Photo looking south on open West End Avenue, taken by 6sqft on 5.16.20

In his press conference this morning, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the city is adding 13 more miles of open streets, bringing the total across the boroughs to 45 miles and exceeding his goal of opening 40 miles by the end of May. After stating that this is the largest amount of protected streets in the nation, he assured New Yorkers that “it won’t stop there.” When the mayor first announced the program, he committed to opening 100 miles of streets throughout the pandemic. The latest batch will open tomorrow and includes tons of park-adjacent streets across Queens and the first open streets in Greenwich Village and Red Hook.

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Photo (cropped) by Arturo Pardavila III via Flickr cc

At sunset on Thursday, May 21, the Empire State Building, Central Park Arsenal, Washington Square Park Arch, Coney Island’s Parachute Jump, and the Bronx’s Ranaqua Park will “go green” to honor parks workers, who have been part of the city’s essential workforce during the current COVID crisis. #GoingGreenForParkies “is the ultimate acknowledgment and thank you for all their hard work,” which has kept public parks well-maintained “in support of the mental and physical health of all visitors,” according to a press release.

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Outdoor seating in the West Village, photo by cultivar413 via Flickr cc

There’s still a way to go before restaurants in New York City can fully reopen (they’ll be in phase three of the plan), but the struggling industry is hoping that the city will help in the form of outdoor seating. As Eater first reported last month, restaurant owners are advocating for the Mayor to extend his current open streets from pedestrians to al fresco dining to allow for more social distancing. And now, local elected officials are joining the call, hoping that sidewalks, streets, and parking spots can be used for outdoor service starting this weekend. The call comes after crowds were spotted gathering on sidewalks and drinking since the city has allowed bars and restaurants to sell to-go drinks.

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Photo by Amanda Dombrowski on Instagram: @amanda.dombrowski

After continued overcrowding despite the city’s social distancing mandates, Domino Park has taken a unique approach to control crowds. Over the weekend, the Williamsburg waterfront park implemented painted white circles to delineate the appropriate spacing for persons or groups. As Greenpointers first noticed, photos on social media seem to show people sticking within their circles and even waiting nearby for circles to open up.

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Photo courtesy of NYC DOT/Flickr

This brings the total to nearly 21 miles since Mayor de Blasio first announced that he’d be opening up 40 miles of streets to pedestrians by the end of the month, with an ultimate goal of 100 miles throughout the current COVID crisis. In his press conference this morning, the mayor announced the third round of open streets totaling 11.7 miles would be opening tomorrow, along with 9.2 miles of protected bike lanes by the end of May. Some of the new open streets include those in Hudson Yards, the first on the Upper West Side and in Long Island City, and those adjacent to seven more parks in Brooklyn.

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Photo by Sudan Ouyang on Unsplash

In early April, the Broadway League continued the suspension of all performances at New York City’s 41 Broadway theaters through June 7. At the time, however, many industry insiders said they expected the Great White Way to actually remain dark through Labor Day. And as of today, that’s become a reality. The League provided an update on their website that they’ll be issuing refunds for tickets for performances through September 6, 2020. However, as the Times notes, this date refers specifically to refunds and exchanges; the update specifies that “a date to resume performances is yet to be determined.”

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Artwork titled “Now & Forever” by Tristan Eaton created exclusively for Montefiore and Alto New York’s 2020 “Heroes” campaign

Los Angeles-based painter and designer Tristan Eaton is well known for his street murals, which he’s brought to NYC through a collaboration with Montefiore Hospitals. The towering artwork, which sought to capture the heroism of our healthcare workers, is located on 34th Street and 8th Avenue and is part of a larger appreciation campaign for National Nurses Week sponsored by Montefiore and its creative company of record, Alto NY. They wanted to create a “digital” ticker-tape parade and “extend the Canyon of Heroes to the doors of every hospital in New York.” Using Eaton’s mural as a template, New Yorkers can create their own hero image by uploading a photo on the website or through Instagram. In addition, Montefiore has created a moving video thanking all the brave nurses.

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Photo by Maksim Axelrod

Sure, it’s going to be hard on everyone to be apart this Sunday, but think about all of our healthcare heroes who will be working on the frontlines this Mother’s Day. To show their gratitude, local houseplant haven The Sill and its orchid partner Just Add Ice are donating 10,000 orchids to frontline healthcare workers at Mount Sinai’s seven NYC hospitals. They delivered the first 5,000 yesterday and will be distributing the rest today.

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Photo by Alex Lozupone on Wiki Commons

A fixture on the corner of St. Marks Place and Second Avenue in the East Village for 100 years, Gem Spa has permanently closed. The store, considered home to New York’s best egg cream, had been struggling financially due to the gentrification of the neighborhood, as well as the loss of its cigarette and lottery licenses last year. While a fundraising effort launched last fall by current owner Parul Patel helped temporarily, the coronavirus pandemic “ultimately sealed the fate” of the institution.

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