Good evening New York City,
I hope you’ve been able to enjoy this nice summer weather we’ve had following last week’s sweltering heat wave. It was wonderful meeting some of you out and about at the Bronx’s Dominican Day Parade, NYC’s tribute to Tony Bennett, our Hiring Hall connecting passionate New Yorkers with NYC jobs, and everywhere in between.
Here’s how we Got Stuff Done for you this first week of August: |
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Summer Streets are coming to Manhattan on Saturday (8/5)! From the Brooklyn Bridge to 125th Street, enjoy free food, activities, and fresh air along a massive stretch of car-free streets. Check out our offerings, events, and sponsors, and make a plan to enjoy this special Saturday!
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17 more NYCHA buildings now have free high-speed broadband with our Big Apple Connect program. To date, we’ve bridged the digital divide for more than 330,000 NYCHA residents! Internet isn’t nice-to-have but must-have, and getting our neighbors in NYCHA connected is critical. See if you’re eligible and enroll today.
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The NYC Department of Records and Information Services needs YOUR help to write HER-story. They’re building New York City’s permanent catalogue of stories featuring 10,000 women activists from around the world. Submit your own story about an inspiring female leader here, and browse their extensive archive of stories here.
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🌊 🫧 ⛱ Adventurous August ⛱ 🫧 🌊 |
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It’s a new month, and a new month means time for new experiences in New York City. From learning bhangra dance on the Hudson to visiting bumblebees on an urban farm on Governors Island, spend this weekend discovering something new. I have some more great free recommendations for you below to get you started!
However you decide to kick off your August, Share A Heart with friends, family, and fellow New Yorkers. Something as simple as snapping a 🫶 photo together spreads joy throughout our communities. We’ll even reshare your beautiful photos when you tweet with #ShareAHeartNYC! |
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↳ Three initiatives to know: |
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Skip The Stuff – Let’s ketchup on new rules for restaurants when you take out or order in. Starting this week, restaurants no longer automatically provide plastic utensils, napkins, or condiments. In turn, we’ll stop forking over unnecessary waste to landfills and make a cleaner and greener planet. Don’t worry, New Yorkers, if you still need one of these items with your order, just ask!
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Blueprint for Community Safety – We’re investing $485 million to combat gun violence in every borough. Our comprehensive plan combines strategies of prioritizing prevention and intervention, putting special attention on proactive support for our youth, and activating every level of government to keep our city safe. Read the whole policy here.
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Career Advancement for People With Disabilities – Two in three adult New Yorkers with disabilities are jobless. It’s time we uplift our disabled community through workplace accessibility and inclusion improvements, direct employment services, and expanded career advancement resources tailored to help New Yorkers with disabilities thrive.
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Unclaimed funds – Every day, New York State gets $1,500,000 back to New Yorkers who are owed money. You can check for your unclaimed funds here, and it’ll certainly put the “fun” back in “funds” if you’re owed a check. |
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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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↳ FREE events this weekend: |
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☞ Of note: Hip-Hop Week at Lincoln Center is almost here! With a jam-packed *free* event lineup featuring musical and dance performances, silent discos, themed fitness workshops, and even an improvisational freestyle rap cypher, there are few better (and more affordable!) ways to celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. Hip-Hop Week runs from 8/9-8/12.
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🔥 How to legally open a fire hydrant |
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Nothing says “New York summer” better than the timeless tradition of opening a fire hydrant to cool off. However, many New Yorkers don’t open hydrants properly and can waste 1,000 gallons of water a minute, throw off the water pressure for hydrants in use by the FDNY, and even potentially knock over a small child. To responsibly and legally open one of our 170,000 fire hydrants, ask your local firehouse for a spray cap (locate your nearest firehouse here!), and they’ll come put it on for the day.
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🐀 Squeaking out wins in the War On Rats |
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🏙 Affordable housing coming to Lower Manhattan |
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A new building will be going up at 5 World Trade Center, and 400 units will be reserved for moderate and low-income New Yorkers. A single prospective resident annually earning $39,560-$118,680 would be eligible for one of these affordable apartments. If you’re exploring affordable housing now and don’t know how to get started, the City offers one-on-one free housing application assistance and free financial counseling to help you put your best foot forward and make informed decisions.
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Before you go, did you know… |
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New York City has more than 550 community gardens? Hubs to garden, socialize, and contribute to our neighborhoods together, our community gardens are beloved fixtures of NYC. Many host free events for New Yorkers to enjoy, such as live music performances, produce tastings, barbecues, game tournaments, and plant swaps. They may not be massive, but their impact is. Visit one near you soon!
🌱 🪴 🌾 |
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Have a great weekend, New Yorkers! I hope you make this an amazing August full of adventure and ambition. Take advantage of everything our incredible city has to offer this month! 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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