Queens Street Fairs begin the first weekend in April. We've compiled one of THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCHEDULE of QUEENS street fairs including street fair TIMES & PHOTOS & maps, some street fair names & sponsors, and street fair maps to help you find your way around during the spring, summer and fall of 2023.
How This Queens Street Fair Page is Organized
The Queens street fairs and festivals on this page are organized:
1) BY MONTH & WEEK and
2) BY NEIGHBORHOOD.
So you can now look through all of the Queens street fairs on a given weekend, and see where they are in each neighborhood.
The Queens street fair dates that have been updated with 2023 designations reflect the current 2023 St Fair events.
ASTERISKED street fairs have NOT been UPDATED. The street fairs with prior year dates, reflect the information regarding that fair in a prior year.
UNCONFIRMEDS. The 'UNCONFIRMEDS' represent street fairs held in a prior year, which we believe are returning, but which we have not yet confirmed details for 2023.
UPDATES. The asterisked street fairs of prior years and the UNCONFIRMEDS will be updated as new information comes in.
Also check our Queens Events calendar and / or our Queens Farmers Markets section for updates and other things to do.
Street Fairs Begin, Chain Theatre Performance Continues, Fresh, Fly & Fabulous Exhibit at FIT in Manhattan; Bayside St Patrick's Day Parade & Rough Draft Festival continues at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center Queens; Bay Ridge St Patrick's Day Parade, Rachel Wren Exhibit & Final Performance of Lorraine Hansberry Play Tonight in Brooklyn, March is Music Month at Pregones, Bronx Art Space Exhibit about Homosexuality in Nature, NYBG Orchid Show & Yankees Home Opener in the Bronx; on Staten Island & The Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan Began Thursday
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be around 50 on Friday and Saturday, rising to 60 on Sunday. The temperature lows will be in the low to mid 40's all weekend. The wind will be 5 - 10 mph on Friday, rising to 10 - 15 on Saturday and Sunday. The humidity will be 40% - 50% on Friday and Sunday, popping up to around 80% on Saturday. There will be about a half inch of rain on Saturday, spread out over the course of the day from around 9 am to 11 pm, so you can likely do whatever you plan to, without any serious rain interruption.
The Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan began yesterday [Thursday 3/23/23] and will continue until Friday, April 21. Ramadan is a month where Muslims fast, pray and reflect on their lives. Not unlike the Christian Lent.
Manhattan Things To Do This Weekend
On Saturday, beginning at 3 pm and 7.30 pm, the Neville Dance Theatre Company will perform a half dozen different works choreographed to the works of various female composers at the Manhattan Movement & Arts Center at 248 West 60th Street on the UWS. The works include world premieres and the program is entitled, Celebrating Woman Composers. For $28 / $28 tickets and details see - https://www.nevilledance.org/.
Through Saturday, April 8th beginning at 7 pm [most nights], the Chain Theatre at 312 West 36th Street [3rd Floor] will be hosting live performances of THIS G*D DAMN HOUSE. The play is described as follows, " ... Jet lagged, without warning, Danny is summoned from NYC by his brother Jacob to Florida. Their mother has 24 hrs to vacate their childhood home. The problem is, their mother is a hoarder and the house is an indoor trash heap. The brothers dig through the filth and garbage with memories, trauma, and the past rising to the surface as the deadline closes in...". For tickets and details see - https://www.chaintheatre.org.
OPEN CALL. The Chain NYC Film Festival is accepting submissions. The early bird deadline is April 29, 2023. Producers, Directors and Actors can save on entry fees by submitting their work early on Film Freeway. For details see - https://www.chaintheatre.org/.
Fresh, Fly and Fabulous is on exhibit at the Fashion Institute of Management at 227 West 27th Street in Chelsea from February 8th to April 23rd. The exhibit is dedicated to Hip Hop not just as music and fashion, but as a lifestyle and cultural statement. Hip Hop celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Wednesday - Friday from noon to 8 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10 am - 5 pm. There's an all day symposium on Friday, February 24th. For details see - https://www.fitnyc.edu/
On Monday, March 27, at 6.30 pm the United Palace will be " ... official[ly] unveiling ... four new digital monitors and two illuminated attraction boxes that upgrade the theatre’s ability to communicate with passersby ...".
On Friday, March 31st, the AIPAD [Association of International Photography Art Dealers] Show opens at Center 415 at 415 5th Avenue. The show ends on Sunday, April 2nd.
FYI - Our Manhattan street fairs schedule will be updated this weekend / next week, with weekly updates happening thereafter. Eg. Grand Bazaar on Columbus and West 77th Street opens Sunday, March 6th at 10 am.
Brooklyn Things To Do This Weekend
LAST PERFORMANCE. On Friday at 7.30 pm there is the last performances of Black female author Lorraine Hansberry's epic drama entitled The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window in the Harvey Theatre at the Brooklyn Academy of Music at 651 Fulton Street in Brooklyn. They describe the play as follows, " ... Hansberry invites us into Greenwich Village in the 60s, crafting a razor-sharp portrait of a diverse group of friends whose progressive dreams can’t quite match reality. At the center are Sidney and Iris Brustein, fighting to see if their marriage—with all its crackling wit, passion, and petty cruelty—can survive Sidney’s ideals...". The play runs daily, except Mondays, through March 24th. For $35 & up tickets and details see - https://www.bam.org.
On Sunday, March 26, 2023 the Bay Ridge Brooklyn Saint Patrick's Parade kicks off at 1 pm on 3rd and Marine Avenues and marches north along 3rd Avenue to 67th Street ending in Owl's Head Park in Bayridge. This parade was first established in 1993. For further details see - https://www.brparade.com/
The photo at right was taken at the 2022 St Pats Parade in the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn.
FYI - Our Brooklyn street fairs schedule will be updated this weekend / next week, with weekly updates happening thereafter.
Queens Things To Do This Weekend
On Friday, beginning at 8 pm, Octogenarian Women of Jazz, will perform at Flushing Town Hall at 137-35 Northern Blvd. For $15 / $10 tickets see - https://www.flushingtownhall.org
Saturday, March 25, 2023 beginning at 1 pm the Bayside St. Patrick's Day Parade marches down Bell Blvd between 35th and 42nd Avenues. The parade is a fairly new one, now in its fifth or sixth year [2023]. For further details see their Facebook page - www.facebook.com/baysidestpatricksdayparade as their website as of this post on 2.28.23 is currently having issues - www.baysidesaintpatricksdayparade.org.
FYI - Our Queens street fairs schedule will be updated this weekend / next week, with weekly updates happening thereafter. Eg. HBCU College Fair beginning at 11 am this Saturday 3/25/23 in Rochdale Village.
NEXT WEEK. On Tuesday and Wednesday, beginning at 7.30 pm, there will be performances by eight emerging dancers / choreographers at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center at 31-10 Thomson Avenue in Long Island City. The event is described as follows, " ... The Emerging Choreographer Series is an intensive crash-course in self-producing; offering rehearsal space, compensation, career development consultations, and professional mentorship to selected choreographers. During the course of the program, choreographers will create, develop, and premiere a new work at CUNY’s LaGuardia Performing Arts Center (LPAC) in Long Island City. The program is free of charge—no application fees, no production fees, and no rental costs will be charged to the applicants or selected choreographers ...". Next week we get to see these folks perform. Pre-Sale [$20] and regular [$30] tickets may be purchased at - https://www.lpac.nyc.
Bronx Things To Do This Weekend
March is Music Month at the Pregones PRTT Theater at 575 Walton Avenue in the Bronx. On Saturday beginning at 7 pm the Villalobos Brothers will perform, "... Contemporary Mexican [music including] ... jazz, harmonies ... ".And on Sunday, beginning at 3 pm, Siyumeng Wang whose performance is described as a classical piano concert. For $18 - $36 and $0 - $36 tickets see - https://pregonesprtt.org/.
NEXT WEEK. On Friday, March 31st, the final concert of the March is Music Month at Pregones will be performed. It's billed as Appalachian / Puerto Rican. See listing above for address / website / tickets.
An exhibit entitled Queer Nature is at Bronx Art Space at 700 Manida Street [near Spofford Avenue] in the Hunts Point neighborhood of the Bronx. The exhibit is described as, " ... One of the primary arguments against homosexuality is the belief that it is not deemed as "natural", therefore cannot be considered normal. Nature is often weaponized to justify homophobia and transphobia, falsely using biology as a means to enforce social constructs. Some cells reproduce asexually, same-sex behaviors occur in hundreds of species of animals, numerous plants and animals are hermaphroditic; many of them switching genders. How can one consider homosexuality unnatural when it is evident in nature? ...". One of the reasons people's understanding and conversations about gender and race are so messed up is that the mainstream media teleprompter readers seem at least as ignorant as their audiences. For details on the exhibit which also has a closing party on April 1st may be found at - http://www.bronxartspace.com.
The Orchid Show has returned to the New York Botanical Garden and will be there until April 23rd. This year the installation was designed by Lily Kwong a landscape artist who explores Asian cultural themes.
There are gardening classes being given at the Bartow Pell Mansion for the next three Saturdays in March [11th, 18th & 25th] from 10 am - 12 noon. Tickets for all three days are $75 for non-members [$25 / class], or $50 for members [$17 / class].
NEXT WEEK. On Thursday, March 30th, beginning at 1.05 pm, the NY Yankees play the San Francisco Giants at Yankee Stadium in their opening game of the 2023 season.
FYI - Our Bronx street fairs schedule will be updated this weekend / next week, with weekly updates happening thereafter.
Staten Island Things To Do This Weekend
On Saturday from 3 - 4.15 pm at the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art, Main Hall Gallery, Building C in the Snug Harbor Cultural Center, there will be a modern dance performance by Nathan Trice & Co, an NYC-based choreographer.
On Saturday, from 1 - 2 pm there will be a lecture about the life of Mary of the Olmsted Beil House at the Alice Austen House Museum at 2 Hylan Blvd in the Rosebank neighborhood of Staten Island. Mary Cleveland Olmsted was the wife of Frederick Olmsted who was one of the original American landscape architects, who designed Central and Prospect Parks. Free. For details see https://aliceausten.org.
On Saturday from 6 - 8 pm at the Historic Richmond Town at the Guyon Tavern at 441 Clarke Avenue there's a concert by Mike Agranoff whose performances are described as, " ... a superb fingerstyle guitar in idioms ranging from traditional fiddle tunes to the American Songbook to contemporary Americana. He is a master of the little-known English Concertina, applying it anywhere from a haunting and poignant song accompaniment to an unexpected virtuoso transcription of a Bach concerto.......". For $18 tickets and event details see - https://www.historicrichmondtown.org
FYI - Our Staten Island street fairs schedule will be updated this weekend / next week, with weekly updates happening thereafter. Eg. There's a fair on Saturday from 9 am - 3 pm at Immanuel Union Church at 693 Jewett Avenue, which is in the National Register of Historic places. For details see - https://immanuelunionchurch.org/.
We've begun working on the Queens farmers market schedule for 2023. Updates will begin appearing this month and then continue through the season.
This report contains the opening dates, times / hours, items / selection, as well as links to online maps of all major Queens farmer markets, including address locations in Queens.
The Queens farmers markets on this page are located in or around the Queens neighborhoods of Astoria, Long Island City LIC, Sunnyside, Woodside, Jackson Heights, Corona, Flushing, Jamaica and Glendale in Queens NYC.
Enjoy shopping and eating the fresh and natural foods and product of our local farmers and food manufacturers.
St Patrick's Day Parade, Chain Theatre Performance Continues, Fresh, Fly & Fabulous Exhibit in Manhattan; 40 Shades of Irish Green & Rough Draft Festival at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center in Queens; a Half Marathon Race, Lorraine Hansberry Play Performances & Rachel Wren Opening Art Reception in Brooklyn, an Art Exhibit about Homosexuality in Nature & the Orchid Show in the Bronx; St Pat's Weekend Irish Stout Concert and St Pats Weekend Bar Crawl for All on Staten Island & the First Day of Spring Comes Monday
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the high 50's on Friday, the low 50's on Saturday and the low 40's on Sunday. The temperature lows will be in the low 40's on Friday, and the low 30's for the rest of the weekend. The winds will be 5 - 10 mph on Friday, and then 10 - 15 mph the rest of the weekend. The humidity will drop from 50% - 70% on Friday, to 40% on Saturday and between 30% - 40% on Sunday. No precipitation is expected this weekend.
The first official day of Spring is Monday, March 20, 2023. In the yogic tradition, spring is considered a time of renewal and transformation.
The photos included with this report are from a Manhattan St Patrick's Day Parade in an earlier year. Erin go Bragh which means Ireland Forever. Have a good one, which means a safe one, which means being respectful of others.
Manhattan Things To Do This Weekend
Friday, March 17th, beginning at 11 am, the NYC St Patrick's Day Parade in Manhattan begins on 5th Avenue at 44th Street and marches up to 79th Street. There are generally about 150,000 participants and about two million spectators. Click these links for Irish pub suggestions for each borough. For further details see - https://www.nycstpatricksparade.org/
Through Saturday, April 8th beginning at 7 pm [most nights], the Chain Theatre at 312 West 36th Street [3rd Floor] will be hosting live performances of THIS G*D DAMN HOUSE. The play is described as follows, " ... Jet lagged, without warning, Danny is summoned from NYC by his brother Jacob to Florida. Their mother has 24 hrs to vacate their childhood home. The problem is, their mother is a hoarder and the house is an indoor trash heap. The brothers dig through the filth and garbage with memories, trauma, and the past rising to the surface as the deadline closes in...". For tickets and details see - https://www.chaintheatre.org.
OPEN CALL. The Chain NYC Film Festival is accepting submissions. The early bird deadline is April 29, 2023. Producers, Directors and Actors can save on entry fees by submitting their work early on Film Freeway. For details see - https://www.chaintheatre.org/.
Fresh, Fly and Fabulous is on exhibit at the Fashion Institute of Management at 227 West 27th Street in Chelsea from February 8th to April 23rd. The exhibit is dedicated to Hip Hop not just as music and fashion, but as a lifestyle and cultural statement. Hip Hop celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Wednesday - Friday from noon to 8 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10 am - 5 pm. There's an all day symposium on Friday, February 24th. For details see - https://www.fitnyc.edu/
On Sunday, March 19th from 6.50 am - 9.20 am beginning in Prospect Park in Brooklyn, the gates to four waves of runners for the Half Marathon race organized by NY Road Runners open. The runners head northwest from Prospect Park, crossing Manhattan Bridge, and running up the FDR to 42nd Street where they head to Times Square before turnning north toward Central Park, where the race ends in Central Park in Manhattan between noon and 1.30 pm. It's too late to register to run, but you can watch along the route on Sunday. For details see - https://www.nyrr.org.
There's an International Vision Expo at the Javits Center 429 11th Avenue at 35th Street. It's billed as where eyecare meets eyewear, and education, fashion, innovation and ophthalmic professionals mingle.
NEXT WEEK. A Federal Reserve meeting to discuss public investments in Education. The first is on education on Thursday, March 23, 2023 from 4.30 - 5.30 pm. The event is described as follows, " ... a hybrid event exploring how investments in children’s growth and development can save society money and lead to better health and economic outcomes. David Erickson of the New York Fed will discuss his new book, “The Fifth Freedom: Guaranteeing an Opportunity-Rich Childhood for All.” Speakers will discuss how good schools, well-funded libraries, safe streets, and quality healthcare can pay long-term social dividendsRegistration closes Monday, March 20th for live and online attendance..". Free.
Afford.
Queens Things To Do This Weekend
Next Friday, March 17th at the NY Irish Center at 1040 Jackson near Vernon Blvd in Long Island City there's a St Patricks Day Celebration entitled '40 Shades of Green', from 3 - 9 pm. For $30 tickets and details see - https://www.newyorkirishcenter.org.
Next Friday, March 17th beginning at 5 pm, there's a reading of Cryptochrome in tandem with the Rough Draft Festival at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center at 31-10 Thomson Avenue in Long Island City. The reading is described as follows, " ... Cryptochrome is a freewheeling ritual meditation on wayfinding and navigation. Named after a protein believed to be responsible for the ability to navigate using the electromagnetic field, the work explores forms of perception and intuition beyond the limited scope of the visible. As a visually impaired artist in the process of losing my own sight, its central questions are both urgent and personal. Incorporating a score of original music and text, the work invites audiences on a kaleidoscopic journey across the animal kingdom––from echolocating bats in pitch black caves to birds migrating across featureless oceans––to unearth new insights about how we move through the world in relation to other creatures and one another...". For more details and to rsvp a free seat go to - https://www.lpac.nyc/.
On Saturday, March 18th from 1 - 4 pm, Women's Work at King Manor in Jamaica, Queens. A look at the work colonial women did. Free.
On Sunday, March 19th from 2.30 - 4.30 pm, Bix on the Big Screen at the Kingsland Homestead in Flushing. A film about a 1920's Sunnyside resident and famous jazz musician, Bix Biederbecke. Tickets $7 / $3.
On Sunday, March 19th from 3.30 - 8 pm and possibly beyond. A film, interactive event including refreshments and socializing, entitled NYC Five-Borough ‘Together, Not Alone – Zip Codes Remember’ Tour. At The Local at 13-02 44th Avenue in Long Island City. Free but you must register to attend -
On Friday at 7.30 pm, Saturday at 1.30 and 7.30, and Sunday at 3 pm there are performances of Black female author Lorraine Hansberry's epic drama entitled The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window in the Harvey Theatre at the Brooklyn Academy of Music at 651 Fulton Street in Brooklyn. They describe the play as follows, " ... Hansberry invites us into Greenwich Village in the 60s, crafting a razor-sharp portrait of a diverse group of friends whose progressive dreams can’t quite match reality. At the center are Sidney and Iris Brustein, fighting to see if their marriage—with all its crackling wit, passion, and petty cruelty—can survive Sidney’s ideals...". The play runs daily, except Mondays, through March 24th. For $35 & up tickets and details see - https://www.bam.org. Performances end March 24, 2023.
On Sunday, March 19th from 6.50 am - 9.20 am beginning in Prospect Park in Brooklyn, the gates to four waves of runners for the Half Marathon race organized by NY Road Runners open. The runners head northwest from Prospect Park, crossing Manhattan Bridge, and running up the FDR to 42nd Street where they head to Times Square before turnning north toward Central Park, where the race ends in Central Park in Manhattan between noon and 1.30 pm. It's too late to register to run, but you can watch along the route on Sunday. For details see - https://www.nyrr.org.
NEXT WEEK. On Thurday, March 23rd at PS 9 in Prospect Heights, Assemblymember Robert Carroll is hosting a community meeting to discuss whatever ails you. To rsvp a spot and find out what time it is, see - Carrollr@nyassembly.gov.
NEXT WEEK. On Thurday, March 23rd theres an Opening Reception for a Rachel Wren exhibit from 6 - 9 pm at The Shirley Project Space at 609 Washington Avenue [at Dean Street] in the Prospect Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn NY. On view from March 23 - May 12, 2023. Free.
Bronx Things To Do This Weekend
March is Music Month at the Pregones PRTT Theater at 575 Walton Avenue in the Bronx. On Saturday beginning at 7 pm Manuel Valera and his band, which they desribe as, "... New Cuban Express, creates a unique and distinctive style that mixes elements of Jazz, R&B, fusion, funk, and Cuban music... ".And on Sunday, beginning at 3 pm, Chantal Balestri whose performance is described as follows, " ... a versatile classical musician [who] ... will play works by Schubert, Franz, and Schumann ... ". For $18 - $36 and $0 - $36 tickets see - https://pregonesprtt.org/.
On Saturday, March 18, 2023 beginning at 1 pm, the 65th Annual Yonkers St. Patrick's Parade will march up what they call the Emerald Mile, along McLean Avenue from Bronx River Road / Webster Avenue to Coyne Park in Yonkers. This is a link to a report we did on some of the Irish bars and pubs in the Woodlawn neighborhood of the Bronx NYC, which is just south of McLean Avenue where the Throgs Neck St Patricks Day Parade begins. For further details see their website at - http://www.yonkersstpatricksparade.org/
An exhibit entitled Queer Nature is at Bronx Art Space at 700 Manida Street [near Spofford Avenue] in the Hunts Point neighborhood of the Bronx. The exhibit is described as, " ... One of the primary arguments against homosexuality is the belief that it is not deemed as "natural", therefore cannot be considered normal. Nature is often weaponized to justify homophobia and transphobia, falsely using biology as a means to enforce social constructs. Some cells reproduce asexually, same-sex behaviors occur in hundreds of species of animals, numerous plants and animals are hermaphroditic; many of them switching genders. How can one consider homosexuality unnatural when it is evident in nature? ...". One of the reasons people's understanding and conversations about gender and race are so messed up is that the mainstream media teleprompter readers seem at least as ignorant as their audiences. For details on the exhibit which also has a closing party on April 1st may be found at - http://www.bronxartspace.com.
OPEN CALL ARTISTS / CURATORS. Bronx Art Space has issued an open call to emerging art curators, with a deadline of March 19th, for an April Show. For details see - http://www.bronxartspace.com
The Orchid Show has returned to the New York Botanical Garden and will be there until April 23rd. This year the installation was designed by Lily Kwong a landscape artist who explores Asian cultural themes.
There are gardening classes being given at the Bartow Pell Mansion for the next three Saturdays in March [11th, 18th & 25th] from 10 am - 12 noon. Tickets for all three days are $75 for non-members [$25 / class], or $50 for members [$17 / class].
Staten Island Things To Do This Weekend
On Friday night, from 7 pm - 12 midnight, The Pride Center at 59 Wright Street on Staten Island is hosting the Spring Bling [kiki] Ball. There will be music and dancing. No admission was noted, but for more info and details see - https://twitter.com/pridecenterSI. They also have a website but this and the following event aren't posted there. https://www.pridecentersi.org
On Saturday, from 11 am - 3 pm, starting at Jodys Club at 372 Forest Avenue there's the first Crawl for All St Patricks Day weekend bar crawl. The event is being organized by folks associated with the Pride Center of Staten Island who would like the St Patricks Day parade on Staten Island, to join all other St Patricks Day parades in NYC, by eliminating the discriminatory practice of forbidding people who are both members of Irish and LGBTQ communities, from participating in the parade. Inclusivity rather than exclusivity. Because the Staten Island St Pat's Day Parade continues to lose both audience and participation, the organizers wanted to mitigate some of the St Pat's Parade business losses by local businesses, by organizing the Crawl for All. For details see - https://twitter.com/pridecenterSI.
On Saturday from 6 - 8 pm at the Historic Richmond Town at the Guyon Tavern at 441 Clarke Avenue there's a concert by The Irish Stout and who are described as, " ... Bob Conroy, Norm & Jean Pederson, Jason Wickersty, and Chris Browne, performing new and old traditional Irish songs and tunes. Accompanied by Banjo, Guitar, Fiddle, Ukulele, Mandolin, Irish Flute and Bodhran......". For $18 tickets and event details see - https://www.historicrichmondtown.org
The Lighthouse Museum at 200 The Promenade in the St. George neighborhood of Staten Island has ongoing exhibits about lighthouses and related subjects such as the equipment, the history and an exhibit about the first African American lighthouse keeper at Cape Henry Light, and another about another early African American Lighthouse keeper who played a role at the Pea Island Life Saving Station. For $10 / $5 tickets and details see - https://lighthousemuseum.org.
Have a good one.
Governor Hochul Scraps the Ill Conceived LGA - Willets Point Air Train
Former Governor Cuomo's Air Train Seemed More About Catering to the Whims of the Billionaire Class, than in Streamlining Public Transit
In 2017 I attended a Community Board meeting in Astoria where our urban planners talked about new improvements coming to LaGuardia Airport. Since then a number of those plans have come to fruition. But one of them, what at the time was called the third phase, the Air Train to LGA, has not. Use the link to see the thinking nearly six years ago when the plans had been drafted and the construction was about to begin. I'm happy to say that we flagged and reported to you a number of the issues with the LGA Air Train early on, which we've included in the list below.
The photo at right shows the CTA [Chicago Transit Authority] subway that runs along the Kennedy Expressway from downtown Chicago to O'Hare Airport which vies with Atlanta for the title of the busiest airport in the U.S..
The Former Emperor [Governor] had No Clothes [Sound Public Interest Rationale]
On Monday, Governor Hochul announced what was already well known and expected, which was that the Air Train shuttling between LaGuardia Airport and Flushing Meadows Corona Park, would not be built.
There were any number of good reasons why the LGA Air Train should not have been built, such as: 1) the costs of building the train would cost more than five times the original estimated cost of under $500 million to over $2.5 billion, 2) then, implicit in a number of alternatives, there was the idiocy of connecting the LGA Air Train, to the second most trafficked subway line [the #7] in NYC, which was already nearing peak capacity pre-pandemic, 3) the politically and billionaire preferred alternative destination, Willets Point on Flushing Bay, had just been cleaned up after decades of environmental pollution, and would again be threatened again, and to top it all off, 4) the politically and billionaire preferred Willets Point alternative required all of the people traveling to and from LaGuardia on public transit, to travel out to Flushing first, before circling back around to LaGuardia Airport. The billionaires who would have benefitted from this include billionaire real estate developer Stephen Ross and [now minority interest] Mets Club billionaire owners Saul B. Katz and Fred Wilpon. The new Mets baseball team owner, Steve Cohen, is also a billionaire.
Environmental & Community Groups Oppose Cuomo's Willets Point - LGA Air Train Plan
I recall and confirmed via Wikipedia that, "... In January 2020, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, wrote to the FAA asking why 46 alternatives were rejected and noting that over 60% of the 414 public comments collected by the FAA were in opposition to the proposed routing. Democratic District Leader, Hiram Monserrate, also objected that the FAA's approval had bypassed a Uniform Land Use Review Procedure analysis ... mandated for other large projects. The same month, residents and business owners along the AirTrain's proposed route protested against the construction of the AirTrain on that route...".
In early 2021 Hudson Riverkeeper and the following community groups, Ditmars Blvd Block Association, Guardians of Flushing Bay and the Sensible Way to LGA Coalition, joined forces to slow and eventually stop the Cuomo preferred Air Train alternative, which was to be routed through billionaire controlled Willets Point.
I was far from alone in believing that things weren't right with Cuomo's preferred alternative for the Air Train via Willets Point. An August 12, 2021 Streets Blog report informed us the following,
"... Environmentalists, transit advocates, elected officials and other opponents of the LaGuardia AirTrain are cheering the dissident Port Authority of New York and New Jersey staffers who issued an open letter calling for an end to the boondoggle project and an internal investigation of any “undue influence” that departing Gov. Cuomo had on its federal approval ... Dozens of Port Authority staffers are said to have signed the August 10 missive, which was addressed to Port Authority Executive Director (and Cuomo loyalist) Rick Cotton and copied to all Port Authority commissioners. The letter landed literally hours after Cuomo announced his resignation on Tuesday. (Internal sources dispute the number, claiming that the number of signers is in the single digits.) ... “For too long, Gov. Cuomo and his staff have repeatedly pushed the agency to make non-transparent, politically motivated decisions, including decisions that squander the trust and money of our bondholders, customers, and the general public,” the staffers wrote in the letter ... "
A Bit of the Scandalous History of Willets Point Real Estate Ownership - A Story Generally Not Reported Much by the TV Teleprompter News Presenters
This destination, Willets Point, was the site where former Mayor Bloomberg misused the government power of eminent domain to wrest that valuable land from a number of small landlords of auto repair shops. After using government power and funding to essentially take away the Willets Point property from its original owners, former Mayor Bloomberg subsequently turned around and 'sold it for $1' to the billionaires / millionaires mentioned above, including Stephen Ross, as well as Saul Katz and Fred Wilpon [Mets owners at the time] who also controlled adjacent property at Willets Point near Flushing Bay.
So ask yourself, why don't most New Yorkers know what I just reported above? Because the mainstream media is too busy extensively reporting the weather, sports scores and accidents and murders, instead of the real news. And the TV teleprompter presenters don't seem to have a clue as to what really goes on in NYC and NYS, as they - like the bad politicians - only show up in front of their cameras for photo ops, which are no real substitute for real news coverage. To me, the TV teleprompter presenters seem as inauthentic as $3 bills. But I digress.
Two Primary Drivers of the Rail Connection Construction Costs
One of the biggest obstacles to erecting a rail connection into / out of LaGuardia is the disruption it would cause to existing commutes. Another major factor, particularly for those alternatives which provided the most direct connections into / out of Manhattan, was that a rail connection would have to tunnel below the end of LGA Runway 4-22 that stretches from the southwest section of the airport to the northeast section of the airport which ends in the East River. The reason such a tunnel is required, is because of FAA regulations surrounding construction limitations around an FAA airstrip. I picked up this information in a March 13, 2023 Engineering News Record report as well as in the FAA report noted below.
In the map at right you can see the two runways at LaGuardia and the spot where the 4-22 runway ends, which is one of the construction hurdles / issues.
The Best Air Train Alternative Never Made the List - But the Q70 Bus Link did & Won
There were 10 alternatives, which were described - along with their limitations - on the FAA website. If you're curious about them you can cut and paste this link to view them.
So, instead of a new rail connection into LaGuardia Airport, the committee decided to spend an additional $500 million upgrading the Q70 bus link to LaGuardia. Does that really make sense?
What About Some Other Low Cost, Direct Alternative?
So first, full disclosure, this is my own conception and I've not even tested it out on anyone. You're among the first.
I took a look at a map of the Astoria neighborhood which lies between Manhattan and LaGuardia. It's an area with which I'm pretty familiar. A few of the air train alternatives included connecting the Astoria Blvd and the Ditmars Blvd N / W train MTA subway stops, as the jumping off point for a rail connection to LaGuardia Airport. This makes the most sense, as both the N and W subway lines are nowhere near capacity use, like the #7 train, so there's likely enough slack to handle a significant boost in ridership, if those lines were to be used to enable a public transit rail connection to LaGuardia Airport.
I couldn't find passengers per subway line [that the MTA doesn't publish such information makes no sense to me - they seem only publish per station information], so instead I used the interval time between trains, as a proxy for how much unused capacity is in each line in the system. The #7 train is the only one that uses the rail tracks that the #7 line runs on and the trains are spaced every 2 minutes. The N / W line runs both trains on the same track, and they are spaced every 6 minutes and every 8 minutes, so you can see that the N / W could fairly easily ramp up to handle additional passenger traffic to / from LaGuardia if that subway line was chosen as the starting point to complete a public transit rail connection to LaGuardia Airport.
It's worth noting that the N / W Astoria subway stops are the nearest jumping off point from the subway system to LaGuardia Airport. Only 82nd Street in Jackson Heights and 103rd Street in Corona come close, and they are both nested on the #7 subway line. The N / W subway line proximity to the airport should minimize the amount of construction required to complete a connection from the subway to the airport.
The graphic at right shows the N line travels through Queens, Manhattan and Brooklyn. There are connections to the #7 if you're heading into eastern and southern Queens and connections via subway to the Bronx and Staten Island from Manhattan.
For historical reference, in 1984 Chicago built a subway line from the center of the city, to O'Hare Airport which is 16 miles away. Since then, that CTA subway line has grown to become the second most used subway line in Chicago. But it is also one of its longest lines, so that would make sense.
Passenger Impact on the MTA, if a Rail Connection Was Built From the MTA to LaGuardia Airport
In 2022 there were 29 million passengers [79,000 per day] who traveled through LaGuardia. And from what I could gather from some of the Air Train Analysis reports by the Port Authority PANYNJ, it appears that an estimated 10% of passengers [3 million or 8,200 riders per day] currently use public transit.
In 2019 the MTA provided 1.7 billion subway trips using 36 rail lines. So the average ridership per line [recognizing that ridership per line varies significantly] is 47 million, or about 130,000 riders per day. If every airline passenger took public transit, they would add 79,000 rider trips to the MTA per day, and if they were all carried on one average line, that would boost the ridership on that line by 61%.
Assuming I interpreted the PANYNJ LGA Air Train project estimates for public transit correctly, public transit usage would grow to about 20% - 25% of trips taken to / from LaGuardia if a rail connection were built. So that means even if all the trips to / from LGA came through just one average subway line, the ridership on that MtA line would only increase by 15%.
So, recognizing these are back of the envelope calculations, adding a rail connection from the N / W train line in Astoria wouldn't put an undue burden on those lines, vis a vis the #7 train.
The map above right shows where 19th Avenue and 81st Street meet, which could be the jumping off point for a bimodal train entry into LaGuardia Airport.
Setting up the BiModal Alternative - Connecting to LaGuardia Airport via Rail
Given the FAA restrictions on construction projects near airport runways as pointed out to us by Engineering News Record report of 3/13/23 referenced above, I suggest the PANYNJ build a connecting light rail from the N/ W lines in Astoria to the edge of the airport, ending in the southwest corner of the airport, at the end of the 4-22 runway at 19th Avenue and 81st Street [see map above right]. For the residents of this area, the advantage of this rail link would be better public transit, which in turn would likely raise property values, and make for a very easy any commute into the airport for workers.
Another option would be for it to travel along the Grand Central Parkway [both of these alternatives were included in the PANYNJ study]. The CTA [Chicago Transit Authority] did this very same thing along the Kennedy Expressway in Chicago. The photo at the beginning of this report is of the CTA subway line along the Kennedy Expressway in Chicago to O'Hare Airport. The photo above right is of the Grand Central Parkway in Astoria. There appears to be enough space to add a rail line in here somewhere.
So here's the American ingenuity piece. Set up the N / W trains that go to LaGuardia to have a few rail cars that can be unfastened from the end of that subway train, and can then be driven around the airport stopping at each of the terminals, before returning to the line and being refastened onto the next outgoing subway train. Or, in a manner similar to what they do with container shipping, have some cars that can be rolled off the subway train line and then pulled around the airport terminals on a conveyor, before circling back to be refastened to the next outgoing subway train.
Unfortunately, the photo above right is the closest image I could find on the web, that conveys my meaning - and it doesn't do a sufficient job in my mind.
What I visualize are subway cars at the end of the train, which can be disconnected and go vehicular around the airport. Or better yet, subway cars that can be motored a few blocks to a separate automated rail or street car-like system that takes the disconnected subway cars around the airport to all of the terminals, before returning to the starting point where they would be shuttled back to be reconnected to the next city bound MTA subway train.
The image at right is of a street car operating on one of the few remaining San Francisco street car lines still running. The MTA could set up a street car track circling around the airport, with various pick up / drop off points for folks coming in on the MTA, from various MTA and other bus lines, short and long term parking, and pick up / drop off points for taxis, limos and individually driven cars. A system of this nature, if designed properly, could greatly simply LGA traffic flows.
Think of LaGuardia Airport as an amusement park. After all, the airport was built on one - the North Beach Amusement Park. See photo below of the amusement park which occupied much of the land upon which Municipal Airport was created, opening in 1939, and later renamed LaGuardia in 1947.
Use Flexible Technology to Expand Public Transit Economically, Thus Enabling the Masses & the Middle Class, Instead of Congestion Pricing / Taxing the Average Citizen out of the Rich Man's Way
I recognize that this option isn't currently offered by Kawasaki, Bombardier or Siemens, who represent about two thirds of the subway car industry. But this isn't rocket science, and there is plenty of pre-existing technology, like parts etc. to make this happen in about as much time [2 - 3 years] as it would take to complete the elevated rail line from either the Ditmars Blvd or Astoria Blvd subway station. NYS has a large Kawasaki subway car plant in Yonkers that might be up to the job.
This sort of flexible technology would also enable the MTA to expand service further into transportation deserts, before doing an expensive build out of subway lines, in neighborhoods where public transit makes sense. This would in turn reduce congestion in Manhattan and surrounding areas.
For my money, building infrastructure that enables folks to get around more easily without their cars, is a far more equitable solution to our congestion, pollution and transportation problems thanCongestion Pricing.
Congestion Pricing appears to me like the proposal of the Air Train to Willets Point that Governor Hochul just scratched, meaning it doesn't serve the general public interest, but rather seems to reward the private selfish interests of the folks who are pushing the plan, and who appear to have successfully manipulated quite a few well intentioned folks to support it. The profiteering supporters congestion pricing have manipulated a lot of people into supporting it by promising them all of these public transit goodies, which they claim the masses will get from the proceeds [their first hook was that it was better for the environment but that didn't stand up to scientific scrutiny very well]. If you read the Congestion Pricing report we previously published [see link above], you'll see that in London, where they implemented a congestion pricing plan, a lot of the money went into building and managing the congestion pricing system, while only a fraction of it actually made its way to support public transit as originally promised. Just as in the Congestion Pricing environmental claims, there seemed to be a fair amount of fictionalization of the 'facts'. This sort of manipulation is not unlike what Australian born Oligarch Rupert Murdoch does all too often on his Fox News, NY Post and Wall Street Journal.
Congestion pricing basically creates something very unAmerican, which is a two-tiered transportation system for the haves and have nots. Folks with less money are priced out of driving in Manhattan [luxury] so the rich folks can move around more easily, having priced the rest of the folks out of the way. Building infrastructure, on the other hand, entices folks to ditch their cars in the interest of saving the environment, creates more doable public transit commutes, and enables the working class to save their money to spend on more satisfying conveniences.
Think about it, then smile or have a good laugh - either at me or with me - and go on to enjoy your week.
Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros
Daylight Savings Time Sunday 2AM, Performance of a Lorraine Hansberry Play, a Pop Up Market & Poets Workshop in Brooklyn; Chain Theatre Opens Original Play, Fresh, Fly & Fabulous Exhibit in Manhattan; Rough Draft Festival at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, Workshop for Women About EmPowerment, MFTA Art Opening & 40 Shades of Irish Green in Queens; Two St Patrick's Day Parades, a Concert, a Queer Nature Art Exhibit & the Orchid Show in the Bronx; Two Concerts [one Folk & one Classical], a Pre-Oscar Screening, a Staged Reading & Glass House Tour on Staten Island
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 40's and the temperature lows will be in the low to high 30's all weekend. Winds will range from 5 - 13 mph on Friday and Saturday and fall to about 7 mph on Sunday. The humidity will range from 60% - 80% on Friday, and then settle into the 60% - 70% range for the rest of the weekend. There will be about an inch of precipitation between 4 pm Friday and 9 am Saturday, and the rest of the weekend should remain dry.
The photo at right was taken in McCarren Park in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn a while back.
Manhattan Things To Do This Weekend
From March 15 through April 8th beginning at 7 pm [most nights], the Chain Theatre at 312 West 36th Street [3rd Floor] will be hosting live performances of THIS G*D DAMN HOUSE. The play is described as follows, " ... Jet lagged, without warning, Danny is summoned from NYC by his brother Jacob to Florida. Their mother has 24 hrs to vacate their childhood home. The problem is, their mother is a hoarder and the house is an indoor trash heap. The brothers dig through the filth and garbage with memories, trauma, and the past rising to the surface as the deadline closes in...". For tickets and details see - https://www.chaintheatre.org.
OPEN CALL. The Chain NYC Film Festival is accepting submissions. The early bird deadline is April 29, 2023. Producers, Directors and Actors can save on entry fees by submitting their work early on Film Freeway. For details see - https://www.chaintheatre.org/.
Fresh, Fly and Fabulous is on exhibit at the Fashion Institute of Management at 227 West 27th Street in Chelsea from February 8th to April 23rd. The exhibit is dedicated to Hip Hop not just as music and fashion, but as a lifestyle and cultural statement. Hip Hop celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Wednesday - Friday from noon to 8 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10 am - 5 pm. There's an all day symposium on Friday, February 24th. For details see - https://www.fitnyc.edu/
Next Friday, March 17th, beginning at 11 am, the NYC St Patrick's Day Parade in Manhattan begins on 5th Avenue at 44th Street and marches up to 79th Street. There are generally about 150,000 participants and about two million spectators. Click these links for Irish pub suggestions for each borough. For further details see - https://www.nycstpatricksparade.org/
Friday, March 10th beginning at 5 pm, there's a reading of Doll Valley in tandem with the Rough Draft Festival at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center at 31-10 Thomson Avenue in Long Island City. The reading is described as follows, " ... Doll Valley is a meditation on a cornerstone of iconic queer camp pop culture endowed with the mythic tale of women attempting to navigate concepts of gaze and authorship in a volatile field/industry ...". For more details and to rsvp a free seat go to - https://www.lpac.nyc/.
This Sunday, March 12th from 12 noon - 3 pm at the Museum of the Moving Image at 36-01 35th Avenue in Astoria - Redefining Leadership, Reimagining Power - is a workshop described as, " ... in connection with Ramadan and Women’s History Month, Redefining Leadership, Reimagining Power is a community event focused on women leaders and the many definitions of leadership including speaking up against injustices; taking care of each other and our communities; and creating films with powerful messages, such as TYWLS student Niyama Chowdhury’s visual poem The Light of Islam. In response to a prompt, participants can create a video about women’s leadership ...". For tickets and details see - https://movingimage.us. Free with $10 / $20 admission.
Next Wednesday, March 15th beginning at 7.30 pm at St. Marks Episcopal Church at 33-50 82nd Street in Jackson Heights, there's a performance by the Jackson Heights Orchestra. In addition to playing Mozart's the Marriage of Figaro, and Beethoven's Symphony #7, they'll be performing a new work by one of their own. For details and tickets see their Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/people/Jackson-Heights-Orchestra/100028285643320/
Next Thursday, March 16th from 6.30 to 9.30 pm at Materials for the Arts at 11-00 Northern Blvd in Long Island City there's an art exhibit opening for “A Kaleidoscope of Lines/ Forms/ Patterns” by Sui Park. The works is described as follows, " ... Her work involves creating 3-dimensional organic forms in biomorphic shapes that are both illusory and mystical. Park’s creations are often made with mass-produced industrial materials, in particular, Monofilament cable sleeving and zip ties. While resembling transitions and transformations of nature, the forms aim to capture subtle but continuous changes in our emotions, sentiments, memories, and expectations... ". For details and to rsvp see - https://www.materialsforthearts.org/.
Next Friday, March 17th at the NY Irish Center at 1040 Jackson near Vernon Blvd in Long Island City there's a St Patricks Day Celebration entitled '40 Shades of Green', from 3 - 9 pm. For $30 tickets and details see - https://www.newyorkirishcenter.org.
Next Friday, March 17th beginning at 5 pm, there's a reading of Cryptochrome in tandem with the Rough Draft Festival at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center at 31-10 Thomson Avenue in Long Island City. The reading is described as follows, " ... Cryptochrome is a freewheeling ritual meditation on wayfinding and navigation. Named after a protein believed to be responsible for the ability to navigate using the electromagnetic field, the work explores forms of perception and intuition beyond the limited scope of the visible. As a visually impaired artist in the process of losing my own sight, its central questions are both urgent and personal. Incorporating a score of original music and text, the work invites audiences on a kaleidoscopic journey across the animal kingdom––from echolocating bats in pitch black caves to birds migrating across featureless oceans––to unearth new insights about how we move through the world in relation to other creatures and one another...". For more details and to rsvp a free seat go to - https://www.lpac.nyc/.
Brooklyn Things To Do This Weekend
On Sunday, March 12 from 11 am to 5 pm there's a Winter Pop Up Market at the Brooklyn Museum at 200 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn. The event is free and open to the public. For details see https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/.
The photo at right was taken at a spring market in Brooklyn [not at the museum] a few years ago, just before the pandemic struck.
On Friday at 7.30 pm, Saturday at 1.30 and 7.30, and Sunday at 3 pm there are performances of Black female author Lorraine Hansberry's epic drama entitled The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window in the Harvey Theatre at the Brooklyn Academy of Music at 651 Fulton Street in Brooklyn. They describe the play as follows, " ... Hansberry invites us into Greenwich Village in the 60s, crafting a razor-sharp portrait of a diverse group of friends whose progressive dreams can’t quite match reality. At the center are Sidney and Iris Brustein, fighting to see if their marriage—with all its crackling wit, passion, and petty cruelty—can survive Sidney’s ideals...". The play runs daily, except Mondays, through March 24th. For $35 & up tickets and details see - https://www.bam.org.
On Monday, March 13th, beginning at 6.30 pm Brooklyn Poets at 144 Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights is hosting a number of open mic readings at their monthly Poets Yawp which is a workshop held on the second Monday of every month from 6.30 to 9 pm. If you want to speak you have to rsvp a spot in advance. The featured speaker this Monday is Ramya Ramana. For details and $13 tickets see - https://brooklynpoets.org/
Bronx Things To Do This Weekend
March is Music Month begins at Pregones PRTT Theater at 571 Walton Street in the Bronx. On Saturday beginning at 7 pm Sonia Olla and Ismael Fernandez who they bill as a "fiery duo". And on Sunday, beginning at 3 pm, Francesca Khalifa will perform. Khalifa's piano playing is described as follows, " ... uncommon among the new generation…the introspection of her interpretation is convincing, as much as the subtlety and delicacy of the phrasing, the nobility of the musicianship... ". For tickets call 718-585-1202, and while the prices weren't posted, we put in a call to find out but haven't heard back yet. Usually prices are in the $15 - $20 range.
On Sunday, March 12, 2023 beginning at 12 noon the Throggs Neck St Pats Parade in the Bronx steps off at Lafayette and East Tremont Avenue. The parade marches south on East Tremont Avenue, through the Throgs Neck commercial district, ending about a mile later at Harding and East Tremont Avenue, where a mobile stage is usually set up for parade speechs and entertainment. The parade lasts about an hour, but the festivities go on far longer.
The photo at right was taken at the Throggs Neck St Patricks Day Parade in 2018. This is a link to a previous report we did on the St Patricks Day Parade in Throgs Neck in the Bronx NYC. For further details see their blogspot page at - http://tnsaintpatricksdayparade.blogspot.com/
On Saturday, March 18, 2023 beginning at 1 pm, the 65th Annual Yonkers St. Patrick's Parade will march up what they call the Emerald Mile, along McLean Avenue from Bronx River Road / Webster Avenue to Coyne Park in Yonkers. This is a link to a report we did on some of the Irish bars and pubs in the Woodlawn neighborhood of the Bronx NYC, which is just south of McLean Avenue where the Throgs Neck St Patricks Day Parade begins. For further details see their website at - http://www.yonkersstpatricksparade.org/
An exhibit entitled Queer Nature is at Bronx Art Space at 700 Manida Street [near Spofford Avenue] in the Hunts Point neighborhood of the Bronx. The exhibit is described as, " ... One of the primary arguments against homosexuality is the belief that it is not deemed as "natural", therefore cannot be considered normal. Nature is often weaponized to justify homophobia and transphobia, falsely using biology as a means to enforce social constructs. Some cells reproduce asexually, same-sex behaviors occur in hundreds of species of animals, numerous plants and animals are hermaphroditic; many of them switching genders. How can one consider homosexuality unnatural when it is evident in nature? ...". One of the reasons people's understanding and conversations about gender and race are so messed up is that the mainstream media teleprompter readers seem at least as ignorant as their audiences. For details on the exhibit which also has a closing party on April 1st may be found at - http://www.bronxartspace.com.
OPEN CALL ARTISTS / CURATORS. Bronx Art Space has issued an open call to emerging art curators, with a deadline of March 19th, for an April Show. For details see - http://www.bronxartspace.com
The Orchid Show has returned to the New York Botanical Garden and will be there until April 23rd. This year the installation was designed by Lily Kwong a landscape artist who explores Asian cultural themes.
