Good afternoon, New York! Today we cover best things happening in the city this week—from comedy events to a sci-fi film festival.

Let’s get to it.

– Sofia Kurd.

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• Fri–Sat – Philip K. Dick Film Festival — A two-day sci-fi film festival celebrating visionary writers like Philip K. Dick, Jorge Luis Borges, and Franz Kafka with screenings and discussions across multiple venues including Village East by Angelika. Various locations. $22.

• Fri 7pm – Comedy in Costumes — A stand-up show inside Abracadabra NYC, the city’s legendary magic and costume shop. Comics perform while audience members compete in costume for a $100 prize. Abracadabra NYC (Flatiron). $15.

• Sat (Weekends) – Brooklyn Flea Returns — The outdoor flea market reopens under the Manhattan Bridge archway with vintage clothing, antiques, handmade goods, and local food vendors. DUMBO. Free.

• Sat 7pm–3:14am – Night in the Library — Brooklyn Public Library opens its doors after hours for talks, performances, and workshops around this year’s Pi-Day theme: The Philosophy of Mathematics, featuring a keynote from filmmaker Werner Herzog. Central Library (Prospect Heights). Free with RSVP.

• Sat 4pm – Modern Whitney: Comedians Interpret Art — A strange but fun format: comedians attempt to explain a piece of art before a real expert corrects them. Caveat (Lower East Side). ~$15 with code.

• Sun 12–6pm – Tiny Arts Makers Market — A large indie maker market with 50+ vendors selling zines, ceramics, prints, jewelry, and more, plus live demos and tarot readings. Gottscheer Hall (Ridgewood). Free.

• Mon 6:30pm – Everyday Genius: Memory Training Talk — Six-time USA memory champion Nelson Dellis shares techniques to improve memory, focus, and creative thinking while celebrating his new book. National Museum of Mathematics (NoMad). Free–$15.

• Mon – Raging Bull Screening (Black & White Classics Series) — A new film series kicks off with Martin Scorsese’s Raging Bull starring Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci on the big screen. Village East by Angelika. $19–22.

NYC Half Marathon Returns This Weekend
More than 30,000 runners from around the world will take part in the annual United Airlines NYC Half Marathon on Sunday. The 13.1-mile course begins near the Brooklyn Museum, loops through Prospect Park, crosses the Brooklyn Bridge, runs up the FDR Drive, passes through Times Square, and finishes in Central Park. Wave starts begin around 7:00 AM, with thousands of spectators expected along the route.

NYC signs $1.86B contract to house homeless in hotels
New York City finalized a three-year $1.86 billion contract to continue housing homeless residents in hotels while permanent shelter capacity expands. The program is meant to relieve pressure on overcrowded shelters but is already facing criticism over cost and long-term sustainability.

Appeals court says NYC can enforce foie gras ban
A New York appellate court ruled the city has authority to ban foie gras sales, siding with animal-welfare advocates who say the production method is cruel. The ban still faces additional litigation from the foie-gras industry before it can fully take effect.

NYC announces citywide pothole repair “blitz”
City officials and the Department of Transportation announced a large pothole repair operation after complaints surged across the city this winter. Queens has been particularly affected by damaged roads.

Iconic NYC news anchor Ernie Anastos dies at 82
Ernie Anastos, a longtime television news anchor known to generations of New Yorkers, died at age 82. He spent decades on major local stations and became one of the city’s most recognizable broadcast figures.

Question: Which NYC borough has the largest population overall?

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Answer to last issue’s trivia - How many languages are estimated to be spoken across New York City?: An estimated 800 languages are spoken in New York City, making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world.

I’m writing this week from Cape Town, South Africa, which has been a fascinating place to spend some time. While here I actually was able to go and meet my New York City landlord, who is South African. The city has a way of following you around the world.

The past few weeks globally have also been intense. I’m half Iranian, so I’ve been following the news closely as events unfold there. Many Iranians I know are cautiously watching what might come next. At the same time, energy markets have been reacting quickly. Oil prices have pushed back above $100 per barrel as tensions around Iran and the Strait of Hormuz disrupt shipping, a route that normally carries roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply.

In other news, a research note from Citrini Research has been circulating widely among investors after outlining a scenario where AI agents begin automating large parts of white collar work. As someone who works closely with AI startups, the timeline the paper suggests, with major changes happening as soon as 2028, feels aggressive. But it raises interesting questions for New York, whose economy is built so heavily around knowledge work.

What are your thoughts on these developments? If these are conversations you’re interested in, join us: we’re building a community of New Yorkers, we discuss happenings in the city and relevant topics for New Yorkers, including investing, exchanging career and networking opportunities, and accessing exclusive experiences in New York City.

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