaign and TransitCenter had some distinguished awards to hand out to two of the city's bus lines this week: In Manhattan, the M14A, which runs from the Lower East Side to Chelsea along 14th Street, received the award for slowest bus line, achieving an average speed of just 4.3mph. When it comes to reliability, Brooklyn's B15 comes in last place, leaving bus riders wondering when or if the next bus would arrive. The slowest buses in Queens and Staten Island are leaving the other boroughs in the dust, racing down city streets at 6.4 and 7.8 mph respectively.
2 years ago — De Blasio Takes a Hit in Latest Polling Numbers; Homelessness a Major Issue — Back in 2017, voters surveyed only gave de Blasio a 50% approval rating and he was hammered on the issue of homelessness, with 63% disapproval on his handling of poverty and homelessness and with 73% of respondents ranking homelessness as a very serious problem. Unfortunately those job approval numbers have only gotten worse, sinking down with each survey until he reached a 42% approval when Quinnipiac last asked the question in an April 2019 poll.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
AGBC is more than just a news website: It also automatically checks MTA data before morning rush hour and sends out notifications if there are delays on any subway lines, LIRR or MetroNorth trains, and bridges and tunnels. Follow @agreatbigcity on social media to receive the alerts.
Park of the day
Arcilla Playground — 991 TELLER AVENUE, the Bronx — This playground, which is jointly operated by Parks and the Board of Education, has had several names since it was first opened in 1962: JHS 145 Playground, Arturo Toscanini Playground, Clay Playground, and now Arcilla Playground, the Spanish word for "clay"!
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2011, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
Park of the day
Railroad Park (Queens) — Rochdale, Queens — A densely-wooded area named for the nearby LIRR tracks and Locust Manor station, Railroad Park is mostly a wooded area with no fountains or plazas, but it does have a few hiking trails winding through the trees. Not to be confused with Railroad Park in the Bronx.
Weezer x Pixies Spring 2019 Tour, Weezer, Basement, Pixies, and TV on the Radio are playing Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, March 12th
Ella Mai "The Debut Tour", Ella Mai, Kiana Ledé, and Lucky Daye are playing Brooklyn Steel on Tuesday, March 12th
Todd Snider and Reed Foehl are playing Blender Theater at Gramercy on Wednesday, March 13th
Teenage Fanclub and The Love Language are playing Music Hall of Williamsburg on Thursday, March 14th
The Movielife and Travis Shettel are playing Brooklyn Night Bazaar on Friday, March 15th
Have a Nice Life, Consumer, elizabeth colour wheel, Midwife, and Planning for Burial are playing Market Hotel on Friday, March 15th
Massive Attack is playing Radio City Music Hall on Friday, March 15th
The Purple Tour and Lukas Graham are playing Hammerstein Ballroom on Friday, March 15th
Death Cults, Husbandry, and LAPêCHE are playing Union Pool on Friday, March 15th
Have a Nice Life, Consumer, elizabeth colour wheel, Planning for Burial, and Wreck and Reference are playing Brooklyn Night Bazaar on Saturday, March 16th
The Bouncing Souls and Strike Anywhere are playing White Eagle Hall on Saturday, March 16th
Youth of Today, Glitterer, KRIMEWATCH, and Line Of Sight are playing Brooklyn Bazaar on Sunday, March 17th
Kenny O’Brien & The O’Douls and Kevin Devine are playing Mercury Lounge on Sunday, March 17th
This Heat, This Is Not This Heat, and Yvette are playing (le) Poisson Rouge on Monday, March 18th
Thursday and American Pleasure Club are playing Saint Vitus Bar on Monday, March 18th
Fleetwood Mac are playing Madison Square Garden on Monday, March 18th
Lucy Dacus, Fenne Lily, and Mal Blum are playing White Eagle Hall on Wednesday, March 20th
José González & The String Theory are playing Apollo Theater on Thursday, March 21st
Ulver is playing Irving Plaza on Friday, March 22nd
Weakened Friends, coping skills, Hit Like a Girl, and Nervous Dater are playing The Kingsland on Friday, March 22nd
Hollis Brown is playing Mercury Lounge on Friday, March 22nd
Jawbreaker is playing Brooklyn Steel on Saturday, March 23rd
The extreme highs and lows for this week in weather history:
Record High: 85°F on March 13, 1990
Record Low: 6°F on March 13, 1888
Weather for the week ahead:
Mixed precipitation on Friday through Monday, with high temperatures peaking at 58°F on Friday.
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, or topic suggestions. Subscribe to AGBC News wherever you listen to podcasts: iTunes, Google Play, or Castbox, Overcast, and TuneIn Radio or listen to each episode on the podcast pages. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit agreatbigcity.com/podcast to see show notes and extra links for each episode.
The Amateur Astronomers Association of New York will be holding viewing sessions where you can look through a large telescope and learn about objects visible in the skies above the city. Stop by the Lincoln Center plaza on Friday, May 24th and Saturday, May 25th and also find them on the High Line in the Meatpacking District on Tuesday, May 28th.
The city's public beaches will be opening on May 25th. Swimming is permitted 10am to 6pm as long as there is a lifeguard present and the area is not closed due to water quality or dangerous conditions. Visit the Coney Island Beach and Boardwalk, Brighton Beach and Manhattan Beach (next to Coney Island), Rockaway Beach, Cedar Grove Beach (in Great Kills Park in Staten Island), Midland Beach and South Beach (in Staten Island), Orchard Beach (in Pelham Bay Park), and Wolfe's Pond Beach (in Staten Island)
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
AGBC is more than just a news website — Our fireworks page monitors the city's announcements of upcoming fireworks, lists them on site, and automatically sends out a notification just before the fireworks begin, so that you can watch the show or prepare your pet for the upcoming explosion sounds. Visit agreatbigcity.com/fireworks to see the full calendar and follow @agreatbigcity on social media to receive the alerts
Park of the day
Astoria Boulevard Concrete Triangle — A sad bit of property, this park is little more than a traffic island situated next to busy Astoria Boulevard. Sometime around 2011, the park lost its small trees, leaving only one surviving tree and four other square patches of grass amidst the concrete where other trees used to stand. Even more depressing, there are now 4x4 wooden posts in the patches of grass with a small Parks Department logo attached, marking where trees used to be planted as far back as the 1950s.
Mono and Emma Ruth Rundle are playing Music Hall of Williamsburg on Wednesday, May 22nd.
American Football and Pure Bathing Culture are playing Warsaw on Friday, May 24th.
American Football and Pure Bathing Culture are playing Warsaw on Saturday, May 25th.
Greta Van Fleet is playing Forest Hills Stadium on Saturday, May 25th.
Dr. Lonnie Smith and The Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw, Lonnie Smith, and The Jazz Orchestra of the concertgebouw are playing Birdland on Saturday, May 25th.
Cornucopia and Björk are playing The Shed on Tuesday, May 28th.
The Distillers and Starcrawler are playing Brooklyn Steel on Wednesday, May 29th.
Apocalyptica is playing Bergen Performing Arts Center on Thursday, May 30th.
Gov Ball After Dark and Jack Harlow are playing Baby's All Right on Thursday, May 30th.
L7 and Le Butcherettes are playing Elsewhere on Friday, May 31st.
Governors Ball Music Festival, 070Shake, Aaron Aye, Amber Mark, Bazzi, Best Coast, Blood Orange, Bob Moses, BROCKHAMPTON, and Calpurnia are playing Randall's Island Park on Friday, May 31st.
Bikini Kill is playing Brooklyn Steel on Friday, May 31st.
Trade Wind, Only Sibling, and semaphore are playing Knitting Factory Brooklyn on Friday, May 31st.
Kevin Morby and Sam Cohen are playing The Town Hall on Friday, May 31st.
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Flasher, and RVG are playing Warsaw on Friday, May 31st.
Bikini Kill is playing Terminal 5 on Saturday, June 1st.
Björk is playing The Shed in Hudson Yards on Saturday, June 1st.
Soccer Mommy and Pom Pom Squad are playing Brooklyn Bazaar on Saturday, June 1st.
Sunflower Bean is playing the Mercury Lounge on Saturday, June 1st.
Devastation On The Nation Tour 2019, Dark Funeral, Belphegor, Hate, Incantation, Nightmarer, and Vale Of Pnath are playing Brooklyn Bazaar on Sunday, June 2nd.
Twenty One Pilots is playing Barclays Center on Tuesday, June 4th.
Gloryhammer and Æther Realm are playing the Knitting Factory Brooklyn on Tuesday, June 4th.
Local Natives and Middle Kids are playing Brooklyn Steel on Thursday, June 6th.
The Rural Alberta Advantage is playing the Mercury Lounge on Thursday, June 6th.
Alexisonfire is playing Terminal 5 on Saturday, June 8th.
Remo Drive, Slow Bullet, and Slow Pulp are playing The Bowery Ballroom on Saturday, June 8th.
Frankie Cosmos and ian sweet are playing Industry City Courtyard on Saturday, June 8th.
Beach House is playing Brooklyn Steel on Sunday, June 9th.
30: The Statue of Liberty Climber and the Central Park Explosion
00:18:20
Moving the Fourth of July fireworks back to the Brooklyn Bridge for the first time since 2014 went off without any problems, although it did leave a few flames burning on the bridge after the fireworks were finished. It seemed to be the smoldering remains of the fireworks casings or leftover chemicals and not the infrastructure of the bridge itself. The FDNY fireboats stationed in the East River made quick work of the flames, holding back from using the full force of their water cannons so as not to damage the bridge. This was the 43rd annual Macy's fireworks display.
It's been three years now since a tourist stepped on an explosive device in Central Park, and police have no new leads into where the device came from or its intention. If you have any information or photos from that day, contact NYPD CrimeStoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (1-800-577-8477), via text message at CRIMES (274637), or via online form. In 2017, the NYPD and ATF increased the reward for potential leads to $40,000.
