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MONDAY, SEPT. 22, 2025

Today's SCOOP is brought to you by our members.

Dear New Yorkers,

He’s polling in third place, behind frontrunner Zohran Mamdani and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. (He is, at least, leading the man who trounced him in 2021, Eric Adams). President Trump has dismissed him as “not exactly primetime” and is reportedly trying to get him to drop out of the race for mayor.

But Curtis Sliwa says he’s in it to win it. “This is going to be a race between Zohran Mamdani and Curtis Sliwa,” he told THE CITY, which caught up with him recently on the campaign trail.

Despite the low poll numbers and overwhelming Democratic registration in NYC, local Republicans — from Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn) to Councilmember Joann Ariola (R-Queens) — are at least publicly saying they believe he can prevail.

Read more here about why they think that — and what Sliwa’s effort looks like on the ground.

Weather 🌤️

Mostly sunny, with a high near 75.

MTA 🚇

In Queens, starting at 9 p.m, the F will make local stops in both directions between Forest Hills-71 Av and Jackson Hts-Roosevelt Av. Find all the MTA’s planned changes and the latest delays here.

Alternate side parking 🚙

It’s in effect today, Sept. 22.

By the way…

One week ago, Gov. Hochul endorsed Zohran Mamdani in the mayor’s race. But how much do endorsements really matter in local elections? Our guide can tell you.

Our Other Top Stories

The MTA is making moves to carve out tunnels connecting new stations on the Second Avenue Subway line, according to an eminent domain petition filed Thursday. And even some local business owners who will be impacted by the construction say that the nearly $7 billion extension is worth it. “It will change the neighborhood, but it’s like progress, you know?” said Tewelde Debessay, the owner of Melover Wine & Spirit. The union for Brooklyn Defender Services has filed a complaint with the federal labor board, alleging that the group’s director tried to engineer its replacement with a management-friendly union. Laurie Gwen Shapiro, the author of The Aviator and the Showman: Amelia Earhart, George Putnam, and the Marriage that Made an American Icon, joins Harry Siegel and Amy Sohn in the latest episode of the LIT NYC podcast to discuss the life and death of the world’s most famous female flier — and how those were both wrapped up in a New York story about celebrity, status, sex and publishing.

Things To Do

Here are some free and low-cost things to do around the city this week.

Monday, Sept. 22: Swap your clean, gently used fall and winter clothing and home goods at the Windjammer in Ridgewood. Free, from 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23: Celebrate Climate Week NYC with workshops and activities at the Idlewild Environmental Center. Free, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24: Kids can join in on various sports drills and arts and crafts at the Brownsville Playground. Free, from 12 to 2 p.m.

THE KICKER: Get paid to keep the party going. New York City Small Business Services have launched its first-ever grants for projects seeking to strengthen nightlife business.

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

Love,

THE CITY

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