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Dear New Yorkers,

Becca Shapiro was waiting in line at a post office in Brooklyn last week when the man in front of her made an unusual request: he wanted to buy 1,000 postcard stamps.

At first, Shapiro was confused. “I was like, ‘Why is this guy sending so many postcards?’”

But other people in line immediately understood: the man was part of a postcard-sending campaign aimed at mobilizing swing state voters to the polls. Other customers in line had been sending postcards, too.

But the man couldn’t get his postcard stamps from that office. In fact, the clerk told him that they had been sold out for weeks.

At post offices all over the five boroughs THE CITY visited — and especially in Democratic strongholds like the Upper West Side and Park Slope — postcard stamps have been selling out at an unprecedented pace.

Postal workers said they suspect that’s due to New Yorkers taking part in postcard-mailing campaigns ahead of the November election. And according to the United States Postal Service, the problem is local — not national.

Read more here about New York City’s postcard stamp shortage.

Weather 🌤

Mostly sunny and bizarrely warm today, with highs in the upper 70s.

MTA 🚇

The downtown C and E skip Spring Street starting at 5 p.m. for the Halloween parade up Sixth Avenue, plus stairwells on other lines may be frozen to prevent platform crowding. Find the latest delays and planned changes here.

Alternate side parking 🚙

It’s in effect today, Oct. 31. Boo.

Our Other Top Stories

A new state law allows the city to build new apartment buildings and convert existing ones on a much larger scale. Mayor Eric Adams’ administration is targeting Midtown South — meaning the Garment District, plus parts of Flatiron and Chelsea —  as the first area to begin flexing those powers.  New Yorkers with disabilities who live in Manhattan no longer have to travel as far as the South Shore of Staten Island for Access-A-Ride eligibility screenings. Yesterday, the MTA opened a new assessment center at 3 Stone Street in the Financial District. It’s the first one in the borough since 2022, when a center at West 13th Street stopped performing evaluations. But the agency continues to face criticism over what some have called an “antiquated” and “ridiculous” screening process. When the city sweeps homeless encampments, it is required by its own internal policies to give 48 hours notice and for people’s personal property to be stored for 90 days. In practice, according to a new lawsuit filed by six homeless New Yorkers and the Urban Justice Center Safety Net Project, city officials regularly violate those procedures.  Don’t be caught off guard when you get to the voting booth. Aside from the presidential race, New Yorkers are casting ballots for six different proposals, judges, and more. Check out all of THE CITY’s election coverage.

Reporter’s Notebook

Civil Suit Against Adams Could Be Dismissed

The woman who filed a lawsuit against Mayor Eric Adams alleging he sexually assaulted her in 1993 will have her complaint tossed if she fails to show up for a deposition on Nov. 20.

In a filing posted this week, New York Supreme Court Judge Richard Latin in part granted a motion by Adams’ attorneys to dismiss the complaint filed last year by Lorna Beach-Mathura, arguing that she had missed multiple depositions and was slow in providing required evidence.

But Beach-Mathura’s attorneys claimed in court that she missed the only deposition agreed to by both sides, in early September, because of a health condition and anxiety — for which they provided medical records.

Beach-Mathura claims she sought help from Adams in gaining a promotion, but that instead he requested oral sex before masturbating on her. Adams has denied her claim and said he doesn’t recall meeting her.

The city Law Department, which is representing Adams, and attorneys for Beach-Mathura declined comment.

— Yoav Gonen

Council Considers Bills Spurred by THE CITY

The City Council committees on aging, consumer and worker protection, and housing will hold a joint oversight hearing Nov. 19 on deed theft and two bills that aim to protect homeowners from predatory real estate speculation.

The Council’s action was prompted by an investigative series from THE CITY that featured family members who found themselves dispossessed from their own homes after investors forced a sale. The investors had purchased shares of homes for pennies on the dollar from far-flung heirs who had inherited the property.

One bill, introduced by Councilmember Crystal Hudson (D-Brooklyn), would require purchasers to disclose the market value of similar properties when making an offer. The other, introduced by Councilmember Kevin Riley (D-The Bronx), would require the city to provide asset protection counseling for homeowners and their heirs.

— Samantha Maldonado

Things To Do

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

Thursday, Oct. 31: It’s Halloween! The Parks Department is hosting free, family-friendly events across the five boroughs. Look for one in your area here. Thursday, Oct. 31: Also: the Village Halloween Parade, of course. Free from 7 p.m. starting at Canal Street and 6th Avenue, rain or shine. (It will be broadcast live on Spectrum News NY1 starting at 8 p.m.) Saturday, Nov. 2: The annual post-Halloween pumpkin smash, a fun and sustainable way to get rid of your jack-o-lanterns. Free from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Hudson River Park.

THE KICKER: If you get to the polls (super) early today, the Board of Elections has a treat for you: a special Halloween “I Voted” sticker, which features a trick-or-treating pigeon wearing a witch hat. There’s a temporary tattoo version for kids, too.

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

Love,

THE CITY

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