8 years ago on July 7, 2011, we were tracking the first seasonal case of mosquitoes infected with the West Nile virus being detected in the region. According to data collected by the CDC, July begins the active season for West Nile infections, which are spread via mosquito bites, so now is the time to be prepared and protect yourself from mosquitoes if you will be outside. If you'll be traveling overseas, take special precaution to avoid mosquito bites, and consider a vaccination against diseases that are common in the areas where you will be traveling. If you're staying in the city, you can even do your part by calling 311 with a report of standing water, defined as a place on public or private property where water gathers and remains for more than five days, creating a habitat where mosquitoes may breed.
108 years ago on July 9th, 1911, the New York Times described how a streak of hot weather, with temperatures reaching 100 degrees during the beginning of July 1911, made it difficult to transport ice from insulated storage warehouses to the "Greeks and Italians who have little ice depots in convenient basements", where people found it more convenient than waiting for the ice delivery wagons.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
AGBC is more than just a news website: Our fireworks page monitors the city's announcements of upcoming fireworks, lists them on our site, and automatically sends out a notification just before the fireworks begin, so that you can watch the show or prepare your pet for the upcoming sounds of explosions. Visit agreatbigcity.com/fireworks to see the full calendar and follow @agreatbigcity on social media to receive the alerts
Park of the day
The Big Park in Staten Island — Big Park was originally named Grandview Playground, but was always called "the big park" by locals, so it was renamed during renovation in 2017. The park has a wide array of playground equipment and sports fields. Positioned at the southwest corner of the Mariner's Harbor NYCHA houses, Big Park adds a welcome recreation area to the neighborhood.
Parks Events
Central Park Tour: The Belvedere: Beautiful View — Date: July 6, 2019 Enjoy the sweeping vistas of the Great Lawn from the newly restored Belvedere Castle while learning about its history and preservation. Plus, explore the surrounding landscapes and landmarks, including Turtle Pond, King Jagiello, and the 3,500-year-old "Cleopatra's Needle." Details Meet: Belvedere Castle (mid-Park at 79th Street)....
Concert Calendar
This is the AGBC Concert Calendar for the upcoming week:
The extreme highs and lows for this week in weather history:
Record High: 106°F on July 9, 1936
Record Low: 53°F on July 5, 1979
Weather for the week ahead:
Light rain tomorrow through Thursday, with high temperatures rising to 91°F tomorrow.
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, or topic suggestions. Subscribe to AGBC News wherever you listen to podcasts: iTunes, Google Play, or Podcast Addict, TuneIn Radio, Spotify, or listen to each episode on the podcast pages at agreatbigcity.com/podcast. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit our podcast site to see show notes and extra links for each episode.
6: Groundhog Day, The Raven is Published, and Waze Navigates the Tunnels.
00:10:56
Learn about New York's various famous groundhogs, hear the first review of 'The Raven', and follow Waze underground on AGBC News episode 6!
Visit agreatbigcity.com/support to learn how to support New York City local news and allow us to keep bringing you this podcast. If you are a New York-based business and would be interested in sponsoring our podcasts, visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
AGBC News Episode 5: Subway Car Problems, A Long-Distance Phone Call, and Ride a Lime — Bombardier resumes subway car deliveries to New York City after manufacturing problems caused a temporary halt in deliveries last week. Bombardier has delivery about half of the initial 300 cars ordered by the MTA, but the delivery schedule is now years behind.
Havemeyer Playground: "Triangle park near the Cross-Bronx Expressway in Unionport, Bronx. Features a playground, basketball court, and spray shower. Located at the Cross Bronx Exwy and Havemeyer Ave and has been a city property since 1946-01-31
It's a bit too cold to play a game of basketball at Havemeyer Playground, so check out a Parks Department rec center:
Starting next week on February 3rd, NYC Parks will be holding their rec center open house week. Everyone is welcome to try out any of Manhattan's 13 recreation facilities that have exercise equipment, swimming pools, sports fields, and a calendar full of classes like Zumba, yoga, and water aerobics. The Parks Department rec centers offer a fantastic alternative to gyms, at a fraction of the cost: The most you would pay is just $150 for a year, which is $12.50 per month, then there are discounts for people young and old, veterans, and people with disabilities. You even get a 10% discount if you have a New York City ID card!
If you're a street artist who wants to paint without keeping an eye out for the cops or if you just have an idea for a joyful mural, the NYC Dept of Transportation is searching for artists to brighten up some of the city's concrete surfaces. Submit your idea for a piece of public art by February 15th and you may be selected to receive up to $12,000 for the project. Visit nyc.gov/dotart for more info.
Weather
The extreme highs and lows for this week in weather history:
Record High: 69°F on January 29, 2002
Record Low: -3°F on February 2, 1881
Weather for the week ahead:
Mixed precipitation throughout the week, with high temperatures bottoming out at 17°F on Thursday.
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, suggestions, or corrections. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit agreatbigcity.com/podcast to see show notes and extra links for each episode.
A surprising development in the city's fight against billboard barges — The company floating the LED billboards in the waters around Manhattan has thrown in the towel after new state regulations pushed them back 1,500 feet from the shoreline. The advertising company promoting the billboard boats has now settled with the city and agreed to be subject to a $100,000 fine if they operate within New York waters. The barge will be relocated to Florida, where the company set up a similar barge along the Miami shoreline in 2016. The agreement with the city ends both the company's six-month fight with the city and the challenge they raised to the state law. As of October 11th, the company's website has been replaced with a generic image saying the site is down for maintenance. According to a presentation acquired by Digiday in January 2019, the company was touting their Hudson River and East River coverage to advertisers at the rate of $55,000 for a 30 second looping at on the banner boats, and they referenced the city's plan to continue developing the shoreline and the city's ferry system as reasons to advertise on LED billboard barges.
Double-check your speed if you're on the West Side Highway after October 12th — The city is dropping speeds from 35 to 30 mph on the West Side south of 59th Street beginning Saturday. The move comes as part of Vision Zero, a set of plans adopted by cities worldwide and introduced to New York by Mayor de Blasio in 2014. Vision Zero aims to eliminate pedestrian injuries and fatalities from vehicles, and the reduction in speed on the West Side Highway is meant to reduce the severity of vehicle impacts in areas south of 59th where the highway becomes street-level and pedestrians and cyclists frequently have to cross highway traffic at intersections, including busy areas like the Intrepid museum, Chelsea Piers, and Battery Park City. While drivers may rarely even have the opportunity to top 30 mph in rush hour traffic, the DOT will catch any drivers speeding using new speed cameras along the highway. If the area south of 59th Street sounds familiar, it's because it's the same area targeted by the upcoming congestion pricing plan, where a system of cameras will collect tolls on cars entering the area south of 61st Street. While vehicles staying on the FDR or West Side Highway will be exempt from congestion pricing, vehicles would also be monitored by cameras used for collecting tolls on vehicles exiting the West Side Highway once it reaches street level and begins exiting into the central business district south of 61st. The speed limits on all small streets within the city were dropped to 25 mph in November 2014.
If you can't enjoy a low-speed drive on the West Side Highway and don't want to pay a congestion toll, consider a ride along the new 14th Street busway, which was finally able to open on October 3rd, and has been going swimmingly ever since. The street has been cleared of cars, leaving the buses to freely glide from stop to stop along 14th Street from Third Avenue to Ninth Avenue. Even though the implementation was delayed by three months by community groups, the first week of the busway seems to have had no noticeable impact on the surrounding streets. Bus riders on social media showed quiet, peaceful, and efficient rides during multiple times of day, with just a sparse few delivery trucks parked along the curb. It remains to be seen if the city's experiment with a busway can indeed increase the average speeds of buses on 14th Street while also not slowing down the surrounding area, but for right now, the first attempt at reorganizing 14th Street seems to be a success. I'll bring you the full Department of Transportation report once the trial period for the busway is complete.
We're currently watching the MTA's new busway on 14th Street, but 3 years ago the MTA Sends Test Trains Along the New Second Avenue Subway. Train aficionado DJ Hammers on Youtube caught a glimpse of empty subway cars through a stairway at 63rd and Lex that were being run on the new Second Avenue line. The test cars were loaded with large boxes, presumably to simulate the weight of a fully-loaded train. The Second Avenue line would open three months later in January 2017.
8 years ago we were looking at the Rockefeller Center and Bryant Park Preparing Their Skating Rinks, and both rinks are on schedule this year as well! Rockefeller Center's rink opens on Saturday, October 12th, with regular admission being $25 for adults and $15 for children under 11 years old, and the Bryant Park rink will open as part of their Winter Village on October 31st, with free admission.
2 years ago, the NTSB was working to track down the drone pilot who was responsible for a drone colliding with an Army helicopter. The Blackhawk helicopter was hovering at about 300 feet near Midland Beach in Staten Island when a DJI Phantom drone struck the helicopter's blade and window frame, which obliterated the drone but did lodge a piece of debris in the helicopter that the NTSB would use to identify the owner of the drone. When interviewed by the NTSB, the drone operator admitted that he was flying the drone outside of his visual range and was unaware of the helicopter's flight path. Data from the drone operator's controller showed the drone's flight from Dyker Beach Park out over the water, along the Coney Island shore, and then looping back over open water toward Staten Island. It was at that point that the drone hit the helicopter. — Drone Pilot Interviewed After Collision with Army Helicopter
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
AGBC is more than just a news website: Our fireworks page monitors the city's announcements of upcoming fireworks, lists them on our site, and automatically sends out a notification just before the fireworks begin, so that you can watch the show or prepare your pet for the upcoming sounds of explosions. Visit agreatbigcity.com/fireworks to see the full calendar and follow @agreatbigcity on social media to receive the alerts
Park of the day
Corporal Fischer Park — Highbridge, Nelson Avenue at West 170th Street — This park honors a New Yorker who enlisted in the United States Army and served in the 75th Joint Assault Signal Company of the Army Air Corps during World War II (1939-1945), Corporal Irwin A. Fischer. The park land is undeveloped and appears to be inaccessible due to a fence around the property, but it adds a nice bit of green to the corner. Nearby Corporal Irwin Fischer Place was previously known as Highbridge Street, Hennessy Place, and briefly James R. Murphy Place.
