Hello from an emptier city

The NYPD, a life sciences developer goes scorched Earth, and more! #91

For our summer newsletter this week, THE CITY wanted to look at the data behind that feeling we get in August, that the city sort of empties out. In a city this big, of course, it can never feel completely empty — but there is a little shift.

My colleague Max Rivera broke the data down and found less residential trash is around to pick up and fewer people ride the subway. I don’t know where everybody’s going but for those of us still here, the sort of emptier streets feel nice. You can read the full story here.

This week I worked on two stories, both about the water and waterfront. The first is about +POOL, which has been in the atmosphere since 2010. Since then there’s been a wild ride of city and state regulations and learning how the waterfront is regulated and fundraising. On Wednesday, I took a boat out with a few other people to see the future home of the pool next to Pier 35 off of the Lower East Side, where a test filtration system is currently running, churning out gallons of the East River water and cleaning it multiple times.

One pool won’t make up for systemic issues in the city with swimming access, but +POOL has trained lifeguards and given free swim lessons for years, and one day we can all hopefully swim in the river, safely. You can read more here.

Further up the FDR Drive is the Alexandria Center, a massive life sciences campus that both former Mayor de Blasio and current Mayor Adams have touted as the future of the city’s economy. But now a third building at the campus is delayed and the developers are suing the city over what they said was a sham contract that tricks them into building a sea wall. Right now, nearly 12 years after Sandy, there is still no sea wall or major protection guarding Bellevue Hospital. It’s a complicated lawsuit; I tried to make it clear, which you can read here.

My colleague Yoav wrote this week about Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry and the unusual arrangement he has within the NYPD. He’s not technically a cop anymore, yet he carries a gun and does many of the things cops do. But his gig means the Civilian Complaint Review Board dropped cases against him, noting his “rare elevation” — jumping six ranks — means he’s outside their jurisdiction.

You may be familiar with Daughtry, for this video of his violent arrest of a protestor last year, who recently sued. Last week he went after Daily News reporter — getting in his face and yelling — before using the NYPD’s official twitter account to later insult that reporter (they later made up.) But if he does something wrong, who investigates him? Read the full story here.

Other interesting stories

Where the hell is Happy???? [THE CITY]
The migrants who are now sleeping in tents on Randalls Island [THE CITY]
As always, Queens is #1. [EATER]
Running for mayor while doing your job but it also benefits you running for mayor [POLITICO]
A depressing long read [NYT]

WATCH (and comment)

What’s that YouTube video you bookmarked years ago and watch years later? I loved this song from the moment I heard it, and it’s hard to find on mp3 or CD or streaming. Pablo was Paul Schalda and others; Paul is now Paul & the Tall Trees. I saw him open for The Budos Band a few years ago in Jersey City, a really great show, but I go back to this video every few weeks. What’s your long-ago bookmarked video — music or comedy or anything — that you would hate to lose track of? Lemme know!

Thanks for reading!