In 2023, Governor Kathy Hochul declared in the FY 2024 Budget that New York would annually increase minimum wage through 2026. This means that come January 1, 2025, New Yorkers will see yet another increase to minimum wage.
Minimum wage will be increasing by $0.50, bringing New York State’s minimum wage to $15.50 and NYC, Long Island and Westchester County’s minimum wage to $16.50. Moreover, residents can expect another $0.50 increase in 2026, before New York State’s minimum wage will index to inflation starting in 2027.
Last year’s increase brought the state’s minimum wage for NYC workers up $1 to a total of $16/hour from the 2022 rate of $15/hour.
Every working New Yorker is entitled to make at least the hourly minimum wage rate, including tipped workers, nail salon workers, fast food workers and more.
Unsplash / Lee Campbell
New Yorkers who don’t see the increase in their paychecks are encouraged to file a wage complaint with the New York State Department of Labor. You can contact them through their website or by calling 833-910-4378.
The first minimum wage established in New York State was just $1/hour in 1960. It wasn’t until 2000 that New York State’s minimum wage surpassed $5/hour. Furthermore, minimum wage increases weren’t determined by employment location, industry, and number of employees (NYC only) until 2016. This means that NYC workers were under the same minimum wage rules as any other workers in the state of New York.
Unsplash / Christiann Koepke
Today, NYC still isn’t the highest earning minimum wage city in the country. That title goes to Tukwila, WA with the highest minimum wage of all U.S. cities at $20.29/hour for large businesses.
You can learn more about New York State’s minimum wage laws online. Plus, you can look up what you should be making by using the state’s Minimum Wage Lookup Tool.
“Out Late” is Time Out’s nightlife and party column by DJ, Whorechata founder, and Staff Writer Ian Kumamoto, which will publish every other Tuesday. The previous edition was about how 2010s nightlife shaped the vintage store James Veloria.
Everything began thanks to a terrible date Justine LaViolette went on a decade ago. After a less-than-ideal dinner (details undisclosed), her date took her to—where else?—Misster, the lesbian night at The Woods. “It was the worst date and also the best date of my life,” LaViolette recalls, because that’s also the night she met Nikke Alleyne, who would go on to become her business partner.
In all likelihood, LaViolette and Alleyne would have crossed paths eventually. That’s because there are not a whole lot of places in New York City, or much of the world, where women who love other women can socialize far from the gaze of men. And, if you have only two or three places available to you—no matter how amazing they may be—you’re very likely going to get bored. “We just needed more spaces, and there weren’t really any in this part of Brooklyn,” Alleyne tells Time Out. “There wasn’t any place where we could get a cocktail and also go dance and cruise and just have a time.”
Photograph: Courtesy of The Bush
Being the first of anything brings its own complex set of challenges, which became regrettably clear to the two friends from the start. When they were scouting locations for a bar in 2021, they found a space in Bushwick near the nightclub Nowadays and settled on it for their project. They poured thousands of dollars into the location and showed up one day to find that, unbeknownst to them, the landlord was already showing the space to someone else. “He was this Christian guy who I think felt uncomfortable with us the whole time and didn’t want to give us the space, but he also didn’t want to be honest about it,” says LaViolette. “He was literally showing the space to a church group!”
There wasn’t any place where we could get a cocktail and also go dance and cruise and just have a time.
That incident set the two back significantly, but looking back, it was a blessing in disguise: Their broker showed them another space on Troutman Street, which was attached to businesses that would later become occupied by trendy coffee shops, queer-friendly bars (including one where I was broken up with) and the vintage store Other People’s Clothes. The location, just two blocks from Maria Hernandez Park, was prime.
Photograph: Courtesy of The Bush
For months, LaViolette and Alleyne poured all their love into the new space. Their intention was to create a queer bar with great cocktails, yes, but also a place where queer women could have the type of spontaneous, sexually charged encounters that are readily available to practically everyone, it seems, except queer women. “There’s a lot of gay male spaces that have this hook up energy and we wanted to bring that,” said LaViolette. “Literally, we wanted people to come and make out.”
