Giant trash bins are NYC's latest attempt at fighting rats

Plus: Updates on our bodega survey series. [View this email in a browser.]( Gothamist relies on your support to make local news available to all. Not yet a member? [Consider donating and join today.]( [Giant trash bins land in Harlem: Will they fight rats or just take up parking?]( [first image]( [Today's newsletter curated by Emily Nadal]( Today's weather: ⛅ The morning started off with rain, but the skies are clearing and we have a sunny rest of the day ahead with a high of 83 degrees. Happy Friday in New York City where [giant trash bins made their debut in Harlem]( in what Mayor Eric Adams calls a goal to “containerize our garbage.” The receptacles didn’t get much of a warm welcome to the neighborhood as some community members complained of the bins taking up parking spaces, design flaws, lack of notice before installation and general frustration with Harlem being the guinea pig for this pilot program. “Why didn't they do this downtown?” one resident said. “Do it in Tribeca.” Here’s what else is happening: - Bodegas are the heart of a community, so it only makes sense to defer to them to understand the state of the city. We’re continuing our bodega survey series, of which our bacon, egg and cheese inflation indicator found [sandwich prices have remained high this year]( ranging between $4.50 and $6 for a roll. - Speaking of bodegas, you’ve probably seen the exteriors of many in Upper Manhattan become more bright and colorful [thanks to NYC graffiti artist Snoeman]( who says he hopes his vibrant storefront masterpieces “spread positive energy.” - An NYC man has a green card that [lists his native country as Haiti,]( a place he’s never been to, and where the federal government has been trying to deport him to for more than 30 years. - Subway service was delayed at Grand Central subway station yesterday after a dog got loose and [ended up on the tracks.]( - A 17-year-old boy was injured after police shot him [while responding to a fight in East Flatbush]( Thursday afternoon. - Students in Jersey City’s school district are campaigning to change the voting age to 16 for school board elections to [allow teens to have input in decisions that directly affect them.]( - Police arrested a 21-year-old East Harlem man [in connection to an Upper East Side synagogue vandalism incident]( that happened last weekend. - After a 17-year-old boy was left in critical condition from a shooting inside a Crown Heights community center Tuesday, [50 activists rallied to assure residents it was still a safe space](. - A new study found that Gen Z, our tech-savvy, chronically online generation, actually [falls for online scams more than any other age group,]( though older victims are losing more money to the cons. - Mayor Eric Adams unveiled new plans yesterday to [convert 20,000 empty offices into apartments]( over the next decade by streamlining a tedious bureaucratic process and amending zoning language. - This weekend, a new topper that converts fire hydrants to sprinklers for recreational use [will be put to the test.]( The redesigned attachment uses less water than the fire department's current version. - With National Waffle Day next week, E[ggo released a waffle-flavored alcoholic drink]( that markets itself as “Brunch in a Jar” akin to an eggnog. “I saw some guys come. They made measurements, and the next minute you know, these things are up. It's just ugly. I don't like them.” - Lisa Matthews, a harlem resident [DISCUSSING THE CITY'S NEW GIANT TRASH BINS.]( More from Gothamist [second image]( [An East Village pastry shop where red tortoise cake is the star]( The worst choice you can make at Lady Wong is to leave with only one thing. [Adams, Hochul both want sites for housing NYC's migrants. Just not the same ones.]( Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams agree: There are plenty of state-controlled properties suitable for housing migrants. They just don’t agree on which ones. [We Rely On Your Support]( [Police say homeless man beaten to death in Manhattan's Murray Hill]( NYPD officials pieced together that the victim had been assaulted sometime Sunday night, hours before he was discovered. [Rutgers University study correlates concealed carry licenses with gun violence]( Researchers at Rutgers University have found that more concealed carry gun permits issued can lead to higher levels of gun violence. [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [Facebook]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Twitter]( [New York Public Radio] [WNYC]( | [WQXR]( | [NJPR]( | [GOTHAMIST]( [WNYC STUDIOS]( | [THE GREENE SPACE]( Copyright © New York Public Radio. All rights reserved. 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013 [TERMS OF USE]( You can update your [PREFERENCES]( or [UNSUBSCRIBE]( from this list.