This 4th of July I am Ashamed - Not Proud

Why were the Senate Majority Leader & VP Missing at the Big Beautiful Bill-ionaire Signing? Were They Ashamed Too?

July 4, 2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / U.S. Politics Media & Government / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

On July 4, 2025, Donald Trump signed the cynically named, Big Beautiful Bill, into law. After reviewing its contents, I felt compelled to make a few remarks.

The image above or at right shows a photo of the second Trump tax cut signing on the July 4th holiday. Both Republican Vice President J.D. Vance and Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune are missing.

In the photo we posted below of the Trump's first term tax cut photo, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan and VP Mike Pence were all present. As you can see for yourself, this time around, two of the three leaders - albeit different Republicans - were not present.

Nonetheless, one thing that hasn't changed is that all of the Republicans in the photo are still LAUGHING AT YOU, not with you. They got preferential tax rates and will continue receiving campaign funding from billionaires to keep their jobs, while you, your children, your grandchildren, great grandchildren and so forth all got scr*wed.

This is literally taking money [$3 - $5 TRILLION TO BE EXACT] from BABIES. What kind of parents and grandparents allow this to happen? And what kind of cowards engineer these big steals? STOP THIS STEAL, WHY DON'T YOU?

• CLICK here to read more about how the Republican Party, led by Donald J. Trump, Mike Johnson, John Thune & J.D. Vance, is taking $3 trillion plus dollars from your children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and unborn babies in order to give the richest people on the planet lower taxes ... AGAIN.

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

July 4th Fireworks & Weekend _ Scroll Down to see Headline Events & Things to Do for Each Boro: Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Staten Island

July 4, 2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Sunrise 5.296 am. Sunset 8.301 pm. Daylight Savings Time. We're getting 15 hours & 1 minutes of daylight or five minutes less of sunlight than we were getting the weekend of the Summer Solstice, on June 20, 2025. The Summer Solstice is the longest day of this year, providing 15 hours and 6 minutes of sunlight in NYC.

The photo above or at right was taken a few years ago, of folks lined up along the East River waterfront in Queens, on a warm summer day, waiting in anticipation of ... This year Queens won't have a front row seat to the Macy's 4th of July fireworks as they are being staged at the south end of the East River, so folks will have to travel to Brooklyn and Manhattan for the front row seats. In prior years some of the fireworks barges were staged around Midtown, whereas this year none will be positioned north of the Brooklyn Bridge. That said, they're trying something new this year, as two launch areas are being positioned atop the Brooklyn Bridge - one at each tower. The height of these two launch areas may make remote viewing more accessible from longer distances.

NYC Specific Weather - This can be very Different vs TV News Area Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 80's Friday and Saturday, while the temperature lows will be around 70 for those two days. The Sunday high will be about 90 and the low in the mid to high 70's. No rain is in the forecast for NYC this weekend. The winds will be about 3 - 8 mph Friday and Saturday, rising to 5 - 10 mph on Sunday. The humidity will range from 50% - 65% in what appears to be a relatively stable three days, although rising slightly each day. So, all tolled, the weekend looks to be pretty fine.

Friday Early AM Edition @ 3 am. Friday July 4th events are mostly done. We may have one or two additions by about lunchtime. And by the end of Friday will have the whole weekend posted. Have a Happy 4th of July weekend.

Things To Do This Weekend & Next Week in NYC

NYC Beaches and Public Outdoor Swim Pools are Open for the Summer.

CLICK here to see NYC 4th of July Fireworks all 5 Boroughs.

Things To Do This Weekend & Next Week in Manhattan

Macy's 4th of July Fireworks

Macy's 4th of July Fireworks begin at 9.35 in the East River & atop the Brooklyn Bridge. For details use our link below which contains maps and explanations of viewing and restrictions and / or see - https://www.macysinc.com/newsroom/news/news-details/2025/Macys-4th-of-July-Fireworks-Show-Live-From-the-Brooklyn-Bridge-and-the-East-River-With-Sparkling-Displays-and-Electrifying-Musical-Performances/default.aspx

CLICK to see Manhattan 4th of July fireworks 2025 best viewing locations & Macy's July 4th Fireworks NYC

• Click here to view the Manhattan Farmers Markets NYC.
• Click here for Manhattan Parades and large Ethnic / Cultural Festivals NYC.
• CLICK here to view Manhattan street fairs and festivals NYC 2025. There are Mom's Day gift markets.
• CLICK this link to view things to do this weekend in Manhattan NYC.

• Click here to read recent OpEds and Editorials on Manhattan Buzz NYC - see top of this report under NYC, for the headlines of them.

MCAL _ MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS - Use this link for new member sign up and posting - Manhattan Buzz New Member Sign Up. Click this link Manhattan Member Events Calendar to view free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups.

Things To Do This Weekend & Next Week in Queens NYC

4th of July Fireworks at Breezy Point & Subway Series Yankees / Mets

July 4 - 6, 2025 - Subway Series - Yankees vs Mets - at CitiField in Queens. For tickets and details see MLB website.

Saturday, July 5, 2025 from 8 - 8.20 pm* - Fireworks and July 4th celebration. * Note that the time posted this year [8 - 8.20 pm] seems early, as historically it's been booked an hour later. I found one unofficial site that posted 9 pm as the start time, so get there early or risk missing them. At Breezy Point which is a neighborhood located along the west end of the Rockaways. Organized by the Breezy Point Coop. For details, copy & paste - https://portal.311.nyc.gov/article/?kanumber=KA-01301

Saturday, June 7 - September 13, 2025 at various times & locations - Queens Boro Dance Festival. The performances are weekly all summer long in numerous locations across the borough. Free. For details see - https://queensborodancefestival.org

CLICK to see Queens July 4th fireworks 2025 & Astoria Park 4th of July fireworks & Bayside Fireworks 2025 Queens NYC.

• Click here to view the Queens Farmers Markets NYC.
• Click here for Queens Parades and large Ethnic / Cultural Festivals NYC.
• Click here to view Queens street fairs & festivals NYC 2025.
• CLICK this link to view things to do this weekend in Queens NYC.

• Click here to read recent OpEds and Editorials on Queens Buzz NYC - see top of this report under NYC, for the headlines of them.

MCAL _ MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS - Use this link for new member sign up and posting - Queens Buzz New Member Sign Up. Click this link Queens Member Events Calendar to view free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. This month includes

Tuesdays & Thursdays in July & August beginning at 9.15 am and 11 am both days - Nature for Young Kids - at Alley Pond Environmental Center. For Adult with child ages 2 - 3 years old. See MCal link above for details and tickets which run $88 for adult / child for four weeks in July & $66 for three weeks in August.

Things To Do This Weekend & Next Week in Brooklyn NYC

54th International African Arts Festival, 4th of July Fireworks along the East River & at Coney Island

Friday, July 4, 2025 from 11 am - 1 pm - Nathan's Hotdog Eating Contest - At the corner of Stillwell and Surf. Contestants show many hotdogs they can eat in ten minutes. In 2021 - For the men, Joey Chestnut ate 76 hotdogs in ten minutes, and for the women, Michelle Lesco ate just shy of 31 hot dogs in ten minutes.

Friday, July 4, 2025 - Macy's 4th of July Fireworks begin at 9.35 in the East River & atop the Brooklyn Bridge. For details use our link below which contains maps and explanations of viewing and restrictions and / or see - https://www.macysinc.com/newsroom/news/news-details/2025/Macys-4th-of-July-Fireworks-Show-Live-From-the-Brooklyn-Bridge-and-the-East-River-With-Sparkling-Displays-and-Electrifying-Musical-Performances/default.aspx

Friday thru Sunday, July 4 - 6, 2025 from 10 am - 9 pm Daily - The 54th International African Arts Festival - At Commodore Barry Park at Navy Street [North Elliot Place] and Flushing & Park Avenues in the Fort Greene Neighborhood of Brooklyn. This fair includes food, shopping and there are also daily musical / dance performances. Admission with $5 - $10 suggested donation at the gate. Street fairs in Fort Greene BK. https://iaafestival.org/

Fridays, June 20 - September 5, 2025 _ Weekly _ The Coney Island Weekly Friday Night Fireworks - at Steeple Chase Tower off the Boardwalk near Luna Park [see fireworks link that follows for details]. Including July 4th. For details, copy & paste - https://www.allianceforconeyisland.org

Two Plays - Polonsky & Billie Holiday Theater.

CLICK to see Brooklyn 4th of July fireworks 2025 best viewing locations & Coney Island July 4th fireworks 2025 BK NYC

• Click here to view the Brooklyn Farmers Markets NYC.
• Click here for Brooklyn Parades and large Ethnic / Cultural Festivals NYC.
• Click here to view Brooklyn street fairs NYC 2025.
• CLICK this link to view things to do this weekend in Brooklyn NYC.

• Click here to read recent OpEds and Editorials on Brooklyn BLVD - see top of this report under NYC, for the headlines of them.

MCAL _ MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS. Use this link for new member sign up and posting - Brooklyn BLVD New Member Sign Up. Click this link Brooklyn MCAL - Member Events Calendar to view free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups.

Things To Do This Weekend & Next Week in the Bronx NYC

Subway Series Yankees / Mets

Thursday, July 3, 2025 beginning at 9 pm - Independence Day Fireworks at Coop City. It will be held at Little League Field in Co-op City in the Bronx. People will start gathering around 5 pm, there's a concert by a band at 7 pm and the fireworks show will begin around 9 pm. This fireworks display returned after a couple year hiatus during the pandemic [2020 - 2022 I think]. For details see - https://www.coopcity.com or https://portal.311.nyc.gov/article/?kanumber=KA-01301

July 4 - 6, 2025 - Subway Series - Yankees vs Mets - at CitiField in Queens. For tickets and details see MLB website.

CLICK to see Bronx 4th of July fireworks 2025 & Orchard Beach July 4th fireworks 2025 BX NYC.

• Click here to view the Bronx Farmers Markets NYC.
• Click here for Bronx Parades and large Ethnic / Cultural Festivals NYC.
• Click here to see Bronx street fairs & festivals NYC 2025.
• CLICK this link to view things to do this weekend in the Bronx NYC.

• Click here to read recent OpEds and Editorials on Bronx Buzz - see top of this report under NYC, for the headlines of them.

MCAL _ MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS. Use this link for new member sign up and posting - Bronx Buzz New Member Sign Up. Click this link Bronx MCAL Member Events Calendar to view free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups.

Things To Do This Weekend & Next Week on Staten Island NYC

Travis Town Independence Day Parade, 4th of July Fireworks at the Ferry Hawks Game & Remote Viewing of both the Macy's and Coney Island Fireworks

Thursday, July 3, 2025 beginning at 7 pm & 9 pm respectively - 4th of July concert & 4th of July fireworks show. Vinnie Medugno and the Cocoa Band. Both the concert and the fireworks are FREE. At Turtle Circle at Midland Beach along the east shore of Staten Island near Staten Island University Hospital in Dongan Hills on Staten Island. For details, see - https://www.instagram.com/sibpvito/?hl=en or https://www.statenislandusa.com or https://www.facebook.com/SIBPVito/

Friday, July 4th, 2025 beginning at 11.30 am - Travis Independence Day Parade and celebration that harks back to a simpler time. The roads close at 11.15 am. The ceremonies begin at 12 noon at Independence Park honoring some of the local parade celebrities. The parade starts at 12.30 pm. The parade route is triangular beginning at the Showplace Entertainment Center at 141 East Service Road, marches west on Victory Blvd to Glen Street. Then to Cannon Avenue, before heading south on Victory Blvd ending back at the Showplace Center. 4th of July parades on Staten Island. For tickets and details copy & paste - https://travisparade.org/

Friday, July 4, 2025 after the game / dusk - Staten Island Ferry Hawks fireworks display - at SIUH Community Park at 75 Richmond Terrace which is a short walk from the Staten Island Ferry Terminal in St. George. The game time is 7 pm and the fireworks start at dusk / after the ball game. For Ferry Hawks tickets and full fireworks schedule, copy & paste - https://ferryhawks.com/sports/2025/1/27/2025-home-schedule.aspx

Macy's 4th of July Fireworks begin at 9.35 in the East River & atop the Brooklyn Bridge. For details use our link below which contains maps and explanations of viewing and restrictions and / or see - https://www.macysinc.com/newsroom/news/news-details/2025/Macys-4th-of-July-Fireworks-Show-Live-From-the-Brooklyn-Bridge-and-the-East-River-With-Sparkling-Displays-and-Electrifying-Musical-Performances/default.aspx

CLICK to see - Staten Island 4th of July fireworks 2025 & Empire Outlets, the Staten Island Ferry Hawks Fireworks 2025 and the Travis July 4th Parade SI

• Click here to view the Staten Island Farmers Markets NYC.
• Click here for Staten Island Parades and large Ethnic / Cultural Festivals NYC.
• Click here to see Staten Island street fairs & festivals NYC 2024.
• CLICK this link to view things to do this weekend on Staten Island NYC.