Parks Events
Pumpkin-picking at Decker Farm in Historic Richmond Town on Staten Island — Admission: $6, Saturdays and Sundays through October 26th from 11am to 5pm. Featuring hayrides, a hay maze, apple cider, s'mores, and of course a variety of pumpkins to choose from! The farm may be 200 years old, but it even features pumpkin chunkin with a huge bungee slingshot! Visit the link in the show notes to historicrichmondtown.org for directions and more info.
Concert Calendar
Here's the AGBC Concert Calendar for the upcoming week:
Wilco is playing Brooklyn Steel in Greenpoint on Sunday, October 13th at 7pm.
Sara Bareilles with Emily King is playing Madison Square Garden in Midtown West / Chelsea / Hudson Yards on Sunday, October 13th at 8pm.
Post Malone with Swae Lee is playing Madison Square Garden in Midtown West / Chelsea / Hudson Yards on Monday, October 14th at 8pm.
The extreme highs and lows for this week in weather history:
Record High: 90°F on October 17, 1938
Record Low: 32°F on October 15, 1876
Weather for the week ahead:
Rain on Sunday through Wednesday, with high temperatures peaking at 73°F on Monday.
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, or topic suggestions. Subscribe to AGBC News wherever you listen to podcasts: iTunes, Google Play, or Overcast, Podcast Addict, Player FM, or listen to each episode on the podcast pages at agreatbigcity.com/podcast. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit our podcast site to see show notes and extra links for each episode.
27: Manhattan Helicopter Crash and Vet Care for Homeless Pets
00:22:00
(0:49) Top story this week is the second helicopter crash within the past month, this time atop a building in Midtown. The FAA confirms that Timothy McCormack was not licensed to fly in bad weather because he was not "instrument rated", meaning that he was not qualified to fly a helicopter using only the instrument panel and was only certified to fly in good weather when visibility was greater than 3 miles. If you saw anything that day or have photos or video of the crash, email witness@ntsb.gov
(9:01) If you're headed to Governors Island this summer, see if you can hitch a ride on a brand-new ferry boat that will go into weekend service beginning on June 15th. The new ship, called the Governors 1, was built by Rhode Island-based Blount Boats, and can carry up to 400 passengers per trip from Lower Manhattan to Governors Island. The first trip of the new 132-foot-long ferry will leave at 10:20am from the Battery Maritime Building at South Street and Broad Street on Saturday, June 15th.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
AGBC is more than just a news website — It also automatically checks MTA data before morning rush hour and sends out notifications if there are delays on any subway lines, LIRR or MetroNorth trains, and bridges and tunnels. Follow @agreatbigcity on social media to receive the alerts.
Park of the day
DeRosa–O'Boyle Triangle — Dewey Ave. bet. E. Tremont Ave. and Edison Ave., the Bronx — This triangle honors William Anthony DeRosa and Andrew O’Boyle, two Throgs Neck natives who were killed during World War II.
The AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
If you're looking for a scare, try your hand at paranormal investigating! The Morris–Jumel Mansion in Upper Manhattan is holding a night of ghost hunting where you can learn about the history of the house and see the equipment ghost hunters use when investigating old properties. Tickets are required and the event takes place from 8pm to 11pm on Saturday, March 30th — Morris–Jumel Mansion Paranormal Investigation
Concert Calendar
This is the AGBC Concert Calendar for the week of Tuesday, March 26
Billy Idol and Steve Stevens are playing Town Hall on Wednesday, March 27th at 8pm.
Failure and Swervedriver are playing Warsaw on Friday, March 29th at 7pm.
The Cure, Def Leppard, Janet Jackson, Radiohead, Roxy Music, Stevie Nicks, and The Zombies are playing The Barclay Center on Friday, March 29th at 7pm.
Methyl Ethel and Teen are playing Elsewhere on Friday, March 29th at 7pm.
HalfNoise, Liam Benzvi, and Lip Talk are playing Market Hotel on Friday, March 29th at 8pm.
Nils Frahm is playing Brooklyn Steel on Friday, March 29th at 8pm.
Better Oblivion Community Center, Christian Lee Hutson, and Lala Lala are playing The Bowery Ballroom on Friday, March 29th at 8pm.
Sasha Sloan is playing Bowery Ballroom on Saturday, March 30th at 8pm.
Zoë Keating are playing Joe's Pub on Sunday, March 31st at 7pm and 9:30pm.
Simple Creatures is playing Public Arts on Monday, April 1st.
Avey Tare and Nathan Bowles are playing Market Hotel on Monday, April 1st at 8pm.
Cradle of Filth, Raven Black, and Wednesday 13 are playing Irving Plaza on Wednesday, April 3rd at 6pm.
Ex Hex and Moaning are playing The Bowery Ballroom on Thursday, April 4th 8pm.
Matmos and Keith Fullerton Whitman are playing Pioneer Works on Thursday, April 4th at 7pm.
Whitey Morgan and the 78's is playing Gramercy Theatre on Friday, April 5th at 7pm.
Teen Body and Sean Nicholas Savage are playing Sunnyvale on Friday, April 5th at 7:30pm.
Arthur and Ghost Orchard are playing Baby's All Right on Friday, April 5th at 8pm.
Broncho is playing Elsewhere on Saturday, April 6th at 7pm.
39: Rice Cooker Suspect Caught and the 2004 RNC Protests
00:14:11
The suspect wanted in connection with abandoning two empty rice cookers in the Fulton Street subway station and one in Chelsea was apprehended around 1am on August 17th. Larry Griffin of Bruno, West Virginia was seen in video being wheeled in a wheelchair out of a building in Longwood in the Bronx by paramedics with his head slumped to the side. Emergency responders had originally arrived at the location on reports of two people possibly overdosing, then identified Griffin from the subway security camera footage that had been circulated by police. Griffin had spoken to family members in West Virginia after the bomb scare incident and claimed he had found the rice cookers outside an Asian restaurant. Griffin's cousin described him as someone dealing with mental issues who had a tendency to pick up objects off the streets. The 26-year-old also has a criminal record in West Virginia and an active warrant was out for his arrest before the rice cooker incident. He is being held on a $200,000 bond and is facing three counts of placing a false bomb. His lawyers are reportedly in talks to arrange a plea deal and he will be back in court on September 6th.
More than five years after Eric Garner's death, the NYPD announced on August 19th that the officer seen on eyewitness video putting Garner in a prohibited chokehold will be fired. Police Commissioner O'Neill announced that former officer Daniel Pantaleo would be fired and the Commissioner attributed the years-long delay to the U.S. Justice Department asking the NYPD to postpone the internal NYPD investigation. The U.S. Department of Justice began an investigation in 2014 into the actions of officer Daniel Pantaleo, and in 2019, the Department of Justice, now overseen by Trump-appointed Attorney General William Barr, announced that they would not pursue civil rights charges against Pantaleo, a decision they voluntarily chose to announce one day before the anniversary of Garner's death. Pantaleo's supervisor, Sergeant Kizzy Adonis, pleaded guilty to charges of failure to supervise and will lose 20 vacation days, with Commissioner O'Neill stating "nothing about her actions on that day either caused the use of the banned chokehold or delayed the arrival of medical attention for Mr. Garner". The city medical examiner's office concluded that the methods used to detain him during arrest, combined with his respiratory health, led to his death. A chokehold is a prohibited procedure for the NYPD to use, but video from the scene clearly showed officer Daniel Pantaleo with his arm around Eric's neck. The incident ignited protests across the city and country and Garner's dying words of "I can't breathe" became a rallying cry of the Black Lives Matter movement. In 2015, the city reached a settlement with the Garner family in which they received $5.9 million in response to their wrongful death claim.
This will be the final week if you've been meaning to take a selfie with the the marble lions at the main branch of the NYPL. The famous lion sculptures, named Patience and Fortitude, that have guarded the entrance to the library at 42nd and Fifth since 1911, will be taking a much-deserved trip to the spa starting September 2nd when their $250,000 restoration begins. Some significant cracks have formed due to water damage and the Tennessee pink marble has been dirtied by air pollution and weather conditions. The lions will be enclosed in plywood and lasers will be used to zap contaminants from the surface of the stone, while cracks will be evaluated and repaired via a variety of methods. If you'll be missing the lions during the weeks they're under repair, the NYPL's online shop even offers replica of Patience and Fortitude as bookends for $150.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
AGBC is more than just a news website: It also automatically checks MTA data before morning rush hour and sends out notifications if there are delays on any subway lines, LIRR or MetroNorth trains, and bridges and tunnels. Follow @agreatbigcity on social media to receive the alerts.
Park of the day
Macombs Dam Park — A large park situated next to Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, Macombs Dam has all the athletic amenities, including a baseball diamond that sits in the footprint of the 1923 Yankee Stadium. The Parks Department swapped land with the Yankees when the new stadium was built, so the new stadium sits atop the old Macombs Dam Park and vice-versa!
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, or topic suggestions. Subscribe to AGBC News wherever you listen to podcasts: iTunes, Google Play, or Player FM, RadioPublic, Pocket Casts, or listen to each episode on the podcast pages at agreatbigcity.com/podcast. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit our podcast site to see show notes and extra links for each episode.
44: A Swim Around Manhattan and the Corey Lidle Plane Crash
00:20:33
Visit agreatbigcity.com/support to learn how to support New York City local news and allow us to keep bringing you this podcast. If you are a New York-based business and would be interested in sponsoring our podcasts, visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
The housing market may be moving in your favor if you can afford to buy instead of rent your next apartment. According to real estate site StreetEasy's data through August 2019, the prices of rentals are increasing while the prices of homes for sale are decreasing. In fact, the median asking price for a one-bedroom in Manhattan jumped 7.5% over last year, tagging on $233 to the monthly rent. At the same time, sale prices in Manhattan dropped 4.5%, matching price levels from April 2015. Brooklyn and Queens didn't escape the trend, so your chances at home ownership in the outer boroughs are also increasing. Brooklyn sales prices dropped 2.4% and prices stayed level in Queens, both movements that are at odds with what had been steadily increasing prices. On the flip side, rental prices also jumped in Brooklyn and Queens, a move that should really have city residents comparing the math on paying a monthly rent versus paying a mortgage payment.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
AGBC is more than just a news website: It also automatically checks MTA data before morning rush hour and sends out notifications if there are delays on any subway lines, LIRR or MetroNorth trains, and bridges and tunnels. Follow @agreatbigcity on social media to receive the alerts.
