WORLD WORLDWIDE USA New York NY New York City NYC the city THE CITY News Journal Update - Mayor’s bash at illegally built Bronx venue, a common flood adaptation fails disabled residents, City Council reshuffles leadership

 

Dear New Yorkers,

Last July, days before Mayor Eric Adams announced his appointment of Edward Caban to run the NYPD, the mayor and his new commissioner celebrated at a Bronx hotspot called Con Sofrito.

A few weeks later, in September, the mayor was back. He sat at a table, smiling at a white frosted birthday cake adorned with a lit sparkler, while an adoring crowd sang “Happy Birthday.”

Con Sofrito was at the time — and remains today — in violation of multiple city safety codes. It faces more than a dozen citations for dangerous conditions by the Fire Department. And a party shed at Con Sofrito has also been deemed an illegally constructed structure by the Department of Buildings. Last month, a judge called the place a hazard to the public in an eviction case by the property’s landlord.

It so happens that Con Sofrito is owned by now-Commissioner Caban’s brother, Richard, who is an ex-cop.

Visits to Con Sofrito by top city officials are often chronicled in social media posts by Jimmy Rodriguez — the former owner of Jimmy’s Bronx Cafe who now lists himself as Con Sofrito’s “creator/manager.”

It’s not the first time a Rodriguez endeavor has drawn bigwigs, or scrutiny. In 1995 Major League Baseball advised players to avoid Jimmy’s Bronx Cafe due to what it termed its reputation for hosting “unsavory characters,” including suspected drug dealers. The restaurant, also popular with politicians, closed in 2004.

Read more about the violations issued for Con Sofrito here.

Weather scoop by New York Metro Weather Friday's Weather Rating: 2/10. Winter is wintering! Periods of snow expected today with light accumulations, cold temperatures and blustery winds. Bundle up and take it slow out there, the vibes are snowy!

Our Other Top Stories

In flood-prone areas of NYC, elevating houses and installing lifts to get from street level to the door has been a go-to method to protect people’s residences. But people with disabilities are left in a lurch when the machinery malfunctions or breaks. Chung Lee, a manager at a Long Island company that repairs the lifts, said he often gets service calls after stormy weather. “The rising water level — whether your home has been raised above it or not — will cause issues,” Lee said. “None of the machines are ever designed to be submerged in water.”  What’s being built down the street? How much did your neighbor pay for their place? Is your new apartment in a flood zone? From our archive: How to snoop through property records like a reporter.

Reporter’s Notebook

Back to Work: Econ Update

New York City closed the year with a spurt of job growth but disappointing gains for all of 2023.

Employment increased by 11,000 in December, according to preliminary figures released Thursday by the state labor department, but the increase for the entire year was a disappointing 57,000 new positions, a pace much slower than the robust job growth nationally.

The unemployment rate ticked up 0.1 percentage point to 5.4%.

The numbers released this week will be revised in March when more reliable data from unemployment insurance filings becomes available. The job gains for 2022 were revised sharply higher when the revised date was made available last year.

It is likely the city will see a surge early next year as film and TV production ramps up following the end of actors and writers strikes that shut down that sector. Official forecasts for all of 2024 range from 88,000 new jobs (by the Independent Budget Office), 80,000 according to the administration of Mayor Eric Adams and a pessimistic 27,000 from the city comptroller.

— Greg David

Some Council Members Lose Chairs as Music Stops

Members of the City Council voted on new committee leadership on Thursday, with two newly-elected members chosen to lead — even as others bemoaned the moves as retribution from Speaker Adrienne Adams.

Among them is newly-elected Councilmember Yusef Salaam, a member of the exonerated Central Park Five who now represents Harlem. He was appointed the head of the public safety committee.

The City Council has 36 committees working on oversight on everything from public health to land use, each with one chair and at least five members. They are a crucial part of governance and the first step to passing relevant legislation before it is brought to the entire Council.

Leadership swaps are normal when a new Council is sworn in, and many members kept their chairmanships. But there was also talk that the changes were payback for voting against last year’s budget.

Speaker Adams brushed off any idea of revenge: “I get the impulse to speculate and try to figure it out and attribute a singular reason behind committee decisions, but it’s always a lot more complex than that, realistically,” she said at a press conference Thursday.

— Katie Honan

Things To Do

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

Friday, Jan. 19: NYC Restaurant Week began on Tuesday, and runs through Feb. 4 (so, it is really way longer than a week). Restaurants around the city offer fixed-priced menus at $30, $45 and $60. Sunday, Jan. 21: Family Friendly Drum Circle for preschoolers and parents/caregivers, featuring songs, games and rhythms from Ghana. Drums are included. Free (RSVP required) from 10 to 11 a.m. at Third Street Music School in Manhattan. Sunday, Jan. 21: An accessible, indoor garden Memory Tour for individuals with dementia and their caregivers. Free (RSVP required) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

THE KICKER: Wondering why pigeons don’t migrate south in the winter? Apparently, the cold doesn’t bother them … and the city’s streets are full of food year-round.

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

Love,

THE CITY