• Click here to read recent OpEds and Editorials on Staten Buzz - see top of this report under NYC, for the headlines of them.

MCAL _ MEMBER EVENTS CALENDAR. Use this link for new member sign up and posting - Staten Buzz New Member Sign Up. Click this link Staten Island Events - Member Events to view free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. This month includes TBD.

Have a nice weekend.

Update: Mamdani Wins Ranked Choice Voting, but Final Vote Count Remains

One Final Vote Count Remains as All Mail in Ballots Not Yet Included in the Tallies

Update July 1, 2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics Media & Government / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Mamdani wins Ranked Choice Voting - Prior to the Final Counting with All Mail in Ballots. The current tabulations show that Mamdani widened his lead to [545,334 or 56%] over Cuomo [428,530 or 44%] in the ranked choice round.

While there are still some mail in ballots to be counted, it is believed that the bulk of the mail in ballots have been included in the count. In the 2021 NYC Mayoral Race [general] there were in the neighborhood of 125,000 - 132,000 mail in ballots.

The graphic above or at right shows the NYC Board of Election vote counts for the June 2025 NYC Mayoral Race following the first and subsequent rounds of ranked choice voting. All of the mail in ballots have not yet been included in the counts.

See related story, for an evolving view of the general election for NYC Mayor, with Eric Adams attacking Mamdani using Murdoch NY Post style labels and little substance.

Rupert Murdoch is Beating his Manipulative Mass Media War Drums Again

The 94 Year Old, Life-Long War Monger, is Again Pushing the U.S. to get into Another Mid East War - this time with Iran - because Wars Generate Higher Profits for the Billionaire's TV & Print News Outlets

June 20, 2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / U.S. Politics Media & UN News / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Murdoch may be guilty of inciting numerous wars, but it's the American people who must pay for them ...

... with the lives of their loved ones, increased public debt, and the loss of friends and allies around the world, because of the incredible abuse of American power made by this generation, repeated over and over again. Murdoch never admits nor pays for his mistakes.

Was Murdoch's visit to the Trump Oval Office in Winter of 2025, shortly after Trump won the election, to get Trump moving on a War with Iran?

Once again, the Murdoch Ministry of Mass Manipulation is providing their audiences with distorted reports about what's happening in the Middle East, to pressure another American president [in this case Trump] into taking America into another war in the Middle East again. At least twice before, the Murdoch Ministry of propaganda convinced enough of the Fox News fools - by which I mean people who don't augment what 'news' they obtain from the Murdoch Ministry of Mass Manipulation with non-Murdoch news sources. Murdoch controls Fox News, the NY Post, the Wall St. Journal, the London Times, the Sun [also U.K.] and the Australian. All Murdoch controlled entities appear to report stories about people and issues pretty much the same way - which is to report them in whatever way Rupert Murdoch orders.

Murdoch Mass Media Beat the War Drums for both Iraq & Afghanistan using False & Distorted Narratives

Murdoch famously uses the same old tired rhetoric, that this will be a 'just' war and it's really a war on terror, even though it is not. It's really a war for higher ratings and more newspaper sales.

Note that the Lachlan Murdoch visit to Netanyahu in Israel was in January 2024.

These above mentioned narratives are the same as those used by Murdoch mass media to get us to go to war in Iraq and Afghanistan. In Iraq it was 'Weapons of Mass Destruction' that were never found [remember that?], in Afghanistan it was more of the same fear mongering about terrorism. Now it's Iranian Nukes that - that like the WMD - don't currently exist. Notice that ONLY Fox News polls show Americans favoring going to war with Iran, when nobody else's polls do. Not even the Times of Israel. Now that's a coincidence, isn't it?

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report on Rupert Murdoch's manipulative use of mass media to incite the U.S. to get into multiple wars in the Mid East with or for Israel.

NYC Mayoral Race Tightens

Candidates Mamadani & Lander Cross Endorse Each Other

June 13, 2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics Media & Government / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

On Friday, the top two NYC Mayoral contenders to Andrew Cuomo - Zohran Mamdani and Brad Lander - cross endorsed each other for Mayor. This should help both of them as contenders and according to one pundit, reduces Cuomo's sure lock on the Mayoralty from 80% down to 60%. Which means Mamdani and Lander need to reach out to other NYC Mayoral candidates who realistically are no longer contenders, like Zellnor Myrie, Michael Blake, Jessica Ramos, and Jim Walden [running as an anti-corruption Independent] to increase their odds, while detracting from Cuomo's.

The photos above or at right were taken earlier this year at two different debates. On the left is NYC Comptroller Brad Lander and on the right is NYS Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani - the top two contenders for NYC Mayor following Andrew Cuomo. On Friday they cross endorsed each other, which will likely lead to increased TV ad spending by big real estate on their also-ran, straw horse candidates [see below]; as well as increased TV ad spending for attack ads trying to discredit real challengers to big real estate's choice for Mayor - Andrew Cuomo. Most TV political ads are such distortions of the truth, that they seem to be more fake news than informative.

Please do your homework on the candidates, using some of the high quality information sources below, to move up the learning curve on who the candidates are and who's funding them. TV News doesn't cut it any more, as it's controlled by billionaires. A long while ago, they rolled back FCC regulations requiring fair and balanced reporting, which is why what TV News presents today, is no longer consistently credible.

CLICK here to read the rest of our report on Mamdani & Lander cross endorse in NYC Mayoral Race 2025.

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Beaches Open for the Summer - Scroll Down to see Headline Events & Things to Do for Each Boro: Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Staten Island

June 6, 2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Sunrise 5.26 am. Sunset 8.23 pm. Daylight Savings Time. We're getting 15 hours & 5 minutes of daylight or five hours and 25 more minutes of sunlight than we were getting the weekend of the Winter Solstice, on December 21, 2024, which was the shortest day of last year [2024] at 9 hours and 15 minutes of daylight. Spring began Thursday, March 20, 2025, which is also the Spring Equinox, when the day is 12 hours long - half daylight and half dark. The Summer Solstice is coming June 20, 2025 which will be the longest day of this year.

The photo above or at right was taken a couple of weeks ago in Hells Kitchen, showing a number of air conditioning units geometrically protruding from the sleek wall of a glass and steel skyscraper. Those are likely to come in very handy in the coming months.

NYC Specific Weather - This can be very Different vs TV News Area Weather. Friday is dry but cloudy. Saturday, there's a 30% - 50% chance for a third inch of rain between 8 am and 5 pm. It's the kind of day where an umbrella might (or might not), come in handy. Sunday, there's a 30% - 60% chance of half that amount of rain - but after 7 pm. Temperature highs may hit 90 Friday, falling back to about 80 on Saturday and Sunday. Temperature lows will straddle the high 60's to the low 70's all weekend. The humidity will range from 60% to 80% on both Friday and Sunday, and remain at a steady 70% on Saturday. Winds will range from 5 to 10 mph all weekend. It's definitely a manageable weekend weather-wise - contrary to the billionaire TV News efforts to convince you to stay inside watching TV.

Friday Evening Edition @ 11 pm. Mostly done - if not completely done. it's always possible there might be late additions.

Things To Do This Weekend & Next Week in NYC

50501 Movement Protest in WDC Friday 6/6/25, NYS Primary is 6/24/25, NYC Beaches Open & Next Week is No Kings Protests in NYC & Nationwide

Saturday, May 24, 2025 - NYC Beaches Open for the Summer.

Saturday, June 14, 2025 is the Deadline to Register to Vote in the NYC Primary on June 24th. Applications must be received by the NY Board of Elections to be eligible to vote in this election. As it's a Saturday, we recommend you make sure they get it by Friday, June 13, 2025. The winner of the Democratic primary is almost always the person who becomes Mayor [Giuliani and Bloomberg were exceptions because of Rupert Murdoch's NY Post & Fox News manipulations & Bloomberg's $$$], as 56% of NYC voters identify as Democrat, and about 26% identify as Republican [other sources say these numbers are 48% & 21% respectively].

Friday, June 6, 2025 in Washington, D.C. - 50501Movement.org Veteran Budget Cuts Protest - at the Mall in Washington, D.C. to protest the Trump / Musk budget cuts affecting U.S. Veterans. For details see - https://www.facebook.com/groups/50501movement/posts/1037489384655057/ | or 50501vets.com

Saturday, June 14, 2025 at various times & locations - No Kings Protest - Nationwide protests against the Trump Administration efforts to take federally funded benefits and services from lower, middle and upper middle income Americans, and transfer it to the richest people on the planet, by enabling them to pay lower tax rates funded by cuts and adding another $2 - $4 trillion in debt on America's children. That would boost America's debt for which Trump would personally be responsible for nearly a third of it, and possibly more. For more information about this, see - https://indivisible.org/statements/indivisible-and-partners-announce-no-kings-nationwide-day-defiance-flag-day-during - and for details of related events happening in NYC, see - https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/

Things To Do This Weekend & Next Week in Manhattan

Tribeca Film Festival has Begun, 116th St Festival, Puerto Rican Parade, St Nicholas Festival, Multi Cultural Festival, Israeli & Independent Film Festivals end & Next Week Museum Mile Festival & Taste of Summer Central Park Fundraiser

Tribeca _ Wednesday through Sunday, June 4 - 15, 2025 - The Tribeca Film Festival - at Spring Studios at [6 St Johns Lane] but generally the entrance on Varick between York and Laight Streets in Tribeca is the most frequently used. There are a multitude of free and paid live and online events and films covering a variety of subjects including but not limited to LGBTQ, LatinX and Juneteenth to view at various venues around the city. For details see - https://tribecafilm.com

The photo above or at right was taken at the Tribeca Film Festial last year. The festival returned earlier this week and will continue through next weekend. See details below.

Saturday, June 7, 2025 from 9.30 am to 5 pm - St Nicholas Avenue Festival - Along St Nicholas Avenue between 181st Street to 188th Street - street fairs in the Upper West Side NYC neighborhood of Manhattan. For details see - https://info.nystateofhealth.ny.gov/ny-state-health-nicholas-avenue-festival-and-carnaval-event

Saturday, June 7, 2025 - Manhattan Art Open at El Barrio - on the UES / East Harlem.

Saturday, June 7, 2025 from 10 am - 5 pm - 40th Annual 116th Street Festival - Along 3rd Avenue from 106th St to 122nd street and along 116th between 2nd and Lexington Avenues in the El Barrio section of East Harlem. Food, shopping & three stages of entertainment. For details see - https://116thstfestival.com/

Sunday, June 8, 2025 beginning at 11 am - The Puerto Rican Day Parade returns. It will kick off at 5th Avenue at 43rd Street marching north to 79th Street on the UES. This is one of the largest parades in NYC and it celebrates various aspects of Puerto Rican culture. For details see - https://www.nprdpinc.org/

Washington Heights _ Saturday, June 7 & 21, 2025 from 11 am to 7 pm & 12 noon to 6 pm respectively - 16th Annual Multi-Cultural Festival - 1st Weekend in the Jackie Robinson Bandshell at 85 Bradhurst Avenue between 147th & 148th Streets in Washington Heights. The 2nd Weekend is held at along St. Nicholas Avenue between 141st and 145th Streets in Washington Heights. This event includes performances, food, vendors and social services. Organized by New York African Chorus Ensemble in collaboration with the NYPD 30th Precinct & the 30th Precinct Community Council. For free tickets [not required per se] and details, copy & paste - https://multiculturalfestival.nyc

Midtown _ Tuesday - Sunday, June 3 - 8, 2025 at various times - Independent Film Festival - at the Producers Club at 358 West 44th Street in Midtown Manhattan. For $22 tickets and details see - https://nycindieff.com/

UWS _ Thursday - Thursday, June 5 - 12, 2025 at various times - The Israeli Film Festival - at the Marlene Meyerson JCC at 334 Amersterdam Avenue [at 76th Street] on level L2- Auditorium on the UWS. For details and $10 - $50 tickets, copy & paste - https://mmjccm.org/

Tuesday, June 10, 2025 from 6 - 9 pm - Museum Mile Festival - Along 5th Avenue from 79th Street to 106th Street on the Upper East Side. All of the exquisite museums along 5th Avenue on the Upper East Side UES are open to the public for free. For details see - https://www.centralpark.com/events/museum-mile-festival/

Wednesday, June 11, 2025 - Taste of Summer in Central Park - on Bethesda Terrace. Fundraiser for the Central Park Conservancy. Tickets are $400 / person or $10K - $15K for a table. For details see - https://www.centralparknyc.org/activities/events/taste-of-summer

• Click here to view the Manhattan Farmers Markets NYC.
• Click here for Manhattan Parades and large Ethnic / Cultural Festivals NYC.
• CLICK here to view Manhattan street fairs and festivals NYC 2025. There are Mom's Day gift markets.
• CLICK this link to view things to do this weekend in Manhattan NYC.

