
Image Credit: New York City Department of Transportation
The Department of Transportation and the Council of Jewish Organizations of Staten Island partner to launch two new Open Street locations during Shabbos. On May 31, NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced that the agency will be launching two new Open Street locations in Staten Island. The Open Streets will be located in the Castleton Corners neighborhood, one on Suffolk Avenue, between Queen Street and Harold Street, and the other on Vermont Court, between Gansevoort Boulevard and Suffolk Avenue. (more…)

Smoke and pollution from Canadian wildfires over Times Square on June 7, 2023. Image Credit: Mike Groll/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul
On June 7, 2023, Mayor Eric Adams and city officials discussed the city’s ongoing air quality issues as a result of smoke pollution from wildfires in Canada that has drifted down over much of the East Coast and Midwest. An air quality health advisory has been issued for today for the New York City Metro area by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. (more…)

The former Colored School No. 4 retains its original form and configuration, and windows on the second and third floor. Image Credit: LPC.
On May 23, 2023, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to designate the former Colored School No. 4 as an individual landmark. The former school, located at 128 West 17th Street in Chelsea, is the city’s sole surviving school building that exclusively served African American students in the second half of the 19th century. (more…)

The City’s new “rat czar” Kathleen Corradi speaks at the announcement of her appointment. Image credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office
On April 12, 2023, New York City Mayor Eric Adams appointed Kathleen Corradi as the City’s first-ever citywide Director of Rodent Mitigation, also known as the “Rat Czar.” Corradi is tasked with working and coordinating with multiple city agencies, community organizations, and private entities to achieve the City’s goal of reducing the rat population and improving the health issues related to rodents. (more…)
On February 23, 2023, the New York City Department of City Planning announced the creation of the Community Planning and Engagement Division within the department. The new division will consist of seven members and is tasked with getting community input on new policy developments handled by the Department of City Planning and related agencies. (more…)