Hello New York!

New York is coming out of a cold, high-attention weekend marked by Super Bowl watch parties across the city, renewed debate over immigration enforcement and sanctuary policy, and new experiments in how the city governs daily life, from AI-powered subway gates and more. At the same time, the city’s cultural engine is fully back on—New York Fashion Week kicks off, major tech conferences and philosophy talks fill bars and venues, Broadway and restaurants see strong winter crowds, pop-ups, markets and other events.

More events and news in today’s issue. Let’s get to it.

– Sofia Kurd.

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1. Lectures on Tap: "A Philosophical Exploration: What Are Universities For?" Tue, Feb 10 | 6:30 PM | NYC bar location | Intellectual discourse in a casual bar setting. Free admission. Address provided upon registration.

2. Brooklyn Tech Expo: "TECH4LIFE" Edition Wed, Feb 11 | 11 AM-4 PM | 26 Bridge St, DUMBO | Brooklyn's largest AI & tech conference. 1,000+ professionals including C-level execs, founders, industry leaders. Free professional headshots, seminars on AI adoption, social media strategy, edge computing.

3. New York Fashion Week Opens Wed, Feb 11 | Various times | NYFW Fall/Winter 2026 kicks off with Men's Day at 10:30 AM (A.Potts, Avon Anglers, Chelsea Grays, Peak Lapel), followed by Proenza Schouler at noon, LoveShackFancy at 1 PM, Coach at 3 PM, Tory Burch at 7 PM.

4. "Negotiation Psychology and Tactics" Wed, Feb 11 | 6:30 PM | NYC bar location | Learn negotiation strategies from experts. Free admission. Bar setting encourages discussion and networking.

5. Broadway Sings Taylor Swift with Live Orchestra Sun, Feb 15 | 3-5 PM | The Cutting Room, 44 E 32nd St | Broadway performers from Hamilton, Wicked, Waitress perform Swift's hits with 14-piece orchestra. Tickets from $40. All ages welcome.

6. Kjun Reopens in New Bi-Level Space Opening February | Murray Hill | Korean-Cajun mashup Kjun swaps its little Murray Hill location for a new bi-level space. Ground floor bar with full liquor license and à la carte menu. Upstairs, formal dining room with set meals up to $150. Seafood jajangmyun and kimchi jambalaya return, alongside new Korean-style octopus with andouille emulsion. Perfect timing for Mardi Gras.

7. Strakers Opens SoHo Outpost Opening February | SoHo | Viral TikTok chef Thomas Straker opens his first NYC location of his beloved Notting Hill restaurant. "British by way of Italy" cuisine. Recent dishes include girolles flatbread, seabass tartare, venison with lingonberries, and burnt honey ice cream. Takes over the site of Keith McNally's Lucky Strike.

8. Bark Barbecue Opens in Bushwick Opening February/March | Bushwick | New BBQ joint at 25 Thames St. Soft opening expected in March. Bushwick's latest addition to the dining scene.

9. Olly Olly Market Pop-Up Feb 9-11 | 4 PM onwards | Various locations | Free pop-up market with shopping, food, and entertainment.

1) Betting Company Polymarket to Open NYC’s First Free Grocery Store
Prediction-market platform Polymarket announced it will open New York City’s first free grocery store in downtown Manhattan from February 12–16. The temporary store will allow visitors to take groceries at no cost and is paired with a $1 million donation to food-access initiatives. The company framed the project as a mix of public experiment, philanthropy, and brand statement, positioning it as a response to rising food costs and economic uncertainty. The pop-up adds Polymarket to a growing list of tech firms using physical, real-world activations to signal cultural relevance in New York.

2) Mamdani Pushes Aggressive Class-Size Reduction Plan for NYC Schools
Mayor Zohran Mamdani is backing a plan to significantly reduce class sizes across New York City public schools, accelerating changes required under a long-delayed state mandate, according to The New York Times. The proposal would require the city to hire thousands of additional teachers over the next several years, raising concerns about cost, classroom space, and implementation speed. Supporters argue smaller classes are critical for learning outcomes, while critics warn the timeline could strain budgets and school infrastructure. The debate highlights early tensions between education policy goals and fiscal realities under the new administration.

3) NYC Tests AI-Powered Subway Gates to Detect Fare Evasion
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is testing subway fare gates equipped with AI-powered cameras designed to collect data on suspected fare evaders. The system, developed by Cubic, records short video clips when someone passes through a gate without paying and uses computer vision to generate a physical description, which is then sent to the MTA. Officials say the technology is intended for data collection rather than immediate enforcement, but privacy advocates warn it represents a broader expansion of surveillance in public spaces. The pilot follows a December MTA request for AI tools to detect “unusual or unsafe behavior” and comes amid wider use of camera-based monitoring by retailers and transit systems across the city.

4) Staten Island Chuck’s Groundhog Day Prediction Gets Icy Confirmation
New York City’s own groundhog, Staten Island Chuck, predicted six more weeks of winter on February 2, a call that resurfaced in conversation as the city endured one of its coldest stretches of the season. While largely symbolic, Chuck’s annual appearance remains a small but enduring piece of New York culture.

5) Seahawks Win Super Bowl LX
The Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots 29–13 in Super Bowl LX, combining strong defense with a standout run game. The high-profile, watch-party-centered weekend included a widely viewed halftime show featuring Bad Bunny and guest performers.

6) Martha Stewart Voices Dismay After ICE Activity Near NYC Suburb
Celebrity entrepreneur Martha Stewart publicly expressed disappointment after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity was reported near her New York area community in Bedford, NY. In a recent interview with USA Today, Stewart said notices about ICE presence at local schools in her town “made [her] feel a little bit down,” calling the development “extremely depressing” and reflecting on how it felt to see federal enforcement visible in a typically quiet suburban area. While Stewart avoided directly critiquing individual politicians, her comments signal broader public interest in how federal immigration actions resonate in local communities even outside the city’s core.

7) Mayor Mamdani Reaffirms NYC’s Sanctuary Commitment, Launches “Know Your Rights” Campaign
At his administration’s first annual Interfaith Breakfast, Zohran Mamdani signed a comprehensive executive order reaffirming New York City’s sanctuary protections and expanding safeguards for immigrant residents. The order strengthens privacy protections, limits cooperation with federal immigration authorities on city property without a warrant, and mandates audits of agency compliance with sanctuary laws. Alongside the order, the city launched a “Know Your Rights” initiative, distributing nearly 32,000 multilingual guides through faith and community networks to help residents understand their rights when interacting with federal enforcement. The event brought together hundreds of community leaders, highlighting the administration’s focus on inclusion and legal awareness.

Share your voice and opinions on local NYC and national policies. Each month, we randomly pick one of all participants to win a prize. Feb 2026: $25 gift card.

New York City Proved Cholera Was a Waterborne Disease
In the 1830s–40s, recurring cholera outbreaks devastated New York City, killing tens of thousands. While many believed disease spread through “bad air,” NYC physicians and engineers began noticing a statistical link between outbreaks and contaminated wells. This helped accelerate acceptance of waterborne transmission in the U.S. and directly led to the construction of the Croton Aqueduct. Modern public health in America emerged not from theory, but from New York’s epidemiological catastrophe.

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