There are gardening classes being given at the Bartow Pell Mansion for the next three Saturdays in March [11th, 18th & 25th] from 10 am - 12 noon. Tickets for all three days are $75 for non-members [$25 / class], or $50 for members [$17 / class].
Staten Island Things To Do This Weekend
On Saturday, March 11th from 1 - 2.30 pm there's a rare opportunity to take a tour of the Carl Grillo Glass House at Snug Harbor. The tour provides a behind-the-scenes look at the greenhouse. From 2 - 3 pm there's a St. Lukes Orchestra concert entitled Journeys and Origins in the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art in the Main Hall Gallery, Building C at Snug Harbor. Tour tickets cost $10 / $8 and concert tickets are free but you must rsvp. For tickets and details see - https://snug-harbor.org.
On Saturday from 6 - 8 pm at the Historic Richmond Town at the Guyon Tavern at 441 Clarke Avenue there's a concert by Linda Russell and who is described as, " ... a singer/songwriter who is also deeply rooted in traditional music. Playing mountain dulcimer and hammered dulcimer, Linda performs a variety of material ranging from early American ballads and love songs to mountain gospels, Irish dance tunes and her own compositions. Linda’s original songs tell of childhood summers, family sing-alongs and the abandoned farmhouses and eccentric characters of her Midwestern past.....". For $18 tickets and event details see - https://www.historicrichmondtown.org
Also in Historic Richmond Town [above] on Sunday, there's a Cabin Fever Reliever Soda Break Making Workshop from 1 - 3 pm. For $20 tickets and event details see - https://www.historicrichmondtown.org.
On Sunday, March 12th beginning at 4 pm there's a staged reading of the theatrical production of "Mind the Light" at the Lighthouse Museum at 200 The Promenade in the St. George neighborhood of Staten Island. The Lighthouse Museum also has ongoing exhibits about lighthouses and related subjects such as the equipment, the history and an exhibit about the first African American lighthouse keeper at Cape Henry Light, and another about another early African American Lighthouse keeper who played a role at the Pea Island Life Saving Station. For $10 / $5 tickets and details see - https://lighthousemuseum.org.
On Sunday, from 3 - 7 pm, there's an Oscar Night Pre-Party at the St. George Theatre at 35 Hyatt Street on Staten Island. The event includes a showing of Breakfast at Tiffanys on the big screen in the historic theater. For $20 per person tickets and details see - https://stgeorgetheatre.com
There are a lot of celebrations planned for St Pat's Day in Queens. There are a at least three St Patrick's Day Parades in Queens, but they are generally held on the weekends before or after the actual St. Patrick's Day feast on March 17th.
The photo to your right was taken on St. Patrick's Day weekend in 2019 at Donovan's Pub in Woodside.
This report contains a number of brief suggestions for St. Patrick's Day bars, restaurants and Irish pubs in Queens, including in Astoria, Long Island City, Sunnyside, Woodside [near Jackson Heights], Bayside [near Flushing], the Rockaways [near Jamaica] and in Maspeth / Ridgewood which are near Kew Gardens and Forest Hills. At the end of the report we've included links to St. Patrick's Day celebrations in other boroughs.
Please drink responsibly and let someone else drive if you're impaired. St. Patrick's Day is a bit like New Years Eve, in that the amateur consumers of alcohol of all ethnicities come out to celebrate, and if they are not properly managed / or cared for, accidents may occur, and some of them with life changing consequences.
At a later date we'll add a bit of history of St. Patrick's Day.
Lorraine Hansberry's Play at the Brooklyn Academy of Music & Brooklyn Poets Readings in Brooklyn, the Athena Film Festival at Barnard College, Fresh, Fly & Fabulous Exhibit, Purim Celebration & the Harlem Blues in Manhattan, Cryptochrome at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center & Two St Patrick's Day Parades in Queens, Queer Nature Opens at Bronx Art Space & the Orchid Show in the Bronx, & Lisa & Lori at Historic Richmond Town and the last Remaining Homophobic St Patricks Day Parade in NYC on Staten Island
NYC Weather. There will be about an inch of rain on Friday beginning between 5 - 8 pm, ending by Saturday 8 am. The rest of the weekend will be dry. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 40's all weekend, while the temperature lows will be in the mid to high 30's. The winds will be 10 - 20 mph on Friday, 5 - 15 on Saturday and about 10 mph on Sunday. The humidity will be 50% - 80% on Friday, 70% on Saturday and 60% on Sunday.
The photo at right was taken late Monday night. It seems someone made good use of their time, and built what is likely one of the few NYC snowmen of this entire winter.
The Illusion of Winter
The photo at right shows NYC getting its first real snow of Winter 2023. I went out late Monday evening to capture the snowfall, as I didn't think the snow would last long in our increasingly warm and drier climate. As you know, the snow - unlike unwelcome guests - didn't stay long. For those who still think climate change is a liberal hoax, please think again.
I think the coming climate change scourge isn't going to be about having too much water, but rather about not having enough water, to grow food and drink. If I were in charge of infrastructure preparations for climate change, I would be planning to cover reservoirs, cover conduits moving water from one area to another [including possibly rivers] and maybe even some lakes. I would also be accelerating our transition away from dictator-controlled fossil fuels [Russia & Saudi Arabia], to installing solar on rooftops to power both homes and to charge the homeowner's electric vehicles by instituting a steady gradual increase in taxes on carbon fuels, the proceeds of which I would use, as incentives to install renewable energy alternatives including more widely available public transit. And I would accelerate the erection of windmill fields near large urban center that can be protected from hostile enemy fire, to avoid experiencing what the Russians are doing to the Ukrainian power grid.
If you're under the age of 70 and in reasonably good health, you're going to be among those of us who will suffer the consequences of society allowing of the powerful to prioritize profits ahead doing the right thing for the general well being of the community. Click this link to view a report we did previously based on fact, with a blend of futuristic fiction - The Great Evaporation: An Ozone Hole Parable which conveys in greater detail my view of the coming catastrophe of climate change. In the meantime we can all do our little part, like re-using things as much as possible; walking, cycling or using public transit whenever feasible, keeping lights and appliances off or on low as much as reasonable, and making sure that the candidates we elect, prioritize the transition away from fascist-controlled fossil fuels, as fast as reasonably can be done.
Manhattan Things To Do This Weekend
From Thursday, March 2nd thru Sunday, March 5th, the Athena Film Festival is being held at Barnard College on West Broadway between 116th and 120th Streets on the Upper West Side. The festival is screening 12 feature films, 12 documentaries and 16 short films and they are hosting six panels. I believe most films are shown in the Held Auditorium, the Lehman Auditorium and the panels are held at either the Event Oval or the James Room. For further details, tickets [$18 general public / $7 for students] and locations see - https://athenafilmfestival.com/festival-info/directions/
Fresh, Fly and Fabulous is on exhibit at the Fashion Institute of Management at 227 West 27th Street in Chelsea from February 8th to April 23rd. The exhibit is dedicated to Hip Hop not just as music and fashion, but as a lifestyle and cultural statement. Hip Hop celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Wednesday - Friday from noon to 8 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10 am - 5 pm. There's an all day symposium on Friday, February 24th. For details see - https://www.fitnyc.edu/
The photo at right shows that the city was prepared to handle the incoming snow. But given the light 1 - 3 inch dusting, and the warm temperatures forecast for the following day, mother nature had resourced the means to handle the snow removal herself.
On Sunday, March 5th from 10.30 am - 5.30 pm, Congregation Rodeph Sholom is celebrating PurimFest at 7 West 83rd Street in Manhattan. Free and everyone is welcome.
On Monday, March 6th from 6 - 10 pm, Phil's House of Blues at 300 West 116th Street [near Frederick Douglass Blvd] in West Harlem is hosting Silvana, featuring a number of blues musicians. Admittance is $10. For details see - https://www.newheritagetheatre.org/422-phil-s-house-of-blues
On Tuesday, March 7th, at 9.30 am at 250 Broadway between Park Place and Murray Street across from City Hall there's a Rally to Return the Landmarks Preservation Commission to its Purpose. The rally is being organized in tandem with the following organizations - Seaport Coalition, Humanscale NYC, Citywide Landuse Coalition and the Historic Districts Council.
Queens Things To Do This Weekend
Saturday, March 4, 2023. The Queens County St. Patrick's Day Parade in the Rockaways kicks off at 1 pm at Beach 130th and Newport Avenue. Church services at Francis de Sales Church [129th and Newport Avenue] will be held prior to the parade. The parade marches east down Newport Avenue to 116th Street, where it turns right / heads south one block to Rockaway Blvd - where it turns left and continues east down Rockaway Blvd to 102nd Street terminating near a shopping center parking lot. This parade is in the Rockaways neighborhood of Queens and as of 2023, this parade is in its 48th year. For more details see - https://queenscountyparade.org/
On Saturday, March 4, 2023 from 1 - 4 pm there's a Hands on History lecture about the Irish immigrants coming to New York. A sampling of what will be discussed is as follows, " ... to escape poverty and famine. With them, they brought their rich culture, which included symbols like the shamrock and their love of music, including the harp. Musicians were central to Irish culture, and the harp is the national symbol of Ireland. Many workers at King Manor in the 19th century were Irish immigrants ..." Free but please rsvp at - https://www.kingmanor.org/
This weekend at the Museum of the Moving Image at 36-01 35th Avenue in Astoria - Millers Crossing is being shown at 7 pm on Friday and 5.30 pm on Sunday, while Crooklyn is being shown at 1 pm on Saturday.
Sunday, March 5, 2023. The St. Pat's for All Parade in Sunnyside begins with speeches and music at 12 noon, and then kicks off from Skillman Avenue and 43rd Street in Sunnyside, Queens ending 15 blocks further east at 58th Street in Woodside. For further details on the St Pats for All Parade see - https://www.stpatsforall.org/
On Tuesday, March 7th [also on March 17th] beginning at 5 pm, there's a reading of Cryptochrome in tandem with the Rough Draft Festival at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center at 31-10 Thomson Avenue in Long Island City. The reading is described as follows, " ... Cryptochrome is a freewheeling ritual meditation on wayfinding and navigation. Named after a protein believed to be responsible for the ability to navigate using the electromagnetic field, the work explores forms of perception and intuition beyond the limited scope of the visible. As a visually impaired artist in the process of losing my own sight, its central questions are both urgent and personal. Incorporating a score of original music and text, the work invites audiences on a kaleidoscopic journey across the animal kingdom––from echolocating bats in pitch black caves to birds migrating across featureless oceans––to unearth new insights about how we move through the world in relation to other creatures and one another...". For more details and to rsvp a free seat go to - https://www.lpac.nyc/.
Brooklyn Things To Do This Weekend
On Friday beginning at 6.30 pm Brooklyn Poets at 144 Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights is hosting a number of open mic readings. If you want to speak you have to rsvp a spot in advance. Featured speakers include Morgan Boyle and Joshua Garcia. For details and $7 tickets see - https://brooklynpoets.org/
The photo at right was taken late Monday night. We haven't seen snow all winter and its appearance on Monday was very fleeting ... or shall I say feeting?
On Friday at 7.30 pm, Saturday at 1.30 and 7.30, and Sunday at 3 pm there are performances of Black female author Lorraine Hansberry's epic drama entitled The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window in the Harvey Theatre at the Brooklyn Academy of Music at 651 Fulton Street in Brooklyn. They describe the play as follows, " ... Hansberry invites us into Greenwich Village in the 60s, crafting a razor-sharp portrait of a diverse group of friends whose progressive dreams can’t quite match reality. At the center are Sidney and Iris Brustein, fighting to see if their marriage—with all its crackling wit, passion, and petty cruelty—can survive Sidney’s ideals...". The play runs daily, except Mondays, through March 24th. For $35 & up tickets and details see - https://www.bam.org.
Bronx Things To Do This Weekend
A new exhibit entitled Queer Nature opened at Bronx Art Space at 700 Manida Street [near Spofford Avenue] in the Hunts Point neighborhood of the Bronx. The exhibit is described as, " ... One of the primary arguments against homosexuality is the belief that it is not deemed as "natural", therefore cannot be considered normal. Nature is often weaponized to justify homophobia and transphobia, falsely using biology as a means to enforce social constructs. Some cells reproduce asexually, same-sex behaviors occur in hundreds of species of animals, numerous plants and animals are hermaphroditic; many of them switching genders. How can one consider homosexuality unnatural when it is evident in nature? ...". We've been highlighting some of this information for years, as the links in the Staten Island section below, will show. The reason the discourse about gender, like race, is so messed up is that the mainstream media teleprompter readers seem as ignorant as their audiences. For details on the exhibit which also has a closing party on April 1st may be found at - http://www.bronxartspace.com.
OPEN CALL ARTISTS / CURATORS. Bronx Art Space has issued an open call to emerging art curators, with a deadline of March 19th, for an April Show. For details see - http://www.bronxartspace.com
MARCH 2ND CANCELLED DUE TO SPEAKER ISSUE. On Thursdays, March 2, 9 & 16, 2023 at from 7 - 8.30 pm, there's a lecture series, entitled 'Inspiring Beauty, at the Bartow Pell Mansion at 895 Shore Road in Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx. The art, photography and curatorial lecture series is about Hudson River Landscapes and Country Estates by one of three different experts each week. For $20 / $30 tickets and details see - https://www.bartowpellmansionmuseum.org.
The Orchid Show has returned to the New York Botanical Garden and will be there until April 23rd. This year the installation was designed by Lily Kwong a landscape artist who explores Asian cultural themes.
Staten Island Things To Do This Weekend
On Saturday from 6 - 8 pm at the Historic Richmond Town at the Guyon Tavern at 441 Clarke Avenue there's a concert by Lisa & Lori Brigantino and the experience is described as an, " ... indoor concert series ... in the restored Guyon Tavern, located on Richmond Road. The Tavern boasts a wood-burning stove, flickering candles, live music and the true feel of a 19th century saloon. Beverage options harken back to the period and include hot spiced apple cider, scratch made mulled wine, as well as a refreshing selection of beers....". For $18 tickets and event details see - https://www.historicrichmondtown.org
Sunday, March 5, 2023 the St. Patrick's Day Parade on Staten Island steps off at 12.30 pm. They begin at Harts Blvd marching along Forest Avenue in the Westerleigh / Elm Park neighborhoods to Jewett Avenue, in the West New Brighton neighborhood of Staten Island. Members of the LGBTQ community continue to be banned from participating in the parade. If you are interested in the truth about human sexuality and gender identification please view two previous reports we posted on gender identification and LGTBQ sexuality to better understand how some people's gender identity differs versus those of us in the mainstream. On the first linked report be sure to click into the link to the Metropolitan Museum's Nadar exhibit done in 1860 in Paris, but be advised the photograph is a bit shocking and not for the faint of heart.
The Lighthouse Museum at 200 The Promenade in the St. George neighborhood of Staten Island has ongoing exhibits about lighthouses and related subjects such as the equipment, the history and an exhibit about the first African American lighthouse keeper at Cape Henry Light, and another about another early African American Lighthouse keeper who played a role at the Pea Island Life Saving Station. For tickets and details see - https://lighthousemuseum.org.
Have a good one.
St Pats Day Parades in All 5 Boros of NYC
This is a Look at All of the Upcoming St Patricks Day Parades, Including Photos of those We've Covered Over the Years with Links to a Page Containing Photos and Descriptions of Some of the Best Irish Pub in Each Borough
NYC Weather. The temperature highs start at about 40 on Tuesday, rising to 45 Wednesday and 55 on Thursday, before falling back to 40 on Friday. The temperature lows start in the low 30's on Tuesday, rise to the low 40's on Wednesday, before falling back to the mid 30's on Thursday and rising again to about 40 on Friday. The winds on Tuesday range from 5 - 15 mph, then fall back to 5 - 10 mph on Wednesday and Thursday before kicking up to 15 - 20 mph on Friday. The humidity will range from 75% - 85% on Tuesday, then fall back to 65% - 75% for the rest of the weekdays. There's a 50% chance of a scant amount of precipitation Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, before a real chance of an inch and a quarter of either snow or rain on Friday. Most of Saturday and Sunday should be clear.
The photo at right was taken at the St Pats for All Parade in Sunnyside Queens. This St Pat's Parade was created to allow LGBTQ folks to march in a St Patricks Day parade at a time when all of the others banned LGBTQ from marching in their parades.
Each Borough Has its Own Parade
Parades, Pubs and Restaurants in Each Borough. Each borough has at least one or more St. Patrick's Day parade. As we've covered most of them, we've included links to our reports of each St. Patricks Day Parade to provide you with further details of the experience of attending. We've also included links to some of the best or oldest Irish pubs and restaurants in each borough. As this is by no means a comprehensive list, and we will continue refining this report as we learn more about the Irish pubs and restaurants in each borough of NYC.
How this page is organized. We've organized this page first by borough and then by date. The parades span the month, even though the official feast date for St. Patrick is March 17th, which is also the date of the Manhattan parade which is by far the largest.
The LGBTQ Parade Participation Issue Appears to be Abating. In 2020 the St Pats for All parade was begun in Sunnyside to protest the banning of gays from marching in the Manhattan St Pats Parade. In 2015 the Manhattan Parade opened up its participation rules to allow gays to march. In 2020 the Throgs Neck parade opened up its participation to gays. At present only the Staten Island parade continues to ban LGBTQ community members from participating in the parade as openly gay people. The Staten Island ban continues in 2023.
This is a Look at All of the Upcoming St Patricks Day Parades, Including Photos of those We've Covered Over the Years with Links to a Page Containing Photos and Descriptions of Some of the Best Irish Pub in Each Borough
Saturday, March 4, 2023. The Queens County St. Patrick's Day Parade in the Rockaways kicks off at 1 pm at Beach 130th and Newport Avenue. Church services at Francis de Sales Church [129th and Newport Avenue] will be held prior to the parade. The parade marches east down Newport Avenue to 116th Street, where it turns right / heads south one block to Rockaway Blvd - where it turns left and continues east down Rockaway Blvd to 102nd Street terminating near a shopping center parking lot. This parade is in the Rockaways neighborhood of Queens and as of 2023, this parade is in its 48th year.
For more details see - https://queenscountyparade.org/
Sunday, March 5, 2023. The St. Pat's for All Parade in Sunnyside begins with speeches and music at 12 noon, and then kicks off from Skillman Avenue and 43rd Street in Sunnyside, Queens ending 15 blocks further east at 58th Street in Woodside. The St Pats for All Parade was founded in 2000 in response to the Manhattan St Pats Parade boycott of LGBTQ folks marching as openly gay. The Manhattan St Pats Parade has since dropped that policy and permits openly gay members of the community to march in the parade.
The photo at right was taken at the St Pats for All Parade in Sunnyside in 2012. This link will take you to a section of our coverage of the St Pats Parades in Queens NYC. Please be advised that as of this post [2/27/23] we've not finished cleaning up the linked section since we migrated to a new web platform late last year. Those 'elements' in the linked report represent stories we need to add back as the 'elements' technology from the old platform no longer functions.
For further details on the St Pats for All Parade see - https://www.stpatsforall.org/
Saturday, March 25, 2023 beginning at 1 pm the Bayside St. Patrick's Day Parade marches down Bell Blvd between 35th and 42nd Avenues. The parade is a fairly new one, now in its fifth or sixth year [2023].
For further details see their Facebook page - www.facebook.com/baysidestpatricksdayparade as their website as of this post on 2.28.23 is currently having issues - www.baysidesaintpatricksdayparade.org.
St Patricks Day Parades on Staten Island NYC
Sunday, March 5, 2023 the St. Patrick's Day Parade on Staten Island steps off at 12.30 pm. They begin at Harts Blvd marching along Forest Avenue in the Westerleigh / Elm Park neighborhoods to Jewett Avenue, in the West New Brighton neighborhood of Staten Island. Members of the LGBTQ community continue to be banned from participating in the parade.
In additional signs of how far behind the times the Staten Island St Pats Day Parade committee is, they don't appear to have a website and the only Facebook page was last updated in 2020. I suspect it's just a matter of time before the parade committee gets off their high horses and does the right thing, which is to welcome all members of their community to participate in the parade, and quit discriminating against some of them.
The photo at right was taken at the Staten Island St Pats Parade in 2018 or 2019. Click here to view our report on St Pat's Day Irish Pubs, Bars & Restaurants Staten Island NYC. The report currently contains an update of the LGBTQ issue, which we expect to remove from that page and place it on this one, as we now have a page of the parades.
As mentioned above, I couldn't find a parade website nor an up-to-date Facebook page as of this post [2/28/23].
St Patricks Day Parades in the Bronx NYC & Yonkers
On Sunday, March 12, 2023 beginning at 12 noon the Throggs Neck St Pats Parade in the Bronx steps off at Lafayette and East Tremont Avenue. The parade marches south on East Tremont Avenue, through the Throgs Neck commercial district, ending about a mile later at Harding and East Tremont Avenue, where a mobile stage is usually set up for parade speechs and entertainment. The parade lasts about an hour, but the festivities go on far longer.
The photo at right was taken at the Throggs Neck St Patricks Day Parade in 2018.
For further details see their blogspot page at - http://tnsaintpatricksdayparade.blogspot.com/
On Saturday, March 18, 2023 beginning at 1 pm, the 65th Annual Yonkers St. Patrick's Parade will march up what they call the Emerald Mile, along McLean Avenue from Bronx River Road / Webster Avenue to Coyne Park in Yonkers.
The photo at right, was taken in early March of 2020, showing John Mulligans Fireside Pub along Katonah Avenue in the Woodlawn Heights neighborhoof of the Bronx. The blocks along Katonah Avenue south of McLean are home to a lot of Bronx Irish. See the reports below for details.
On Friday beginning at 11 am, the NYC St Patrick's Day Parade in Manhattan begins on 5th Avenue at 44th Street and marches up to 79th Street. There are generally about 150,000 participants and about two million spectators. Click these links for Irish pub suggestions for each borough.
The Manhattan St Pats Parade in New York City first stepped off in 1762. The parade continued through the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Civil War, WWI & WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Middle East Wars since the 1990's. In the early years beneficial societies took over organizing the event, followed by the Ancient Order of Hiberians in 1852, and in the 1990's this was followed by the transference of the parade management to local groups and organizations.
The parade generally adhered to 'traditional values' which meant that LGBTQ members of the community weren't allowed to march as openly gay human beings. The banning of LGBTQ participation became an issue in the late 1980's and early 1990's as AIDs 'invisibly' swept through the LGBTQ community. Some say 'invisibly' because they say the LGBTQ community members weren't given a proper amount of attention by the media and government officials, and were excluded from public events such as the St Pats Parade.
The LGBTQ controversy swelled up until in 2014, when then Mayor Bill de Blasio, along with many other high ranking government officials, refused to participate in the parade as long as it discriminated against gay participation. Guinness Brewing Company quickly followed suit, withdrawing its sponsorship. By 2015 the parade committee had invited a gay group from Universal NBC, which had broadcast rights to the parade, to march in it, in a sign that things were shifting. In 2018 the parade officially opened the parade to LGBTQ marchers. In 2014 less than a quarter million people watched the parade on TV.
Sunday, March 19, 2023 beginning at 12.30 pm, the Brooklyn Saint Patrick's Parade kicks off at Prospect Park West and 15th St [assembly stretches to 9th St]. The parade marches to 7th Ave & Garfield Place, back to Prospect Park West & 15th Street where there's a celebration from 2 - 5 pm in Bartel-Pritchard Square at 14th Street in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn. The parade was established in 1975 and is said to be the oldest St Patricks Day Parade in Brooklyn.
There's a St Patrick's Day Parade mass beginning at 10.30 am at Holy Name of Jesus Church at 245 Prospect Park West. St. Patrick's Day parades in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn NYC.
The photo at right was taken on St Pats Day in 2017 in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn.
For further details see their Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/people/Brooklyn-St-Patricks-Parade/100067529770947/ because as of this post their website was out of date - https://brooklynstpatricksparade.org/
On Sunday, March 26, 2023 the Bay Ridge Brooklyn Saint Patrick's Parade kicks off at 1 pm on 3rd and Marine Avenues and marches north along 3rd Avenue to 67th Street ending in Owl's Head Park in Bayridge. This parade was first established in 1993.
The photo at right was taken at the 2022 St Pats Parade in the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn.
For further details see - https://www.brparade.com/
Irish Farewell Greeting
May the sun shine warm upon your face, The rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of his hand. Erin go Bragh.
Have a good week.
Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros
Black HerStory at Lincoln Center, African Poetry Society Film Festival in Queens, Lorraine Hansberry's Play at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Performance of the Play Insignificant at the Bartow Pell Mansion in the Bronx & African American Lighthouse Exhibit Opening on Staten Island
NYC Weather. The temperature high on Friday was 46 degrees, falling to 34 on Saturday, before rising to 51 on Sunday. The temperature lows will rise from the low 20's on Friday, rising to the high 20's on Saturday, and the low 30's on Sunday. The winds will be between 10 - 20 mph Friday, dropping to 4 - 7 mph Saturday and then rising again to 8 - 12 mph. The humidity will be in the 40% to 50% range on Friday, 55% t0 65% on Saturday, and between 50% to 60% on Sunday. No precipitation is expected.
The photo at right was taken at a production of Black Wall Street at the York College Bassin Performing Arts Center in Jamaica Queens quite a while ago.
NYC Things To Do This Weekend
There's outdoor skating at Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center in Midtown, and at Wollman Rink in the southeast corner of Central Park and at the Harlem Meer in the northeast corner of Central Park. Also in Prospect Park and Coney Island in Brooklyn, Cloves Lake on Staten Island, and in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. For details see https://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/iceskating
OPEN CALL. For details see -
Manhattan Things To Do This Weekend
On Friday and Saturday from 2 - 5 pm there's an open fair connected to the Black HerStory weekend at Lincoln Center at Alice Tully and David Geffen Halls. The fair includes sound bath and astrology readings, books by Black female authors for sale, a poetry slam, hip hop dance performances and an all women DJ takeover. The Black HerStory Live concerts begin each evening at 5.30 pm. They describe the event as follows, " ... AFROPUNK and Lincoln Center come together for their largest collaboration to date, a 2-day festival takeover celebrating the Black woman’s journey to find her voice through music and performance. Audiences can expect an immersive multidisciplinary experience that represents the razor's edge in music, art, poetry, dance, performance art, and much more—all proudly featuring Black women artists from around the world...". For
The One Act Festival at the Chain Theatre at 312 West 36th Street, 3rd Floor, ends this weekend. There are performances that begin between 6.30 - 7.30 pm on each weekend night. For $22 tickets and more details see - https://www.chaintheatre.org/.
Fresh, Fly and Fabulous is on exhibit at the Fashion Institute of Management at 227 West 27th Street in Chelsea from February 8th to April 23rd. The exhibit is dedicated to Hip Hop not just as music and fashion, but as a lifestyle and cultural statement. Hip Hop celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Wednesday - Friday from noon to 8 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10 am - 5 pm. There's an all day symposium on Friday, February 24th. For details see - https://www.fitnyc.edu/
Queens Things To Do This Weekend
On Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 4 pm, from February 2nd to 26th, there will be performances of Senor Bolero at the Thalia Spanish Theatre in Sunnyside. The play is described as a musical comedy about "... love in the times of the bolero. A famous 1960 singer is hired to perform a concert without imagining that fate will lead her to find the love of her life in the least expected way... ". For $45 / $42 / $40 tickets [English / Spanish] and details see - https://thaliatheatre.org/
On Saturday at 3 pm and Sunday at 2 pm, the Afrikan Poetry Society has organized a Black History Month Film Festival at the Museum of the Moving Image at 36-01 35th Avenue in Astoria. For $15 / $11 / $9 tickets and details see - https://movingimage.us
This is the last weekend to see Henrike Naumann's Re-Education and Tirzah at the Sculpture Center at 44-19 Purves Street in Long Island City. For details see https://www.sculpture-center.org/. The exhibits are described as follows, "... Henrike Naumann’s installations of furniture and design objects are composed as scenes that ask pressing and enduring questions: What is the relationship between design and ideology? How should one read the politics of design?... AND ... Tirzah is an exhibition of the British musician’s music video output installed in an immersive video and audio environment across SculptureCenter’s lower-level spaces..." .
On Saturday from 1 - 1.40 pm there is a tour at the Louis Armstrong House at 34-56 107th Street in Corona Queens about the role played by Armstrong in the Civil Rights movement. For $15/ $12 tickets and details see - https://www.louisarmstronghouse.org/
Flushing Town Hall opened a photo exhibit, entitled This is Home, on January 21 and it runs through February 26th. The exhibit shows excerpts from some of the lives of Asian Americans living in NYC, both here and abroad. For details see https://www.flushingtownhall.org/.
On Monday at 11 am there will be a pool reopening ceremony at the Flushing Aquatic Center in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The $67 million [new] pool has been closed for years due to problems with the moveable track floor.
Brooklyn Things To Do This Weekend
The Brooklyn Childrens Museum is hosting a Black Future Festival this weekend from 10 am - 5 pm daily. They describe the event as follows, " ... reflection and future-forward fun inspired by the national celebration of peoples of the African Diaspora and Black History Month. Together with festival curator Àṣẹ Dance Theater Collective, experience interactive dance performances, storytelling, genealogy workshops, art-making in the ColorLab art studio, tasty food, and more...". For $13 / $12 tickets and details see - https://www.brooklynkids.org
On Friday at 7.30 pm, Saturday at 1.30 and 7.30, and Sunday at 3 pm there are performances of Black female author Lorraine Hansberry's epic drama entitled The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window in the Harvey Theatre at the Brooklyn Academy of Music at 651 Fulton Street in Brooklyn. They describe the play as follows, " ... Hansberry invites us into Greenwich Village in the 60s, crafting a razor-sharp portrait of a diverse group of friends whose progressive dreams can’t quite match reality. At the center are Sidney and Iris Brustein, fighting to see if their marriage—with all its crackling wit, passion, and petty cruelty—can survive Sidney’s ideals...". For $35 & up tickets and details see - https://www.bam.org.
Bronx Things To Do This Weekend
On Friday at 7 pm, Saturday at 4 pm & 7 pm, and Sunday at 2 pm, there's a play, entitled 'Insignificant', being performed at the Bartow Pell Mansion at xyz in the Bronx. The play is described as follows, " ... At Harvard University in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Cecilia Payne, Annie Jump Cannon, and the group of women known as the “Harvard Computers” overcame prejudice, denigration, and opposition to change the course of modern astronomy and developed revolutionary systems to chart and measure stars that remain in use today. Their battles for recognition, respect, and equality are still being fought by women in the 21st century ...". For $35 tickets and details see - https://www.bartowpellmansionmuseum.org.
OPEN CALL ARTISTS / CURATORS. Bronx Art Space has issued an open call to emerging art curators, with a deadline of March 19th, for an April Show. For details see - http://www.bronxartspace.com
Staten Island Things To Do This Weekend
On Saturday beginning from 1 tp 2.30 pm at the Historic Richmond Town at 441 Clarke Avenue there's a Bookbinding Workshop. Later on Saturday from 6 - 8 pm there's a concert by Brother Dynamite who are described as, " ... Brother Dynamite is a Staten Island-based acoustic duo featuring Shawn Moynihan and Alan Miller who have been performing together for 35 years. They play original songs, including selections from their new album "If We Dare," as well as songs by some of Folk and Rock's greatest performers...". For $20 / $18 tickets and event details see - https://www.historicrichmondtown.org
On Sunday beginning at 3 pm the Lighthouse Museum at 200 The Promenade in the St. George neighborhood of Staten Island will officially open its African American Exhibit. This will be followed at 4 pm by a lecture about Willis Hodges who was the first African American Lighthouse Keeper in 1870. There are also ongoing exhibits about lighthouses and related subjects such as the equipment, the history and there's also a small exhibit about the first African American lighthouse keeper at Cape Henry Light, and another about another early African American Lighthouse keeper who played a role at the Pea Island Life Saving Station. For tickets and details see - https://lighthousemuseum.org.
Have a good one.
Black History Month in NYC
This is a Look at Some of the Black History Events We've Covered Over the Years
NYC Weather. The temperature high hit 61 degrees on Monday, and will fall to the mid to high 40's for the rest of the week. The temperature lows will range from the mid 30's to the low 40's until Friday, when the temperature drops into the mid 20's. The winds will range from 5 - 10 mph until Friday, when we'll experience a gusty 15 - 20 mph. The humidity will range between 60% - 70% through the week, before dropping to 40% on Friday. Less than a quarter inch of rain is expected on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
The image at right is of Langston Hughes, a writer in the 1920's and 1930's of the Harlem Renaissance. It seems like African Americans are continuing the process of asserting their influence in American culture, a process that began going mainstream in the 1920's / 1930's.
Highlighting Black History Month in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens & Staten Island NYC with Reports about African American History and Culture
We've covered a number of interesting theatrical performances and art exhibits exploring African American history and the African American experience in the five boroughs over the years. Some of them feature the African American experience front and center, while others include or reference the African American experience. This is a compendium of most of them, with links to the full stories. Think of this as a work in progress as it is far from complete, and in some measure, reflects how long each of our web magazines has been open / covering events in each of the boroughs. At this time I have not included many of the black and brown events reflecting immigrants' cultures, vis a vis the African American cultural experience.
Paying Tribute to Black History in Queens NYC
Flushing / Corona Historic Houses. The next few links are short stories we did based on taking the Flushing historic house tour which occurs every December in Queens. The Louis Latimer House is dedicated to one of the first African American scientists who worked with Thomas Edison. The Louis Armstrong House is also on that tour, and does quite a bit of their cultural programming during the summer. King Manor is also an historic house in Jamaica, owned by a white Founding Father, who was an ardent abolitionist. It's no surprise that African Americans congregated in the area, given what this Founding Father and former NYS Senator stood for.
Queens & African American Music. Queens is called the Home of Jazz because at one time there were literally dozens and more of African Americans living in Queens during the heyday of jazz in the 1930's. Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald are just a few who enjoyed living in Queens because it was a melting pot of black, brown and white folks living together in a generally peaceful and respectful manner.
York College Bassin Performing Arts Center / Theater in Jamaica. In the past the Bassin Center for the Performing Arts at York College used to stage a number of productions each season. One of the most interesting performances was the 2013 production of Black Wall Street which opened my eyes to a story of which I had never previously heard. They also hosted a one man performance of Langston Hughes which recaptured the life and times of a Harlem Renaissance writer and playwright. In addition to productions they helped choreograph, the Bassin Center for the PAC would host performances by local theater groups, including one by a local church that packed a message in the play. And in 2015 the Liberian President speaks at York College. It's worth mentioning that Liberia is a nation on the coast of West Africa that was started by Americans who helped freed and free born African Americans migrate to Liberia, to carve out a non-discriminatory life for themselves.
Jamaica Music Festivals. There are a number of food and music festivals held annually in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens. A few of them have not returned, but others have grown to take their place. The Irie Jamboree was a reggae music festival, celebrating reggae music which is more Afro-Caribbean than Afro American. The Jamaica Jerk Festival is held in Roy Wilkins Park every year. It's generally an Afro-Caribbean food and musical experience.
Jamaica JAMS. Jamaica JAMS is one of the largest events in Queens generally the first weekend of August. The event spans a couple of days and includes a concert on Friday evening in King Park, followed by a food and shopping festival the next day. The Jamaica JAMS food and shopping festival in 2011 and the Jamaica JAMS Festival concert including video in 2015.
African American Dance, Theater & Culture. In recent years there's been a robust Jamaica Performing Arts Center dance festival. It seems to continue morphing, but is always worth attending. A number of years ago we used to visit John Watusi, Founder of the Afrikan Poetry Theater. It was in attending one of his programs that I first learned about Kwanzaa in December / January 2010, and I had the privilege of watching the first Obama Inauguration with him on January 20, 2009. Unfortunately, John Watusi died on December 29, 2013 of a heart attack [see photo at right].
Paying Tribute to Black History Month in the Bronx NYC
Bronx Zoo. There's a terrible, seemingly racist, story associated with one of the early founders of the Bronx Zoo. The story demonstrates two things: 1) it highlights the discriminatory, disrespectful and racist attitude of the times, and 2) it also demonstrates that there are people in our society who do have a proper moral compass, and who have stood up for righteous causes when they became aware of abuses. It's one incident initiated by one person, that happened over a century ago. Otherwise, the Bronx Zoo, as an institution, has done a lot of good.
The Universal Hip Hop Museum is set to open in 2023 in its new home at 610 Exterior Street in the Concourse neighborhood of the Bronx.
Inwood Fashion Show. We did a short report on an Inwood Fashion Show that attracted a lot Bronx contestants that didn't return during the pandemic. We'll keep an eye out for it or its replacement this coming year.
Paying Tribute to Black History Month in Brooklyn NYC
The photo at right shows Ebbetts Field in Brooklyn, which at the time was the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Jackie Robinson and the Brooklyn Dodgers broke the color line, opening up major league baseball to people of all skin colors. It wasn't too long before all major league sports started recruiting athletes based on talent - not skin color.
African American Parade Harlem. The African American Parade happens every September in Harlem. It's the largest African American parade in the nation arising out of the 1968 Civil Rights struggle and celebrates African American contributions to American culture. Manhattan was home to the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920's and 1930's when writers like E.B. Dubois and Langston Hughes began to forge their way onto the American literary stage, while musicians like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald became mainstream musical stars.
The photo at right was taken at the African American Parade in Harlem a few years ago.
Charlie Parker Jazz Fest. There's the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival which takes place every year, splitting the events between Harlem and the East Village, as Charlie spent a lot of his time in both places. Charlie Parker, a saxaphonist, is credited with inventing bebop, which evolved jazz from a dance music to an acoustical performance and we celebrate his contributions annually.
There's an African American burial ground in lower Manhattan on Duane Street at Elk Street, two blocks directly north of City Hall. About 490 African Americans were buried there in the late 17th and 18th centuries when New York was a very small town by the standards of today.
The Affordable Care Act, which provides for affordable healthcare insurance for all Americans, was nicknamed Obamacare, after our first African American President, Barack Obama, who pushed for and signed the legislation into law. President Biden, since becoming president himself, has increased enrollments by 50% according to a January 2023 report in Yahoo News.
The Apollo Theater in Harlem. Former Mayor de Blasio gave his 2017 State of the City Address at the Apollo theater in Harlem. So this link will take you to a report of what he said, but it includes a few photos of the legendary theater which turns 89 in September of this year. The theater was the springboard for the careers of James Brown and Jimi Hendrix [among others] and the locale of the last live performance by Michael Jackson.
Mayor Eric Adams is the second African American Mayor of NYC. We covered him in a meeting earlier this year. Scroll down to January 13, 2023 report for photo and caption.
Paying Tribute to Black History on Staten Island NYC
Sandy Ground Underground Railroad. We're in the process of exploring a site which was reportedly the first non-slave African American purchasing land in New York State, shortly after NYS outlawed slavery in 1828. This area, called Sandy Ground, later became a part of the underground railroad on Staten Island, where escaping slaves crossed over from Perth Amboy, where many slave traders lurked, hoping to capture the escaped slaves before they became freemen by arriving on Staten Island. There was a home / museum in this same area [Rossville on the southern end of the island], which recently closed [2022] due to funding issues. This is an opportunity to reclaim some of our history.
You can also scroll down to our MLK Day Weekend reports to find other venues that are relevant to African American history, particularly in their struggle for equality and Civil Rights.
NYC Weather. The temperature highs Friday, Saturday and Sunday will range from the high 40's to the low 50's, before rising on Monday into the high 50's. The temperature lows will fall to 30 on Friday, rising to 35 on Saturday, to 45 on Sunday, before descending into the high 30's on Monday. No precipitation is forecast. It's going to be a fairly windy weekend, with the winds at 20 mph Friday, falling to 5 - 10 mph on Saturday and Sunday, and then rising again to about 10 mph on Monday. The humidity will be 50% - 60% on Friday, falling to 40% - 50% on Saturday, rising to 50% - 70% on Sunday, before falling back to about 50% on Monday. Click for Queens Weather.
The photo at right was taken at Four Freedoms Park on Roosevelt Island which commemorates Franklin Delano Roosevelt's 1941 speech declarating the inalienable rights of all people. The four freedoms are 1) Freedom of Speech, 2) Freedom of Worship, 3) Freedom of Want and 4) Freedom of Fear.
Presidents Day is a federal holiday when all local, state and federal government offices are closed, which generally includes public schools - unless the district uses the holiday to make up a snow day, which is highly unlikely this year since there hasn't been any measureable snow.
Presidents Day is a time to reflect on the performance of our current presidents and legislators, to see how they stack up versus their historical peers. And in that reflection it's worth asking ourselves what we've done to contribute or detract from the national conversation.
Brief History of Presidents Day Holiday in NYC
A day commemorating Lincoln's birthday was first passed in Buffalo, New York in the early 1870's. Presidents Day originated as Washington's Birthday which was a holiday narrowly prescribed for federal government offices in Washington, D.C. in 1879. The holiday was dedicated to honoring the memory of the first American president, George Washington who was born on February 22, 1732.
In 1885 the holiday was expanded to include all federal government offices around the nation. In 1951 there was a push to create a Presidents Day holiday [vs a George Washington's birthday holiday] to include President Lincoln whose birthday is February 12, 1809 and was also celebrated by localities, but it didn't pass.
In 1971 the holiday was moved off of George Washington's birth date to being the third Monday in February. Thus while it never falls upon Washington's birthday 2/22, the official name of the holiday remains Washington's Birthday. But today, most folks refer to it as Presidents Day and to recognize the presidents who honored the U.S. Constitution and served the interests of the people.
Valentine's Day is three weeks away. It's a good time to let your loved one know you care. Flowers, gifts and dinner are always welcome treats, and / or some thoughtful gesture that shows that the lady [or man] you're with, still means a lot to you.
The photo at right shows a main entree at a restaurant in Astoria.
This report provides an update on who's open and taking reservations, but also highlights a few local restaurant closures.
All events that have been asterisked are from 2022. Those restaurants without an asterisk have been updated to 2023, so watch the dates / year for 2023.
Unlike last year, there aren't any state CoVid guidelines for indoor dining. And the challenge of getting a reservation at the restaurant of your choice, is likely back to normal, which means if dining on the day of or the weekend before is imporant, you might want to act now.
Given Valentine's Day is on a Tuesday, it may be fair game to make your VDay reservation on Valentine's Day or any day of the preceding weekend. Also, many restaurants have retained thier outside dining capacity - so depending on the weather - NYC restaurants may have more capacity for Valentine's Day weekend than they did versus prepandemic.
But a number of restaurants were casualties of these pandemic times, so if you're thinking about doing something this Valentine's Day for dinner in or around Astoria, LIC, Jackson Heights, Sunnyside, Woodside or Flushing; it's best to do your research early, and call or go online to make the reservations as soon as you can for this Valentine's Day .
Valentine's Day Brief History - Queens Romantic Restaurants on V Day
The origins of Valentine's Day are not well documented. It's believed to have been named after Saint Valentine who was apparently a Catholic martyr who died over 1500 years ago. Today the holiday is not associated with religion so much as flowers, candies, cards and romantic dinners. And the holiday spokesperson is now Cupid, a Roman god of desire, and quite a mischief maker.
The restaurants we've reviewed include a mix of high, medium and budget priced restaurants that are spread throughout the borough and offer a large variety of ethnic cuisines. Click this link to view a brief guide of Valentine's Day restaurants in Queens / V Day events & romantic restaurants Queens NYC where you will find links to Queens restaurants we've reviewed. Enjoy.
Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros
Valentines Day Weekend Cocktail Party NYC, Lunar New Year Parade Manhattan, Photo Exhibit Opening Reception & Comedy in the Bronx, Classical & Gregory Porter Concerts in Brooklyn, Play in Queens & Lighthouse for Lovers on Staten Island,
NYC Weather. The temperature high on Friday actually hit 61 degrees this morning, breaking a record. On Saturday and Sunday, the temperature high will be about 50 on both days, while the temperature lows will be in the mid to high 30's throughout the weekend. The winds will be between 5 - 13 mph all weekend. The humidity will be between 40% and 50% on Friday and Saturday, rising a bit to between 50% to 60% on Sunday. There's a small chance [30%] of a small amount of rain [1/10th of an inch] on Sunday night.
There's outdoor skating at Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center in Midtown, and at Wollman Rink in the southeast corner of Central Park and at the Harlem Meer in the northeast corner of Central Park. Also in Prospect Park and Coney Island in Brooklyn, Cloves Lake on Staten Island, and in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. For details see https://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/iceskating
OPEN CALL FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE GRANTS. For details see - https://www.citizensnyc.org/
Manhattan Things To Do This Weekend
On Friday, February 10, 2023 from 6 - 9 pm the Museum of the City of New York at 1220 5th Avenue on the UES is hosting a pre-Valentine's Day party that is described as follows, " ... Cocktails & Culture ... groove to DJ LiKWUiD's signature "traphrobeats” blending house music, hip hop and afrobeats, with live sets by trumpeter Nash Guillermo ... stroll through the Museum's galleries, then decorate a sweet treat with your sweetheart at our pop-up bakery, Avrilililly's Creamery, and capture your evening at our interactive photobooth. Enjoy savory bites by UGC eats, plus Love Potion cocktails, mocktails and other libations from the MCNY Bar ...". For $45 / $39 / $25 kids / teens tickets [ includes museum admission] and details see - www.mcny.org.
On Sunday, February 12 beginning at 1 pm the Chinese Lunar New Year parade begins in Chinatown. The parade steps off at the corner of Mott and Hester Street marching down to Chatham Square, then heads across East Broadway and up Forsyth Street, ending in Sara D. Roosevelt Park. Like the Queens Lunar New Year parade, this actually occurs outside of the official Chinese Lunar New Year dates.
Fresh, Fly and Fabulous is on exhibit at the Fashion Institute of Management at 227 West 27th Street in Chelsea from February 8th to April 23rd. The exhibit is dedicated to Hip Hop not just as music and fashion, but as a lifestyle and cultural statement. Hip Hop celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Wednesday - Friday from noon to 8 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10 am - 5 pm. There's an all day symposium on Friday, February 24th. For details see - https://www.fitnyc.edu/
Broadway Week [it's really Broadway Month] began on January 17 and is ending on Sunday, February 12th. Most Broadway shows participate, where theater goers can purchase two tickets for the price of one. Search for the Broadway shows you're interested in seeing to see if they are participating.
NEXT WEEK. On Tuesday, February 14, 2023 beginning at 7 pm the Merchants House Museum at 29 East 4th Street in the East Village / Bowery in Manhattan is hosting a Valentine's Day Concert, which they describe as follows, " ... The renowned Bond Street Euterpean Singing Society presents lush, romantic vocal selections by some of the world’s great 19th-century composers including Beethoven, Liszt, Richard Strauss, Amy Beach, Johann Strauss II, and others performed in the Museum’s authentic Greek Revival double parlor. Singers Anthony Bellov, Amy Gluck, Jane Elizabeth Rady, and Dayle Vander Sande. ...". For $50 / $35 / $20 / $15 tickets and details see - www.merchantshouse.org / 212.777.1089.
