🌱New Lights For Columbus Park + Greenwich St 9/11 Museum Closing

Happy Saturday, neighbors! I am your hos,t Patrick Murray here with three fresh headlines to kick off your weekend.

First, today's weather:

Heavy thunderstorms with a high of 62 and a low of 52.

Here are the top stories in Lower East Side-Chinatown today:

1. City workers were seen swapping sockets at Columbus Park to accommodate new LED light bulbs. Lighting in the park has been a community-wide concern for the better part of a decade, and a handful of attempts to remedy the problem have failed. By the latest count, roughly eight lampposts are now operational in the southern section of the park. (Bowery Boogie)
2. The 9/11 Tribute Museum in Lower Manhattan is set the close permanently. A sharp decline in visitors and revenue since the start of the pandemic has led to the end of the museum's impressive run. The Greenwich Street museum led more than 500,000 guided tours, and saw 5 million visitors from over 141 countries. (ABC 7 NY)
3. Developers hope for unlimited floor area ratio (F.A.R.) in new developments "were dealt a blow when the Assembly and state Senate rejected" Gov. Kathy Hochul's proposal to scrap the existing restrictions. Hochul included the proposal in the state budget, however, neither of the state Legislature's houses included it in their version of the budget. The local advocacy group Village Preservation celebrated the news as a victory. (The Village Sun)

Today in Lower East Side-Chinatown:

• Saturday Afternoon Cartoons, screening at The Metrograph. (2:15 p.m.)
• Live music at Pianos. (7 p.m.)
• Live music at Arlene's Grocery. (7 p.m.)
• "Dodsworth" screening at The Metrograph. (7:30 p.m.)
• BYOB standup at SESH Comedy. (8:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Cult classic LES film "Wild Style" debuted 39 years ago. (The Source Magazine)
• Suzie Kondi making her mark on Manhattan. (Vogue)
• Elizabeth Street "Bagel Bar" pop-up offers a post-St. Patrick's Day hangover cure. (Bowery Boogie)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Saturday. I'll be back in your inbox tomorrow morning with another update!

— Patrick Murray