City Living

Andrea Bocelli, The Killers, Wyclef Jean & a dozen more stars to perform at Central Park concert

Global Citizen Festival in Central Park on September 23, 2017.Photo by Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

July 27, 2021

Andrea Bocelli, The Killers, Wyclef Jean & a dozen more stars to perform at Central Park concert

By Devin Gannon

More than a dozen iconic musicians will take the stage in Central Park next month as part of a mega-concert celebrating the city's recovery from the coronavirus. Announced on Tuesday, the lineup for the concert, dubbed "WE LOVE NYC: The Homecoming Concert," includes major stars like Andrea Bocelli, Wyclef Jean, Barry Manilow, Earth, Wind & Fire, Jennifer Hudson, The Killers, LL COOL J, Carlos Santana, Paul Simon, Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen, Rob Thomas, and more.
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NYC will implement vaccine mandate for all city workers by September 13

Photo by Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

July 26, 2021

NYC will implement vaccine mandate for all city workers by September 13

By Dana Schulz

Last week, Mayor de Blasio implemented a new city policy that will require city health workers to either show proof of vaccination or participate in weekly Covid testing. Today, he announced that the protocol, called the Covid Safety Mandate, will apply to the entire city workforce, including teachers and members of the NYPD and FDNY, by September 13. In addition, any city employee who does not get vaccinated will be required to wear a mask indoors. Though 71 percent of NYC residents have received at least one vaccine dose, the number is lower among some city agencies, and concerns about the Delta variant and a potential third wave are looming.
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NYC will host 5 free concerts as part of ‘Homecoming Week’

Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks at the Global Citizen Festival in Central Park on September 23, 2017. Photo credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

July 22, 2021

NYC will host 5 free concerts as part of ‘Homecoming Week’

By Devin Gannon

New York City will host five huge free concerts in every borough next month to mark the city's recovery from the pandemic. Earlier this summer, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced plans for a "mega-concert" on Central Park's Great Lawn in August and later revealed the show's three major headliners: Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, and Jennifer Hudson. On Thursday, the mayor said there will be four additional free concerts, one in each borough, as part of a weeklong celebration dubbed "Homecoming Week."
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New York City pol calls for renewal of indoor mask mandate as cases climb

Photo by Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit on Flickr

July 19, 2021

New York City pol calls for renewal of indoor mask mandate as cases climb

By Devin Gannon

As New York City sees an uptick in coronavirus cases for the first time in months, an elected official is calling for the renewal of an indoor mask mandate. Council Member Mark Levine, who also chairs the Council's Committee on Health, plans on asking the state Health Department to reinstate the face-covering rule, even for those fully vaccinated, as the New York Post first reported.
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New York City’s marriage bureau will reopen for in-person weddings

Photo by Emma Bauso from Pexels

July 15, 2021

New York City’s marriage bureau will reopen for in-person weddings

By Devin Gannon

Save the date! New York City's marriage bureau will reopen next week for in-person appointments, nearly 16 months after the department closed because of the coronavirus pandemic. The city's five marriage bureaus had been closed since 2020, although the city did permit virtual license appointments and ceremonies. The marriage bureau will reopen on July 19 with the first marriage licenses given out starting July 23, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced during a press briefing on Thursday.
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Image via NYC & Company

July 12, 2021

NYC Restaurant Week returns with indoor dining, 530 restaurants, and five weeks of specials

By Dana Schulz

Since 1992, New York City Restaurant Week has given New Yorkers the chance to dine at their dream restaurants with discounted, pre-fixe menus. The event usually happens once in the summer and once in the winter, but in 2020, it only returned in January, reborn as NYC Restaurant Week To Go, which offered the deal for takeout, delivery, or outdoor dining only. Now it's back for indoor dining, too, and is extending the fun for five weeks, with nearly 530 restaurants participating. From July 19 through August 22, enjoy $21 or $39 lunches or dinners, as well as $125 signature meals at select restaurants.
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Magnolia Bakery is giving out free banana pudding across NYC this weekend

Photo courtesy of Magnolia Bakery

July 9, 2021

Magnolia Bakery is giving out free banana pudding across NYC this weekend

By Devin Gannon

Not only can you enjoy Magnolia Bakery's internationally renowned banana pudding for free this month, but you also don't have to travel very far to eat it. To celebrate its 25th birthday, the iconic Manhattan shop is taking to the streets with its "banana pudding-mobile" and handing out the sweet treat for free in several locations across New York City over two weekends in July.
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Everything you need to know about using a guarantor in NYC