Brooklyn Things To Do This Weekend
On Friday, February 10th, the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music is hosting a concert beginning at 7.30 pm at St. Ann and the Holy Trinity Church at 157 Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights. They are performing Mozart's Requiem and other songs of reassurance and renewal. Tickets are $20 / $15 at https://bkcm.org/.
CLICK this link for some shopping destinations for Valentine's Day gifts in NYC. These are not paid ads, but a curated list of shops in some of the boroughs.
On Saturday, February 11, 2023 beginning at 8 pm / doors open at 6.30 pm at the Kings Theatre in Flatbush there's Gregory Porter live. They describe the event as follows: " ... the man's bone-deep baritone ... the air change(s) as the warmth of his sound filled the atmosphere like a hug from above ... [his new album] All Rise [is] his sixth studio album ... marks a return to Porter's beloved original songwriting — heart-on-sleeve lyrics imbued with everyday philosophy and real-life detail, set to a stirring mix of jazz, soul, blues, and gospel ... represents the evolution of Porter's art to something even more emphatic, emotive, intimate, and universal too. After 2017's Nat King Cole & Me, Porter knew two things: one, he'd bring in an orchestra for his next LP (check), and, two, music is medicine. In the spirit of that latter revelation, All Rise brims with songs about irrepressible love, plus a little protest, because the road to healing is bumpy ...". At 1027 Flatbush Avenue in Flatbush Ditmas neighborhood of Brooklyn. For details and tickets that range from $59 - $63, see - https://www.kingstheatre.com.
NEXT WEEK. On Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, February 13, 15 & 16 beginning at 6.30 pm at PS 9 - The Sarah Smith Garnet School - at 80 Underhill Avenue in Brooklyn there will be a working group meeting to discuss the Atlantic Avenue Mixed Use Plan. They describe the project as follows, "... The plan aims to bring homes, jobs, and improved infrastructure to this important Brooklyn corridor and neighboring blocks in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Crown Heights, and Prospect Heights – while also knitting together these vibrant communities currently divided by Atlantic Avenue...". The meetings are dedicated to housing [2/13], jobs [2/15] and infrastructure [2/16]. Free and all are welcome to attend.
NEXT WEEK. On Tuesday, February 14 beginning at 7.30 pm there's a concert entitled Love, Loneliness & Lamentation by the Voices of Ascension Singers and Players as part of the 2023 Winter Festival. The concert will be held at the Roulette Intermedium at 509 Atlantic Avenue in the Boerum Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn. For details and tickets [$20] see - https://www.voicesofascension.org/
NEXT WEEK. On Thursday, February 16 beginning at 6.30 pm there's a South Central Brooklyn United for Progress Zoom meeting. On the agenda are two items which they describe as follows, "... the proposed Coney Island casino ... hear from local activist, Ida Sanoff, about what she feels the impact of this would be as a longtime member of the community ... will also honor founding member Ellen Bilofsky's legacy as a healthcare activist with a New York Health Act presentation ... talk about the rights you have under our current for-profit healthcare system that you may not be aware of ... hope to demonstrate why Medicare for All is the most logical and just, solution.".
Queens Things To Do This Weekend
On Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 4 pm, from February 2nd to 26th, there will be performances of Senor Bolero at the Thalia Spanish Theatre in Sunnyside. The play is described as a musical comedy about "... love in the times of the bolero. A famous 1960 singer is hired to perform a concert without imagining that fate will lead her to find the love of her life in the least expected way... ". For $45 / $42 / $40 tickets [English / Spanish] and details see - https://thaliatheatre.org/
Flushing Town Hall opened a photo exhibit, entitled This is Home, on January 21 and it runs through February 26th. The exhibit shows excerpts from some of the lives of Asian Americans living in NYC, both here and abroad. For details see https://www.flushingtownhall.org/.
NEXT WEEK. On Thursday, February 16 from 6.30 - 8.30 pm Materials For The Arts at 3300 Northern Blvd in Long Island City will be hosting a Lunar New Year mask making event using recycled materials. They are doing this in tandem with the Asian American Arts Alliance. For details see - https://www.liclny.com/events/mfta-and-asian-american-arts-alliance-celebrate-lunar-new-year.
TWO WEEKS. The Queens Short Play Festival begins February 21st and runs through March 18th at the Secret Theatre at 38-02 61st Street in Woodside. For details and tickets which cost $15 / $23, see - https://secrettheatre.com
Bronx Things To Do This Weekend
On Saturday, February 11th from 6 pm to 10 pm there's a Valentine’s Day Comedy Night at the Sankofa Haus [an event venue] at 2422 3rd Avenue in the Port Morris neighborhood of the Bronx. It's a couples therapy comedic act featuring four performers. Music and drinks [?] are included in the price of $84. For tickets and details see - https://gregandcherylclarke.com.
On Saturday, February 11th beginning at 6 pm in the Auditorium at the Community Center at 177 Dreiser Loop in / near Coop City there's a Valentine's Day Weekend Night of Classic Soul. The event features five different groups performing 1970's classic rock / soul. For $81 tickets and details see - https://www.facebook.com/rcaheartandsoulprod/
On Sunday, February 12, 2023 from 1 - 3 pm, there's a 'Swagger & Tenderness' book signing at the Bronx Museum at 1040 Grand Concourse. The event features artist / sculptors John Ahearn and Rigoberto Torres who have been lifecasting the Bronx unique cultural identity through their various works. It's free but you should rsvp see - https://bronxmuseum.org.
There is an opening reception from 7 - 9 pm for Richard Sandler's new photo exhibit entitled 'The Eyes of the City'at the Doc Film Center at 364 East 151st Street. Sandler has been photographing NYC since the 1970's capturing a changing landscape, demography and art and architectural landscape. It's free but you must rsvp. Sandler is hosting a street photography workshop prior to the reception from 10 am - 5 pm [it costs $475 and includes other things you need to do to enroll]. For details see - https://www.bronxdoc.org.
Pregones / PRTT presents its 7th annual 21 Islands International Short Film Fest via streaming for free from February 1 - 12, 2023. For details see - https://pregonesprtt.org/
OPEN CALL ARTISTS / CURATORS. Bronx Art Space has issued an open call to emerging art curators, with a deadline of March 19th, for an April Show. For details see - http://www.bronxartspace.com
Staten Island Things To Do This Weekend
On Saturday beginning at 1 and 3 pm at the Historic Richmond Town there's a Valentine's Card Workshop in the main building at Court and Center Streets. It's for kids and adults age 3 on up. For details and tickets [$15] you get the materials and instructions for making three old fashioned cards. For details see - https://www.historicrichmondtown.org
On Saturday beginning at 7 pm there's a Valentine's themed event entitled Lighthouses are for Lovers and Friends, which includes live entertainment and dinner for $60 at the Lighthouse Museum at 200 The Promenade in the St. George neighborhood of Staten Island. There are also ongoing exhibits about lighthouses and related subjects such as the equipment, the history and there's also a small exhibit about the first African American lighthouse keeper at Cape Henry Light, and another about another early African American Lighthouse keeper who played a role at the Pea Island Life Saving Station. For tickets and details see - https://lighthousemuseum.org.
Also you may use the links above to find a local restaurant for a Valentine's Day / Weekend repast.
Have a good one.
Black History Month in NYC
Scratching the Surface of Our Ancestoral African Roots
Over the past few years I've come to enjoy a number of PBS programs that delve into our collective African American ancestoral roots. One of the shows is hosted by Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. wherein he researches various celebrities' ancestoral roots, digging up photos, slave ownership records, and connections to other celebrities by tracing DNA trails. The journey can lead to any number of surprises, such as when Gates found that one of actress Carol Burnett's ancestors joined the Confederate Army, and then deserted a couple of years later. Or when Gates uncovered that TV Producer / Writer Larry David of Seinfeld is a distant cousin to Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.
But for my money, the treasure trove of programming on PBS may be found in its rich collection of documentaries - both old and new. And among those documentaries are a wide number of films exploring the contributions and history of African Americans.
PBS Documentaries During Black History Month in NYC
I'm only going to touch on one of them now, and at a later date will return to engage in a deeper conversation about others. The documentary I watched on PBS this month, was entitled, The Blinding of Isaac Woodard. It was about how an innocent African American veteran was attacked by a white southern police chief [Lynwood Shull] from South Carolina who beat out Woodard's eyes and permanently blinded him in February 1946, while Woodard was changing buses at a bus stop. That's a mighty nasty way to welcome a WWII veteran home and thank him for risking his life to defend us.
Nonetheless, eight years later, the search for justice was fulfilled ... in a way. Of course the all white South Carolina jury let off Police Chief Shull. But that action so enraged President Harry S. Truman, that he ordered a federal investigation into the case. And actor / radio host Orson Welles, took up the cause too, helping make it known what sorts of racial injustices were being perpetrated upon African Americans living and working in the south.
The Role of Lewisohn Stadium in Harlem and Famous African American Musicians & Sports Figures
In August 1946, Billie Holiday, Boxing Champion Joe Louis, and others hosted a benefit concert at Lewisohn Stadium in Harlem for Woodard. Lewisohn Stadium was built on a CUNY property in 1915 between 136th and 138th Streets and between Amsterdam and Convent Avenue. It was demolished in 1973 and replaced by the North Academic Center in 1985.
In November of 1946 Police Chief Shulman stood on trial, and was - as expected - acquitted after only 30 minutues of deliberation. The deliberation would have been far shorter had the Judge, Julius Waring, not stepped out of the court room for a walk. The Judge was so outraged at the police chief's behavior and that of the jury as well, that he decided to make them wait.
Anyhow, the justice comes years later, when JudgeWaring presided over another trial, Briggs vs Elliot. Like the Woodard case, it was argued that the racist Jim Crow laws of South Carolina, claiming separate but equal, were a farce and therefore unconstitutional. Judge Waring wrote the dissenting opinion of that case, which like Woodard's had been unrighteously decided, and justice aided in going awry.
Attorney Thurgood Marshall Eventually Becomes the First African American Supreme Court Justice
African American Thurgood Marshall prosecuted the case, arguing for equal treatment and resources, for the poor black children of Clarendon County South Carolina. He proved that they were being harmed by this treatment. And while he lost in the state court of South Carolina, he won a unanimous verdict from the Supreme Court in 1954, which was a pretty 'radical' decision for the time. This was the beginning of the end for racial segregation.
Thurgood Marshall would eventually go on to become the first African American Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in 1967.
The Freedom Riders, Martin Luther King, the Kennedys & Johnson
The Freedom Riders came next, in 1961, wherein they protested the racist separation of blacks and whites in intra state buses and stations. The focus of the rides was between Alabama and Mississippi, likely the two most racist states in the nation. In this situation, in May of 1961, Martin Luther King came into support the freedom riders, but he chose not ride with them.
As part of their organizing, there was a large gathering of African American civil rights protesters in a Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. While they were meeting inside with Dr. King and other leaders, an even larger white crowd gathered around the church, determined to 'teach a lesson' to these civil rights activists.
Attorney General Robert Kennedy was determined to help African Americans attain equal status under the law, including exercising their right to vote. He managed to use his influence to get Alabama Governor John Patterson to call up the National Guard to help disperse the white crowd and maintain the peace. Kennedy had to strong arm the Governor, who at one point said he could protect everyone in the church except Martin Luther King. Kennedy held his ground and told the Governor that was unacceptable, so eventually the Governor backed down and the situation was safely defused.
The Kennedys pushed to pass a Civil Rights Bill in 1963 which failed. It took the assassination of JFK and Lyndon Johnson's skillful politicking to pass the bill in 1964, with more to come in 1965. In 2008 the first African American, Barack Obama, was elected President, but the work is not done.
Black History Provides Another Important Perspective & Therefore Understanding of our Past
Racism is still alive and well, not just in our country, but around the world. And it's not just people of color, but people of other ethnic groups, like Jews, Palestinians, Muslims, Hindus, Chinese, Uighurs and on, and on, and on. But for all the bad news, we are making progress ... slowly.
I'll have more on African American history, specifically as it relates to NYC next week. There are dozens of famous African Americans who either grew up here, or moved and lived a good part of their lives here.
Have a nice week.
Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros
LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, Chinese New Year Celebrations Continue & Artists Open Calls
NYC Weather. We're going to have wintry cold from about 6 pm Friday to about 1 pm Saturday, when the temperatures fall below 20 degrees. Then it's back to our dry, global warming non-winter.
The temperature highs will be in the low to mid 20's on Friday and Saturday, rising significantly on Sunday to about 50 degrees. The temperature lows will be about 8 degrees Friday, rising to the mid 20's on Saturday and the high 30's on Sunday. The humidity will be about 30% on Friday, 40% on Saturday, and 50% on Sunday. Winds will be 20 mph Friday, and then 5 - 10 mph for the rest of the weekend. No precipitation is expected this weekend.
The photo at right was taken inside of City Hall last month. It's a beautiful building, as you can see.
NYC Things To Do This Weekend
There's outdoor skating at Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center in Midtown, and at Wollman Rink in the southeast corner of Central Park and at the Harlem Meer in the northeast corner of Central Park. Also in Prospect Park and Coney Island in Brooklyn, Cloves Lake on Staten Island, and in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. For details see https://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/iceskating
OPEN CALL FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE GRANTS. For details see - https://www.citizensnyc.org/
Manhattan Things To Do This Weekend
The Winter Jam is on Saturday from 11 am - 3 pm at the Rumsey Playfield in Central Park. This a winter themed event including skiing, sledding, dodgeball, ice bowling and other wintry sports. As we've really not had any snow this winter, the Parks Department has arranged to have snow machines there to provide what Mother Nature is no longer giving us.
Fresh, Fly and Fabulous is on exhibit at the Fashion Institute of Management at 227 West 27th Street in Chelsea from February 8th to April 23rd. The exhibit is dedicated to Hip Hop not just as music and fashion, but as a lifestyle and cultural statement. Hip Hop celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Wednesday - Friday from noon to 8 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10 am - 5 pm. There's an all day symposium on Friday, February 24th. For details see - https://www.fitnyc.edu/
Broadway Week [it's really Broadway Month] began on January 17 and runs through February 12th. Most Broadway shows participate, where theater goers can purchase two tickets for the price of one.
NEXT WEEKEND. On February 12 beginning at 1 pm the Chinese Lunar New Year parade begins in Chinatown. The parade steps off at the corner of Mott and Hester Street marching down to Chatham Square, then heads across East Broadway and up Forsyth Street, ending in Sara D. Roosevelt Park. Like the Queens Lunar New Year parade, this actually occurs outside of the official Chinese Lunar New Year dates.
Brooklyn Things To Do This Weekend
The CPC celebration [see above entry] continues on Saturday, February 4, with Lunar New Year calligraphy, arts and crafts and trivia for prizes in the Auditorium at New Utrecht High School at 1601 80th Street, in collaboration with community partners from throughout South Brooklyn. For details see https://www.prospectpark.org/
The BAM Kids Festival is this weekend on Saturday and Sunday, February 4th & 5th. The event is being held at the Brooklyn Academy of Music at 30 Lafayette. For details and tickets see - https://www.bam.org.
On Saturday, February 4th from 11 am - 1 pm there's the Southern Brooklyn Lunar New Year Celebration in the New Utrecht High School Auditorium at 1601 80th Street. There will be a number of cultural performances and entertainment. It's free and it's organized by the Southern Brooklyn Asian Coalition. For details see - https://www.facebook.com/sbccnyc/
NEXT FRIDAY 2/10/23. The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music is hosting a concert on Friday, February 10th beginning at 7.30 pm at St. Ann and the Holy Trinity Church at 157 Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights. They are performing Mozart's Requiem and other songs of reassurance and renewal. Tickets are $20 / $15 at https://bkcm.org/.
Queens Things To Do This Weekend
On Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 4 pm, from February 2nd to 26th, there will be performances of Senor Bolero at the Thalia Spanish Theatre in Sunnyside. The play is described as a musical comedy about "... love in the times of the bolero. A famous 1960 singer is hired to perform a concert without imagining that fate will lead her to find the love of her life in the least expected way... ". For $45 / $42 / $40 tickets [English / Spanish] and details see - https://thaliatheatre.org/
On Sunday, February 5th beginning at 3 pm in the Colden Auditorium at Queens College at 153-49 Reeves Avenue there will be a performance by Nai Ni Chen Dance Company celebrating the Year of the Water Rabbit. For $15 tickets and details see - https://kupferbergcenter.org/
On Sunday, February 5th from 5 - 7 pm there's a Lunar New Year Celebration at the Tangram Atrium at 133-33 39th Avenue in Flushing. It's free and NYC Comptroller, U.S. Congresswoman Meng and Councilmember Sandra Ung will be there. For details and free tickets see - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lunar-new-year-celebration-tickets-505187257687
Flushing Town Hall opened a photo exhibit, entitled This is Home, on January 21 and it runs through February 26th. The exhibit shows excerpts from some of the lives of Asian Americans living in NYC, both here and abroad. For details see https://www.flushingtownhall.org/.
NEXT THURSDAY 2/9/23. The Chocolate Factory at 38-33 24th Street [at 39th Avenue] in the Dutch Kills section of Long Island City, is hosting a performance by Linda Mary Montano entitled 'An Interactive Life and Maybe No Art Experience' or 'Ma and the Seven Chakras' beginning at 8 pm. It's a collaboration that bridges art and life featuring four collaborators. Tickets [$15] and details at - https://chocolatefactorytheater.org or https://issueprojectroom.org.
IN TWO WEEKS. On Thursday, February 16 from 6.30 - 8.30 pm Materials For The Arts at 3300 Northern Blvd in Long Island City will be hosting a Lunar New Year mask making event using recycled materials. They are doing this in tandem with the Asian American Arts Alliance. For details see - https://www.liclny.com/events/mfta-and-asian-american-arts-alliance-celebrate-lunar-new-year.
OPEN CALL ACTING. Auditions for two short plays, Molting and Snug The Joiner, are to be held February 25, March 4, 10 & 16. Winners will perform in the Queens Short Play Festival being held in the Secret Theatre in their new location. For details see - https://secrettheatre.com
Bronx Things To Do This Weekend
OPEN CALL ARTISTS. The Bartow Pell Mansion has issued an Open Call to artists to participate in a nearly month-long exhibition in March of this year. The theme of the exhibit is Nature Inspires: Contemporary Art Show. The deadline for submissions is February 3rd, 2023. For details see - https://www.bartowpellmansionmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Call-to-Artists-Nature-Inspires.pdf
Pregones / PRTT presents its 7th annual 21 Islands International Short Film Fest via streaming for free from February 1 - 12, 2023. For details see - https://pregonesprtt.org/
The Bronx Museum at 1040 Grand Concourse has been featuring a Black History book club weekly. This Saturday from 12 noon to 1.30 pm is the last session, where they talk about the end of the book 'Begin Again' by Eddie S. Glaude Jr. For details and rsvp see - https://bronxmuseum.org. Maximum attendees is 30.
The Doc Film Center at 614 Cortlandt Avenue is hosting a couple of photography skills classes beginning at 10 am [dark room / film processing] and at 11 am [digital photography]. Both classes cost over $100 each as they cover not just this class, but more including some materials. The Doc Film Center stated they can help folks finance the class/es. For details see - https://www.bronxdoc.org
OPEN CALL ARTISTS / CURATORS. Bronx Art Space has issued an open call to emerging art curators, with a deadline of March 19th, for an April Show. For details see - http://www.bronxartspace.com
Staten Island Things To Do This Weekend
On Saturday from 6 - 8 pm at the Historic Richmond Town there's a Grassland Band Concert at the Tavern. And on Wednesday from 7.30 - 9.30 pm there's an English Country Dance. For details and tickets [$18 and $10 respectively] see - https://www.historicrichmondtown.org
There are ongoing exhibits about lighthouses and related subjects at the Lighthouse Museum at 200 The Promenade in the St. George neighborhood of Staten Island. There's also a small exhibit about the first African American lighthouse keeper at Cape Henry Light, and another of the Pea Island Life Saving Station.
Have a good one.
Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros
New Play at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, Boat Show at the Javits, Winter Show at the Park Avenue Armory, The Chinese New Year Celebrations Continue, Winter Jazz Festival & the January Arts Festival Ending, 1st Irish Festival in LIC & Artists Open Call in the Bronx
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the low 40's on Friday and around 50 the rest of the weekend. The temperature lows will be in the low 30's on Friday, rising to about 40 the rest of the weekend. The humidity will be between 50% - 60% on Friday and Saturday, rising to 60% - 70% on Sunday. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph all weekend. No precipitation is expected this weekend.
In the photo at right is the NYC skyline in Midtown, looking west from Queens. We've gone 324 days without measureable snow, the second longest period on record. The longest was 332 days set in 2000. Based on the most recent forecast, we're going to break that record and may go the entire winter without measureable snow. This is not good news. We all need to do whatever we can to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. And, however small it may seem, if you multiply it by seven billion [people on the planet], it won't seem so small.
NYC Things To Do This Weekend
There's outdoor skating at Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center in Midtown, and at Wollman Rink in the southeast corner of Central Park and at the Harlem Meer in the northeast corner of Central Park. Also in Prospect Park and Coney Island in Brooklyn, Cloves Lake on Staten Island, and in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. For details see https://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/iceskating
Manhattan Things To Do This Weekend
On Saturday, January 28 from 1 - 4.30 pm and from 6 - 9.30 pm there's a Wine Tasting at Chelsea Industrial at 535-549 West 28th Street in Manhattan. For $19 tickets and details see - https://winefestnewyork.com.
The Winter Boat Show began at the Javits Center at 35th Street and 11th Avenue on Wednesday and runs through Sunday, January 29th. Tickets are $20 / $17 / $15. For details see - https://www.nyboatshow.com/.
On Saturday & Sunday, January 28 & 29 from 10 am t0 5 pm there's a Year of the Rabbit Lunar New Year Fair at the East Broadway Mall at 88 East Broadway in Chinatown. The market is comprised of about a dozen vendors selling food, embroidery, jewelry, clothes, Taiwanese objects, art and stationery. For details see - https://welcometochinatown.com.
The Joyce Theatre American Dance Platform began Tuesday, January 10th and the Winter Jazz Festival began on Thursday, January 12th. It's all part of the January Arts Festival - https://www.janartsnyc.org/ which runs through most of this month of January 2023.
The Winter Show [formerly Winter Antiques Show] has returned to the Park Avenue Amory on the Upper East Side and the show runs through Sunday. For details see https://www.thewintershow.org/.
On February 12 beginning at 1 pm the Chinese Lunar New Year parade begins in Chinatown. The parade steps off at the corner of Mott and Hester Street marching down to Chatham Square, then heads across East Broadway and up Forsyth Street, ending in Sara D. Roosevelt Park. Like the Queens Lunar New Year parade, this actually occurs outside of the official Chinese Lunar New Year dates.
Brooklyn Things To Do This Weekend
On Saturday, January 28 from 2 to 5 pm there's a Lunar New Year Celebration organized by the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership at Albee Square where DeKalb, Bond and Fulton Streets meet. It will have lion dancing among other performances. For details see - https://www.downtownbrooklyn.com.
On Saturday, January 28th from 11 am to 2 pm, the CPC [Chinese-American Planning Council] will co-host a Lunar New Year Event in Sunset Park Recreation Center at 4200 7th Avenue in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn. The event activities include a traditional lion dance, performances, giveaways, interactive games, raffles and contests. For details see - https://www.cpc-nyc.org/events/cpc-bcs-lunar-new-year-celebration-2023-year-rabbit
NEXT WEEK. The CPC celebration [see above entry] continues on Saturday, February 4, with Lunar New Year calligraphy, arts and crafts and trivia for prizes in the Auditorium at New Utrecht High School at 1601 80th Street, in collaboration with community partners from throughout South Brooklyn. For details see https://www.prospectpark.org/
Queens Things To Do This Weekend
On Friday and Saturday, at 7 pm and 2 pm respectively, a new original play entitled Lemons, will be performed at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center at 31-10 Thomson Avenue in Long Island City. The play is described as, "... Exploring how social media, capitalism, and “positive thinking” affects our individual and collective relationship to grief, Lemons is a darkly funny four-person play centering on an obsession with a fitness guru's instagram account. A grieving woman presents a personal essay that quickly devolves into theatrical mayhem as her carefully constructed argument is interrupted and undermined by ghosts, fantasies, dance, and doom scrolling. Lemons is an examination of female strength, both physical and emotional, in the face of capitalist patriarchy. Exploring the intersection of capitalism and wellness culture/self-care, which is overwhelmingly marketed to women, Lemons looks at how societal expectations have come to inform our relationship to grief, our identities, our bodies, and each other...". For $15 tickets and details see - https://www.lpac.nyc/upcoming-events/lemons
The Chinese Lunar New Year in celebration of the year of the rabbit began Sunday, January 22, 2022 and runs through February 9th, 2023. Flushing Queens jumped the gun vis a vis the official lunar new year dates, by hosting its parade last Saturday, which was a day before the official start of the lunar new year.
On Sunday, January 29th from 3 to 4 pm Sunnyside Shines is hosting a Lion Dance and march from Lowery Plaza at 40th Street underneath the #7 train, along Queens Blvd to Bliss Plaza at 46th Street at Queens Plaza. Free.
Flushing Town Hall opened a photo exhibit, entitled This is Home, on January 21 and it runs through February 26th. The exhibit shows excerpts from some of the lives of Asian Americans living in NYC, both here and abroad. For details see https://www.flushingtownhall.org/.
On Tuesday, January 31 there's a reading of 'Brigid' as part of the Origin 1st Irish Festival, from 7 to 9 pm at the NY Irish Center at 1040 Jackson Avenue at 51st Avenue in Long Island City. For $2 tickets and details see - https://www.newyorkirishcenter.org
NEXT WEEKEND. On Sunday, February 5th beginning at 3 pm in the Colden Auditorium at Queens College at 153-49 Reeves Avenue there will be a performance by Nai Ni Chen Dance Company. See the full description below, as they will be performing at Hostos College in the Bronx this week.
IN TWO WEEKS. On Thursday, February 16 from 6.30 - 8.30 pm Materials For The Arts at 3300 Northern Blvd in Long Island City will be hosting a Lunar New Year mask making event using recycled materials. They are doing this in tandem with the Asian American Arts Alliance. For details see - https://www.liclny.com/events/mfta-and-asian-american-arts-alliance-celebrate-lunar-new-year.
Bronx Things To Do This Weekend
The Bartow Pell Mansion has issued an Open Call to artists to participate in a nearly month-long exhibition in March of this year. The theme of the exhibit is Nature Inspires: Contemporary Art Show. The deadline for submissions is February 3rd, 2023. For details see - https://www.bartowpellmansionmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Call-to-Artists-Nature-Inspires.pdf
On Sunday, January 29th, beginning at 3 pm there's a Nai Ni Chen Dance Company performances at Hostos College at 450 Grand Concourse in the Concourse neighborhood of the Bronx. The event is described as follows, "... In honor of Hip-Hop’s 50th year anniversary, the dance company will be performing a special rendition of the lion dance with a hip-hop rhythm. Other performances include YungGe from northern China, Peacock Dance from the southern Yunnan province, Spear Dance, and the crowd-favorite Dragon Dance...". Tickets are $12 / $10 / $5 at https://www.hostos.cuny.edu/
On Tuesday, January 31 beginning at 7.30 pm there's a musical performance entitled, Songs to the Unknown, which is a part of the Voices of the New 2023 Winter Festival at Roulette Intermedium at 509 Atlantic Avenue at 3rd Avenue in Boerum Hill in Brooklyn. For $20 tickets and details see www.voicesofascension.org/votn.
Staten Island Things To Do This Weekend
On Sunday, January 29, beginning at 6 pm there's a showing on the big screen of the classic Marilyn Monroe / Tony Curtis / Jack Lemmon movie - Some Like it Hot - at the St. George Theatre at 35 Hyatt Street on Staten Island. For $20 tickets and details see - https://stgeorgetheatre.com
There's an ongoing exhibit of a collection of stamps that features lighthouses prominently on them at the Lighthouse Museum at 200 The Promenade in the St. George neighborhood of Staten Island.
On Monday, January 30 from 8.30 - 4 pm the Alice Austen House Museum will be particpating into a program entitled Grow Into Yourself at the High School of Fashion Industries at 225 West 24th Street in Manhattan. Apparently Alice Austen was a lesbian photographer living on Staten Island.
Have a nice weekend.
Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros
The Winter Show at the Park Avenue Armory, The Chinese New Year of the Rabbit Begins, Winter Jazz Festival & the January Arts Festival continue
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 40's throughout the weekend, while the temperature lows will be in the mid 30's on Friday and Saturday, rising to about 40 degrees on Sunday. Winds will be about 5 - 10 mph all weekend. The humidity will be about 50% - 60% on Friday and Saturday, rising to about 85% Sunday afternoon as the rain pours in. No rain is in the forecast until Sunday, when a 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch of rain is expected starting around 3 pm.
The photo at right shows folks walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, even amidst the dreary weather.
NYC Things To Do This Weekend
There's outdoor skating at Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center in Midtown, and at Wollman Rink in the southeast corner of Central Park and at the Harlem Meer in the northeast corner of Central Park. Also in Prospect Park and Coney Island in Brooklyn, Cloves Lake on Staten Island, and in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. For details see https://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/iceskating
Manhattan Things To Do This Weekend
On Sunday from 11 am - 3.30 pm there's a Chinese Lunar New Year Firecracker celebration in Sara Roosevelt Park at Chrystie and Forsyth on the Lower East Side in East Chinatown.
Also on Sunday, but from 11 am - 1 pm nearby on Mott Street at Grand Street [if not there head south toward Canal Street], there's an artsy lantern reveal exhibition on the street by Think Chinatown. For details see https://www.thinkchinatown.org/
The Joyce Theatre American Dance Platform began Tuesday, January 10th and the Winter Jazz Festival began on Thursday, January 12th. It's all part of the January Arts Festival - https://www.janartsnyc.org/ which runs through most of this month of January 2023.
At right is a photo of a man at Tompkins Square Park communing with the pigeons. See another photo below showing just how popular he is with the pigeon population in the East Village.
The Winter Show [formerly Winter Antiques Show] has returned to the Park Avenue Amory on the Upper East Side and the show runs through next weekend. Details coming - or see https://www.thewintershow.org/.
Queens Things To Do This Weekend
The Chinese Lunar New Year in celebration of the year of the rabbit begins Sunday, January 22, 2022 and runs through February 9th, 2023. There will be celebrations throughout NYC and we'll update you beginning this weekend and beyond. Details coming.
Flushing Town Hall has an exhibit. Details coming.
Long Island City is hosting some Lunar New Year events. Details coming.
Brooklyn Things To Do This Weekend
NEXT WEEK. On Saturday, January 28th from 11 am to 2 pm, the CPC [Chinese-American Planning Council] will co-host a Lunar New Year Event in Sunset Park Recreation Center at 4200 7th Avenue in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn. The event activities include a traditional lion dance, performances, giveaways, interactive games, raffles and contests. For details see - https://www.cpc-nyc.org/events/cpc-bcs-lunar-new-year-celebration-2023-year-rabbit
TWO WEEKS FROM NOW. The CPC celebration [see above entry] continues on Saturday, February 4, with Lunar New Year calligraphy, arts and crafts and trivia for prizes in the Auditorium at New Utrecht High School at 1601 80th Street, in collaboration with community partners from throughout South Brooklyn. For details see https://www.prospectpark.org/
Bronx Things To Do This Weekend
On Saturday January 21, 2023 from 10 am - 1 pm there's a family friend workshop where you can create a fan for lunar new year at Wave Hill at 4900 Independence Avenue in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx. It's Free w/ admission to the grounds. For details see www.wavehill.org or https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/wave-hill/events/2023/01/21/family-art-project-fan-for-lunar-new-year1
The photo at right was taken at the East 96th subway station. I occasionally think back to what our predecessors left behind for us in terms of a robust infrastructure that has by and large held up through the changes for about a century. And then I ask myself, what are we going to leave behind for future generations?
NEXT WEEK. There's a Nai Ni Chen Dance Company performances at Hostos College at 450 Grand Concourse in the Concourse neighborhood of the Bronx on Sunday, January 29th, beginning at 3 pm. Tickets are $12 / $10 / $5 at https://www.hostos.cuny.edu/
Staten Island Things To Do This Weekend
On Sunday, January 22, Snug Harbor is hosting a Chinese Lunar New Year celebration from 12 noon - 3 pm. Details coming.
On Sunday, January 22, beginning at 2 pm / 3 pm there's an exhibit opening and lecture about a collection of stamps that features lighthouses prominently on them at the Lighthouse Museum at 200 The Promenade in the St. George neighborhood of Staten Island.
Have a nice weekend.
Economic Outlook 2023
Employment Steady, Inflation Subsiding, Consumer Confidence Up, Government Stimulus Fading, Fed Tightening 'Should' Stop After .25% Increase at Next FOMC Meeting, Most Global Supply Side Issues have been Corrected, Oil Prices Below a Year Ago, and the Dollar is Strong
January 17, 2023 / NYC Business News / New Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 40's and the temperature lows will be around 40, dropping to 35 degrees on Friday. No rain is expected EXCEPT on Thursday, where up to an inch of rain will fall during the day. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph on Tuesday and Thursday and will be 10 - 15 mph on Wednesday and Friday. Humidity will rise from 45% to 80% on Tuesday, fall back into the 60% range on Wednesday, rise into the 80% range on Thursday with the rain, and fall back into the 60% range on Friday.
I. Economic Background - Mostly CoVid Disruptions of Global Supply Chains and Government Fiscal Policy Responses
In recent months I have spent a fair amount of time catching up on what's happening in the economy overall, in an attempt to guage what lies ahead. It's important to realize where we are in the business cycle, in order to figure out what to expect going forward.
* Since March of 2020, we've been in a bit of a pandemic spin. The 2020 pandemic essentially halted most hospitality businesses and softened demand for some services, but drove high demand for both durable and non-durable goods. This is on the demand side. Meanwhile on the supply side, businesses were closing down, or working at far less than capacity, because of the health impact of the pandemic. For example in China, they didn't just appear to shutter businesses, but almost entire cities, to curb the spread of CoVid. China is where much of our electronics are made so this impacted the availability / supply of electronics at a time when Americans were spending more on them, because they weren't traveling, vacationing or even eating out much, so they had extra cash to spend on items, most notably electronics.
The U.S. federal government [as did many governments throughout the world] kept many businesses afloat through expansive monetary policy and generous fiscal spending via CoVid Relief packages which put money in the hands of local businesses, governments and individuals. The fiscal stimulus / excess government spending began in 2020 during the Trump Administration, and ended in early 2021 under the Biden Administration.
The first chart above right shows the federal government excess fiscal spending during the pandemic. Both Trump and Biden temporarily increased government spending in order to keep the economy rolling through the pandemic.
And the expansive monetary policy, which was executed by taking the federal funds interest rate to nearly zero in March of 2020, and by pushing $4 trillion cash into the economy via purchases of bonds, wasn't reined in for years, and that withdrawal finally began in 2022. We'll discuss this more further down in this report.
The chart at right first shows how the Federal Reserve immediately dropped the federal funds rate to zero in the Spring of 2020, to keep liquidity in the economy as the pandemic hit. And then it shows how the Federal Reserve very, very aggressively jacked up interest rates to offset inflation beginning in 2022, because they were slow to react to the rise in prices in 2021. Federal Reserve Chairman, Jerome Powell, was nominated first by President Trump and renominated by President Biden.
The chart below right, shows how in the Spring of 2020, the Federal Reserve pushed $4 trillion in liquidity into the economy, doubling its liabilities. In 2022, the Federal Reserve began pulling some of that liquidity out of the market / off the table.
* In 2021 things began to normalize as vaccinations rolled out and we began to gain a better understanding of how to mitigate the health impact of the CoVid pandemic. But the year wasn't a straight line out of the pandemic, as the new variants continued to wreak havoc with our collective assessment of how risky it would be to return to normal.
Toward the end of 2021, Russian-like media Oligarch Rupert Murdoch, used his Goebbels-like propaganda outlets, including the NY Post, Fox News and the Wall St. Journal to hype American's uneasiness with supply chains in the economy, which Murdoch propagandist's labeled as Biden's economy.
* In February 2022 economic risks rise, as fascist dictator Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in what he called a 'Special Military Operation'. The Russian War in Ukraine hasn't gone well for Putin. To maintain the war, he is crippling the long term prospects for the Russian economy, as the Russian people continue to act like peasants, allowing the brutal dictator and his elitest friends, to walk all over them, including sending them to their graves fighting for Putin's narcissistic place in history.
Putin's military intervention / disruption, of course added risk to the global economy. Especially in two key segments of the economy which includes food and energy. Russia supplies about 12% of the world's oil, and along with Ukraine accounts for about a third of the world's wheat and barley. Hence Putin's war added significant inflationary pressure to both energy and food.
As you can see in the chart at right, the price of oil spiked up following Russia's invasion of the Ukraine in the Winter of 2022. The price of oil has since come back down to a few bucks below where it was a year ago.
* In November and December of 2022, and continuing into January of 2023, dictator President Xi Jin Ping has been retreating from his draconian, control-freak style CoVid lockdown measures. The Chinese, in a rare break from their own peasantry past, started to rebel against the policies, and so Xi started to relent. The Chinese economic growth fell from 8% in 2021 [like us the growth was accentuated because of a depressed 2020 CoVid economy] to 3% in 2022. Thus, at the end of 2023, in contrast to 2022 [which wasn't anywhere near as bad as Murdoch's Fox, NY Post and WSJ hyped it], things are largely returning to normal - except for the Ukraine situation, which continues.
II. Economic Background - Government Responses Included Monetary Policies Layered on Top of Fiscal Policies
To summarize what I laid out above, there were swings in demand fueled by lifestyle changes caused by the pandemic, including generous fiscal spending by the U.S. government. And there were significant supply side swings in capacity, which were driven by worker availability arising from health concerns.
Globally, we've spent the past couple years working through these huge economic demand and supply displacements, due in part to the disruptions of the vaccination roll outs caused by misunderstandings / misinformation about vaccine efficacy, risks and the new CoVid variants. This economic uncertainty was exacerbated by Russian dictator President Putin's undeclared war on Ukraine, which further disrupted the supply of both food and energy - which are two key components of the economy.
So, along with the U.S. governmment's expansive fiscal policies, pursued via massive transfer payments to large and small businesses and individuals, the nation's central bank, the Federal Reserve, pursued an expansive monetary policy by, 1) dropping the Fed Funds rate to nearly zero [0% - .25%] in March of 2020, and 2) they pursued an incredibly expansionary monetary policy whereby they pushed liquidity [cash] into the U.S. financial system by buying a lot of bonds. In the latter move they pushed about $4 trillion into the economy in a very short period of time, doubling their position of prior years.
As you can see in the chart above, inflation picked up toward the end of 2021, peaked in June of 2022, and appears to be heading back down toward normal, which economists expect it will approach by the end of 2023 [3.3% inflation] and in 2024. The Fed benchmark inflation rate is 2.0 - 2.5%.
III. So, Today, Where We At?
What's next is a look at a multitude of economic statistics with some nominal interpretation of what I expect to happen, all things being equal [meaning no further major disruptions], in 2023.
Expansive Fiscal Policies Ending, but Lag Times & the Multiplier Effect
As you can see by the first graphs at the top of this report, the Biden Administration has already brought the federal budget back into alignment with its historical trend, after a couple of years of excessive spending that began during the last year of the Trump Administration and continued into the first year of the Biden Administration.
In economics there's a lag time between when something is done at the federal level in fiscal policy and its full effects work through the economy. It's called the multiplier effect and I oftentimes wonder if Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell missed the classes in school that focused on it. The lag time can range from about six months to two years. I am seeing anecdotal evidence that the spending is drying up in the NYC economy, as Mayor Adams recent budget cuts indicate.
Tale of Two Governments - NYS Governor Hochul has $19 Billion in Unspent CoVid Relief Funding, While NYC Mayor Adams is Making Cuts in NYC
Many businesses and households didn't spend all of the money they saved during the pandemic, so there's still some of that stimulus that will continue working its way through the economy in the coming year or two. For example, while NYC Mayor Adams is cutting expenses, NYS Governor Hochul has about $19 billion, or 44% of the emergency funding allocations left to spend. Perhaps Hochul and Adams ought to talk about NYC getting a bit of NYS help, given half of the state lives here.
So in the case of NYC and NYS you have two different viewpoints - one where money is scarce and the other where it isn't ... yet. I say yet, because the MTA is still operating below prepandemic levels and thus NYS will have to continue making up the short fall, and the NYC cuts to education may need to be offset by an increase in NYS spending on the same.
Demand Side of the Economy - Employment and Businesses & Households Wealth Effect
Businesses and Households balance sheets also improved, in part because of stimulus funds and in part because spending was held back on services, like travel and hospitality, during the pandemic. Spending came roaring back in 2021, as the pandemic began to fade, but in 2022 it has subsided considerably. Most recently, retail sales were down about 1% in December of 2022, so the economy is definitely cooling.
In the top row of the chart at right is Gross Domestic Product [GDP is the total production value of the economy] and Employment, respectively, for 2021, 2022 and estimates for 2023. GDP [top left] softened in the first and second quarters of 2022, but came back in the third quarter, before falling again in the fourth quarter [estimated]. GDP is expected to remain soft in the first part of 2023, before coming back at the end of 2023. Likewise with Employment [top right], which has been softening. The U.S. is expected to lose some jobs in the first couple / three quarters of the year as rising interest rates dampen consumption and business investment.
So far the strong job market, with rising compensation, and up until 2022, a rising stock and housing market, added to Americans' confidence and contributed to robust spending in 2021 [see chart at right].
But as interest rates have risen, job growth has slowed, and layoffs by a number of the nation's largest tech companies [10,000 layoffs expected by Microsoft alone] begin to take root in the Economic Psyche of the American consumer, demand and productivity are expected to fall as noted by the GDP chart above right [top row on the left].
Inflation vs Market Liquidity Risk
Another aspect of the slowing economy is the impact of the Fed policiies in 2022. They rose rates rapidly and they've been taking liquidity out of the market via bond sales - both of which should have begun in 2021. And now they are on the verge of causing a recession because it seems they are not taking into account the multiplier effect and the lag time with which it takes for economic policy to work itself through the nation's $25 trillion economy.
If I were Jerome Powell, I would increase the Fed Funds rate a .25% at the next FOMC [Federal Open Market Committee] meeting at the end of January and signal that I might be done. And the only reason I would raise if .25% is because the market expects that and I wouldn't want to spook them, not because the economy needs further braking.
The Fed was a contributor in part to the inflationary problem we have - although Vladimir Putin and the disruptions caused by the pandemic should be given credit too. And the Fed is on the verge of contributing to a recession, which it might have to correct for too. For my money Powell isn't a steady hand, but if he stops now, he might avoid overplaying his monetary hand like he did when the pandemic first hit.
One last word on interest rates and inflation. Inflation ticked up considerably in the first half of 2022, which is why the numbers should begin muting rather quickly in the first half of 2023 - because the prior year numbers are already inflated. See chart below right for a month by month account of inflation last year.
Supply Side - Oil Supplies Flowing, China Coming Back on Line, Russian Disruptions Contained & Federal Government Investments
China has rolled back its restrictive CoVid policies. This will increase the supply of semiconductors, which should reduce price pressures in categories such as vehicles and electronics, which account for about 3% of the 8% of inflation we experienced in 2022 [light and dark blues of the chart below right].
The Biden Administration passed a bipartisan Semiconductor bill which is expected to bring more high paying jobs in the semiconductor industry back to the U.S. It will also alleviate the shortage in the long term.
Energy costs, as already mentioned, are primarily related to the rise in oil prices last year, due in great part to Russia's war in the Ukraine as previously shown in the chart above. In the chart below, yellow denotes the contribution of energy costs to inflation, representing between 2% - 3% of the 8% inflation of 2022 in the graph below right.
The Biden Administration reached out to Venezuela, which has the world's largest oil reserves, to provide more oil, which is being done with the help of Chevron.
And food, also experienced inflation due not just to the war in the Ukraine, but also climate change weather disruptions of drought and damaging storms. In the chart below right that's denoted in green and represents about 1% of the inflation last year.
The food category may continue to experience inflationary pressures because of climate change. The Biden Administration passed the Infrastructure Bill and the Inflation Reduction Act, both of which contain provisions designed to address the growing threat of climate change. Here I have to take issue with at least one provision [more later as I think some of this bill was ill-conceived by policy makers], and that is the roll out of electric vehicle recharging stations.
Time to Rethink - Why Don't Battery Makers Make Swappable Batteries that Consumers Can Re-Load in Minutes at a Fuel Station Instead of Waiting 20 - 30 Minutes to Re-Charge a Car?
I don't get it. Some of the smartest people on the planet are engineering these new technologies, but for some reason don't seem to be able to see the forest through the trees. The government should mandate that all electic vehicles be required to operate on a standard electric battery signed off on by the industry. The battery should represent an eighth of a tank of gas or equivalent, so that a driver can 'refuel' each time one of those batteries has dropped its load. In this manner drivers don't have to wait to recharge their cars, and the U.S. government doesn't have to install all of this unnecessary infrastructure. Set up the recharging stations near the power plant for greater efficiencies.
Risks - Debt Ceiling Gambit by Kevin McCarthy & The Republicans
Disinfo
Climate Change
Russia / China
Conclusion - It Could be a Good Year if McCarthy, Putin & Powell are Held in Check
Government Spending
Monetary Policy
Currency
Inflation
Interest Rates / Fed / Housing / Automotive
Almost done. This will be completed at a later date.
* Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros
Friday the 13th, Many Martin Luther King Day Weekend Events, Winter Jazz Festival & the January Arts Festival continue, Closing Reception, Play about Patriarchal Power & Skating
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the high 50's on Friday, the high 30's on Saturday and the mid 40's on Sunday and Monday. The temperature lows will be in the low to mid 30's all weekend. No precipitation is in the forecast. The humidity will be in the 60% range on Friday, the 50% range on Saturday, the 40% range on Sunday and Monday. The winds will be 12 - 17 mph on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, dropping to 5 - 10 mph on Monday.
The photo at right was taken a week ago at City Hall, where Mayor Adams opened himself up to a wide range of questions from the local press. This week the Mayor released the Preliminary Budget for NYC for 2024.
Friday the 13th - Origins of a Superstition
According to Wikipedia, the number 13 has been considered unlucky beginning with a Norse mythological story about how the 13th guest caused the death of a dinner host. They tell us that the connection between unlucky 13 and Friday didn't start until early in the 1800's, specifically citing an 1834 play called 'The Finesse of the Scribbles', wherein one of the characters says that he was born on Friday the 13th and that is the origin of all of his misfortunes. Greek and Spanish cultures cite Tuesday the 13th as the unlucky day.
Friday the 13th occurs at least once every year and there is no proof that it is any different from any other day. So while I'd recommend caution on any day, I wouldn't hesitate to do just about anything you normally do on this day.
The photo at right was taken of the back of City Hall in lower Manhattan. The foliage and ground are pretty brown and green for this time of year.
Martin Luther King Day Weekend - NYC Parks Day of Service
This weekend the City Parks Day Department is hosting a Day of Service. See details for times and locations at www.nycparks.gov.