• Click here to read recent OpEds and Editorials on Manhattan Buzz NYC - see top of this report under NYC, for the headlines of them.

MCAL _ MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS - Use this link for new member sign up and posting - Manhattan Buzz New Member Sign Up. Click this link Manhattan Member Events Calendar to view free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups.

CLICK here to read the rest of our report about Things to do this Weekend in all 5 Boroughs of NYC.

Trump's Booty-Filled Bill - It's an Encapsulation of Republican Values in the 21st Century: Protecting Billionaires, Campaign Funders & Disinformative TV News

This was Originally Embedded in the Memorial Day Weekend - Things to Consider over this Important Weekend

May 23, 2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

One Big BOOTY-FILLED Bill. Republican Majority Leader Mike Johnson, with the help of 215 Republicans in Congress, passed a budget bill which will severely cut Medicaid, and possibly cut over $600 billion from Medicare over the next ten years. The bill is reported to eliminate tax credits for clean energy usage, and keep giving the wealthiest people on the planet lower tax rates - netting them trillions in extra wealth, while those earning less than $17,000 will reportedly pay $1000 or more than currently. It's a democracy destroying budget bill, that will shift over $3 trillion in debt onto the next generation and impoverish them, so that the wealthiest people in the world can continue exploiting the middle and working classes, unhindered by federal government oversight.

George Orwell's Animal Farm and Modern Day TV News. Billionaire TV News failure to accurately and comprehensively report the real news, is a huge contributing factor to our failing democracy. Their failed TV News broadcasts contribute greatly to the misguided selection of government officials, particularly by older people who predominantly rely on TV and trust it as if it were the 1960's or 1970's. In the 1980's and 1990's the uber wealthy TV station owners started manipulating voters' perceptions to get their pols elected into government. Once in, their pols began changing the FDR era FCC rules so that they would suit the owners - not the American public.

George Orwell's book Animal Farm captured the malfeasance described above, along with the ignorance of the public in paying attention to the changes, let alone figuring out what the leaders were doing, and fixing it.

Veterans Administration Firings. As of early March 2025, the Trump Administration fired over 6,000 veterans working in the government, many of whom had physical disabilities. According to a March 6, 2025 report in American Legion magazine, the Trump Administration is targeting reducing the Veterans Administration by 83,000 positions, leaving these veterans with no means of feeding themselves or their families. See image at right.

The REAL REASON the federal government is running a deficit - is because Presidents Reagan, Bush Jr. and Trump all gave the rich huge tax cuts, which they funded by dumping debt on America's children. It's not because the federal government is bloated. After months of telling us waste, fraud and abuse, they came up with about $60 billion in cuts - but those were to the Air Traffic Control System which anyone who's flown into or out of Newark Airport knows wasn't a good idea. They cut investments in clean energy, which anyone who's been paying attention, knows that that is not an intelligent choice if you expect to live more than the next 10 - 20 years. They are cutting the federal government's compliance function like the IRS and 17 Inspectors General who make sure we have little waste, fraud and abuse. Why? So people like Musk, who do business with the federal government don't have to answer to the public. And as you can see by the American Legion headline above, they're going to cut the hell out of the VA.

A government of, for and by The People doesn't work if the people don't pay attention to who is manipulating them with false facts [FCC Rules were loosened by Reagan, Clinton, Bush Jr & Trump, so what you see & hear on TV oftentimes isn't an accurate portrayal of the situation and too often these days, it's one intended to manipulate voters' perspectives]. The People also need to pay closer attention to who is pretending to inform them, as the pretenders omit a huge number of key facts from their TV news shows, newspapers and websites. The billionaire mainstream and conservative media sensationalize culture war nonsense to distract voters from the things that can make a real difference in their lives - like paying attention to money, funding and government service issues like the rich do. Big media today is controlled by billionaires who continually repeat the same nonsense news distortions over and over again via broadcast TV, radio, podcasts and social media, in order to drive their distorted world view into the heads of those who will allow them, so they vote for the billionaires' candidates.

A government of, for and by The People doesn't work if the people don't seek out truthful information sources so they know who's who, and what's what, so they can make smart - not manipulated choices - when they go to vote for candidates, so we get government officials who have integrity. Unlike so many of the government officials now in office. So many of the current set of government officials and candidates have proven track records of cheating their fellow New Yorkers / Americans in order to get rich people's campaign funding and / or fill their own pockets at our expense.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report on Trump's Big Beautiful Bill - or Booty-Filled Bill - and betrayal of Trump voters duped into believing him via Rupert Murdoch's Fox News, Wall Street Journal, NY Post and uninformative / disinformative network TV News.

* Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Car-Free Earth Day All Boros in NYC; Sikh & Persian Day Parades, AIPAD Photography Show, Macy's Flower Show, International Auto Show, Ibsen's Ghosts & Buena Vista Social Club Continue in Manhattan; Astoria Multi-Cultural Festival, Thai New Year at Qns Boro Hall & Climate Arts Fest at the Botanical Garden in Queens; Tastes of BedStuy, FAD Earth Day Market & Luna Park Open Weekends on Coney Island Brooklyn; 1st Bronx Night Market of Season at Fordham Plaza, Brady Court Community Event & Mexican Modernism ending at the NYBG in the Bronx; Sri Lankan New Year Fest, St. Andrew Spring Fair & Eid Festival at Snug Harbor on Staten Island

April 25, 2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Sunrise 6.02 am. Sunset 7.46 pm. Daylight Savings Time. We're getting 13 hours & 44 minutes of daylight or four hours and 29 more minutes of sunlight than we were getting the weekend of the Winter Solstice, on December 21, 2024, which is the shortest day of the year at 9 hours and 15 minutes of daylight. Spring began Thursday, March 20, 2025, which is also the Spring Equinox, when the day is 12 hours long - half daylight and half dark.

NYC Weather. There's a sure chance of about a half inch of rain Saturday, mostly in the morning, with a 50% chance of a small amount expected after 2 pm. The rest of the weekend should be dry but cloudy. The temperature highs will be in the mid 60's Friday, dropping to the mid 50's on Saturday and then returning to about 60 on Sunday. The temperature lows will be about 50 on Friday, dropping to about 40 for the rest of the weekend. It's going to be a windy weekend starting on Friday at 10 mph, rising to 17 mph on Saturday and then falling back to 10 mph on Sunday. The humidity will be about 70% on Friday, 80% on Saturday, and falling back into the 65% range on Sunday.

The photo above or at right, was taken earlier this week, at the newly remodeled Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan.

Friday Evening Edition @ 9.30 pm. Mostly done. FYI - three weeks ago we did a major Spring cleaning update to the street fairs and farmers markets to reflect the coming months / season of outdoor activities, which you can find by using the links below. Henceforth we will be updating either weekly or as needed.

Things To Do This Weekend & Next Week in NYC

Saturday, April 26, 2025 from 10 am to 4 pm - NYC DOT Earth Day / Declares 54 Car Free Streets - in all five boroughs of NYC. At various locations around NYC including (locations) in each borough - Bronx (9), Brooklyn (19), Manhattan (16), Queens (8) and Staten Island (2). For details and interactive map of 2025 locations, copy & paste - https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/pedestrians/earthday.shtml

Saturday, June 14, 2025 is the Deadline to Register to Vote in the NYC Primary on June 24th. Applications must be received by the NY Board of Elections to be eligible to vote in this election. As it's a Saturday, we recommend you make sure they get it by Friday, June 13, 2025. The winner of the Democratic primary is almost always the person who becomes Mayor [Giuliani and Bloomberg were exceptions because of Rupert Murdoch's NY Post & Fox News manipulations & Bloomberg's $$$], as 56% of NYC voters identify as Democrat, and about 26% identify as Republican [other sources say these numbers are 48% & 21% respectively].

Upcoming Next Weekend an explosion of events in NYC including the 5 Boro Bike Ride and the Municipal Arts Society's Janes Walk Weekend - use the links below in each borough to see what I'm talking about.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report, as well as other Weekend Things To Do in NYC in April 2025 _ NYC events.

Elizabeth Street Garden in Manhattan

Updated April 5, 2025 vs 4.4.2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

The photo above or at right was taken a couple of weeks ago in the Elizabeth Street Garden in the NoHo neighborhood of Manhattan. They are trying to get the city to preserve the area as a permanent community green space, and to build the proposed 'affordable housing' elsewhere. The city has been threatening to close the garden any day now, but given it's an election year, Adams may wait until after he loses it. We'll have an update of Eric Adams' latest shenanigans later today or over the weekend.

* No Foolin' - Elizabeth Street Garden Event - Tuesday, April 1, 2025

3.31.28 Manhattan _ Just in today, an event tomorrow at 4 pm, to commemorate the garden and its artistic inspirations. This is how they described the event, " ... We are calling on everyone to gather in the Garden tomorrow (Tuesday) at 4 PM to celebrate this special space. We’ll be there for a while, but please try to arrive at 4 PM if you can. We are still in federal court and doing everything we can. At this point, we're taking it day by day. If you're a painter, photographer, poet, or artist who has created something inspired by the Garden, please bring your work. We only ask that it be related to the Garden. We want to show everyone how much Elizabeth Street Garden means to our community and to New York City ...". See related story in the weekend post of 3.28.25 below, next to the E St Garden / Ramones photos. The short story also includes their website url.

* Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Schumer Votes in Favor of Trump & Republicans, Foley Square Protest, Multiple St. Patrick's Day Parades & Pubs, Multiple Holi Celebrations, Trump Budget Cut Protests, Buena Vista Social Club Performances, Cold Sweat at the Players Theatre & on Monday St Pat's Parade in Manhattan; 40 Shades of Green at NY Irish Center, First Look Film Series at MoMI, 3AM Theatre & LPAC Performances in Queens; St. Patrick's Day Parade, Performances of Streetcar Named Desire at BAM in Brooklyn; Bronx Rising Concert, Throggs Neck & Eastchester St. Patrick's Day Parades in & just north of the Bronx; Art Exhibit Opening Reception at the Lighthouse Museum & Federal Govt Budget Cuts Protest at Malliotakis' Office on Staten Island & Charter Revision Committee TBD

Updated March 15, 2025 vs 3.14.25 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Sunrise 7.08 am. Sunset 7.02 pm. Daylight Savings Time. We're getting two hours and 39 minutes more sunlight than we were the weekend of the Winter Solstice on December 21, 2024, which is the shortest day of the year. Spring is next Thursday, March 20, 2025, when sunrise will be at 6.58 am and sunset at 7.08 pm. The true equinox, when we have equal amount of daylight and nighttime actually falls between March 16th and 17th.

NYC Weather. Rain is expected after 6 pm on Sunday, otherwise the weekend is dry. The temperature highs will be in the mid 50's on Friday, the low 50's on Saturday and hitting 60 degrees on Sunday. The temperature lows will rise from the low 40's Friday to the high 40's Saturday to the mid 50's on Sunday. The winds will rise from about 5 mph Friday, to 5 - 10 mph Saturday to 10 - 15 mph Sunday. The humidity will rise from about 50% on Friday to 70% later in the day and then staying around 70% for the rest of the weekend.

In the photo at right is a woman walking along Canal Street a number of weeks ago. I photographed her as I was emerging from the subway beneath the streets. She has a wary look, which likely means she's a seasoned New Yorker, as one must generally stay alert at all times, while moving about the city.

