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TUESDAY, SEPT. 2, 2025

Dear New Yorkers,

He’s said it over and over again on the campaign trail, a consistent drumbeat of a promise: If elected mayor, Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani will freeze your rent. Tenants thrilled. Landlords quailed.

But can Mamdani actually do it?

The answer is more complicated than you might think — and the outcome of November’s general election is only one piece of the puzzle. Read more about what it would take the freeze rents on stabilized apartments — and how it’s been done in the past.

Weather ☀️

Sunny and a high near 76.

MTA 🚇

In the Bronx, Wakefield-bound 2 skips 219 St., 225 St., 233 St. and Nereid Ave. from 9:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Find all the MTA’s planned changes and the latest delays here.

Alternate side parking 🚙

It’s in effect today, Sept. 2.

By the way …

Heads up, your commute may be more congested starting Thursday when New York City public school students head back into the classrooms.

Our Other Top Stories

A basketball court at NYCHA’s South Jamaica Houses in Queens isn’t just a place for kids to shoot some hoops. It’s also part of the city’s first “cloudburst” project — designed to catch, store and transport water during extreme rainstorms. DREAM is back. Its organizer calls it the “ultimate hater campaign,” and it’s now imploring voters to “Don’t Re-Elect Eric or Andrew for Mayor.” The effort, supported by a pro-Mamdani independent expenditure group, says it’s needed to beat back the gamut of super PAC spending boosting Adams and Cuomo. Just two lawyers have remained inside 26 Federal Plaza every day as it’s become the epicenter of President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda in New York City. Listen to them describe what they’re seeing and how their work has changed on the latest episode of FAQ NYC.

SPONSORED Fall Routines Are Back. Feast & Fettle Makes Dinner Easy. As summer winds down and routines ramp up, dinner becomes just one more thing on your endless to-do list. That’s where Feast & Fettle comes in. This New England-based meal service just launched across the city, delivering fully-prepared, chef-crafted meals, no cooking, no cleanup. Think: seared salmon with dill crème fraîche, braised short ribs, and veggie-packed grain bowls that don’t wilt by Wednesday. Members choose from a rotating weekly menu, and meals arrive in reusable containers, ready to heat and serve. It’s portioned for your household, whether that’s you solo, a couple, or a crew with picky kids. It’s not takeout. It’s not a meal kit. It’s just…done. Feast & Fettle is built for New Yorkers: no time, no margin, and no patience for another dinner decision. It’s food that fits your week. THE CITY readers can get 20% off their first order. Click to join now.

Things To Do

Here’s what’s going on around the city this week.

Tuesday, Sept. 2: Catch the last show of The Public Theater’s “PERICLES: A Public Works Concert Experience” at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. The concert is free beginning at 8 p.m. and seating is first-come, first-served. Thursday, Sept. 4: Attend a free shuffleboard workshop at Bryant Park in partnership with the New York Shuffleboard Association. Register here. Lessons start at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 7: Experience the Bronx’s Little Italy by heading to the annual Ferragosto Festival. Free entry, with festivities starting at noon.

THE KICKER: It’s nonstop fun at Red Hook’s Pinball Museum where you can play and marvel at machines dating back to the late 1800s.

Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Tuesday.

Love,

THE CITY

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