There's outdoor skating at Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center in Midtown, and at Wollman Rink in the southeast corner of Central Park and at the Harlem Meer in the northeast corner of Central Park. Also in Prospect Park and Coney Island in Brooklyn, Cloves Lake on Staten Island, and in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. For details see https://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/iceskating
Martin Luther King Holiday Special Events in Manhattan NYC
On Sunday, the Apollo Theater at 253 West 125th Street in Harlem resumes its MLK Day program entitled, Uptown Hall" MLK - Blueprint for Culture. This event is free, but all tickets have been 'sold' as of Saturday morning. But if those ticket holders don't show up / pick up their tickets by 2.30 pm the day of the show, they will be released to the public waiting in line at the theater. See www.apollotheater.org for details.
On Sunday the Abyssinian Baptist Churchon Striver’s Row located at 132 Odell Clark Place between 138th & 139th Streets and Frederick Douglass & Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvds in West Harlem is hosting a King Day Worship Service beginning at 10 am. The featured speaker is Dr. Jelani Cobb who has become the Dean of the Columbia School of Journalism. The West Harlem neighborhood includes places where African Americans like author W.E.B. DuBois and civil rights activist Malcolm X spent some time. For details see - https://abyssinian.org.
On Monday, the eighth graders at Manhattan Country School organize an annual Commemorative MLK Day March beginning at 10 am until about 2 pm. This year the march is entitled 'The Power of Awareness: The March for Justice and Change'. The march route seems to vary with each year, but has generally been on the Upper West and Upper East Sides, stopping at historically signfiicant sites, where students give speeches and ending at the Manhattan Country School at 150 West 85th between Columbus & Amsterdam. This year the march starts at the Harriet Tubman Memorial where West 122nd Street meets Frederick Douglass Blvd and St Nicholas Avenue - makes five stops where 2 - 5 speeches are made by the students - and ends at Manhattan Country School. For details visit www.manhattancountryschool.org.
On Monday, January 16, 2023 there's a Harlem Gospel Choir performance at Sony Hall at 235 West 46th Street in Midtown Manhattan. The doors open at 12 noon and the show begins at 1.30 pm. Tickets run $41 - $59 at https://sonyhall.com.
All weekend there are jazz performances at the Birdland Theater at 315 44th Street in Midtown Manhattan. Tickets are $26 and $36 at https://birdlandjazz.com.
The United Palace at 4140 Broadway at 175th Street in Washington Heights doesn't have anything dedicated to MLK planned this weekend. But they are offering an historical tour on Sunday from 2 to 3.30 pm for $15. They describe the theater as follows: " ... The history of United Palace, Manhattan’s 4th largest theatre and now a landmarked building, began in 1930, when it was then one of five Loew’s “Wonder Theatres” across the boroughs and New Jersey. Designed by noted architect Thomas Lamb (Cort Theatre, the former Ziegfeld Theatre) with interiors overseen by decorative specialist Harold Rambusch (Waldorf Astoria, Radio City Music Hall), it was one of the region’s premier vaudeville and movie houses. Today, the United Palace hosts concerts, movies, and community events and provides spiritual and cultural programming ...". For tickets see https://www.unitedpalace.org.
The Joyce Theatre American Dance Platform begins Tuesday, January 10th and the Winter Jazz Festival begins on Thursday, January 12th. It's all part of the January Arts Festival - https://www.janartsnyc.org/ which runs through most of this month of January 2023.
Martin Luther King Holiday Special Events in Brooklyn NYC
Saturday through Monday January 14 - 16, 2023 from 10 am - 5 pm, the Brooklyn's Children's Museum at 145 Brooklyn Avenue in Crown HeightsHistoric District, is hosting events celebrating the life the Martin Luther King with a day of service, as well as arts and crafts, games and storytelling. For details go to www.brooklynkids.org.
On Sunday, January 15, 2023 from 11 am - 12.30 pm the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture at 53 Prospect Park West in Park Slope is hosting a program that will discuss MLK's 'I have a Dream' speech. In prior events such as this one they also include musicians. Free. For details see - FB - https://www.facebook.com/EthicalCultureBrooklyn/ or their website at - https://bsec.org/
On Monday, January 16, 2023 from 10.30 am to 3 pm in the Fort Greene neighborhood, the Brooklyn Academy of Music at 30 Lafayette Street in Brooklyn, hosts its 37th Annual Celebration of MLK's life in the Peter J. Sharp Building. There will be musical performances, speeches by renowned scholars and civil rights activists, a film screening and more [culture / free]. For details and an rsvp see www.bam.org.
On Monday, January 16, 2023 in Prospect Park in Brooklyn the Prospect Park Alliance is hosting two MLK Day events. The first runs from 10 am - 1 pm at the Music Pagoda, where folks can help enrich the park by doing some work on it. The second event runs from 12 noon to 4 pm at the Prospect Park Audubon Center [near the Boathouse which is accessible via the southeast side of the park from Ocean Avenue at Lincoln Road] where there will be outdoor nature activities, an animal encounter and a wilderness walk. For details see https://www.prospectpark.org.
This isn't a MLK related event, but on Saturday, January 14, 2023 at City Point Brooklyn at 415 Albee Square West there's a Wine Fest from 1 pm - 4.30 pm. Tickets cost $19 at https://winefestnewyork.com/.
Martin Luther King Holiday Special Events in Queens NYC
On Friday, January 13th, from 5 pm - 9 pm there's a closing reception at the Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning at 161-04 Jamaica Avenue in the Jamaica section of Queens. The exhibit is called The Art of Women and the Sacred Landscape of the Divine Feminine. It's free but you should rsvp at https://www.jcal.org/.
On Friday & Saturday, January 13th & 14th beginning at 7 pm there's a performance by Compass [dance group] about the evolution from patriarchal power at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center . Tickets are $15 at http://lpac.nyc.
On Sunday beginning at 3 pm, there's a talk by an NYT journalist, musical performance by a top jazz singer as well as other speeches in the LeFrak Concert Hall at the Queens College Kupferberg Center, located at 65-30 Kissena Blvd off Harding Expressway on the Queens College campus. Admission $20 at https://kupferbergcenter.org
On Monday, from 11 am - 1 pm there's a MLK Day event at the Queens Botanical Garden at 43-50 Main Street in Flushing. It's designed for kids and there's a $5 suggested donation.
Martin Luther King Holiday Special Events in the Bronx NYC
On Saturday January 14, 2023 from 10 am - 1 pm there's a workshop entitled Freedom Quilters of Gee's Bend at Wave Hill at 4900 Independence Avenue in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx. It's Free w/ admission to the grounds. For details see www.wavehill.org or call 718.549.3200 x251.
Martin Luther King Holiday Special Events in the Staten Island NYC
There's an MLK Day event on Monday, January 16, 2023 at the Staten Island Children’s Museum in the Snug Harbor Cultural Center at 1000 Richmond Terrace on Staten Island. Some of the events are paid [from 9 am - 4 pm] and some are free with admission [from 11 am - 3.30 pm].
Coming Next Weekend
Next weekend begins the Chinese Lunar New Year in celebration of the year of the rabbit and the Winter Show at the Park Avenue Armory.
Best wishes for a good day of community service and have an enjoyable / productive Martin Luther King Weekend .
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the high 50's on Friday, the high 30's on Saturday and the mid 40's on Sunday and Monday. The temperature lows will be in the low to mid 30's all weekend. No precipitation is in the forecast. The humidity will be in the 60% range on Friday, the 50% range on Saturday, the 40% range on Sunday and Monday. The winds will be 12 - 17 mph on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, dropping to 5 - 10 mph on Monday. Click for Queens Weather.
Brief History of Martin Luther King Holiday in NYC
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Baptist Minister who became the leading voice for African Americans' non-violent civil rights movement beginning in the mid 1950's through to his assassination in 1968. In 1983, the third Monday of every year was set aside to honor Martin Luther King for his service to the nation. The third Monday was chosen, as it was the nearest Monday to the anniversary of King's birthday, which was January 15, 1929.
Martin Luther King Day has grown to take on an even larger meaning, as it is oftentimes referred to as a day on, versus a day off. Organizations around the city and nation have used the day to call people into action to address the needs of the community through volunteering and service.
As Martin Luther King Day is a national holiday, it's worth keeping in mind that many / most federal offices will be closed, along with a number of businesses.
Martin Luther King Holiday Special Events in Queens NYC
On Friday, January 13th, 2023 from 5 pm - 9 pm there's a closing reception at the Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning at 161-04 Jamaica Avenue in the Jamaica section of Queens. The exhibit is called The Art of Women and the Sacred Landscape of the Divine Feminine. It's free but you should rsvp at https://www.jcal.org/.
On Friday & Saturday, January 13th & 14th, 2023 beginning at 7 pm there's a performance by Compass [dance group] about the evolution from patriarchal power at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center . Tickets are $15 at http://lpac.nyc.
On Sunday, January 15, 2023 beginning at 3 pm, there's a talk by an NYT journalist, musical performance by a top jazz singer as well as other speeches in the LeFrak Concert Hall at the Queens College Kupferberg Center, located at 65-30 Kissena Blvd off Harding Expressway on the Queens College campus. Admission $20 at https://kupferbergcenter.org
On Monday, January 16, 2023 from 11 am - 1 pm there's a MLK Day event at the Queens Botanical Garden at 43-50 Main Street in Flushing. It's designed for kids and there's a $5 suggested donation.
The venues below may also have MLK Day programs, or other cultural and historic programs.
On Monday I made the trip to the Mount Sinai Medical Center between 5th and Madison Avenues and between 99th and 101st Street on the Upper East Side. Mt Sinai is the hold out in completing negotiations or even resuming them with the New York State Nurses Association union or NYSNA.
By last Friday, January 6, 2023, New York Presbyterian Hospital, the Maimonides Medical Center and Richmond University Medical Center had reached tentative agreements with the NYSNA union that included improvements in safe staffing and wages.
By Saturday, January 7, 2023 the NYSNA tweeted that BronxCare Health System and Flushing Hospital Medical Center had "reached tentative agreements that will improve safe staffing levels and enforcement, increase wages by 7%, 6%, and 5%, and save their healthcare benefits."
By Monday, January 9, 2023 about 7,100 pf the 42,000 nurses in the NYSNA union were set to go on strike at Mt Sinai in Manhattan and Montefiore in the Bronx. When I arrived around noon time at Mount Sinai in Manhattan on Monday, the NYSNA had a strong showing by their members. And the vehicular traffic appeared to be highly supportive of them, which you will see in the video I shot when I post it later today. The strikers were stationed primarily on Madison Avenue at about 99th Street, and there was a speaker there, but I really couldn't hear what she had to say with all the surrounding commotion, you'll see that too.
So I found a few nurses talking things over a bit away from the crowd, and I spoke with them. They told me that the strike is primarily about two issues: 1) staffing levels and 2) compensation. I learned a couple of things I didn't hear reported in the corporate media, which I'll share. But please note that I've not yet had a chance to confirm these findings with either of the hospitals still on strike.
The first thing they told me is that the staffing levels vis a vis patient loads are and remain the primary cause of the strike. They said that in the last union negotiation the hospitals agreed to put in recommended grids for staffing levels per patient for the various hospital units, which was a good first step. The problem is that the new staffing grids were not made enforceable.
Thus, because the staffing grids per patient remain unenforceable, I was told that they are exceeded too often. The trouble with this, they told me [and remember these are not the official spokespeople for the union, but rather rank and file union members, and I haven't yet cross referenced these findings with either hospital - see below] is that when you exceed the recommended staffing levels for prolonged periods of time, the probability of staff mistakes rise [dispensing meds and providing treatments], and hence this isn't just unsafe for patients, but it also puts the licenses of the nurses in jeopardy, should they make a mistake.
The second thing they told me was that the corporate media tells New Yorkers that the striking nurses are holding out for higher percentage pay increases vis a vis the nurses at the other hospitals who have reached tentative deals. They thought this characterization was incomplete - if not unfair - as the nurses at Mt Sinai and Montefiore have lower pay scales than the nurses at the other NYC hospitals.
By Wednesday morning, January 11th, Montefiore had resumed negotiations with the NYNSA.
This is the first major strike by New York nurses in decades. One of the nurses said during the pandemic healthcare professionals were hailed at Heroes, while today - just a few short years later - they're treated like Zeroes. I will post the video later today and if should Montefiore or Mt Sinai Hospitals decide to provide me with comments, I will post them here later today.
Lastly, please note that none of the people I spoke with are featured in any video or photos of the strike.
Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros
First Full Weekend of the New Year - 2nd Anniversary of the Trump Insurrection, Three Kings Day Parade, Greek, Ukrainian & Russian Orthodox Christmas Weekend, Shabbat Dinner, January Under the Radar Festival Begins, Mulchfest Ending & a Couple of Holiday Market Sales
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the high 40's on Friday and Saturday, descending to the low 40's on Sunday. The temperature lows will be in the low to mid 30's all weekend. The humidity will be 70% on Friday, 60% on Saturday and between 50% and 70% on Sunday. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph all weekend. A scant amount of precipitation is expected early Friday morning, as well as late Sunday night. It appears to be something one needn't worry too much about.
In the photo at right, taken last week in Manhattan, you can see Macy's in the background, in all of its holiday glory.
White House, Washington, D.C. - Failed Insurrection
President Biden is planning to commemorate the failed Trump Insurrection of January 6th, 2021, with a White House event planned on Friday.
Around NYC - Mulchfest Ends Sunday
NYC Parks Department is hosting Mulchfest at various locations in each borough through Sunday, January 8th. This is an opportunity to recycle your Christmas trees and wreaths. Find a location and time that suits you - https://www.nycgovparks.org/highlights/festivals/mulchfest
Manhattan
On Friday there's a Three Kings Day Parade and celebration from 11 am - 2 pm at the Museo del Barrio at 1230 5th Avenue [at 104th / 105th Street] on the UES. They are also hosting a post holiday sale at their gift shop with 15% off most items. For details see - https://www.elmuseo.org/
January Arts Festival began this week and runs through the end of the month. The Under the Radar Jazz Festival, Chamber Music America and Opera Theatre Now are all on various stages this weekend. For details see https://www.janartsnyc.org/
In the photo at right, taken in Midtown Manhattan last week, you can see the crowds have returned to NYC.
The annual Origami holiday exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History at 200 Central Park West [btwn 77th & 81st] on the Upper West Side runs through January 16th, 2023. This year the exhibit is entitled 'Beautiful Bugs' to highlight the important role of insects in the planet ecosystem.
NEXT WEEK. The Joyce Theatre American Dance Platform begins Tuesday, January 10th and the Winter Jazz Festival begins on Thursday, January 12th. It's all part of the January Arts Festival - https://www.janartsnyc.org/
Brooklyn
On Friday there's the Brooklyn Brownstone Jazz Ensemble Concert Series beginning at 7.30 pm at 107 Macon Street in the Bed Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. Tickets are $39 at https://brownstonejazz.business.site/
The Lightscape Show at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden continues through January 8th, 2023. Tickets cost $40 for adults / $20 for kids and babies (0-2) are free.
Queens
On Friday from 11 am - 2 pm there's a Job Fair in Queens at BJ's Wholesale Club at 137-05 20th Avenue in the College Point neighborhood of Queens.
NEXT WEEK. There's a closing reception at the Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning at 161-04 Jamaica Avenue in the Jamaica section of Queens, next Friday, January 13th, from 5 pm - 9 pm. The exhibit is called The Art of Women and the Sacred Landscape of the Divine Feminine. It's free but you should rsvp at https://www.jcal.org/.
NEXT WEEK. Friday & Saturay, January 13th & 14th beginning at 7 pm there's a performance by Compass [dance group] about the evolution from patriarchal power at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center . Tickets are $15 at http://lpac.nyc.
Bronx
The Third Avenue holiday market at 2817 3rd Avenue between 148th and 149th Streets is open for its final day on Friday, January 6th from 11 am - 7 pm.
There's a Shabbat Dinner at the Bronx Jewish Center at 900 Pelham Parkway beginning at 7 pm in the Pelham Parkway neighborhood in the Bronx on Friday.
In the photo at right, taken last week, you see the Orpheum Theater in the East Village, where STOMP, a dance and musical performance show, will end its 29 year long run on Sunday, January 8th. In April of this year, the Phantom of the Opera, the longest running musical on Broadway [35 years], will also close.
The Holiday Train Show [1/6 - 1/16/23 except Monday 1/9/23] & Glow [Saturdays 1/7 and 1/14 only ] exhibits run through the holidays at the New York Botanical Garden at 2900 Southern Blvd in the Bedford Park neighborhood of the Bronx. The train show tickets cost $35 / $31 / $20 and the Glow tickets cost $39 / $24 at https://www.nybg.org/.
The Holiday Lights show at the Bronx Zoo at 2300 Southern Blvd continues through January 8th. Tickets are $40 / $35 / $25 at https://bronxzoo.com.
Staten Island
There's a Winter Lantern Festival at 75 Richmond Terrace [the stadium] on Staten Island. The show runs through January 8th, 2023. Tickets are $18 / $29 at https://www.winterlanternfestival.com.
On Friday and Saturday at the Conference House in Tottenville, there's the Festival of Trees.
I hope your new year is off to a good start. Enjoy your first weekend.
New Years Resolutions 2023: The Road Ahead
A Few Axioms To Keep In Mind Throughout The New Year
For all of us, today starts the beginning of a new year.
If we stay the course with vaccinations, masks, social distancing and hand washing, we should be able to continue the transition from pandemic to endemic - assuming we're not already almost there - given that there are likely to be lingering long term CoVid effects and that we may never return to a pre-CoVid normal.
The rest of this report is about some of the things you can do personally to make 2023 a better year for you.
New Years Eve occurs on a Saturday this year. While New Years Eve is one big party, it's important to keep in mind, that like St. Patrick's Day, all the amateurs come out to play [it's not just the Irish who are out drinking on St. Patrick's Day]. So some measure of caution is advised and you have to be careful.
Folks are ready to party this year, so an early rsvp is suggested. Most, if not all, NYC restaurants no longer require proof of vaccination, and no longer require masks. NYC theaters, followed suit this year rescinding both requirements, but they still encourage theater goers to wear masks. And while the pandemic restrictions have been rescinded, you might want to check the CoVid guidelines of your destinations, just to be sure, as each business is free to mandate and enforce their own CoVid guidelines.
The following are a number of different New Years restaurants in Queens NYC where you might consider booking a reservation.
Click this link to view a brief guide of New Years Eve parties & restaurants in Queens NYC where you will find links to Queens restaurants we've reviewed. The restaurants we've reviewed include a mix of high, medium and budget priced restaurants that are spread throughout the borough and offer a large variety of ethnic cuisines. Enjoy.
Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros
Christmas and Hanukkah Will Soon End, and Kwanzaa Will Soon Begin, Also New Years Eve Parties and Events
NYC Weather. The termperature highs descend from the mid 50's Friday, to about 20 on Saturday, rising to about 30 on Sunday and Monday, which is a holiday. The temperature lows fall like a rock to about 10 degrees Friday night, before rising to 15 on Saturday, 20 on Sunday and 25 on Monday. The humidity drops from 70% on Friday to 50% by the end of the day, and then remains in the 40% - 50% range for the rest of the weekend, including Monday. As of the time of this post, there's a 70% chance around midday of about 1/10 inch of precipitation. The winds will fall from a blustery 20 mph + on Friday, to 15 mph on Saturday, to 10 - 15 mph on Sunday, down to 5 - 10 mph on Monday.
The photo at right was taken earlier this month at Rockefeller Center in Midtown Manhattan. The crowds are back, but there might not yet, be as many foreign tourists as in the past.
Global - NORAD Santa Tracker
Click this link to follow Santa as he and his flying reindeer traverse the globe on Christmas eve and morning to make sure that all the good boys and girls receive gifts from the jolly, centuries-old man. Be sure to leave some milk and cookies for both Santa and the reindeer, and - while I must admit this is totally unconfirmed hearsay - I hear Santa occasionally drinks of the job. So if you leave a nip of something alcoholic to consume along with the milk and cookies, note that it might possibly be ignored, but also may not be unwelcome. Remember, just because that glass of something alcoholic was emptied between the time you went to bed on Christmas Eve and the time you awoke on Christmas morning, doesn't mean it was Santa who emptied it. Some believe that who emptied the glass, is how those rumors about Santa got started. Here is the link to the Norad Tracker:
https://www.noradsanta.org/en/
Manhattan
On Christmas Eve there's an hour of Caroling from 5 - 6 pm at the Christmas tree in Washington Square Park North at 5th Avenue. Free & all are welcome.
There's a Yiddish Festival at the Jewish Museum of Jewish Heritage at Brookfield Place Downtown from December 24 - 29, 2022. Tickets range from $10 - $349 and may be purchased at https://www.yiddishnewyork.com
There are Hanukkah candle lightings nightly outside the Plaza Hotel at the southeast end of Central Park around 5.30 pm except Friday [3.30 pm] and Saturday [6.30 pm].
There's the annual Origami holiday exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History at 200 Central Park West [btwn 77th & 81st] on the Upper West Side.
There's a Kwanzaa event at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.
The United Palace is hosting a Chanukah performance by an Israeli singer on Sunday starting at 8.30 pm in Washington Heights. Tickets $60 - $500.
There's a Midnight Mass on Christmas eve at St Patrick's Cathedral on 5th Avenue at 50th Street in Midtown Manhattan. Tickets required to attend at https://saintpatrickscathedral.org.
Most Manhattan Holiday Markets have either ended or end this weekend, excepting Bryant Park which ends in the new year. The following Manhattan holiday markets end on Christmas eve: Grand Central Station, Columbus Circle, Chelsea and Union Square. Only the Times Square holiday market ends Friday 12/23/22.
The photo below right was taken earlier this month in Midtown Manhattan.
On Christmas eve there's a Holiday Log lighting event between 1 - 2 pm at the Van Cortlandt House Museum at Broadway and West 246th Street in the southwest corner of Van Cortlandt Park.
Bronx Little Italy seafood markets are celebrating the feast of the seven fishes on Christmas eve Saturday in the Belmont neighborhood.
The BHBG Holiday Train Show & Glow exhibits run through the holidays.
The Bronx Zoo light show and related holiday events continue through the holidays.
There are nightly Menorah lightings at the Bell Tower Monument at West 239th Street and Henry Hudson Parkway in the Riverdale neighborhood in the Bronx. The lightings are at 4 pm, except at 3 pm Friday and 6.30 pm on Saturday.
There's a Kwanzaa Market on Friday, December 30 from 4 - 8 pm at St. Helena's Church at 1315 Olmstead Avenue downstairs in the gym in the Parkchester neighborhood of the Bronx. They suggest you wear African attire. Usually the Kwanzaa performance starts at 6 pm. Tickets $10.
The Queens County Farm Holiday Market ends Christmas eve.
There's a 7.30 pm Christmas Eve Mass at Christ Lutheran Church 33-57 58th Street in Woodside.
There's a Kwanzaa theatrical production being performed at the Black Spectrum Theatre on Wednesday and Thursday 12/28 & 12/29 at 11 am and 7 pm respectively. At 177 Baisley Blvd in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens. $30 at www.blackspectrum.net.
There's a Winter Lantern Festival at 75 Richmond Terrace [the stadium] on Staten Island. The show runs through the holidays. Tickets are $18 / $29 at https://www.winterlanternfestival.com.
NYC Weather. There's going to be some semi-serious precipitation [at present 2 plus inches] beginning Thursday afternoon around 4 pm, continuing until Friday about 4 pm. The temperatures are expected to rise to well above freezing, so it's almost certain to be rain in the city. As for the rest of the week, no rain Monday through Wednesday, and none is expected Saturday and Sunday, as folks head home for the holidays.
The temperature highs will be around 40 from Monday through Wednesday, rising into the low 50's on Thursday and possibly hit 60 on Friday, before descending into the mid 20's for the Christmas weekend, so Santa and his reindeer won't overheat as they make their appointed rounds. The temperature lows will be around 30 Monday through Wednesday, rising to 50 on Thursday, before falling to into the high teens on Friday, where the low will remain for the rest of the weekend. Monday thru Wednesday winds will be around 5 - 10 mph, rising to 15 - 20 on Thursday and then 25 - 30 on Friday, before falling back to 15 - 20 mph on Saturday and then 10 mph on Sunday. The humidity will be 50% - 65% on Monday thru Wednesday, rising to 75% - 85% on Thursday, and then falling on Friday from 75% to 50% on Friday, before settling into the weekend at between 40% - 50% for a dry weekend.
I. The Tripledemic - RSV How Real & How Scary?
As you likely heard, we are in the midst of experiencing a 'tripledemic'. The triple refers to CoVid, flu and RSV. RSV is short for respiratory syncytial virus, which is a virus that causes symptoms like those associated with a cold, but which can cause serious negative health issues for infants and the elderly. As usual, the TV news teleprompter readers and their writers appear to report whatever they're told, without actually thinking about the information they're conveying. And since they're in the business of attracting viewers' and readers' attention, they seem to have a tendency to sensationalize almost everything they report, including the weather.
So, let's start with RSV [respiratory syncytial virus], which to date, appears to have peaked the week ending November 12, 2022 [see chart]. According to weekly reporting by NYC Health, an NYC government website, there were three RSV related infant deaths since the peak this season, and they all occurred on the same week. As of the NYC Health report on December 17, 2022, there were nearly 30,000 cases in NYC so far this fall. So three infant deaths is a 0.01% RSV death rate in NYC. Given the low death rate, one has to wonder whether there were other complicating factors also at play?
RSV prevention is certainly worth paying attention to in order to protect your loved ones - especially infants, the elderly and immuno compromised. But that said, it rarely appears to be fatal, as you can see by the statistics noted above. RSV cases have been on the decline since the November 12th peak, but as in reporting on all health issues, things can change without notice. So stay tuned, knowing that what we're dealing with generally isn't lethal.
II. Resurgence of the Flu, in the Wake of the CoVid Pandemic
Understanding what's happening with the flu this season in NYS, also doesn't seem to be intelligently reported, as the TV news teleprompter readers and their script writers all seem to parrot one another with some alarming statistics. Alarming the public is good for ratings, so I reckon the broadcasters are doing what their bosses want them to do, but like the Boy Who Called Wolf, they're doing a disservice to the public and in the long term eventually a disservice to themselves, as the public is going to ignore them when another real health emergency arises.
Yes, the Flu is on the Rise & Dramatically so, Picking up from Where it Left Off in March 2020
Yes, the flu cases have risen very dramatically this year, especially when compared to the previous flu seasons, including prepandemic. But there's a story behind the numbers, which is that during the pandemic, the flu was overshadowed by CoVid because the flu has been around for about a century and for the most part the healthcare profession knows how to deal with it. As you can see from the chart, the green line - which is 2019 - 2020 flu season - was headed for a blockbuster year before CoVid stepped out onto the world stage, and CoVid has stolen the show up until now.
What happened since CoVid began in earnest in early 2020, is that people started masking up, social distancing and self-isolating. All of these precautions not only mitigate the transmission of CoVid - but also the flu. In part this is why the 2020 - 2021 flu numbers were close to nothing, and the 2021 - 2022 numbers were also very much subdued. Now, as we are in the beginning of the 2022 - 2023 flu season, the flu appears to be picking up where it left off in early 2020, before CoVid hit.
Flu Vaccinations Rates in 2022 vs 2019 Are Higher for Adults, but Lower for Children
I found some threads of inquiry that are worth investigating, which I hope will be pursued by a better resourced news organization soon, or by us eventually.
On the NYC.gov Health website I noticed that the number of Emergency Department visits for Influenza Like Illnesses, which they shorthand to ILL, have risen dramatically from 2021 to 2022, as have admissions - BUT the Emergency Department Admissions vis a vis the visits as a percentage has dropped to about half in 2022, versus what they were in 2021. That said, the overall number of people admitted for flu increased fairly substantially. See charts.
On the CDC [Center for Disease Control] website I found that while flu vaccination rates for adults are generally up when comparing 2022 versus 2019; the flu vaccination rates for children are down significantly in 2022 versus 2019. So it's possible that people's kids that may have mild cases of the flu are transmitting it to the adults, who are then getting sick. See charts below.
Both of these trends should be examined more closely by the NYC Health and CDC agencies, but that said, being aware of them can also help you navigate your way around them.
Conspiracy Theories - Did Government Payments Influence / Favor CoVid vs Flu Reporting?
On April, 27, 2020 USA Today published the results of an investigation into whether hospitals were paid more for CoVid patients on a ventillator than for flu patients on a ventillator. The higher payments for CoVid patients was true, but the study didn't find any 'gaming the system' on the part of hospitals. What's meant by this is that USA Today didn't find any falsification of data by hospitals in order to obtain the higher CoVid payment for the use of their ventillator. As you can see from the chart provided by KFF, which is a non-profit focused on providing healthcare information, about $31 billion in federal government spending was targeted at providing relief to healthcare providers treating patients with CoVid.
III. King CoVid is Back Again but ... CoVid's Reign is Waning
So, this brings us back to CoVid. CoVid has been the Talk of the Town for the past three years, but it's allure is fading.
New Cases / Hospitalizations / Deaths. In NYC we've been seeing about 300 new cases per day and on average there are about 4,000 people in NYC who have contracted and are living with CoVid. Also in NYC, as of today, about 130 patients are in the hospital with CoVid, and about a dozen folks died of it within the past day. About 14% of those tested at NYC clinics and hospitals tested positive for CoVid, but these numbers don't include the at home tests, so I don't know how meaningful a statistic the % testing positive is anymore.
All of this is more or less under control. We've moved from pandemic to endemic. So now let's see how CoVid plays out in the five boroughs of NYC geographically and ethnically. The following are a few stats that stick out to me.
By Age. About 99% of all adult New Yorkers received at least one vaccination dose. About 89% of NYC adults completed the original two shot vaccination program, while 48% have been boosted at least once. Kids under age 18 however do far less well vis a vis vaccinations. About 52% received at least one dose, only 45% actually completed the two shot regimen and only 16% have been boosted at least once.
By Boroughs. If you want to contract CoVid your best bet is eastern Brooklyn or southern Queens. But as you can see from the map, right now Queens looks pretty infected. But please bear in mind that this map can change dramatically - every ten days or so - so what you're seeing here is CoVid in NYC at a fleeting moment in time. See red map chart at the top of this report.
Ethnicity. Murdoch's Fox News / America's Disinformation Network Seems to be Dumbing Down White New Yorkers. Given George Washington, nearly 250 years ago, mandated that his troops be vaccinated, one would think that people today would recognize the value of protecting one's health via vaccinations. On many news programs, and for many measured categories, pundits use Whites as a sort of established national standard, when evaluating the progress being made by people in other demographic groups. Historically Whites have come out on top, because they've been members of the governing class, and the ethnic majority since this nation's founding.
But if a significant percentage of White New Yokers continue to rely on Rupert Murdoch's Fox News, Wall Street Journal and New York Post for their information, they'll soon enough lose their spot as a sort of aspirational ethnic national standard. The example I use to support these allegations today, is that White NYC Adults have the second lowest vaccination rate in the city of all ethnic groups, and White NYC children have the lowest CoVid vaccination rate in the city. Historically - pre-Murdoch - one would expect Whites to have the highest vaccination rates for both adults and children.
Murdoch media outlets have the predominant share of media in NYC, as Murdoch controls the Fox TV network, Fox 5, WNYW Channel 9, the Wall St Journal and the NY Post. Many of these Murdoch's outlets have done their audiences a disservice by not properly informing them vis a vis vaccines and vaccinations, in spite of the CoVid policies the company has implemented for itself [so Mr. Murdoch wants us to listen to his pundits as they say one thing & pay no attention to what Mr. Murdoch & Cos do, which is quite another thing].
Vaccinated People are Dying, but They're Generally Older and / or Infirm, & When Other Things are Equal, the Vaccinated Folks have a Far, Far Better Chance of Survival
Recently More Vaccinated Americans Died from CoVid than Unvaccinated Americans, BUT ... That's not true when you take into account age and other health variables, and whether or not they kept up with the vaccination boosters. In September 2021, 23% of those who died were vaccinated, that number rose to 42% in February 2022, and in August of 2022 it was 58%. BUT you need to know that at this point in the pandemic, most of the people dying of CoVid are over the age of 85 [see chart]. So while they are vaccinated, they are also very old and hence more susceptible to dying than those who are younger.
Vaccines Still Make a HUGE Difference. So the numbers, per a November 23, 2022 Washington Post report tells us, that: 1) unvaccinated Americans 6 months and older died at a rate 6x more those who got the first two doses of the vaccine, 2) unvaccinated Americans over age 5 died at an 8x rate than those who also received a booster, and 3) unvaccinated Americans age 50 and up were 12x times more likely to die than someone fully vaccinated with two boosters. So evaluate your risk and act accordingly. A shot in the arm seems a small price to pay for protection / insurance.
Protect the Elderly - CoVid Mitigation Advice is as Easy of 1-2-3-4-5
1. Stay up to date on your CoVid vaccinations. As time goes on and this abates, perhaps we can back off this regimen and like flu, it will be something we'll vaccinate against as we age.
2. Wash your hands regularly before touching your face - most notably your mouth and nose.
3. Social distance as much as you can, and wear a mask when in an enclosed public space or a crowded outdoor space.
4. Avoid people who are ill / coughing and stay at home if it's you.
5. And test yourself before attending events with family and friends in enclosed spaces if you're uncertain whether or not you have contracted CoVid. And if you caught CoVid, test yourself after about five or six days, to make sure you no longer have it before going back out in public.
Editor's Note. There are a number of advertisements on this site that you can click to find a testing site near you, as well as ads that you can click which will tell you where you can seek CoVid treatment if you need it.
All Other - We Continue to Learn More About CoVid
There's a whole slew of additional data I dug up about some of the other impacts of catching CoVid vis a vis its long term impact on one's health ['long CoVid'] and possible impact on Alzheimers.
We're also learning more about the vaccines and their impact on people. So as not to scare you, about the only thing I have found so far in this regard, is that there may be a slight lengthening of women's menstrual cycles.
We'll be back with more, but probably next year.
Have a nice week.
Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros
This is the Peak Party Holiday Weekend, Holiday Concerts, Holiday Shopping & Menorah Lightings as Hanukkah Begins
NYC Weather. The temperature highs descend from the high 40's on Friday to about 40 on Saturday and then into the high 30's on Sunday. The temperature lows drop from the mid 30's on Friday, to about 30 on Saturday and Sunday. The humidity drops from between 70% and 80% on Friday, to about 60% on Saturday and then into the 50% range on Sunday. The winds will be 12 - 16 on Friday and then about 10 mph for the rest of the weekend. About a half inch of rain is due Friday, ending about 4 pm in the afternoon, and thereafter the weekend should be dry.
The photo at right was taken last week along 6th Avenue, near Bryant Park in Midtown. The city is again entertaining fair crowds of tourists and New Yorkers.
Holiday Things To Do in Manhattan - Use Links at end of each Boro to obtain detail
* On Friday, Saturday & Sunday, December 16, 17 & 18, 2022 beginning at 7 pm Fri, 3 pm & 7 pm Sat, and 3 pm on Sun - performance of the show entitled Home for the Holidays. at Harlem School for the Arts at At 645 St. Nicholas Avenue in West Harlem north of the Upper West Side near Inwood and Washington Heights. Tickets $23 for all days except Sunday which is Free.
* On Saturday December 17th the Harlem Night market will be running La Marqueta from 4 to 8 pm. La Marqueta is located at 1590 Park Avenue between 112th and 115th Streets in East Harlem, underneath the Metro North tracks.
* Sunday, December 18, 2022 between 12 noon and 6 pm, Fifth Avenue will be closed to vehicles and open to pedestrians from 48th to 57th Street in Midtown.
* LAST DAY _ On Sundayfrom 10 am - 5.30 pm for the price of an MTA fare, passengers may ride the MTA vintage / nostalgia 1930s, 1940's, 1950's and 1960's train cars from between Chambers Street in the West Village and West 137th Street in Harlem.
* On Sunday, December 18, 2022 from 10 am - 12 noon a Hanukkah celebration at the 92nd Y at 1395 Lexington Avenue between 91st & 92nd Avenues on the Upper East Side. Free. https://www.92ny.org
* On Sunday, December 18, 2022 from 11 am - 3.30 pm the Jewish Museum at 1109 5th Avenue at 92nd Street on the UES of Manhattan is hosting a modern Hanukkah exhibit with an interactive light show. Free w/ museum admission of $18 / $12 or $8.
* On Sunday, December 18, 2022 from 4 to 5.30 pm there's the Riverside Church Candelight Carol Service at Riverside Church at 490 Riverside Drive between 120th and 122nd Streets on the Upper West Side. The musical prelude begins at 3 pm. Then a candle light service with the full cultural theater developed over thousands of years by the Christian church. They describe it as thus, "... combines carillon, organ, harp, and all of the choirs of The Riverside Church and culminates in a ritual sharing of candlelight illuminating the Nave ...". Tickets are $25 / $35 / donation.
* On Sunday, December 18 - 26, 2022 beginning at 5.30 pm nightly except on - Friday at 3.30 pm & Saturday at 8.30 pm there's the Grand Army Plaza Manhattan Menorah Lighting Events Hanukkah 2022. At Grand Army Plaza at 5th Avenue & 59th Street in Midtown Manhattan.
* On Monday, December 19, 2022 beginning at 8 pm Handel's Messiah in the Stern Auditorium on the Perlman Stage at Carnegie Hall at 57th Street and 7th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. A classic Christmas choral performance at one of NYC's oldest and finest cultural venues. Tickets are $28 plus $9 Processing or $80 plus $9 processing at https://www.carnegiehall.org.
All Weekend the holiday shops at Bryant Park, Grand Central Station, Times Square, Columbus Circle, Union Square Park, the Grand Bazaar on the UWS, the Chelsea Market, and the World Trade Center are all open - not just this weekend but through to Christmas. Details to all of these and other markets may be found using the link below entitled Manhattan holiday markets.
All Weekend the Luminaires Light Installation at Brookfield Place will be on. Ice rinks at Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center are open. The Rockefeller Christmas tree is up, but not lit. ORIGAMI at the American Museum of Natural History on the UWS.
Also it's worth noting the the Winter Solstice Concert at St. John the Divine, which was virtual last year, again doesn't appear to be returning live this year.
Holiday Things To Do in Brooklyn - Use Links at end of each Boro to obtain details
* On Friday & Saturday there will be a performance of classical music by the Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra at St Ann's Holy Trinity Church at 157 Montague Street in Downtown Brooklyn beginning at 7 pm and 11 am respectively. Rsvp $40.
* On Saturday there's a Caribbean holiday market followed by a concert at Medgar Evers College at 1650 Bedford Avenue in Crown Heights Brooklyn. The market opens at 5.30 pm and the concert begins at 7 pm. Tickets are $30 / $25 at https://www.braataproductions.org/.
* On Saturday there's a one day pop up market from 11 am - 6 pm at 203 37th Street in Industry City in the Greenwood Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn.
* On Saturday, beginning at 1 pm there's a trolley tour about history, art and nature being given at the Green - Wood Cemetery. You must rsvp and it costs $30.
* On Saturday from 4 - 5.30 the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music hosts a Principles of Kwanzaa Workshop which is most suited for kids 8 - 14 and their parents. Free. At the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music at 58 7th Avenue in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn NYC.
* On Saturday at 7 pm and on Sunday at 9 am, 12 noon and 3 pm, the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir will perform a number of free holiday concerts.
* On Saturday there's a performance of the Nutcracker ballet beginning at 4 pm at Our Lady of Angels Parish at 337 74th Street in Bay Ridge Brooklyn. $20.
* Sunday, 12/18/22 beginning at 2 pm and 6.30 pm, the Kings Theatre in Flatbush is hosting performances of the Hip Hop Nutcracker.
* On Sunday 12/18/22, there's a menorah lighting at the Grand Army Plaza in Prospect Park, also beginning at 4 pm.
* On Saturday & Sunday, the Fort Greene holiday pop up market will be open from 9 am - 4 pm along DeKalb Street between Washington Park and South Oxford Street near the farmers market and adjacent to Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn.
* On Saturday and Sunday there's a holiday market at the Brooklyn Museum 200 Eastern Parkway in the Prospect Heights from 11 am - 7.30 pm on Saturday and closing at 5.30 pm Sunday.
* On Saturday and Sunday, the Dumbo Improvement District is hosting a holiday flea market from 10 am - 5 pm at the Dumbo Triangle at Pearl Street. The Brooklyn Flea is open weekends at 80 Pearl Street.
* Weekend Market. The FAD [Fashion / Art / Design] markets is open Saturday from 11 am - 6 pm and Sundays from noon - 6 pm closing Sunday 12/18. They have two locations - one at the Invisible Dog Art Center at 51 Bergen Street in Boerum Hill, and at Empire Stores at 55 Water Street in Dumbo.
* Weekend Market. Artists and Fleas hosts their Regeneration holiday market on Saturdays and Sundays at 70 North Street in Williamsburg through the December weekends leading up to Christmas.
* All weekend there's also a holiday pop up market from 11 am - 7 pm on Friday & Saturday and closing at 6 pm on Sunday at 135 Kent Avenue at 6th Street in Williamsburg. The market features 35 vendors selling a variety of goods including fashion, beauty products, homewares, kids items and food. This market stays open next week and closes on Saturday 12/24/22.
* All Weekend - Holiday lights in Dyker Heights and the Lightscape Show at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Brooklyn holiday events.
Holiday Things To Do in Queens - Use Links at end of each Boro to obtain details
* On Sunday at 3.30 pm the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center hosts a performance of the Nutcracker ballet in LIC. Tickets are $21 at https://www.lpac.nyc.
* On Saturday there's a Governor's Victorian Ball at King Manor beginning from 4.30 - 7 pm. Tickets are $22 and include hors d'oeuvres and musical entertainment. They suggest you dress up in a costume of the age. Rsvp at www.kingmanor.org.
* On Saturday, there's a holiday caroling event from 7 - 10 pm at Cassidy's Ale House at 75-02 31st Avenue and 75th Street in Elmhurst / Jackson Heights. Free.
* Sunday, 12/18 from noon to 6 pm the Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden hosts a holiday market in Astoria.
* On Sunday the Oratorio Society of Queens will perform a Christmas / Hanukkah concert beginning at the St. Kevin Roman Catholic Church at 45-21 194th Street in Flushing Queens. Tickets $45 / $30 / $10.
* On Sunday afternoon there's a holiday market in Rufus King Park in tandem with the Jamaica Performing Arts Center across the street.
* All weekend there is a holiday market / sale at the Culture Lab at 5-25 46th Avenue between Vernon Blvd and 5th Street in Long Island City Queens. Details for all markets in Queens can be found using the link below.
* All Weekend. The Winter Lantern Festival began at the Queens County Farm at 7350 Little Neck Parkway. The Amaze Lights Festival began November 11th at CitiField in Flushing and runs through January 8th, 2023. And the Queens County Farm runs a holiday market daily from 10 am - 5 pm.
* Between now and the New Year [except Mondays & Christmas Day], the Secret Theatre at 3802 61st Street in Woodside Queens is performing A Christmas Carol written by Charles Dickens about a rich, lonely, miserly, miserable old man. Admission $30 / $15.
* The photo above right was taken last weekend, as I was on a subway winding its way past the new 5 Pointz building in Long Island City in Queens.
Holiday Things To Do in the Bronx - Use Links at end of each Boro to obtain details
* On Friday, December 16, 2022 from 5.30 - 7.30 pm, Santa will be visiting the Westchester Square Business Improvement District and there will be holiday treats, the Yuletide Singers and tree lighting. At Owen Dolan Park at 2551 Westchester Avenue at Tremont Avenue in the Westchester Square neighborhood of the Bronx.
* On Friday & Saturday, the Bartow Pell Mansion is hosting candelight tours of the mansion from 5 - 7 pm. Also on Thursday and Friday 12/22 & 12/23/22. $12. And on Sunday, December 18, 2022 from 3 - 4.30 pm - Sparkling Holiday Tea. $45.
* On Saturday & Sunday, December 17 & 18, 2022 beginning at 12.30 and 4.30 pm each day there will be performances of the classical ballet, The Nutcracker, by the Westchester Ballet Company in the Lovinger Theater which is at the north end of the campus at Lehman College at 250 Bedford Park Blvd West in Bedford Park in the Bronx. Tickets $31 - $63 https://www.lehmancenter.org/
* On Saturday, December 17, 2022 beginning at 2.30 pm there will be a Bronx Holiday Concert at St. Helenas Roman Catholic Church at 1315 Olmsted Avenue in the Parkchester neighborhood of the Bronx. MASKS ARE REQUIRED. Tickets cost $20 / $15 / $5.
* On Sunday 12/18/22, there's a free classical holiday concert to be performed in the Lehman Concert Hall which is in the middle of the campus. Free.
* On Sunday, December 18, 2022 from 2 - 3 pm there will be a Chanukah concert to celebrate the beginning of Hanukkah at the Bronx Jewish Center at 900 Pelham Parkway in the Pelham Parkway neighborhood of the Bronx NYC.
* On Sunday, December 18, 2022 beginning at 6.30 pm there's a Menorah Lighting & Interfaith Holiday Music event, at Hawkins Park at 281 City Island Avenue [the main drag] on City Island neighborhood in the East Bronx. The lighting event will be followed by a reception at the City Island Art Gallery. This is organized by Temple Beth-El synogogue. All are welcome.
* On Sunday, December 18, 2022 beginning at 4 pm there will be a Bronx Hanukkah menorah lighting including live music, hot latkes, donuts, dreidels, and balloons at the Bell Tower Monument at West 239th Street and Henry Hudson Parkway in the Riverdale neighborhood in the Bronx. This event is organized by Chabad Bronx.
* All Weekend - The Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights and NY Botanical Garden Glow and NY Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show also run all weekend.
Holiday Things To Do on Staten Island - Use Links at end of each Boro to obtain details
* On Friday, 12/16/22, the St. George Theatre is hosting the Staten Island Jazz Festival in St. George beginning at 7.30 pm. Tickets are $35 / VIP $125. https://stgeorgetheatre.com
* On Saturday, December 17, 2022 from 9 to 11 am there's a holiday breakfast with Santa for kids ages 3 - 11, including Santa, a holiday market, candyland and arts & crafts. At Colony Hall in the Sea View Farm Colony at 460 Brielle Avenue in the Manor Heights neighborhood of Staten Island. Organized by the Grace Foundation.
* On Saturday & Sunday, December 17 & 18, 2022 beginning at 5.30 pm Saturday and at 1 pm and 4 pm on Sunday there are performances of the classical ballet, the Nutcracker, by the Staten Island Ballet Dancers in Nicotra's Ballroom in the Hilton Garden Inn at 1100 South Avenue in the Bloomfield neighborhood on Staten Island. Tickets $85 SOLD OUT.
* On Sunday beginning at 5 pm there's a holiday lighting event in Westerleigh Park in the Westerleigh neighborhood of Staten Island.
* On Saturday and Sunday from 5.30 - 7.30 pm Historic Richmond Town is giving Candelight Tours. Tickets are $25 / $23 and kid age five and under are free.
* On Sunday 12/18/22 from 11 am - 3 pm, the Old Bermuda Inn hosts its final weekend of holiday brunches with Santa.
* All Weekend - There's a Winter Wonderland at Snug Harbor from 5 pm - 11.45 pm. The Staten Island Mall is hosting photo sessions with Santa.