Saturday Early AM Edition @ 2.30 am. Completed the weekend events. Still have a few more events for next week to add sometime later this weekend. Over the next couple of weeks, things to do in NYC really heats up.

• CLICK here to view our report on things to do in March in all five boroughs of NYC 2025 events NYC.

What did Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer just do?

Were you Fully Informed of the Key Facts, Regarding the Continuing Budget Resolution, on the Billionaire-Controlled, Network TV News? Check out BSky.app & Compare to what you Learn from TV News about What's Going on in Washington, D.C.

Updated March 15, 2025 vs 3.14.25 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

An excellent example of billionaire-controlled, Network TV News priorities / manipulations, was on full display this month. An American college student gone missing on Spring break in the Dominican Republic, seemed to get - as much, if not more airtime and 'investigative coverage' - than the budget negotiations between Republicans and Democrats.

TV News 'The' Disinformation Medium. Ask yourself WHY this particular missing college student has become such a HUGE Network TV News story, when 600,000 people go missing in the U.S. every year? Are the billionaire controlled Network News outlets trying to distract their viewers from what's going on in Washington, D.C. by giving the truly important stories less airtime while filling up their broadcasts with sensational horror stories?

The budget negotiations included a huge transfer of federally elected representatives' power [aka your power] from the legislative branch to the executive branch of government, as well as cuts of tens of billions of dollars to previously approved federal programs.

So, ask yourself, which of these news stories is of more concern to you? Which of these stories of more actionable by you? And which of these stories appears to be what might be a tragic human interest story, used by billionaire controlled Network TV News, as a ratings chasing headline / audience distraction?

CLICK here to view the rest of our report on how Chuck Schumer abandons the Democrats [own party], and leads a rebel contingent of Senators including NYS Senator Gillebrand to vote in favor of Trump and the Republicans, on the Continuing Budget Resolution of March 2025.

Choosing the Next NYC Mayor

Eric Adams, Andrew Cuomo, Zohran Mamdani, Brad Lander, Scott Stringer, Jessica Ramos, Zellnor Myrie & Michael Blake

Updated March 1, 2025 vs 2/28/2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC. This report was first published embedded in the WTD.

1) Watch Polls & Funding

I attended what I believe may have been the first Mayoral candidate forum a couple of weeks ago. I haven't yet published my report on it, but hope to do so next week. In the meantime we've been focusing on Mayor Adams, who is still one of the three leading candidates.

Adams slipped to number three [10%] in recent polling [last week], behind Andrew Cuomo [38%] who has not yet announced his candidacy, and Zohran Mamdani [12%]. The only two other candidates above 5% are Brad Lander [7%] and Scott Stringer [5%].

At present, Adams and Lander, both of whom are funded by the real estate developer and investment communities, are leading with cash on hand, with over $3 million apiece. But that doesn't tell the whole tale, as NYC Mayoral wild card Zohran Mamdani qualified for matching funds last week. The matching funds raised Mamdani's funding to $2.8 million. Given Mamdani raised it from 55,000 people, is impressive - and perhaps more importantly - he has momentum, which none of the other candidates have. And unlike Andrew Cuomo who stepped down as NYS Governor because of sexual harassment complaints, Mamdani has little baggage. Cuomo's other big baggage includes both the CoVid Nursing Home scandal and Albany Corruption scandal.

The Democratic NYC Mayoral primary is June 24, 2025. Be sure to register and absentee vote if you won't be here.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report on the NYC Mayoral Race 2025 including Eric Adams, Andrew Cuomo, Zohran Mamdani, Brad Lander, Scott Stringer, Jessica Ramos, Zellnor Myrie & Michael Blake.

Is Eric Adams Using the Power of the Mayor's Office to Protect his Personal Interests, instead of Using the Power in Pursuit of the Public's Interests?

February 21, 2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC. This report was first published embedded in the WTD.

This was quite a week for Mayor Eric Adams. Starting a week ago, on Thursday, February 13, 2025, SEVEN U.S. Department of Justice attorneys decided to hand in their resignations, rather than file a motion to drop the corruption case of the United States against Eric Adams.

Eric Adams was indicted on federal corruption charges, which according to a February 15, 2025 report by the BBC include,

" ...  five separate criminal counts, including "conspiracy to commit wire fraud, federal program bribery, and to receive campaign contributions by foreign nationals", wire fraud, two counts of solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national and bribery ...".

In resigning, the now former U.S. Attorney Hagan Scotten wrote,

" ... If no lawyer within earshot of the President is willing to give him that advice [not to withdraw the case], then I expect you will eventually find someone who is enough of a fool, or enough of a coward, to file your motion ...".

The U.S. Attorneys were asked to file the motion to withdraw the case by acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove. Apparently, U.S. Attorney Edward Sullivan stepped up to file the motion, but not because he was a fool or a coward, but rather reportedly to spare the firings of many of the other attorneys in the Public Integrity section of the Department of Justice [DOJ] where the case and subsequent motion were filed.

A Sad Litany of Events Reveals Both Adams' and Trump's Lack of Integrity

Trump Tries to Withdraw Adams Case without Prejudice. So, consider this, these seven highly paid professional U.S. federal prosecutors forfeited their income and their positions, because they refused to follow the orders of Trump's Acting Deputy Attorney General, Emil Bove, who apparently was instructed by Trump to withdraw the case without prejudice.

This is an important detail [withdrawing without prejudice], because to withdraw the case without prejudice means that Trump's Department of Justice [aka DOJ] wants to, " ... terminate [the] case, allowing the plaintiff [the DOJ] to refile the claim in the future. This [kind of] dismissal is not an adjudication on the merits, meaning the court has not addressed the substantive issues [and] ... It often arises from procedural or technical deficiencies, such as improper service of process or lack of jurisdiction ...". So, this begs the following question.

• CLICK here to read more about seemingly corrupt and dishonest leadership in NYC and USA - Mayor Eric Adams and President Donald J. Trump.

The Two-Faces of Eric Adams

Adams Reportedly Exploring a Mayoral Run on the Republican Ballot

February 14, 2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC. This report was first published embedded in the WTD.

Law Enforcer or Law Breaker? Well, it seems we're beginning to uncover all of the deceptive masks Eric Adams has been wearing most of his adult life. He went from being a member of the NYPD to allegedly being a criminal of an unknown degree - because he sought a pardon, even before he went to court.

Democrat or Republican? In the late 1990's Eric Adams became a Republican, then switched [back] to becoming a Democrat in early 2000. He's now reportedly exploring a second bid for Mayor, possibly as a Republican, given how badly he has alienated the Democrats who voted for him in the last election.

To show how quickly things are unraveling for Eric Adams, consider this. The Reverend Al Sharpton, one of Adams strongest supporters, criticized the Department of Justice for trying to drop the case against Adams. As recently as MLK Day [January 20th, 2025], Sharpton wanted Adams to attend an MLK event in NYC. But Adams ditched his pre-scheduled MLK events in NYC to attend Trump's Inauguration in Washington, D.C.

In the graphic above or at right is a smiling Eric Adams, who according to the headline is reportedly exploring a mayoral run on the Republican party ballot.

While Adams may have disappointed a lot of moderate voters with his City of Yes zoning law changes, he has greatly pleased the very wealthy real estate industry investors and developers who have funded his campaigns and legal bills. With their funding, Adams may be able to flood the media airwaves with enough paid narratives about who he is and what he has done, to make a credible second run - even as a Republican.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report on the Two Faces of Eric Adams - Getting Stuff Done for the Billionaires who have funded his campaigns and legal bills.

Why Isn't TV News Talking About the Real Reason for American Budget Deficits & Debt?

Which are the Huge Republican Tax Cuts for Billionaires that Started with Ronald Reagan in the 1980's, Continued with George W. Bush in the 00's and got a Huge Third Boost from Trump in 2017

February 14, 2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC. This report was first published embedded in the WTD.

Why aren't the billionaire controlled TV networks talking about WHY Trump is cutting so many people and other resources from the federal government? Why are they aiding and abetting the unsubstantiated, and hence to date false, narratives that Trump and Musk are cutting fat, bureaucracy and corruption.

Why are they failing to inform the nation that a lot of the federal government programs that are being cut are dedicated to helping people stay healthy and safe, elevate themselves, and achieve the American Dream? The priority targeted departments that Trump / Musk are trying to cut enable Americans to stay healthy, get a good education and avoid being ripped off by nefarious financial institutions. These categories appear to be the priority targeted cuts announced so far.

To date Trump has signed and announced nearly 100 Executive Orders - some of which appear to be illegal - and are being contested in the courts. Among the Executive Orders are some, that are cutting programs designed to help people stay healthy, get a good education and avoid abuse by financial firms. Here are just a few of them.

Trump announced that the U.S. is exiting from the World Health Organization [WHO - helps manage global disease breakouts], cuttingthe budgets of the National Institute of Health [NIH - health / scientific research] and cutting the Center for Disease Control [CDC], without doing some sort of in-depth analysis first. Trump announced he's cutting most of the Department of Education. And he's announced he's going to try to cut the entire Consumer Financial Protection Bureau [CFPB].

As we saw in this last election, TV News fails to do an effective job of informing / educating Americans. In the election they failed to inform Americans about the state of the economy [good] and currently they are failing to inform Americans as to why these federal agencies and departments perform important functions that help keep America the promised land, by protecting our collective health, investing in our nation's education / future and protecting consumers from financial abuse.

TV Network News doesn't say a single word about why Trump / Musk are REALLY cutting so many federal government services so quickly.

• CLICK here for the answer to the question above as well as for the rest of our report on Why isn't TV News Talking About the Real Reason for American Budget Deficits & Debt?

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Eric Adams & Donald Trump; Lunar New Year Fair & Lion Dance in / near Chinatown, BIPOC Dance Residency Try Outs, Buried Beneath the City, Final Weekend for Edges of Ailey at the Whitney in Manhattan; Brooklyn Wine Fest & Rachel Wren Art Opening Party at the Shirley Project in Brooklyn; Last Weekend of the Triborough Film Festival in Astoria, Modern Dance & Blarney Concert in LIC in Queens; Chocolate & Wine at the Bartow Pell Mansion, MLB Yankee Stadium Tours & Next Week Ponce Bank Small Business Boot Camp in the Bronx; Lighthouses are for Lovers at Francesco's & Galentines Day at Casa Belvedere on Staten Island. Work in Progress 2025 Year Round Indoor & Outdoor Markets and Some Open Calls

February 7, 2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. Sunrise 7 am. Sunset 5.20 pm. We're getting an hour and five more minutes of sunlight than we were the weekend of the Winter solstice in late December. Spring Forward Daylight Savings Time is Sunday, March 9th, 2025 - only four weeks away.

Saturday evening we're expecting about 5 inches of snow between the hours of 6 pm and Sunday 8 am. The temperature highs will hit 40 on Friday before descending into the mid 30's the rest of the weekend. The temperature lows will remain between 25 and 30 degrees all weekend. The humidity will range from 30% - 40% Friday, rising from 30% to 70% on Saturday, before tapering off between 50% - 60% on Sunday. The winds will be 10 - 15 mph Friday, falling to 5 - 10 mph for the rest of the weekend.

The photo at right was taken at the Georges Berges Gallery at 462 West Broadway [at Houston] in SoHo a couple of weeks ago. There's a group show, entitled Tarot, at the gallery, which runs through February 28th, and it's well worth a visit. The images in the painting change when you move.

Friday Evening Edition 11.15 pm. Done with this Weekend report so you're good to go. Some related work in progress should finally commence con brio this weekend.

CLICK here for things to do this weekend in February in all five boroughs of NYC 2025 events NYC.

New Years Resolutions 2025: The Road Ahead

A Few Axioms To Keep In Mind Throughout The New Year

January 1, 2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Holidays / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

For all of us, today starts the beginning of a new year. It's an opportunity to start anew. And even if we don't fulfill our highest expectations, moving the needle in the right direction, is always a good thing.

The rest of this report is about some of the things you can do personally to make 2025 a better year for you.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report on New Years Resolutions 2025 - The Road Ahead.

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year Weekend with Holiday Markets, Holiday Events & NYE Parties - are Some of the Top Things to do this Weekend & Next Weekend in NYC

December 26, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. Sunrise 7.18 am. Sunset 4.35 pm. For the first time since June, the days are starting to get longer. We're up 2 minutes of sunlight versus last week.

