What to do on NYE in NYC that doesn't involve booze or Times Square

Plus, a look back at the year in NYC's thriving food scene. [View this email in a browser.]( Our Gift to You! Get this T-shirt when you [donate & help fund]( our non-profit newsroom. [Donate Now]( [Today's newsletter curated by Emily Nadal]( Please enjoy a “lite” version of Early Addition this week as we all recover from the holidays and prepare for a new year. We’ll be back to normal on Jan. 2, 2024! Here's a look at today's stories: - New York cannabis officials will be handing out up to 1,445 new business licenses in the coming weeks, including at least 500 for dispensaries. [Read about it](. - If you need some New Year's Eve plans that don't involve booze (or Times Square), we've got you covered. [See our suggestions.]( - A Battery Park City songwriter who has successfully sued Mariah Carey now has another high-profile target in her legal crosshairs: the MTA’s congestion pricing program. [Read more about her lawsuit.]( - The number of immigration court cases in New York has skyrocketed. But just under half of people going through proceedings in the last year had a lawyer to represent them. [See the stats.]( - New Jersey will now require new property disclosure forms that notify prospective buyers and tenants of a property’s known flood history and potential flood risks. [Read more about the new measure.]( - The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame may have a new exhibit about Billy Joel, but the institution wants you to know they have so much more to offer. [Find out what makes the museum special.]( 2023 in review: [The year in food]( by [Veronica de Souza]( There are a million reasons why I love New York City but food is at the very top of my list. This year, Gothamist explored neighborhoods, highlighted some exciting new dishes from local eateries and even sampled family recipes from fellow New Yorkers, right in their kitchens. Here are some highlights: - Sunset Park’s Chinatown is brimming with excellent Cantonese restaurants. [Here’s our tour led by Chef Calvin Eng](. - If you’re looking for great mofongo, you’ve gotta go uptown. [Here’s where to get great Puerto Rican food in the Bronx](. - What if a sandwich were an event? That’s the premise of [this live performance]( in Bed-Stuy. - Mark your calendars for summer! [This East Village bakery’s red tortoise cakes]( are only available when the heat and humidity are just right. - A guide to [Filipino food in Queens]( including tasty snacks from Phil-Am Food Mart. - An [ode to the Hot Jilda]( a Chelsea restaurant’s spin on a classic Spanish tapa. - The cronut turned 10 years old this year! [We looked back at the era of long lines and "food porn.]( Still hungry? [Check out the rest of our food stories](. Here’s to a new year filled with delicious bites! P.S. We’re able to bring you these fun guides because of contributions from readers like you. We need your continued support. If you can chip in before the new year, it would make a huge impact. [Donate here](. ICYMI: A few of our most read stories in 2023 [second image]( [Why did an NYPD sergeant dump paper on Greenpoint street for four years?]( From July: The NYPD docked Sgt. John Trzcinski just one vacation day for the bizarre, years-long littering on one block of Noble Street in Brooklyn. [NYPD officers brag about milking overtime, call detainees names in accidental recording - Gothamist]( From April: Jonathan Wohl was arrested for conducting a one-man protest against his union. When he was taken into custody, his phone kept recording. [We Rely On Your Support]( [A West Village building was once a fish shack and a speakeasy. Call it home for $6M]( From October: The house made headlines when the late owner pledged to give it to the Lenape nation. [I tried it: NYC's hottest (but potentially risky) new manicure]( From November: Fans say the manicure, which involves actually removing the cuticle, looks cleaner. Dermatologists say there are risks. [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.