Following Tuesday night’s unofficial results for the Democratic Primary New York City Council race––in which Yusef Salaam came out as the winner––fellow candidate and Assembly Member Al Taylor is looking ahead to continue serving the people of Harlem and beyond. 

Salaam holds a commanding lead in the vote count and is expected to be declared the victor. 

Along with Taylor, 65, and Salaam, 49, the race for the District 9 City Council seat included Assembly Member Inez Dickens, 73. The incumbent Kristen Richardson, 36, was also on the ballot, however she had announced she would not be seeking re-election. 

Early results on Tuesday night showed Salaam with a strong lead, with Dickens in second and Taylor in third.

At his watch party, Assembly Member Taylor delivered his concession speech to the guests in attendance including some of his closest supporters, consultants and volunteers. Alongside Gwen Taylor, his wife of more than 20 years, he thanked them for their service to his campaign while offering an encouraging outlook for the future of Harlem.

“What I hope that will happen is that people do not view this as a loss but they see a new horizon for Harlem, and they want to be enthusiastic about it and get to be a part of a new what’s happening along with what has existed,” Taylor shared with the supporters in attendance. “I will be voting here side by side with this young man [Salaam] to give him my input as he wants and not as I see he ought to do. I think we need to make sure that people have their space to do what they want to do and create their own footprint.”

Earlier in June, Taylor and Salaam endorsed each other and encouraged their voters to rank the other second in a strategy to combat Dickens who had support from figures like Mayor Eric Adams.

Taylor said he is looking forward to working with Salaam for the betterment of the Harlem community.

“I’m happy. When is the last time someone stepped from outside of the system and won and ran with such a resounding mandate. I’m proud,” Taylor told the Amsterdam News. 

Taylor’s term as an assembly member will continue until 2025. 

“I will continue to champion Harlem, Washington Heights, Inwood, which I represent currently. And working on the city level with my brother Yusef Salaam and Assemblywoman Inez Dickens, I will continue to fight for the residents of this community in making sure we’re bringing home the resources,” Taylor said. 

Taylor was also joined by New York State Senator Cordell Cleare who supported his campaign.

Cleare emphasized she is glad to be able to continue working with Taylor in the assembly.

“I still have someone who believes in the ideals and the things that this community believes in––who is an active, historic legacy part of this community. Who knows the people, cares about the people. So it’s a win for me anyway. We have someone coming back who is ready to take care of business,” Cleare said.

Born in the Hamilton Heights area, Taylor has been a lifelong resident of Harlem. After being mentored by the revered Judge Bruce Wright, he would earn his bachelor’s degree at Lehman College and later receive his masters of divinity at Nyack College. 

Taylor assumed his office representing the 71st district of New York in the state assembly in 2017.  His district includes Hamilton Heights, Harlem, Washington Heights, and Inwood. He pastors at the Infinity Mennonite Church located between 146th and 147th st on Adam Clayton Powell Blvd. 

As a well known and beloved figure, volunteer Gabrielle Holder says Taylor spent much of his time engaging with community members throughout the campaign.  “Al Taylor has a plethora of experience from his work in the state assembly for decades, and as a state assembly member for six years, and it shows in how he conducts himself in the community, and how much engaged he is with constituents and how much love there is for him in the community,” Holder said.  

Both Taylor and volunteers would talk to Harlem residents campaigning in subways as well as communities such as the Polo Grounds, Lenox Terrace, Esplanade Gardens, etc. 

“I gave this thing everything that I had. They said, you’re not gonna raise enough money, which we did, we got a lot of small dollars. I am proud of what we accomplished,” Taylor said. 

As absentee ballots are being counted, which could take up to a week, a winner has yet to officially be declared although it is much expected Salaam will be confirmed as the winner soon and ultimately win the general election in November to head to the City Council. 

The post Assemblymember Al Taylor is looking forward to working with Yusef Salaam for Harlem appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

The Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge at the Moxy Times Square has made its love for pink well known over the years, from blush-hued garden-themed takeovers in the spring to all-fuchsia après-ski activation in the winter. But now the midtown rooftop is taking it to another level with The Pink Bunny Beach, a Barbie-inspired makeover straight out of sunny Malibu. 