Park of the day
Brust Park — One of the oldest parks in the section of Riverdale known as Fieldston, this property was acquired by the City through condemnation on December 30, 1882. Today, Brust Park is often used by Manhattan College students seeking refuge from their studies in the shade of the more than 15 types of trees found in the park.
The extreme highs and lows for this week in weather history:
Record High: 94°F on October 5, 1941
Record Low: 35°F on October 5, 1881
Weather for the week ahead:
Light rain Sunday through Wednesday, with high temperatures dropping into the 60s
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, or topic suggestions. Subscribe to AGBC News wherever you listen to podcasts: iTunes, Google Play, or Pocket Casts, Player FM, Overcast, or listen to each episode on the podcast pages at agreatbigcity.com/podcast. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit our podcast site to see show notes and extra links for each episode.
AGBC collects a variety of links from across the internet and analyzes them to power our links page. Links are selected and ranked based on whether they are about New York and interesting enough to share. A few times per day, this same system also re-ranks the past few hours of news links and creates our top stories page.
Taking that same idea and expanding it, here are the top stories about NYC for each month of 2019, along with a bit of follow-up to see how things have progressed since they were first published.
Not quite as large as the original 2017 Women's March, but still impactful enough to earn the highest-rated news story from January 2019. The third Women's March was actually two marches after one had split from the original organizing committee. Accusations of antisemitism against organizers of the national march led local organizations to split from the group based in Washington D.C. On January 19th, both an independent group, the Women's March Alliance, and the original national group held protest marches, one on the Upper West Side and one in downtown Manhattan at Foley Square. For 2020, the Women's March Alliance plans to march near Columbus Circle, but has not released a route as of yet, and the official local chapter of the national Women's March plans a rally in Foley Square. Both events are scheduled for January 18th.
A chaotic robbery at a T-Mobile store in Richmond Hill in Queens led to the first NYPD killed in the line of duty in nearly two years. The death of Detective Brian Simonsen brought increased focus to the case and revealed the many strange details of what would have been a typical store robbery. Most striking was the revelation that, although a bystander correctly told police that the man was robbing the store with a gun and forcing employees into a back room, in the aftermath of the police response and the shooting of the suspect, the gun was found to have been fake, and Simonsen had been accidentally shot and killed by fellow police officers.
When the suspect emerged from the back room holding the realistic gun, officers retreated back outside, but the suspect not only raised the gun, but made movements as if he were firing it at officers. The seven officers at the scene then fired 42 shots within 11 seconds, striking the suspect eight times and hitting two officers. A second suspect, who had served as a lookout during the robbery, was captured several days later. Sergeant Matthew Gorman, who was also one of the first to respond to the robbery, was also hit in the hip by shots fired by other officers, but survived his injuries.
In an interview with local news site The City in April 2019, the suspect said he was attempting to commit suicide by cop and he expressed that he wanted to tell the family of Detective Simonsen how sorry he was, although more recently, speaking to the NY Post from Rikers while awaiting trial, he stated that the robbery was meant as a prank and that he shouldn't be held responsible for the shootings of the officers.
Although Detective Simonsen's death had been the first NYPD death in almost two years, tragedy would strike again in September 2019, when Detective Brian Mulkeen was accidentally shot and killed by fellow NYPD officers during a struggle with a suspect at the Edenwald NYCHA Houses in the Bronx.
The top story for March was about the congestion pricing plan, which was planned as part of the budget. Although the final toll price to charge vehicles entering Manhattan south of 60th Street hasn't been decided on, a prior study in 2017 by a state-appointed task force called for a $11.52 toll, which is being used as a baseline for what the new recommendation will actually be in 2020.
The congestion pricing plan would go on to pass as part of the state budget on April 1, 2019 despite the pricing not yet being finalized. Under the current plan, pricing and enforcement systems will be studied throughout 2020 and announced at the end of the year. With details still up in the air, the earliest that congestion pricing could take effect would be 2021, but it remains to be seen how many legal challenges the various parts of the system will face, including potential last-minute lawsuits similar to those that delayed the 14th Street busway for three months this year. When congestion pricing does take effect, the funds will be used to improve the entire MTA system and install bus and bike lanes citywide. If the timeline holds true, New York will be the first city in the United States to implement congestion pricing, following world cities like Singapore, London, and Stockholm.
While the congestion pricing plan made headlines in March 2019 when it was finalized in the state budget, another toll jumped into the spotlight by April 2019, when the Verrazzano Bridge became the most expensive toll bridge in the country. Depending on your discounts and payment methods, may pay a variety of prices to cross, but the most expensive crossing, a Staten Island-bound non-E-ZPass trip, increased $2 and hit $19 on April 1st, 2019. If you're looking to cross the bridge on a budget, you can get a discount for using an E-ZPass, which will bring the price down to $12.24, and if you're a Staten Island resident, you can further chop away at the price by showing proof of residency to get a $5.50 price, or if three or more people can carpool together in a Staten Island-registered vehicle, the price drops to $3.40. The MTA-maintained bridge had daily traffic of more than 202,000 daily crossings in 2016, down from an all-time high of 219,000 in 2001, and in 2017, tolls on the bridge totaled about $417 million per year.
With May 1st being the time when New York leases traditionally expired, it's no surprise that the top story for May was about rental prices. Real estate site StreetEasy outlined their report in which housing sales were dropping while the rental market was growing, especially in Brooklyn and Queens. StreetEasy saw the biggest rental growth in the most expensive neighborhoods, which they theorized may be because people who want to live in those desirable neighborhoods are more willing to rent as sales prices have been increasing three times more quickly than rentals. Given the different rates of price increases between rentals and sales, an expensive rental may still be the smartest choice once all the costs of owning an apartment are factored in. Even with Amazon canceling plans to move to Long Island City, that neighborhood remained in the greatest demand in Queens, with Dumbo taking the priciest spot in Brooklyn.
Although May 1st is no longer official the city's Moving Day, the middle of the summer is still a difficult time to change apartments, so if you're looking for a new place, consider trudging through the snow-filled streets when the lower number of renters means you'll have more bargaining power when signing a new lease!
Like I said, during the summer, a city's mind turns towards real estate, and for June, real estate site Mansion Global looked at data from Douglas Elliman and Citi Habitats focused on the high end of rentals in the city. Like the StreetEasy report, Douglas Elliman found luxury rents rising in Long Island City despite Amazon's decision to cancel HQ2. Long Island City will continue to grow with or without Amazon, and the new luxury buildings rising up in the former industrial neighborhood are finding tenants willing to make it the most expensive neighborhood in Queens. Luxury rentals in Manhattan stayed the same year-over-year, with the Soho and Tribeca area remaining the priciest, with a median monthly rent of $6,150, and Dumbo the priciest in Brooklyn, with a median rent of $5,100.
As the summer moved on, the top story for July highlighted the ongoing crisis hitting yellow cab drivers, who are being impacted by ride-share companies while being left with large investments in pricey taxi medallions and business expenses. In July 2019, the Daily News covered a letter signed by 10 U.S. Congressmembers from New York who asked the city council's newly-formed Taxi Medallion Sale Prices Task Force to ensure assistance for taxi drivers and medallion owners who were suffering from a weakening medallion market and predatory lending. The letter came after a New York Times report on the hardships faced by taxi drivers, including mounting debt that led some drivers to suicide. The city was eyed as a source of assistance after the report showed more than a decade of artificially-inflated medallion prices and the city's $855 million earned from selling medallions directly and by collecting taxes on medallion sales. After an influx of mostly-unregulated ride-share companies flooded the market, prices of medallions dropped, leaving medallion owners in debt on an asset that had been sold as a sure-fire investment. For reference, taxi medallions peaked at a price of $1 million in 2013, but none of have for more than $500,000 since 2018.
After July's story highlighting the risk of suicide among taxi drivers, in August a similar threat was revealed among NYPD officers, when an off-duty officer took his own life, becoming the ninth officer to die by suicide in 2019. Robert Echeverria was a 25-year member of the NYPD, and his death turned the conversation toward an epidemic of officer suicides that needed special attention. According to the Daily News, another officer had taken his own life just one day earlier, and four officers killed themselves in June 2019. Sadly, by October 2019 a 10th officer would die by suicide, doubling the typical rate of suicides seen among NYPD officers and leading the city to establish confidential mental health services for NYPD members, offering free counseling and prescriptions through a partnership with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. Officers interested in seeing what services the program provides can search "NYPD Finest Care" or call NewYork-Presbyterian at 1-877-697-9355 and ask for the NYPD Finest Care counseling program.
We couldn't escape 2019 without a story of the subway breaking down, and September certainly delivered when a Manhattan-bound 'C' Train became stuck between stations underneath Brooklyn Heights at the High Street–Brooklyn Bridge station. Although there was also smoke reported in the tunnel, the cause was determined to have been the train's emergency brakes being activated. Although that sounds like the same work of the chronic emergency brake puller arrested in May 2019, this brake was apparently automatically activated after one of the shoes that make contact the third rail and power the train lifted off and caused sparks and smoke in the tunnel. In order to evacuate the tunnel, another train was pulled to the end of the disabled train and passengers were able to walk from one to the other and evacuate through the nearby station. Thankfully only one person was treated for a minor injury, which was a much better outcome than if a train of 600 people had come to a jolting stop, where many people would have been thrown to the ground. If you happen to find yourself crawling out of a smoke-filled subway tunnel but your coworkers refuse to believe your story, you can submit a Subway Delay Verification online to receive an official confirmation that you were late due to the MTA.
One train evacuation aside, according to the MTA's own data, major incidents are slowly trending down across the entire subway system after a spike in January 2018. Subway on-time performance has also been on the rise, with Andy Byford claiming on-time performance topped 80% for the first time in six years, a figure defined as a train arriving within five minutes of its scheduled arrival.