Literally, we wanted people to come and make out.
When they were finally ready to open The Bush in April of 2023, they expected a few people would wander in. Maybe LaViolette and Alleyne weren’t on the same part of Instagram as I was, but I remember seeing rumors circulating about a new lesbian bar in Bushwick, and there was a fervor around it that I hadn’t seen around an opening for a long time. On opening night, a line stretched down the block—a sign, clearly, that the demand for such spaces was much higher than the supply. LaViolette and Alleyne were so unprepared for this reception and so understaffed that they ended up having to work the bar themselves.
If you pass The Bush on a weekend night, you’ll notice that it’s low-lit, the music is bumping, and people are always dancing across its large, open space. Right now, to me at least, the bar feels more like a spacious gallery space, with little furniture and a lot of room to dance. The Bush seems a little unsure about its own identity, throttling the line between a bar and a club, and the layout can feel impersonal when it’s not packed to the brim, which is an issue that LaViolette and Alleyne are aware of. In the near future, they hope to fill the space with booths to make it feel cozier, so that it can be the type of space where two friends go to chat for post-work drinks, or where people can inch closer to each other on a first date, slowly.
Photograph: Courtesy of The Bush
Nearly two years since they first opened, it’s safe to say that The Bush has been a success. Now, LaViolette and Alleyne tell me, they just need more support beyond the weekends. There are only about 32 lesbian bars across all 50 states, compared to approximately 200 in the 1980s, and even for The Bush, keeping business flowing has been an uphill battle. “If the community wants longevity in this business, we need support not just on Friday and Saturday,” Alleyne tells Time Out. “The biggest challenge right now is getting people to support us Tuesday through Thursday.” It seems to me like The Bush, with its novelty worn out nearly two years after it first opened, is at an inflection point: It’s existence could signify the rare but brief success of a type of space that will eventually disappear, or the beginning of a new cultural era—it’s up to the, us, the patrons, to decide which one it will be.
If the community wants longevity in this business, we need support not just on Friday and Saturday.
LaViolette and Alleyne have big dreams for The Bush: They want to expand into a bigger space and then open more bars. They want others to look at The Bush and be empowered to open their own sapphic bars as well. There’s a sense of abundance, a sentiment that I’ve found is rare in nightlife, and they seem aware that other queer bars’ success is interconnected with their own. “Selfishly,” says LaViolette. “I want to cruise at a bar that I don’t work at.”
Photograph: Courtesy of The Bush
How to go to The Bush
Where: 333 Troutman St Store 4, Brooklyn
When: Tuesday-Thursday from 6pm-2am; Friday and Saturday from 6pm to 4am; and Sunday from 4pm to 12am.
The vibe: Community vibes on the weekday, crazy bar party vibes on weekends. Follow their Instagram to see what parties they’re throwing next.
In 2023, Governor Kathy Hochul declared in the FY 2024 Budget that New York would annually increase minimum wage through 2026. This means that come January 1, 2025, New Yorkers will see yet another increase to minimum wage.
Minimum wage will be increasing by $0.50, bringing New York State’s minimum wage to $15.50 and NYC, Long Island and Westchester County’s minimum wage to $16.50. Moreover, residents can expect another $0.50 increase in 2026, before New York State’s minimum wage will index to inflation starting in 2027.
Last year’s increase brought the state’s minimum wage for NYC workers up $1 to a total of $16/hour from the 2022 rate of $15/hour.
Every working New Yorker is entitled to make at least the hourly minimum wage rate, including tipped workers, nail salon workers, fast food workers and more.
Unsplash / Lee Campbell
New Yorkers who don’t see the increase in their paychecks are encouraged to file a wage complaint with the New York State Department of Labor. You can contact them through their website or by calling 833-910-4378.