Also we're still updating our New Years Eve parties / restaurants suggestions. Click this link to view. It should be mostly completed by Saturday, December 17th.
Enjoy.
Picketing for the One Day Strike at the New York Times didn't Last a Day
How Not to do a Strike?
December 13, 2022 / NYC Business News / Midtown Manhattan / News Analysis & Opinion / Manhattan Buzz.
Early last week I caught wind that there was an impending strike coming to the New York Times. It was a snippet of a news story, but seemed important, given the prominence and influence of the Times. The Times is one of the two most prestigious papers in the nation along with the Washington Post, and one of a small number of such influential newspapers in the world.
NYT Strike on Thursday, December 8, 2022
So, when I heard that the strike was actually happening on Thursday late afternoon, I dropped everything and headed down to the New York Times office building in Midtown Manhattan. I had a hunch that the strikers would be disbanding - if not gone - by the time the TV news ended at 7 pm.
It turns out I was right, as I arrived right around 7 pm and there wasn't a striker in sight. I walked completely around the block, covering all street exits of the Times office building, including 8th Avenue and 40th and 41st Streets. The strikers had been there, just not for a very long time.
I asked several people coming out of the building about the strike. Most of them shrugged me off, in a surly sort of manner. One of them responded telling me that the strikers were there in the afternoon, marching along 8th Avenue. But, as mentioned, there wasn't a striker in sight, and no trace that they had been there. Unless they had slipped into Wolfgang's Steakhouse for drinks and dinner [see photo below].
The photo above right was taken outside of the Times office building in Midtown Manhattan around 7 pm on December 8, 2022 - the day of the one day strike. The picketing appears not to have lasted the day.
A reported 1,100 members of the News Guild of New York gave up a days pay, to stage the one day walk out on Thursday, December 8th. The union represents 1,450 NYT employees, of which 1270 are newsroom personnel, according to the Wall St. Journal. Based on the coverage I saw by other news organizations of the strike, far fewer folks picketed on Thursday, than the number of those who didn't show up for work and gave up the day of pay. My guesstimate of the number who picketed was in the low hundred(s).
Components of the Negotiations Between the NYT & News Guild Union
The union, which won't negotiate with management in person, incited the strike to prod management into moving forward with the contract renewal negotiations on a contract that expired in March of 2021. The negotiations included the fate of the pension vis a vis a 401K, medical benefits - specifically fertility insurance coverage, flex time for working in / out of the office, and of course pay.
At present wage increases seem to be the sticking point. According to PBS the Times is offering a 5.5% pay increase upon completion of the contract [providing for pay increases for the prior two years - 2021 & 2022], followed by 3% increases in 2023 and 2024. The union wants 10% to cover the prior two years upon completion of the deal. The 5.5% for the past two years is 2.75% per year, while inflation during the same period was 4.7% in 2021 and an estimated 7.5% for 2022.
The photo at right was taken looking into Wolfgang's Steakhouse, while covering the NYT Strike outside on December 8, 2022.
NYT & U.S. Media Industry Finances & Employment
The union argues that the Times is doing well, having generated over $220 million in profit last year [2021]. According to NY Magazine, the Times is also on track to make a profit of $300 million this year.
But that said, it's worth noting that of late, the media industry has continued shedding employees / jobs. According to CNN, Gannett recently laid off 200 employees, PBS is looking to cut $10 million from its budget, and CNN itself laid off hundreds of staffers. According to Axios there have been about 3,000 layoffs in the media industry in the past year, with 1,100 of those coming from news media, including Netflix and Warner Bros.
Strikers Negligible Impact on NYT Operations
During the one day strike, on Thursday, December 8th, the Times website was published as if nobody was missing. The Times had employees prepare advance work, like they do for the weekend edition, while keeping a skeleton crew on board for breaking news.
Some journalists compared the one day NYT strike this past week, to a prolonged 114 day strike staged in 1962 & 1963, musing how times had changed. In the 1962 - 1963 strike 17,000 union members walked out on the seven NYC dailies. At the end of the strike, four of the seven papers folded. But back then newspapers were [categorized as] manufacturing businesses, because they actually 'produced' the news by converting paper and ink into information that was delivered like milk, to customers' front doors.
NYT Ownership Still Controlled by the Sulzberger Family
It's worth noting that in August an activist investment firm, ValueAct, acquired 7% of the stock of the New York Times. The Times is currently valued at $5.7 billion and today a stake that size would cost about $400 million. The investment firm reportedly plans to push the NYT to more aggressively monetize its assets.
Carlos Slim Helu acquired nearly 7% of the Times stock in 2008. He then proceeded to lend the Times $250 million, which was repaid in 2011, three years ahead of schedule. Helu increased his stake in the Times in 2015 to 17%. In 2017 Helu pared back his holdings, by about a half million shares, out of a total of the 28 million shares he held.
The Sulzberger Family still retains control through a dual class share structure, whereby they control 70% of the board seats with only 20% of the stock. The Sulzberger Family has controlled the New York Times since 1896.
Beware our Changing Times - Know Who Controls the Integrity of the Information you Consume
Lastly, a word of caution. It's worth noting that investment firms and billionaires are rapidly gobbling up what's left of the newspaper world. They also appear to be interested in using the media to push their own narratives onto the public. Rupert Murdoch is an extreme example of someone who appears to use his mass media outlets to manipulate the public, but increasingly he's no longer the exception. The super wealthy - including Elon Musk, Donald Trump and tightly controlled investment firms - have acquired, founded or taken positions in most of the medium to large sized newspaper, broadcast and online outlets. Unfortunately many of them appear to be using the outlets they control to push their own narratives, sometimes regardless of the facts.
So, remember that the world is constantly changing. And while the logos of the media outlets you rely upon may not change, the people behind the scenes who are running them, do.
Have a good one.
Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros
Holidays Tree Lightings, Holiday Caroling, Holiday Community Gatherings & Holiday Markets
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the low to mid 40's, and the temperature lows will be in the low to mid 30's, all weekend. About 1/3 inch of precipitation is expected on Sunday between the hours of noon and midnight. Winds will be about 7 - 10 mph all weekend. The humidity will rise from 40% - 50% on Friday, to 50% - 65% on Saturday, to 70% - 80% on Sunday.
The photo at right was taken this week along 5th Avenue, which was fairly crowded Thursday evening with tourists and New Yorkers.
Holiday Things To Do in Manhattan - Use Links at end of each Boro to obtain details
Friday and Saturday, beginning at 7 pm, Handel's Messiah at historic Trinity Church near Wall Street in Downtown Manhattan.
Saturday 12.10.22 morning beginning at 10 am at 39th and Broadway marks the start of the Santa Con. Santa Con is a day long bar hopping event with a couple dozen participating bars. Many folks dress up. Tickets are $16 at https://santacon.nyc/.
Also on Saturday, Alicia Keys will be performing at the United Palace in Washington Heights. The tickets are free and already sold out, but it may be a very, very long shot that some folks don't show.
The first three Saturdays in December [12/3, 10 & 17] the Harlem Night market will be running La Marqueta from 4 to 8 pm.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Dances Patrelle returns with the Nutcracker at the Kaye Playhouse on the UES. The performances a delight to the senses. Tickets range from $65 - $75 at https://www.dancespatrelle.org/.
Also all weekend is the Holy Trinity Holiday market on the UES. It's quite unique in the merchandise for sale.
On Sunday the Tompkins Square tree lighting begins at 4 pm in the East Village. Sundays, December 4, 11 & 18, 2022 between 12 noon and 6 pm, Fifth Avenue will be closed to vehicles and open to pedestrians from 48th to 57th Street in Midtown. On Sunday from 10 am - 5.30 pm for the price of an MTA fare, passengers may ride the MTA vintage / nostalgia 1930s, 1940's, 1950's and 1960's train cars from between Chambers Street in the West Village and West 137th Street in Harlem.
All Weekend the holiday shops at Bryant Park, Grand Central Station, Times Square, Columbus Circle, Union Square Park, the Grand Bazaar on the UWS, the Chelsea Market, and the World Trade Center are all open - not just this weekend but through to Christmas. Details to all of these and other markets may be found using the link below entitled Manhattan holiday markets.
All Weekend the Luminaires Light Installation at Brookfield Place will be on. Ice rinks at Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center are open. The Rockefeller Christmas tree is up, but not lit. ORIGAMI at the American Museum of Natural History on the UWS.
Holiday Things To Do in Brooklyn - Use Links at end of each Boro to obtain details
The Fort Hamilton holiday celebration and market is Friday, December 9th. So if you're planning to go you need to register to gain access to the army base.
On Saturday from 10 am - 4 pm at the Old Stone House in Park Slope there's a holiday market.
On Saturday 12/11/ 22, the Kings Theatre in Flatbush is hosting performances of the Nutcracker beginning at 2 pm and 7 pm. They are hosting the Hip Hop Nutcracker on Sunday, 12/18/22 beginning at 2 pm and 6.30 pm.
On Saturdays and Sundays the first three weekends in December, the Dumbo Improvement District is hosting a holiday flea market from 10 am - 5 pm at the Dumbo Triangle at Pearl Street. The Brooklyn Flea is open weekends at 80 Pearl Street.
On Sunday, the Greenpointers Holiday Market runs from 6.30 - 8.30 pm at the Greenpoint Loft. Also on both Saturdays and Sundays in December before Christmas is the Fort Greene holiday market from 10 am - 4 pm. It's located next to the Farmers market you can use search on this site to find it.
On Sunday there's a pop up record sale in Gowanus Gardens in Brooklyn.
Weekend Markets. The FAD [Fashion / Art / Design] markets also open Saturdays (11 am - 6) and Sundays (noon - 6 pm) closing the weekend before [12/18] the Christmas weekend. Artists and Fleas hosts their Regeneration holiday market on Saturdays and Sundays in Williamsburg through the December weekends leading up to Christmas.
All Weekend - Holiday lights in Dyker Heights and the Lightscape Show at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Brooklyn holiday events.
Next Wednesday 12/14/22 from 4 - 6 pm there's a tree lighting at the Grand Army Plaza in Prospect Park. The Menorah Lighting at the same location is on the following Sunday 12/18/22, also beginning at 4 pm.
Holiday Things To Do in Queens - Use Links at end of each Boro to obtain details
On Friday from 7 - 9 pm there's the St. Nicholas Illumination done by Sunnyside Reformed and Queen of Angels churches beginning from 48th Street and Skillman Avenue in Sunnyside.
On Friday and Saturday 12/9 & 12/10 the premiere of a new play about the pandemic at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center opens for two nights only in LIC. Tickets are $20 at https://www.lpac.nyc.
On Saturday, from 11.30 am - 3.30 pm in Astoria, along Steinway Street between 31st and 38th Streets, Mr. & Mrs. Santa Claus will be giving out gifts while supplies last and there will holiday entertainment and displays.
On Saturday, in St. Albans, from 12 noon to 6 pm there's a Winter Festival at the Black Spectrum Theatre.
On Saturday there's a wreath making workshop from 1 - 4 pm at the Queens Botanical Garden. Tickets are $35 / $30 & include materials.
Also on Saturday there's a murder mystery dinner at King Manor beginning at 5.30 pm. Tickets are $71 at www.kingmanor.org and include hors d'oeuvres and drinks.
On Saturday, from 11.30 am - 3.30 pm, Flushing Town Hall is hosting a fundraiser holiday party. Tickets are $100 / $150.
Also on Saturday there's a Caribbean holiday market followed by a concert at the Merrick Academy Charter School at 136-25 218th Street in Springfield Queens. The market opens at 5.30 pm and the concert begins at 7 pm. Tickets are $30 / $25 at https://www.braataproductions.org/.
On Sunday the Holiday Historic House Tours return to Flushing from 1 - 5 pm. It's an opportunity to see eight historic houses dating from colonial times to the 1950's [Louis Armstrong's House] for one low fee. A bus runs between the houses that you can use for free of $15 / $20.
On Sunday from noon to 7 pm the historic Grace Episcopal Church will host a Christmas Church Bazaar. Free admittance.
Santa is visiting the NY Irish Center at 1040 Jackson Avenue in LIC on Sunday, from 2 to 4 pm. Tickets are $7 at https://www.newyorkirishcenter.org. On Tuesday, 12/13 from 7 - 10 pm they are hosting a showcase of performances and a holiday celebration. Tickets $15.
This Sunday from noon to 5 pm, Katch Astoria will also be hosting a Queens Craft Brigade holiday market.
Sundays, 12/11 & 12/18 from noon to 6 pm the Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden hosts a holiday market in Astoria.
Also on Sunday the Queens Symphony Orchestra is performing its holiday concert at the LeFrak Concert Hall from 3 - 5 pm. Tickets are $40 - $95, but they sold out.
All weekend there are a couple of holiday markets / sales - one at Culture Lab and the other at Brickhouse Ceramics in Long Island City. Details for both and all other markets in Queens can be found using the link below.
All Weekend. The Winter Lantern Festival began at the Queens County Farm at 7350 Little Neck Parkway. The Amaze Lights Festival began November 11th at CitiField in Flushing and runs through January 8th, 2023. And the Queens County Farm runs a holiday market daily from 10 am - 5 pm.
Next Tuesday beginning at 5 pm there's a holiday celebration at the LIC Bar organized by the Chocolate Factory and the LIC the Long Island City Partnership. There's also a performance at the NY Irish Center [see details above]. Next Wednesday, 12/14/22 beginning at 7.30 pm the Jackson Heights Orchestra lights up their holiday concert at St. Mark's Church. On Thursday, 12/15/22, in Jackson Heights at the Langston Hughes Library & Cultural Center there will be an Upcycled Gifts event from 6 - 7.30 pm.
The photo at right was taken last weekend at the Queen of Angels Crafts and Arts Fair featuring and organized by Sunnyside Artists.
Holiday Things To Do in the Bronx - Use Links at end of each Boro to obtain details
Friday the Fordham BID hosts its holiday celebration in Bryan Park in the Fordham neighborhood.
On Friday & Saturday 12/9 & 12/10, the Bartow Pell Mansion is hosting candelight tours of the mansion from 5 - 7 pm.
POSSIBLY AN ERROR ON THEIR WEBSITE OR CANCELLED _ On Saturday the Bronx Museum was hosting a Family day from 1 - 4 pm, but it's been taken off the calendar so it may have been cancelled.
On Sunday, the Church of the Mediator at 260 West 231st Street in Kingsbridge is hosting a holiday concert featuring the Christmas classics beginning at 3 pm, to be followed by a reception. Tickets are $25 / $10.
Also on Sunday there's a Caribbean holiday market followed by a concert at the Harry S. Truman High School at 750 Baychester Avenue in Coop City in the Bronx. The market opens at 4.30 pm and the concert begins at 6.30 pm. Tickets are $30 / $25 at https://www.braataproductions.org/.
On Sunday at Wave Hill Garden and Cultural Center there's a holiday concert from 2 - 3 pm featuring Lara Downes in Riverdale. Tickets are $30 / $16 / $14 at https://www.wavehill.org.
All Weekend - The Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights and NY Botanical Garden Glow and NY Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show also run all weekend.
Holiday Things To Do on Staten Island - Use Links at end of each Boro to obtain details
On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the St. George Theatre is hosting its 19th Annual Christmas Show which features about 100 Staten Island performers. Tickets are $10 / $20 / $30 / $40 & $50. Funds raised go to help the theater.
On Saturday morning Empire Outlets is doing a Breakfast with Santa from 10 - 11 am in St. George.
On Saturday there's a holiday market organized by Maker Radio in Stapleton from 11 am - 4 pm.
On Saturday there's a holiday event at the Alice Austen House in Shore Acres from 12 noon - 3 pm. The event allows visitors to have their photo taken and aura read for $20 / $30.
On Saturday from 3 - 6 pm there's a holiday tree lighting / Santa Visit event in Tappan Park in Stapleton.
On Saturday, the William H. Pouch Scout Camp tree lighting event begins at 6 pm. Admission is $5.
On Saturday and Sunday from 5.30 - 7.30 pm Historic Richmond Town is giving Candelight Tours. Tickets are $25 / $23 and kid age five and under are free. Prior to the tours on both days, Historic Richmond Town is hosting a crafts making event at many of the local shops, whereby you can watch how things were made a century and a half ago, and then buy them. Tickets are $12 / $10. On Saturday Only at 5 pm there's a tree lighting ceremony at 5 pm.
On Sunday from 11 am - 3 pm, the Old Bermuda Inn continues its holiday brunches with Santa.
All Weekend - There's a Winter Wonderland at Snug Harbor from 5 pm - 11.45 pm. The Staten Island Mall is hosting photo sessions with Santa.
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the high 40's on Friday, the high 50's on Saturday and descending back to the low 40's on Sunday. The temperature lows will be in the low 40's on Friday, descending to the low 30's on Saturday and Sunday. The humidity will climb from 50% to 60% on Friday, to 55% to 77% on Saturday before descending back to 50% to 60% on Sunday. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph on Friday, rising to 10 - 15 mph on Saturday and then falling to 5 mph on Sunday. About a quarter inch of rain is expected between 7 am and 1 pm on Saturday, otherwise it's a dry weekend.
The photo at right was taken last week. What strikes me about this photo, and other scenes in the city like it, is the lingering foliage and color we're still seeing at this late date in the season.
This weekend we could top 60 degrees, which as you know, is unseasonably warm. Even the birds and insects are confused by this weather. For example at a Thanksgiving Day dinner in Connecticut I noticed there were insects hovering around the table, and in Queens - just yesterday - I walked past a bevy of trees which were alive with the noise of what seemed an entire flock of tweeting birds. It was fairly cold yesterday, so I thought perhaps their beaks were chattering, like we humans do when it's very cold.
Holiday Things To Do in Manhattan - Open Streets in Midtown
All Weekend the holiday shops at Bryant Park, Grand Central Station, Times Square, Columbus Circle, Union Square Park, the Grand Bazaar on the UWS, the Chelsea Market, and the World Trade Center are all open - not just this weekend but through to Christmas. Details to all of these and other markets may be found using the link below entitled Manhattan holiday markets.
Unique markets open only this weekend include one at the Indian Museum, and one - La Marqueta - only on Saturday in Harlem. On Sunday 12/4/22 there's an ornament making workshop at the Ukrainian Museum where they're encouraging folks to do some holiday shopping at the museum gift shop as they aren't hosting a bazaar this year. Details to all of these and other markets may be found using the link below entitled Manhattan holiday markets.
On Saturday Hudson Park is hosting its tree lighting. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Manhattan holiday events.
Note that on Sundays, December 4, 11 & 18, 2022 between 12 noon and 6 pm, Fifth Avenue will be closed to vehicles and open to pedestrians from 48th to 57th Street. On Sunday from 10 am - 5.30 pm for the price of an MTA fare, passengers may ride the MTA vintage / nostalgia 1930s, 1940's, 1950's and 1960's train cars from between Chambers Street in the West Village and West 137th Street in Harlem. Brick Presbyterian Church has its Park Avenue tree lighting on Sunday, as does Carl Schurz Park which hosts its tree lighting Sunday. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Manhattan holiday events.
All Weekend the Luminaires Light Installation at Brookfield Place will be on. Ice rinks at Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center are open. The Rockefeller Christmas tree is up, but not lit. ORIGAMI at the American Museum of Natural History on the UWS. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Manhattan holiday events.
Next Wednesday both Madison Square Park and Washington Square Park have their tree lightings. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Manhattan holiday events.
On Friday night, December 2, 2022 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music aka BAM, community activist Angela Davis will speak and there's also a Slavic Soul party. The Lott House is also hosting a Sinterklaus tree lighting event with cocoa, cookies & music. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Brooklyn holiday events.
On Saturday there's a St Nicholas celebration at The Vande Ende Onderdonk House which is an historic Dutch colonial house celebrates. Also the Wyckoff Museum is hosting an outdoor St Nicholas event with St Nick arriving on a live horse around 2.30 pm.
On Saturday there's a pop up market at Fort Greene Park. On Saturday and Sunday, December 3 & 4, 2022 there's a holiday market at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and a couple of holiday flea markets - one in Williamsburg and the other in Dumbo. The FAD [Fashion / Art / Design] markets also open this weekend and remain open weekends, closing prior to the Christmas weekend. Details to all of these and other markets may be found using the link below entitled Brooklyn holiday markets.
On Sunday there's a Christmas tree lighting in Fort Greene Park. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Brooklyn holiday events.
All Weekend - Holiday lights in Dyker Heights and the Lightscape Show at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Brooklyn holiday events.
Lastly, it's worth noting that the Fort Hamilton holiday celebration and market is next Friday, December 9th. So if you're planning to go you need to register to gain access to the army base.
On Friday, December 2nd in Jackson Heights beginning at 5 pm there's a tree lighting organized by the 82nd Street Partnership. There's also a tree lighting at Harpell's Pharmacy in Bayside. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Queens holiday events.
On Saturday, December 3rd there's a holiday party in Astoria Park in the afternoon organized by CALDC. Also on Saturday in Astoria, along Steinway Street, there will be Christmas carolers making their way up and down the street from late morning through most of the afternoon. In Jackson Heights the JH Beautification Group is hosting its annual tree lighting and holiday celebration beginning at 4 pm. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Queens holiday events.
Also on Saturday, December 3rd in the afternoon, there are a couple of holiday art fairs in LIC hosted by artists. In Sunnyside, there's an arts and crafts fair all day long. And in Bayside there are also a couple of holiday fairs which run in the morning and most of the afternoon, which are hosted by churches. Details to all of these and other markets may be found using the link below entitled Queens holiday markets.
On both Saturday and Sunday in Flushing there will be a tree lighting combined with arts and crafts projects at the Queens Botanical Garden. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Queens holiday events.
All Weekend. The Winter Lantern Festival began at the Queens County Farm at 7350 Little Neck Parkway. The Amaze Lights Festival began November 11th at CitiField in Flushing and runs through January 8th, 2023. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Queens holiday events.
There are also a number of events that happen next week, including the premiere of a new play about the pandemic at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center in LIC. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Queens holiday events.
All Weekend - The Wave Hill Garden and Cultural Center is hosting wreath making workshops in Riverdale. The Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights and NY Botanical Garden Glow and NY Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show also run all weekend. Details to all of these and other holiday markets and holiday events may be found using the link below entitled Bronx holiday markets and events.
On Saturday 12/3/22 there's a Salsa Dance Party at the Bronx Museum. There's also a holiday event at the Bronx Terminal Market in the Concourse neighborhood. And a late afternoon / early evening holiday tree lighting on Arthur Avenue in the Little Italy neighborhood of the Bronx. The Bartow Pell Mansion is hosting its annual holiday party and fundraiser. Details to all of these and other holiday markets and holiday events may be found using the link below entitled Bronx holiday markets and events.
On Sunday 12/4/22, there's a free classical holiday concert at Lehman College in Bedford Park. Also on Sunday the Throggs Neck Merchants Assocation hosts its annual holiday celebration at the Bronx Library at the DeRosa O'Boyle Triangle in the Throgs Neck neighborhood of the Bronx. Details to all of these and other holiday markets and holiday events may be found using the link below entitled Bronx holiday markets and events.
Next Thursday, 12/8/22 there's a holiday celebration with Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson at Lou Gehrig Plaza at Borough Hall at 161st Street and the Grand Concourse in the Mott Haven / Concourse neighborhoods of the Bronx. That same evening there will be another holiday lights celebration at the Mosholu Parkway Lawn in Norwood neighborhood of the Bronx.
And Next Friday the Fordham BID hosts its holiday celebration in Bryan Park in the Fordham neighborhood. Also next Friday the Bartow Pell Mansion begins hosting candelight tours of the mansion. Details to all of these and other holiday markets and holiday events may be found using the link below entitled Bronx holiday markets and events.
All Weekend there's a Winter Wonderland at Snug Harbor. And the Staten Island Mall is hosting photo sessions with Santa. Details to all of these and other holiday events may be found using the link below entitled Staten Island holiday events.
On Saturday there's a holiday market at Snug Harbor in Randall Manor. A holiday market at Immanuel Union Church in Westerleigh. Details to all of these and other holiday markets may be found using the link below entitled Staten Island holiday markets.
There's also a Yule Jog at the Conference House in Tottenville and the Conference House Holiday Tours have begun. Details to all of these and other holiday events may be found using the link below entitled Staten Island holiday events.
On Saturday & Sunday Empire Outlet tree lighting and holiday market in St. George. Details to all of these and other holiday markets may be found using the link below entitled Staten Island holiday markets.
On Sunday, the Grand Illumination and outdoor holiday market at the Conference House in Tottenville. Details to all of these and other holiday markets may be found using the link below entitled Staten Island holiday markets.
On Sunday the Old Bermuda Inn begins its first round of holiday brunches with Santa.
Next Monday and Tuesday the Historic Old Bermuda Inn with John Vincent Scalia Funeral Home hosts their annual Memorial Tree Lighting. Next Tuesday, 12/6/22 Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella will host a tree lighting at Borough Hall in St. George. Next Wednesday 12/7/22 there's a holiday celebration in Midland Beach organized by the Richmond Road Merchants Association. Details to all of these and other holiday events may be found using the link below entitled Staten Island holiday events.
*** Be sure to visit our Queens holiday markets page, as it contains related holiday events with a shopping element to them.
*** For links to holiday events and markets in all five boroughs of NYC scroll down to the bottom of this report.
EDITOR NOTE. While it seems we've turned the corner on the CoVid pandemic, remember caution is the better part of valor. Try to maintain some social distance, when in a crowded place consider wearing a mask and if you're not feeling well, give yourself a break and enjoy some time at home.
How The Queens Holiday Events Page on this Page are Organized
These holiday events on Queens are organized as follows:
1. BY NEIGHBORHOODS OF QUEENS
2. BY DATE
Watch carefully as some locales have multiple dates, and all dates for a given locale are shown at the time the venue is first listed.
3. ALL OF THESE ARE FREE UNLESS FEES ARE SPECIFIED.
4. Note QUEENS HOLIDAY MARKETS are published on a separate page - the links to which are posted at the bottom of this page, along with links to other boroughs.
The holidays are a special time of the year. In ancient times there were harvest celebrations to give thanks and enjoy the bounty after a long growing and harvesting season aka a year of work.
Holiday lighting festivals and ceremonies have been on the rise in Queens in recent years. While some date back many years, most are traditions that started within the past five or ten years.
What does an increase in holiday lightings mean? It means you have ample opportunity to go yourself, or with friends, or to take your kids to one or more of them to learn a bit more about your own culture or the culture of others.
Each lighting is a bit different, as some are community and business-oriented, some are religiously oriented, a few have arts organizations behind them, and some are backed by non-religious cultural organizations. Please feel free to send us a notice of your holiday lighting event if it's not posted herein.
Queens Christmas, Hanukkah & Kwanzaa Holiday Events Begin in Earnest
This is not meant to be a complete list, but rather a list of the holiday lighting events, many of which I’ve attended one or more times since late 2007. The holiday lighting events are organized individually by each Queens neighborhood including Astoria, Long Island City LIC, Sunnyside, Woodside, Jackson Heights, Corona, Flushing, Jamaica and Whitestone. Many include the serving of some beverage like hot chocolate and generally something to munch on like cookies.
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the low to mid 50's all weekend, while the temperature lows will rise from around 40 on Friday and Saturday, to 50 on Sunday. The humidity drops from 60% - 70% on Friday, to 50% - 60% on Saturday, and then rises again to 70% - 80% on Sunday. The winds will be around 15 mph Friday, falling to 10 mph on Saturday and Sunday. There's a slight chance of a slight amount of rain before noon Friday, none on Saturday and then about a half to two thirds inch of rain on Sunday between 11 am and 9 pm.
The photo at right was taken at a Thanksgiving dinner I attended yesterday. I ate so much of the dinner, that I didn't dare have any dessert for fear of exploding ... a similar memory of which, I also have as a child.
Holiday Things To Do in Manhattan
On Sunday from 10 am - 5.30 pm for the price of an MTA fare, passengers may ride the MTA vintage / nostalgia 1930s, 1940's, 1950's and 1960's train cars from between Chambers Street in the West Village and West 137th Street in Harlem.
The Bryant Park, Verdi Square and Tavern on the Green tree lightings are next Tuesday. The Rockefeller Center tree lighting event is next Wednesday. The Central Park tree lighting at the Dana Discovery Center and the West Harlem Piers Park tree lighting are both next Thursday.
All Weekend - Holiday lights in Dyker Heights. Lightscape Show at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. Dumbo Holiday Flea Market begins. And on Saturday there's a tree lighting in Park Slope at the Old Stone House. Also note that a number of events are scheduled for Fridays, so you might want to use the links below to view our running schedule of Brooklyn holiday events which we will update / add to weekly.
All Weekend - Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights and NY Botanical Garden Glow and NY Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show. On Saturday there's a Christmas tree lighting in City Island beginning at 7 pm. For further details on these holiday events or to see what holiday markets are happening in the Bronx click this link Bronx Holiday Markets & Bronx Holiday Events NYC. A bigger number of holiday events begin next weekend and it's also worth noting that Hanukkah is 12/18 - 12/26/22 so Menorah Lighting Events will start later this year. Stay tuned.
A couple of years ago, I happened upon a childhood book of fables and fairytales that I had saved since I was a first grader. I was young enough to still like fairytales and old enough to be learning and loving to read.
The book, A Gateway to Storyland, by Platt & Munk Co, was given to me around the holidays, and the book still gives me a warm, loved feeling when I periodically open it to browse through the fairytales and fables containing little nuggets of age old wisdom about how to conduct onesself [see photo at right / the book is still in print]. I read it numerous times immediately upon receiving it, as the illustrations fed my imagination, and lessons embedded in the words resonated with timeless sagacity.
Unselfish Parental Love Manifested by Empowering Progeny
Love comes in many forms, but the purest form is unselfish love. The love of truly giving something with no thought of anything in return. That love is oftentimes given intergenerationally - from grandparents to parents to children.
Perhaps the greatest gifts are those that cost us nothing but our time. Like the gift of teaching someone something that they will be able to put to good use throughout their lives. Parents do this all the time, when they help their children develop skills, and impart some knowledge and learning ... just as my parents did many years ago, by giving me a well illustrated fairytale book to encourage my interest in reading, while sharing the time tested insights of the ages, handed down through storytelling.
I. A Brief Thanksgiving History
The Pilgrims Shared Communal Resources to Actualize a Dream
At Thanksgiving time we commemorate one of America's first settlements, founded by the risk-taking, resource-pooling, hardworking, spiritual community of Pilgrims.
The Pilgrims were early English settlers who arrived on American shores in the early 17th century [1600's]. They came here because they wanted a measure of freedom and self-determination that they were forbidden in Europe or what was called the 'old country'. The Pilgrims wanted to practice their faith, unencumbered, in a way that differed from the established Church of England. They pooled their money to obtain a ship, the Mayflower, to cross the Atlantic in mid September of 1620, landing on America's shores at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts on November 9, 1620. Think of it. It took about a month and a half to travel a distance we can now traverse in about five hours.
The Pilgrims Receive Help from the Native People of a Strange Land
Per Wikipedia, the Piligrims survived a hard winter in 1621 with the help of the Wampanoag, an American Indian tribe. The Pilgrims were the immigrants, and the first Americans, the Indian natives, welcomed them. The Wampanaog taught the Pilgrims how to catch eels, and how to grow and harvest corn. Thus the Pilgrims ended 1621 with a good harvest which they celebrated and shared with their new friends, expressing their gratitude to a higher power, aka God, for the success of their endeavors.
Thus it was that the first Thanksgiving celebration happened in America ... or did it?
NYC Weather. The temperatures will be in the mid to low 40's during the day and the mid to low 30's at night. Humidity will be fairly low ranging from 35% to 50%. No rain is in the forecast. The winds will range from 10 - 16 mph, so fairly windy.
As hard as it is to believe, the holidays have arrived. Last weekend the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree arrived. It's an 80 foot spruce which will be lit on Wednesday evening November 30th.
Following the lighting at Rockefeller Center, there's a new street program entitled Fifth Avenue for All. It starts Sunday, December 4th, continuing Sunday, December 11th and ending Sunday, December 18th whereby 5th Avenue will be closed to automobile traffic from 49th to 57th Street, from 12 noon - 6 pm. There will be food vendors, musicians, pedestrians and others, who will take over the street.
And of course the holiday events and holiday shopping seasons have begun as well. We're working on holiday markets as we speak, and we expect to continue updating through the weekend. But you can use the links below in the Holiday Markets report filed earlier this week, to see how far we've gotten in posting the holiday markets which have begun opening.
Manhattan
Holiday shops at Bryant Park and Grand Central Station open. Ice rinks at Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center are open. The Rockefeller Christmas tree is up, but not lit.
Shortly after this photo was taken late last week - the rains came, the tree leaves fell, and the trees are now generally bereft of any foliage.
Use the Manhattan Holiday Market link below to obtain further details of numerous holiday markets / holiday fairs / holiday events coming to Manhattan between now and the new year including the ones noted above.
Queens
In the photo top right is an entrepreneur who is managing a popup market just outside the Alcove at 49th Street and Skillman Avenue in Sunnyside Queens. They're open this Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to about 8.30 / 9 pm each day.
The Amaze Lights Festival began November 11th at CitiField in Flushing and runs through January 8th, 2023.
The Winter Lantern Festival began at the Queens County Farm at 7350 Little Neck Parkway.
Use the Queens Holiday Market link below to obtain further details of numerous holiday markets / holiday fairs / holiday events coming to Queens between now and the new year including the ones noted above.
Brooklyn
There's a holiday lighting ceremony on Friday, November 18th from 5 - 6 pm in Albee Square at Fulton and DeKalb Streets in Downtown Brooklyn.
Holiday markets have begun in Williamsburg and at Fort Greene Park.
Use the Brooklyn Holiday Market link below to obtain further details of numerous holiday markets / holiday fairs / holiday events coming to Brooklyn between now and the new year including the ones noted above.
Bronx
Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights and NY Botanical Garden Glow and Holiday Train.
The photo at right shows some of the artisanal crafts, accessories and objets de art for sale at the TRADiction popup market in front of the Alcove restaurant in Sunnyside Queens.
Use the Bronx Holiday Market link below to obtain further details of numerous holiday markets / holiday fairs / holiday events coming to the Bronx between now and the new year including the ones noted above.
Staten Island
On Saturday, November 19, 2022 from 10 am - 4 pm there's the Great Kills Moravian Church Annual Holiday Sale in the parking lot of the Great Kills Moravian Church at 62 Hillside Terrace in Great Kills neighborhood on Staten Island. The holiday sale features handmade gifts & decorations, baked goods, a Christmas cafe, and a mitten tree. Find gifts, stocking stuffers, and decorations. Donations of hats, mittens and gloves will be donated to those in need.
Use the Staten Island Holiday Market link below to obtain further details of almost a half dozen holiday markets / holiday fairs this weekend on Staten Island including the one noted above.
I have a bit more to do on Manhattan as of Saturday evening around 9.30 pm. It should be done tonight.
Have a nice pre-Thanksgiving Day weekend.
Shopping Holiday Markets In Queens
Christmas, Hanukkah & Kwanzaa Holiday Markets & Shopping in Queens
*** For links to holiday events and markets in all five boroughs of NYC scroll down to the bottom of this report.
EDITOR NOTE. While it seems we've turned the corner on the CoVid pandemic, it's after effects are still hovering around us. That said, we mostly appear to have turned the corner and are in the process of returning to normal.
The growth in the number and size of Holiday markets has been on the rise in Queens and New York City in recent years. While some date back many years, most are traditions that started within the past five or ten years.
What does an increase in holiday markets mean? It means you have multiple opportunities to go holiday shopping yourself, or with friends, or with your kids or the whole family. Oftentimes the local markets offer unique items made locally, which you may not find anywhere else.
Each Queens holiday market is a bit different, as each of those listed in this posting are organized in collaboration with arts organizations and / or with religious or cultural organizations. Please feel free to send us a notice of your community organize Queens holiday market if it's not posted herein.
This is not meant to be a complete list of Queens holiday markets, but rather - as mentioned above - a curated listing of Queens holiday markets run by community organizations. The Queens holiday markets are organized individually in each Queens neighborhood including Astoria, Long Island City LIC, Sunnyside, Jackson Heights, Forest Hills, Flushing and Jamaica. Many of these markets may also host holiday tree lighting, menorah lighting or Kwanzaa candle lighting events in Queens.
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid 60's Friday, dropping to the mid 50's Saturday and down to the mid 40's Sunday. The temperature lows will plummet from the low 50's Friday, to the low 330's Saturday and into the high 20's on Sunday. The humidity will fall from 90% Friday, to 80% Saturday, to 65% 80% on Sunday. Winds will be a blustery 7 - 15 mph all weekend. Rain is in the forecast, with about a quarter inch to fall tonight, and then 1/10th inch of rain early in the morning on Saturday and Sunday - so it shouldn't stop you from going out.
Announcement - We're Now on a New Content Management System
It's good news. We had been running on the same platform since 2007 and it was time to upgrade : )
We'll have more to say about this in the coming weeks.
Things To Do This Weekend in Manhattan NYC
The Veterans Day Parade is today in Midtown from 12.30 pm to 3.30 pm. They march along 5th Avenue from 26th to 45th Street.
Things To Do This Weekend in Queens NYC
Saturdays & Sundays, November 12, 13, 19, 20, 2022 beginning at 7.30 pm on Saturdays and at 2.30 pm on Sundays. The Merry Wives of Windsor by the Gingerbread Players at St. Luke's Church at 85 Greenway in Forest Hills. Tickets are $15 / $12. For details see https://www.gingerbreadplayers.org/
Things To Do This Weekend in the Bronx NYC
Checking.
Things To Do This Weekend on Staten Island NYC
Thursday, November 10, 2022 from 10.30 - 11.30 am - There's a day time Veterans Day Remembrance event held at Wagner College at 1 Campus Road in Grymes Hill. The event is described as follows: "... Alumni and friends are invited to join together on campus as we honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country with the 12th annual Wagner College Veteran's Day Remembrance, hosted by the brothers of Delta Nu and the Wagner College Alumni Association ... The Delta Nu War Memorial located outside the Spiro Sports Center reminds us of the great sacrifice our veterans have made for this country and the global community. Light refreshments will be served in the Spiro Sports Center Ticket Lobby following the memorial..."
Friday, November 11, 2022 beginning at 9.11 am - Veterans' Day Golf Classic returns. The event begins with breakfast at 9.11 am, followed by a scramble / tee off that begins at 10.30 am at three Staten Island golf courses including Silver Lake, La Tourette and Richmond County. The golfing is followed by dinner at Nicotra's Ballroom at the Hilton Garden Inn. Fees are $225 for everything, or $85 for dinner & cocktails, or $100 for golfing only. Organized by the Tunnel to Towers org at https://t2t.org.
Things To Do Next Weekend in Brooklyn NYC
Saturday, November 12, 2022 - Renegade Craft Fair. Details coming later today, Friday 11/11/22.
The NYS primary election is today, Tuesday November 8th. On the ballot are the following races: U.S. Senate, Governor, Other state level positions such as Attorney General, State Assembly, State Senators and Ballot measures.
Click on the image above to access the poll finder website, so you can easily find where to vote in your neighborhood. Remember this is the land of the free and the home of the brave and many of our ancestors died for our right to vote, as the Ukrainians appear to be doing now. So be brave, and be careful in choosing who you vote to represent you. There's still time to do some researchs on candidates on the web.
Early Voting Ended Sunday, November 6, 2022
Early voting began on Saturday, October 29 and runs through Sunday,November 6th, 2022. Today is election day, when you can find your poll site by clicking on the graphic above. For those who wish to find an early voting poll site use this link, which not only shows the sites, but also the wait times.
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 70's all weekend, while the low will be in the mid 60's all weekend. No rain is in the forecast, but it will be a very humid weekend for this time of year ranging from 70% to 85% all weekend. Winds will be about 10 mph all weekend.
The photo at right was taken at the Queens World Film Festival in a prior year. The festival returned to the Museum of the Moving Image this week and runs through the weekend.
The graphic below right shows the course of the NYC Marathon this Sunday.
Things To Do This Weekend in All 5 Boros of NYC
* Sunday, November 6, 2022 at 2 am - Daylight Savings Time. This may be the last year where we will 'fall back' by moving our clocks back one hour starting at 2 am Sunday or before going to bed Saturday night.
* Sunday, November 6, 2022 from 8 am - 5 pm - The NYC Marathon runners begin congregating at Fort Wadsworth at the foot of the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge on Staten Island beginning at 7 am. The Professional Wheelchairs take off at 8 am, the Handcyclists at 8.22 am, the Professional Women at 8.40 am, and the Professional Men at 9.05 am, with the last wave at 11.40 am. Staten Island is the starting poinit, while Brooklyn is the first leg, the Queens segment of the course is around the midpoint before heading into Manhattan, then north to the Bronx over the Willis Avenue Bridge, where they do a U turn by heading west over the Madison Avenue Bridge before turning south into Manhattan and Central Park. Use the link to the front page below to view a map of the Marathon course for 2022.
So you can do some math to figure out when to greet them in your borough. The fastest men complete the race in a bit more than two hours, while the average is 4.40 [hours.minutes]. The midpoint is in Queens. The biggest wave of runners travel through Queens around 11 am, so you can figure out the rest. The weather is expected to be pleasant. Enjoy.
Things To Do This Weekend in Manhattan NYC
Wednesday thru Sunday, November 2 - 6, 2022 at various times - The Baltic Film Festival. At Scandinavia House at 58 Park Avenue in Midtown just south of Grand Central Station. Tickets are $125 to see all films. For details see - https://www.scandinaviahouse.org.
Thursday - Sunday, November 3 - 6, 2022 - Washington Heights Jazz Festival. For details see https://jazzwahi.com.
Friday, November 4, 2022 from 5.30 - 9 pm - The Parade of Nations in Central Park will be followed by fireworks tonight as part of the NYC Marathon Festivities. This will be free and viewable from the finish line in Central Park which is located in the southwest corner of the park.
Things To Do This Weekend in Queens NYC
Tuesday - Sunday, November 1 - 6, 2022 at various times - Queens World Film Festival. At multiple locations including The Local at 13-02 44th Avenue in LIC, the Museum of the Moving Image at 36-01 35th Avenue in Astoria, and opening night was at Queens Theatre in Flushing Meadows Corona Park just south of the Unisphere. Tickets are $15 - $17.50 at https://queensworldfilmfestival.org.
COMING NEXT WEEK _ Saturdays & Sundays, November 12, 13, 19, 20, 2022 beginning at 7.30 pm on Saturdays and at 2.30 pm on Sundays. The Merry Wives of Windsor by the Gingerbread Players at St. Luke's Church at 85 Greenway in Forest Hills. Tickets are $15 / $12. For details see https://www.gingerbreadplayers.org/
Things To Do This Weekend in the Bronx
Sunday, November 6, 2022 from 12 noon - 1 pm - Veterans Day Memorial Event.A procession and flag raising ceremony with remarks. Color guard units from SUNY Maritime College will participate. Organized by the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance and Community Board 8 in collaboration with the NYC Parks Department. It's to be held in Memorial Grove which is just north of the southwest corner of the park. For details see - https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/VanCortlandtPark/events/2022/11/06/veterans-day-ceremony
Things To Do This Weekend on Staten Island NYC
Thursday, November 10, 2022 from 10.30 - 11.30 am - There's a day time Veterans Day Remembrance event held at Wagner College at 1 Campus Road in Grymes Hill. The event is described as follows: "... Alumni and friends are invited to join together on campus as we honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country with the 12th annual Wagner College Veteran's Day Remembrance, hosted by the brothers of Delta Nu and the Wagner College Alumni Association ... The Delta Nu War Memorial located outside the Spiro Sports Center reminds us of the great sacrifice our veterans have made for this country and the global community. Light refreshments will be served in the Spiro Sports Center Ticket Lobby following the memorial..."
Friday, November 11, 2022 beginning at 9.11 am - Veterans' Day Golf Classic returns. The event begins with breakfast at 9.11 am, followed by a scramble / tee off that begins at 10.30 am at three Staten Island golf courses including Silver Lake, La Tourette and Richmond County. The golfing is followed by dinner at Nicotra's Ballroom at the Hilton Garden Inn. Fees are $225 for everything, or $85 for dinner & cocktails, or $100 for golfing only. Organized by the Tunnel to Towers org at https://t2t.org.
Things To Do Next Weekend in Brooklyn NYC
COMING NEXT WEEK. Saturday, November 12, 2022 - Renegade Craft Fair. Details coming next Friday 11/11/22.
Thanksgiving Day History - Thanksgiving Food Shops, Dinners & Restaurants in Queens
The origins of Thanksgiving Day in the United States began with one of America’s first settlements, founded by the risk-taking, resource-pooling, hardworking, spiritual community of Pilgrims. The Pilgrims were early English settlers who arrived on American shores in the early 17th century [1600’s]. They came here because they wanted a measure of freedom and self-determination that they were forbidden in Europe or what was called the ‘old country’. The Pilgrims wanted to practice their faith, unencumbered, in a way that differed from the established Church of England. They pooled their money to obtain a ship, the Mayflower, to cross the Atlantic in mid September of 1620, landing on America's shores at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts on November 9, 1620.
The Pilgrims Receive Help from the Native People of a Strange Land
Per Wikipedia, the Piligrims survived a hard winter in 1621 with the help of the Wampanoag, an American Indian tribe. The Pilgrims were the immigrants, and the first Americans, the Indian natives, welcomed them. The Wampanaog taught the Pilgrims how to catch eels, and how to grow and harvest corn. Thus the Pilgrims ended 1621 with a good harvest which they celebrated and shared with their new friends, expressing their thanks to a higher power, aka God, for the success of their endeavors.
Thus it was that the first Thanksgiving celebration happened in America. There's some dispute to this account, which we'll address in a future post, near Thanksgiving Day.
Mother's Day is fast approaching. It's a good day to let your wife or mother or daughter know you appreciate their efforts in the most important role of their lives. Flowers, gifts and brunch or dinner are always welcome, as is any thoughtful gesture that provides some measure showing your recognition of her efforts in her role as mother of some children. After all, without mothers, we would all cease to be.
It's best to book a restaurant reservation early for Mother's Day brunch, as on Mother's Day in Queens, many restaurants are full. So if you're thinking about eating out at a restaurant this Mother's Day in Astoria, LIC, Jackson Heights, Sunnyside, Woodside or Flushing; it's best to do your research early, and call ahead to book Mother's Day restaurant reservations.
Remember, restaurants also have additional capacity since the pandemic began, via all of those outdoor shanties built during the pandemic, which greatly increased overall space / seating capacity. And with the weather warming - the temperature is expected to be near 70 degrees on Mothers Day without rain, so outdoor dining is a pleasant, even welcome option.
But as the saying goes, the early bird gets the [worm] better seating, so book early.
Mother's Day History - Restaurants In Queens
The origins of Mother's Day in the United States began with the efforts by Anna Jarvis to honor her own mother. According to Wikipedia, Anna began the campaign in 1905 - the year her mother died - and in 1910 West Virginia was the first state to adopt Mothers Day as a holiday. In 1914 Woodrow Wilson made the second Sunday in May as a national holiday to honor mothers.
