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January 5, 2026

Today's SCOOP is brought to you by The Public Theater. SCOOP readers use code THECITY65 to unlock $65 tickets for performances at The Public.

Dear New Yorkers,

As the founder of an organization that’s staged dance performances in public across Queens since 2014, Karesia Batan has navigated the winding path for securing city permits more times than she can count.

“It’s like, ‘Ok, where? Who do we call? What do you mean?’” said Batan, of the Queensboro Dance Festival, which puts on free dance performances, parties and classes 30 to 40 times each summer.

Batan compares the city’s complex permitting process — which features an alphabet-soup array of agencies and offices that set guidelines for everything from block parties and street festivals to the use of stages, tents and speakers — to “avoiding a bunch of trap doors.”

“It shouldn’t just be the Governors Balls and the Summerstages that can do this because they have a massive budget and they have a huge team,” she said, pointing to the annual three-day music festival in Flushing Meadows Corona Park and the yearly summer performances in Central Park and dozens of city parks.

“A lot of our public spaces are meant for the local community and they are smaller in scale,” said Batan, whose organization features Queens-based professional dance groups. “That doesn’t mean their impact isn’t great.”

In hopes of slicing through red tape, a new report from the Design Trust for Public Space makes a series of recommendations to Mayor Zohran Mamdani and city agencies on how to ease permitting hurdles for organizations which put on events in public space. That includes more than 30,000 acres of parkland, close to 600 privately owned spaces set aside for public use and more than 200 Open Streets.

Read more here about a process that some people say “doesn’t need to be this hard.”

Weather ⛅

Mostly sunny, with a high near 68.

MTA 🚇

In Queens, no Manhattan-bound F trains between Sutphin Boulevard and 75 Ave. Find all the MTA’s planned changes and the latest delays here.

Alternate side parking 🚙

It’s in effect today, March 10.

By the way…

As the weather warms, check out our explainer on how to join a community garden and what is expected from you as a member.

Our Other Top Stories

The bomb-throwing teenagers who joined a counter-protest to a ““stop the Islamic takeover of New York City” protest outside of Gracie Mansion this weekend had pledged their support to the terror group ISIS, according to a federal complaint released Monday. Read more here.

Plus, hear more about the mayor”s response to the madness outside of his home on the latest episode of the FAQ NYC podcast.

City Councilmember Vickie Paladino, a Republican representing parts of Queens, is suing the New York City Council — asking a state judge to step in to block an upcoming hearing where she would have to defend herself against a committee’s charge of disorderly conduct related to a series of virulently anti-Muslim tweets she fired off from her personal account.

A controversial program to take derelict buildings away from negligent landlords but that ensnared many homeowners in majority Black and Brown neighborhoods may get a reboot after a multi-year pause, with a new bill aimed at focusing it on “the worst of the worst” offenders.

Reporter’s Notebook

Street Vendor Decriminalization Goes Into Effect — With One Caveat

A law passed by City Council last year to eliminate all criminal enforcement for licensed street vendors went into effect Monday.

“Yesterday, vendors provided for our community for the last time with fear, because no longer will the threat of jail time or immigration consequences be held over their heads,” Councilmember Shekar Krishnan (D-Queens), who introduced the legislation, said at a rally Monday.

The NYPD did not respond to THE CITY’s inquiry about how it has trained its officers to comply with the change. But Krishnan said he is following up with the NYPD about new protocols and internal guidelines around vendor enforcement.

“As we roll it out, we are there to be vigilant and to hold our city agencies and the NYPD accountable,” he added.

Under the new law, licensed vendors will still receive civil tickets for violations related to selling within prohibited areas and hours.

The estimated 16,000 unlicensed vendors across the city, however, will continue to receive criminal summonses.

The City Council passed another law this year to offer unlicensed vendors a pathway to accessing permits that have long been capped by quotas, but applications for those new permits have not yet been rolled out.

— Haidee Chu

Teacher’s Union Revives Paraprofessional Pay Push

The United Federation of Teachers on Monday renewed its efforts to boost paraprofessional pay after a previous effort was blocked by former Council Speaker Adrienne Adams.

The bill, introduced by Manhattan Councilmember Carmen de la Rosa, would give teacher’s aides a temporary $10,000 “workforce stabilization” payment each year on Aug. 1. The payment would sunset only when it is absorbed into collective bargaining as an annual payment in addition to negotiated raises. Paraprofessionals currently earn between $33,000 to $55,000 yearly, according to the UFT.

But the Mamdani administration testified that while it supports the bill’s intent, city labor negotiators believe any raises should be subject to bargaining. Daniel Pollock, a representative from the Office of Labor Relations, suggested the administration was willing to open up contract talks ahead of a Nov. 2027 expiration date in order to negotiate paraprofessionals raises. (Mamdani said on the campaign trail last year that he supported the effort.)

Michael Mulgrew, the head of the UFT, said he was “disgusted” by OLR’s position and urged lawmakers to approve the measure. As of Monday, 45 Council members sponsor the bill, a veto-proof majority.

— Claudia Irizarry Aponte

Things To Do

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

Tuesday, March 10: Join TV host Mickela Mallozzi for a behind-the-scenes look into some of the most memorable moments from her PBS travel series, “Bare Feet.” Free, at 6:30 p.m. Register here.
Wednesday, March 11: The University of Pittsburgh’s Men’s Glee Club performs at Saint Patrick's Cathedral. Free, at 1:45 p.m.
Wednesday, March 11: Experience the Big East’s Battle of the Bands performances featuring marching bands from St. John’s, Seton Hall, Villanova and Marquette in the Vessel. Free entry, performances begin at 9:00 a.m.

THE KICKER: Mei Mei, a parakeet who spent 10 weeks living with a flock of birds in Central Park, now has a forever home at a sanctuary in Rhode Island.