–Building owners and developers are looking at converting hotel and commercial properties into affordable housing, but it could be an expensive proposition. “The process seems so daunting that an investor interested in converting a struggling 60-room hotel on the Lower East Side is getting cold feet.” [The New York Times]
–More on the latest legal maneuvers by the activists trying to stop the city’s resiliency plan for the East River. [Gothamist]
–A Lower East Side man walked into police headquarters, holding a knife, and according to cops, admitted to murdering his own brother. [New York Post]
–Coping with the pandemic and being a target for hate crimes and harassment — Danny Liang, a waieter at Wo Hop in Chinatown, tells his story. [Grub Street]
–You may have noticed that Essex Street Shambles, the wonderful butcher in the Essex Market, hasn’t been open in awhile. Unfortunately, the business appears to be another pandemic casualty. On the Facebook page of the uptown original, Harlem Shambles, the owners announced April 6, “Thank you for all of your support over the last ten years, it’s been a wonderful ride. We have made the difficult decision to suspend operations, given the current environment. We hope to see you all in the future.” [Facebook]
–Critic Ryan Sutton joins the chorus, saying Dhamaka, the new Indian restaurant in the Essex Market, is one of the most exciting new restaurants in New York. [Eater]
–“An unfussy menu and a generous hand;” Pete Wells reviews Ernesto’s, the Basque restaurant on East Broadway that was “probably the busiest new restaurant in town” before the pandemic. [The New York Times]