Click this link to view a brief guide of Mother's Day restaurants in Queens 2022 where you will find links to Queens restaurants we've reviewed. The restaurants we've reviewed include a mix of high, medium and budget priced restaurants that are spread throughout the borough and offer a large variety of ethnic cuisines.
July 4th Weekend Weather. As of this post 6/28/22, the temperature highs will be in the high 80's during the day and around 70. There's a 50% - 60% chance of rain on Saturday [over a half inch] and a quarter inch of rain on Sunday. The humidity will be 50% - 80% Saturday, falling to 60% on Sunday and down to 50% on Monday. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph throughout the weekend.
Macy's July 4th Fireworks along the East River Provides Good Viewing from Manhattan, Brooklyn & Queens and are Remotely Viewable from Northern Staten Island & the Southern tip of the Bronx
The Macy's 4th of July fireworks will be shown along the East River this year. They were shown along the East River in 2014, for the first time since 2008, and have remained on the East River ever since. Mayor de Blasio had lobbied for the return, which now spans nine years. The Grucci Brothers will be doing the Macy's 4th of July fireworks in NYC, which they've been doing for decades.
1. Astoria Park on Wednesday 6/29 on the East River - Queens July 4th Fireworks
The Astoria Park Fireworks will happen on Wednesday, June 29th. The festivities begin at 7.30 pm and the fireworks usually go off around dusk which is about 9.30 pm. The best viewing location is from the Great Lawn, but be advised that each year these fireworks become more popular.
This fireworks display is also put together by the Grucci Brothers, the same fireworks company doing the Macy's 4th of July fireworks along the East River on July 4th, in NYC. The Astoria Park fireworks in Queens will be shown on Wednesday evening and provide a pastorial view from Astoria Park right alongside the East River.
The Central Astoria Development Coalition sponsors the annual fireworks display in Astoria Parkand the Queens Symphony Orchestra warms up the crowd beginning around 7.30 pm by playing classical music from the 19th & 20th centuries on a stage overlooking the East River in front of the great lawn of Astoria Park [between the pool and Hellgate Bridge].
Click to view a story about the Astoria Park Fireworks show of 2013 in Queens. The photo at right shows the July 4th / Independence Day fireworks in Astoria Queens in a prior year.
Click here for the rest of our report about the 4th of July Fireworks in Queens NYC & nearby areas, including times and locations for the Macy's 4th of July fireworks in Manhattan NYC, the Coney Island fireworks in Brooklyn NYC, the Orchard Beach fireworks in the Bronx NYC, the Coop City fireworks in the Bronx NYC, the Jones Beach fireworks on Long Island and the Perth Amboy fireworks in New Jersey [across from the Confence House in Tottenville on Staten Island NYC].
This is a report containing things to do in Queens over the Memorial Day Weekend.
This was first published when Memorial Day Weekend was a few weeks away. But given New Yorkers' interest in resuming some level of normalcy post pandemic, I thought you might want more time to figure out how you're going to spend the weekend.
Weather. The temperature highs will be near 80 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, rising to the mid 80's or higher on Monday. The temperature lows will be in the 60's all weekend. Over a half inch of rain is expected between about 2 pm Friday and about 4 pm Saturday, and the rest of the weekend will be dry. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph on Friday, Saturday and Monday, falling to 3 - 5 mph on Sunday. The humidity will be 80% on Friday, 70% on Saturday, and 60% on Sunday and Monday. All in all a pretty fair weather for the three day weekend.
The things to do in Queens on Memorial Day Weekend include art exhibitions, theater, live music, comedy, dance, shopping, outdoor activities such as soccer, kyaking, baseball, parades, street fairs, museums and dining in the Astoria, Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, Long Island City, LIC, Sunnyside, Woodside, Jamaica, Forest Hills, Flushing, Corona neighborhoods in Queens NYC.
Be sure to check our Memorial Day Weekend things to do on Friday afternoon leading into the Memorial Day Weekend in Queens NYC.
Brief History of the Memorial Day Holiday in Queens NYC
Memorial Day first started out as Decoration Day in Waterloo, New York on May 30, 1866 - a year after the Civil War - to honor those who fought in it. In the 1880's the day came to be known as Memorial Day.
According to a May 25, 2012 report in Time Magazine, ten states - Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North and South Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee also officially observe some version of a Confederate Memorial Day, sometime between late April and early June [in Texas it's in January]. It's been reported that unofficially most of the former Confederate states still commemorate it, but not without some controversy as to the former Confederate diaspora it's to honor their ancestors, while to the former diaspora of the slaves it seems a remnant of these states racist past.
About ten percent of the nation travels more than 50 miles over the weekend. Memorial Day differs from Veterans Day which is held on November 11th of each year. Veterans Day began by honoring those who fought in World War I which ended on the 11th hour, of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. Both honor those who served in the U.S. Military. Veterans Day coincides with a similar holiday in Europe for the same reason, which is called Remembrance Day and Armistice Day.
Things to do in Other NYC Boroughs Memorial Day Weekend
Mother's Day is fast approaching. It's a good day to let your wife or mother or daughter know you appreciate their efforts in the most important role of their lives. Flowers, gifts and brunch or dinner are always welcome, as is any thoughtful gesture that provides some measure showing your recognition of her efforts in her role as mother of some children. After all, without mothers, we would all cease to be.
It's best to book a restaurant reservation early for Mother's Day brunch, as on Mother's Day in Queens, many restaurants are full. So if you're thinking about eating out at a restaurant this Mother's Day in Astoria, LIC, Jackson Heights, Sunnyside, Woodside or Flushing; it's best to do your research early, and call ahead to book Mother's Day restaurant reservations.
Remember, restaurants also have additional capacity since the pandemic began, via all of those outdoor shanties built during the pandemic, which greatly increased overall space / seating capacity. And with the weather warming - the temperature is expected to be near 70 degrees on Mothers Day without rain, so outdoor dining is a pleasant, even welcome option.
But as the saying goes, the early bird gets the [worm] better seating, so book early.
Mother's Day History - Restaurants In Queens
The origins of Mother's Day in the United States began with the efforts by Anna Jarvis to honor her own mother. According to Wikipedia, Anna began the campaign in 1905 - the year her mother died - and in 1910 West Virginia was the first state to adopt Mothers Day as a holiday. In 1914 Woodrow Wilson made the second Sunday in May as a national holiday to honor mothers.
Click this link to view a brief guide of Mother's Day restaurants in Queens 2022 where you will find links to Queens restaurants we've reviewed. The restaurants we've reviewed include a mix of high, medium and budget priced restaurants that are spread throughout the borough and offer a large variety of ethnic cuisines.
October 31, 2022 / Things To Do NYC / Gotham Buzz. This section contains our Things To Do reports for each weekend in the month of October in all five boroughs of New York City.
What follows below is an example of the beginning of one of our weekend reports about things to do during the month of October.
Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros
Halloween Weekend in All 5 Boroughs; some outdoor Farmers Markets & Street Fairs still open
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the low 60's all weekend, while the temperature lows will be in the low 40's on Friday and Saturday, rising to the mid 50's by Sunday. Winds will be 3 - 8 mph all weekend. Humidity will be 45% - 65% on Friday and Saturday, rising to 60% - 80% on Sunday. No rain is in the forecast this weekend.
The photo at right was taken over a decade ago in Queens. I recently came across it while doing some website content management work. The photo captures a moment in time of a young woman with an alluring gaze.
Your best bet is to click the link above for the full Manhattan Halloween magilla.
On Friday night the Whitney Museum in the Village is throwing a 'Hallowteen' event, while there's a Halloween party at the Museum of the City of New York on the UES and the McKittrick Hotel is throwing a big Halloween Party down in Chelsea. Stage 48 in Midtown is throwing a Monster Ball on Friday and a Halloween Parade After Party on Monday. There's also an old silent movie being shown, accompanied by a live organist, at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. The Merchants House Museum in the East Village is hosting haunted tours in the evening on Friday and Saturday.
On Saturday the Meatpacking BID is hosting a number of family friendly Halloween events and programs in the West Village, while E's Bar is throwing a party on the UWS. On Saturday and Sunday, Lincoln Center is hosting an Open House and Family Day. Capitale in SoHo is hosting a big Halloween bash on Saturday.
On Sunday the Irish Arts Center in West Midtown is throwing a kids event midday. The Slate Bar, Bar 13 and Webster Hall all have Halloween events on both Saturday and Monday. Also on Sunday in the Flatiron District there's a Halloween themed history tour.
What have the Democrats & the Biden Administration Accomplished?
Does Biden have Washington Working Again, in Spite of Narrow Democratic Majorities in Both the Senate & House? Why are Democrats Not Running on Their Collective Record?
October 26, 2022 / Local Government & Politics / National Government & Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
The midterm elections are on Tuesday, November 8th.
While President Biden's poll approval is below 50%, I believe it is because there's a yawning gap between perception - as provided daily by the billionaire controlled TV networks - and reality.
So here's the reality piece of it, since you've already been inundated with the ratings-driven TV networks view of things.
Here's a listing of some of the fun Halloween parties and events open to the public in Queens.
There are a lot of parties planned for Halloween Weekend and Halloween Day this year. There are costume parties and live music for adults, and parades and parties for the kids. This report will provide you with a sampling of party opportunities for adults in the borough of Queens surrounding the Halloween holiday. And this page also includes links to the kids Halloween parties in Queens, as well as Halloween parties in other boroughs.
The photo to your right was taken of a Halloween party crowd in Queens in an earlier year. Halloween allows the latent artist and theatrical actor in us all, to come out of its inhibition. In earlier times it was said that masquerade events were to give the upper and lower classes a chance to mingle without being scandalized - as everyone was in costume.
September 30, 2022 / Things To Do NYC / Gotham Buzz. This section contains our Things To Do reports for each weekend in the month of September in all five boroughs of New York City.
What follows below is an example of the beginning of one of our weekend reports about things to do during the month of September.
* Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros
First Day of Autumn began Thursday Evening, Global Citizen Concert Returns Saturday, Fall for Dance Celebration Begins, Feast of San Gennaro ends Sunday; Great Irish Fair, Oktoberest at Fort Hamiltion & Local Play in Brooklyn; Hispanic Day Parade, Bell Blvd Stroll & Oktoberfest and Durga Puja Begin next weekend in Queens; Hip Hop Museum Opens, Native American Festival, Bronx Night Market, Stage Garden Rumba in the Bronx; Local Play on Staten Island; Rosh Hashanah Begins Sunday ... also Farmers Markets, Street Fairs & more
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid 60's on Friday, about 70 on Saturday, rising to the mid 70's on Sunday. The temperature lows will be around 50 on Friday, rising to the mid 50's on Saturday and to about 60 on Sunday. The winds will be about 15 mph on Friday, falling to 5 - 10 mph the rest of the weekend. The humidity will rise from 40% - 50% on Friday, to 40% - 60% on Saturday, and then up to 60% - 80% on Sunday. No rain is in the forecast until after 4 pm on Sunday, when there's a 50% chance of about a tenth of an inch of rain.
The photo at right was taken earlier this week at the United Nations while President Biden was delivering a speech about protecting our democratic institutions and rule of law. This means helping other democracies, in order to preserve and protect our way of life from autocrats and dictators who inevitably steal power and wealth away from everyone else in society.
The first day of Autumn began Thursday evening 9/22/22 around 9 pm.
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins Sunday evening and ends Tuesday evening.
Things To Do This Weekend in Manhattan NYC
The photo at right was taken earlier this week at the United Nations. Those two people traversing the rooftop of the building aren't roof repairmen.
From Saturday, September 17 through January 1, 2023 - Death of a Salesman at the Hudson Theatre at 141 West 44th Street in West Midtown. This celebrates the Black Theatre Day on September 17th, in honor of the first African American theater, African Grove Theatre, which opened 9/17/1821. Tickets cost $64 - $313. For more details and tickets see https://www.thehudsonbroadway.com/
On Saturday, the Global Citizen Concert returns to the Great Lawn in Central Park which lies between 5th Avenue and Central Park West and between 72nd Street and 86th Street. The gates open at 2 pm and the concert begins at 4 pm. You must bring printed tickets as mobile tickets are not being accepted. Admission $250 - $299 via www.ticketmaster.com. For further details on the concert see https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/festival/nyc/2022/
Thursday - Sunday, September 15 - 25, 2022 times vary - The San Gennaro Festival. This is an 11 day Italian festival that runs through Sunday, September 25th. There's a canoli eating contest today 9/16 beginning at 1 pm and tomorrow 9/17 there's a procession through Little Italy that starts at 2 pm. See their website for details of all events - https://sangennaronyc.org/
The Fall for Dance Festival began on Wednesday, September 21 at the NY City Center at 131 West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues. The program runs through next week, ending Sunday, October 2, 2022. Performances begin at 8 pm each night, except this coming Sunday & Monday, September 25th & 26th. Tickets are $20 and performances last about an hour and a half. For details and tickets - https://www.nycitycenter.org/
The NY Film Festival begins next Friday, September 30th at Lincoln Center and runs through Sunday, October 16th.
More Columbus Day events coming on the Friday October 7, 2022 ahead of the weekend.
Also see updated Weather on Friday afternoon by clicking the header above to go to the Front Page for Weekend Update.
This report contains a listing of some of the things to do in Queens over the Columbus Day Weekend including art museums, theaters, live music / comedy / dance venues, sporting & social events, and restaurants for Queens NYC.
Queens Weather. As of September 27, 2022, the Temperature highs will be in the high 60's all four days of the long weekend. The temperature lows will be in the low 50's throughout the weekend. There's a chance of a small amount of rain, but the probability of rain as of this writing, is in the low double digits. Winds will be about 5 - 10 mph Friday and Monday and between 5 - 10 mph on all weekend. The Humidity will be between 55% - 70% throughout the weekend. Click for Queens Weather.
Columbus Day Events In Queens
Click here to obtain information about things to do Columbus Day Weekend in Queens. This events calendar is updated monthly with about 100 different Queens fun / cultural events.
Columbus Day Parade - Astoria Queens
There's a Columbus Day Parade in Astoria Queens on the Saturday before Columbus Day beginning at 12 noon at Kaufman Studios and marching up Steinway Street and then 31st Avenue. Check the front page of this website for other things to do on Columbus Day in Queens.
Queens Public & Private Parks & Public Indoor Swimming Pools
Queens has one of the best collection of parks and golf courses in the NY Metro area, if not the best. Queens has at least 17 great parks. Click here for a listing of the Queens Parks including maps showing their locations along with a bit of park history.
Golfing In Queens - Columbus Day Weekend
Queens has four golf courses and all of them are open this weekend. Click here for details about Queens Golf Courses including maps and links to the operators' websites.
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the low 80's on Tuesday & Wednesday, dropping to the low 70's on Thursday and the mid 60's on Friday., The temperature lows will rise from the mid 60's on Monday & Tuesday to the low 70's on Wednesday, and then fall into the mid to low 50's on Thursday and Friday. The winds will be 10 - 15 mph all week. The humidity will be 55% - 65% all week, except on Friday when it falls to 45% - 55%. There's a small chance of a small amount of rain in Thursday, with the probability gone by mid afternoon.
NYC White Collar Office Workers Continue to Resist a Full Return to the Office
As we noted last week, in our update, people are returning to mass transit. While weekend ridership on the subways has reached about 90%, weekday ridership lags behind at about 65% of prepandemic levels. One of the main drivers of the lower weekday ridership is that folks haven't yet resumed embraced a full return to the office at anywhere near prepandemic levels.
For about the past six months, only about 10% of white collar office workers in Manhattan, go to the office daily. But the number of people in the office each day has risen from about 38% to 49%, according to Parnership for New York City, a non-profit dedicated to primarily promoting the economic interests of NYC. Also, the percentage of workers staying fully remote dropped from 28% to 16% over the same six month period [April - September]. Nearly four out of five employers [77%] indicated that the preferred business model [demanded per employees] is now ready to accommodate folks who only want to travel to the office three of the five days in a work week.
Nobody is yet saying this, but it's my guesstimate, that over time, employees who are in the office more frequently are going to win out over those who are working remotely. And because of that phenomenon, I also guesstimate that over time, more folks will start spending more time in the office. But this may take years to play out.
There's a flip side of the coin above, which is that employers who accommodate remote workers, especially women who want to spend time rearing their children, could, over time, attract and retain some of the best and the brightest, even if they don't pay top dollar. For some, including myself, money matters - but it isn't everything.
As I look at what I've just written I see a potential lawsuit - discriminatory pay based on gender. But could it be discriminatory pay based on remote working? This discussion might have some parallels to the discussion below about dictatorships vs democracy and about valuing loyalty over talent.
Ultimately, time will tell, and it will be interesting to see how this all plays out. One thing is clear, many of us - if not all - are not going back to the status quo.
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the high 70's and the temperature lows around 60. It will be sunny the rest of the week, with humidity ranging from 40% - 60%, which is fairly dry. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph, falling as the week wears on. No rain is expected between now and Friday evening, nor through the coming weekend.
So, a lot has happened since we last posted a news update. At right is a photo of one of the outer borough subway stations this summer. As you can see, mask wearing compliance has diminished.
MTA: Ridership Hits Post Pandemic High of 3.5 Million Weekday Riders on the First Day of the Reopening of NYC Public Schools & Governor Hochul Drops the MTA Mask Mandate
On Thursday, September 8th, the first day of the NYC public schools reopening, the MTA transported 3.6 million people. That's the highest ridership number since the pandemic began two and a half years ago in March of 2020.
In our August 9th report [see below] we suggested the MTA drop the mask mandate or enforce it. At the time we noticed that less than half of the passengers on the subway seemed to be adhering to the mask mandate. On September 7th, NYS Governor Hochul rescinded the mask mandate on the MTA, making masking optional, but still recommended that we continue masking on the MTA as we enter the colder months, when folks go indoors, where the probability of infection by airborne viruses like CoVid and the flu increases. The guidance is particularly relevant to those who are older or have underlying conditions, but it's also not unwise for everyone else too.
Shootings Down in NYC in August - In August 2022 There were 115 Shootings vs 165 in August 2021
This Follows the Passage of Federal Gun Restrictions by Congress in June, Biden's April Executive Order in Requiring Ghost Gun Sales be Handled in the Same Manner as Gun Sales & Mayor Adams & the NYPD's Effort to Remove Illegal Guns from NYC Streets
On June 25th, President Biden signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. This is legislation that passed both the Senate and Congress earlier in the month. A number of moderate Republicans crossed the aisle in both the House and Senate to vote with the Democrats, on reigning in the gun violence free-for-all that we've been witnessing the past couple of years.
The federal gun legislation was the first of its kind to pass both houses and be signed into law in about 30 years. Among other things it enhances background checks for younger gun owners [under 21], and provides law enforcement with additional authority and responsibility to thwart potential shooters by empowering them to curtail a gun owner's rights if there's reason to believe that person poses a risk to the general welfare of the community. Added funding was also provided to incent law enforcement to pay more attention to problematic gun owners.
The Biden Ghost Gun sale regulations went into effect on August 24, 2022, following a failed court challenge to block the President's April 2022 Executive Order requiring ghost gun sales to be treated the same as other firearm sales.
In addition to the actions taken at the federal level, Mayor Adams has been working with the NYPD to reduce shootings through changes in NYC law enforcement to take illegal guns off the street. Year to date [as of end of August 2022], the NYPD had removed 4,880 illegal guns from the streets of which 405 of them were removed in August.
Other NYC crime statistics rose 31%. And NYS Governor Hochul passed a number gun regulations in response to the Supreme Court ruling overturning a century old NYS gun law.
We'll have a few more items to add, including on NYC public schools, on Wednesday 9.14.22. In the meantime, I hope you're having a nice week.
NYC Catholic Schools Open September 7th & NYC Public Schools Open on the 8th
Ode to Some of the Great Teachers I've Known, Who've Been Guides on the Trail of Life
In Words & Deeds, We are all Students & We are all Teachers, be it Consciously or Not
On Wednesday, September 7th the Catholic schools in NYC reopen for the new school year.
On Thursday, September 8, 2022 NYC public schools reopen. Many of the CoVid guidelines of the prior public school year have been modified, so copy and paste the following link for an update. https://www.schools.nyc.gov/school-life/health-and-wellness/covid-information/health-and-safety-in-our-schools.
Thinking of Those who Made a Difference
As I contemplated the upcoming school year I thought back to all of the great teachers who made a difference in my life. And so it is to them that I dedicate this column. Generally I'm going to discuss the school teachers as they chronologically entered my life, and discuss the other teachers in my life who taught me things outside of school, in reverse chronological order. Also please note that this is by no means a complete list, but really rather a first attempt at thanking some of the teachers who made a difference in my life, while passing on a few of the golden nuggets I learned from them.
The High School Teachers Who Made a Difference
It started at Abbott Pennings high school in DePere, Wisconsin where I grew up. Father Frigo was our freshman or sophomore history teacher. He was also a coach of the football and basketball teams which won state championships, and as such, was perhaps treated a bit too familiarly, even irreverently, by some of the star athletes in our class. What Father Frigo taught me was that historical narratives change over time, and that, " ... you have to pay attention to whether you're looking at primary sources or secondary sources ... " to truly understand the nature of events.
He taught us that, " ... revisionist history is a secondary source, but also plays an important role in our understanding of the past ...". He noted that pressure to conform to the prevailing cultural norms and narratives of those in power at a given time can distort and obfuscate the truth. But cultural norms and those in power change over time, so that oftentimes, at least in a free speech democracy, the passing of time permits a more honest appraisal of past events. We can see this playing out currently, as the Civil War 'heroes' of the Confederate south are more appropriately treated in historical terms as traitors to the republic, and as champions of a harsh, cruel system of enslavement of a large portion of the American population at the time. Likewise, in dictatorships, narcissitic despots often use and distort history to provide support for their violent aggression. We saw this scenario play out in Nazi Germany in the 1930's and 1940's, and we're witnessing it today in Putin's Russia.
My junior year I came up against a tough nun, Sister Janet, who for some god forsaken reason, took it upon herself to make sure that I understood algebra. I fought her tooth and nail throughout the year, but over time she broke me down and taught me the beauty of the logic inherent in algebraic equations, for which there is no wiggle room between getting it right and getting it wrong.
And lastly, at Abbott Pennings high school, I was taught an even larger lesson by Father Meehan, in religion class. I questioned some of the basic beliefs of Catholicism in class. He patiently answered my questions, and in the end told me something that I will always remember, when he said, "don't stop questioning ... question everything". Little did I know that that was both a blessing and a curse, as I have continued to question everything ever since.
August 31, 2022 / Things To Do NYC / Gotham Buzz. This section contains our Things To Do reports for each weekend in the month of August in all five boroughs of New York City.
What follows below is an example of the beginning of one of our weekend reports about things to do during the month of August.
Things To Do in NYC This Weekend
1) Blues & BBQ Fest, Summer Streets NYC, Dominican Parade, Macbeth, Little Shakespeare Fest & Asian American Film Fest continue in Manhattan
2) India Day Celebration, Festival of Cinema continues & Free Fan Tickets to U.S. Open Trials become Available in Queens,
3) Coney Island Sand Sculpting & a Rum Festival Return & Hip Hop Film Festival Continues in Brooklyn;
4) SummerStage Concerts at Crotona Park Amphitheater, Dinosaurs at the Zoo & Piazza di Belmont in the Bronx;
5) Summer Concert on Staten Island;
6) also Free Outdoor Concerts, Movies & Theater, Farmers Markets, NYC Public Outdoor Swimming Pools, Street Fairs, Public Beaches
NYC Weekend Weather. The temperature highs will be in the low 80's and the temperature lows in the mid 60's all weekend. The humidity drops to 40 - 50% all weekend except Sunday when it begins rising again to about 60%. The winds will be 4 - 10 mph all weekend. No rain is in the forecast.
In the photo at right is a hip hop performer who is a part of a troupe that performed outside the entrance at Christies New York [an auction house] last weekend. The performance was part of a citywide dance festival [we only posted a couple of events], and also a tie into Christies' current online auction of early Hip Hop memorabilia which expires on August 18th, 2022.
Things To Do This Weekend in Manhattan NYC
Saturday, August 13, 2022 from 1 - 9 pm - Blues BBQ Festival. Free summer concerts at Pier 76 near Chelsea Piers in Midtown Manhattan NYC. Free admission, with food not included. For details see - https://hudsonriverpark.org/visit/events/event/blues-bbq-festival-2022/
Saturdays, August 6, 13 & 20, 2022 from 7 am to 1 pm - NYC Summer Streets - There will be street closures to autos and trucks along Lafayette starting at the Brooklyn Bridge, going north to 4th Avenue in the Village, which merges into Park Avenue at Union Square, ending at 72nd Street. People are welcome to bike, stroll, skateboard and whatnot. Motorists will have access to some major cross streets which you can find listed by cutting & pasting this web address into your browser - http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/summerstreets/html/about/neighbors.shtml.
On Sunday, August 14, 2022 beginning at 1 pm there's a Dominican Parade that marches up 6th Avenue from 38th Street to 56th Street in Manhattan.
Thursday, August 4 - Sunday, August 14, 2022 - The Little Shakespeare Festival. It's called 'little' because each production contains only four or five actors. 1) August 4 & 6 - As You Will - at 9 pm and 7 pm respectively, 2) August 5, 7, 11, 12 & 14 - Romeo & Juliet - at 7 pm weekdays and 5.30 pm and 4 pm respectively on Sundays, 3) August 6, 10 & 13 - Unspoken Garden - at 2 pm Saturdays & 7 pm weekday, 4) August 9 - Fights of Shakesepeare & As You Will [double feature] - at 7 pm and 5) Brawls & Burlesque, August 13 at 7 pm & 14 at 2 pm. At the Frigid Theater NYC which performs at Under St. Mark's Theater which is located in the basement at 94 St Marks Place [=8th Street] at 1st Avenue in the East Village - www.frigid.nyc / Tickets are $25 / $20.
August 3 - 13, 2022 - Asian American International Film Festival. This year [2022] they're back with live events and in person screenings at the Asia Society & Museum on the Upper East Side. The Asia Society & Museum is located at 725 Park Avenue at East 70th Street on the Upper East Side of Manhattan NYC. Tickets are $16 / $10 - For details see www.aaiff.org.
FYI - We update our front page on the Friday before the Labor Day weekend, with an up-to-date weather forecast, as well as additional Labor Day Weekend events and updates. So please come back to visit us over the weekend.
Special Events on Labor Day Weekend in Queens NYC
The biggest Labor Day event in Queens, is of course, the U.S. Open which began this week and runs through the Labor Day weekend and following week [see photo at right]. Another of the biggest Labor Day weekend events in Queens are the Rockaway Bazaar concerts, that begin at 5 pm Friday and at 4 pm Saturday, Sunday and Monday at Beach and 97th Street in the Rockaways in Queens.
Labor Day Events In Queens
Click here to obtain information about other things to do in Queens beyond the Labor Day Weekend. This events calendar is updated monthly with about 100 different Queens fun / cultural events.
U.S. Open - Monday, August 29 - Sunday, September 11, 2022
The U.S. Open is being played out in Flushing Meadows Corona Park at the Billie Jean King / U.S.T.A athletic complex. The two week event is well attended by people from around the nation and around the globe.
Queens Public & Private Parks
Queens has one of the best collection of parks and golf courses in the NY Metro area, if not the best. Queens has at least 17 great parks. Click here for a listing of the Queens Parks including maps showing their locations along with a bit of park history.
Golfing In Queens
Queens has four golf courses and all of them are open this weekend. Click here for details about Queens Golf Courses including maps and links to the operators' websites.
The second NYS primary election is on Tuesday, August 23rd. On the ballot are the U.S. Congressional races and the NYS Senate races, which were not on the ballot on June 28th.
Reason for the Second Primary this Summer & Races to Watch
The reason there were two NYS primaries this year is that the electoral districts drawn up by the Democrats were so gerrymandered, that an upstate court ordered the NYS Legislature to redraw them more fairly. The decision was upheld on Appeal, but due to the timing - the Appeal decision came down in April - there wasn't enough time to redraw the maps in time for the June primary. Hence a second primary today.
The biggest contests to watch coming out of this election is the one pitting two longtime Congresspeople against each other in District 12 - Jerry Nadler of the Upper West Side and Carolyn Maloney of the Upper East Side. And there's a tight race just north of the city in Westchester where Alessandra Biaggi is challenging Sean Patrick Maloney in District 13. Earlier this summer, former Mayor de Blasio dropped out of the congressional race in the newly redrawn 10th District which encompasses part of Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Click on the image above to access the poll finder website, so you can easily find where to vote in your neighborhood. Remember this is the land of the free and the home of the brave, and many of our ancestors died for our right to elect our leaders. A similar struggle for freedom from oppression is going on in Ukraine right now. So in as much as you can, do your homework before voting for those you choose to represent you / us. There's still time to do some research on candidates on the web.
The New York State election is Tuesday August 23rd, and polls are open from 6 am - 9 pm. Click on the graphic above, to find your poll site.
Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 90's today, falling into the mid 80's for the rest of the week. The temperature lows will be around 70 all week. The humidity will rise from the mid 50's early Tuesday to the mid 70's by Wednesday, falling back to about 60% on Thursday and a comfortable 50% on Friday. There's a 50% chance of a 1/10th inch of rain between 5 - 10 pm Tuesday, and a 50 - 75% chance of about a half inch or more of rain between 11 pm Wednesday and 9 am Thursday. By Friday it's a very nice day, leading into a very nice weekend.
CoVid Containment in NYC - MTA Should Either Enforce the Mask Mandate or Withdraw it
This past weekend I noticed that half or less of the passengers on the subway appear to be following the mask mandate. To the MTA I suggest either enforce the mandate, or withdraw it. You weaken the government's credibility and ability to enforce compliance, when you mandate something and then do not follow through by properly / evenly enforcing it. Every good parent knows that.
The BA.5 variant of CoVid grew rapidly from under 10% at the beginning of June 2022, to above 80% by the end of July. Cases rose briefly during that period, before falling back again. About 79% of all Americans have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while about 68% have received two or more. In NYS 91% of New Yorkers have received at least one dose, while 78% have received two or more doses. Because the population has finally come around to getting vaccinated, the hospitalization rates for CoVid are fairly low, with only a small percentage of hospital beds being utilized for CoVid patients, most of which are occupied by the non-vaxers.
Bear in mind that it's the summertime, which is the off season for the disease, because folks are outdoors.
We're working on some of the stories we referenced in our report last week. It's taking us a bit longer to catch up on analyzing the data than we expected. So rather than rush through a report, we're going to skip the Monday / Tuesday report this week and post the Weekend Things To Do report a bit earlier than usual.
We'll resume our regular reporting schedule next week.
In the meantime, there are plenty of things going on in NYC, as you can see below. Enjoy.
1) Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival, Greek Festival, Pow Wow & Jamaica Jerk Festival in Queens, 2) Shakespeare at Bronx Music Center, Bronx Night Market, Piazza di Belmont & the Bronx Dominican Parade returns to the Bronx; 3) Gallery Players, Piper Theater Performances, Burlesque at the Beach and BRIC Concert Series continues in Brooklyn; 4) Songwriters Showcase, Ailey Moves & St. Lukes Concert, Mame Opens at the Victory Theater, Much Ado about Nothing, Final Movie / Concert at the Lighthouse Museum on Staten Island; 5) SHENYC continues, Dance Intensive, Twelfth Night & NY Asian Film Fest ending, Movies and MacBeth Begins in Manhattan, and Free Outdoor Concerts, Movies & Theater, Farmers Markets, NYC Public Outdoor Swimming Pools, Street Fairs, Public Beaches
NYC Weekend Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 80's and the temperature lows will be in the low to mid 70's. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph all weekend. The humidity will fall from 50% - 70% on Friday, to 50% on Saturday, rising to 50% - 65% on Sunday. There's a chance of about a quarter inch of rain sometime between 10 pm Friday night and 4 am Saturday morning. All in all not a bad weather weekend.
The photo at right is of the dragon festival in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. The festival returns this weekend.
Things To Do This Weekend in Queens NYC
Thursday - Sunday, July 28 - July 31, 2022 - Thurs / Fri / Sat / Sun - 5 pm to 11 pm - St Irene Chrysovalantou Church - This Astoria street fair is along 23rd Avenue from 36th Street to the Amtrak trestle. Traditional Greek food, music, and folk dances every night, as well as rides for the kids and a marketplace. The feast day celebration starts with a mass on Wednesday at 7.30 pm inside and continues with various religious services through the end of the feast on Sunday.
On Friday, July 29, 2022 beginning at 7.30 pm / Hip to Hip Theater Free - Pericles - There's a performance of Shakespeare at The Voelker Orth Museum is located at 149-19 38th Avenue in Flushing.
On Sunday, July 31, 2022 from 2 - 5 pm - there's a performance by Ballet Folklorico Mexicano de Nueva York Guelaguetza Festival at Socrates Sculpture Park which is located at 32-01 Vernon Blvd at Broadway in Astoria / LIC.
Friday through Sunday, July 29 - 31, 2022 - There's a Pow Wow at the Queens County Farm at 73-50 Little Neck Parkway in Bellerose Manor / Little Neck neighborhoods of Queens. Performances run from 7 - 10 pm Friday; 12 noon - 5 pm and 7 - 10 pm Saturday; and from 12 noon - 5 pm Sunday. The Grand Entry of tribes is at 7 pm Friday, 1 pm and 7 pm Saturday and 1 pm Sunday. Gates open at 6 pm Friday, and 10 am on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets run $15 / adult and $8 / kids 12 and under [discounted rates for full weekend passes].
Saturday & Sunday, July 30 & 31, 2022 - from 9 am - 5 pm - Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival at Meadow Lake in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Live boat races, food, shopping and entertainment. Free admission. www.hkdbf-ny.org. Free admission.
Sunday, July 31, 2022 - Jamaica Jerk Festival - From 12 noon to 8 pm - Carribean Food Festival with music at Roy Wilkins Park 177-01 Baisley Blvd at Merrick in Jamaica. Admission $45 advance / likely more at door / Children under 10 Free. Tickets at www.jerkfestivalny.com.
Use the links below to see details about the concerts, theater and movie events above, as well as for details on the freesummer concerts, theater and movies for the rest of this summer in Queens. For example next Monday free summer movies in Astoria Park, free performances of Shakespeare in Queens parks, a free movie in Rufus King Park on Friday 7/29 in Jamaica, a paid movie with workshop at the Queens Botanical Garden this Saturday 7/30, free concerts and dance performances in Athens Square Park on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in Astoria, live music and dance in Travers Park in Jackson Heights on Sunday 7/31 and a free concert in Gantry State Park in Tuesdays.
We've mostly been trying to stay abreast of all the summer events this past month. Event schedules changed, some schedules have been reduced, and some venues have closed or remain on hiatus. But by and large, most venues are back up and running on some kind of level, while trying to protect the health and safety of their associates as well as the general public vis a vis CoVid.
So as we remained focused on staying abreast of the many summer events easily accessible to most of the denizens of NYC and NYS, we did not take our eye off of the more serious issues swirling around us. The following is a list of events we've been monitoring and researching along the way, which we intend to delve into in the coming weeks, and perhaps months.
Untimely Death: Two Russian Oligarchs Live on Ivana Trump's Block
I have a few unanswered questions regarding Ivana Trump's sudden, unexpected, accidental death.
Ivana Trump lived in a building in Manhattan on the Upper East Side in which Donald Trump reportedly still owns a total of five units. It just so happens that Ivana's residence is also on a block where two Russian Oligarchs own large residences, and for a time, where the divorced wife of a third Oligarch, lived. The wife of the third Oligarch is Dasha Zhukova who was married to Roman Abramovich. Zhukova became fast friends with Ivanka Trump, after being introduced by Wendi Deng, the former wife of Rupert Murdoch [Fox News / WSJ / NY Post] sometime around 2007.
The Russian Oligarchs who own residences on the same block where Ivana Trump lived, are Oleg Deripaska and Len Blavatnik. Deripaska's residence is just across the street from Ivana's residence, which if he were to be a spy, would be an ideal a location. Dasha Zhukova [the former wife of Abramovich] lived in Deripaska's residence in 2018, apparently departing from that residence sometime before September 2019.
Zhukova moved ten blocks north of Ivana's block into a large four townhouse development upon which Zhukova's former husband, Roman Abramovich was working. According to a March 12, 2022 report in the Mercury News, Abramovich transferred the real estate, valued at $92 million, to Zhukova in 2018. In 2022 the Russian Oligarch sanctions hit, and now there's a question of whether transferred wealth to relatives [like former wife Zhukova] should also be sanctioned.
According to a March 17, 2022 report in the New Yorker, "... [Russian Opposition Leader Alexei] Navalny has described Abramovich as “one of the key enablers and beneficiaries of Russian kleptocracy...”. Abramovich is considered one of Putin's most trusted Oligarchs, having survived Putin's Oligarch purge after Russian President Boris Yeltsin's fall.
Abramovich must be an incredibly skillful manipulator - not just of Putin - but Abramovich was also the only Russian Oligarch who Ukrainian President Zelensky asked the U.S. not to sanction. Zelensky claimed it was in order to unencumber Abramovich to broker a Russian / Ukrainian peace deal in Turkey [see link below for further details]. The pact never even came close to happening. Separately, the two nations recently cut a deal to allow free passage of food through the Black Sea and Bosporous Straits, which less than 24 hours later Putin 'honored' by bombing the Ukrainian port of Odessa, from which the Ukrainian food is to be shipped.
The deal providing two of the world's largest food producers [Russia & Ukraine] safe passage of food through the Black Sea and the Bosporous Straits was brokered - not by the Russian kleptocrat Abramovich - but by the UN and Turkey. The Bosporous Straits is a Black Sea bottleneck, which is controlled by NATO ally Turkey, per an international agreement made decades ago.
Back to Ivana's Trump's residence and her sudden, unexpected and accidental death. So Ivana's daughter, Ivanka Trump, became quite friendly with Abramovich's former wife, Dasha Zhukova. They became such good friends that they began interacting socially at very public events well over a decade ago. The first social event I found documented was in 2014 when Zhukova reportedly invited Ivanka and Jared to a fundraiser organized by her husband, Roman Abramovich, for a Jewish Museum he founded in Moscow. In 2016, as Donald Trump was running for President, Ivanka, Wendi Deng and Zhukova were also photographed at the the U.S. Open in Queens. And in 2017 Dasha Zhukova was reportedly invited to the Trump Inauguration weekend celebrations. Apparently there have been many other interactions, in between those public appearances and since, including some Abramovich investments placed in Jared Kushner's brother's [Josh] company.
My point in all of this, is that the Russians could have had social access to Ivana Trump's residence and / or were in a position to have access to Ivana Trump's residence via more nefarious means. Given Trump owned so many units in the building, and probably owns the building management company, a lot of the independent context surrounding Ivana's death would be hard to obtain by the authorities without strong cause. I heard nothing about any review of any building video footage on the property itself, nor from the surrounding buildings. After the funeral, Ivana's body was subsequently delivered to a Trump golf course in New Jersey, which is private property, owned by Donald Trump.
The details of Ivana Trump's autopsy were scant. The reporting of them had an uncertain quality to them. None of the reports indicated who called in the death. Not by name, not by association and not by any role. I find that odd. The first cited cause of death was "cardiac arrest" and then later the cause of death was said to be from 'blunt' injuries suffered in the fall. Ivana Trump was an athlete, and only 73 years old, so falling down the stairs, and dying from the fall, while believable, is also unbelievable.
It's worth noting here, that accidental deaths are reportedly a Putin specialty. A Russian media baron, Boris Berezovsky, who was on the outs with Putin, reportedly suddenly, unexpectedly and accidentally died in his own bathroom at the age of 67 in 2013. The police determined that the cause of death was "unexplained", but it was surmised that it could have been caused by chemical, biolgical or nuclear material.
The timing of Ivana's death, coincidentally worked in the Donald's favor, as the NYS Attorney General was about to follow through with depositions with the Trump children. Because of Ivana's death, all of the Trump children depositions were postponed by the NYS Attorney General. The Trump family funeral also provided an opportunity for Donald Trump to meet with his children without being asked any questions. I mention this because it's been suggested that Trump may have tried to tamper with a witness for the Congressional Hearings on the Trump Insurrection.
We know from Trump's campaigning in 2016, as well as from the January 6 Congressional Hearings of the Insurrection, that Donald Trump is not above encouraging others to do violence, when it serves his purposes. Ivana Trump reportedly kept contact with the Donald, even after their marriage ended, but the divorce was reportedly fairly hostile, although it also appeared that their relationship settled down, and might possibly have healed, over time.
Ivana and Ivanka Trump were reportedly close, as the only two women in that iteration of the Trump family. So, given the above as backdrop, what I found of particular interest, was the body language between the Donald, and Ivanka and Jared, at Ivana's funeral. They did not look each other in the eye, and Ivanka and Jared seemed to flee the rest of the family immediately after the funeral. Given the many funerals I've attended, that didn't strike me as normal.
These are just some unasked and unanswered questions that came to mind while I watched the Trumps mourn one of their own. I suspect neither Trump nor Putin will let up with their shenanigans, because right now both of them are losing, and by the time the 2024 election rolls around, both of them might become desperate. Stay tuned.
Last Saturday there were a few Pro Choice rallies in NYC. Most notable among them were the one that started at Cadman Plaza in Brooklyn, marching across the Brooklyn Bridge to Foley Square. And there was another group that gathered in Union Square which also marched to Foley Square.
I have some video and photos, but possibly the most interesting part of this report are the perspectives I picked up along the way, which provided me with a deeper understanding of the issues, primarily from a women's point of view.
First there's the science ...
Hi. Following up on the conversations I had and overheard led me to a lot of new information that I'm still processing. I hope to return to finish this sometime in the summer.
Russia Ukraine War Report Series - March - May 2022
Updated April 4, 2022 / International News NYC / Gotham Buzz.
This section contains our Russia Ukraine War Report Series which we began in March of 2022. We hope it will end by the end of May, but who knows how long it will take the Russian people to rise up against the oppressive Putin dictatorship / regime.
De Blasio Decides Not to Run for NYS Governor, Hochul's Fundraising Haul, NYC Violent Crime Up Slightly in 2021, but NYC Homicides Still Below the National Average & To Be or Not To Be - do we want to Politicize the Guns / Violent Crime Problem or Solve it?
This morning, January 18, 2022, former NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that he will not seek the Governor's office on Twitter.
De Blasio mentioned some of his accomplishments during his eight years as Mayor including Universal Pre-K, building hundreds of thousands affordable housing units, implementing some police reforms at the NYPD to make policing fairer, and efforts to transition NYC to cleaner energy. He didn't say what his future plans were, only that he would be announcing them from his neighborhood in Brooklyn.
Governor Kathy Hochul is well positioned for the NYS Governors race this year. Hochul received the very early endorsement of the NYS Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs in October of 2021, and has raised $21.6 million since she announced her candidacy in August of 2021. It's a record for the five month period, and about the same amount of money that former Governor Andrew Cuomo had to ward off challengers in 2018. NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and 3rd District [Nassau County] Congressman Thomas Suozzi have announced their candidacies. In December of 2021, Attorney General Letitia James withdrew her candidacy, in favor of running for reelection in her current post.
On the Republican side of the race there's former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, who is running against newcomer Andrew Giuliani, who's primary claim to fame is that he is the son of Rudy, the former NYC Mayor with the same surname and Lee Zeldin, a Congressman from Long Island.
In fundraising as well as in polling, Hochul seems to have all the advantages at this point in the campaign. Her nearest competitor in polling recently done by Siena would have been de Blasio, who had 12% of the vote versus Hochul's 46%. NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams was next with 11% and Suozzi with 6%. The Suozzi campaign has about $5 million in campaign funding, $2 million of which was transferred from his congressional campaign. Republican Astorino has about $1.3 million, and none of the other contestants released their funding.
A number of snide comments were made in the wake of Hochul's record haul and competitive fundraising position for the upcoming June primary. She was compared to Cuomo with allusions to the possibility of corruption, but nothing specific was provided to support those insinuations.
De Blasio's announcement came as I was working on an update report on NYC crime. Unfortunately, the NYPD doesn't publish a December monthly report, like they do every other month, so it's more challenging to do a year end tally. Hence, this report won't be as comprehensive as some of the others I've done the past couple of years, and will instead focus mostly on shootings and the murder rate.
NYC Crime Statistics for 2021
Thefts Down Significantly / Murders Up Slightly & Still Below the National Average / Most Other Crimes up in Low to Mid Single Digits with Some Exceptions ...
The outlier in the year end crime stats, which were up slightly from 2020, was that thefts were down almost 19%. This may have something to do with the fact that fewer people are out and about, so thieves have fewer to prey upon and the victims have fewer distractions and events where thefts may occur.
As for other salient changes in the main categories, Grand Larceny was up about 12% while Grand Larceny Auto was up 14%, Other (than rape) Sex Crimes were up 30%, Misdemeanour Assault was up 10%, and Hate Crimes were up 93%. It's worth noting that only murders and hate crimes are counted in the hundreds - not thousands.
The murders in NYC were up slightly in 2021 versus 2020. Note that the graph at right is for the entire nation and in 2020 - not 2021. The purpose is so that you can have context in evaluating where we are and what's going on.
In 2021 the preliminary murder rate in the U.S. was about 6.6 per 100,000 people [21,750 / 330M], while the murder rate in NYC was 5.5 per 100,000 people [485 / 8.8M]. Prior to the pandemic, in 2018, the murder rate in the U.S. was 4.96 per 100,000 people [WorldPopulationReview.com], and the murder rate in NYC was 289 victims [8.4M population] or 3.4 per 100,000 people, which was the lowest on record. In 2012, during former Mayor Bloomberg's last year as NYC Mayor, the murder rate had fallen to 414 [8.2M] or about 5.0 per 100,000 people.
So with our larger population [8.8M vs 8.2M], NYC experienced a bit higher murder rate in former Mayor de Blasio's last year in office, versus former Mayor Bloomberg's last year in office. And for de Blasio this was in the midst of the pandemic amid record gun sales.
The Great Supply Chain Crisis 2021: Hype vs Reality
TV & Murdoch News Sensationalized the Great Supply Chain Crisis of 2021 - Telling us for Months on End No Pumpkins for Halloween, No Turkeys for Thanksgiving, No Trees for Christmas & No Cream Cheese in NYC
But How Much of that Hyping was a Murdoch Inspired Perspective in Pursuit of Political Profit & Fear Mongering Ratings at the Expense of Reporting What's Really Happening?
The closer I pay attention to what's happening in our mass media, the more concerned I get. Nearly half of our daily nationally branded news media is controlled by one man, Australian born billionaire Rupert Murdoch - who strikes me as either a sociopath or psychopath. Based on the seven years I've been covering Murdoch, it appears as if he doesn't care about anything other than enriching and empowering himself, even at 90 years of age [his mother lived to 103 so he's likely going to be with us for a while].
What Those Who Know Murdoch Say About Him
In Australia - where Murdoch has been operating all his life - former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd described,
"Murdoch's media empire as a cancer on democracy".
And in Britain, a Parliamentary Report stated that,
[Murdoch] "was not a fit person" to exercise stewardship of a major international company].
