⚠️ Playground Scaffolding + 🛒 Whole Foods Update

Good morning and happy Friday. We’ll be shaking off the rain within the hour, leaving us with a cloudy day and a high of around 57 degrees. And yep, if you’re sensing that sticky feeling creeping in — you’re not imagining it. The humidity is making its presence known!

A photo meant to spotlight the danger of long-standing scaffolding at a playground led to part of the kids’ area being shut down by City Officials. Hell’s Kitchen parents say they’re being punished, not protected. Read more…

Moonlight in Hell’s Kitchen fuses bold street food flavors with fine dining. Our globally inspired menu reimagines American cuisine using fresh, locally sourced ingredients. With creative dishes, homey classics and vegan options, we offer something for everyone. Click here to reserve or view our menu.

A forest of steel has taken root on Broadway, transforming the pedestrian plazas of the Garment District into a space for connection, contemplation — and some very striking selfies. Read more…

* Stories that might be behind a paywall are marked with a 💰

New York’s crime stats are in for the first quarter, and there’s good and bad news. (New York Times💰)

There’s a new apartment up for sale on W57th Street — it’s yours for $110m. (6sqft)

Local news is being cut off from City advertising, unless you’re big business or run Mayor Adams’ op-eds. (Greenpointers)

The number of older New Yorkers living in poverty rose over 33 percent in the past decade — and they are going hungry. (City Limits)

Cheers! The bureaucrats have got their act together so that you can have booze with your outdoor dining. Maybe… (Streetsblog)

Thanks to Charlie Todd for the tip — the new signage has arrived for the upcoming Whole Foods mini-store at the corner of W50th Street and 8th Avenue. The space has been empty since Rite Aid closed in February 2022. We stopped by last night and couldn’t help but wonder what this means for the longtime fruit vendor who’s held a spot there for years…

Happy birthday to TJ Witham.

Publisher & Editor Phil O’Brien is an entrepreneur and journalist. As an international photojournalist, he photographed Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, Princess Diana and many others. He built a successful international sports photography agency, EMPICS, that was Getty Images’ major competitor in Europe when it sold. He founded a children’s charity in the UK that has helped young people through sport for over 15 years. Phil has lived in New York since 2012. He founded W42ST in 2014.