NYC News You Might Have Missed in April

This is our monthly recap of recent NYC news you might have missed during the last few weeks. As usual, top of our list again is food, shopping and real estate. Here are the headlines from our sources, which we identify.  No leaks, no fake news on NYCOTC.

Bye-bye for Apple Cube – The iconic glass cube on Fifth Avenue will be removed so the 24/7 Apple Store can be doubled in size. It’s not clear from documents filed with NYC whether the cube will be returned to its spot in the plaza of the General Motors Building.  During renovation, Apple Fifth Avenue will occupy the space which used to be the iconic FAO Schwarz toy store. (Crain’s)

Don’t spill the beans – Dunkin’ Donuts and Amtrak are joining forces.  Dunkin’ Donuts Original Blend and Dunkin’ Decaf hot coffee varieties are now available on board Amtrak Acela Express high-speed trains throughout the Northeast Corridor.  With the new agreement, Dunkin’ Donuts’ signature blends will be served all day in First Class and Café Acela,  brewed using the same equipment featured in Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants to ensure the same quality and taste.

Another food hall – NYC’s newest foodie destination will be a humongous three-level space in 570 Lexington Ave, the Art Deco building also known as the GE Building.  It’s scheduled to open later this year, and will be serving signing what’s described as “high end fast food vendors”. It’s perfect timing, since the closing of the Waldorf Astoria a block away has made these few blocks feel empty and depressing. (NY Post)

For the birds – NYC’s Audubon Society will be surveying NYC’s green roofs to determine their impact on the birds who live here year-round, and those who visit on their way north or south on annual migration paths.  In recent years, green roofs have been installed on top of dozens of buildings throughout the city, including Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the Javits Convention Center,  and a new Department of Sanitation complex along the Hudson River on Spring Street. These green roofs are an additional “air B&B” for more than 130 species found here in expected spots like Central Park, Bryant Park, Prospect Park and the Jamaica Wildlife Refuge.  (DNAInfo)

Fixed admission price for Met Museum – The Met and the NYC government are debating charging admission for the first time in the museum’s nearly 125-year history.  The Met used to be free, but now has a “suggested” $25 admission fee for adult visitors.  The mandatory admission fee would be for tourists, not for NYC or NY State residents. Currently, 63% of the Met’s seven million annual visitors come from outside New York state. It could go a long way to help removing the red ink from the current $16 million operating deficit.  (New York Times)

• What do you think?  Charge out-of-towners to visit the Met? Add a comment below
• SEE ALSO New York City residents get FREE museum admission with the IDNYC card

Move to fingerprint Uber and Lyft drivers – A rise in crimes by rideshare drivers, including against their passengers, is driving law enforcement officials to demans Uber and Lyft drivers be fingerprinted, the same way licensed commercial drivers are. Uber and Lyft background check drivers, but that may not be enough to protect the riding public.  The National District Attorneys Association wants mandatory criminal background checks. Lack of fingerprinting is the reason Uber and Lyft are banned in cities including Austin, Texas Recently.Uber agreed to pay $10 million to settle allegations by California prosecutors that it misled passengers about the quality of its driver background checks.  (Observer) 

SEE ALSO News you might have missed in March, including:

• Target to open huge store on 34th Street
• $14.99 internet for eligible NYC seniors and low income residents
• Discount coupons for Gett rideshare service, because we are so over Uber

If there is a NYC news headline you would like to see included in next month’s report, let us know.  Email us at info@nyconthecheap.com with tips.