Keith Rupert Murdoch, controls the Wall St. Journal, Fox News, the NY Post, Harper Collins Publishing, MarketWatch, Barrons - and along with two of Fox News largest shareholders - Murdoch appears to have a controlling interest in Disney / ABC by virtue of what seems his proximity to their relatively new CEO. Murdoch's influence appears to be manifesting itself in personnel moves being made since he became one of their largest shareholders in March of 2019. The personnel moves are in their news and related programming areas, and ultimately impact what ABC News presents to the public. I just witnessed one of many subtle changes on Sunday, while watching This Week with George Stephanopolous. I'll say more about this at the end of this report.
Fox News Lyin' Laura Ingraham, earned that moniker, as you can see in the image above. Fox News has repeatedly used misleading photos and images to lend deceptive and misleading support to their news accounts, which appear designed to influence the unaware and low information voters, in order to get them to vote for billionaire Murdoch's favored pols and against the very government officials who are trying to help the manipulated victims.
For all of us, today starts the beginning of a new year.
If we stay the course with vaccinations, masks, social distancing and hand washing, we should be able to make the transition from pandemic to endemic - at which point things begin to really change to a better normal, but likely not back to a pre-CoVid normal.
A year ago I thought by now we would have mostly normalized, but I had failed to take into consideration the significant resistance to vaccinations by the people who rely upon Rupert Murdoch's overwhelming share of nationally branded daily mass media 'news'.
Rupert Murdoch controls Fox News, the NY Post, the Wall St Journal and he, along with the two largest investment groups owning Fox, control Disney / ABC News. So that's half of U.S. network news and two the largest daily newspapers in the nation. He controls other media outlets as well, like MarketWatch and Barron's and Harper Collins Publishing, but the first four mentioned above are instrumental in shaping Americans' view of things. And the unsuspecting members of Murdoch's audience aren't aware enough, nor paying attention enough, nor educated enough to detect the very sophisticated news manipulations that Murdoch and his minions seem to do every day to sculpt and present the reality they want their viewers to see - which is not reality at all, but a VoldeMurdoch version of it.
Other media outlets and moderate Republicans and pretty much all Democrats need to start calling Murdoch out into the public space so people can see who he is and what he does and what he takes in exchange for it. They need to do it, because regardless of whether they do or not, Murdoch's incessant media attacks will keep coming, so by not addressing him and it, they are only aiding and abetting it, like all those who let Goebbels do the same in Germany in the 1920's, 1930's and 1940's.
The rest of this report is about some of the things you can do personally - not politically - to make 2022 a better year for you.
Moderate Democrat Eric Adams sailed to victory Tuesday to become NYC's second African American Mayor. Democrat David Dinkins was the first. With 78% of the precincts reporting Adams won 676,481 votes to Sliwa's 293,127.
Democrat Jumaane Williams was re-elected Public Advocate, garnering 598,810 votes which was nearly 69% of the total, with 93% of the scanners reporting.
Progressive Democrat Brad Lander won the NYC Comptroller position, winning 604,000 of the votes, or 70% of the vote with 93% of the scanners counted.
And Democrat Alvin Bragg won the Manhattan District Attorney office, garnering 183,000 votes or 83% of the total.
Four of the five Borough Presidencies were won by Democrats. In Manhattan Mark Levine handily won the borough presidency with 181,000 votes or 85% of the total, with 93% of scanners counted. In Queens Donovan Richards handily won re-election, winning 160,000 votes or 66% of the total, with 79% of the precincts reporting. In Brooklyn Antonio Reynoso also won handily, winning 217,000 votes or 73% of the total, with 78% of the precincts reporting. In the Bronx Vanessa Gibson took in 80,000 votes which was 80% of the total, with 72% of the precincts reporting.
And on Staten Island, the only Republican to win a Borough Presidency, Vito Fossella, won 60,000 votes or 60% of the total, with 87% of the precincts reporting.
NYC Public Schools Open Monday, CoVid Guidelines Tightening in order to Avoid Illness and Closures & to Keep the Economy Running, Broadway Reopens, U.S. Open Ends with a Youthful Women's Contest & Medvedev Foils What Could Have Been Historical Men's Final by Djokovic, 911 Subway Series - Yanks 8 / Mets 7, Yom Kippur, and 911 Media Blindspot on how the Wars on Terrorism Mutated to a War on Democracy & Truth
Weather. Generally good with highs near 80 Saturday and near 90 on Sunday, with the lows around 70 both days and no rain. Humidity will be around 60% and the winds will be 5 - 10 mph.
The image at right shows Murdoch's Fox faking the news about CoVid. Notice how they try to pin labels on CNN [masquerade], the Democrats [politicize / scam], other media [hysteria] and scaremonger about 'other' lockdowns. In the case of the labelers, they are oftentimes accusing someone else of doing exactly what they are doing. In psychology this is called projection, where they project their traits onto others in order to distract whomever they are communicating with, from noticing those traits in them.
NYC Public Schools Open Monday with CoVid Guidelines in Place
Mayor de Blasio announced that not only teachers, but also school staff in the NYC Public School system, will be required to have at least one vaccine dose by September 27th.
While there isn't a mandate for children over 12 to be vaccinated [yet?], all NYC public school children are required to wear masks, social distance at three or more feet, and may be subject to health screenings [testing]. The Catholic schools in NYC are not requiring vaccines for teachers or students, but are requiring the wearing of masks.
Additionally the NYC Indoor Vaccine Mandate, announced on August 17th, will begin enforcement on Monday, September 13th. The mandate requires both employees and customers to get vaccinated in order to work at or patronize dining, fitness and entertainment venues when indoors. The mandate will not be enforced by the NYPD, but rather by a slew of other city agencies / departments that already oversee the operations of these businesses.
Vaccination Rates & Mandates for NYC Employees. According to a July 26, 2021 report by Intelligencer, Mayor de Blasio mandated that all municipal employees get vaccinated or submit to weekly testing. At the time the NYPD reportedly had a vaccination rate of 43%, and the NYFD had a vaccination rate of 51% and Corrections had a vaccination rate of 41%. By September 10, 2021 the NYPD vaccination rate had increased to 53%, and the overall municipal employee vaccination rate was 65%, which was in line with the average for New Yorkers generally, where 67% have been vaccinated according to a September 10, 2021 AMNY report.
This Report Provides an Update on Why the Downward Trend in CoVid Infections Swung Back Up, the Science Behind the Vaccine Breakthrough Infections, the Lamda & Delta Variants, the Precautionary Wisdom of Continuing to Wear Masks & the Impact of Murdoch Controlled News Outlets Continuous Stream of Mass Media Disinformation
Is it the Patriotic Duty of Every Eligible American to Get Vaccinated?
August 9, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC during the CoVid Pandemic / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
I reckon we all wish it weren't so, but CoVid 19 has been resurging with a vengeance these past couple of months, fueled largely by the Delta variant, which at the beginning of May 2021, accounted for less than 10% of U.S. new cases, while today it accounts for more than 90% of all new U.S. CoVid infections. What's most disturbing about this new trend is that even fully vaccinated people can catch the Delta variant, which was largely NOT the case with the original strain [alpha] of CoVid. The infections that are picked up by fully vaccinated people are called 'breakthrough' infections, because they have broken through the immunity protection provided by the vaccines.
In the graphic at right, note the large light blue at the right of the graphic, which denoted the Delta variant of CoVid which grew from almost nothing in May, to almost every new CoVid case in the U.S. in August.
The Delta Variant has Changed So Significantly, Hence the New CoVid Reign of Terror
I found a chart that I found of great interest in an August 5, 2021 story in the Gothamist, which was acquired by NPR in 2018. The chart shows how the original CoVid is almost non-existent in the U.S. today, while the Delta variant has risen to represent over 90% of all new cases.
The vaccines were developed to address the original CoVid stain, as the Delta variant - as noted above - didn't become a real factor until about May of this year. Thus, the vaccines efficacy in preventing CoVid has been significantly reduced, but thankfully the vaccines are still very effective in preventing the worst possible outcomes which are hospitalizations and death.
My next stop was the Viva La Comida Festival at Dunningham Triangle at 82nd Street in Jackson Heights. This event had originated as a food truck event about a half dozen years ago, and has continually been morphing into something more.
Each year the configuration changes and this year they had sprinkled picnic tables throughout the venue to enable folks to sit and enjoy the food fare after purchasing it. In prior years the picnic tables were not as plentiful and as I recall many standing in the same area.
The benefit was a more accommodating eating venue, as well as a more integrated social one. There was a cost, and that was that that the foot traffic didn’t move as quickly as the picnic table occupied some of the space. All tolled it seemed a good trade.
As I made my further in, there was music coming from a stage near the Triangle. I had arrived about 5 pm and the Salsa Marsala was entertaining one of the biggest crowds I had seen at this event. Again part of this was owing to a better configured use of the space. And over the years the event has also become a showcase for Jackson Heights performance talent.
While listening to the Salsa Marsala I met a man from the Queens Council for the Arts. He told me how the QCA organization had helped the band with a grant, as well as in providing the group with some of their arts and cultural organization expertise. The band is about to release a new album this fall called Jackson Heights Block Party.
As mentioned above, Viva La Comida has evolving and includes a number of cultural offerings. There was a booth there run by the Queens World Film Festival, with founders Katha and Don Cato on hand to talk about all of the programs that their organization has undertaken.
Also, not far from the stage, there were a couple of booths associated with the John Lennon Bus Tour. Last year they did an event in Travers Park, and this year they were doing it in conjunction with the Viva La Comida festival. The John Lennon Bus Tour brings along buses that have a lot of equipment that their staff introduces to kids interested in pursuing an arts or cultural occupation.
As I made my way back to the subway I was disappointed I couldn’t stay longer. Perhaps next year.
On Saturday I made my way east to Flushing to watch the Chinese New Year Parade. It was a nice sunny day with temperatures in the 30's, and a fair wind blowing, adding to the chill. But that doesn't seem to dampen the enthusiasm of the large crowds that come to attend and witness one of the world's most ancient cultures on full theatrical display.
The sidewalks in Flushing along Main Street had been widened this past year, enabling a far better flow of pedestrian traffic than in prior years. I headed south toward the Flushing branch of the Queens Library, to find an opening into the street where I could - for the first time - take video of the colorful, musical parade.
For all of us, today starts the beginning of a new year.
If we stay the course with masks, social distancing and hand washing, we should be able to make it to getting vaccinated - at which point things begin to really change to a better normal, but likely not back to a pre-CoVid normal.
The impact of the vaccinations isn't going to happen quickly as Trump's Operation Warp Speed has turned out to be Operation Super Retarded. But Biden takes the reins in another 18 days, and will likely put things back on track, which means we have another six to twelve months before things will begin feeling somewhat normal. The six to twelve months is how long it's estimated that it will take to manufacture, distribute and vaccinate the majority of the 330 million people who live here. The vaccination process alone takes about two months, as there are two shots and a lag time for your body to build the anti-bodies.
This weekend only, there's the performance of an avante garde theatrical production entitled The House We Never Lived In at the Tiny Box Theater which is performing at the 11th Street Arts Center in Long Island City Friday, Saturday & Sunday.
The production is something totally interactive, meaning we were guided through the play by our hosts - CoDirectors Joy Tomasko and Sarah Murphy - but each of us embarked on our own unique journey wearing headsets and making choices which would ultimately determine how the play ended ... for us ... alone ... or shared - but only shared if others had made the same choices that we did. If you're not totally understanding this, that's ok, because until it was over, neither did I.
The photo at right shows several members of the audience in the foreground, pursuing their own journey in the play, while the Co-Directors, Joy Tomasko at left and Sarah Murphy at right in the background, look on.
The play takes us on a journey from a tiny apartment in NYC, to purchasing a fixer upper home upstate, and then going there ...
You will need a fully charged cell phone to attend the play, as that will be plugged into your headset which they provide. The cell phone is then used to scan the recordings you'll hear, which are chosen based upon the choices you make, which you then use as a guide - along with the assistance of the Co-Directors, into a world that is new and strange.
The play is well written [or at least based on the choices I made], containing a number of near poetic insights, and the experience is reality ... virtually ... ? ... dunno ... as I'm still processing it.
This weekend only - performances at 4.30 pm, 6 pm, 7.30 and 9 pm on Friday and at 3 pm, 4.30 pm and 6 pm on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets cost $20 and you can purchase them at www.tinyboxtheater.com. And remember to bring a fully charged cell phone.
Seating is very limited, so if you want to see this play, waiting isn't an option. This play was funded in part through a grant from the Queens Council on the Arts.
I attended the Jamaica Just My Style Fashion Show last Friday at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center in Queens. The show highlights some of the great shopping opportunities in downtown Jamaica as it is organized and hosted by the Jamaica Center Business Improvement District [BID].
In the lobby there was food and shopping opportunities, and in the auditorium there was a show not to be missed, featuring the clothing and designs offerred by about a dozen downtown Jamaica retailers which are listed at the end of the video below, along with the Jamaica Center sponsors.
There wasn't any multi-media going on in the background as in previous years, which at first I thought might be a liability. But I found instead, that I soon lost myself in an undistracted focus on the models and the clothing coming down the runway.
There were also about a dozen and a half models, about two thirds of which were female, and all of whom did a great job of keeping our attention on their sculpted forms, theatrical poses and dancer flair. Click the video below to feast your eyes on fashion, form and function and a bit of show biz, provided by rapper Roxanne Chante. A photo of entertainer Destiny Johnson is also included at the end of the video.
I traveled down to Jamaica town on Tuesday afternoon to see a short preview of the upcoming Jamaica Just My Style Fashion Show. The show is organized by the Jamaica Center BID and Executive Director Whitney Barrat was on hand to talk about the upcoming show. The gracious Barrat talked about the vibrancy of the downtown Jamaica business district, the excitement of the upcoming show, and commended Jamaica Center BID Associate Valerie Stevens for her efforts in organizing the event. The designs by Michele Walden Mcphee were alluring, complementing the models' shapely figures in an artistic display of finely chosen fabric.
The show begins at 6 pm Friday at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center on Jamaica Avenue at 153rd Street. There will be food, music and plenty of fashion not just on the stage but in the crowd as well. It's free but you must rsvp at the Jamaica Center BID website - using the link below.
On Sunday, September 29th, the NY Mets played their last game of the 2019 Major League Baseball season. The Mets came in third in the National League East, behind the Atlanta Braves [#1] and the Washington Nationals [#2]. Their record of 86 wins and 76 losses represented a solid improvement over the 2018 season, where they won 77 and lost 85 coming in fourth place that year.
The Mets new slugger Pete Alonso, broke the rookie home run record on the second to the last game of the season on Saturday 9/28/19. Pete Alonso hit his 53rd home run of the season against the starting pitcher [Mike Foltynewicz] for the National League East Champion Atlanta Braves, besting the record set by Yankee Aaron Judge in 2017. Aaron had hit 52 home runs that season.
The Mets Pitcher Jacob Degrom also had another good year, after a slow start, and seems to be a favored contender for the Cy Young Award for the second year running. Jacob Degrom has been with the Mets since 2014, having picked him in the 9th round draft.
And Mets Manager Mickey Callaway's fate is apparently undecided at this point in the season. Mickey Callaway became the Mets Manager in October 2017, and had a disappointing first season after the strongest start that season, in Mets' history. The 2019 season was much better at .531 vs .475 in 2018.
So while the Mets season may be over, the Yankees are still in it. The Yankees enter the post season with some handicaps [lost a pitcher due to domestic abuse allegations], but that said they've been fighting handicaps all season. Stay tuned.
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5 Boro Bike Ride Returns Sunday
Bike New York Organizes NYC Bike Ride & Bike Expo New York
This story includes information about the upcoming 5 Boro Bike Ride on Sunday, as well as the Bike ExpoNew York which precedes it on Friday & Saturday in Red Hook. As of this report, the temperatures are expected to be in the 60's and the chances of rain appear slim. But bear in mind that the forecast probability of 20% chance of rain last Friday, turned into rain on Saturday evening, so check the weather as we get closer in.
Bike New York 5 Boro Bike Ride Route
Since 1977, every first Sunday of May, Bike New York has organized and promoted the 5 Boro Bike Ride. The ride begins in lower Manhattan, sweeps northward across the Harlem River Bridge to the Bronx, circles back across the Third Avenue Bridge to Manhattan, where it begins its southward trek crossing the Queensboro Bridge into Queens, heading south to Brooklyn after a quick stop north to Astoria Park, and then comes down past the Brooklyn Navy Yards, continuing southward along the west side of Brooklyn, to the Verrazano Narrows Bridge where it crosses over to the Fort Wadsworth neighborhood in Staten Island before terminating in the St. George neighborhood at the Staten Island Ferry.
Proceeds from Non-Profit New York Bike Ride go Toward Sustainable Transportation Efforts
The now famous bike ride was capped at 32,000 riders I believe sometime in the 1990’s, where it still stands today. One report noted that the 5 Boro Bike ride is one of – if not the largest - non-profit bike rides in the nation. The proceeds go to Bike New York programs which are designed to teach people about sustainable transportation, most notably bicycle riding and bike maintenance and safety. Another report noted that the NYPD had considered [don’t know the outcome] charging the organization $1 million for erecting, maintaining and terminating road closures during the New York 40 mile family-friendly bike ride.
Bike New York Bicyclist Outreach in all Five NYC Boroughs
Bike New York has offices in all five NYC boroughs. In 2015 their cyclist safety and bike maintenance programs reached 15,000 New Yorkers. And they are the organizers of the Bike ExpoNew York being held at Pier 12 in Brooklyn on Friday and Saturday [see details in rest of this story].
The 7th annual World Maker Faire was held last weekend at the NY Hall of Science in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. I had been meaning to attend the festival since it had first opened years ago, but never quite squared away the time. Thankfully, that was not the case this year.
The World Maker Faire is billed as a fair of, “invention, creativity, and curiosity [that] showcases … more than 600 projects … focused on making for social good, health, technology, electronics, 3D printing & fabrication, food, robotics, art …”.
The faire really surprised me on the upside. While I had heard of it for years now, I had the impression that it was a bit of a nerd fest. And while there’s certainly some of that embedded in the program, it goes way beyond that. It was like attending an old time county fair, but instead of seeing rides, rodeo contests and animal exhibits, we saw robotics contests, robotics exhibits and feats of mechanical / AI prowess. A bit nerdy, perhaps, but as you will see from the video below – far, far more than that.
One of the first exhibits to catch my attention was a good old-fashioned cock fight – where the roosters were replaced with robots. It seemed kind of an adolescent use of all those majestic brainwaves, but I have to admit that I, along with the rest of a large crowd, found it pretty entertaining.
CLICK here later this afternoon to see rest of our report about NY Hall of Science hosts the World Maker Faire in Flushing Queens NYC, including video of many of the exhibits / events.
Farmers Mkts, Street Fairs & Member Events Calendar
Last weekend, on Saturday, I ventured out to enjoy the beautiful weather. I was not alone, as for the first time in a month and a half there were a number of people moving about the neighborhood.
I headed down to the farmers market to see what that looked like under the new normal. The food looked fresh, and there was plenty of it - although this was in mid morning.
The experience wasn't much different than what you'd expect. People wore face masks and there were lines created by social distancing. I was glad to see that farmers markets are essential businesses, as it augments a strained food supply chain, and provides folks with an opportunity to get out of the house in about as safe an environment as you can get. Here's a link to the dates, times, locations and selection of the 2020 Queens farmers markets, Staten Island Farmers Markets, Brooklyn Farmers Markets, Manhattan Farmers Markets and Bronx Farmers Markets.
I can't say people were smiling, not just because their faces were covered by masks, but there's been a gradual mood deterioration as we pass the second rent due date of the CoVid pandemic. Many people aren't standing in the farmers market social distancing line, but rather standing in food pantry lines. And for many, their economic fates are up for grabs, as we collectively try to navigate our way back to work. Many believe that economic activity is likely to be dampened by the CoVid pandemic for some time to come.
On the bright side, the Governor and the Mayor announced plans to begin daily sanitization of the MTA subway system beginning Wednesday, May 6th. The plan is to close the terminal stations of the subway lines from 1 am to 5 am, daily - providing shuttle buses to and from the last stop for passengers. And then, in those four wee hours of the morning, the NYPD and NYC social services will swoop into clear out the homeless population that has started making the subway their new home. It seems a good and humane plan.
Sanitizing the subway lines should go a long way toward preparing us to get back to the new normal by helping to dampen - if not eradicate - the transmission of the CoVid virus. This collaborative effort by both the Mayor and the Governor will help all of us to get back to work and play. So things are moving in the right direction, albeit not at a viral pace.
Have a nice weekend. The weather is going to be in the 70's during the day and 50's at night. And no rain, but some clouds.
Last Saturday was a great day to be out and about. The temperatures had finally cooled down a bit and the humidity had subsided. The Business Improvement Districts of Jackson Heights and Flushing were prepared to take full advantage of the changing seasons with event programming designed to draw crowds into their shopping and dining districts.
I arrived at the Flushing BID fair on a two block stretch that included Prince Street and 40th Road off of Main Street and Roosevelt Avenue. Like many things in Flushing Queens Chinatown, it was crowded with all sorts of people – from the very old to the very young.
The very young were enjoying themselves inside inflated romp a rooms, while the adults were busy shopping or grabbing a quick bite to eat. I made my way up Prince Street past many of the shopping stalls and then headed east along 40th Street to take a closer look at many of the offerings.
Behind all the activity are a few of the restaurants serving the Chinese food for which Flushing is well known, but on today’s outing, I forewent that pleasure in favor of the open air.
Perhaps what caught my eye most on this trip was the variety of shopping options, more than the food. I had expected the event to be more food oriented, as other events done by the Flushing BID were. But today it was the shoppers who appeared to have won out, as there was a myriad of offerings, from pots and pans, to fishing gear, to cosmetics, clothing, various foods and all sorts of unique Chinese and Asian objects.
It was a little like traveling through a real Chinese market, complete with sounds and smells, that was only a subway ride away.
The furniture stores located on the southern end of Steinway Street in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens seem to have something to offer to just about everyone. This part of Steinway is a furniture shopper's mecca, offering plenty of choices from classical colonial, to urban apartment living to bedding to suit nearly every spine.
I took a quick trip there, which is easily accessible via the N, W, G, R or V subway lines and within a sturdy walking distance from Long Island City, Astoria, Sunnyside and Woodside. Just up the street from Steinway is Broadway and two blocks further north is 30th Avenue, where you'll find a number of great Queens restaurants where after a good morning or afternoon of shopping, you can kick back in an enjoyable ambiance - or in the good weather along one of the sidewalk tables - ane enjoy a bit of coffee and some delicious food. Click here to learn more about the furniture stores in Astoria Queens.
Esquire Men's Clothing Store continues to serve the greater Astoria and Queens area, as it has for over thirty years. The shop is owned and managed by Frank and Kevin Adhami, and their father, who is in his eighties, still visits the store on an almost weekly basis.
Esquire is located along Steinway Street between 30th and 31st streets. The store contains a wide selection of men's coats, suits, casual wear, shoes and men's accessories like belts and ties.
This story will provide some information about the store itself as well as fashion recommendations for the Spring and for job hunters.
Jackson Heights was the first year 'round farmers market in Queens, Forest Hills was the second year 'round farmers market, and Sunnyside was the third year 'round farmers market in Queens. So now Queens has three farmers markets operating year 'round and nearly a dozen seasonal farmers markets.
Click the link below to see a listing of the Queens Farmers Markets operating during the 2021 season including links to maps. Click the other link below for an updated list of Queens Street Fairs schedule of 2021 through the first couple of months of the 2021 season which this year began in June, including dates and maps showing their locations. We will continue updating and adding to the street fair calendar throughout the season.
Click here for our updated posting of Queens Street Fairs - Queens NY. Click here for a listing of the Queens Farmers Markets. You will always find both street fairs and farmers markets for the current month in the Queens Events section of the site [see top tool bar for button / link]. Click here to view the map of the Jamaica farmers market. Click here for Bronx street fairs.
Economic Snapshot NYC & US
In spite of Non-Vaxers’ Negative Impact on the Recovery, Generally the Economy Appear to be Steadily Improving
It’s been a while since I have done an economic update, and as we head into the Fall, it seems a good time to look through the tea leaves to figure out where we are and what risks lie ahead between now and the New Year.
The graph at right, created by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, shows employment in the U.S. from 1940 to date. To the far right of the graph, you can see the huge dip in employment in the Spring of 2020, as the pandemic hit. Since then U.S. employment has recovered, but not yet completely.
Unemployment Back to Normal Levels & Stimulus Winding Down
Unemployment continues to decline, and the unemployment rate reflects a growing economy and a tight labor market. One debated theory about the tight labor market, is that it was fueled in part by some of the generous government spending programs, designed to cushion folks from the pandemic, which some believed kept workers out of the employment market. As of this posting, we’ve not seen any good study that proves or disproves that hypothesis. So for now, I recommend you consider that hearsay, at least until you or I find one or more reliable studies that proves or disproves that hypothesis.
In any event, a good measure of both the federal and states stimulus programs have begun to wind down. Beginning in late Spring / early Summer, both states and the federal government began reducing or withdrawing the funding for extra [federal] and extended [states] unemployment benefits.
While we found these neighborhoods mirrored / trailed many of the national trends, we found some interesting differences, including differences from neighborhood to neighborhood.
The Sunnyside Yard development effort began on February 9, 2015, when Mayor Bill de Blasio presented a vision for the development of Sunnyside Yard in his first State of the City Address. The first effort in the project was a Feasibility Study, which began soon thereafter.
Two years ago, on April 18, 2017, I attended a session where the NYC Economic Development Corporation presented the results of the Feasibility Study to the Community Board in Sunnyside regarding the building of a deck over Sunnyside Yard, in a fashion similar to what was done over a century ago, when the rail lines heading north from Grand Central Station were decked over and Park Avenue was paved over them. Click here to read our series on the History of Sunnyside Yard.
The photo to your right shows Park Avenue between 1910 - 1920, being decked up above NYC infrastructure.
Sunnyside Yard Public Meetings: Moving Along the Development Curve
Last year, on October 24, 2018, the NYC Economic Development Corporation hosted an estimated 375 people at the NYCEDC's first Public Meeting at La Guardia Community College in Long Island City. I was told that they had modified the process and expanded the venue there in order to accommodate the community interest. The goal of the meeting was to obtain community input on how to utlize, the largest publicly controlled space in New York City, likely to be developed in our lifetimes.
The photo at right shows some of the elevated roads traversing Sunnyside Yard, in the same manner as some of the east / west roads traversed Park Avenue in the early 1900's. The plan is to deck it over to make use of the nearly 180 acres that encompass the space.
And on March 26, 2019 the NYCEDC held their second Public Meeting at PS 166Q Henry Gradstein Elementary School in Astoria. At this meeting the NYCEDC and the committee presented the findings of the first Public Meeting, and then oversaw breakout sessions by topic for anyone interested in contributing input into the direction of the Sunnyside Yard development project.
Sunnyside Yard Development & Community Input: Three Categories
The breakout sessions centered around three primary topics: 1) Urban Design, 2) Transportation and 3) Open Space. I chose to attend the transportation session, as it represents the underlying infrastructure - but I must admit that I would have also liked the opportunity to sit in on the two other sessions, as each has its own set of opportunities and costs.
More coming later today. I also placed a request earlier this morning with the NYCEDC as to the timing of next steps, as the information was not available on their website.
NYS Rent Regulations up for Renewal
NYS Assembly and NYS Senate to Strengthen, Renew or let Expire NYS Rent Regulation Laws
On Saturday I attended an event discussing the upcoming legislation pending in the NYS government in Albany concerning NYS rent regulations. Currently about 2 million of the 8.5 million people who live in NYC will be affected.
The primary topic of the event was MCI or Major Capital Improvements, which is a loophole in rent regulations that allows landlords to initiate projects within their buildings and then pass along the project costs to their tenants, in such manner as to provide the landlord with an incremental revenue increase that lasts into eternity, and which encourages landlords to get creative in originating projects in an effort to raise the rents of their regulated apartments at an accelerating speed in order to grow the monthly rent beyond the legal limit of regulation.
What happens then, is that a significant number of longstanding tenants in regulated housing, are priced out of their homes and neighborhoods. Some of the displaced tenants even become homeless. This is why homelessness nearly doubled under former Mayor Michael Bloomberg - who looked the other way as NYS rent regulations were being renewed.
The event was held in the Corona neighborhood of Queens, where hundreds - if not a thousand - people came to particpate in the discussion.
Donald Trump proclaimed Wednesday, December 5, 2018, as a National Day of Mourning for former President George H.W. Bush. Out of respect for the 41st President of the United States ... and consistent with the Presidential Proclamation, the United States Postal Service will suspend regular mail deliveries, retail services and administrative office activity on December 5, 2018.
The U.S.Postal Service informs us that they,
"will provide limited package delivery service on that day to ensure that our network remains fluid and we do not experience any impacts to our package delivery operations that might negatively affect our customers or business partners during the remainder of our busy holiday season."
Small Business Week in Queens
NYC Small Business Services Commissioner in Sunnyside
Tuesday afternoon, the NYC Small Business Services Commissioner, Gregg Bishop, visited the Sunnyside Shines Business Improvement District [BID]. It was the SBS Commissioner's first visit in five years.
NYC City Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer, Sunnyside Shines Board Chairman John Vogt and Executive Director Jaime-Faye Bean were on hand to meet the Commissioner. Jaime welcomed Gregg to Sunnyside, noting the progress that has been made by the Sunnyside BID over the past year [see Sunnyside Shines BID story for details].
Jimmy Van Bramer spoke next, quipping that it's always sunny in Sunnyside, as the sun was out today and the temperatures hit 80 degrees. Jimmy went on to note that he's allocated taxpayer dollars to support the BID in its efforts to promote and aid small businesses in the area. He also mentioned that some improvements were coming to the iconic Sunnyside marquee that stands at 46th Street and Queens Blvd.
Gregg closed out the public comments, applauding the efforts by the BID organization and the councilmember in helping maintain a robust small business sector in Sunnyside in spite of macro trends weighing in against small business. He told us that there are 230,000 small businesses in New York City and that they employ 3.7 million people which using the last census figures constitutes 45% of all New Yorkers' employment.
The Sunnyside BID organizers then hosted the Commissioner on a whistlestop tour of a few of the nearby businesses so that he could hear more about the issues they are facing and learn more about how NYC Small Business Services can help.
In the photo above in the front row, NYC City Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer is third from left, Sunnyside Shines Executive Director jamie Faye-Bean is fourth from left, NYC Small Business Services Commissioner Gregg Bishop is fifth from left. Sunnyside Shines Board Chairman John Vogt is in the second row standing between Gregg and Jaime.
On Tuesday, February 3rd, 2015 - in Bill de Blasio's first State of the City Address in Manhattan - the Mayor unveiled a vague vision for for the development of Sunnyside Yard in Queens. Following Mayor de Blasio's announcement, the city initiated a feasibility plan to investigate the issues associated with developing the space atop what is now the open space of Sunnyside Yard. Sunnyside Yard lies near the eastern side of Long Island City and the western side of the Sunnyside neighborhood.
Prior to the Mayor's announcement, and continuing to this day, western Queens - but most specifically Long Island City - has been under siege by real estate developers. They have bid up the prices on old buildings and empty lots, and following the purchase of them, have then erected tall skyscraper buildings at a rapid, mind-boggling pace. By the early 2020's, NYC real estate developers will have added tens of thousands of residential units to the Long Island City neighborhood alone, in less than a decade and a half.
In the photo at right, Mayor de Blasio talking to members of the press and audience, following his first State of the City Address in 2015 in Manhattan.
A Changing & Evolving Landscape in Queens
Like all change - there are winners and losers and there are good things and bad things - that come of any change. I've tried to capture a bit of both in my reporting of Long Island City's growth over the past decade or so, but for the purpose of this report, I will leave a discussion of the many issues associated with change, here.
In October of 2018 there was a community meeting at LaGuardia Community College regarding future plans for Sunnyside Yard. Over 300 people came to watch the slide show, view the exhibits, and interact with the NYC Economic Development [EDC] team that is spearheading the effort to include community sentiment and address community issues in any future development of Sunnyside Yard.
This is the beginning of an 18 month long process to engage the community in identifying and managing issues associated with the development of Sunnyside Yard.
In the photo at right are various members of the Queens community who came out to view the exhibits and slide show put together by the NYC EDC regarding the future development of Sunnyside Yard.
WORK IN PROGRESS - more to come later this week.
NYC & NYS Continue to Have Lower Murder Rates Than the Rest of the Nation
The Past Couple of Months, NYC Murders have been Below 2019 Levels, and NYC Shootings are Down Double Digits versus 2020, While Gun Arrests Have Doubled vs 2020
This is news you're not likely to find in Australian born billionaire Rupert Murdoch's NY Post, Wall St. Journal nor Fox News because it doesn't fit with Murdoch's self-enriching, propagandistic narratives of blaming Democrats for the increase in violent / gun crimes. He appears to use such narratives to get the politicians who will give him tax breaks, and allow him to continue deregulating his industries, so he can make ever more money at the expense of American Democracy.
The NYPD has been working hard to rein in the out-of-control sales and trafficking of guns in the nation, because of the absence of an intelligent debate on national gun control legislation to combat the growing gun violence, and in particular the mass shootings, that started rising again during the Trump Administration and continued rising in the wake of the CoVid pandemic.
Year To Date Murders in NYC are Below the National Average & Have Begun Falling Versus 2020
So we're going to take a look at a number of the NYC crime statistics, and then follow up with an analytical look at some of the issues driving gun related violence, before closing with a look at the distorted, deceitful and destructive coverage provided by Murdoch's Fox News & Propaganda.
As you can see by the chart at right, with the exception of GLA or Grand Larceny Auto and YTD / Year To Date Shootings, all NYC crime is either in the single digits or down, versus last year. It's important to note however, that in July shootings dropped by 35% versus prior year [up 17% YTD], while gun arrests were up 134% versus the prior year [up 68% YTD], so the NYPD continues to make good progress in this regard. And murders were down 49% in July versus prior year and down 10% year to date.
The chart at right shows the NYPD Crime statistics for the month of July 2021 and Year To Date 2021. I have also included comparisons to 2019 as 2020 was an unusual year all the way around - including for NYC crime.
The Iron Pipeline - Interstate 95 - is used to Transport Guns from Primarily Red Republican States with Lax Gun Laws
The graphic at right shows what is called the 'Iron Pipeline' which is Interestate 95 which runs from New York to Florida. This interestate highway is used to transport guns / weapons across state lines from mostly red Republican controlled states with lax gun control laws to blue states that have passed stronger gun control laws.
Once the guns arrive here, they are illegally sold and are the root of the gun violence and murder problem in New York City and New York State. Thankfully, Mayor de Blasio, Commissioner Shea and the NYPD are on top of things, and have been working hard to rein in the problem, even in the absense of national legislative help.
I think President Biden should look into the possibility of using federal powers regulating interstate commerce, to curtail the transport and sale of guns into states that have tighter regulatory frameworks surrounding the sale of murder weapons. And perhaps the district attorneys in our city and state should consider naming the people who sell these guns, as accessories or even accomplices, to the crimes committed with them.
The Trouble, Fear, Pain & Relief of My First CoVid Vaccination
As More New Yorkers are Vaccinated, the Pressure Grows on Those Who've Not Yet Received a Shot, Also the Role of Limiting Eligibility in Effecting a Smoothe Transition & Effective Tuesday 3/23/21 Folks Aged 50 plus Become Eligible for the CoVid Vaccination
So I've been putting off getting a CoVid vaccination ever since I became eligible earlier this year. At first I held off was because there were intermittent shortages of the vaccine, then rumors of long lines to get them, and finally I had to wrestle through the various websites offering a shot, at a time and place that 'easily' worked for me.
Finding a Vaccination Center Near You in NYC
But this past week I hit the proverbial CoVid vaccine jackpot, after spending what was probably a couple of hours online trying to navigate my way to an appointment. One of the issues are the numerous websites out there, offering vaccines. There's both NYC and NYS vaccinations centers and I waded through each looking for specific locations, specific vaccinations [J&J, Pfizer & Moderna] and specific times.
Let me make it simple for you, as I oftentimes ended up on this site.
Movie Theaters, Taxi Drivers, Gun Arrests, the NRA Russia & Trump, Central Park & Bronx Golf Course Concessions Bidding Deadline March 19, 2021, CoVid Testing, Vaccination Stats & Daylight Savings Time Two Weeks Away
Weather. Friday won't see any rain, but on Saturday there's nearly a 100% chance of a small amount [a quarter inch] of rain in the morning. Saturday afternoon should be clear. On Sunday there's also a high probabilty of a half inch of rain, most likely to fall around midday, with a lingering probability lasting the rest of the day [40% - 60%]. Temperature highs will be in the mid 40's to low 50's throughout the weekend and the temperature lows will be in the mid 30's on Friday and hovering around 40 the rest of the weekend. Humidity will rise from the 40% range to near the 70% range on Friday and then stay between the 70% - 80% range the rest of the weekend. Winds will be 50 - 10 mph all weekend.
Things To Do, News Briefs & Updates
- NYC Movie Theaters Can Reopen March 5, 2021
Governor Cuomo announced that movie theaters will be able to reopen at 25% capacity March 5th, 2021.
-Taxi Driver Blockade Brooklyn Bridge in Support of Medallion Debt Restructuring
One story that seemed to receive little attention was a taxi driver blockade of the Brooklyn Bridge on Wednesday afternoon on February 10th. They were making a statement, following a City Council hearing on loan forgiveness / restructuring for taxi driver medallion debt, earlier in the day. The 25,000 member taxi driver union was supportive of the action. NYC government officials are trying to find a way to help taxi drivers, but are constrained by the current fiscal challenges arising from the CoVid crisis.
- January Gun Arrests Up 75% & Full Year 2020 were Up 29%
At the end of January, NYC Police Commissioner Demot Shea said that 417 gun arrests had been made that month, up 75% versus a year ago. He also noted that last year gun arrests were up 29% versus 2018. He rhetorically asked the question, "what's changed that there are so many guns making their way into NYC?"
- The NRA, Guns, Russian Cash & the Trump Money Laundromat
According to an April 2, 2018 report in Rolling Stone, the NRA President, David Keene, was an honored guest in Moscow at a 2013 event hosted by The Right to Bear Arms group. Prior to and during the 2016 presidential campaign, Russia courted the NRA, including hosting members at all expense paid events.
According to the report, the Russian group was deceitfully presented as 'grassroots' organization, led in part by Maria Butina, seeking comraderie with like minded gun enthusiasts. The reality appears to be that they were working under the influence of the Russian government, in an effort to infiltrate politically conservative groups in the U.S., to become what was alleged to be money laundering conduits for campaign cash to the Trump and other Republican political campaigns.
The NRA was founded in 1871 in New York and recently moved its headquarters to Texas. In February 2019 NYS Attorney General Tisch James filed a lawsuit against the NRA seeking to dissolve it because, the brief contended, it had become so corrupt and self serving and had failed to comply with numerous laws.
In August 2019 the two Republican members of the Federal Election Commission [Caroline Hunter & Matthew Petersen] blocked an investigation into whether Russia had used the NRA as a money laundering machine to funnel [$30 million] cash to Trump and Republicans in the 2016 election. In the 2016 election NRA donations spiked $35 million which was believed to have come from Russian government influenced agents, like the Russian oligarchs. According to an August 20, 2019 report,
" ... The [FEC] split 2-2 vote fell along partisan lines, with the FEC’s two Republicans voting against any further inquiry into whether Alexander Torshin, a sanctioned Russian official, and Maria Butina, a convicted Russian agent, grew close to the NRA in order to help direct the group’s 2016 political donations...."
See earlier reports we did on Mitch McConnell which identify Russian oligarch funding he, Lindsey Graham, Marco Rubio and other top Republicans received from the Russian oligarchs in 2016 as reported by Open Secrets which is a non-profit group that 'follows the money' of election campaign contributions.
On Saturday morning around 11 am a Blue Lives Matter parade began on Greenpoint Avenue and 39th Street in Sunnyside Queens. I arrived shortly after it began and followed it up to Joseph Sabba Park where several people were to give speeches to the parade participants and attendees.
As the parade arrived at Joseph Sabba Park they were met by a group of Black Lives Matter protesters who were kneeling on the sidewalk holding placards making Black Lives Matter statements. The Blue Lives Matter parade participants paused as they came in direct contact. As I sat there video recording the ‘confrontation’ I wondered whether things might take a turn for the worse and go badly.
Blue Lives Matter Parade & Speakers Queens NYC
Whoever was leading the Blue Lives Matter parade, wisely led the Blue Lives Matter parade around the Black Lives Matter protesters - rather than risking walking through them - where someone on one side or another might have escalated the tension to a higher level.
The Blue Lives Matter parade participants and attendees settled in the middle of Joseph Sabba Park and the speeches began. The first speaker, whose name I didn’t catch, spoke supportively of the police and the important work they do in the community. He struck a human chord, noting that the men and women who serve in the police force are dedicated to serving the community, among whom are their own families and children. He ended saying we’re all human.
The second speaker struck a more passionate Blue Lives Matter tone, remarking that the ‘Diaphragm’ Law hindered police from doing their jobs. The Diaphragm Law allows police officers to be subject to a misdemeanor if they constrict a person’s diaphragm in the process of making an arrest.
What I recorded of both of these speeches will be shown in the video.
The signs of the Blue Lives Matter parade participants also showed a range of thoughts and emotions, ranging from striking a supportive and yet harmonious chord, while others were defiantly in support of the police – seeming to ignore the validity of the Black Lives Matter social unrest. They included Enough with the hate, respect goes both ways, to Reform is for criminals, drug addicts and sex offenders.
911 / The War in Afghanistan is Over - but the War on the Truth that put us there - Continues
TV News People Provided Superficial, Dimwitted, Gossipy Accounts of the Withdrawal, & Unfortunately, Far too many of the Print Reports Weren’t Much Better
Somehow amidst the din of Murdoch mass media hyped criticism, the real headline was buried.
"The War is Over. The Twenty Year War in Afghanistan is Over. "
This was one of two Murdoch Wars - So his Outlets Seemed to Disminish or Ignore the Human & Taxpayer Costs - Over 170,000 Human Lives & Over $2 Trillion and Counting - and so did the Knuckleheads at the Other News Outlets
Where are the parades? Where are the celebrations? Where are the Congressional and Senate committees and hearings to investigate how we got into the Afghanistan war in the first place? And then why we stayed so long? Who incited this war and then profited from the $2 trillion in spending that the U.S. taxpayer took out loans to pay?
About 2,461 American soldiers died in the Afghanistan War. According to an August 17, 2021 report by the Associated Press, another 3846 American contractors lost their lives, as well as 72 journalists. The Afghanis suffered significant fatalities as well, as 66,000 Afghani military and police died, 47,000 Afghani civilians and 51,000 Taliban fighters.
TV News Provided Scant Real Insight, Information or Understanding Surrounding America's Withdrawal from Afghanistand to the Viewer
In the reporting over the past month or so I DID NOT SEE EVEN ONE REFERENCE TO THE RUSSIAN WITHDRAWAL from Afghanistan in the 1980’s. NOT ONE! Why does that matter?
Because if you’re going to evaluate how effective the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan was, you MUST look at prior history, and the Russian withdrawal is the closest, realistic assessment of what the costs of withdrawal from Afghanistan could, would or should be. I watched with something bordering between disgust and horror, as the gutted out nationally branded TV ‘news’ organizations ‘informed’ the American people as to what was happening as the American withdrawal from Afghanistan took place before our eyes in real time.
I. The Pied Piper Framed a Dishonest & Negative Narrative about President Biden's Handling of the Withdrawal via his WSJ, then Echoed it with the Nearly Half of the Nationally Branded U.S. Daily Media he Controls, which the Lazy and / or Incompetent Competition then Parrotted
Australian born billionaire, Rupert Murdoch - as is too often the case - led the rest of the mindless mass media, like the Pied Piper. On August 15, 2021, the Wall St. Journal published an OpEd by the ‘Editorial Board’. The ‘Editorial Board’ appears to be the pen name of billionaire Rupert Murdoch who owns and controls the paper. The ‘Editorial Board’ said published the narrative that Biden was incompetent and had messed things up, with scant reference to history or a holistic presentation of the facts.
Ever since that narrative was published, it has been used by many of the rest of the mass media, to contextualize or frame presentations made by the corporate press in discussing the American withdrawal from Afghanistan. Not everyone in the mass media was so incompetent or so lazy that they used the mendacious Murdoch’s narrative – thankfully. But eyeballing things, I’d estimate that more than half of them did. I suppose the good news is that there are still a few real, independent-minded journalists operating in our midst.
Murdoch used his Wall St. Journal brand to lead the narrative, because it has a history as a respected publication. Even though respect for the brand seems to have been diminishing ever since Murdoch’s took control of the paper in August of 2007. After the announcement many of the real journalists who could leave, did. Barron’s was included in the acquisition and remains a Murdoch brand today.
He Seems to Favor Charter Schools & They Seem to Favor Him, He's Pulled in the Most Real Estate Cash & He has Indicated He'll Reverse Course a bit on Police Reform & ...
Last week I did a report snapshotting what I know about Scott Stringer's political career that leads me to think he's not to be trusted.
Stringer takes big public stands on what I would call generic Democratic issues over which he has little influence - gender equality, race and climate change - while speaking with forked tongue on issues over which he has considerable influence - like real estate developments, local education, public libraries and the pension fund investments - that significantly impact the local communities, neighborhoods and unions.
In that report I also noted how Stringer seems opportunistic in compromising his stances [for example in education and the public library system] in order to capitalize on what he seems to think are self enhancing career opportunities. And Stringer also seems to have used the power and authority of government positions entrusted to him by the people, to aid those who fund his campaigns, possibly trading what's good for the people, in exchange for what's good for Scott Stringer.
Stringer hit my radar nearly a decade ago, while Eric Adams only hit my radar a few years ago. So I'm less familiar with Adams career than Stringer's. But in doing the research, I found that Eric Adams appears to be a slow steady hand, whose positions have evolved over time ... and I would add that generally they appear to have evolved carefully.
1. Eric Adams - Public Schools & Education
Pro Charter Schools & What that Means
FOR PROFIT Charter Schools, don't seem to solve the failing schools problem, but rather split and shift the problem burdens, while privatizing and gutting a significant portion of the public school system. I began reporting on education during the Bloomberg era, wherein Bloomberg's Administration seemed to split public schools into two smaller entities, and then parcel out the achieving students / families via charter recruitment to the privately run for profit charters, while leaving the lower performing students / families in the care of unions and the general public. It seemed to me they didn't really solve anything, and sucked needed capital out of the public school system, putting it in the hands of the venture capitalists who were funding them.
This situation appeared to me not unlike what the insurance industry had done prior to Obamacare - whereby the insurance companies recruited healthy people for health insurance, and avoided signing those who weren't healthy in order to enhance their economic performance. To me this goes against the grain of what America is all about - which is equal opportunity for all. The privatization of the public schools by the predatory for profit charters would turn the public education system into the haves and have nots.
*** It's worth noting that NON-PROFIT CHARTERS evolved for different reasons and provided a healthy challenge to the union run public education system and I view far more favorably than the for profit charters.