Photo by Cytonn Photography on Unsplash

July 8, 2021

Everything you need to know about using a guarantor in NYC

By Devin Gannon

After finally finding that perfect New York City apartment, it's time to prove you can actually pay for it. Many NYC newbies and even natives can't meet landlords' strict criteria, like having a high credit score or a salary that equals 40 to 45 times the monthly rent, for example. This is where guarantors come in. A guarantor is a co-signer who guarantees payment on the lease if it otherwise can't be made. But this is an entirely additional process, from finding someone who fits the bill to gathering all of the necessary paperwork. Ahead, find out everything you need to know about using a guarantor, as well as some tricks of the trade.
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You can now book a visit to Governors Island’s lavish new Italian spa

Photo by Riccardo Piazza

July 8, 2021

You can now book a visit to Governors Island’s lavish new Italian spa

By Devin Gannon

Photo by Riccardo Piazza Get ready to relax. Ticket sales officially launched on Thursday for QC NY, a lavish European day spa on Governors Island. The spa will feature outdoor thermal pools with views of Manhattan, steam rooms and saunas, and a wellness-focused cafe. Tickets will be sold for dates starting September 1, with limited preview tickets available in August.
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City Living

Summer Streets is back this August with seven miles of car-free NYC blocks

Summer Streets 2019; Photo courtesy of New York City Department of Transportation on Flickr

July 7, 2021

Summer Streets is back this August with seven miles of car-free NYC blocks

By Devin Gannon

New York City's original "Open Streets" return this August. The Department of Transportation announced "Summer Streets," the annual initiative that transforms seven miles of Manhattan streets into a car-free oasis, will take place on August 7 and August 14. While the city's popular Open Streets program was established last year in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Summer Streets is now in its 13th year.
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Everything you need to know about NYC’s ticker-tape parade to honor Covid heroes

By Dana Schulz

Update 7.7.21: Due to the extreme heat, the post-parade ceremony at City Hall Plaza has been cancelled. In April 2020, when New York City was truly the world epicenter for the coronavirus, Mayor de Blasio said that the city would hold a ticker-tape parade down the Canyon of Heroes for health care workers, first responders, and essential workers as soon as things reopened. Fast forward 15 months, and the Hometown Heroes Parade will take place this Wednesday, July 7. Queens nurse Sandra Lindsay, who in December received the first vaccine dose in NYC, will serve as the parade's Grand Marshal, while Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts will host the ceremony.
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Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, & Jennifer Hudson to headline Central Park ‘mega-concert’ this summer

Global Citizen Festival in Central Park on September 23, 2017.Photo by Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

July 1, 2021

Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, & Jennifer Hudson to headline Central Park ‘mega-concert’ this summer

By Devin Gannon

Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, and Jennifer Hudson will headline the massive concert happening this August in Central Park, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Thursday. Last month, the mayor said he asked music producer and Brooklyn native Clive Davis to put together the concert, marketed as a celebration of New York's comeback following the pandemic. The full lineup of performers will be announced in the coming weeks, but de Blasio said the event will be "one of the greatest Central Park concerts in history."
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Huge new LEGO flagship opens at Rockefeller Center

All photos of the LEGO Store, 5th Avenue by Cindy Ord/Getty Images unless otherwise noted

June 29, 2021

Huge new LEGO flagship opens at Rockefeller Center

By Devin Gannon

A LEGO flagship store opened in Midtown this week with new hands-on experiences and New York City-inspired builds. Located at 630 Fifth Avenue within the Rockefeller Center complex, the store measures more than 7,100 square feet across two levels. The new shop celebrates the Big Apple with a classic yellow taxi cab, skyscrapers like the Empire State Building, and the lights and billboards of Times Square and Broadway theaters, all made of LEGO bricks.
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City Living

New York to install ‘Circle of Heroes’ monument in Battery Park City to honor essential workers

All renderings courtesy of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office

June 23, 2021

New York to install ‘Circle of Heroes’ monument in Battery Park City to honor essential workers

By Devin Gannon

A monument honoring the essential workers who served New Yorkers throughout the coronavirus pandemic will open in Battery Park City by Labor Day, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Wednesday. The "Circle of Heroes" memorial will include a circle of 19 maple trees, representing the individual groups of essential workers and their contributions. In the center, an eternal flame will honor those lost to COVID, according to the governor.
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City Living

2021 U.S. Open will welcome back fans at 100% capacity

Photo via Wikimedia

June 18, 2021

2021 U.S. Open will welcome back fans at 100% capacity

By Devin Gannon

The U.S. Open this year will allow spectators at 100 percent capacity throughout the two-week tournament in Queens, a year after fans could not attend the event because of the pandemic. The U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) announced on Thursday that tickets for the general public will go on sale starting July 15, with an early access presale for select American Express card members.
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16 NYC parks renamed in honor of Black Americans

Credit: NYC Parks /Malcolm Pinckney

June 17, 2021

16 NYC parks renamed in honor of Black Americans

By Devin Gannon

New York City this week renamed more than a dozen park spaces in honor of notable Black Americans. In every borough, select green spaces now bear the names of Civil Rights leaders, novelists, educators, LGBTQ+ leaders, and more. Last summer, the city's Parks Department pledged solidarity with the Black community and announced plans to rename parks across the city to honor Black Americans who have local or national recognition. Since then, 28 park sites have been given a new name.
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City Living

