Good morning, New York!
Did you know?: On today’s date, October 29, 1929, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) experienced “Black Tuesday” — a massive crash in stock prices that marked the beginning of the Great Depression in the U.S.
In today’s NYC Newsletter:
Best popups and free events happening this week
Wednesday Wind-Up: On the NYC Social Media Lawsuit
Sweepstakes Poll: Win $75 Amazon Gift Card
Let’s get to it.
– Sofia Kurd.
______________________________
What’s Going On This Week // Wednesday
Today is Wednesday. Here are a list of popups and free events in the city over the next week.
👻Party City Pop-Up at Union Square — Until Oct 31 @ One Union Square West. Halloween costumes, décor, nostalgic return shop.
🎃Seaport Pumpkin Arch — Oct 22–Nov 17 | Pier 17 (South Street Seaport), NYC. Free photo-op pop-up installation with seasonal fall/pumpkin theme. Click here to learn more
👨👩👦Immersive pop-up: CHILDHOOD 2.0 by Bark Technologies — Weds, Oct 29 & Thurs, Oct 30 at Lightbox NYC — Retro-’80s/’90s rooms + 360° visuals + hands-on installations exploring how childhood has changed.
🧴Glow Mode: Pop‑Up Store by medicube — Oct 24–Nov 2 | 437 Broadway, NYC. Immersive beauty-meets-gaming experience. | Click here to learn more
🎨CHROMA: Tales Between Hues — Oct 23–Dec 14 | Genesis House, NYC. Multi-sensory art installation. Free entry. | Click here to learn more
🌽“Maze by Moonlight” through the corn maze at Queens County Farm Museum (73-50 Little Neck Pkwy, Queens): Oct 31 | Buy tickets
👻Candlelight Ghost Tours – NYC Parks: A ghost-tour event on Thu Oct 30, 6:30-9:00pm | Buy Tickets
🚨🐶Pet Halloween Contest 🐶🚨
Is your pet dressing up for Halloween this year? Reply to this email with an image of your pet in their Halloween costume. We will pick one winner to win a $25 Chewy giftcard and be featured in next week’s NYC Newsletter issue!
NYC Fact Of The Day
🍞 The subway is older than sliced bread.
NYC’s first line opened in 1904; pre-sliced bread didn’t hit grocery stores until 1928. 🍞
Local News
🗳️ Mayoral Election
What’s going on
Early voting is underway from Oct. 25 through Nov. 2, ahead of Election Day on Tue, Nov. 4.
Zohran Mamdani (Democratic Socialist) — currently leading in most polls.
Andrew Cuomo (Independent, former Governor) — gaining some ground, but trailing.
Curtis Sliwa (Republican) — much further behind, still in the race.
Polling snapshot:
Mamdani ~ 43 % support vs. Cuomo ~ 29 % vs. Sliwa ~ 19 %. Undecided voters (≈8 %) remain.
Turnout is unusually high in early voting.
Key demographic note: voters age 50+ are the largest undecided bloc — their choice may tip the outcome.
Are you registered to vote in the NYC Mayoral Elections? Check and register here.
🔩Wednesday Wind-Up
On October 8, 2025, New York City filed a major lawsuit against several of the world’s biggest tech companies — including Meta, TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat — saying they designed their apps to keep kids addicted. The 327-page complaint, filed in federal court in Manhattan, argues that endless scrolling, constant notifications, and reward-loop features were built to trap users in a cycle of attention and anxiety.
City lawyers say the result is a youth mental-health crisis that taxpayers are now paying for: more depression, less sleep, distracted classrooms, and even dangerous viral trends like “subway surfing.” The suit compares social-media design to public-health threats like cigarettes or opioids — products that caused harm because companies chose profit over safety.
The city wants money for mental-health programs and new rules forcing platforms to change how they operate. Alphabet, YouTube’s parent company, has already pushed back, saying the claims “misunderstand how YouTube works.”
It’s the most aggressive action yet by any U.S. city. Similar bills in New York State already aim to limit “addictive feeds” for minors, suggesting this case could become a national model if it succeeds.
This case isn’t simple. On one hand, the city is right — social-media apps are built to grab attention, and kids are often the easiest to hook. On the other hand, tech companies didn’t invent loneliness, boredom, or peer pressure; they just built systems that feed them.
How New Yorkers Can Get Involved
Residents can follow the case on the NYC Law Department website. New Yorkers can also submit public comments to the Mayor’s Office of Digital Equity and attend City Council hearings on tech regulation. Some local schools and nonprofits, like ParentZone NYC and TechBalance, are also hosting free workshops on healthy tech habits.
🚨Sweepstakes Poll🚨
🚨Participate in this week’s poll for a chance to win a $75 Amazon Gift Card:🚨(must be submitted before October 31, 2025 for entry).