By the time October and November rolled around, the MTA was having a harder time in the news. For two months, the top stories were directed at policing in the subways. Two chaotic arrests caught on video in October spread across social media and formed protests in response to what people saw as unnecessarily aggressive actions by police in the subway. Adding to the problems raised by the videos were confusion about what the teenagers in either video were being detained for, and the confusion was amplified by the clipped nature of the videos, only showing the police response and not the events that led to any of the teens being detained. Once it was revealed that one of the arrests was over turnstile jumping, the focus turned toward the MTA and Governor Cuomo's plan to hire 500 new police officers who would be assigned to the subway system. Critics saw the 500 officers as an unnecessary addition to preexisting NYPD subway patrols and the MTA police force, and at a time when the NYPD's data showed a decrease in subway crime. During a meeting with the city council in November, the plan for the new officers was scrutinized, with questions raised on why the 500 officers, which would cost $50 million a year, were being added when the MTA was running at a deficit. The costs of police assigned to stop fare evasion could potentially put a dent in the estimated $215 million per year lost to turnstile jumping, but the methods the MTA uses to estimate those losses were also questioned, as well as whether the 500 police would even be assigned to monitor fare evasion or if they were meant for general policing. The lack of any concrete plan for the 500 officers made the public and the city council skeptical, combined with video going viral on social media at the same time showing what people already considered an overly aggressive police response to a possible turnstile jumper.
And, ending out a year of top stories, another MTA story, but one where the MTA gets some good-natured retaliation after so many critical stories in previous months. For December, bus-mounted cameras took the top story spotlight as the MTA's social media campaign for the cameras gave straphangers a chuckle. Back in September, the MTA first started having some fun introducing their bus-mounted traffic cameras by showing an animated bus taking a photo that actually zapped the delivery truck out of the way, sending the bus lane scofflaw off into some other dimension and leaving the bus lane clear. After a 60-day trial period where warnings were mailed out, the cameras began issuing actual tickets along the M15 Select Bus line in December, where the cameras had caught 15,000 total bus lane blockages during the 60-day trial period. The first casualty in December was Santa and his sleigh! In a second social media post promoting the expanding bus camera program, a B44 bus zapped Santa's sleigh out of the way after Santa left his delivery vehicle parked in the bus lane. In another animation, an M15 bus cleared the snowy streets by zapping a car with an ice ray and knocking it out of the bus lane. The cameras will also come to M14 buses to help enforce parking and stopping rules along the 14th Street busway.
So that was the year in New York City news! A few quick, unscientific numbers from our database of news stories: Of the 27,556 links indexed over 2019, the most common borough mentioned was Brooklyn, followed by the Bronx, Queens, Manhattan, and then Staten Island. "Police" and "NYPD" appeared in 3,575 stories, with firefighting keywords like "FDNY" and "fire" appearing in 1,066 stories. Both "man" and "woman" appeared in the top 25 most-popular terms, with terms like "man" and "boy" appearing 1,739 times and "woman" and "girl" appearing 1,058 times.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
AGBC is more than just a news website: Every evening, just before sundown, A Great Big City checks the Empire State Building's lighting schedule and sends out a notification if the tower's lighting will be lit in special colors for a holiday or celebration. Follow @agreatbigcity on social media to receive the alerts.
Park of the day
Sherman Street Seating Area — 40.650827, -73.973892 — This plaza provides a nice set of benches and some old trees providing shade before you ascend the stairs to cross Ocean Parkway via the pedestrian bridge.
Parks Events
Recycle your Christmas tree at Mulchfest — The Parks Department and the Sanitation Department are ready to take that Christmas tree off your hands with locations across the city where they will chop up real trees into mulch that can be spread around other trees to protect them from cold weather. You'll be able to drop off your tree, and at some locations you'll even be able to see the trees get chopped into mulch and be able to take some mulch home with you to either use on your own tree or to spread around a tree along the street. Remember to remove all lights and ornaments before handing over your tree, and schedule your trip for a Saturday if you want to see the mulch-making machine in action! Check out the list of locations at nycgovparks.org and drop off your tree anytime from December 26th to January 11th and visit one of the chipping sites on Saturdays beginning at 10am to pick up a bag of mulch! If you can't make it to the park, the Sanitation Department offers curbside pick-up of trees from January 6th through January 17th, when you can place your tree outside with regular trash bags. Real trees collected curbside will also be made into mulch and used in parks across the city.
Concert Calendar
Here's the AGBC Concert Calendar for the upcoming week:
Flosstradamus is playing Webster Hall on Friday, January 3rd at 9pm.
Dry Reef is playing Mercury Lounge on Friday, January 3rd at 10pm.
The extreme highs and lows for this week in weather history:
Record High: 72°F on January 6, 2007
Record Low: -4°F on January 1, 1918
Weather for the week ahead:
Light rain on Friday through next Wednesday.
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, or topic suggestions. Subscribe to AGBC News wherever you listen to podcasts: iTunes, Google Play, or Player FM, Spotify, Overcast, or listen to each episode on the podcast pages at agreatbigcity.com/podcast. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit our podcast site to see show notes and extra links for each episode.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
Park of the day
Captain Rivera Playground — 156th Street in Woodstock in the Bronx — This playground honors Captain Manuel Rivera, Jr., a Marine pilot from the Bronx who died during a training mission in Operation Desert Shield.
Parks Events
If you're interested in keeping the city's parks clean, visit Canarsie Park for the Forest Restoration event on Saturday, March 9th. Volunteer with the Stewardship Team to protect natural areas in Canarsie Park and learn how to identify and safely remove invasive plants in order to help create a healthier ecosystem. Come dressed in sturdy boots or shoes, long pants, and clothing that can get dirty. Please bring your own water bottle to this event. Space is limited and registration is required. Start time: 10:00 am End time: 12:00 pm Contact phone: (718) 392-5232 Location: Seaview Avenue and East 108th Street in Fresh Creek Nature Preserve in Canarsie, Brooklyn.
Concert Calendar
Cold Cave, ADULT, Psychic TV, and Sextile are playing Brooklyn Steel on Monday, March 4th
The Monochrome Set and The Jetbeats are playing The Bowery Ballroom on Monday, March 4th
Ice Cube is playing Terminal 5 in New York City on Wednesday, March 6th
Morbid Angel, Blood Incantation, Cannibal Corpse, and Necrot are playing the Playstation Theater on Thursday, March 7th
Nothing, Candy, and Tony Molina are playing Brooklyn Bazaar on Thursday, March 7th
State Champs and Our Last Night are playing the Best Buy Theater on Friday, March 8th
The Black Queen, Kanga, and Uniform are playing the Music Hall of Williamsburg on Friday, March 8th
Robyn is playing Madison Square Garden on Friday, March 8th
Trisomie 21 and Brighter Death Now are playing Brooklyn Bazaar on Friday, March 8th
The Sound of Animals Fighting is playing Terminal 5 on Friday, March 8th
Queensrÿche, Fates Warning, and The Cringe are playing Irving Plaza on Saturday, March 9th
Weezer, Basement, the Pixies, and TV on the Radio are playing Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, March 12th
Teenage Fanclub and The Love Language are playing The Bowery Ballroom on Wednesday, March 13th
The Movielife and Travis Shettel are playing the Brooklyn Night Bazaar on Friday, March 15th
Massive Attack is playing Radio City Music Hall on Friday, March 15th
The Bouncing Souls and Strike Anywhere are playing White Eagle Hall in Jersey City on Saturday, March 16th
62: The Statue of Liberty Reopens and the Stonewall Anniversary
00:20:00
Visit agreatbigcity.com/support to learn how to support New York City local news and allow us to keep bringing you this podcast. If you are a New York-based business and would be interested in sponsoring our podcasts, visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
AGBC is more than just a news website: Every evening, just before sundown, A Great Big City checks the Empire State Building's lighting schedule and sends out a notification if the tower's lighting will be lit in special colors for a holiday or celebration. Follow @agreatbigcity on social media to receive the alerts.
Park of the day
Mullaly Park — 1015 RIVER AVENUE, the Bronx — 15 acre park in West Concourse, Bronx, named for newspaperman John Mullaly, who also helped found the New York Park Association in 1881.
Today's fact about New York
Here's something you may not have known about New York:
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, or topic suggestions. Subscribe to AGBC News wherever you listen to podcasts: iTunes, Google Play, or Pocket Casts, Podcast Addict, Overcast, or listen to each episode on the podcast pages at agreatbigcity.com/podcast. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit our podcast site to see show notes and extra links for each episode.
2: Sullenberger Sails the Hudson, Tappan Zee Falls, and NYC Tourism Reaches New Heights
00:08:14
Visit agreatbigcity.com/support to learn how to support New York City local news and allow us to keep bringing you this podcast. If you are a New York-based business and would be interested in sponsoring our podcasts, visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
Park Avenue Malls at 59th Street — The third section of three total Park Avenue Malls, this section begins just across 59th Street from the second section, but was completed two years later. It's the longest section, stretching from 59th to 97th Street, adding a bit of green between the north and south-bound lanes of Park Avenue. At the northernmost tip of the malls, train tracks re-emerge between Park Avenue that take trains north out of Grand Central Terminal.
Power to the People Exhibition at the Arsenal in Central Park at 63rd Street on the east side. Curated by NYC Parks' Ebony Society, this selection of art and historic photographs shows how New York City's parks have featured in public demonstrations and protests over the years. The exhibition is free and open to the public from January 17 to February 28. Call 212 360 8163 with any questions.
Concert Calendar
Handguns are playing the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn on Thursday, January 17th, starting at 6pm.
Huntertones are playing the Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg on Thursday, January 17th, starting at 6pm.
Tishmal and Glitch Cake are playing the Delancey on the Lower East Side on Thursday, January 17th, starting at 6:30pm.
Dizzy Bats are playing The Meatlocker in Montclair, NJ on Thursday, January 17th, starting at 7pm.
Panic At The Disco is playing the Prudential Center Newark on Friday, January 18th, doors at 7pm.
The Glitch Mob are playing Schimanski in Williamsburg on Friday, January 18th at 10pm
Weather
The historic highs and lows for January 17th
Record High: 63°F in 1990
Record Low: -2°F in 1977
Weather for the week ahead: Mixed precipitation tomorrow through next Wednesday, with high temperatures peaking at 48°F on Sunday.
