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MTA Bridges and Tunnels announced a series of overnight flood door tests which will require the Queens Midtown Tunnel and Hugh L. Carey Tunnel to partially close this summer.

Both tunnels feature 20-plus ton steel flood doors that act as a barrier in the presence of potential hurricanes or tropical storms. The nearly two-feet thick doors, measuring 29-feet wide and 14-feet high, prevent water from infiltrating tunnels and causing extensive damage similar to what was seen during Superstorm Sandy in 2012.

Eight doors were installed in 2017 as part of the Agency’s long-term flood mitigation program, though they can only be moved when the tunnel tube is fully closed to traffic.

As a result, the Queens Midtown Tunnel will be closed according to the following schedule:

• Saturday, July 27 – 12:01 am through 8 am
• Sunday, July 28 – 1 am through 9 am
• Saturday, August 3 – 12:01 am through 8 am
• Sunday, August 4 – 1 am through 9 am

Additionally, the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel will be closed beginning tonight, Wednesday, July 24th at 9 m through tomorrow, Thursday, July 25th at 5 am.

New Yorkers can find real time updates on service changes here.

The post The Queens Midtown Tunnel Will Partially Close Through August appeared first on Secret NYC.

* This article was originally published here

Donating blood is not always the best experience.

More often than not, you’ll find yourself in some sterile and uncomfortable clinic with doctors you’ve never met. Sometimes, the process of donating blood itself is tedious enough to deter us from participating, which is unfortunate when you consider that the Red Cross announced a blood shortage earlier this year. 

Lucky for us, the New York Blood Center is about to change the whole experience by building some state-of-the-art donation pods that will make the whole ordeal more pleasant and efficient in Queens and throughout other parts of New York State.  

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The comfortable donation pods feel less like a hospital and more like a luxury RV, complete with beds, a climate-controlled environment and access to streaming services, according Pix 11. They look sleek and futuristic, like a shipping container made entirely of glass. 

So far, the New York Blood Center has announced three pod locations, and the only one in New York City is located at the Resorts World New York City on Rockaway Boulevard in Queens. Another one is at the Samanea Mall in Westbury, Long Island, and the other is at the Resorts World Hudson Valley in Newburgh.

The news comes at the heels of an announcement made earlier this week concerning O blood supply, which has apparently reached the lowest levels since before the pandemic, making those type of donations more critical now than ever before. 

You can make an appointment at any of the three blood donation pods now via New York Blood Center’s website. As of now, there seem to be plenty of open appointments at the Queens location through the end of July. 

* This article was originally published here

If you’re missing the nostalgia of watching Pokémon or the 2016 Pokémon Go phenomenon never wore off for you, this is the pop-up for you. For one weekend only, the Poké Court is opening a shop in Soho. During this three-day bender, you can trade cards, buy merch, watch box breaks, and bond with like-minded individuals. 

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From August 2 to 4, the Poké Court will be open from noon to 5:30pm in the Meatpacking District. Here you can buy all sorts from cards and accessories to collector items. The pop-up at 131 Greene Street will bring all this and more to Soho, including a photo booth, freebies, giveaways and new products from VaultX. There will also be vintage box breaks to really get the Pokémon nostalgia flowing and a range of sealed and unsealed products. 

Pokémon players, fans or admirers of all ages, skills and levels can trade cards and purchase exclusive merch. There will be trade nights all weekend long, where you can trade in your cards for cash or store credit and there will even be a dedicated trade-in booth.

The pop-up is aligned with the release of the newest card set Shrouded Fable, a brand new Pokémon TCG set that launches on Friday. With its Japanese woodblock-inspired art and fun playability in the 2024 World Championships, it has caused quite the stir. 

The pop-up will be open from Friday, August 2 until Sunday, August 4, from noon to 6pm on Friday, 11am until 9pm and on Saturday and from 11am to 6pm on Sunday. You can RSVP here. The first 50 guests (each day) will receive an “Early Pidove” gift, so don’t be late! 