The first minimum wage established in New York State was just $1/hour in 1960. It wasn’t until 2000 that New York State’s minimum wage surpassed $5/hour. Furthermore, minimum wage increases weren’t determined by employment location, industry, and number of employees (NYC only) until 2016. This means that NYC workers were under the same minimum wage rules as any other workers in the state of New York.
Unsplash / Christiann Koepke
Today, NYC still isn’t the highest earning minimum wage city in the country. That title goes to Tukwila, WA with the highest minimum wage of all U.S. cities at $20.29/hour for large businesses.
You can learn more about New York State’s minimum wage laws online. Plus, you can look up what you should be making by using the state’s Minimum Wage Lookup Tool.
Dreaming of swapping out holiday season stress for the joy and beauty of a frozen winter up north? Well, your dream could soon become reality by participating in Air Canada’s ultimate giveaway that’s focusing strictly on stressed out Americans!
The country’s tourism board Destination Canada is giving away two economy round-trip tickets on Air Canada to 50 lucky winners for their latest promotion “SnOOOw Days” (the three “Os” being a play on “out of office”). And don’t let your lack of vacation days sway you from entering the giveaway and turning on that automatic vacation response, rather find out how to turn 12 days of PTO into 45 days of vacation in 2025!
How to win free flights on Air Canada
It’s simple, really. All you need to do is whip out your phone or laptop and fill out an online entry form with your name, zip code, email address, and phone number. Upon doing so you’ll automatically be entered in a draw for a chance to win two round-trip tickets on Air Canada!
You won’t want to wait, though, because you only have through December 20th, 2024 to do so.
Shutterstock / davidmarxphoto
Who is eligible to win free flights on Air Canada?
As long as you’re a legal resident of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia and at least 21 years of age you’re eligible to enter!
When will I know if I won?
Winners will be notified via email sometime in January 2025. You’ll only have three days to claim your prize before another winner is randomly chosen in your place, so make sure you’re checking your email!
If I win when can I use my tickets?
Winners will have until March 2026 to use their free airline tickets. The only blackout dates are between January 3rd and 6th, 2025, December 20th and 23rd, 2025, and January 3rd and 6th, 2026.
Is the entire trip free?
No, only the flights are free. That means winners will have to cover all their other expenses, such as food and accommodations.
Unsplash / Jake Hills
Gloria Loree, senior vice president of marketing strategy and chief marketing officer at Destination Canada, stated:
Canadian winter is a time for joy, trying new things, and reconnecting with our inner child. The ‘SnOOOw Day Giveaway’ is our way of encouraging Americans to step away from their busy lives and immerse themselves in the wonder of Canada’s winter landscapes.
So, if epic igloo building, northern lights hunting, powdery slope skiing, and French Canadian cuisine eating sounds like your kind of trip, this is your chance to make it happen!
This Sunday, December 8, Fifth Avenue will be closed to to car traffic between 48th Street and 55th Street for a very special occasion: the iconic street, known for its luxury retailers and holiday window displays, is turning 200 years old.
The celebration will include live music performances, art installations, unique shopping opportunities and interactive experiences curated by the famous stores, hotels and restaurants that call the Fifth Avenue home.
Aside from the block party vibes, New Yorkers should also expect a red carpet arrival, personalized fashion sketches and a ceremonial cake cutting for that full birthday effect.
Participating stores include Aritzia, Assouline, Bond No. 9, Canada Goose, Citizen, Coach, Hublot, Intimissimi, Longchamp, MoMA, Nike, P448, The Peninsula New York, Puma, Stuart Weitzman, Swarovski, Tag Heuer, Tiffany & Co., Uniqlo, Victoria’s Secret and WatchHouse. You’ll also get to enjoy performances from Juilliard Jazz Duke Ellington Ensemble, Sing Harlem, The Satin Dollz, Michael Arenella & His Dreamland Orchestra, Brass Queens and the New York Belles. Keep in mind that the celebration will take place rain or shine.
