Hi New York!

Did you know? January 7, 1927 — The first commercial transatlantic telephone call was made between New York City and London, placing NYC at the center of global telecommunications history.

In today’s NYC Newsletter:

NYC Restaurant Week opens, hidden gems, who’s who in Mamdani’s administration.

Let’s get to it.

– Sofia Kurd.

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The answer to last week’s trivia: [A] - Central Park was originally conceived in the mid-19th century as a public health and social reform project—city leaders believed fresh air, open space, and controlled “nature” would reduce disease, calm social unrest, and morally improve a rapidly industrializing, overcrowded New York; the real-estate boom around it came later as a very profitable side effect.

NYC TRIVIA:

Which New York City infrastructure project displaced more people than any other in the city’s history?

A) Lincoln Center
B) Central Park
C) The Cross Bronx Expressway
D) The World Trade Center

The answer will be revealed in the next newsletter.

• NYC Restaurant Week reservations open today
Restaurant Week runs Jan 20–Feb 12, offering prix-fixe lunch and dinner menus at hundreds of restaurants across all five boroughs—one of the best excuses of the year to book spots you normally “save for later.”

• Wed 7:30pm — Awkward Teenage Years
A live storytelling show where performers revisit their most painfully funny growing-up moments, hosted by two-time Moth winner Will Clegg and featuring Adam Wade, Erin Barker, Christine Williams, Brian Lorio, and Kate Nichols. Under St. Marks (East Village), sliding-scale admission.

• Wed 8pm — The Moth StorySLAM
The popular open-mic storytelling competition returns, inviting anyone to share a five-minute true story based on tonight’s theme, “New Leaf”—bold beginnings, fresh starts, and unexpected turns. The Bell House (Gowanus), $19.65.

• Wed 8pm (Biweekly) — Flash Comedy
A fast-paced stand-up show where the hosts snap free Polaroids of you and your friends while comics take the stage, featuring Yedoye Travis, Dan Perlman, Sunny Laprade, Ali Clayton, Amber Singletary, and Liza Treyger. Mood Ring (Bushwick), $10 advance / $15 door.

• Thurs–Feb 28 — Elisheva Biernoff: Elsewhere
David Zwirner Gallery presents detailed paintings based on anonymous found photographs by San Francisco–based artist Elisheva Biernoff, exploring memory, distance, and authorship. Opening reception Jan 8, 6–8pm. Upper East Side, free admission.

• Thurs–Feb 23 — Books That Changed My Life Festival
The Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan hosts its annual festival featuring conversations with authors, artists, and thinkers on the books that shaped them, with an opening party on Jan 8 at 5:30pm. Various prices.

• Thurs–Feb 2 — To Save and Project: MoMA’s International Festival of Film Preservation
MoMA presents more than 75 newly restored films from 23 countries—many unseen in decades—spanning over a century of cinema. Midtown West, $10–$14.

• Thurs–Jan 17 — Juilliard Chamberfest 2026
Juilliard students and faculty perform chamber music masterworks as part of the school’s annual Chamberfest, with concerts at The Juilliard School and Alice Tully Hall (UWS). Free–$20.

• Thurs 8pm (Monthly) — Savage! Comedy Show
A free stand-up night hosted by Lizzie Martinez, Melissa Rocha, Nonye Brown-West, and Chloé Cunha, featuring comics from The Daily Show, The New Yorker, and more. Logan’s Run (Park Slope), free admission with drink raffle.

• Who’s who in Zohran Mamdani’s administration — A breakdown of key appointments and leadership roles shaping the new NYC mayor’s team as the city’s political transition continues. City & State New York

• Executive orders target junk fees and subscription traps — Mayor Mamdani signed orders to crack down on hidden fees and deceptive subscription billing to save NYC consumers money.

• City panel likely to recommend closing Rikers Island — Reports detail ongoing city planning around the future of NYC’s infamous jail complex, including implementing existing laws on solitary confinement.

• NYC Broadway Week 2026 tickets go on sale — Theater fans can now buy 2-for-1 Broadway Week tickets for the winter discount period — part of the broader Winter Outing promotion. CBS News

• Traffic entering Manhattan’s congestion zone down 11% in first year — New data shows fewer vehicles entering the central business district since congestion pricing launched, with revenue supporting transit upgrades.

• Lorde, Jennie, Baby Keem and more announced for Governors Ball 2026 — The major NYC music festival revealed its star-studded lineup for this summer’s event at Flushing Meadows Corona Park. FOX 5 New York

• Mamdani took oath on historic Quran now at NYPL — NYC’s mayor used an 18th-century Quran from the Schomburg Center for his inauguration oath, symbolizing diversity and heritage. Anadolu Ajansı

• NYPD touts dramatic reductions in major crimes in 2025 — Local police officials describe significant year-over-year declines in violent crime categories, citing “historic outcomes.”

• Inwood community rallies to help local dog walker recover lost money — Strangers in Northern Manhattan came together to support an Inwood resident after a personal financial loss, highlighting community solidarity. ABC7 New York

• Public school priorities outlined by NYC Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels — Chalkbeat NY reports on the city school system’s focus areas for integration and culturally responsive teaching. Chalkbeat

Large parts of NYC’s water system run almost entirely on gravity.

Fresh water travels more than 100 miles from upstate reservoirs to New York City with minimal mechanical pumping, relying instead on elevation drop and pressure. The system was engineered so efficiently that water can reach many upper floors of buildings without assistance. This design choice, made over a century ago, is one reason NYC’s water infrastructure remains both resilient and relatively energy-efficient. It’s also why city water pressure is famously strong.

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