* This article was originally published here

The 2024 Summer Olympics, officially branded as the Olympic Games Paris 2024, are set to head to France from July 26th through August 11th. And with the biggest athletes from all over the world gearing up to compete, it’s impossible to not be excited–especially when there are so many fantastic New York athletes representing Team USA!

Here’s a look at all the New York athletes competing in the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

Local NYC athletes on the Team USA Paris 2024 Olympic & Paralympic Team:

• Anne Cebula – Fencing (Brooklyn, NY)
• Sunny Choi – Breaking (Queens, NY)
• Sam Coffey – Soccer (New York City, NY)
• Maximilian Dietz – Soccer (New York City, NY)
• Salif Mane – Track & Field (Bronx, NY)
• Lauren Scruggs – Fencing (Queens, NY)

Other New York athletes on the Team USA Paris 2024 Olympic & Paralympic Team:

• Anita Alvarez – Artistic Swimming (Buffalo, NY)
• Matt Anderson – Volleyball (West Seneca, NY)
• Rai Benjamin – Track & Field (Mount Vernon, NY)
• Charlotte Buck – Rowing (Nyack, NY)
• Olivia Coffey – Rowing (Watkins Glen, NY)
• Kyle Dake – Wrestling (Cornell University, NY)
• Kate Douglass – Swimming (Pelham, NY)
• Crystal Dunn – Soccer (Rockville Centre, NY)
• Lee Fredette – Wheelchair Rugby (East Moriches, NY)
• Jimmer Fredette – Basketball (Glens Falls, NY)
• Victoria Isaacson – Wheelchair Fencing (Poughkeepsie, NY)
• Tahl Leibovitz – Para Table Tennis (Ozone Park, NY)
• Emily Mackay – Track & Field (Endicott, NY)
• Jack Mcglynn – Soccer (Middle Village, NY)
• Meghan Musnicki – Rowing (Naples, NY)
• Anastasia Pagonis – Para Swimming (Long Island, NY)
• Jessica Pegula – Tennis (Buffalo, NY)
• Steve Serio – Wheelchair Basketball (Westbury, NY)
• Magnus Sheffield – Cycling (Pittsford, NY)
• Breanna Stewart – Basketball (North Syracuse, NY)
• Todd Vogt – Para-Rowing (Rochester, NY)
• Mclain Ward – Equestrian (Brewster, NY)
• Rudy Winkler – Track & Field (Sand Lake, NY)

And though the 2024 Summer Olympics are taking place in France, us New Yorkers still have a chance to partake in festivities without hopping on a flight, as Rockefeller Center will transform into the ultimate olympics hub with athlete visits, Parisian food, photo-ops, and more! Read all about it here.

The post Meet The New York Athletes Competing In The 2024 Summer Olympics appeared first on Secret NYC.

* This article was originally published here

Exciting news over at the Bronx Zoo with the first appearance of a 7-month-old tree kangaroo peeking out of its mother’s pouch.

The baby Matschie’s tree kangaroo was born in December, but at birth, Joey’s are only the size of a human thumbnail and immediately crawl into their mother’s pouch. On average, it takes a baby kangaroo seven months to emerge from their mother’s pouch where majority of its physical development happens, so the baby is right on time!

The last joey born at the Bronx Zoo was from the same mother in 2021. Matschie’s tree kangaroos are native to Huon Peninsula in Papua New Guinea. As mentioned, a joey is very tiny at birth but grows to be about 30 inches in length without counting the tail.

Their species is endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It’s assumed that there are less than 2500 left in the wild. Therefore this birth was very exciting for the zoo and Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

The mother and the joey can be seen at the Bronx Zoo’s JungleWorld exhibit. Learn more about the joey here.

The post Baby Tree Kangaroo At The Bronx Zoo Makes Its Debut Appearance appeared first on Secret NYC.

* This article was originally published here

We can’t believe it took this long given New Yorkers’ love for Trader Joe’s, but the brand is officially opening its first-ever location in Harlem tomorrow. Congrats, area residents!

The new location, the brand’s 10th in Manhattan, will take over 17,800 square feet of space inside a mixed-use development at 123 West 125th Street. The address will also be home to 171 affordable housing units, office spaces and a bunch of retail offerings, including Target, Sephora and Pandora. 

