Culture

New York City Sets Record $323.8M Culture Budget Under Mamdani

New York City's fiscal 2027 budget includes a record $323.8 million for the Department of Cultural Affairs under Mayor Zohran Mamdani — up nearly 7% from the prior record — plus a new $10 million-a-year Cultural Stability Fund.

Culture

NYC Commission Recommends 18% Pay Raises for Elected Officials

A New York City commission recommended an 18.2% pay raise for the mayor, City Council, and other top officials, lifting the mayor's salary to $305,800, with the Council expected to vote later this summer.

Culture

Mamdani and NYC DOT Temporarily Co-Name Manhattan Streets for Each Champion Knick

Mayor Mamdani and NYC DOT are temporarily co-naming Manhattan streets for each member of the champion Knicks, with each blue-and-orange sign matching a street number to the player's jersey number along Sixth and Seventh Avenues for four weeks.

Sports

Knicks Celebrate NBA Title With Ticker-Tape Parade Through the Canyon of Heroes

New York held a ticker-tape parade for the Knicks on June 18 — the team's first march through the Canyon of Heroes — capping its first NBA title in 53 years with a Key to the City ceremony from Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Sneakers

StockX Opens First New York Store in SoHo

StockX reopened its SoHo flagship at 237 Lafayette Street as a retail store with 300 curated products and in-store bidding — a pivot from authentication hub to curated retail experience.

Culture

French Montana Backs GoFundMe for NYC Cab Driver Attacked During Knicks Celebration

French Montana initiated a GoFundMe for Noureddine Bitat, a 59-year-old NYC cab driver who was attacked and had his taxi destroyed by a mob celebrating the Knicks' Game 4 win near Madison Square Garden.

New York

Hochul Selects Adrienne Adams as Lieutenant Governor Running Mate

Former NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams would become New York's first Black female lieutenant governor if elected — and her selection already cost Hochul the Brooklyn Democratic Committee's endorsement.

Legislation

Bragg wants to ban 3D-printed guns in New York

Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg wants 3D printers sold in New York to come with built-in blocks against printing firearms — and he's now leading a national push to make that the law everywhere.

Radio

The Kid Mero Joins Hot 97 as New Morning Show Host

The Bronx-born comedian and cultural commentator The Kid Mero debuts Hot 97 Mornings with Mero on January 13 — marking his return to New York radio after co-hosting Desus & Mero on Showtime.

Policy

Hochul Pledges Free Child Care at Age 2

Child care in New York averages $19,000 a year — Hochul's new proposal would eliminate that cost starting at age two, reshaping the financial calculus for dual-income households across the state.

Culture

JFK's $4.2B Terminal 6 Transforms Travel with Unprecedented Museum Row Art District

JFK's Terminal 6 creates an unprecedented "Museum Row" featuring permanent installations from MoMA, the Met, Natural History Museum, and Lincoln Center, transforming international arrivals into a world-class cultural experience starting in 2026.