A Look Back at the NYC Municipal Primary Election Results of 2021
Females Won Big, But Because of Ranked Choice Voting, the Results Trickled in Over the Past Month, & Real Assessments of the Changed Landscape have yet to Follow
The June 22nd election primary for NYC municipal offices has long passed, but a solid look at the overall results of the election has not yet followed. What I will attempt to do today, is to offer provide a top down summary of the results, along with some interpretation of what this means going forward.
Women Won Big in the New York City Council Democratic Primaries
One of the biggest changes to municipal government likely to occur following the November election is that the NYC Council will move from less than a third women, to over half women for the first time in NYC history. This assumes most or all of the Democrats win their seats in the general election. This usually happens in a heavily blue state like New York, just as Republican primary winners in Alabama become the likely winners of the general election in that heavily red state. Somewhere between 29 and 31 of the Democratic primary winners in the NYC Council races were women out of a 51 member municipal legislative body.
How the President, a Former NYC Mayor and Murdoch's Fox News Seemed to Incite the Capitol Insurrectionists
Rudy Giuliani, Nicknamed America's Mayor by Murdoch's Fox News, Appears to have Helped Incite the Band of Simpleminded Trumpsters to Insurrection
Updated January 11, 2021 from 1.8.21 / US Politics / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
Rising Film Star [Barat2] and Former NYC Mayor, Rudy Giuliani, appears to have devolved into something of a national freak show or farce over the past five years. Perhaps longer. But in the past few months, he's become something of a national disgrace.
Fox News seems to use nicknames for their propaganda assets, like referring to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as the 'Iron Lady' and President Ronald Reagan as the 'Gipper'. Rudy Giuliani seems to be yet another Fox propaganda asset and, as such, is oftentimes referred to as America's Mayor by Fox pundits.
This is not unlike how Murdoch's Fox News nicknames themselves America's Newsroom. This was a trick used by Hitler and Goebbels, using words and images to create the illusion that they, the Nazi Party [in this cae the Fox Nation with red, white and blue colors] was the same as the state - and thus represented all that was right and just. But remember - just because Murdoch's Fox News says it's so - doesn't make it so [like they used to call themselves 'Fair & Balanced' before they started fearing a lawsuit for false advertising]. But, the Australian born billionaire's overwhelming control and / or ownership of America's television media [see our special section on Murdoch and the 21st Propaganda Press on Gotham Buzz] does give him a leg up in attaching and making both good and bad labels stick to people, places and things.
On Wednesday, January 6, 2021, Rudy Giuliani joined Donald Trump and Donny junior at a Trump rally in Washington, D.C. near the White House. The Donald had promoted this gathering as something 'wild' and related to his seemingly phony stop the steal / election fraud fundraising claims. At the rally Trump told his supporters, numbering about 5,000 [per the park permit] to march down to the Capitol and that he'd be there with them.
I think it's safe to say that the Trump supporters who came to this event came prepared to continue to be misinformed and misled by the con men standing on the stage in front of them. After the speeches the audience mindlessly did as Trump had instructed them, and began marching toward the Capitol - but without their fearful leader [bonespurs acting up again?]. The Trumps and Giuliani were not to be found when the group arrived at the Capitol. What a surprise!
When the Trumpsters reached the barricades in front of the Capitol, the police in charge of protecting it, seemed to give way. What exactly transpired at this juncture we'll find out eventually, but one thing we do know for certain is that Trump didn't deploy as many of the National Guardsmen as he did for his tear gassing photo op with the Bible last summer. So Vice President Mike Pence had to step in to call up more National Guardsmen who eventually secured the Capitol - but not until after it had been ransacked [including one report of defecation].
Australian born Billionaire, Rupert Murdoch Seems to use the Wall St Journal, NY Post & Fox News to Create the Illusion that Trump has Some Sort of Economic Magic Touch, but the Truth is $6 Trillion in New Debt & $3 Trillion in Federal Reserve Bond Purchases
Few real journalists - if any - have ever honestly accused Rupert Murdoch and most of the large media brands he controls in our nation, of being bastions of truth. In fact, it would seem, quite the opposite - including by some of the people who work for him.
When Murdoch purchased the Wall Street Journal in 2007 [fact check], there were concerns that he would turn it into another one of his propaganda rags. Shortly after the acquisition, a number of Wall Street Journal reporters fled to Bloomberg News. In fact dozens of them. Those journalists that remained at the Wall Street Journal, had to learn how to operate for an Australian born billionaire who seems to delight in misleading the masses - rather than informing them - in order to profit from the audience's ignorance, to which Murdoch media appear to contribute greatly. Murdoch is kind of like a street hustler whose propagandists do sleight of tongue [hand] tricks, while his political accomplices [puppets like Trump & McConnell] pick the pockets of the audience [Americans].
Not Your Father's Wall Street Journal - A Murdoch Propaganda Rag?
This summer over 280 journalists at the Wall Street Journal, became concerned that Herr Murdoch - like Nazi propagandist Herr Goebbels before him - was corrupting the Wall Street Journal into a propaganda outlet, in advance of the election this November. While Murdoch's distortion of the truth in the Wall Street Journal appears to have been going on for years, the event that immediately precipitated the letter, was a misleading - even deceptive - Op Ed by Vice Presidential candidate Mike Pence.
In the letter they had a few simple requests. A July 21, 2020 report in the Wall St Journal states,
"... [The WSJ's] Opinion’s lack of fact-checking and transparency, and its apparent disregard for evidence, undermine our readers’ trust and our ability to gain credibility with sources ...”
" ... The letter cites several examples of concern, including a recent essay by Vice President Mike Pence about coronavirus infections ... "
“.. [and that] WSJ journalists should not be reprimanded for writing about errors published in Opinion ..."
"... suggests removing opinion pieces from the “Most Popular Articles” and “Recommended Videos” lists on the website, and creating a separate “Most Popular in Opinion” list..."
" ... letter highlighted was an opinion article titled “The Myth of Systemic Police Racism,” which the letter’s authors said was one of the paper’s most read articles in June. The article argued that the “charge of systemic police bias was wrong during the Obama years and remains so today.” The letter says the piece “selectively presented facts and drew an erroneous conclusion from the underlying data...”
i have reported on similar truth distortions by Rupert Murdoch's media, including Fox News, the NY Post and many other media outlets controlled by him in our section about Rupert Murdoch and the Rise of the 21st Century Propaganda Press, which you can find by clicking this link.
Triumph of The [Rupert's] Will: How Murdoch Manipulates Voter's Perceptions & Public Policy
Australian born Billionaire Appears to use his Media Outlets to Shape Voter's Views, Loading them with Misconceptions, So They'll Elect Compromised Fox Nation Pols, Who Upon Assuming Office, Seem to Reward Murdoch's Media Support, by Crafting Public Policy to Conform to Murdoch's Will, Favoring his Business Interests
As mentioned previously, I've been doing a fairly deep dive into learning as much about the Third Reich and Nazi Germany as time permits, in order to more fully understand what's happening in present day events.
Media Manipulation for Fun & Profit
I began noticing similarities between Australian born billionaire Rupert Murdoch's manipulative use of his large share of Amerian media in 2016, to what Joseph Goebbels, the Reich Minister of Propaganda for the Nazis, did beginning in the 1920's until his end in 1945. On May 1, 1945 Goebbels poisoned his children, his wife and himself as the Allied forces neared his home. Hitler and his companions had committed suicide the day before, as Allied forces invaded Berlin. None of them had the courage to stand trial for their crimes against humanity ... although like Mussolini, they may not have made it to court.
1. Did Fox 'News' Attempt to Protect the Reputation of a Propaganda Asset via Omission?
So today, we're going to look at just a few of Murdoch's media manipulations made in just the past couple of months - and I'm nearly certain that this is just the tip of the iceberg. Unfortunately, I don't have the resource to fact check what is the largest misleading news content producing organization in the nation, and possibly the free world.
Let's start with the first two photos on this page. This story broke in the Guardian on July 7, 2020.
The first photo shows Fox News 'reporting the news' regarding the sexcapades of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislane Maxwell. In the first photo, Fox News conveniently cropped out Donald Trump. In the second photo [at right] we have the 'full picture' aka the truth.
The man who calls everyone else a 'sleezeball' is seen with Melania 'being best', and two of the people alleged to be among some of the sleeziest on the planet [Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislane Maxwell]. Do birds of a feather flock together?
So we must ask why Rupert Murdoch would crop Donald Trump out of the photo? Is it to avoid portraying the Donald in a negative light in order to keep him - a Murdoch asset - in office?
Trump appears to have been a boon to billionaire Murdoch through massive billionaire tax cuts funded by debt to be paid for by America's children and unborn? Or is because Trump's actions in the Middle East vis a visIsrael seemed to serve to legitimize Murdoch's investment in Genie Energy in the illegally occupied Syrian Golan Heights? Or was it because Trump loosened up the FCC ownership limits for mega media companies like Murdoch's thus allowing the few to control our media, which givens them the power to influence the national democratic conversation - and in Murdoch's case - it seems the power to corrupt it in order to profit from it. Or was it because Trump famously fired all U.S. Attorneys, including Preet Bharara - who was investigating Murdoch's companies for sexual harrassment and phone hacking - less than 24 hours after Sean Hannity on Fox News told him to do just that? Perhaps most importantly, Trump's Attorney General Bill Barr, greenlighted the merger of Disney / ABC, which was an inverted takeover resulting in Rupert Murdoch becoming Disney / ABC's largest shareholder.
As far as I know, nobody has ever accused Rupert Murdoch of running an unbiased news operation. In fact, it's seems just the opposite, as countless people have found countless significant reporting errors by his mammoth news operation, which in the U.S. alone represents about half the large corporate branded news content viewed by Americans including Fox News, the Wall St Journal, the NY Post, Barron's, MarketWatch and increasingly ABC News where Murdoch is the largest shareholder.
What is most disturbing, is how the pinocchio propagandists on some Murdoch media outlets appear to omit key facts, in order to put forth narratives that are at odds with the truth, which are then imprinted on the minds of the millions upon millions of viewers who watch and believe what they see and hear on Fox News.
Manipulating what ends up in people's minds is exactly what Joseph Goebbels did as the Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany in the 1930's and 1940's. As in Nazi Germany, Herr Murdoch's propaganda ministry in the U.S., appears to use the media to favor some people or groups at the expense of other people and groups in its reporting. Oftentimes the groups Murdoch appears to favor break along race and economic class lines. We're going to look at how Tucker Carlson appears to have put forth a false Fascist narrative that further victimizes the African American victims of unnecessary violence at the hands of rogue policemen, whose errant behavior is defended far too often by the police unions.
To be sure, those who fall prey to such mass media manipulation, are also responsible for their own ignorance and subsequent behaviors, including their voting.
Thomas Jefferson said,
“Ignorance of the law is no excuse in any country. If it were, the laws would lose their effect, because it can always be pretended.”
We saw this pretension of ignorance and denial of responsibility by many Germans following World War II, including from those operating in influential posts with access to top levels of the Nazi high command. They pretended their ignorance, but generally the truth wills out.
I'll make my case regarding Murdoch's Fox News and Tucker Carlson's reporting of African Americans appearing to be victimized by rogue policemen on Fox News Tucker Carlson's nationally televised show. I identified a couple of shows, which were broadcast over American airwaves using a high number of FCC licenses, reaching millions upon millions of Americans who appear to have been disinformed in what seems a systematic effort by Australian born billionaire Rupert Murdoch's media to provide distorted reporting with respect to incidents of police brutality vis a vis the African American community.
Fox News & Tucker Carlson Twist the Facts to Make a Trap for Fools?
The first incident we're going to review, is Tucker Carlson's Fox News coverage of the Rayshared Brooks shooting in Atlanta on Friday, June 12th, 2020. Rayshard Brooks was a 27 year old African American and father of three who was found misparked in a Wendy's parking lot, apparently sleeping. He was found to have a blood alcohol of nearly .11 which is above the legal limit for driving of .08. Brooks was not stopped while driving, but rather after he had misparked his car in a Wendy's drive thru queue.
Election 2020: Which Queens Borough President Candidate?
Five Pols are on the Ballot and Three Appear in Contention
June 17, 2020 / Queens Neighborhoods / Queens Politics & Government / News Analysis & Opinion / Queens Buzz NYC.
On Tuesday, June 23rd, we go to the polls to exercise our hard fought right to choose those who will represent us in the halls of power. The majority of the people around the world have not yet won this right, and their governments don’t respect them enough to allow them a voice in the debate of public policy, let alone a seat at the table.
I attended a couple of Queens Borough President candidate forums, to try to make an assessment of the pros and cons associated with each of the candidates running for this office. Following the debates I did a bit of research to add to my perspective. The following is a brief synopsis of what I learned. The photo at right was taken at a March Queens Borough President Forum - seated left to right Constantinides, Richards, Miranda and Crowley. Yin was not in attendance.
There are five pols who will be listed on the ballot, as former Queens Assistant District Attorney James Quinn suspended his campaign sometime around the arrival of the CoVid pandemic, which coincided with the postponement of the election. The candidates are Dao Yin, Anthony Miranda, Donovan Richards, Elizabeth Crowley and Costa Constantinides.
Funding & Support: Who’s Really in the Running?
I started by researching their endorsements and campaign contributions. According to a June 16, 2020 report in City & State recently shows that of the five candidates, two of them – Dao Yin and Anthony Miranda – each raised less than $100,000 in private contributions. Neither of these two candidates has held publicly elected office, and neither of them appears to have significant community / organizational support. So votes for them may send some kind of message, but they are both long shots to win.
That leaves us with three highly competitive candidates: Donovan Richards, Elizabeth Crowley and Costa Constantinides. Richards and Constantinides each raised close to $300,000 from private contributions, while Crowley raised nearly $500,000 in contributions. A closer look begins to hint at what kind of Queens Borough Presidents each will be.
Elizabeth Crowley - Backs Amazon Billion$ Tax Breaks
For example Crowley has the backing of a number of construction related unions because she appears to support a real estate development agenda. She’s been pushing for new rail lines in Queens and she was also very supportive of the proposed Amazon deal which would have given a $ billion plus in tax breaks to one of the largest corporations and one of the richest men in the world. The deal was done behind closed doors. Crowley is also the cousin of former Queens Democratic Party Chairman Joe Crowley, who endorsed his cousin and likely has been advocating her candidacy with these construction unions who used to endorse him.
Donovan Richards fundraising kicked up a bit later in the game, as likely the Democratic Party Machine, which has endorsed Richards moved into action. Richards has the backing of a number of Queens Democratic Machine allied unions. Richards has worked with real estate developers in his district for many years, taking credit for the real estate developers doing things ‘for’ the community as they began erecting new buildings and improving the infrastructure. Like Crowley, Richards was also supportive of the closed door, tax break laden, Amazon deal. And like Crowley, he too appears to be a pro-development candidate.
Folks in the Jamaica neighborhood are likely in the 'sweet phase' of gentrification, when the community gets all sorts of upgrades for 'free'. But they should beware, because there's no such thing as a free lunch as the folks in western Queens found out. After the freebies ended in western Queens, the rents skyrocketed and landlords have reportedly been making attempts to harass rent stabilized tenants out of their apartments - even though it is illegal to do so.
Costa Constantinides - Stands up to Amazon & Developers
And then there’s Costa. Unlike the two primary Queens Borough President candidates above, Costa’s support doesn’t come from organized groups who appear to be positioning themselves to profit from a candidacy, but rather from non-profit groups attempting to address community issues and causes, focusing their efforts on improving the opportunities and quality of life in the communities they serve. These include groups like the National Association of Social Workers, the Stonewall Democrats [LGBTQ], the Hispanic American Voters Association, the South Asian American Voters Association, the New Queens Democrats [younger], the Muslim Entrepreneurs Association and a host of Progressive government officials around the city.
Costa wasn’t one of the leading voices opposing the Amazon deal - but unlike the two candidates referenced above, he did oppose the deal - which was best explained in a November 14, 2018 Democracy Now interview. In that interview Queens Assemblyman Ron Kim accused Governor Cuomo of bypassing the legislature in order to allocate billion(s) of taxpayer funds, to a company controlled by the wealthiest man in the world. Kim went on to correctly predict that the Governor was subsidizing expansion plans that likely would have occurred with or without the subsidies. [Editor’s Note: Amazon has since made significant investments in growing its footprint in NYC, but without the billions in taxpayer funded credits and grants].
Renters vs Land Lords and Developers?
A Washington Post November 13, 2018 report [the Post is owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos] outlined who were expected to be the winners and losers. The 'winners' would have been [western Queens] property owners and developers and highly skilled workers, while the 'losers' would have been renters, low income residents, commuters due to increased transit volume, some small businesses and rival tech companies.
Winners and losers is a competitive description of what's going on right now. Those who look out for their own interests and act to enhance or preserve them generally win - and those who don't - eventually end up losing. In the case noted above, the 'winners' actually lost and the 'losers' actually won because the would be 'losers' took swift and decisive action with the aid of local pols to thwart the behind closed doors giveaways . Other pols who came out to fight against what seemed an unnecessary billionaire tax break included Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, NYS Assemblyman Ron Kim, NYS Senator Michael Gianaris and NYC Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer.
So, on Tuesday, if you back tax breaks for billionaires and real estate developers, you may want to vote for Donovan Richards or Elizabeth Crowley. But if you want pols to negotiate tougher deals, you might want to cast your vote for Costa Constantinides.
Click the link for the poll finder website, so you can easily find where to vote in your neighborhood. Be brave, but also be careful. Many of our ancestors died for our right to vote. Remember this is the land of the free and the home of the brave.
The New York City election is Tuesday June 23rd and polls are open from 6 am - 9 pm.
We received this missive today from the Van Bramer campaign, which explains why he didn't attend the Queens Borough President Forum in Jamaica on Sunday [see related report below].
Dear Friends,
I love serving the people of Queens as a Council Member, which is why I was excited to continue that work as Queens Borough President.
My family is the reason I love this borough and its residents; they are the ones who instilled Queens values in me and inspired me to be an advocate for working families. But family circumstances have been weighing on me for some time, causing me to reconsider the timing and feasibility of this campaign.
Prioritizing my responsibilities as a son and brother is where my attention needs to be right now. And so I am ending my campaign today. While this is a difficult decision, this is the right one for me and my family at this time.
I will, of course, continue to fight for the working people of our borough and city every day on the New York City Council and beyond.
I want to thank all of you -- our campaign’s amazing supporters, volunteers, and donors for your faith in me and our shared vision to build a brighter future for Queens.
In May I had the opportunity to attend the Queens District Attorney debate at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center. It was the second event, featuring the candidates running for the Queens District Attorney's office, that I attended. This time I focused more intently how well versed each candidate was on the issues to be addressed by the person winning that position, and what qualifications, experience and vision they might bring to the office.
I have noted my first impressions below, which were gleaned while attending a forum in April, to which all candidates were invited to participate at the Jackson Heights Jewish Center. In the second debate, some of these impressions were altered and some of them were confirmed.
The photo above shows the two leading candidates [based on endorsements] running for the Queens District Attorney office - Melinda Katz and Tiffany Caban. The photo below shows the other two leading candidates running for the Queens District Attorney office - Gregory Lasak and Rory Lancman.
Tiffany Caban has, by far, received donations from more small contributors than any of the candidates. Melinda Katz leads in fundraising, with strong support from the real estate development community for which she spent years [2009 - 2013] working as a lobbyist.
Gregory Lasak and Rory Lancman have also been competitive fundraisers - but neither matching Tiffany Caban's small donor support, nor Melinda Katz's big donor support.
The following video captures about 17 minutes of highlights from the three hour long debate. I decided not to give equal time because many of the statements made were either repetitive or laden with platitudes. Thus former Justice Gregory Lasak and Public Defender Tiffany Caban received the most air time, as they provided real world anecdotes, as well as real world insights into how our criminal justice system functions and how it can be reformed.
Jumaane Williams Wins Public Advocate Election
Williams Bests 16 Other Candidates to Take Second in Succession to Mayor
Jumaane Williams appears to have won the election for Public Advocate. According to Ballotpedia, with 88% of the precincts reporting, Williams had received 120,000 or 33% of the vote.
The sole Republican, Eric Ulrich, received 70,000 votes or 19%, which was the second highest total of votes. The other Democrats included former NYC Council Speaker, Melissa Mark-Viverito, who received 40,000 or 11% of the votes, was followed by Michael Blake with 29,000 or 8%, Ydanis Rodriguez with 22,000 or 6%, Dawn Smalls with 15,000 or 4%, Rafael Espinal 12,000 or 3%, Ron Kim 11,000 or 3%, Daniel O'Donnell 11,000 or 3% and the others each had less than 10,000 votes with 88% of the precincts reporting.
Jumaane Williams is shown in the photo at right in June 2018, campaigning on the steps of the New York Public Library in Midtown Manhattan, for Lieutenant Governor. Williams lost that election in November, but quickly rebounded, winning the position for NYC Public Advocate in February of 2019.
According to a NY Times report Jumaane has eight months before he's up for election again, as this special election - to replace Tish James because she was elected NYS Attorney General - only lasts until the next regularly scheduled election. Congratulations Jumaane.
Weather. The Temperature highs will be in the high 60's on Friday, dropping to the high 50's on Saturday and low 50's by Sunday. The temperature lows will be around 40 on Friday & Saturday, dropping to the low 30's by Sunday. Rain is in the forecast for Friday ONLY, likely gone by 11 am. It will be cloudy later in the day on Saturday only. Winds will be 15 mph on Friday, dropping to between 5 - 10 mph for the rest of the weekend. The Humidity will be around 70 on Friday dropping to about 40% for the rest of the weekend. Click for Queens Weather.
MTA / Public Transit / Click here for the MTA Weekender.
The photo at right shows some folks riding the subway this week who've taken the precaution of wearing surgical masks to prevent getting infected by the Corona Virus - see details below.
Corona Virus - A Brief History of Growing Awareness
The Corona Virus outbreak was first reported by the World Health Organization on December 31, 2019 in Wuhan in China.
By January 30, 2020 the World Health Organization declared the Corona Virus a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
On Saturday, March 7, 2020 Governor Cuomo called a NYS State of Emergency in an effort to get out ahead of what at the time was the Corona Virus epidemic, as there was a rapid spike in the number of reported cases in NYS. At the time NYC had reported about a dozen known cases.
On March 10, 2020 Governor Cuomo ordered a quarantine of a neighborhood in New Rochelle.
On March 11, 2020, Mayor de Blasio followed suit, and declared NYC in a State of Emergency in an effort to get out ahead of what was called a pandemic by the World Health Organization on the same day.
And today, March 13, 2020, last but not least, Donald Trump declared a State of Emergency in the United States in order to accelerate the nation's slow response to the evolving public health crisis.
Corona Virus Precautions - Cleanliness is Next to Godliness
By now you'd have to be blind, deaf and mute not to have heard that you should thoroughly wash your hands and not touch your face without having cleaned your hands.
In a March 11, 2020 report, the Sacramento Bee, which is a well respected news outlet run by McClatchy Newspapers, informed us that the National Institute of Health conducted a study that shows that the Corona Virus can remain alive for up to three days on some surfaces under the right conditions.
As such you should also step up your cleaning practices, specifically with respect to things and places that you touch regularly - like the TV clicker or your mouse and keypad and cell phone and keys.
Corona Virus Transmission by Air
And that same National Institute of Health Study also showed that the virus could remain alive in the air for a few hours. This discharge would have to come from an infected person, most likely with a cough, but I reckon just talking and breathing could do it too.
This is why scientists recommend we keep some distance - some six feet - from one another. Especially people coughing and that is why ill people are advised to remain home until they feel better - so that they don't infect the rest of us. But that said, infected people may take between two and fourteen days to show signs of the illness and thus realize it. The median incubation period for the Corona Virus is five days, 98% of the people who contract it show signs by 12 days, so by 14 days it is believed that those who have contracted the Corona Virus will show it. This is why most places have been shuttered for two weeks at a minimum.*
Some say masks won't necessarily prevent infection, because the masks aren't built to filter out the micro organisms one might inhale and the masks are not tightly fastened to the face. They may be correct, but the masks can't hurt and may reduce what you breathe in. There's a secondary problem with the masks in that some folks have been hoarding them, making it more difficult for health professionals who are working on the front line of this crisis, to obtain them.*
The disease is believed to be highly transmittable, with conflicting reports on whether it is more or less transmittable than the flu. Live Science, states that it's more than two times more transmittable than the flu, while another source says it's not as transmittable as the flu. This discrepancy may be due to the fact that there are two strains.*
The Corona Virus is Potentially Lethal - but Skews Older
At present, it is estimated to have a 2.3% death rate versus something like a 0.1% death rate for the flu. So that means it's over 20 times more lethal than the flu, and at present without any existing cure nor vaccine. Which is why there's so much concern.
But that said, to put this in context, a March 7, 2020 Live Science report informs us that,
" ... So far, the new coronavirus has led to more than 100,000 illnesses and more than 3,000 deaths worldwide. But that's nothing compared with the flu, also called influenza. In the U.S. alone, the flu has caused an estimated 34 million illnesses, 350,000 hospitalizations and 20,000 deaths this season, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ... "
According to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention statistics show that the risk for people varies according to age, as it is believed people who are ill, have pre-existing conditions or compromised immune systems are most likely to die from the disease - see chart at right.
Living Your Life in the Age of the Corona Virus
So, as part of the NYS State of Emergency both the Governor and the Mayor are in agreement that all events of 500 or more people are presently banned. Governor Cuomo also issued an order to close CUNY and SUNY effective March 18, 2020 for the rest of the semester.
The Mayor and Governor have decided to keep the primary and secondary public school system open, but advise anyone who is not feeling well to stay home. While tests reportedly show that children can contract the disease as easily as adults, you can see by the chart above, that children don't die from it at anywhere near the same rate as older people. I know - not dying from a disease - isn't exactly comforting.
But, unlike better resourced private institutions, the students attending public school aren't as able to 'go remote' and conduct classes and homework electronically. Another part of this equation is that these students parents aren't in a position to stay home with them, and many of their parents are critical to the healthcare, educational, law enforcement, fire and emergency response and transportation infrastructure.
I've provided the above information to help folks better understand the complexiities the Governor and Mayor are dealing with in making these decisions. And this doesn't include how badly the small business entities are getting hit, which closing things only makes worse. This affects them paying the rent, paying their employees - all of whom have to make ends meet ... somehow.
Things to Do This Weekend in Queens?
Not much really. Here's a link to the things to do in Queens last weekend, which contains a number of web addresses, should you want to look for yourself, but most institutions are taking the position of exercising an abundance of caution and thus have closed.
Farmers Mkts, Holiday Markets & Member Events Calendar
We work very hard to help keep you informed by providing you with independent news coverage, as well as information about events in the arts, culture and business in the borough.
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March 21, 2023 / Food & Wine in Queens / Queens Buzz NYC.
March 17, 2023 / 
Friday, March 17th, beginning at 11 am, the NYC St Patrick's Day Parade in Manhattan begins on 5th Avenue at 44th Street and marches up to 79th Street. There are generally about 150,000 participants and about two million spectators. Click these links for Irish pub suggestions for each borough. For further details see - https://www.nycstpatricksparade.org/
Next Friday, March 17th at the NY Irish Center at 1040 Jackson near Vernon Blvd in Long Island City there's a St Patricks Day Celebration entitled '40 Shades of Green', from 3 - 9 pm. For $30 tickets and details see - https://www.newyorkirishcenter.org.
On Friday at 7.30 pm, Saturday at 1.30 and 7.30, and Sunday at 3 pm there are performances of Black female author Lorraine Hansberry's epic drama entitled The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window in the Harvey Theatre at the Brooklyn Academy of Music at 651 Fulton Street in Brooklyn. They describe the play as follows, " ... Hansberry invites us into Greenwich Village in the 60s, crafting a razor-sharp portrait of a diverse group of friends whose progressive dreams can’t quite match reality. At the center are Sidney and Iris Brustein, fighting to see if their marriage—with all its crackling wit, passion, and petty cruelty—can survive Sidney’s ideals...". The play runs daily, except Mondays, through March 24th. For $35 & up tickets and details see - https://www.bam.org. Performances end March 24, 2023.
March is Music Month at the Pregones PRTT Theater at 575 Walton Avenue in the Bronx. On Saturday beginning at 7 pm Manuel Valera and his band, which they desribe as, "... New Cuban Express, creates a unique and distinctive style that mixes elements of Jazz, R&B, fusion, funk, and Cuban music... ". And on Sunday, beginning at 3 pm, Chantal Balestri whose performance is described as follows, " ... 
On Friday night, from 7 pm - 12 midnight, The Pride Center at 59 Wright Street on Staten Island is hosting the Spring Bling [kiki] Ball. There will be music and dancing. No admission was noted, but for more info and details see - https://twitter.com/pridecenterSI. They also have a website but this and the following event aren't posted there. https://www.pridecentersi.org
In 2017 I attended a Community Board meeting in Astoria where our urban planners talked about 
One of the biggest obstacles to erecting a rail connection into / out of LaGuardia is the disruption it would cause to existing commutes. Another major factor, particularly for those alternatives which provided the most direct connections into / out of Manhattan, was that a rail connection would have to tunnel below the end of LGA Runway 4-22 that stretches from the southwest section of the airport to the northeast section of the airport which ends in the East River. The reason such a tunnel is required, is because of FAA regulations surrounding construction limitations around an FAA airstrip. I picked up this information in a March 13, 2023 Engineering News Record report as well as in the FAA report noted below.
I took a look at a map of the Astoria neighborhood which lies between Manhattan and LaGuardia. It's an area with which I'm pretty familiar. A few of the air train alternatives included connecting the Astoria Blvd and the Ditmars Blvd N / W train MTA subway stops, as the jumping off point for a rail connection to LaGuardia Airport. This makes the most sense, as both the N and W subway lines are nowhere near capacity use, like the #7 train, so there's likely enough slack to handle a significant boost in ridership, if those lines were to be used to enable a public transit rail connection to LaGuardia Airport.
In 2022 there were 29 million passengers [79,000 per day] who traveled through LaGuardia. And from what I could gather from some of the Air Train Analysis reports by the Port Authority PANYNJ, it appears that an estimated 10% of passengers [3 million or 8,200 riders per day] currently use public transit.
Given the FAA restrictions on construction projects near airport runways as pointed out to us by Engineering News Record report of 3/13/23 referenced above, I suggest the PANYNJ build a connecting light rail from the N/ W lines in Astoria to the edge of the airport, ending in the southwest corner of the airport, at the end of the 4-22 runway at 19th Avenue and 81st Street [see map above right]. For the residents of this area, the advantage of this rail link would be better public transit, which in turn would likely raise property values, and make for a very easy any commute into the airport for workers.
So here's the American ingenuity piece. Set up the N / W trains that go to LaGuardia to have a few rail cars that can be unfastened from the end of that subway train, and can then be driven around the airport stopping at each of the terminals, before returning to the line and being refastened onto the next outgoing subway train. Or, in a manner similar to what they do with container shipping, have some cars that can be rolled off the subway train line and then pulled around the airport terminals on a conveyor, before circling back to be refastened to the next outgoing subway train.
What I visualize are subway cars at the end of the train, which can be disconnected and go vehicular around the airport. Or better yet, subway cars that can be motored a few blocks to a separate automated rail or street car-like system that takes the disconnected subway cars around the airport to all of the terminals, before returning to the starting point where they would be shuttled back to be reconnected to the next city bound MTA subway train.
I recognize that this option isn't currently offered by Kawasaki, Bombardier or Siemens, who represent about two thirds of the subway car industry. But this isn't rocket science, and there is plenty of pre-existing technology, like parts etc. to make this happen in about as much time [2 - 3 years] as it would take to complete the elevated rail line from either the Ditmars Blvd or Astoria Blvd subway station. NYS has a large Kawasaki subway car plant in Yonkers that might be up to the job.
Fresh, Fly and Fabulous is on exhibit at the Fashion Institute of Management at 227 West 27th Street in Chelsea from February 8th to April 23rd. The exhibit is dedicated to Hip Hop not just as music and fashion, but as a lifestyle and cultural statement. Hip Hop celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Wednesday - Friday from noon to 8 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10 am - 5 pm. There's an all day symposium on Friday, February 24th. For details see - https://www.fitnyc.edu/
March 3, 2023 / 
Fresh, Fly and Fabulous is on exhibit at the Fashion Institute of Management at 227 West 27th Street in Chelsea from February 8th to April 23rd. The exhibit is dedicated to Hip Hop not just as music and fashion, but as a lifestyle and cultural statement. Hip Hop celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Wednesday - Friday from noon to 8 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10 am - 5 pm. There's an all day symposium on Friday, February 24th. For details see - https://www.fitnyc.edu/
On Friday beginning at 6.30 pm Brooklyn Poets at 144 Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights is hosting a number of open mic readings. If you want to speak you have to rsvp a spot in advance. Featured speakers include Morgan Boyle and Joshua Garcia. For details and $7 tickets see - https://brooklynpoets.org/
February 28, 2023 / 
Sunday, March 5, 2023. The St. Pat's for All Parade in Sunnyside begins with speeches and music at 12 noon, and then kicks off from Skillman Avenue and 43rd Street in Sunnyside, Queens ending 15 blocks further east at 58th Street in Woodside. The St Pats for All Parade was founded in 2000 in response to the Manhattan St Pats Parade boycott of LGBTQ folks marching as openly gay. The Manhattan St Pats Parade has since dropped that policy and permits openly gay members of the community to march in the parade.
February 24, 2023 / 
February 17, 2023 / 
Jamaica JAMS. Jamaica JAMS is one of the largest events in Queens generally the first weekend of August. The event spans a couple of days and includes a concert on Friday evening in King Park, followed by a food and shopping festival the next day. The 
February 11, 2023 / 
February 7, 2023 / 
February 3, 2023 / 
January 27, 2023 / 
January 20, 2023 / 
On Sunday from 11 am - 3.30 pm there's a Chinese Lunar New Year Firecracker celebration in Sara Roosevelt Park at Chrystie and Forsyth on the Lower East Side in East Chinatown.
The Chinese Lunar New Year in celebration of the year of the rabbit begins Sunday, January 22, 2022 and runs through February 9th, 2023. There will be celebrations throughout NYC and we'll update you beginning this weekend and beyond. Details coming.
On Saturday January 21, 2023 from 10 am - 1 pm there's a family friend workshop where you can create a fan for lunar new year at Wave Hill at 4900 Independence Avenue in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx. It's Free w/ admission to the grounds. For details see www.wavehill.org or https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/wave-hill/events/2023/01/21/family-art-project-fan-for-lunar-new-year1
* Since March of 2020, we've been in a bit of a pandemic spin. The 2020 pandemic essentially halted most hospitality businesses and softened demand for some services, but drove high demand for both durable and non-durable goods. This is on the demand side. Meanwhile on the supply side, businesses were closing down, or working at far less than capacity, because of the health impact of the pandemic. For example in China, they didn't just appear to shutter businesses, but almost entire cities, to curb the spread of CoVid. China is where much of our electronics are made so this impacted the availability / supply of electronics at a time when Americans were spending more on them, because they weren't traveling, vacationing or even eating out much, so they had extra cash to spend on items, most notably electronics.
And the expansive monetary policy, which was executed by taking the federal funds interest rate to nearly zero in March of 2020, and by pushing $4 trillion cash into the economy via purchases of bonds, wasn't reined in for years, and that withdrawal finally began in 2022. We'll discuss this more further down in this report.
* In 2021 things began to normalize as vaccinations rolled out and we began to gain a better understanding of how to mitigate the health impact of the CoVid pandemic. But the year wasn't a straight line out of the pandemic, as the new variants continued to wreak havoc with our collective assessment of how risky it would be to return to normal.
Putin's military intervention / disruption, of course added risk to the global economy. Especially in two key segments of the economy which includes food and energy. Russia supplies about 12% of the world's oil, and along with Ukraine accounts for about a third of the world's wheat and barley. Hence Putin's war added significant inflationary pressure to both energy and food.
To summarize what I laid out above, there were swings in demand fueled by lifestyle changes caused by the pandemic, including generous fiscal spending by the U.S. government. And there were significant supply side swings in capacity, which were driven by worker availability arising from health concerns.
What's next is a look at a multitude of economic statistics with some nominal interpretation of what I expect to happen, all things being equal [meaning no further major disruptions], in 2023.
Businesses and Households balance sheets also improved, in part because of stimulus funds and in part because spending was held back on services, like travel and hospitality, during the pandemic. Spending came roaring back in 2021, as the pandemic began to fade, but in 2022 it has subsided considerably. Most recently, retail sales were down about 1% in December of 2022, so the economy is definitely cooling.
So far the strong job market, with rising compensation, and up until 2022, a rising stock and housing market, added to Americans' confidence and contributed to robust spending in 2021 [see chart at right].
If I were Jerome Powell, I would increase the Fed Funds rate a .25% at the next FOMC [Federal Open Market Committee] meeting at the end of January and signal that I might be done. And the only reason I would raise if .25% is because the market expects that and I wouldn't want to spook them, not because the economy needs further braking.
China has rolled back its restrictive CoVid policies. This will increase the supply of semiconductors, which should reduce price pressures in categories such as vehicles and electronics, which account for about 3% of the 8% of inflation we experienced in 2022 [light and dark blues of the chart below right].
And food, also experienced inflation due not just to the war in the Ukraine, but also climate change weather disruptions of drought and damaging storms. In the chart below right that's denoted in green and represents about 1% of the inflation last year.
Disinfo
January 13, 2023 / 
This weekend the City Parks Day Department is hosting a Day of Service. See details for times and locations at www.nycparks.gov.
January 5, 2023 / 
January 5, 2023 / 
On Friday there's a Three Kings Day Parade and celebration from 11 am - 2 pm at the Museo del Barrio at 1230 5th Avenue [at 104th / 105th Street] on the UES. They are also hosting a post holiday sale at their gift shop with 15% off most items. For details see - https://www.elmuseo.org/
The Third Avenue holiday market at 2817 3rd Avenue between 148th and 149th Streets is open for its final day on Friday, January 6th from 11 am - 7 pm.
January 1, 2023 / 
December 23, 2022 / 
The Lightscape Show at the Brooklyn Museum continues through the holidays.
NYC Weather. There's going to be some semi-serious precipitation [at present 2 plus inches] beginning Thursday afternoon around 4 pm, continuing until Friday about 4 pm. The temperatures are expected to rise to well above freezing, so it's almost certain to be rain in the city. As for the rest of the week, no rain Monday through Wednesday, and none is expected Saturday and Sunday, as folks head home for the holidays.
As you likely heard, we are in the midst of experiencing a 'tripledemic'. The triple refers to CoVid, flu and RSV. RSV is short for respiratory syncytial virus, which is a virus that causes symptoms like those associated with a cold, but which can cause serious negative health issues for infants and the elderly. As usual, the TV news teleprompter readers and their writers appear to report whatever they're told, without actually thinking about the information they're conveying. And since they're in the business of attracting viewers' and readers' attention, they seem to have a tendency to sensationalize almost everything they report, including the weather.
Understanding what's happening with the flu this season in NYS, also doesn't seem to be intelligently reported, as the TV news teleprompter readers and their script writers all seem to parrot one another with some alarming statistics. Alarming the public is good for ratings, so I reckon the broadcasters are doing what their bosses want them to do, but like the Boy Who Called Wolf, they're doing a disservice to the public and in the long term eventually a disservice to themselves, as the public is going to ignore them when another real health emergency arises.
What happened since CoVid began in earnest in early 2020, is that people started masking up, social distancing and self-isolating. All of these precautions not only mitigate the transmission of CoVid - but also the flu. In part this is why the 2020 - 2021 flu numbers were close to nothing, and the 2021 - 2022 numbers were also very much subdued. Now, as we are in the beginning of the 2022 - 2023 flu season, the flu appears to be picking up where it left off in early 2020, before CoVid hit.
On the NYC.gov Health website I noticed that the number of Emergency Department visits for Influenza Like Illnesses, which they shorthand to ILL, have risen dramatically from 2021 to 2022, as have admissions - BUT the Emergency Department Admissions vis a vis the visits as a percentage has dropped to about half in 2022, versus what they were in 2021. That said, the overall number of people admitted for flu increased fairly substantially. See charts.
On April, 27, 2020 USA Today published the results of an investigation into whether hospitals were paid more for CoVid patients on a ventillator than for flu patients on a ventillator. The higher payments for CoVid patients was true, but the study didn't find any 'gaming the system' on the part of hospitals. What's meant by this is that USA Today didn't find any falsification of data by hospitals in order to obtain the higher CoVid payment for the use of their ventillator. As you can see from the chart provided by KFF, which is a non-profit focused on providing healthcare information, about $31 billion in federal government spending was targeted at providing relief to healthcare providers treating patients with CoVid.
New Cases / Hospitalizations / Deaths. In NYC we've been seeing about 300 new cases per day and on average there are about 4,000 people in NYC who have contracted and are living with CoVid. Also in NYC, as of today, about 130 patients are in the hospital with CoVid, and about a dozen folks died of it within the past day. About 14% of those tested at NYC clinics and hospitals tested positive for CoVid, but these numbers don't include the at home tests, so I don't know how meaningful a statistic the % testing positive is anymore.
Ethnicity. Murdoch's Fox News / America's Disinformation Network Seems to be Dumbing Down White New Yorkers. Given George Washington, nearly 250 years ago, mandated that his troops be vaccinated, one would think that people today would recognize the value of protecting one's health via vaccinations. On many news programs, and for many measured categories, pundits use Whites as a sort of established national standard, when evaluating the progress being made by people in other demographic groups. Historically Whites have come out on top, because they've been members of the governing class, and the ethnic majority since this nation's founding.
Murdoch media outlets have the predominant share of media in NYC, as Murdoch controls the Fox TV network, Fox 5, WNYW Channel 9, the Wall St Journal and the NY Post. Many of these Murdoch's outlets have done their audiences a disservice by not properly informing them vis a vis vaccines and vaccinations, in spite of the CoVid policies the company has implemented for itself [so Mr. Murdoch wants us to listen to his pundits as they say one thing & pay no attention to what Mr. Murdoch & Cos do, which is quite another thing].
1. Stay up to date on your CoVid vaccinations. As time goes on and this abates, perhaps we can back off this regimen and like flu, it will be something we'll vaccinate against as we age.
December 16, 2022 / 
* On Sunday at 3.30 pm the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center hosts a performance of the Nutcracker ballet in LIC. Tickets are $21 at https://www.lpac.nyc.
So, when I heard that the strike was actually happening on Thursday late afternoon, I dropped everything and headed down to the New York Times office building in Midtown Manhattan. I had a hunch that the strikers would be disbanding - if not gone - by the time the TV news ended at 7 pm. 
The union, which won't negotiate with management in person, incited the strike to prod management into moving forward with the contract renewal negotiations on a contract that expired in March of 2021. The negotiations included the fate of the pension vis a vis a 401K, medical benefits - specifically fertility insurance coverage, flex time for working in / out of the office, and of course pay. 
December 10, 2022 / 
On Saturday, from 11.30 am - 3.30 pm in Astoria, along Steinway Street between 31st and 38th Streets, Mr. & Mrs. Santa Claus will be giving out gifts while supplies last and there will holiday entertainment and displays.
December 2, 2022 / 
November 25, 2022 / 
November 18, 2022 / 
Manhattan
November 11, 2022 / 
November 4, 2022 / 
* Sunday, November 6, 2022 at 2 am - Daylight Savings Time. This may be the last year where we will 'fall back' by moving our clocks back one hour starting at 2 am Sunday or before going to bed Saturday night.
October 28, 2022 / 
October 26, 2022 / Local Government & Politics / National Government & Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
October 17, 2022 / 
September 23, 2022 / 
On Saturday, the Global Citizen Concert returns to the Great Lawn in Central Park which lies between 5th Avenue and Central Park West and between 72nd Street and 86th Street. The gates open at 2 pm and the concert begins at 4 pm. You must bring printed tickets as mobile tickets are not being accepted. Admission $250 - $299 via www.ticketmaster.com. For further details on the concert see https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/festival/nyc/2022/
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the low 80's on Tuesday & Wednesday, dropping to the low 70's on Thursday and the mid 60's on Friday., The temperature lows will rise from the mid 60's on Monday & Tuesday to the low 70's on Wednesday, and then fall into the mid to low 50's on Thursday and Friday. The winds will be 10 - 15 mph all week. The humidity will be 55% - 65% all week, except on Friday when it falls to 45% - 55%. There's a small chance of a small amount of rain in Thursday, with the probability gone by mid afternoon.
September 13, 2022 / 
On Wednesday, September 7th the Catholic schools in NYC reopen for the new school year.
August 12, 2022 / 
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August 9, 2022 / 
July 29, 2022 / 
May 17, 2022 / 
January 18, 2022 / 
The outlier in the year end crime stats, which were up slightly from 2020, was that thefts were down almost 19%. This may have something to do with the fact that fewer people are out and about, so thieves have fewer to prey upon and the victims have fewer distractions and events where thefts may occur.
January 3, 2022 / 
September 13, 2021 / 
Mayor de Blasio announced that not only teachers, but also school staff in the NYC Public School system, will be required to have at least one vaccine dose by September 27th.
August 9, 2021 / 
I found a chart that I found of great interest in an August 5, 2021 story in the Gothamist, which was acquired by NPR in 2018. The chart shows how the original CoVid is almost non-existent in the U.S. today, while the Delta variant has risen to represent over 90% of all new cases.
September 21, 2021 / 
August 31, 2021 / 
So we're going to take a look at a number of the NYC crime statistics, and then follow up with an analytical look at some of the issues driving gun related violence, before closing with a look at the distorted, deceitful and destructive coverage provided by Murdoch's Fox News & Propaganda.
The graphic at right shows what is called the 'Iron Pipeline' which is Interestate 95 which runs from New York to Florida. This interestate highway is used to transport guns / weapons across state lines from mostly red Republican controlled states with lax gun control laws to blue states that have passed stronger gun control laws.
March 22, 2021 /
February 26, 2021 / 
Somehow amidst the din of Murdoch mass media hyped criticism, the real headline was buried.
In the reporting over the past month or so I DID NOT SEE EVEN ONE REFERENCE TO THE RUSSIAN WITHDRAWAL from Afghanistan in the 1980’s. NOT ONE! Why does that matter?
Australian born billionaire, Rupert Murdoch - as is too often the case - led the rest of the mindless mass media, like the Pied Piper. On August 15, 2021, the Wall St. Journal published an OpEd by the ‘Editorial Board’. The ‘Editorial Board’ appears to be the pen name of billionaire Rupert Murdoch who owns and controls the paper. The ‘Editorial Board’ said published the narrative that Biden was incompetent and had messed things up, with scant reference to history or a holistic presentation of the facts.
May 17, 2021 /
August 3, 2021 / 
On Wednesday, January 6, 2021, Rudy Giuliani joined Donald Trump and Donny junior at a Trump rally in Washington, D.C. near the White House. The Donald had promoted this gathering as something 'wild' and related to his seemingly phony stop the steal / election fraud fundraising claims. At the rally Trump told his supporters, numbering about 5,000 [per the park permit] to march down to the Capitol and that he'd be there with them.
September 4, 2020 / 
So today, we're going to look at just a few of Murdoch's media manipulations made in just the past couple of months - and I'm nearly certain that this is just the tip of the iceberg. Unfortunately, I don't have the resource to fact check what is the largest misleading news content producing organization in the nation, and possibly the free world.
February 26, 2019 / 