It looks to be a rainy weekend, on both Saturday [1/3 inch] and Sunday [over 3/4 inch]. There are bound to be plenty of times, during both days, when there's little rain falling; so be brave, and don't let a little water stop you from enjoying your precious time with family and friends.

The temperature highs will rise from about 30 on Thursday, to 34 on Friday, 44 on Saturday, and into the low 50's on Sunday. The temperature lows will rise from the mid teens on Thursday, to the high 20's on Friday, into the low 40's on Saturday and Sunday. The winds will range from 5 - 7 mph on Thursday and Friday, kicking up to 5 - 10 mph Saturday and then again up to 15 mph on Sunday. It's going to be a humid weekend ranging from 70% on Thursday up to 90% on Sunday. These temperature statistics are unusually high for this time of year versus historical norms.

The photo at right, taken in Sunnyside Queens a year ago this week, shows an example of the holiday home decorations one can find in the five boroughs of NYC.

This weekend use the links below to find holiday events, holiday markets and look for things to do over the New Years Eve weekend. We'll be updating the NYE pages over the weekend.

• CLICK here to view the rest of our report about things to do Christmas / New Year week in NYC - Events NYC the last week of December.

City of Yes Passes by a Vote of 31 - 20

Stephen Ross, REBNY Members & the Adams Family Won & NYC Lost

December 6, 2024 / NYC Real Estate & Business / NYC Government & Politics / City of Yes Special Section / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz.

The City of Yes for Housing Opportunities bill passed yesterday afternoon / evening in the City Council Chambers at City Hall. The City of Yes or NYC Municipal Legislative Bill - L.U. 181 & Res 689 - App. N 240290 ZRY (City of Yes Zoning for Housing Opportunity) amendment of the Zoning Resolution of the City of New York, modifying multiple Sections to expand opportunities for housing within all zoning districts, Citywide. *

The photo snapshot at right shows the NYC Council voting on the City of Yes.

City of Yes [Wo]Men - Roll Call Vote Tally 31-20

Voting For the City of Yes Members. Carlina Rivera District 2, Eric Bottcher District 3, Keith Powers District 4, Julie Menin District 5, Gale Brewer M District 6, Shaun Abreu District 7, Diana Ayala District 8, Yusef Salaam M District 9, Carmen De La Rosa M District 10, Kevin Riley Bx District 12, Pierina Ana Sanchez District 14, Oswald Feliz District 15, Althea Stevens District 16, Rafael Salamanca Bx District 17, Amanda Farias District 18, Francisco Moya Q District 21, Tiffany Caban Q District 22, Shekar Krishnan Q District 25, Julie Won Q District 26, Nantasha Williams Q District 27, Speaker Adrienne Adams Q District 28, Selvena N. Brooks-Powers Q District 31, Lincoln Restler District 33, Jennifer Gutierrez District 34, Crystal Hudson District 35, Chi Osse District 36, Sandy Nurse District 37, Alexa Aviles District 38, Shahana Hanif District 39, Rita Joseph District 40, Justin Brannan Bk District 47.

Pay attention to the delineation of NYC Council members by the boroughs noted above by letters. Speaker Adrienne Adams delivered enough Queens council member votes (7) in favor of the legislation, which had they voted as their Community Boards did, would have killed the City of Yes bill.

Did Adrienne Adams and these NYC Council members betray the people of Queens they were elected to represent? Well, if so, keep in mind they are up for re-election in June 2025. So please educate yourself, fact check the statements made herein by using the power of the internet, and then after you've done enough research to know what's true, start spreading the news and get behind people who will represent you, the voters, not the big money that funded their campaigns.

Voting in the Negative. Joann Ariola District 32, Chris Banks District 42, Joseph C. Borelli District 51, David Carr District 50, Eric Dinowitz District 11, James Gennaro District 24, Kamillah Hanks District 49, Robert Holden District 30, Linda Lee District 23, Farah N. Louis District 45, Kristy Marmorato District 13, Christopher Marte District 1, Diane Mealy District 41, Mercedes Narcisse District 46, Vickie Paladino District 19, Lynn Schulman District 29, Sandra Ung District 20, Inna Vernikov District 48, Kalmar Yeger District 44, Susan Zhuang District 43.

We will keep this roll call of the vote on our site indefinitely in the City of Yes Special Report Section, because you, the voters, can use it as one benchmark vote, that helps you understand who is representing you, and how they are representing you. This becomes particularly important as there is the Democratic Primary in June 24, 2025 and the general election is November 4, 2025. Almost all of the elections are decided in the June primary because 56% of NYC is Democratic and only 26% is Republican. The remaining 18% are independent.

* Editor's Note.  The summary of the bill leaves out the part about the NYC Council members forfeiting their power, and because they represent us, they are forfeiting our power and legal rights to weigh in on new developments in our neighborhoods.  The summary also leaves out the part where by rushed passage of the 1,388 bill, the real estate developers and international investors can harvest a huge amount of tax abatements for 'affordable housing' that would be 'affordable' to individuals making up to $141,000 and a family of three making up to $183,00 per year or making rental payments of $4575 per month.  And the summary leaves out the part about the negotiated deal, wherein how Eric Adams is going to miraculously fund the $4 billion, that magically appeared just by Eric Adams promising it, after Eric Adams tried to cut $100 million from the budgets of public schools in January 2024 and cut $22 million from the budget for public libraries as recently as November 2023.  Adams promise of $4 billion is just that, and only that - a promise - as it is NOT IN THE BUDGET. And we all know the value of a politician's promise, especially when it's made by someone like Eric Adams, who has a documented history of lying, and is managing a tight budget that doesn't have $4 billion of funding lying around. He's going to have to take that funding from other places like public schools, public libraries and the NYPD.

Stats & Facts Missing in the City of Yes Proposal

Have Mayor Adams & Daniel Garodnick been Selling Us 108,000 Units of Hooey?

November 12, 2024 / NYC Government & Politics / NYC Real Estate & Business / News & Analysis / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Adams Administration Fails to Provide Straight Answers Two Very Specific & Very Basic Questions - 1) How Many Affordable Housing Units Guaranteed by Passage of this Legislation & 2) a) What Size Units, b) at What 'Affordable' Price and c) in What Borough?

What 'Affordable' Housing Guarantees? It is being sold as a cure-all for NYC's housing crisis, yet when I asked the Adams Administration Department of Planning how many units of affordable housing would we be guaranteed by passage of this legislation, the answer that came back to me was a long-winded form of 'none'.

I'll say this again - No 'affordable' housing units are guaranteed by passage of the City of Yes legislation.

What Size Apartment, at What Price & in What Borough? When I asked the Adams Administration's Department of City Planning to provide me with details of how many units of affordable housing would be built, at what 'affordable' price, for what size apartment, and in what borough - I again received another round-about answer via a link they sent me, to one of their selling pitches on a website, where I found no specifics related to the question above.

Let me say this again - No description of what sized units, at what 'affordable' price and in what borough. I found this hard to believe, since for the past year Mayor Adams and Daniel Garodnick of the Department of City Planning have been publicly selling this legislation, by promising it will result in over 108,000 new units of 'affordable' housing being built.

My papa once told me, "No proof. No sale."

Or as the 1980's Reagan commercial asked, "where's the beef?". In this case 'beef' = 'affordable housing'.

Click this link for holiday parties, party venues, party halls and catering halls in Jackson Heights Queens NYC.

Squeaky Chairs And Stubborn Hearts: The City Of Yes Hearing

Delayed Post _ October 24, 2024 / NYC Government & Politics / NYC Real Estate & Business / News & Analysis / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Editor's Note. We're publishing this two and a half weeks after the fact, as the 2024 federal elections consumed our time and attention. But it has come time again to refocus our attention on one of the most important legislative efforts in decades, which is working its way through the NYC Council, in what appears to be a major effort by international investors, developers and billionaires - aided and abetted by Mayor Adams and the Department of City Planning - to strip away a lot of local voters' rights to make meaningful comments about any new real estate developments or major construction efforts proposed in ALL NYC neighborhoods. The bill is expected to come up for a vote before the end of the year, and possibly as soon as this month.

By Layla Law-Gisiko, President of the City Club of New York.

Another epic hearing wrapped up Tuesday evening [10.22.24], a few minutes short of midnight. This was the grand finale of public hearings on the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity. At 9:37 AM, Council Member Kevin Riley, chair of the Subcommittee on Zoning and Variances, called the hearing to order. He solemnly announced that over 600 people had registered to speak.

In the course of the long day, approximately 320 people spoke. Though the split between supporters and opponents was fairly even, the strong presence of special interests and developers highlighted that most regular New Yorkers opposed the proposal.

When the doors of the City Council chamber opened at 9 AM, the room quickly filled, as the public bravely endured the torment of those infamous plastic squeaky chairs—perfectly designed to make you question all your life choices.

They could have enjoyed glorious fall weather and comfortable seating, but New Yorkers took time off their busy schedules to speak up. Renters, homeowners, public housing tenants, and SRO residents—New Yorkers from all walks of life and from all boroughs— voiced their fears about why they believe the plan will fall short of its promises and will hurt them. Overall, the mood was serious, and at times even anxious. New Yorkers expressed fear of displacement and gentrification, fear of a city ever more driven by real estate profit, fear of deregulation in the name of a laudable goal that many fear the proposal will never reach.

• CLICK here to view the rest of our report on the NYC Council City of Yes hearing on Zoning Text Amendment Changes.

Election Day 2024 is Here - Please Vote

Tuesday, November 5, 2024 from 6 am to 9 pm - Election / Voting - please do your civic duty and go vote. For details see - https://www.nycvotes.org.

How Believable is Donald Trump's Denial he's not Behind Project 2025?

Quick & Dirty Review of What Trump & Elon Appear to be Planning - Especially #2 & 5

November 3, 2024 / U.S. Government & Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz.

Project 2025 was put together by a group, of very conservative, right wing groups working in concert. This includes, according to a CNN report, 140 Trump affiliates, of which more than a dozen played some role in the first Trump Administration.

To see this yourself, visit https://www.project2025.org.

1. They say they want to secure the border, but when a bi-partisan bill was generally agreed upon by both parties in both houses and ready to be passed into legislation, they / Trump nixed it, so Trump could use it as a campaign issue against Joe Biden. This is just a gimmick, because if they really wanted it, they could have had it over six months ago. As for deporting over 10 million immigrants who are already here ... think long and hard about what that looks and feels like - not just here, but abroad. It will probably look and feel a bit like the Nazis rounding up the Jews, back in the 1930's.

This is a nation of immigrants, and we should be happy that so many people are willing to pick up, and move themselves, to live and work here. In 2023 the U.S. had a population growth of just 1.2%, so we need immigrants to help power the labor force, help pay our retirements, and help pay our national debt. When we no longer look like a destination to move peoples' lives to, we're going to be in big trouble. And deporting over 10 million people, many of whom grew up here, really isn't thinking this thing through.

2. They want to 'de-weaponize the Federal Government by increasing accountability and oversight' of the FBI and Justice Department. Both agencies are already managed by the Executive Branch of government, and monitored and funded by the Senate and Congress. Specifically, the Senate and House both hold hearings, review agency policies, monitor agency enforcement, oversee agency functions, and perhaps most importantly is that they have the power of the purse in terms of reviewing appropriations. So the question here is - TO WHOM - do they want to make them accountable? The answer is to the very rich people who are supporting Trump, like Elon Musk.

It appears to me that they should reword this demand to reflect what they really want, which is to defang / cripple federal law enforcement.

3. Unleash American energy and reduce American energy prices. This is their way of saying 'drill baby, drill'. They don't want more clean energy, they want more dirty energy, by deregulating the oil industry, What we should be doing is taxing this cash cow [fossil fuels] out of existence, and refunneling the higher taxes into clean energy incentives, to accelerate the transition to powering society cleanly, before we run down the clock and it's too late.

4. 'Cut the growth of the federal government to reduce inflation'. First take note that the last time Donald Trump was president, he significantly increased government spending, and super-sized the national debt from $20 trillion to $28 trillon - breaking all records by a landslide. So quite frankly, this is simply not believable.

What makes this statement even more of a lie is that the inflation they plan to reduce is currently running at 2.1%, which isn't much different from the Federal Reserve's target rate of 2.0%. So maybe they want to take credit for reducing inflation, but reducing inflation any more than the Biden Administration already has would probably not be good, as 2% is the Federal Reserve's target rate for a smooth running economy.