100 books with transgender, nonbinary, & gender nonconforming voices to read this Pride Month

Courtesy of the New York Public Library

June 17, 2021

100 books with transgender, nonbinary, & gender nonconforming voices to read this Pride Month

By Devin Gannon

The New York Public Library this month has released a new list of reading recommendations to commemorate Pride. Curated by expert librarians across the system, the book list includes 100 titles for adults, children, and teens that highlight transgender, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming voices. The new recommendations join the NYPL's previous recommended LGBTQ reads, which vary in genre, from memoirs to manga.
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City Living

New York hits 70% vaccination rate, Cuomo lifts all Covid restrictions

Photo by Florian Wehde on Unsplash

June 15, 2021

New York hits 70% vaccination rate, Cuomo lifts all Covid restrictions

By Dana Schulz

Last week, Governor Cuomo announced that when New York hit a 70-percent vaccination rate among those 18+, he would lift reopening guidance across commercial and social settings. And as of today, the state has hit that milestone. In a celebratory press conference from the World Trade Center, the governor said, "We can now return to life as we know it." To mark the occasion, there will be 10 fireworks displays across the state tonight, including one in New York Harbor.
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France is sending Lady Liberty’s ‘little sister’ to NYC for July 4

Photo courtesy of CMA CGM Group

June 14, 2021

France is sending Lady Liberty’s ‘little sister’ to NYC for July 4

By Devin Gannon

France is sending a mini version of the Statue of Liberty to the United States this month, 136 years after the iconic sculpture was unveiled on Liberty Island. The Embassy of France in the U.S., the Conservatoire national des arts et métiers, and shipping company CMA CGM Group announced last week that a replica of Lady Liberty will set sail from Paris on a nine-day journey across the Atlantic, arriving in New York City in time for the Fourth of July.
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From tow pound to public park, Pier 76 officially opens on Manhattan’s West Side

Photo: Kevin P. Coughlin / Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on Flickr

June 10, 2021

From tow pound to public park, Pier 76 officially opens on Manhattan’s West Side

By Devin Gannon

A former police tow pound on the Hudson River is now a public park. Pier 76 officially opened on Wednesday following a three-month, $31 million construction project that involved stripping the tow pound to its frame and removing the sides and roof. The structure's steel skeleton remains at the 5.6-acre site, with new areas to walk around, benches to sit and enjoy the waterfront views, and panels highlighting the area's history as a major shipping port.
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City Living

Foo Fighters, Springsteen return to NYC this month for first full-capacity shows in over a year

Photo by Ralph_PH on Flickr

June 8, 2021

Foo Fighters, Springsteen return to NYC this month for first full-capacity shows in over a year

By Devin Gannon

June is turning out to be a good month in New York City for rock 'n' roll. In the coming days, Bruce Springsteen will return to Broadway, the Foo Fighters will perform at Madison Square Garden, and The Strokes are taking on Irving Plaza. All performances will be at 100 percent capacity and for fully vaccinated fans only.
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New York will lift all remaining Covid restrictions when vaccination rate hits 70%

Photo by Daniel Tong on Unsplash

June 7, 2021

New York will lift all remaining Covid restrictions when vaccination rate hits 70%

By Dana Schulz

New Yorkers can expect almost all Covid restrictions to be lifted very soon. The state's vaccination rate as of today is 68.6 percent; when it hits 70 percent, reopening guidance will be lifted across commercial and social settings. This includes capacity restrictions, social distancing, cleaning and disinfection, health screenings, and contact tracing information. Consistent with the CDC, current mask requirements will remain in place.
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First post-pandemic Broadway show will open in NYC this August

Photo by Andrae Ricketts on Unsplash

June 1, 2021

First post-pandemic Broadway show will open in NYC this August

By Devin Gannon

Broadway is back, even earlier than planned. The Lincoln Center Theater on Tuesday announced that Pass Over, a play produced by Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu and Danya Taymor, will begin previews on August 4, over a month ahead of the expected reopening date for performances. Pass Over will become the first Broadway show to hold performances since the coronavirus pandemic forced all 41 theaters to close on March 12, 2020.
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This Jake Gyllenhaal-designed LOX hoodie from Russ & Daughters supports The Actors Fund

Photo courtesy of Russ & Daughters

May 28, 2021

This Jake Gyllenhaal-designed LOX hoodie from Russ & Daughters supports The Actors Fund

By Devin Gannon

Jake Gyllenhaal is once again teaming up with New York City icon Russ & Daughters for a good cause. In collaboration with the 100-year-old smoked fish seller, the actor designed a hoodie with the word LOX displayed on the front. Proceeds from the sale of every hoodie, which is going for $150, will go to The Actors Fund, which supports local theater workers.
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