Adams and Migrants and DC, Again

Plus a Mario Cuomo podcast and Stardrive, #65

Mayor Adams traveled down to Washington, D.C. again this week to ask the feds for more money as New York City continues to deal with an influx of asylum seekers.

His trip came days after the comptroller attempted to limit the city’s contracting on the migrants. And just one day after a Quinnipiac Poll put him at a 28% approval rating — the lowest for any mayor since they started asking New Yorkers in 1996, and lower than the previous 2003 low for Mayor Bloomberg after he raised property taxes and barred smoking inside.

The mayor seemed undeterred by the polls, leaning into the anger of his citizens by saying, well, I’m angry too.

His trip to DC also felt different this time because the last time he went he abruptly turned around because the FBI raided his top fundraiser’s home. There was less drama this time (thankfully.)

He met with White House officials on Thursday, a late addition to his schedule which had previously included meeting with Congressman Jeffries, Sen. Schumer, and going to a holiday party.

But Adams didn’t leave with any promises for more money or any hope at all, really, for help.

“I left with the cold reality that help is not on the way in the immediate future,” Adams said Friday, according to Politico.

Meanwhile, people keep coming. You can read more about the migrants from my colleague Gwynne here.

Other interesting stories

↣ Local leaders say the 2,873-unit plan’s “tall monstrosities” at the former Creedmoor site are incompatible with the low-density neighborhood in eastern Queens. But others say the housing is badly needed. [THE CITY]

↣ Meet the bus depot in East New York that doesn’t have any heat. [THE CITY]

↣ City Limits has updated its shelter tracker, which does a better job of accounting for those living in shelter than the city. [CITY LIMITS]

🎧LISTEN🎧

A few years ago I fished this and many other Shelly Silver items out of a dumpster outside 250 Broadway with my friend Joe. It is relevant right now.

This week Errol Louis and the NY1 audio team released the first episode of their three-part series chronicling Mario Cuomo, the charismatic former governor who seemed poised to run for office beyond New York, but never did. “Mario Cuomo: The Last Liberal” pulls from archival interviews and features new insights from the staffers and reporters who covered Cuomo.

Sworn in as governor 40 years ago, why didn’t this son of Italian immigrants from Queens ever try for something more? What does it say about New York’s influence in the rest of the country, and — I often wonder — how did this all shape the second governor named Cuomo? The first episode is fascinating and I’m looking forward to listening to the rest.

HEY THAT’S COOL

New York Magazine released their 19th “Reasons to Love New York” edition this week, a personal favorite, and they thankfully lead it off with two Queens-specific reasons. While reading it in print I saw this spread on Rob Mason and his wife, who live in a gorgeous, 5,800-square-foot loft in the Village that they pay very little rent on – holdouts from the loft law enacted in 1982 meant to protect tenants like Mason, who transformed the space. The article writes about the loft’s history as RPM Studios, where albums like The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and Donald Fagen’s The Nightfly, among others, were recorded. And then there was this bit: “Mason funded the studio construction with the proceeds from a mid-’70s deal with Columbia Records. He had led the instrumental rock group Stardrive, in which he played one of the world’s first polyphonic keyboard synthesizers, an instrument he may have invented.” This of course set me down the internet hole, learning about Mason and Stardrive. The music’s cool, so read a little about him here, check out his Instagram, and be jealous of his apartment. 

Listen to the full Intergalactic Trot album below: 

🇮🇪I can see a better time/When all our dreams come true 🇮🇪

I spent a lot of today watching clips from Shane MacGowan’s funeral, held in Dublin. What can I say, I love a good funeral, and few cultures do it like the Irish do.

Please enjoy this funeral version of “Fairytale of New York,” with people dancing in the church aisle, one of the many beautiful moments from his sendoff.

Thanks for reading!