🌱NYC Snowstorm: Alternate Side Park Suspended + Outdoor Dining Update

Good morning, New York City! We got our first real snow ❄️ of the season last night, whether you're excited about it (like me!) or not.

• Alternate side parking is suspended for today
• New bathrooms are coming to a park in your borough — at a high price tag
• Advocates say information is missing to the public about the NYPD's DNA database

But first, today's weather: A morning shower or two. High: 40 Low: 30.

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Here are the top five stories in New York City today:

1. Alternate side parking is suspended for today, in anticipation of a storm that was expected to dump up to six inches of snow in the city, starting yesterday evening. The MTA said they did not expect underground trains to be affected. (New York City Patch)
2. Key information from a massive DNA database maintained by the NYPD containing more than 32,000 people hasn't been made public, despite a promise from the police department three years ago, advocates at the Legal Aid Society said. That includes ages, gender and ethnicity. A police spokesperson said that information is unknown for a "significant percentage" of profiles. (New York City Patch)
3. All boroughs will have their own prefabricated "Portland Loo" toilets starting in summer 2024 and with a $5.3 million price tag for just five single bathrooms. The idea was first floated in 2019 as a potentially cheaper alternative to full comfort stations, but the toilet's manufacturer says that securing the proper permits in New York City has been more difficult than anywhere else they've installed them. (THE CITY)
4. Months-long gas outages are becoming a common occurrence for New York City public housing residents. Outages were reported at 62 NYCHA public housing campuses on Tuesday, forcing tenants to cook meals on hotplates. State lawmakers are considering a bill that would require the housing agency to provide specific timelines for repairs. (Gothamist)
5. The City Council is planning to vote next month on a revised version of outdoor dining that would make street shed seasonal, while keeping sidewalk dining year-round. A previous version of the proposal had stalled in the Council for the past year. (Streetsblog NYC)

New York City pic of the day:

Remember to submit a photo from your neighborhood to newyorkcity@patch.com for a chance to be featured! We love skylines, bodega cats, coffee shops, streetscapes, parks and everything else that makes this city great.

Please include your full name and an optional description. I'd love to see your pictures in the snow.

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Today in New York City:

• End Size Discrimination Rally and Public Hearing (9 a.m.)
• Breakfast on Broadway: FAT HAM — Museum of Broadway (10 a.m.)
• Queens Centers for Progress Presents the 27th Annual “Evening Of Fine Food” (6:30 p.m.)
• Mehdi Hasan + Preet Bharara: "Win Every Argument" — The Strand Bookstore (7 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• The family of a woman who died last month after her bike crashed into a box truck is suing New York City for $100 million, alleging that the design of the street where the incident occurred is to blame. (New York Daily News)
• No charges will be brought against a police officer who shot a man dead in 2021 while he was holding a BB gun. (Gothamist)
• New Long Island Railroad service to Grand Central means that most service to Brooklyn is being operated as a shuttle service from Jamaica, Queens — and commuters on those lines affected are none too happy about it. (AMNY)
• Starbucks will pay its Astoria, Queens barista Austin Locke $21,000 in backpay and penalties under a settlement, according to the city's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. (New York City Patch)
• A new bill in Congress would establish a museum on top of an African burial ground site in Lower Manhattan and provide $15 million towards funding it. (AMNY)

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Featured events:

• Legal and Justice Studies Pathways (February 28)
• Book Talk: Hostile Homelands w/Azad Essa and Linah Alsaafin (March 1)
• Talk: The Industrialization of Sexual Exploitation OR Why 'Sex Work' is NOT 'Agency' But Degradation (March 1)
• David Burke Goes Down Under with Five-Course Penfolds Wine Dinner (March 2)
• The Walther Christian Academy Choir Performs a Lunchtime Concert (March 3)
• White Collar Support Group to Hold Milestone 350th Meeting (March 6)
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• An Evening Of Repertoire In 2 Parts (March 11)
• NYC Singles!! (March 18)
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Featured job listings:

• Personal Assistant for Older New Yorkers in Manhattan (Details)
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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Tuesday off right. I'll see you around!

— Dashiell Allen

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming New York City Patch newsletter? Contact me at patchnyc@patch.com