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity and visit agreatbigcity.com/podcast to send in feedback or topic suggestions. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening. Have a great day!
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2011, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
The extreme highs and lows for this week in weather history:
Record High: 92°F on April 7, 2010
Record Low: 20°F on April 4, 1874
Weather for the week ahead:
Light rain tomorrow through Monday, with high temperatures rising to 70°F on Tuesday. Now that Spring has arrived, so have weather warnings: Now is the time to start protecting your skin and eyes from ultraviolet radiation, which will be higher during the Summer months. Look for a skin protectant that is labeled as "broad spectrum" and at least SPF 50 and wear sunglasses if you'll be venturing outside the shadowy caverns of high-rise buildings in Midtown.
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, or topic suggestions. Subscribe to AGBC News wherever you listen to podcasts: iTunes, Google Play, or RadioPublic, Spotify, and Castbox or listen to each episode on the podcast pages. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit agreatbigcity.com/podcast to see show notes and extra links for each episode.
Visit agreatbigcity.com/support to learn how to support New York City local news and allow us to keep bringing you this podcast. If you are a New York-based business and would be interested in sponsoring our podcasts, visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
The ridership on crosstown buses at 14th Street has increased to more than 32,000 daily riders, an increase over last year's 26,000 daily riders, and now the city is looking at increasing service along the route. Now that buses are moving faster thanks to the clear streets and the installation of bus loading platforms, some are beginning to need to hold at bus stops to avoid getting ahead of schedule. The 14th Street buses will also be getting on-board camera systems that photograph any bus lane blockers and send that info to the Department of Transportation. Any scofflaws caught blocking buses by those on-board cameras or street-mounted cameras will be subject to fines. These are the same on-board cameras that made a dramatic debut recently when the Transit Authority posted a video on social media showing the bus camera zapping a delivery truck out of the bus lane. Although there haven't been any reports of disintegrating delivery vans, the cameras have been operating on the M15 and B44 Select Bus routes.
Good and bad news for any holiday shoppers hoping for some traffic relief in Midtown this holiday season: City Council Speaker Corey Johnson said the success of the 14th Street busway should lead the city to expand the program to similar streets like 34th and 42nd, but Mayor de Blasio's view is still that instituting busways on other streets would be a premature move before the 14th street pilot program has completed. The current busway pilot program is scheduled to last 18 months, after which the DOT will examine the results and decide whether the program will continue. Midtown bus riders may still be stuck behind empty Ubers on 34th Street, but visitors to Rockefeller Center will get a bit more breathing room. The city announced on November 22nd that, beginning Friday, November 29th, movable barriers will be installed to close streets around Rockefeller Center and add more pedestrian space during the holiday season. The plan is to completely close 49th and 50th Streets from Fifth to Sixth beginning in the afternoon until midnight, when most shoppers and visitors will be in the area. Along Fifth Avenue from 48th to 52nd, a lane of the road on each side will be reclaimed for pedestrian traffic with movable barriers. On Sixth Avenue, a similar barrier setup will take over one lane of traffic, but only when the NYPD and DOT observers see that crowds are growing and more pedestrian space is needed. According to State Senator Brad Hoylman, the Rockefeller Center area attracts 125 million visitors during the holiday season. When news of the potential street closure plan leaked at the end of October, Mayor de Blasio emphasized that it had not yet been approved by City Hall and that someone at the DOT may have accidentally or intentionally leaked it "trying to further their own agenda". The plan will take effect the day after Thanksgiving. You may notice one problem when you combine the previous two stories: In response to news of the Rockefeller Center street closures, Transit Authority head Andy Byford released a short statement criticizing what he called a unilateral decision by the city that will slow down buses in the Rockefeller Center area since they are not given priority in the current plan. Fifth Avenue is a major north-south route for buses, and it remains to be seen how the four-block narrowing of the street will impact traffic or transit times.
This week, the Port Authority announced this week that they hope to use autonomous vehicle technology to more closely space their buses through the Lincoln Tunnel. While they plan realistically wouldn't eliminating drivers, the technology would allow the buses to drive close to each other and maintain a higher speed by closely monitoring the surrounding environment and avoiding collisions with greater accuracy than a human driver.
Today's podcast is brought to you by City Survival: The AGBC Holiday Gift Guide — Whether it's a tiny replica of a fire escape to hang on your wall or a gadget that may one day help you escape a stalled subway train, find all your gifts this year through our Gift Guide at agreatbigcity.com/gift-guide and your purchases will financially benefit AGBC.
Coming up November 28th, the 93rd annual Macy's Thanksgiving parade will fly 16 giant balloons from 77th Street to 34th Street, with new giant balloons this year of Astronaut Snoopy, Dr. Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham, a new Spongebob Squarepants design featuring Gary the snail, and the reappearance of Smokey the Bear, but those new balloons will hopefully stop to pay their respects to some of their fallen comrades. Over the 93 years of Macy's parades, there have been three major balloon crashes:
Safety limits are now set on where balloons may only fly if sustained winds are below 23mph and gusts are below 34mph. For this Thanksgiving, the winds are predicted to be in the 20mph range, so it remains to be seen if high winds may ground the balloons this year. No matter what happens to this year's Macy's balloons, it won't be as exciting as the parade's end from 1927 to 1932, when parade balloons were simply launched into the sky after the parade, where the helium-filled balloons would rise into the air and Macy's predicted they would deflate and land, so they attached a note that offered a $100 reward to anyone who returned the balloon's remains. The tradition ended, however, when one of the loose balloons finally ended up getting stuck on the wing of an airplane and sent the plane into a tailspin.
109 years ago on November 27, 1910 — The original Penn Station opens to the public, with an estimated 100,000 visitors on the first day — The original Penn Station opens to the public, with an estimated 100,000 visitors on the first day The city operated a bit differently in those days, with the New York Times noting the increase in pedestrians on a Sunday in the "usually very quiet" area in Midtown between Penn Station and Times Square, and that the crowds were "impressed with the lack of confusion" at Penn Station on opening day. One aspect of the opening day report did seem all too familiar: The new station caused a notable increase in subway passengers at both the Times Square and 33rd Street stations, causing passengers to question why there had not been extra capacity added to the Seventh Avenue cross-town trolley. The increase in train traffic also relocated a large number of support personnel to the city, with many settling in southeast Queens near the newly-constructed Sunnyside train yards. This increased the population of Long Island City by at least 2,000. The original above-ground structure of Penn Station would remain until 1963, when it had fallen into disrepair and was torn down and replaced with Madison Square Garden. The loss of what was once an architectural wonder led to the formation of the Landmarks Preservation Commission that would save Grand Central Terminal from a similar fate just two years later. Today, the Moynihan Train Hall near Penn Station is being renovated into a modern version of what Penn Station once was. The new train station will service Amtrak and LIRR customers and feature a soaring glass atrium ceiling about the size of Grand Central's main hall.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
AGBC is more than just a news website: Every evening, just before sundown, A Great Big City checks the Empire State Building's lighting schedule and sends out a notification if the tower's lighting will be lit in special colors for a holiday or celebration. Follow @agreatbigcity on social media to receive the alerts.
Park of the day
Bergen Triangle — E. 181 St., Anthony Ave., Grand Concourse, the Bronx — Named for William Bergen, one of the largest developers in the Bronx, who spotted vacant lots and bought them, constructing over two hundred homes on his land. One of Bergen's most notable achievements as a developer was the construction of the Bergen Building, built in 1915 at the intersection of Tremont and Arthur Avenues, about one mile southeast from Bergen Triangle Park.
Parks Events
The city will be hosting Black Friday Hikes on November 29, 2019 as a way to clear your mind from any holiday stress and avoid any ravenous shopping crowds. There will be one official hike in each borough, but you're encouraged to visit any park and take your own hiking adventure.
Concert Calendar
Here's the AGBC Concert Calendar for the upcoming week:
The extreme highs and lows for this week in weather history:
Record High: 77°F on November 20, 1985
Record Low: 13°F on November 22, 1880
Weather for the week ahead:
Light rain this weekend, with a chance of wind on Wednesday and Thursday
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, or topic suggestions. Subscribe to AGBC News wherever you listen to podcasts: iTunes, Google Play, or Spotify, Player FM, Pocket Casts, or listen to each episode on the podcast pages at agreatbigcity.com/podcast. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit our podcast site to see show notes and extra links for each episode.
18: The Etan Patz Investigation, Possible St. Patrick's Arson is Stopped, and Subway Tokens Get Modernized
00:19:35
Visit agreatbigcity.com/support to learn how to support New York City local news and allow us to keep bringing you this podcast. If you are a New York-based business and would be interested in sponsoring our podcasts, visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
I hope you enjoyed the roundup of baseball history on last week's episode. Today I have a selection of events from New York history and a discussion of two of the biggest news stories this week. Today's podcast does make mention of murder, but there will not be graphic details described.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
Park of the day
Castle Hill Park — Barrett Ave., Hart St. bet. Olmstead Ave. and Zerega Ave., the Bronx — Castle Hill Park lies at the tip of Castle Hill Neck, a peninsula named by English settlers for a fortified Native American village located on a hill overlooking the East River. Castle Hill Neck was owned by the Cromwell family until the late 1700s, during which time the area was known as Cromwell's Neck.
Earth Day is coming up on April 22nd and Arbor Day is on the 26th and the Parks Department has events in every borough over the next two weeks to celebrate! There will be an events ranging from an Earth Day egg-hunt in Co-Op City in the Bronx, pizza-making with a solar oven in Harlem, and you can even learn how to take care of a bee hive at the Queens County Farm Museum. View the full schedule of events.
Concert Calendar
Children of Bodom, Summoner's Circle, Swallow the Sun, and Wolfheart are playing Irving Plaza on Friday, April 19th.
Hatebreed, Cro-Mags, Fit For An Autopsy, Obituary, and Terror are playing Playstation Theater on Friday, April 19th.
