Trending in the City

This article was first posted on ilovetheupperwestside.com.

Here are some recent stories from around the city which caught our attention. They might make you laugh, might make you cry, or might just make you angry. But you’ll definitely want to tell your friends.

A four-year-old Brooklyn boy named Noah ordered over 900 SpongeBob SquarePants popsicles (51 cases) on Amazon, which left his mom, Jennifer Bryant, with a $2,618.85 bill. She tried to sell them but “a lot of them had melted,” according to NBC New York. A friend of Bryant setup a GoFundMe campaign which ended up raising over $10,000. In response to the surplus, Bryant wrote that “As a parent to a child living with ASD (austim spectrum disorder), all additional donations will go towards Noah’s education and additional supports. We cannot thank you enough. Truly.” [ NBC New York ]

New York City public schools will no longer celebrate Columbus Day. The Department of Education will be replacing it with “Italian Heritage Day/Indigenous People’s Day,” which Mayor de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Meisha Porter claim they were unaware of. While acknowledging the importance of recognizing indigenous people, Governor Cuomo wasn’t happy with the decision. ““Columbus Day is a day where we celebrate the Italian-American contribution to this state. It’s not either/or. We’re not drawing lines and dividing. You don’t have to exclude Italians to celebrate indigenous people,” he said. [ NY Daily News ]

Indoor dining capacity expands to 75% on May 7, bringing the city in line with the rest of the state. This 75% limit also applies to hair salons, barber shops and other personal care services. Beginning May 15, gyms will expand to 50% capacity. “After a long and incredibly difficult fight, New York State is winning the war against COVID-19, and that means it’s time to loosen some restrictions put in place to protect the public health and help our local businesses,” Governor Cuomo said. [ NY.gov ] Broadway will fully reopen on September 14 – at 100% capacity. Tickets for these performances went on sale May 6. “[This] announcement builds upon the reopening of performing arts and live entertainment venues at limited capacities last month and further sets the stage for Broadway shows to return to theaters throughout the fall.” [ NY.gov ] NYC is ready to vaccinate tourists, Mayor de Blasio announced Thursday. Pending approval from the state, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be offered to those traveling to the Big Apple at mobile vaccination sites at various locations throughout the boroughs.

We’ll set up mobile vaccination sites at iconic #NYC spots to provide the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to anyone who needs it — and if the State gives us approval, we’ll include the tourists who are coming back in droves.

New York City is open for business, one shot at a time. pic.twitter.com/xOVWjz7Qq5

— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) May 6, 2021