Photo: Some determined runners at the East River running track. Could the NYC Marathon be a week away?
In the news this week:
–A decade after Hurricane Sandy, resiliency projects to protect the Lower East Side and other vulnerable neighborhoods are finally underway. Workers are now focused on erecting a seawall in East River Park, “which will then be completely buried underneath an 8-foot-high mound of dirt.” [Gothamist]
–The East Side Coastal Resiliency Project, “which broke ground in fall 2020, was initially supposed to be wrapped up by 2026. But (City Comptroller Brad) Lander said in his audit that it likely won’t be completed until 2027 after he found that the city has only spent 13.3% of the initiative’s $1.9 billion budget.” [Daily News]
–The Mayor came to the Lower East Side’s Pier 35 this past week to highlight a $350 million plan to create a series of floodgates along the East River to protect Lower Manhattan from future storms. But at the City Council, the administration came under heavy criticism for moving too slowly to implement resiliency measures. [Daily News]
–Early voting is underway for the November 8th general election. Voters in New York will be weighing in on the governor’s race and other statewide contests. Locally, voters will decide who will represent them in the newly created 10th Congressional District. Also on the line state senate and state assembly seats, judgeships and four ballot measures. Early voting ends Sunday, November 6. More info about your polling station here.
–Community Board 3’s November meeting agendas. [CB3 website]
–Nine Orchard, the swanky new hotel in the historic Jarmulowsky Bank building, has been painstakingly restored, but, says historian Jenna Weissman Joselit, “if you’re looking to combine a good night’s sleep and a cool vibe with even a smidgen’s worth of local history, I wouldn’t bank on finding it at 9 Orchard St. [Tablet]
–“Meet Me in the Bathroom,” a new documentary, offers viewers a new look at Lower East Side-centric bands like The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV on the Radio and LCD Soundsystem. [Deadline]
–A look at how a garden at the Rutgers Community Center is teaching kids about sustainable agriculture and addressing food insecurity. [Insider]
–Angela Cappetta spent about a decade taking photos of a Lower East Side family, creating an intimate portrait of their lives throughout the 1990s. Now she’s returning to the project. [i-D]