Black Lips, Quintron and Miss Pussycat, Wooing, Black Lips, Quintron and Miss Pussycat, and Wooing are playing Bowery Ballroom on Saturday, April 20th.
Soul Clap and Dance-Off, Sheer Mag, Mighty Fine, and Smarthearts are playing Brooklyn Bazaar on Saturday, April 20th.
A Special Evening with The National and The National are playing Beacon Theatre on Monday, April 22nd.
Ufomammut and Kings Destroy are playing Saint Vitus Bar on Tuesday, April 23rd.
Girlpool and Hatchie are playing Music Hall of Williamsburg on Wednesday, April 24th.
Injury Reserve @ Elsewhere (Zone One) and Injury Reserve are playing Zone One at Elsewhere on Wednesday, April 24th.
Girlpool and Hatchie are playing The Bowery Ballroom on Thursday, April 25th.
As Friends Rust, ageist, and Somerset Thrower are playing The Kingsland on Thursday, April 25th.
Hot Water Music, Errortype:11, and Iron Chic are playing Music Hall of Williamsburg on Thursday, April 25th.
Camp Cope is playing Warsaw on Thursday, April 25th.
Health, Pictureplane, and Youth Code are playing Elsewhere on Thursday, April 25th.
An Evening With Oh Land and Oh Land are playing (le) Poisson Rouge on Thursday, April 25th.
Desertfest NYC, Danava, Dommengang, Elder, Mirror Queen, Monolord, The Atomic Bitchwax, The Skull, Windhand, and Worshipper are playing The Well on Friday, April 26th.
PUP, Diet Cig, and ratboy are playing Brooklyn Steel on Friday, April 26th.
Orville Peck is playing Elsewhere on Friday, April 26th.
Hot Water Music, Errortype:11, and Iron Chic are playing Music Hall of Williamsburg on Friday, April 26th.
Now, Now, Daddy Issues, and Foxing are playing Warsaw on Friday, April 26th.
Kris Kristofferson is playing City Winery on Sunday, April 28th.
Will Haven, Architect, Locked In A Vacancy, and Nerveshatter are playing Saint Vitus Bar on Sunday, April 28th.
Neotheater Album Release Show and AJR are playing The Bowery Ballroom on Monday, April 29th.
Sasami is playing Elsewhere on Tuesday, April 30th.
The Mountain Goats and shana cleveland are playing Brooklyn Steel on Tuesday, April 30th.
Kalmah, Vreid, and Winter Nights are playing Gramercy Theater on Tuesday, April 30th.
Stephen Malkmus is playing 92nd Street Y on Tuesday, April 30th.
Patti Smith is playing Webster Hall on Wednesday, May 1st.
Infest, Scapegoat, and The Fight are playing The Kingsland on Friday, May 3rd.
TR/ST is playing Elsewhere on Friday, May 3rd.
"Out of the Vein" Live w/Tony Fredianelli (XEB), XEB, and Tony Fredianelli are playing Rockwood Music Hall on Saturday, May 4th.
The extreme highs and lows for this week in weather history:
Record High: 92°F on April 19, 1976
Record Low: 22°F on April 19, 1875
Weather for the week ahead:
Light rain today through Saturday, with high temperatures bottoming out at 56°F on Thursday.
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, or topic suggestions. Subscribe to AGBC News wherever you listen to podcasts: iTunes, Google Play, or Podcast Addict, TuneIn Radio, Spotify, or listen to each episode on the podcast pages at agreatbigcity.com/podcast. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit our podcast site to see show notes and extra links for each episode.
51: Howard Stern Saves a New Yorker and Charging Bull Visits the Stock Exchange
00:25:03
Visit agreatbigcity.com/support to learn how to support New York City local news and allow us to keep bringing you this podcast. If you are a New York-based business and would be interested in sponsoring our podcasts, visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
A moment of remembrance this week for Alelia Murphy, who I mentioned back in July on Episode 30 of the podcast when she celebrated her birthday as the oldest living American. The Harlem resident died at the end of November at the age of 114 years, 140 days old. Ms. Murphy was born in North Carolina in 1905 and has lived in Harlem since the 1920s. Her funeral was held December 6th at the United House of Prayer for all People church on Frederick Douglass Boulevard. The previous oldest American, Lessie Brown, died in January 2019. According to the Gerontology Research Group, the oldest living American is now Hester Ford, born just one month after Ms. Murphy in 1905. According to the records of the Gerontology Research Group, the oldest known New Yorker was Susannah Mushatt Jones, who was born in 1899 and lived 116 years, 311 days until her death in 2016 at a senior home in Brooklyn.
In Uber's end-of-year report, the Empire State Building topped the list of most Ubered-to locations worldwide, with 1WTC coming in second place. — Transportation reporter Aaron Gordon wrote on Jalopnik that the Empire State Building is within a 10 minute walk of nearly every single subway line, PATH trains, MetroNorth, and the LIRR. At the World Trade Center, the second-most Ubered-to location worldwide, 12 subway lines and the PATH train stop nearby. Other proposals, like City Council Speaker Corey Johnson trying to convince Mayor de Blasio to duplicate the 14th Street busway in Midtown streets on 34th or 42nd Street would also help replace the caravan of crosstown Ubers with city buses that could alleviate the gridlock near the Empire State Building. According to the DOT's 2019 Mobility Report, on 34th, 42nd, and 57th Streets, over 50% of the traffic is composed of taxis and rideshare vehicles, and traffic speeds in Midtown are 30% slower compared to the rest of Manhattan south of 59th, with vehicles creeping along at just 4.9 mph.
Christmas tree lightings are already happening! So check out the AGBC list of tree and menorah lightings at agreatbigcity.com/christmas or agreatbigcity.com/hanukkah, where there are currently 41 lightings across the city. If you don't see your local event on the list, drop us a note and we'll put the info up, whether it's the Rockefeller Center tree or just a neighborhood gathering to hang homemade ornaments on an evergreen in the local park!
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
AGBC is more than just a news website: It also automatically checks MTA data before morning rush hour and sends out notifications if there are delays on any subway lines, LIRR or MetroNorth trains, and bridges and tunnels. Follow @agreatbigcity on social media to receive the alerts.
Park of the day
Haviland Playground — Haviland Ave., Watson Ave. bet. Virginia Ave. and Pugsley Ave., the Bronx — Set on land that was part of Pugsley Farm and named for earlier landowners Joseph and Mary Haviland. Serves as the playground for adjacent I.S. 125.
The extreme highs and lows for this week in weather history:
Record High: 75°F on December 7, 1998
Record Low: 3°F on December 10, 1876
Weather for the week ahead: Rain on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, or topic suggestions. Subscribe to AGBC News wherever you listen to podcasts: iTunes, Google Play, or TuneIn Radio, Player FM, Podcast Addict, or listen to each episode on the podcast pages at agreatbigcity.com/podcast. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit our podcast site to see show notes and extra links for each episode.
5: Subway Car Problems, A Long-Distance Phone Call, and Ride a Lime
00:14:18
Today: The latest news, this week in history, upcoming events, and our concert calendar.
Visit agreatbigcity.com/support to learn how to support New York City local news and allow us to keep bringing you this podcast. If you are a New York-based business and would be interested in sponsoring our podcasts, visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
14 years ago on January 23, 2005 — The FDNY suffers "Black Sunday" when three firefighters are killed are four are injured in two separate fires. It was the deadliest day for the FDNY since the September 11th attacks. In the Bronx, at 236 East 178th Street at Grand Concourse, an early-morning three-alarm fire erupted in a building containing illegally-converted apartments. The frigid temperatures caused difficulties with frozen hydrants and firehoses. When the fire flashed through an apartment door, firefighters had no escape and jumped from the building. Firefighters Curtis Meyran and John Bellew were killed by the fall, with four others severely injured. The firefighters' deaths renewed interest in a safety device that is designed for those exact evacuation procedures but had been discontinued by the FDNY in 2000, but was still carried by one of the firefighters that survived the jump. Over the next year, the safety ropes were tested and issued to every firefighter. Later that day, temperatures became too high as a group of firefighters were investigating a basement fire on Jerome Street in East New York, and Richard T. Sclafani was killed in the blaze. Candles, holiday decorations, and electric heaters cause an increase in home fires during the winter, and the FDNY asks that all residents take precautions and inspect fireplaces, smoke alarms, and decorations for any potential hazards.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2011, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
With your support, you can guarantee that A Great Big City will be here to tell future generations about manufacturing defects in the next next generation of subway cars.
The historic extreme temperatures for the week were -2°F on January 28, 1925 and 72°F on January 26, 1950
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, or topic suggestions. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit agreatbigcity.com/podcast to see show notes and extra links for each episode.
The number of new measles cases in the city continues to decrease, but cases nationwide in 2019 have surpassed the number last seen 25 years ago in 1994, with 971 reported cases as of May 30, 2019. New York still represents the majority of the yearly cases, but the outbreak in Brooklyn seems to have begun to slow. Within the city, there were only 17 new cases reported since May 29th, with Williamsburg, Boro Park, and Sunset Park being described as Neighborhoods with Ongoing Transmissions. New cases peaked in March and April, and have continued to decrease in May and June. You can view more information about measles at nyc.gov/doh or call 311 for information on where you or your child can get vaccinated against the disease.
A man was arrested by the Joint Terrorism Task Force for planning to attack Times Square. NBC New York identifies the man as Ashiqul Alam, a 22-year-old resident of Jackson Heights, who had been under surveillance and stated a desire to attack Times Square, first suggesting grenades, but settling on firing a gun into the crowd. The FBI arrested Alam after he allegedly tried to buy guns with the serial numbers removed.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
Park of the day
Patrick O'Rourke Park — 12 Avenue in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn — Former site of a WWII victory garden where residents grew food, this park was renamed in 2003 for local resident Patrick O'Rourke, whose medical injury when he was a child impacted medical practice worldwide by drawing attention to the necessity of blood oxygen monitors.