Also recognize that inflation was a worldwide phenomenon caused by the pandemic, because worldwide production slowed / stopped for CoVid. Consumers and businesses began to bid up the prices of the things that had already been produced that were available, because they didn't know when production would resume. And after production recommenced, then the international shipping carriers and ports had to catch up on the back orders. Today, all of that has long been sorted out, which is why current inflation, using last month's reading was 2.1%. Again, not believable.

5. Make the bureaucrats more responsible to the President and Congress. They already are.

But this is where the hard right and Elon Musk, emasculate the federal government and make it work for them, and them only. Pushing the pain and hardship as far as the American people will tolerate, without rising up and taking to the streets in rebellion.

I don't have time to do #6 and #7, which are [#6] to move control and funding of education to the states [Education of a society is very complicated, so I haven't the time to properly address this, but local governments and states are already mostly in charge of education, and the Federal Government incentivizes programs and curricula they think are in the national interest [like math & science] which local schools may or may not participate in], and [#7] ban biological males from competing in women's sports [don't know enough about this, except to say that local institutions, if they clearly define who may participate on sports teams, should be able to manage this issue. This as a major point of Project 2025 vis-a-vis the other points, seems more designed to be an attack on the hot button issue of gender identity].

• CLICK here to view the rest of our report on How Believable is Donald Trump's Denial he's not Behind Project 2025?

The Brain-Dead, Kiddie-Hosted, TV News

They Televise Musk Giving Out Millions of Dollars, & None Ask Why

October 31, 2024 / U.S. Government & Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz.

Background Regarding the Crumbling News Foundation, Upon which TV News Once Relied

If you've been reading my work, especially in recent times, you'll notice how increasingly frustrated I have become with TV News. If you want to know why America doesn't seem quite right, it's because the TV folks rarely seem to do any real reporting. In times gone by, the real reporting was done by the journalists working for the newspapers, and then the TV newspeople essentially rewrote and then reread the newspaper journalists' work on air.

Newspapers have been decimated by the search engines, specifically Google, undermining the newspaper business models, by using newspapers' content to create a really wonderful apparatus - internet search. But the problem is that the technologists reap most of the advertising revenue, and virtually all of the profit, so that most newspapers can scarcely afford to do much real news anymore, because their staffs are being cut, and they can't invest in real journalism, which costs money.

Fast Forward to the State of Modern TV News Rooms Today

TV News used to generate much larger audiences, and hence ratings and revenue, than they do today. This is because most folks are spending far more time on their cell phones or on their computers, and thus watching far less TV. Part of the reason is the new technologies, but ...

But the other part of the equation is that the content on TV has growing incredibly old and stale. You can probably find as much content on TV today that was created in the 1950's, 1960's, 1970's, 1980's and 1990's as you can find content created in the first quarter century of this millenium. And moreover, most of the content created for TV in this millenium are those super cheap-to-produce games shows, that some segment of the population has the time, interest and / or boredom to watch. And a lot of the rest of the content produced today is either hospital or law enforcement shows, which really narrows the field in terms of viewing options, if you're interested in anything else.

Back to TV News. If you read our reporting on government and politics the past few months, or over the years, we are constantly in pursuit of the back story. Unfortunately, TV News which reaches a far larger audience than we do, make their living reciting headlines, which is not the same as reporting the news. This brings me to telling you why I'm writing this report.

The Real Swamp & The Real Story of Trump and Musk & Why They 'Need' to Win

Musk Didn't Think Trump was the 'Right Guy' in 2016 & Trump Called Musk a "Bullsh@t Artist"

It takes one to know one.

Back then, they were both right. But things have changed. At present both have a common interest in social media and in that business their respective fortunes seem somewhat aligned, as they are both seek to attract the white uneducated males in our country, to whom they have been feeding misinformation and propaganda, as if it were real news. And while financially, that business model doesn't appear to be working, perhaps they can make it work by getting Trump elected.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report on what seems Putin's role in why Elon Musk is trying to help Trump win election 2024.

Get it While it's Hot - 'Affordable Housing' Lottery in LIC

150 'Affordable Housing' Units Available for Folks w/ Incomes of 'Only' $99K to $250K

October 23, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Real Estate & Business / Gotham Buzz NYC.

'Better hurry' to participate in this 'affordable housing' lottery for apartments in the Jasper at 49-20 5th Street in Long Island City, Queens. Studios are renting for the 'low, low price' of $2,900 per month and two bedroom apartments are a 'steal' at only $4,400 per month.

To qualify you 'only' need to be earning between $99,000 and $250,000 per year. These annual incomes, which are an eligibility requirement, are only 'slightly' higher [+50% to +291%] than the median NYC salary of $64,000 per year.

But don't worrry, if you miss this 'great' opportunity for 'affordable housing', because the real estate developers, real estate investors, billionaires, property owners and Mayor Adams, are pushing hard to get through the City of Yes Zoning Law changes, which will provide huge tax breaks to investors, billioinaires and real estate developers to make even more of this kind of 'affordable housing' available all over NYC.

Isn't that 'exciting'? It looks like more 'affordable housing' is finally on its way ...

See related stories below and in our City of Yes Special Report section on Gotham Buzz.

And you still have time to be heard by the NY City Council regarding your opinion of the City of Yes. Written Testimony is accepted for 72 hours after the hearing that was held Tuesday 10.22.24. Use this email address to send them your opinions - landusetestimony@council.nyc.gov. I believe the comment period expires at the close of business on Friday 10.25.24.

Trump Presidency Deficits Cost Each American Household $62,000

Trump Talks about how Great the Economy was While he was President

What he and Network TV Nothingness News don't talk about, are the Deficits he Incurred to Fuel Spending

October 22, 2024 / Government & Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

The graphic at right shows your household share of the debt racked up by the federal government while Trump and the Republicans were in charge.

Trump Breaks Record for the Greatest Deficits in American History

Donald Trump keeps heralding the economy during his presidency 2016 - 2020, but what he doesn't talk about is how he put each household in America on the hook for $62,000 within just four years, or $23,188 per person. We know the Billionaires received that and then some via the 2017 tax cut, but most of the rest of us received pennies on the dollar - at best.

So why haven't the TV Networks newspeople talked about this or questioned Trump or Vance about this? Trump and Vance are both Republicans, and much of this debt was incurred while Republicans also controlled both the Senate and House. The Trump presidency $8 trillion deficit incurred within four years, was equal to 40% of all debt accumulated [and still on the books] by America's 44 previous presidents in the prior 225 years of the nation's existence.

The graphic at right shows the federal government debt trendline ending at the end of the Trump Administration.

Trump Calls for the FCC to Revoke TV News Licenses - I Agree, but for Different Reasons

So why aren't the TV Networks newspeople informing the American public and telling people about this when the subject of the 'Trump Economy' arises?

Probably because they are too busy looking in people's backyards in Springfield, Ohio for non-existent bones of the dogs and cats that Trump told their TV audience were eaten by Haitian immigrants. Or because they just had to cover the Donald doing a photo op flipping burgers at a McDonald's, propagandistically showing he's a working man. Or because they've buried their ostrich heads so far in the ground that they can't get them out when it really matters. They've taken the nation along with them into the black hole of nothing-newsworthy-news.

Trump has repeatedly suggested that the FCC licenses of TV News should be revoked. While his reasons are that they didn't give him a sycophantic, slatheringly obsequious interview; one of my reasons is that they have been failing the American public for decades, by not presenting real news, and also when they do, it's not done in a fair and balanced manner.

But my primary reason is that they are not owned by, nor do they represent, the various demographic groups / voices in the nation. Like their news coverage, they put a glossy shine on the appearance of representation, just as they pretend to do real journalism; but when you scratch the surface, it becomes very apparent, that just as it's not real journalism, their broadcasts do not give voice to the various demographic groups within the country.

I think we may be on a roll until election day.

How Corrupt is the 'City of Yes' Zoning Legislation?

Proposed Massive Overhaul of Zoning Regulations Strips Power from Local Communities and Neighborhoods & Transfers it to Wealthy & Super Rich International, National & NYC Real Estate Developers & Investors

Updated September 24, 2024 & began February 21, 2024 / NYC Real Estate & Business / City of Yes Special Report Section / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Government & Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz.

The 'City of Yes' - By, for and of, the Billionaire Investors & Real Estate Developers

This section contains the reporting we've been doing on the proposed City of Yes legislation. The City of Yes legislation appears, in essence, to be a major effort by Mayor Adams to have New Yorkers almost completely give up their power vis-a-vis having any kind of say with respect to real estate development in their neighborhoods and communities. The power is transferred to the Mayor's Office & NYC Department of Planning which is controlled by the Mayor, as well as to the billionaires, international investors & wealthy real estate developers - many of whom have contributed generously to the Mayor's election campaigns and legal defense fund, and appear to be continuing to do so. If this doesn't look right, then you're seeing what I'm seeing.

Is Mayor Adams Selling New York Out from Under Our Feet?

The City of Yes legislation seems a complete capitulation to the billionaires and real estate developers interests. In fact they are the ones who put together the 1366 page legislation. Given Mayor Adam's other ethical and legal problems, it is very troublesome that many of the same folks who will benefit significantly from the passing of this legislation, are also major contributors to the Mayor's - and also many City Councilmembers' - re-election bids / campaigns. It's time to pay attention, because this matters and with the election coming up, you can do something about it.

It's an Election Year - Pay Attention to What the NY City Council does

Mayor Adams isn't the only Mayoral candidate taking wealthy real estate developers' and billionaire property investors' cash, which oftentimes contain invisible strings that seem to be used to manipulate what gets done at City Hall ... like the City of Yes legislation appears to be.

Pay attention to whether any of the candidates running this election cycle, have the courage and integrity to call out this legislation for what it appears to be - a sell out of the masses of New Yorkers by their elected representatives - to the wealthy and super rich people who fund their campaigns.

Democracy only works if 'We The People' pay attention to who is who, and what they do, before we vote.

Unfortunately, you're not likely to be informed about this by the TV news teleprompter readers, who recite lullabies, while showing NYPD crime and social media accident videos, instead of reporting the news. Even on their best days, the TV teleprompter readers barely scratch the surface of what's really going on in this city - and on those rare occasions when they do - they seem oblivious to it.

Is the 'City of Yes' the Mayor's [and City Councils?] Quid Pro Quo?

What follows below are the reports we've done to date on the City of Yes - a nearly complete overhaul of New York City's zoning regulations.

More reports to follow, as time and resource allow.

Coney Island - Final Fireworks of the Summer 2024

August 30, 2024 / Coney Island / Brooklyn / Brooklyn BLVD.

On Friday night, the final fireworks show by the Alliance for Coney Island, started around 10 pm on the Reigelmann Boardwalk just east of the Steeple Chase Tower and adjacent to the Luna Amusement Park. It was a comfortable evening, with a slight, cool breeze coming in off the water. There were hundreds of spectators who came to see the show and enjoy an end of the summer ride and snacks at Luna Park. I shot the 10 - 15 minute show from various locations around the Boardwalk, water and Luna Park and then edited it down to about 2 - 3 minutes, ending with a bit of island music. Enjoy the show.

TXT to GB 540

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Last MoMA Summer Sounds Concert & Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit Closed in Manhattan; Oracabessa Festival, Rockaway Beach Music Series, U.S. Open, Sri Krishna Janmashtami, Queens Boro Dance Festival & Queens Jazz Trail Concert in Queens; West Indian American Day Parade & J'ouvert, Battle of Brooklyn, 24th Street Festival and Coney Island Fireworks in Brooklyn; Latin Foto Festival in Hunts Point, Bronx Writers' History at the Bronx Historical Society and Orchard Beach in the Bronx; and Do Portugal Circus at Staten Island Mall, the British are Coming & the Richmond County Fair on Staten Island

August 30, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analytis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather Forecast as of 8.30.24. Sunrise 6.20 am & Sunset at 7.31 pm. Some rain expected Saturday night and early Sunday morning, so it should be a good weekend. Temperatures in the 80's during the day and 70's at night. A gentle breeze and humidity climbs gradually during the weekend, falling again on Monday.

In the photo at right, is one of Historic Richmond Town's finest citizens, doing his thing in the woodwork shop. The man reminded me of, Geppetto, the kind and fatherly woodcarver who created Pinocchio, the fictitious wooden puppet who comes alive.