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Like everyone else on the planet, it seems like the Moxy crew is counting down the days until the big Barbie movie in July, and it’s celebrating by doing up the rooftop’s bunny putt-putt golf course in the favored shade of the iconic fashion doll. Open now until Sunday, September 3, the summer pop-up experience will feature pink-striped lifeguard chairs, pink sand, beach balls and floaties, pink palm trees and more. Among the numerous pink-themed photo opportunities will be a life-size doll box, so you can live out your Barbie fantasies. 

But it’s not only good looks. The beachy activation will also feature a fresh spread of seasonal cocktails curated by Beverage Director Nikki McCutcheon—including a “Malibu Beach Bunny” made with cranberry and Ketel Citroen and a large-format “Rich Kid$ RoséRita” with Don Julio Rosado, Beach Rose, Peach, and Gold Luster, which serves eight to ten people—as well as summery new dishes. Menu items include a Watermelon & Feta Salad with arugula, pistachio mint and a balsamic drizzle; Crispy Coconut Shrimp topped with sweet chili sauce; Steak Barbacoa Tacos with braised brisket, pickled onions and slaw, as well as fun, festive desserts to satisfy your sweet tooth, including Cookie Beignets, Ube Donuts, and Pink Popcorn. 

The Pink Bunny Beach will be open on Mondays through Wednesdays from 3pm to midnight, Thursdays from 3pm to 2am, Fridays from 3pm to 4am, Saturdays from 11:30am to 4am and Sundays from 11:30am to midnight. 

Check out the decked-out rooftop space below as well as the new food-and-drink menu items below:

* This article was originally published here

Tokyo kawaii cuteness has made its way to NYC by way of a new conveyor-belt sushi spot, Sushidelic. And if bright, neon colors, playful food, and the chance to celebrate your individuality tickles your fancy, you’ll want to add this spot to your list.

Sushidelic is the brain child of Tokyo-born multi-disciplinary artist, Sebastian Masuda, who also happens to be the one behind Harajuku’s Kawaii Monster Café, which opened in 2015 but sadly closed during Covid.

Masuda wears the title of being the leading man behind “kawaii,” Japanese culture’s cute aspect that emphasizes the quality of cuteness, the use of bright colors, and characters with a childlike appearance. He’s long pushed for kawaii culture to be an inclusive means of expression and a way to bring the world together.

“If I can help people recognize the kawaii spirit in others, acknowledge this inquisitiveness, then I think I can create better relationships and a better world,” he says.

Kawaii has very much become a global phenomenon, making its way into many aspects of modern life, including art, fashion, technology, and even food.

And Sushidelic is the epitome of kawaii and food colliding.

The restaurant totally reimagines sushi from an immersive kawaii perspective. Massive cat heads hang from the ceiling, lights resemble lipstick tubes, and a sushi conveyor belt circles through the bar and kitchen carrying with it Masuda’s art pieces, from a neon patchwork teddy bear to red bedazzled high heels.

And the bold colors of the kawaii movement carry through the food, which features tuna with pink rice on turquoise macarons, a selection of bright dips served with tempura, and a colorful main course served in a sundae glass. All oftsite which work seamlessly with the $85, six-course “Pure Imagination” omakase special (vegetarian options are available as well).

The restaurant also offers a selection of sake and other Japanese-inspired cocktails, as well as a curated selection of non-alcoholic beverages. And you can even grab food to-go via vending machines.

What Masuda refers to as the “new generation of sushi,” Sushidelic is definitely a welcomed contrast from NYC’s typical omakase spots, which typically are more formal. The restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor seating.

And hey, we can guarantee you that a meal at Sushidelic is much cheaper than catching a flight to Tokyo, so that’s definitely a plus!

Learn more and make reservations on their website.

177 Lafayette St.

  Tuesday-Saturday 5 p.m. – 11 p.m.

The post SoHo’s New Conveyor Belt Sushi Restaurant Is The Epitome Of Kawaii appeared first on Secret NYC.

* This article was originally published here