Housing Bill Fight, LIRR Shutdown Deadline, Long Island Rail Road…

Politics & Policy

• City Council progressives again push once-vetoed housing bill · Council member Sandy Nurse reintroduced a bill giving nonprofit groups priority to buy distressed apartment buildings, aiming to expand affordable housing ownership. The progressive Council bloc is rallying support despite prior mayoral vetoes. (Dan Rivoli)
• Budget watchers scrutinize ‘gimmicks’ in Mamdani’s proposal · Experts including Andrew Rein criticized Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s budget for relying on “gimmicks” and one-time revenues that do not address structural fiscal problems. The budget faces tough scrutiny as the city plans ahead. (Dan Rivoli)
• Gov. Hochul and Mayor Mamdani push pied-à-terre tax · Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Mamdani promote a new tax on second homes in New York City to generate revenue and curb luxury property speculation. The proposed pied-à-terre tax targets wealthy non-resident owners. (Spectrum News Staff)
• It’s Not Too Late To (Actually) Fix The (Actual) Problem With Car Insurance · State lawmakers must revisit car insurance reforms as current measures fall short despite initial claims. Stakeholders call for stronger policies to truly improve affordability and coverage for New Yorkers. (Streetsblog NYC)

Housing & Transit

• Down to the wire: LIRR slated to shut down at midnight unless MTA and unions reach a deal · The Long Island Rail Road faces a full shutdown Friday at midnight if the MTA and five unions fail to strike a contract deal, threatening service for over 250,000 daily riders. Negotiations continue under tight deadline pressure. (Gothamist)
• BREAKING: State DOT Kills Entire Cross Bronx ‘Highway Expansion’ Project · New York State Department of Transportation cancelled plans to widen five Cross Bronx Expressway bridges after years of local opposition, ending hopes for the controversial highway expansion. The decision prioritizes community concerns over infrastructure expansion. (Streetsblog NYC)
• How pied-à-terre, cash-buyer surcharges will change behavior · Real estate experts anticipate that the new pied-à-terre and cash buyer taxes, such as a $200,000 annual surcharge on a $18M second home at 737 Park Avenue, will reshape NYC’s luxury housing market and boost tax revenues. The laws will increase ownership costs for absentee buyers. (The Real Deal)
• NYC Residents Voice Concerns Over Homeless Shelters, Mental Health Issues and Rising Crime · Longtime residents report spikes in local crime and quality-of-life problems linked to homeless shelters and affordable housing placements, citing individuals with untreated mental health issues in their neighborhoods. The city faces growing community pushback on shelter sites. (X)

Culture & Lifestyle

• Who’s That Nude Figure on a Washing Machine Outside the New Museum? · Artist Sarah Lucas unveiled “VENUS VICTORIA,” a provocative public sculpture displayed for two years that challenges the male dominance in public monuments with a nude female figure atop a washing machine. (Hyperallergic)
• The Independent Art Fair’s Massive New Home on the Lower East Side · The Independent Art Fair relocated to a large waterfront site on Pier 36 in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, reviving the 1980s artist-led tradition of alternative exhibition spaces and transforming the old shipping terminal into a vibrant arts hub. (Natalia Torija)
• Sceney Le Dive Has Come for the West Village — And Other NYC Openings in May · Multiple new restaurants, bars, and cafes debuted across NYC in May, including West Village’s Sceney Le Dive, expanding culinary options and nightlife experiences citywide through ongoing weekly updates. (Eater NY)
• It’s giving art: Thousands of teens take over the Met · Thousands of teens gathered at The Met for a cultural takeover event, transforming the iconic museum steps into a vibrant social and artistic space, echoing its pop culture prominence from shows like “Gossip Girl.” (Gothamist)
• Opinion: On Canal Street, I Just Dream Of Having A Sidewalk · A Streetsblog contributor describes daily chaos on Broadway near Canal Street caused by insufficient sidewalks, dangerous traffic, and police sirens, calling for improved pedestrian safety and public space design. (Streetsblog NYC)

