Dear New Yorkers,
Manhattan’s Roosevelt Hotel, the first stop for tens of thousands of migrants arriving in New York City, will close by the end of June, Mayor Eric Adams pledged Monday.
Over the past two years, the Roosevelt Hotel became a symbol of the city’s migrant crisis — and has drawn the ire of Trump’s allies.
Now, the 1,022-room hotel a block from Grand Central Terminal is the latest large-scale migrant shelter city officials have lined up for closure.
When the city first opened the Roosevelt Hotel for arriving migrants in the spring of 2023, the Adams istration days sleeping outside of the hotel during a heatwave.
But in recent months, the city has seen a steady decline in the number of migrants living in its shelters. It’s now down to around 45,000 people from a peak of nearly 70,000 in December of 2023 as fewer people are entering the system while the number of people moving out has remained steady.
Read more here about Adams’ pledge to close the migrant shelter.
Weather ⛅
An unseasonal high near 55, with potential rain in the afternoon. Get outside while you still can!
MTA 🚇
There’s no A train between 168 Street and 207 Street from 11:45 p.m. to 5 a.m. all week. Find all the MTA’s planned changes and the latest delays here.
Alternate side parking 🚙
It’s in effect today, Feb. 25.
By the way…
The deadline for students to apply for the Summer Youth Employment Program is this Friday, Feb. 28. If you (or your child) are between 14 to 24 years old, you may be eligible for paid job experience!
Our Other Top Stories
- Since congestion pricing launched on Jan. 5, it’s already raising big bucks for much-needed transit upgrades, MTA officials said Monday — even as President Donald Trump targets it for termination. “There is no question that New York is the economic engine of this nation and arguably the planet,” an MTA board member said. “And yet we are having someone muck with the economic engine of the city and the region.”
- New York City families: You may be eligible for $120 per child in summer food benefits this year. The Summer EBT program, which rolled out for the first time last year, is intended to help low-income families cover costs for meals usually provided at school. This year, eligible families have a longer window to apply, up until Sept. 3 — benefits will be provided retroactively.
- It feels like a year’s worth of news happened in the two weeks since the FAQ NYC hosts last convened: from a second Adams, Adrienne, considering a mayoral run against her old classmate Eric, to Attorney General Letitia James reportedly making calls on Adrienne’s behalf while the New York Post is promoting the idea of Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch running for her boss’ job. All that and more on the latest episode — listen here.
- It’s a challenge to make sense of everything happening between Mayor Eric Adams and President Donald Trump right now. But it’s our job. On Wednesday night, four journalists from THE CITY’s newsroom sorted through the chaos around City Hall and answered reader questions in a virtual talk. If you missed it, we’ve posted the recording here.
Reporter’s Notebook
DoorDash to Pay $16.75 Million for Cheating Workers Out of Tips
On Monday, New York State Attorney General Letitia James announced her office had reached a $16.75 million settlement with DoorDash after an investigation found the company used customer tips to offset workers’ base pay, deceiving both workers and customers.
The probe spans a roughly two-year period ending in Sept. 2019, and concerns the company’s use of a guaranteed pay model that allowed workers to see how much they would receive before accepting a delivery. But the AG’s office found that workers were only able to see their tips if the amount exceeded what DoorDash promised to pay them. That meant that if DoorDash guaranteed to pay $10 for an order in which a customer tipped $3, the worker would still only receive $10. The AG’s office estimates more than 60,000 workers may be eligible to receive restitution under the of the settlement.
“DoorDash misled customers who generously tipped and deceived Dashers who deserved to be paid in full,” James said in a statement. “This settlement returns millions to the pockets of hardworking Dashers and ensures transparency in DoorDash’s payment practices going forward.”
— Claudia Irizarry Aponte
Things To Do
Here’s what’s going on around the city this week.
- Tuesday, Feb. 25: Celebrate Black music history with a concert by trumpeter Alphonso Horne. Central Library, Jamaica, Queens. 6 p.m.
- Wednesday, Feb. 26: Ever wondered what Seneca Village looked like before it was destroyed to create Central Park? Explore a 3D model and hear from the project’s creators about how they combined archeology, history, and architectural rendering to build a model of what the community, created in 1825 by Black landowners, may have looked like. Virtual meeting, 12 p.m.
- Wednesday, Feb. 26: Calling all urban gardeners: if you’re worried about climate change — and who isn’t? — meet other community gardeners to exchange tips and workshop ways to prepare. Virtual meeting, 6 p.m.
THE KICKER: Roberta Flack, the Grammy-winning singer of classics including “Killing Me Softly With His Song” and a longtime New Yorker, died yesterday at 88.
Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Tuesday.
Love,
THE CITY
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