Saturday 8.31.24 Final Weekend Edition @ 11.45 am. All done. Looks to be a fair weather weekend with plenty of fun things to do as the unofficial end of the summer arrives. Enjoy your three day / end of summer weekend. Fall events to follow in September.

Things To Do This Weekend in New York City

Saturday, May 25 - September 8, 2024 from 10 am to 6 pm - NYC Beaches and public swimming pools are Open all Summer.

• CLICK here to view our weekly reports about things to do each weekend in August in all five boroughs of NYC.

* How Dense are the Self-Defeating, Biden-Denying, Democrats?

Why aren't Democrats Promoting the 'Biden Team' Accomplishments, instead of Undermining the Top of their Ticket?

Updated July 19, 2024 vs 7.18.24 / National Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz.

Democratic Leadership Deeply Disappoints - Schumer & Jeffries et al

I am very disappointed in the behavior of the Democratic Leadership, including U.S. Senate Majority Leader (D-NY) Chuck Schumer, U.S. Congressional Minority Leader (D-NY) Hakeem Jeffries, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) for making public their calling for Biden to step down, right in the middle of the presidential race.  Note that these Democrats are - like the corporate mass media - urban and bicoastal - not from the Midwest / heartland / swing states.

A day after first posting this, a friend sent along a political cartoon published in The Week [shown at right]. It seems to capture the sentiment expressed above pretty well and shows all of the above named Democrats seated in the train, mentioned in order, from right to left.

Lincoln Said "It's Foolish to Change Horses in the Middle of a Race"

There's an old adage that goes something like this, "never change horses in the middle of the race".  That quote is attributed to President Abraham Lincoln, who is said to have used it to persuade voters to re-elect him, rationalizing that, "... it would be foolish to change leaders in such a turbulent time ...". It seems the same wise advice has some relevance to today.

Since both Biden and Trump became their parties' presumptive presidential nominees on 'Super' Tuesday, March 12, 2024, the presidential race began that day.  And since election day is approximately eight months later, on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, we have already passed the midway mark for this presidential race, which ends only three and a half months from now.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report on How Dense are the Self-Defeating, Biden-Denying Democrats.

Cable TV's Knucklehead News

CNN's SuperFantastic Debate Fiasco

The CNN Presidential TV Debate Between President Joe Biden & "Former" President Donald Trump Showcased how Disinformative Modern TV News can be, Particularly When Moderated by Anchors who Don't Seem to Know Who the Current President is

June 27, 2024 vs 6.21.24 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

I was horrified Thursday night, as I watched the CNN TV debate unfold between President Joe Biden and 'FORMER' President Donald Trump. Not only because of Joe Biden's performance, but even more so because of CNN's performance, including Jake Tapper's and Dana Bash's mega journalistic failure, for moderating a show, advertised as news [which is supposed to be about facts], that disinformed their TV audience.

Improper Sound Set Up - CNN Technical Failure?

The horrors started with the sound [wo]man's failure to properly amp or set up Joe Biden's microphone so that it properly projected his soft spoken voice at a level audible to the TV viewing public. I had to ratchet up the volume on my TV to twice the level I normally use, to hear what President Biden was saying.

No Fact Checking the Biggest Liar in Presidential History? Only on TV 'News'

Then there's the incredible failure by the TV anchors to properly moderate the debate. First of all they should NEVER have agreed to moderating a debate where fact checking was not a part of the process. I mean really, how can CNN look itself in the mirror tomorrow morning and tell everyone they are a news organization, when facts don't matter in of all things, a Presidential Debate?

And then add to that, that one of the candidates is known to be one of the biggest liars on the planet. According to a January 24, 2021 Washington Post report, they noted that Donald Trump had lied 30,573 different times, in the four years he was president.

Former President Trump went off on some of his predictable mendacious campaign tirades, about January 6th, abortion, immigration, the economy ... and pretty much everything else - without any corrections - save from President Biden, who quite frankly, in part because of his stutter, and in part because it was difficult to hear him, didn't do a very good job.

• CLICK here to read our report on CNN's News Failure on the 1st Presidential TV Debate of 2024 - Knucklehead News.

Juneteenth - Things To Do NYC

Juneteenth Things to do in NYC, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx & Staten Island

June 17, 2024 / Things To Do NYC / Holidays, Parades & Ethnic Culture / Gotham Buzz.

Over the past ten years or so, interest and awareness of Juneteenth has grown fast. Juneteenth commemorates American slaves obtaining their freedom on June 19, 1865 in Texas, when Major General Gordon Granger ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation, wherein President Abraham Lincoln officially freed the slaves effective January 1, 1863. Unlike today, word didn't travel so fast, and in the Confederate states, the white slave owners did their best to keep the slaves from learning of Lincoln's Executive Order. Juneteenth is a word blend denoting June [nine]teenth. President Biden declared Juneteenth a federal holiday on June 17, 2021, taking effect immediately and in time for folks to first celebrate the holiday two days later, on June 19th, 2021.

In the photo at right is John Watusi, who was a Founder and the Executive Director of the Afrikan Poetry Theatre in years gone by [now deceased]. John was a poet and a civil rights activist who recognized, along with others, the important role that history and culture play in people's lives. So, while Juneteenth is a celebration of an African American liberation day, it is also a celebration of African American culture.

This year NYC Mayor Adams cited a number of NYC cultural and historical sites and tours related to Juneteenth and the African American experience in NYC. In an OpEd he penned and we published Monday, you'll find links to some of the sites and tours he references of interest. Click here to read recent OpEds and Editorials on Gotham Buzz NYC.

Juneteenth Historic Sites in NYC - Brooklyn, Manhattan & Online

Here are a couple of African American Historical Sites in NYC, some of which are referenced in the Mayor's OpEd. Brooklyn Juneteenth Historic Sites - Juneteenth Grove at Cadman Plaza in Downtown Brooklyn. It's there 24/7. Manhattan Juneteenth Historic Sites - African Burial Ground - located at Elk and Duane Streets just a block north of City Hall in downtown Manhattan. Online Juneteenth Historic Sites - African American Landmarks and Historic District Interactive Map & Seneca Village Online - created by the Landmarks Preservation Committee.

• CLICK here to view the rest of our report about things to do on Juneteenth NYC - Juneteenth Events.

Click Manhattan 4th of July fireworks best places to watch in NYC for Manhattan 4th of July fireworks viewing spots or click July 4th fireworks in NYC for NYC independence day fireworks in the 5 boros of NYC.  Also see the Brooklyn fireworks at Fort Hamilton NYC and the Astoria Park Fireworks in Queens, both of which occur the week before the July 4th holiday.

* Will 'City of Yes' Become a Law Enforcement Mess?

• How will New Yorkers React to their Neighbors' Businesses Daily Foot Traffic in Their Buildings?

• What Impact will Home Based Businesses have on Building Infrastructures including but not limited to Storage, Garbage Removal, Parking, (Hot) Water, Noise Levels & Security?

• Will NYC & NYS Government Agencies Need a Search Warrant to do Routine Regulatory Enforcement in Residence-Based Businesses?

May 28, 2024 / City of Yes Special Report Series / NYC Real Estate & Business / NYC Government Media & Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

The City of Yes legislation has been moving through the NYC Council, having just been approved by another committee last week.

It's reportedly a billionaire and real estate developer crafted piece of legislation. And it seems to be guided by the invisible hand of billionaire real estate developer Stephen Ross, who has been involved in many NYC government related real estate efforts, since former Mayor Bloomberg first gave that fox full entry into the chicken coop during Bloomberg's three terms in office. And of course, this legislation appears to be aided and abetted by Ross's campaign finance Political Action Committee efforts, which helped elect those who will enable his agenda, which in this case is one of essentially taking power from the people, and transferring it to Ross and his billionaire and real estate developer cohorts.

COY is Taking Power from New Yorkers, Because New Yorkers Aren't Paying Attention, Because They're Relying on TV's Knucklehead News

Reportedly, 30 of the 52 Community Boards voted against the City of Yes Part II legislation. Another 20 of the 52 said ok, but with conditions. And two voted for it. If this were a real democracy, The City of Yes legislation would never have gotten as far as it has, with reportedly a better than fair chance of passing.

It's worth reminding New Yorkers, that a government of the people, by the people and for the people - doesn't run without the people's involvement. Democracy crashes and burns when it's on auto pilot. If 'the people' don't pay attention, they will soon have nothing once again.

Pay attention to this vote. And I urge you to get involved if you can, because this is the largest usurpation of the everyday New Yorkers' power in my lifetime. The vote is expected to take place on or before June 6, 2024, because the NYC Council session ends next week. The NYC Council could vote it down, or table it to give folks more time to digest the mega changes, that are going to intrusively affect their daily lives.

Also, last Friday, after 5 pm, on the beginning of a three-day holiday weekend, a notice went out about proposed changes to the NYC Charter to be voted on this November. The first meeting is only one day after the three day weekend, at 1 pm today, which leads me to believe that whoever is behind these changes, wants as few people to know about them as possible. So fyi - https://www.nyc.gov/site/charter/index.page

We'll have more on the City of Yes at a later date.

• CLICK here for prior short reports on the City of Yes zoning changes in NYC.

Saying No to the City of Yes

City of Yes is ...

• An Attempt to Overcome NIMBY [Not in My Back Yard] in Favor of YIMBY [Yes in My Back Yard]

• Yes to the Billionaires & Developers Who Created the Plan

• No to the New York City Residents Who Already Live & Work Here

May 15, 2024 / City of Yes Special Report Series / NYC Real Estate & Business / NYC Government Media & Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Since the beginning of the new year I've attended over a half dozen different lectures, presentations and community discussions, about the City of Yes and related topics. Two of them were presentations given by the NYC Planning Department who are selling the plan, one by the Federal Reserve which took a stance that leaned pro business but did not ignore the possible destructive ramifications of passing the legislation, one by a community activist group in Brooklyn, another by a Community Board in Manhattan, and two others by a civic group, also in Manhattan.

I tried to keep an open mind about the pros and cons of the legislation, but I couldn't help but begin forming opinions about the proposed legislation, as I collected, sorted and analyzed the legislation and information surrounding it. Over time, the ramifications of actually passing this legislation have begun to appear.

The Mayor's Rationale for Pushing Legislation Created by and for the Billionaires & International Real Estate Development Community

The legislation was concocted by billionaires, real estate developers and the NYC Planning Department, headed by Daniel Garodnick. As such, it reflects their interests, and seems to almost completely ignore the interests of the communities that the NYC government is supposed to be serving.

The Mayor has been pushing the City of Yes, because he believes it will eliminate the 'Not in My Back Yard aka NIMBY' that many infrastructure projects [including affordable housing] encounter when the government or real estate developers are trying to foist them on a community. Hence this would have the effect of enabling projects to move more quickly from conception to fruition, and at a lower cost to the government, billionaire or real estate developer pushing the project. The Mayor also believes that this will enable the creation of more affordable housing.

It might enable the creation of more affordable housing, and it might not. It could just enhance the bottom lines of the billionaires and developers pushing the plan, which in my mind is the more likely scenario.

The Downside of Passing Legislation that Usurps the Power of the People

But, more importantly, it would usurp the power that the people living in these communities currently have, to voice their concerns about new construction projects like affordable housing, commercial buildings or transit, being built within their neighborhoods. While I appreciate the Mayor's interest in reducing the time and cost of getting things built - like affordable housing - I don't think that taking away the power a community has over what is developed within their midst, is the right way to go about changing things. And perhaps even more importantly, I think any time you're transferring power from the little people to the rich and mighty, you're moving power in the wrong direction.

City Club of NY - ReThinking the Housing Crisis

So, with this in mind, I'm going to take you into a Zoom conference hosted by the City Club of New York which was entitled ReThinking the Housing Crisis, held on May 7, 2024. While not specifically about the City of Yes, it provides some contextual background which should help in evaluating it. And later this month we'll also have a report on the Federal Reserve's April 25, 2024 conference entitled 'Fostering Neighborhoods: Faith-Based Organizations and the Development of Affordable Housing' which was largely about the proposed City of Yes legislation. At that conference there were several speakers who promoted the legislation, but not without reservations, both of which we'll include in our report.

• We'll have more to report later on ReThinking the Housing Crisis [2nd part of GB 531].

