–A New York state judge tossed out a lawsuit from a group of property and business owners who wanted to stop a homeless facility from opening in the Blue Moon Hotel on Orchard Street. [New York Post]
–A 21-year-old driver struck a bicyclist, a pizza deliveryman, and then fled on foot from the scene at Delancey and Columbia streets. He later returned and was arrested. [Channel 7]
–Congress moved to help struggling performance venues, but if financial support promised through the “Save Our Stages Act” doesn’t arrive soon, many music halls and studios are doomed. Tony Caffrey of Arlene’s Grocery says, “For us to survive, we need to get another shot of money quickly, or we won’t be here… The lag time month by month is catching up. We really need help now. We really need the funds to come through and not talk. Talk won’t keep us open.” [NY1]
–While some young entrepreneurs have turned to social media to boost sales during the pandemic, most Chinatown businesses are suffering and in serious jeopardy if more government help does not arrive soon. [Yahoo]
–A look at how three Chinatown businesses are coping as the Year of the Ox begins. [BuzzFeed]
–Where to go in Chinatown for a Lunar New Year meal. [Gothamist]
–Prominent Asian American chefs, including some on the Lower East Side, have launched “Enough is Enough,” an initiative to raise awareness about rising hate crimes against Asians nationwide. [Eater]
–Katz’s Deli has managed to make it through the pandemic without laying off any employees, and leaning into its delivery/shipping business. Now that restaurants are allowed to resume indoor dining at 25% capacity, Katz’s is able to accommodate 17 or 18 tables. [CNBC]
–In her new book, “Beyond the Synagogue: Jewish Nostalgia as Religious Practice” Rachel Gross argues that places like the Museum at Eldridge Street show that Judaism may be changing, but it is not withering. [The Jerusalem Post]
–During the pandemic, arts organizations are finding a purpose even with their stages dark. At the Abrons Arts Center, the Henry Street Playhouse has been turned into a food pantry. [The New York Times]
–Designer Sandy Liang transformed a local Laundromat into her first brick-and-mortar boutique with the help of her dad’s Chinatown-based contracting firm. [Architect’s Newspaper]
