Policy

June 23, 2020

Macy’s July 4th fireworks will last for three days across NYC

After Macy's announced yesterday that their annual July 4th Fireworks display in NYC would go on despite the pandemic, headlined by John Legend, Mayor de Blasio said in his press conference today that the show will take on a new life this year. There will be five-minute "brief but mighty" bursts of fireworks throughout the five boroughs from June 29th through July 1st, culminating in a finale on Saturday, July 4th, which will be televised from the top of the Empire State Building. On their website, Macy's says they "expect to announce details of the reimagined event soon."
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Theodore Roosevelt statue will be removed from NYC’s Museum of Natural History

Photo by Mike Steele on Flickr

June 22, 2020

Theodore Roosevelt statue will be removed from NYC’s Museum of Natural History

By Devin Gannon

A statue of Theodore Roosevelt that depicts the former president on horseback flanked by a Native American man and an African man will be removed from the steps of the American Museum of Natural History, officials announced on Sunday. The decision to take down the statue, which local activists have requested for years, comes as a renewed discourse about racism and racist symbols continues to grow across the country following the death of George Floyd last month.
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Here are the five NYC streets getting a ‘Black Lives Matter’ mural

Photo by Anthony Quintano on Flickr

June 19, 2020

Here are the five NYC streets getting a ‘Black Lives Matter’ mural

By Devin Gannon

Mayor Bill de Blasio on Friday unveiled the five streets that will be painted with a "Black Lives Matter" mural. The large artwork will be designed along Centre Street in Manhattan, Richmond Terrace on Staten Island, Joralemon Street in Brooklyn, 153rd Street in Queens, and Morris Avenue in the Bronx. Earlier this month, the mayor said the streets will also be renamed after the movement, in addition to the street painting. A similar mural dedicated to Black Lives Matter was painted on Fulton Street in Bed-Stuy last weekend.
Details here

New York bars violating reopening rules could lose liquor license or be forced to close, under new order

Photo of New Yorkers drinking on St. Mark’s Place in May by Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

June 18, 2020

New York bars violating reopening rules could lose liquor license or be forced to close, under new order

By Devin Gannon

Any New York bar or restaurant found to be in violation of the state's reopening rules could now immediately lose their liquor license or be forced to shut down. Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday signed two executive orders that would allow for officials to revoke liquor licenses if state guidelines are not followed. The governor's second executive order holds bars responsible for the area in front of their establishment. The mandates come after Cuomo said he would reverse the reopening of some regions if the state's guidelines were not followed. According to the governor, more than 25,000 complaints about businesses in violation of the reopening plan have been filed statewide since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, with a majority of grievances made about restaurants and bars in Manhattan and in the Hamptons.
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Photo by Krisztina Papp on Unsplash

June 18, 2020

NYC reveals outdoor dining plan ahead of Monday’s phase two reopening

By Devin Gannon

New York City is officially entering phase two of reopening on Monday. The news has led to questioning of the de Blasio administration as to their plan for outdoor dining, with Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and others rallying for immediate action yesterday. In his press conference on Thursday, the mayor laid out details of the city's Open Restaurants program that will allow restaurants to set up sidewalk seating and curb lane seating, convert adjacent parking spots into seating, utilize plaza seating through Business Improvement Districts, and, come July, add seating areas on streets currently closed to cars.
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NYC freezes rent for stabilized apartments

Photo by Goh Rhy Yan on Unsplash

June 18, 2020

NYC freezes rent for stabilized apartments

By Devin Gannon

The Rent Guidelines Board on Wednesday voted to freeze rents for one year for rent-regulated apartments, offering tenants temporary relief in the current economic recession caused by the coronavirus. The nine-member board approved a measure that freezes rent for one-year leases and for the first year of two-year leases, which can increase 1 percent during the second year.
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Policy

Juneteenth to become New York State holiday

Photo of New York State Capitol by wadester16 on Flickr

June 17, 2020

Juneteenth to become New York State holiday

By Devin Gannon

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday signed an executive order recognizing Juneteenth as a holiday for state employees and said he will introduce legislation to make it an official New York State holiday next year. Juneteenth marks the end of slavery in the United States in 1865 and is celebrated annually on June 19.
Details this way

June 17, 2020

NYC is ready to enter phase two on Monday

By Dana Schulz

With this Sunday marks 14 days since New York City entered its first phase of reopening, the question posed to Mayor de Blasio has been whether or not the city will enter phase two this coming Monday. In his press conference this morning, the mayor said he believes it's more likely to occur in early July, as he wants to monitor the COVID testing rates in light of recent protests. However, in a press conference just a couple hours later, Governor Cuomo said the city will enter phase two on Monday. "The same metrics we use in New York City are the same metrics we've used in every region across the state, and they have all shown to be accurate and effective. We don't change the rules for New York City," he said, adding that the purpose of a phased approach is to allow local governments "to get their acts together."
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New York’s latest COVID antibody survey shows a rise in the Bronx and minority communities

Image by Scientific Animations via Wikimedia Commons

June 16, 2020

New York’s latest COVID antibody survey shows a rise in the Bronx and minority communities

