Good evening New York City,
I hope you’re holding up alright in this heat wave. It’s hot out there! Stay inside as much as possible, keep hydrated, and visit a Cooling Center near you if you’re unable to stay cool at home. New York City also has more than 3,600 public water fountains and dozens of refreshing pools to choose from (easily locate both here).
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Beyond helping you beat the heat, here’s how we Got Stuff Done for you this week: |
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$120 will be distributed (per child) to all New York City public school families regardless of income to help with increasingly costly groceries. Expect to receive the funds soon on your P-EBT card. You can check here to see if funds have been added for your family. If you misplaced your P-EBT card, call 1-888-328-6399.
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Free block parties are coming to neighborhoods across the city to celebrate 50 years of hip hop! Events will feature renowned DJs, art installations, food vendors, interactive experiences, and a drone light show.
- Help reduce overcrowding at our Animal Care Centers of NYC by opening your home to a large dog or adult cat looking for their fur-ever family! All summer long, their adoption fee is $5. Take a look at their precious pets here.
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A new City scholarship fund will expand opportunities for young aspiring journalists of color. Newsrooms are currently disproportionately white, with Black, Hispanic, and Asian Americans significantly underrepresented. Not only will we empower NYC students to pursue their dreams, but we will also play a critical role in diversifying our media.
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💫 🎶 🛶 Amazing August ahead 🛶 🎶 💫 |
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As we close out another magnificent month, let’s spend it in good company. Scroll for free events you can’t miss, a quick trash talk on new rules for food businesses’ garbage bins, everything to know about Restaurant Week, and so much more. |
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↳ Three initiatives to know: |
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Dismantling unsightly scaffolding – For too long, City laws incentivized 400 miles of ugly green boxes to clutter our streets for years on end. This week, we changed that. Now, we’re Getting Sheds Down by changing the rules to incentivize completing building repairs and bringing down sheds faster. We'll target longstanding scaffolding sites and central business districts to keep them safe, open and beautiful.
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Stumping people illegally dumping – If you litter, DSNY is going to make you a quitter. They’re installing 122 new hidden surveillance cameras to catch litterers in their tracks. Fines will start at $4,000, and vehicles will be impounded until your fines are fully paid off. Importantly, if you’re considering illegally dumping because you don’t know how to dispose of something, here’s some helpful links to properly toss...electronics, large items, mattresses, rechargeable batteries, clothing, and an easy search for how to get rid of anything else.
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Giant investment to make Downtown Brooklyn vibrant – We’re bringing exciting public space updates to Fulton Street and Flatbush Avenue! With investments including planting more trees, improving bus service, and making streets safer for pedestrians, Brooklyn’s largest economic hub will be drastically better than ever.
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Lidded trash makes for hidden rats – Here's a friendly reminder for food-related businesses that you must lid your trash in a rigid container starting on 8/1. This is how we’ll reduce rat sightings and make our streets more inviting. We’ve already seen a 20% drop in rat complaints citywide! For more information about containerizing trash in NYC, learn more here.
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Free bike helmets – The Department of Transportation is hosting a free bike helmet distribution and fitting event in Queens on Saturday (7/29) from 7am-12pm. They’ll show you how to properly wear a helmet, and you’ll get to take one home that fits well as supplies last. |
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Public questions for public safety – New Yorkers like you can submit questions for the weekly Friday public safety briefing here. Our leaders will answer these during the Friday livestream, available on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.
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Be safe and smart when outdoors over the next few days. If you do go outside, stay in shaded areas, bring water, wear loose lightweight fabrics, and listen to your body. See our guide on everything you need to know to defeat the heat.
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↳ FREE events this weekend: |
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☞ Of note: There's *a lot* of additional free activities throughout the week that you should know about. Here’s a round-up of events to keep you busy every weekday: |
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🍱 Around the world in 27 days |
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Restaurant Week is here! Despite its name, it’s running through 8/20. What a festive time for foodies to globetrot without ever leaving the five boroughs. With a wide offering of international cuisines, enjoy specially priced prix fixe menus made just for diners like you. There are so many participating locations that you’d need to visit about 20 eateries per day to taste them all in time!
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🎙️ Video didn’t kill the radio star |
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No matter what they predicted in 1979, radio is still thriving. A vast majority of Americans tune in to radio programs weekly, and that’s why I announced a new radio show: “Hear from the Mayor” on WBLS 107.5 FM. I’ll talk directly to New York listeners, discussing local news of the day and answering questions from callers. You can also listen here online.
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🤿️ Expanding NYC’s most aquatic high school |
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Scuba diving is on the schedule for many students at the Harbor School. The small Governors Island public school has become so popular for its career exploration and preparation that it’s getting an expansion! More interested students will soon have an opportunity to attend and take advantage of its maritime research projects and technical education pathways.
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🎧 RUN over to our newest Get Stuff Done-cast... |
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...because I spoke to Darryl McDaniels of Run-DMC about the group’s rise to icon status and the struggles he experienced while it was all happening. We discuss hip hop becoming a global phenomenon, heartbreak, and how therapy saved Darryl’s life. |
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Before you go, did you know… |
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A whale was recently spotted under the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge? A fisher caught a video of the whale leaping out of the water before re-entering the New York Harbor. This whale is one of 260 whales who frequent NYC, and we can thank our local efforts to protect marine life and keep water clean for allowing these mammals to come visit.
🐋 🐳 🐋 |
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New Yorkers, I hope you stay cool this weekend as temperatures start to lower. Let’s make the most of our final July days as we accelerate into an amazing August. Your Mayor, Eric
P.S. Have a question, comment, or request? Contact my office here. I look forward to hearing from you. |
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