–“Yet another bitter battle over art, appropriation and censorship is being waged this week — this time over a depiction of a Chinatown waiting room.” Here’s the latest take on the protests over artist Omer Fast’s show at the James Cohan Gallery. [New York Times]
–A group of thieves has figured out it’s not that hard to befriend drunken revelers on the Lower East Side and then steal their stuff. [DNAinfo]
–Target, opening soon on the Lower East Side, has avoided the big box perils that stymied Walmart in NYC. [AMNY]
–The city plans a crackdown on e-bikes. [WNYC]
–Christopher Marte’s secret weapon in taking on City Council member Margaret Chin? Valuable guidance from an organization called Run For Something, which was started by a former staffer in Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. [Gotham Gazette]
–After closing its hole-in-the-wall on East Broadway, the beloved dumpling/hand-pulled noodle joint, Lan Zhou, has reopened in a larger space at 40 Bowery. [Eater]
–Fabian von Hauske, co-owner of the acclaimed Lower East Side restaurants Contra and Wildair, said things were looking a little bleak the first summer after opening. Adding a second restaurant, which was “a hit from the start,” made all the difference. [Forbes]