By Dana Schulz

Today, Governor Cuomo released the results of the state's second-phase COVID antibody test, which randomly surveyed 12,000 people between May 1 and June 13. When the survey commenced, 12.3% of New York residents tested positive, compared with 13.4% on Saturday. The new results are more telling, however, when it comes to disparities in New York City. Though overall there was only a 1.6% increase (19.9% to 21.6%), the Bronx increased by 5% and Brooklyn and Queens by 2.1%. There are also disparities when it comes to race, as the Black and Latino/Hispanic communities have seen increases of 3.4% and 5% respectively.
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Policy

NYC rolls out revamped affordable housing lottery system

Photo by Emiliano Bar on Unsplash

June 16, 2020

NYC rolls out revamped affordable housing lottery system

By Devin Gannon

New York City's highly competitive online affordable housing lottery system is getting a revamp to make applying for the income-restricted apartments easier. The city's Housing Preservation and Development on Tuesday rolled out a new web portal that aims to be more user-friendly, allowing applicants to view available lotteries on their smartphones and upload required documents online.
More here

Seven New York regions will be in phase 3 this week, gatherings of up to 25 now allowed

By Dana Schulz

Last week, five New York regions entered phase three of reopening, which includes indoor dining and personal care services such as nail salons, tattoo parlors, and massage parlors. In addition to the North Country, Mohawk Valley, Central New York, Finger Lakes, and the Southern Tier, Governor Cuomo announced today that Western New York will enter phase three tomorrow and the Capital Region on Wednesday. He also modified phase three to increase gatherings from 10 to 25 people.
More details here

Policy

Photo by Daniel Lee on Unsplash

June 11, 2020

Ahead of city’s phase two of reopening, REBNY releases safety guidelines for real estate brokers

By Devin Gannon

As New York City looks ahead to phase two of reopening, the city's leading real estate trade group released this week safety recommendations for brokers to follow when conducting deals. Following public health protocols, the six guidelines created by the Real Estate Board of New York encourage face masks and social distancing, virtual preliminary meetings, appointment-only showings, and electronic contracts. Plus, REBNY created a COVID-19 screening questionnaire for all parties attending in-person showings to sign.
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New York’s first guidelines for indoor dining include 50% capacity

Photo by Mike Von on Unsplash

June 11, 2020

New York’s first guidelines for indoor dining include 50% capacity

By Dana Schulz

As it currently stands, restaurants in New York are allowed to reopen for outdoor dining in phase two, which will likely occur in early July in the city, and for indoor dining in phase three, which probably won't be any sooner than late July. In his press conference yesterday, Governor Cuomo laid out the first guidelines for indoor dining. Most notably, and expectedly, they include a 50-percent occupancy limit and rules for table spacing and table barriers.
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NYC to launch new mobile COVID-19 testing program

COVID-19 testing site sat the Highbridge Recreation Center in Manhattan. Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

June 5, 2020

NYC to launch new mobile COVID-19 testing program

By Devin Gannon

Getting tested for the coronavirus in New York City is about to get easier. Starting next week, the city will launch a mobile testing program that will bring testing "trucks" to different neighborhoods, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Friday. The news comes after the city expanded free COVID-19 testing for all New Yorkers, a part of the Test and Trace Corps that kicked off this week ahead of the city's phase one reopening on Monday.
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Policy

MTA calls on NYC to add 60 miles of bus lanes as city reopens

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

June 5, 2020

MTA calls on NYC to add 60 miles of bus lanes as city reopens

By Devin Gannon

With up to 400,000 New Yorkers expected to return to the workforce under the city's phase one reopening on Monday, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority wants to add 60 miles of dedicated bus lanes to alleviate crowding. In a letter to Mayor Bill de Blasio, Sarah Feinberg, interim president of NYC Transit, wrote a "robust bus system will be crucial" for the city's rebound from the coronavirus pandemic.
More here

All New York regions other than NYC will be in phase two of reopening next week

An aerial view of Buffalo, NY, part of the Western region. Photo by formulanone via Wikimedia Commons.

June 5, 2020

All New York regions other than NYC will be in phase two of reopening next week

By Dana Schulz

As of Wednesday, seven of New York's 10 designated regions were in phase two of the state's four-part reopening plan--Central New York, Finger Lakes, Mohawk Valley, North Country, Southern Tier, Western New York (the Buffalo area), and the Capital Region. And yesterday, Governor Cuomo announced that the Mid-Hudson Valley is on track to enter phase two on Tuesday, June 9th and Long Island on Wednesday, June 10th. With state guidelines and social distancing measures in place, this allows office-based workers, real estate services, in-store retail shopping, outdoor dining, and some barbershop services to resume.
More details here

Policy

MTA says de Blasio’s subway plan would only serve 8 percent of riders

Photo: Patrick Cashin / MTA New York City Transit

June 4, 2020

MTA says de Blasio’s subway plan would only serve 8 percent of riders

By Devin Gannon

As the city prepares to enter phase one of reopening on Monday, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority released this week its plan to return to "regular" service, which no longer means 24-hour service. Subways and buses will run more frequently starting next week, but the subway system will still shut down between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. for nightly disinfection. Mayor Bill de Blasio this week also released a plan for transit that calls for capacity limits and blocking off every other seat. But the MTA called the mayor's idea "utterly unworkable" and said his proposed capacity limits would allow the agency to serve just 8 percent of riders.
More here

