Happy Monday — and happy Groundhog Day! Moments ago at the Staten Island Zoo, Staten Island Chuck unsurprisingly predicted six more weeks of winter. According to NOAA, this rodent prognosticator has an 85% success rate. As for today, the sun is shining and we may finally make it to 32 degrees — but that pesky breeze will still keep us bundled up.
Thankfully the animal wrangling is left to the professionals these days…
Chez Napoleon bid adieu to Hell’s Kitchen on Saturday after more than six decades on W50th Street, as regulars toasted Sir William and Elyane Bruno on their final night. Read more…
If you’ve ever read our coverage of Manhattan Community Board 4 and thought, “wait… how do I get involved in this?” — this is your moment. The application window for 2026 appointments is officially open. Read more…
What We’ve Been Reading
Flu cases are on the decline, but the season is far from over in NYC. (Gothamist)
How exactly did the 70th Street bike lane end up in the Epstein Files? (Streetsblog)
Apparently we are in a “partial” government shutdown — here’s what it means for us. (NBC)
Amtrak offered full partnership to MTA for Penn Project, but they turned it down. (Chelsea News)
Drag Race’s “Rate-A-Queen” talent show is back, with dancing divas and a killer lipsync. (Vulture)
Freeze Frame
Yesterday I hopped the L train to Ridgewood to talk trash with some documentary filmmakers and caught a beautiful pastel sunset over Manhattan. Even from across the East River, the Empire State Building and Hudson Yards are instantly recognizable. Living in Hell’s Kitchen, it’s easy to forget that we don’t just admire that skyline — we live in the thick of it.
Happy birthday to Sharon Pandolfo Perez, Enrico Livanos, Fred Kinney and Todd Sears.
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