Rendering of proposed Caesars Place Times Square courtesy of SL Green Realty Corp

A bid to open a casino in Times Square just gained some star power. Rapper and entertainment mogul Jay-Z and his agency Roc Nation will join SL Green and Caesars Entertainment in their efforts to open a casino at 1515 Broadway, the team announced on Monday. The full-service talent agency, which represents major clients across music, entertainment, and sports, will partner with neighborhood organizations to “reimagine programming” in Times Square.

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 Photo by Ludovic Bertron on Flickr

Though there may be bigger battles, New York City’s war against rats is an arduous and ongoing affair. Mayor Eric Adams has positioned himself as a sworn enemy of the scurrying horde: During his time as Brooklyn Borough President, Adams expressed his distaste for the resilient rodents. Now, as mayor, Adams is seeking a fearless lieutenant to lead the extermination effort, Gothamist reports. According to a new job listing published by the city for Director of Rodent Mitigation, the individual sought for this position–”rat czar,” says a City Hall spokesperson–will have a “Swashbuckling attitude, crafty humor, and general aura of badassery” and a “virulent vehemence for vermin.” In return, they can expect a salary of up to $170,000.

Rat eradication strategy ahead

Photo courtesy of Alison Day for New York Hotels Magazine on Flickr

The Brooklyn Museum this week launched a new digital guide on the Bloomberg Connects app that allows art lovers to learn more about the museum’s expansive collection that spans 5,500 years of human creativity. Aimed at enhancing in-person and virtual visits, the museum’s guide includes audio tours led by curators and creators that focus on artwork found across its five floors.

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Photo © 6sqft

The New York Public Library last week released its annual list of the best books of the year. The recommendations were selected by expert librarians and staff who reviewed nearly 3,000 books and ultimately selected 260 of the best titles for kids, teens, and adults in 2022. Whether you want to buy a book as a gift for the holidays or are just interested in reading one yourself, NYPL’s Best Books of 2022 list has something for every type of reader.

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Photos courtesy of the City of New York

The city is selling gifts given to past mayors, from a basketball signed by the New York Knicks and given to Mayor Rudolph Giuliani to a paperweight gifted to Mayor David Dinkins by Diana Ross. This week, the Department of Citywide Administrative Services launched “Gifts to the City,” a series of online auctions of items and keepsakes given to Mayors Koch, Dinkins, Giuliani, and Bloomberg. The auctions kick off Monday with over 50 items and will continue on a rolling basis.

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Photo by Taton Moïse on Unsplash

The cost of an average metered New York City taxi ride will increase by nearly 23 percent by the end of the year. The city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) voted this week to approve fare hikes for yellow cabs, the first increase in roughly a decade. The average passenger metered fare will increase from $15.97 to $19.62 per ride, which will lead to drivers seeing a 33 percent jump in gross revenue, according to the TLC.

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All photos courtesy of Diane Bondareff/AP Images for Tishman Speyer

The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree has arrived in Midtown, marking the start of the holiday season in New York City. Donated by a family in Glens Falls, New York, the 82-foot-tall Norway Spruce tree is 50 feet wide and weighs around 14 tons. After its arrival at Rockefeller Center this weekend, the hefty tree was hoisted into position by a crane and set in place, where it will stand throughout the holiday season. The annual tree lighting ceremony will take place on Wednesday, November 30.

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‘Tis the Season by Katie Woodward, Image courtesy of Citymeals on Wheels

Citymeals on Wheels’ annual holiday card program is returning for the 30th year this holiday season to raise funds for the preparation and delivery of meals to elderly, homebound New Yorkers. The cards feature designs from previous seasons and new original designs of iconic New York City holiday scenes, from a snow day on the Bow Bridge in Central Park to a newly chopped-down Christmas tree atop a taxi.

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Image via WikiCommons

Brooklyn residents should expect to see a lot more greenery over the next couple of years. Council Member Lincoln Restler on Wednesday announced a plan to plant 3,400 trees in vacant street tree pits across District 33 in an effort to max out the district’s street tree capacity. The city’s Parks Department has committed to planting 2,200 trees over the next four years, with Restler’s office calling upon the community to help fund the planting of an additional 1,200 trees.

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