The giant block party will also officially kick off a year of special programming on the avenue as part of a campaign called “You’ve Arrived on Fifth: 200 Years of Icons and Dreams.”
“There’s no better way to celebrate the holidays and the 200th birthday of Fifth Avenue than pedestrian-packed streets,” said Ya-Ting Liu, chief public realm officer, in an official statement. “As Fifth Avenue looks forward to its next 200 years, we will be continuing our work to redesign and rebalance the iconic street into a world-class, tree-lined, pedestrian boulevard.”
There are, indeed, several changes happening on Fifth Avenue that will completely transform it in the near future, including the completion of a super tall skyscraper, 520 Fifth Avenue, which will become the second tallest building on the street after the Empire State Building. A new residential building, 262 Fifth Avenue, is also in development, set to measure 860 feet in height. Perhaps most notable, though, will be the effort to transform Fifth Avenue into a pedestrian-first street, with less traffic lanes, 50% more sidewalks and lots of plants.
Head to the iconic avenue on December 8 between noon and 6pm to take part in the fun.
As New Yorkers continue to regularly pride themselves of living right by some of the best restaurants in the world, a new ranking proves them right: La Liste, which bills itself as “the most selective global guide of restaurants, pastry shops and hotels, for gourmets and international travelers,” has just released its list of top 1,000 eateries in the globe for 2025, based on a “compilation of thousands of publications, hundreds of guidebooks and millions of online reviews.” A whopping 27 New York spots have made the list.
Before we get to the list itself, here is a bit about the method behind the ranking: according to the website, the staff aggregates reviews from over 1,000 guidebooks and publications, puts them in a database and then gives all entries a score from 0 to 100 based on standard grades.
It gets even more specific than that: chefs around the globe are asked their opinions about the various guidebooks so that the outlets themselves can be given a “trustworthiness index” score that will affect the standard grade given to the restaurant. After all that, customer reviews are taken into account and a final “La Liste score” is given to all entries.
The highest rated New York entry is Le Bernardin with a score of 99.5. No surprise there, of course: with three Michelin stars and a long history in New York (the space opened in 1986), Eric Ripert’s French seafood restaurant has come to define much of the city’s culinary scene.
Another French staple, Daniel, also makes the ranking with a score of 98.5. Now might be a good time to remind you that celebrity chef Daniel Boulud, the genius behind the beloved Daniel, has actually just debuted his very first steakhouse, La Tête d’Or at 318 Park Avenue South by the Flatiron District.
Atomix (score: 96), the fine-dining Korean eatery tucked inside the foyer of a walk-up apartment building on the border of Nomad and Murray Hill, rounds out the top five New York mentions alongside Jean-Georges (score: 95) by Central Park and Jungsik (score: 94.5), the innovative, high-end Korean restaurant in downtown Manhattan.
Here is a list of all the New York restaurants that have made it to the massive ranking:
Le Bernardin (score: 99.5) Daniel (score: 98.5) Atomix (score: 96) Jean-Georges (score: 95) Jungsik (score: 94.5) Gabriel Kreuther (score: 93) Per Se (score: 92.5) Atera (score: 92) Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi (score: 92) Aquavit (score: 91.5) Koloman (score: 90.5) The Modern (score: 90.5) Eleven Madison Park (score: 89) Masa (score: 89) Sushi Noz (score: 88) Gramercy Tavern (score: 85.5) Chefs Table at Brooklyn Fare (score: 83) Sushi Yasuda (score: 83) Le Pavillon (score: 82.5) Marea (score: 82.5) Odo (score: 82.5) SAGA (score: 82.5) Cosme (score: 81.5) Eulalie (score: 77) Naro (score: 77) Maison Barnes (score: 75) Yoshino (score: 75)