According to 6sqft, the 17-story building will be anchored by the new headquarters for the National Urban League.

Founded right in Harlem back in 1910 before moving to downtown Manhattan, the organization is set to take over the third and fourth floors of the structure. The Urban Civil Rights Museum will be part of the headquarters.

“As the city’s first museum dedicated to the civil rights movement, the institution will feature exhibits exploring the trans-Atlantic slave trade, the Harlem Renaissance, the Great Migration, and the Black Lives Matter movement,” reports the outlet. “The museum will feature a cafe, a 300-seat auditorium, and 12,000 square feet of exhibition space.”

The opening has been a long time coming, first announced back in 2021.

“We are beyond thrilled to bring the National Urban League back to Harlem, open the first civil rights museum in the state, and now, one of most beloved grocery stores in the country alongside it,” said S. Andrew Katz, the principal of the Prusik Group, one of the developers behind the project, in an official statement back then. 

Harlem residents, get ready to sprinkle some Everything But the Bagel seasoning all over your home-cooked meals. 

* This article was originally published here

With the Paris 2024 Olympics just days away, the United States was just officially selected to be the host of the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. So let’s answer some of your most pressing questions following the announcement.

What US city will host the 2034 Winter Olympics?

Salt Lake City, Utah has been selected to be the host city for the XXVII 2034 Winter Olympics. “Salt Lake City and Utah are long-time friends of the Olympic Movement, and we are confident that they will organize exceptional Olympic and Paralympic Games, just as they did years ago. The legacy of 2002 is tangibly and passionately alive in Utah. The legacy of 2034 starts today,” said IOC President Thomas Bach.

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Has the U.S. ever hosted the Winter Olympics before?

Yes. As noted above, the U.S. has hosted the Winter Olympic Games before in Lake Placid (1932 & 1980), Squaw Valley (1960) and Salt Lake City (2002 & soon to be 2034). The 2034 event will be the nation’s fifth time hosting the Winter Olympics.

Where in Salt Lake City will the games be held?

According to the IOC, the Winter Games will be held across existing or temporary venues.

Who will host the 2030 Winter Olympics?

The IOC has selected the French Alps to host the 2030 Winter Olympics.

The post The US Has Officially Been Selected To Host The 2034 Winter Olympics appeared first on Secret NYC.

* This article was originally published here

Over the last decade, chef Chloe Coscarelli has been helping to push the term “plant-based” into our general lexicon. Becoming the first vegan to win a culinary competition on television by winning Food Network’s Cupcake Wars, Coscarelli went on to spread the good news of vegan eats by opening her store, By Chloe in 2015.

What began as one shop on Bleecker Street quickly exploded into a series of fast-casual chain restaurants all around the country, featuring tempeh burgers and chicken sandwiches and a full line-up of cupcakes and cakes. However, Coscarelli was publicly forced out of the company in 2017. She subsequently sued Esquared Hospitality alleging harassment by her former business partner and unfair continued use of her name. Rising above it all, Coscarelli announced on her Instagram last week that she is back with a new vegan locale.

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“As many of you know, my former restaurant By Chloe was co-opted by a deceitful partner in 2017,” she said on her Instagram. “Standing on the corner of Bleecker and MacDougal, I promised myself that someday, somehow, I would return. And when I did, it would be on my own terms.”

As of July 16, the vegan all-day cafe, Chloe on Bleecker (185 Bleecker Street) is now open. Serendipitously housed in the original By Chloe space in Greenwich Village, Chloe on Bleecker features similar fare compared to its predecessor—a full menu of salads, fresh-pressed juices and the classic vegan burgers with sweet potato fries. Naturally, her desserts make an appearance too including cakes, cupcakes and her wildly popular (and incredibly thin) cinnamon espresso chocolate chip cookies.

Coscarelli hopes her second act will soon become a favorite for the vegan community and beyond.

“There are no words to express how grateful I am for this incredible opportunity and the amazing team who has helped turn this dream into a reality,” she said in a statement. “We’ve been working around the clock to create a truly special place that I hope will become one of your favorite neighborhood spots.”.

* This article was originally published here