Business & Economy

• NYC Airport Workers are Fighting Their Boss Over Working Conditions · Airport contractor Alliance Ground International faces mounting complaints and OSHA citations for poor working conditions, exacerbating tensions with NYC airport employees demanding safer environments. (Documented NY)
• The Bronx will get first city-owned grocery store, Mamdani says · Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a 20,000-square-foot city-owned grocery store will open in Hunts Point, the Bronx, aiming to address food access disparities in the borough. (Gothamist)
• LIRR strike could cost region $61 million a day, state comptroller estimates · State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli estimated a Long Island Rail Road strike would cost the regional economy $61 million daily, intensifying pressure on stakeholders to resolve the labor dispute quickly. (Gothamist)
• Tech Industry Group: NYC’s Delivery Minimum Wage Worked — But That’s Bad! · A tech-aligned think tank reported NYC’s delivery minimum wage doubled earnings without hurting industry revenue but criticized the policy for increasing labor costs, revealing industry ambivalence. (Streetsblog NYC)
• Maefield back in familiar territory at 20 Times Square · Maefield Development lost control of 20 Times Square’s commercial mortgage-backed securities loan, which was transferred to the loan’s ground lease holder, signaling financial distress for the Times Square project. (The Real Deal)

Civic Services

• ‘I Just Need to Hug Him’: Families Say New York Is Illegally Delaying Prison Transfers · Families report the state prison system delays or denies transfer requests to facilities closer to inmates’ children, violating proximity laws and endangering family bonds critical to rehabilitation. (Indy Scholtens)
• City To Open Two New Hotel Shelters to Offset Bellevue Closure · NYC plans to convert two Brooklyn hotels into shelters for single adult men to compensate for the upcoming closure of the Bellevue intake center on Manhattan’s East Side, expanding shelter capacity. (City Limits)
• Legal advocates demand accountability after woman gives birth in Brooklyn courtroom · Public defenders and advocacy groups rallied on May 18 after a 33-year-old woman gave birth on a Brooklyn courtroom bench, calling for systemic reforms to prevent medical crises in the criminal justice system. (By Gabriele Holtermann)
• Public defenders blame system after woman gives birth in Brooklyn court · Legal and political leaders condemned a fractured city-state system for failures that led to a woman giving birth during arraignment in Brooklyn, demanding coordinated prevention measures. (Gothamist)
• 2 men dead after alleged drunk driver hits pedestrians and cars on Upper West Side · Two pedestrians died and multiple others were injured Friday evening when an alleged drunk driver collided with cars and people on the Upper West Side, sparking police investigations. (Gothamist)

Events

• GET $40 TICKETS TO JEROME AT PLAYWRIGHTS HORIZONS (SPONSORED) · Discounted $40 tickets are available for “Jerome,” a play by Wet Brain’s creator, running now at Playwrights Horizons exploring the lives of a gay couple in Arizona. (The Skint)
• SEE INDIAN PRINCESSES FOR $25! LIMITED AVAILABILITY! (SPONSORED) · Limited $25 tickets remain for “Indian Princesses,” an Off-Broadway debut by Eliana Theologides Rodriguez at Atlantic Theater Company through May 17. (The Skint)
• How Will I Remember This · Reed Luplau Works presents a new dance narrative May 22–24 at IAMT Theater, reviving the spirit of Weimar Berlin’s queer cabaret. (Dance.NYC)

DEEP DIVE

Long Island Rail Road workers strike for first time in more than 30 years

More than 3,500 Long Island Rail Road employees walked off the job Saturday, shutting down service for over 250,000 daily riders and marking the agency’s first strike in more than three decades. The five unions representing these workers demand a 14.5 percent wage increase over four years to keep pace with inflation, while the Metropolitan Transportation Authority offers raises capped near 3 percent. Negotiations failed to produce a last-minute agreement Sunday into Monday, leaving commuters scrambling for alternatives as talks continue under heavy public pressure.

This strike builds on escalating tensions since 2023 contract negotiations stalled repeatedly over wages and healthcare costs. A near-strike last September involved an emergency board created by the federal government, but the current dispute highlights deep fractures between the MTA and its workforce amid rising living costs in New York. The MTA’s modest initial raises, including retroactive raises between 3 and 3.5 percent for past years, have failed to satisfy unions pressing for larger concessions amid inflationary challenges.

The ongoing strike threatens substantial regional disruption, with state officials warning of $61 million lost in daily economic activity and ridership halted indefinitely. The showdown will affect hundreds of thousands of daily commuters and ripple across Long Island’s economy, forcing policymakers and negotiators to balance fiscal constraints with urgent worker demands. The stakes remain high as negotiations proceed, with the workforce seeking tangible recognition of their living cost challenges and the MTA focused on budget sustainability. (6sqft)