What to do (for free) this December

Also, a guide to Sunset Park's Chinatown food scene. [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.]( [17 free things to do in New York City this December]( [first image]( [Today's newsletter curated by Emily Nadal]( Weather: ☀️🥶 Bundle up! The sun may be out, but so is the cold. Welcome to Wednesday in New York City where you’re probably already spending a lot of money this holiday season, so we’ve [gathered a list]( of free things to do this month. From a “Broadway Under the Stars” event to an anti-caroling “Unsilent Night” walk through Greenwich Village, don’t let the chilly weather stop you from getting out there! Here’s what else is happening: - In Chinese culture, eight is a lucky number. It’s also part of the reason why many Chinese immigrants opened up businesses on 8th Avenue in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. And we’ve [got a guide]( to some of the best eats from the neighborhood. - More than a dozen people were [injured or displaced]( after a fire broke out at a Brooklyn row house last night. - Two men were shot while [riding a Manhattan-bound C train]( on Tuesday evening. They are both expected to survive. - Queens gets a lot of 311 complaints related to illegal parking, so the city is [piloting a new program]( to better tackle all the parking-related calls by handing them over to traffic enforcement agents. - Brianna Suggs, the campaign fundraiser for Mayor Adams whose Brooklyn home was raided by the FBI earlier this month, has [hired a new attorney]( to represent her in an apparent federal investigation into the mayor’s campaign. - NBCUniversal is paying the family of accused Gilgo Beach killer Rex Heuermann to [participate in a documentary series]( over the course of his trial. - Dollar General agreed to pay $1.2 million in a settlement with the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs’ Office of Weights and Management after repeated claims that the retailer [violated pricing rules]( by charging higher prices at the register than what was marked on shelves. - Living in New York City means coming to terms with small nuisances: rats, subway delays, noisy traffic, and a [light flickering outside]( of your apartment window…for 27 days straight. - The NYPD is [preparing for protests]( organized by a pro-Palestinian group that are reportedly going to happen at tonight’s Rockefeller Center tree lighting event. - The co-founders of the ice cream company Ample Hills were [fired less than six months]( after lining up investors to buy back their company during a relaunch attempt. - After their 30-day stay in the New York City shelter system expires, many migrants end up [waiting in the cold]( for hours hoping for a new placement. - The private information of about 4 million New Yorkers could be at risk of identity theft after a data breach at a medical transcription company that works with hospitals around the state. Here's [how to protect yourself]( if your information was compromised. - In its 120 year history, Coney Island’s Luna Park has never been open during the winter, until now. [“Frost Fest,”]( featuring ice skating and Santa’s workshop, runs until January. - Rutgers University campus police [removed a baby python]( from a student’s dorm room. - Have some time for a game? [Play]( our mini local news crossword. - Sign up for reminders when we publish new games [here](. “The NYPD will be on hand to protect the tree lighting and all those attending, and we will not tolerate disruption or any threats to public safety.” - An NYPD Spokesperson said of [POSSIBLE PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTS AT THE ROCKEFELLER CENTER TREE LIGHTING TONIGHT.]( More from Gothamist [second image]( [Corona Plaza vendor market in Queens set to reopen Wednesday — with far fewer vendors]( Idle since a summer crackdown, the new market will be smaller and offer fewer food choices. [Landlord ‘price-fixing’ tool facing scrutiny, as Rep. Goldman calls for state probe]( Rep. Dan Goldman is calling for a state investigation into RealPage, a tech company accused of violating antitrust laws and allowing landlords to conspire to raise rents. [We Rely On Your Support]( [Maimonides workers protest, as hospital seeks to push more tenants out of employee housing]( The hospital is ending employee housing at two Brooklyn buildings. [Hudson Yards cut line for fire inspections as ‘top priority’ for City Hall, emails show]( Messages show a high-ranking fire department official ordered inspectors to clear their schedules and expedite inspections at a Hudson Yards office tower “as a top priority from city hall,” despite Adams’ denials of favoritism. [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [Facebook]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Twitter]( [New York Public Radio] [WNYC]( | [WQXR]( | [NJPR]( | [GOTHAMIST]( [WNYC STUDIOS]( | [THE GREENE SPACE]( Copyright © New York Public Radio. 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