From client to volunteer, homeless shelter monitor “still one of us”
It’s not-too-cold, not-too-warm in Yorkville this Thursday night. Inside the kitchen of the homeless shelter in the Church of The Holy Trinity’s basement, Thomas Williams is preparing for tonight’s group of men. He says the food is just right. “A lot of good stuff. Sandwiches, salad, you got rice and beans. Wow, they’re going to [...]
VIDEO: Shoe Shiner Offers More Than Just The Usual in Midtown Manhattan
On the corner of the Avenue of the Americas and 47th Street is a man who doesn’t have an office, doesn’t have a sharp suit or tie, but…wears a pair of spotless, shiny shoes. Tonight, Sana Bég introduces us to one shoe shiner, with a little pep in his step.
The Plight of Lower East Side Small Businesses
Pepto-Bismol. Nowadays, Rona Economou, owner of a small Greek food stall in the Essex Street Market, keeps it handy. Stress makes her stomach uneasy. And her right eye, it twitches. Even in seemingly ordinary moments, like when she’s done laboring over the stove, the day’s cooking complete, and stands watch over her spinach pies, pear [...]
There’s More to This Butcher than Meat and Frowns
PHILADELPHIA — It’s called Turducken. Cuts of three birds – chicken and duck inside a large, deboned turkey, each layer lined with a sausage stuffing – bundled together, forming the on-steroids pièce de résistance of a holiday meal near you. Patrons line up out the door of D’Angelo Bros., the century-old butcher shop in [...]
VIDEO: Rock and Roll Auction Features Items from Music Legends
Hundreds of items of celebrity music memorabilia is being auctioned off by a Midtown collectibles store; ranging from original handwritten lyrics by Bob Dylan, and the Michael Jackson wore during his first visit with Nelson Mandela. Steve Silva has the story.
VIDEO: Brownsville Reflects on Gun Violence and Tragedy
It has been a year since a mother was killed while shielding her kids from gunfire on the streets of Brownsville. But as Sana Bég reports, many residents say the area is just as dangerous as it was then. Video from Sana Bég on Vimeo.
Subway Employee is Victim of Armed Robberies Plaguing Brooklyn Businesses
Sazzi Islam, 24, is one Subway restaurant employee in Brooklyn who seems to take the wrong shifts at the wrong time. Within the two and a half years he has been working at one outpost in the Cobble Hill neighborhood, he has been the victim of three armed robberies, two of which took place in the same week, just before and after Hurricane Sandy hit New York City.
Brooklyn Community in Fear While Fro-yo Bandit is Still on the Prowl
A recent string of robberies in Brooklyn has left small business owners feeling worried, scared, and vulnerable, as the suspect remains on the loose. Known as the “Fro-yo” and Ice Cream” Bandit, the suspect has robbed several businesses at gunpoint in Park Slope, Carroll Gardens, Fort Greene and Downtown Brooklyn, including a series of ice [...]
Police Charge 32-year-old Man With Stabbing His Mother And Brother Before Setting Apartment Ablaze
Jakim Gillis, 12, was playing basketball with three other friends Saturday afternoon across from 1980 Park Avenue, a public housing complex located in East Harlem, when he heard a male voice screaming for help. Gillis said he looked up and saw a fire coming from the building’s 10th floor window. “I told my friend [...]
VIDEO: Political Party Volunteers In Short Supply On Election Day In Staten Island
As the hours ticked away toward the end of Election Day, Republican Party volunteer Ann Lettis was calling residents in Staten Island to remind them to vote, and check if they needed a lift to a polling station. She volunteered dozens of times before, but never had so many problems getting a hold of people. [...]
VIDEO: Marathon An Afterthought on Staten Island
News of the New York City Marathon cancellation caused major inconveniences for the runners. But the race was not on the minds of the residents of Staten Island where the marathon begins. Staten Island Residents Not Focused on Marathon Cancellation from NY City Lens on Vimeo.
VIDEO: Bronx Voters Worry Votes May Be Lost Due To Sandy
The Bronx was spared the brunt of Hurricane Sandy’s storm surge, but some of its residents said the hurricane was still on their minds—for several reasons—as they stood in line to vote at a polling station in Marble Hill on 225th Street. “I’m a little concerned with Hurricane Sandy and the lack of voting places,” [...]