Solar Eclipse Grazes NYC

There was a Partial Eclipse in NYC & a Total Eclipse in Buffalo

April 9, 2024 / NYC Parks & Environment / NYC Neighborhoods / Queens Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather as of 4.9.24. Sunset 7.30 pm. Sunrise 6.24 am. Other than a forecast of nearly an inch of rain between 8 pm Thursday and 11 am Friday, the rest of the week should be dry. The temperatures will hit 70 today and possibly Sunday, otherwise in the 60's, while the lows will be in the 50's. The winds will range from 5 - 10 mph, except from the evening of Thursday, through Friday, and descending into the weekend. The humidity will rise through the week, until Friday when it hits about 60% and then begins dropping into a very dry Saturday [35%], before climbing on Sunday.

The image at right shows a number of New Yorkers out in the park observing the solar eclipse on Monday.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report on NYC Solar Eclipse & NYC Earthquake.

NYS Primary Voting Tuesday, April 2, 2024

In addition to the presidential primary, there are also NYS primary races on the ballot.

* Updated - How Many Stops Act Veto Overridden & Was the Mayor Justified in Vetoing the How Many Stops Act Bill [586-A]?

And Did Corporate TV News Inform or Distort the Issue by Televising the Yusef Salaam Stop?

Updated February 1, 2024 from 1.30.24 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Law Enforcement / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

The NYC Council voted to override Mayor Adams veto of the How Many Stops Act - Bill 586-A by a margin of 42 to override the veto and 9 in support of it, with 0 abstentions. The City Council also revoked the use of solitary confinement at Rikers. A number of the councilmembers stated an interest in working with Mayor Adams on implementation of the changes, to ensure there's no degradation of law enforcement effectiveness because of the change.

Some council members shared negative experiences of their own and their constituents, of being stopped by the police. Many NYC Council members also commended NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams for drafting and pushing the legislation through the council.

The photo at right was taken at City Hall in December of 2023, when the Mayor met with members of the ethnic and community media, to discuss past, present and future issues and efforts.

CLICK here to read our report about why we think the Mayor was right in vetoing the Too Many Stops Act.

What They’re Saying: New York Leaders Continue to Voice Opposition to City Council Bill That Could Make NYC Streets Less Safe

This is a Reprint of a Press Release Issued by the Mayor's Office Regarding the How Many Stops Act

January 29, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Law Enforcement / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

The Following is a Press Release issued by the Mayor's Office

NEW YORK – Following today’s veto on City Council bill Intro. 586-A — which could make New York City less safe by forcing New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers to spend more time filling out reports after Level 1 interactions with the public instead of patrolling the street and keeping the public safe — faith leaders, community advocates, business organizations, district attorneys, law enforcement professionals, and everyday New Yorkers voiced their opposition to the bill.

Here is what New York leaders are saying. What follows is the full reprint of a press release issued by the Mayor's Office on January 19, 2024. 

• CLICK here for a press release by the Mayor's Office regarding community leaders' response to Mayor Adams Vetoing the How Many Stops Act - 586-A in NYC.

* The Federal Reserve in NYC Assesses the Risks due to Climate Change

Climate Change is Real. Its Impact is Already Affecting Economic Investments & Outcomes. The Federal Reserve Shared a Closer Look with us in October 2023.

January 23, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Issues / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

On Monday, October 2, 2023 I headed down to the Federal Reserve Bank in NYC to make a withdrawal. Not a withdrawal of money, but to collect some information about Climate Change, at a Conference they hosted for local media outlets.

Keynote Speaker - Economics Professor Stiglitz

The Keynote speaker was Joseph E. Stiglitz, a professor at Columbia University, who participated in a discussion with John C. Williams, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of NY.

Informational Economics - Investment & Business Decisions are Based on Imperfect Information

The keynote speaker, Joseph Stiglitz, has expertise is in economics, and more specifically, informational economics. Stiglitz was preceded by economist George Stigler [not to be confused with the keynote speaker Joseph Stiglitz] who is credited with first developing 'The Economics of Information' in 1961 while a professor at the University of Chicago. This was the beginning of an entire area of study of how information and information systems affect economic decision making.

In the 1970's three researchers, one of whom was Joseph Stiglitz [the keynote speaker], is credited with developing the theory of 'Asymmetric Information' which posits generally that one of the parties - in a two party transaction - has better information. For example the seller of a used auto knows more about the car than the buyer, or a borrower likely has better information about whether there will be problems in repaying the loan than the lender.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report on a cursory assessment of the risks associated with climate change at the Federal Reserve Bank in NYC.

* Exclusive: One on One Interview with the Mayor

The Eric Adams Story - Part I

Mayor Adams is a Complicated Man, Who Rose from Poverty, to the Highest Office in NYC

November 6, 2023 / NYC Government & Polltics / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz. News Analysis & Opinion by Michael Wood.

This past summer, while working on another story in collaboration with the Mayor's Office of Ethnic & Community Media [aka MOECM], I entered into discussions with the MOECM, about the possibility of an exclusive interview with the Mayor. The Mayor's Office of Ethnic & Community Media was created a couple of years ago, to enhance local media access to the goings on at City Hall, in order to better inform the public. Under the Adams Administration, part of that program included providing greater government official availability to somewhere in the neighborhood of 250 local media outlets.

Famod Konneh, Associate Director for Outreach and Engagement collaborated with me to make arrangements for the interview, which took place on Friday, October 20, 2023. It's worth noting that every reporting story done live, is a collaboration of a sort, between the journalist and the subject(s) covered.

The photo at right shows Jose Bayona, the Executive Director of the Mayor's Office of Ethnic & Community Media [aka MOECM], at the MOEDM operations cener which is in the basement of City Hall, while he was setting up the video conference.

Interview Preparation - Doing My Homework

I did a considerable amount of research into the Mayor's past, while preparing for the interview. I did all this prep work, even though Famod had told me I would be limited to 20 minutes via a Zoom video call, as I was pitching him for more time. When I first first started the research, I did it in preparation for the interview, but, as sometimes happens with the kind of reporting I do, the more I learned, the more I became interested in learning even more about the Mayor and his life story.

Initially I thought I would do a standard hard news interview about key topics of the day including immigration, crime, the public schools and the budget. But, as I journeyed into the Mayor's past, I became more intrigued with the idea of doing a different story.

The Adams Administration's Unheralded Herculean Effort Managing the Immigrant Influx

As I conducted my research, I decided that NOT to inquire about the Mayor's - seemingly unappreciated or underappreciated - Herculean effort to manage the huge influx of immigrants into NYC. This situation, turned crisis, began when Texas Governor Greg Abbott began bussing immigrants from Texas border towns, beginning in August 5, 2022, to NYC. Governor Abbott began transporting immigrants here without any communication nor coordination with NYS Governor Hochul or NYC Mayor Adams.

Nonetheless, Mayor Adams somehow found enough lodging for somewhere between 65,000 - 125,000 immigrants bussed in since then, who arrived in the city within the past year or so. The Mayor also managed to carve enough funding out of the NYC budget to provide security, food, healthcare and logistics for the newcomers, with what - until fairly recently [the past three months or so] - appeared somewhere between scant and lagging help from the likes of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and NYS Governor Kathy Hochul (D-NY), respectively.

In spite of this gargantuan challenge, Mayor Adams made sure NYC didn't miss a step. His Administration kept the influx of immigrants mostly off the streets, and appeared to ensure they were't coopted into criminal activities by providing for them, in spite of laws which forbade them from earning a living. This nearly heroic effort has mostly gone unheralded by the corporate media.

The photo above right shows the Mayor pondering a question I posed to him, during our Zoom interview. He's in the Mayoral limo enroute to his next event.

CLICK here to read the rest of the story about my exclusive interview with Mayor Adams about his life - profile.

Oktoberfest Parties & Celebrations in NYC including in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx & Staten Island

Oktoberfest Begins Mid September in NYC and run thru October

UPDATED October 7, 2023 from 9.19.23 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

The official / unofficial kick off to the month and a half of Oktoberfest events in NYC begins in Manhattan with the Steuben Parade. This report identifies a number of Oktoberfest events around NYC beginning mid September and running through the end of October.

The photo at right shows one of the floats in the Steuben Parade celebrating the consumption of bier, which in tandem with consumption of bratwurst, is an integral part of Oktoberest. One thing the photo doesn't show is the music, that also goes hand in hand with Oktoberfest.

A Brief History of Oktoberfest in NYC

Coming with time. We've posted a number of Oktoberfests in this report, but a few more are coming. Also watch the front page, as this year [only] they are likely to be posted there first.

• CLICK here to view the rest of our report on Oktoberfest in NYC, including the boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island.

San Gennaro Festival in Little Italy Manhattan NYC

Manhattan's Signature Italian Festival Celebrates Little Italy in NYC

September 13, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Fall is just around the corner, which means the San Gennaro Festival is about to begin in Little Italy in Manhattan. See the front page or the parades & festivals page or click into the story for details of the San Gennaro Festival of 2023.

A Very Brief History of Little Italy Manhattan

Little Italy is just north of Canal street, across from Chinatown, which lies to its south. SoHo lies to its west, across Lafayette Street. While the Bowery is just east of it along Mott and Bowery Streets, and Nolita [North of Little Italy] lies to the north of it, across Broome Street. This is something of a downsized area from the original Little Italy of a century ago.

Little Italy was an important destination for Italians arriving in New York City in the late 1800's and early 20th century. It was generally a poor, working class neighborhood at that time, filled with laborers, and shopkeepers who traded food, wine and clothing. And the community was fairly self-sufficient with its own doctors, lawyers and bankers accoding to a Wikipedia account of an NYT story in 1896.

Little Italy's size and population peaked in the early 20th century, aat about 10,000, as Italians left for greener pastures in other parts of the city, including East Harlem, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island. Nonetheless, Little Italy remains somewhat intact, as a very popular tourist destination, the peak of which is celebrated in tandem with the San Gennaro Festival.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report about the San Gennaro Festival in Little Italy Manhattan NYC.

911 Commemoration Events & Remembrances in NYC & Boros

911 Commemorations this Weekend and Monday

September 10, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

This weekend, there are a number of events around the five boroughs commemorating the losses of 911. The following are a few of those events.

The collection of photos at right shows an cultural performance at Lincoln Center honoring the victims of 911. The performance returns Monday at 8.05 am.

911 Remembrances / Commemorations NYC

Ongoing _ Daffodil Project in NYC Parks. For details see - https://www.nycgovparks.org/highlights/sept-11-memorials

• CLICK here to view our report on 911 Memorial and Commemoration events in all 5 boroughs of NYC.

The West Indian American Day Parade(s) in Brooklyn NYC

A Deeper Dive into the Cultural Origins of the Carnival & Some Particulars About the Celebrations in Brooklyn

September 6, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / Brooklyn Parades & Festivals / Brooklyn BLVD NYC.

On a sultry Labor Day Monday morning, I set out for the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Prospect Lefferts Gardens and Crown Heights. The former, covers some of the area in Brooklyn known as Little Caribbean and it was to be the ending point for the Jouvert parade, which serves as the warm up for the larger West Indian American Day Parade.

Be advised that I was not aware of this distinction - two parades by the same group on the same day - until I had arrived and started making inquiries about when and where the actions was.

The Jouvert puportedly started at 11 am inside Prospect Park either at the entrance to the Kids Zoo [still not certain about this, but I'm getting closer to being precise] on Flatbush Avenue or based on a map I saw on the NYPD website, the Jouvert started at Grand Army Plaza, at the north end of Prospect Park. I'll be following up on this, and make the changes here when I get them.

The photo above right was taken at the West Indian American Day Parade in Brooklyn on Labor Day. Many different island cultures celebrate the carnival in unison. The flag in the lower right corner of the photo is Jamaican.

The Jouvert then marched east along Empire Boulevard before turning south on Nostrand Avenue and terminating at Winthrop. I arrived a bit before noon, at Empire Blvd and Nostrand, where the Jouvert Parade had already passed. The Jouvert Parade involves participants adorning themselves with paint and powder, sometimes sharing it with others in a style that reminded me of the Indian Holi celebration.

Speaking of Indians, the West Indies got their name after Columbus discovered them for the Spanish throne. They were called the West Indies, in order to differentiate them from the East Indies, with which the Portuguese had opened up trading routes in the 15th century just prior to Columbus's discovery. The East Indies comprises the islands that lie south of India, the Bay of Bengal and the South China Sea and north and west of Australia.

CLICK here to read the rest of our report about the West Indian American Day Parade in Brooklyn over the Labor Day Weekend.