New York restaurants can open for outdoor dining during phase two of reopening

Photo via Flickr cc

June 3, 2020

New York restaurants can open for outdoor dining during phase two of reopening

By Dana Schulz

With seven of 10 regions across the state now in phase two of the reopening plan, Governor Cuomo announced today that he was adding outdoor dining at restaurants to the list of businesses and operations allowed during this second stage. Restaurants in these regions can begin this tomorrow June 4th, as long as outdoor tables are spaced six feet apart, all staff wear face coverings, and customers also wear face coverings when not seated.
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NYC expands free COVID-19 testing for all New Yorkers

COVID-19 testing site sat the Highbridge Recreation Center in Manhattan on May 19, 2020. Photo courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

June 3, 2020

NYC expands free COVID-19 testing for all New Yorkers

By Devin Gannon

All New Yorkers will now be able to get tested for the coronavirus for free, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Wednesday. The universal testing is part of the city's Test and Trace Corps program, which launched on Monday and remains a critical component of the city's reopening, expected to start on June 8. There are about 150 testing sites across the five boroughs, with the ability to test 20,000 people total each day.
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Policy

New Jersey set to open hair salons, in-store retail, and outdoor dining this month

Photo of Asbury Park commercial district by Acroterion via Wikimedia Commons

June 2, 2020

New Jersey set to open hair salons, in-store retail, and outdoor dining this month

By Dana Schulz

In his press conference yesterday, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced that his state was looking to enter stage two of its reopening on Monday, June 15. On this date, outdoor dining and limited in-store retail would begin, with hair salons and barbershops following on the 22nd and youth summer programs in early July. This second stage would also phase in museums and libraries, as well as limited capacity at gyms and in-person government services such as motor vehicles.
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Policy

NYC will have 8 p.m. curfew until Sunday with no traffic south of 96th Street

Photo of a Black Lives Matter demonstration in 2016 by Nicole Baster on Unsplash

June 2, 2020

NYC will have 8 p.m. curfew until Sunday with no traffic south of 96th Street

By Devin Gannon

Mayor Bill de Blasio extended the citywide curfew to Sunday and said it will start three hours earlier at 8 p.m. following a night of looting. The mayor and Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday jointly announced an 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew and an increase of police enforcement following a weekend of protests. The NYPD announced that after 8 p.m. the only vehicles allowed south of 96th Street in Manhattan will be essential workers, buses, and delivery trucks. Likewise, Citi Bike has been required to shut down service for the duration of the curfew.
More here

Policy

New York adds 10 new testing sites in city’s COVID-19 ‘hot spots’

Photo by Payton Chung on Flickr

June 1, 2020

New York adds 10 new testing sites in city’s COVID-19 ‘hot spots’

By Devin Gannon

As New York City prepares to enter phase one of reopening next week, officials are targeting areas where the coronavirus continues to spread. Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Saturday announced that the state will open 10 new COVID-19 testing sites in zip codes considered 'hot spots,' which includes neighborhoods in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens. The 10 ZIP codes, which consist of predominantly low income and minority communities, have seen higher rates of infection, hospitalization, and death caused by the virus.
Details here

Policy

Photo by Daniel Lee on Unsplash

May 29, 2020

NYC is on track to start reopening week of June 8

By Devin Gannon

New York City is gearing up to begin the reopening process the week of June 8, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Friday. During a press briefing, the governor said the city should be able to join the state's nine other regions in reopening phase one businesses, which includes all construction, manufacturing, and some retail stores. "I am proud of the way New York is figuring it out," Cuomo said.
More here

Policy

As NYC prepares to reopen, questions about public transit remain

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

May 29, 2020

As NYC prepares to reopen, questions about public transit remain

By Devin Gannon

New York City will likely begin the reopening process early next month, with as many as 400,000 employees expected to return to work during this first phase, Mayor Bill de Blasio said this week. While the mayor on Thursday released guidelines for phase one businesses to safely reopen without a resurgence of the coronavirus, no plan has been issued from City Hall on how employees returning to the workforce will commute there safely.
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9 of 10 New York regions have met reopening metrics, NYC still waiting

Screenshot from the State’s new Regional Monitoring Dashboard as of 5/28/20

May 28, 2020

9 of 10 New York regions have met reopening metrics, NYC still waiting

By Dana Schulz

After the New York PAUSE order was put into effect on March 22, all but one of the state's 10 regions have met the metrics to start phase one of reopening since it expired on Friday, May 15. As outlined on an interactive dashboard that monitors regional status, New York City is the only region not to have hit this benchmark. The city has not reached a 30 percent threshold of the share of total hospital beds available and has not gotten its contact tracing program up to the required level. As 6sqft reported, phase one allows construction, manufacturing, agriculture, forestry, fishing, and select retail that can offer curbside pickup to reopen.
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Your Daily Doseof NYC Life!

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