Determined Coney Islanders Cast Ballots Despite Sandy Troubles
Abraham Lincoln High School in Coney Island was not a designated voting booth until the day before the election. The grounds, on election day, were still full of storm debris and a huge tree which fell onto the school railings during Hurricane Sandy had not yet been removed. The teachers’ cafeteria was functioning as a storm [...]
On Wall Street, More than Just Displaced Voters Cast Ballots
Amy Gersofsky, 26, stood on line Election Day at a poll station in the Financial District waiting to receive her ballot to vote. Along with the standard New York City black and white ballot, she received a special red and white envelope. On previous election dates, Gersofsky wasn’t supposed to be voting here at the 65th district because she’s registered to vote in Rockland County.
Storm-Stricken Hoboken Manages to Vote
Poll stations in Hoboken did their best to create organization out of chaos on Tuesday as authorities scrambled to ensure displaced voters got the chance to cast their ballots. It wasn’t an easy task to accomplish. The morning rush saw around 100 people on line at 7 a.m. after setup delays. With only two [...]
Lower East Side Back to Normal on Election Day
Lower East Side Back to Normal on Election Day from NY City Lens on Vimeo. A week after superstorm Sandy knocked out electricity in downtown Manhattan, Lower East Side residents had no trouble casting their votes on Tuesday. Though one site was changed because of flooding, voters on the east side of lower Manhattan, [...]
Flooded Hoboken Gets Help in More Ways Than One
Noise from generators reverberated through the storm-ravaged streets of Hoboken, N.J., directly across the Hudson River from Manhattan, on Sunday. Neon-green posters attached to buildings and shop windows directed people to free battery charge centers. Stores along the main street of the city were covered with so much wood, you couldn’t tell the difference [...]
VIDEO: Climate Change Debate Boils Up After Hurricane Sandy
After Hurricane Sandy wrecked havoc on 578 miles of New York’s coastline, there has been talk about whether or not climate change may be playing a role in superstorms like Sandy. Climate Change Debate Boils Up After Hurricane Sandy from Reena Diamante on Vimeo.
Lower East Side Organization Conducts Sandy Relief Efforts
Through pitch-black apartment corridors in Chinatown to the hundreds of restaurants and shops lining the Lower East Side, a small army of volunteers fanned out in those neighborhoods to provide emergency assistance to residents who have been without power and other basic services for the last four days. Since Tuesday, CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities, a [...]
GALLERY: Surviving Sandy
Hurricane Sandy brought unprecedented floods and left parts of the city without electricity for five days. But New Yorkers have proven that they can still survive with limited resources. With photographs and stories around the boroughs, NY City Lens reporters will bring updates on how New Yorkers are coping and recovering.
Con Edison Supplies Dry Ice To People Without Power
With more than 1.2 million New Yorkers still without power on Friday morning, Con Edison handed out dry ice to those in need. The truck carrying deep freeze pallets of dry ice arrived in Union Square at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, loaded with 1,600 blocks to hand out – one per person. After hearing the [...]
Still Serving Pizza, Even During The Storm
Downtown Manhattan was not recognizable on Tuesday. SoHo, usually full of students and tourists, was practically a ghost town after Hurricane Sandy ripped through New York leaving more than 200,000 people without electricity. In apocalyptic style, the city was demarcated with full power to the north of 39th Street, and complete darkness below it. The [...]
The Cleanup Begins
Tuesday morning revealed scenes of unprecedented flooding, massive power outages, severe property damage and general carnage around the city from Hurricane Sandy’s passage overnight. Throughout the day, NY City Lens reporters will upload stories and photos of the recovery process as the city takes its first steps toward repairing the damage and restoring normality.
Crane Collapses in Midtown, Hangs 80 Stories Above Ground
A crane collapsed off the top of a luxury condominium in Midtown Monday afternoon as Hurricane Sandy’s winds and rains intensified. No injuries have been reported and the crane continues to dangle near the 1,004-foot peak. “I just stepped out of Morton-Williams and I then heard three loud booms and I looked up and I [...]