The extreme highs and lows for this week in weather history:
Record High: 99°F on June 4, 1925
Record Low: 45°F on June 3, 1929
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, or topic suggestions. Subscribe to AGBC News wherever you listen to podcasts: iTunes, Google Play, or Player FM, Pocket Casts, Podcast Addict, or listen to each episode on the podcast pages at agreatbigcity.com/podcast. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit our podcast site to see show notes and extra links for each episode.
Take a trip through the slimy, sickening side of the city and prepare yourself for A Great Big SCARE!
It's ironically appropriate that the subway celebrates its birthday right around the spookiest time of year, as it prominently features in New Yorkers' nightmares. 115 years ago on October 27th, 1904, The original 28 subway stations opened, stretching from City Hall to 145th Street in Manhattan. From 1904 until 1948, the price for a subway ride was just 5¢, a price range that's equivalent to about 92¢ in today's dollars. Instead, you'll be paying three times that amount for a ride today, in a 100-year-old system that is struggling to keep up with modern demand. Although the subway's on-time performance recently hit a six-year high, only 81% of trains arrive on time during a typical weekday, and the subway's previous on-time figures put it at the lowest among all major cities' transit systems. In 2017, Governor Cuomo declared a state of emergency for the New York transit system in an effort to revitalize the deteriorating subway and modernize its signal system. In an effort to avoid further increasing the subway fare, the MTA's $54 billion plan to improve the subway will rely on revenue from a congestion pricing toll on vehicles that enter Manhattan south of 61st Street. Vehicles entering central and southern Manhattan will be subject to a toll of around $12 for the privilege of sitting in traffic that has slowed to a crawl in recent years as rideshare drivers have flooded the streets, with speeds in Midtown in 2018 averaging just 4.7 mph. If streets lined with traffic and a subway running on ancient tracks make New York sound like the city for you, don't forget to pay at the door! Beginning January 2020, the cost of entering the city via bridge or tunnel will increase to $16 and the AirTrain ride to JFK Airport will increase to $7.75.
If you've finally paid your toll to get into the city, good luck finding a place to stay! According to real estate site StreetEasy's data through August 2019, the prices of rentals are increasing while the prices of homes for sale are decreasing. The median asking price for a one-bedroom in Manhattan jumped 7.5% year-over-year, adding $233 to the monthly rent. If you end up looking at apartments more in your price range, the horrors continue. According to bedbugregistry.com, there have been 4,490 reports of bedbugs across the city, including a report from October 26th of a traveler who woke up from a lovely sleep in room 1622 of a hotel in Midtown only to find a bedbug crawling on his pillow. The hotel refused to believe him until he capture a live bug in a sandwich bag and showed it to the hotel staff. If you think you're safe from bedbugs if you don't stay in a Midtown hotel, consider the tale of a resident in Long Island City, who ordered a bed frame and headboard online, only to open the package and find bedbugs inside.
When New Yorkers glance up to see air conditioners precariously hanging from every apartment window, a pedestrian's mind turns to tragedy, picturing their inevitable death after one of those menacing sheet metal boxes breaks free from its windowsill. If the air conditioner plummets toward you, will those days at the gym give you the nimble speed to heroically jump out of its path? In the past 30 years, there have been only a handful of documented air conditioner drops, despite millions of New Yorkers propping their A/Cs up on the hopes that the power cord will support the full weight of the machine if it ever tears loose. While you allow the fear of falling machinery to fade from your mind, consider a report from 2008 that showed the increased energy usage of air conditioning during the summer directly contributes to up to 1,000 deaths annually in the eastern United States. Without sustainable forms of energy, power-hungry air conditioning units put extra demand on coal-burning power plants, increasing ozone levels and fine particulate matter in the air, all of which will only get worse as climate change increases the frequency and duration of summer heat waves.
New York is a world-class city that will survive far into the future, or at least some parts will survive. As the earth's climate changes and sea levels begin to rise, more and more of the city's shoreline will be regularly inundated with water, eroding the city's most valuable infrastructure. Water levels around New York have already risen more than one foot since 1900, and the rate of sea level rise is only increasing. By 2100, the waters around New York will rise from between 18 inches to over four feet, due to damage that has already been done to the planet. On a map from FloodHelpNY that uses FEMA data to estimate future flood-prone areas, water is seen flooding coastal areas across the city as water levels rise, putting areas like Long Island City, the Rockaways, and both JFK and LaGuardia Airport at risk. In Manhattan, the appropriately-named Canal Street will become a canal once again, pouring water directly into the Hudson Tunnel entrance, and in Brooklyn, the sea will wash over Red Hook and swell the waters of the Gowanus up into the surrounding neighborhood. New data shows that the elevation data used to calculate the impact that sea level rise will have on coastal cities was actually using satellite data that measured the heights of trees and buildings, mistaking them for the ground level, so much more low-lying land will be inundated with water than previously estimated.
Here's something you may not have known about New York:
According to a 2014 study, there are approximately 2 million rats living in New York City. The common brown rat not only carries a wide variety of diseases and viruses that is spread via saliva, urine, and rat droppings, but microscopic fleas also catch a ride on rats and carry diseases like the bubonic plague, typhus, and spotted fever. Although an adult rat weighs about as much as a can of soda, they can squeeze through an opening the size of a quarter and jump three feet in the air.
Park of the Day
Visit the former home of the king of horror, Edgar Allen Poe, at Poe Park in the Bronx, on Grand Concourse at 192nd. The poet rented the home from 1846 to 1849, just before his early death at the age of 40.
Weather
The extreme highs and lows for this week in weather history:
Record High: 84°F on November 1, 1950
Record Low: 23°F on November 5, 1879
Weather for the week ahead:
Light rain throughout the week.
19: A New Macy's Tower, the Empire State Building, and Grant's Tomb
00:22:18
Visit agreatbigcity.com/support to learn how to support New York City local news and allow us to keep bringing you this podcast. If you are a New York-based business and would be interested in sponsoring our podcasts, visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
A Great Big City is more than a news blog. Did you know that every day, AGBC automatically checks the lighting schedule for the Empire State Building and sends out an alert at sundown, letting you know how the building will be lit and what the lights represent.
Danava, Dommengang, Elder, Mirror Queen, Monolord, The Atomic Bitchwax, The Skull, Windhand, and Worshipper are playing The Well on Friday, April 26th.
Pup, Diet Cig, and ratboy are playing Brooklyn Steel on Friday, April 26th.
Orville Peck is playing Elsewhere on Friday, April 26th.
Hot Water Music, Errortype:11, and Iron Chic are playing Music Hall of Williamsburg on Friday, April 26th.
Now, Now, Daddy Issues, and Foxing are playing Warsaw on Friday, April 26th.
Kris Kristofferson is playing City Winery on Sunday, April 28th.
Will Haven, Architect, Locked In A Vacancy, and Nerveshatter are playing Saint Vitus Bar on Sunday, April 28th.
Neotheater Album Release Show and AJR are playing The Bowery Ballroom on Monday, April 29th.
Sasami is playing Elsewhere on Tuesday, April 30th.
The Mountain Goats and shana cleveland are playing Brooklyn Steel on Tuesday, April 30th.
Kalmah, Vreid, and Winter Nights are playing Gramercy Theater on Tuesday, April 30th.
Stephen Malkmus is playing 92nd Street Y on Tuesday, April 30th.
Patti Smith is playing Webster Hall on Wednesday, May 1st.
Infest, Scapegoat, and The Fight are playing The Kingsland on Friday, May 3rd.
The extreme highs and lows for this week in weather history:
Record High: 92°F on April 26, 2009
Record Low: 29°F on April 23, 1872
Weather for the week ahead:
Rain on Friday through next Tuesday, with high temperatures falling to 61°F on Monday.
This week, UV levels are starting to climb into the High and Very High categories, so now is the time to start protecting your skin and eyes from ultraviolet radiation, which will be higher during the Summer months. Look for a skin protectant that is at least SPF 50 and labeled as "broad spectrum" and wear sunglasses if you'll be venturing outside the shadowy caverns of Midtown.
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, or topic suggestions. Subscribe to AGBC News wherever you listen to podcasts: iTunes, Google Play, or Player FM, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or listen to each episode on the podcast pages at agreatbigcity.com/podcast. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit our podcast site to see show notes and extra links for each episode.
59: A Bleecker Street Getaway and Ground-Breaking for the Subway
00:25:42
Visit agreatbigcity.com/support to learn how to support New York City local news and allow us to keep bringing you this podcast. If you are a New York-based business and would be interested in sponsoring our podcasts, visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2010, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
AGBC is more than just a news website: Every evening, just before sundown, A Great Big City checks the Empire State Building's lighting schedule and sends out a notification if the tower's lighting will be lit in special colors for a holiday or celebration. Follow @agreatbigcity on social media to receive the alerts.
Park of the day
Haffen Park — 1750 BURKE AVENUE, the Bronx — Named after Louis F. Haffen, first Borough President of the Bronx. In 1996 Haffen Park received new modular play equipment (including slides, clatter bridges, and ladders), safety surfacing and paving. In 2006, a $1.2 million reconstruction project included the installation of a new synthetic turf field for both baseball and soccer, and a refurbished ballfield fence.
Did you know?
Here's something you may not have known about New York:
Thanks for listening to A Great Big City. Follow along 24 hours a day on social media @agreatbigcity or email contact@agreatbigcity.com with any news, feedback, or topic suggestions. Subscribe to AGBC News wherever you listen to podcasts: iTunes, Google Play, or Player FM, Spotify, TuneIn Radio, or listen to each episode on the podcast pages at agreatbigcity.com/podcast. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening and visit our podcast site to see show notes and extra links for each episode.
A Great Big City has been running a 24-hour newsfeed since 2011, but the AGBC News podcast is just getting started, and we need your support. A Great Big City is built on a dedication to explaining what is happening and how it fits into the larger history of New York, which means thoroughly researching every topic and avoiding clickbait headlines to provide a straightforward, honest, and factual explanation of the news. Individuals can make a monthly or one-time contribution at agreatbigcity.com/support and local businesses can have a lasting impact by supporting local news while promoting products or services directly to interested customers listening to this podcast. Visit agreatbigcity.com/advertising to learn more.
Park of the day
There are at least six parks or city areas named in honor of Jackie Robinson:
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