🌱 LIRR Grand Central Expansion Starts Today + Harlem Ferris Wheel

Good morning, New York City!

In today's headlines:

• It's going to be easier than ever to bring a stroller on the subway.
• Mayor Eric Adams wants New Yorkers to get together over dinner.
• Could a Ferris wheel dramatically transform west Harlem?

But first, today's weather:

Rain in the afternoon. High: 42 Low: 41.

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

1. Long Island Railroad trains will bring riders to Grand Central in Midtown for the first time on Wednesday, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced. The project, known as "East Side Access," has been decades in the making. (New York City Patch)
2. Speaking of public transit, the MTA is expanding a pilot program allowing strollers to remain open on 1,000 city buses (1/6 of the entire fleet), after receiving positive feedback. (New York City Patch)
3. Mayor Eric Adams wants New Yorkers from different backgrounds and communities to have dinner together. In a new program, “Breaking Bread, Building Bonds,” 1,000 New Yorkers will get to have a dinner reimbursed by a nonprofit. Adams had launched a version of the initiative as Brooklyn borough president, but was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. (Subscription/New York Daily News)
4. A former gynecologist from Columbia University was found guilty by a jury on federal sex trafficking charges on Tuesday, after a two-week trial in which nine former patients testified about their experiences. (Gothamist)
5. City jails are dangerous for transgender detainees, advocates from the Legal Aid Society charged after a report from THE CITY revealed that a special unit dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community had been left to the side by the current jail commissioner, leading transgender women to allegedly be placed in dangerous all-male units. (New York City Patch)

• Read THE CITY's full story here.

New York City pic of the day:

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Today in New York City:

• The 2023 Discover Boating® New York Boat Show® — Javits Center (12 p.m.)
• Eastville Comedy Club Laughing Buddha Comedy Spectacular (5:30 p.m.)
• New York Wine Festival — Long Island City (6 p.m.)
• Galactic at Blue Note Jazz Club (8 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Can you guess which building in Lower Manhattan was ranked the third ugliest in the country according to a survey? Hint: it has a phone company's logo on it. (New York Post )
• A business improvement group in Harlem wants to build a giant 180-foot-tall ferris wheel along the West 125th Street Hudson River waterfront in the hopes of attracting more tourists to the neighborhood. (New York City Patch)
• A kosher diner and South African wine bar on the Upper East Side have both been hit with accusations of wage theft for allegedly not paying workers, court documents show. (New York City Patch)
• Test your knowledge of the NYC subway with this free quiz from THE CITY. (THE CITY)
• Activists in Lower Manhattan marched on Monday night against gun violence following the Monterey Park, California mass-shooting that claimed 11 lives. The event was organized by Gays Against Guns. (AMNY)

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Events:

• The 2023 Discover Boating® New York Boat Show® (January 25)
• Managing Screen Time: A Parenting Guide with No Tech Skills Required (January 26)
• "19 Forms of Ice" 5Rhythms Dance & Movement Meditation Class (January 27)
• Chicago Night Live (January 27)
• Royal Wedding Preacher Presiding Bishop Michael Curry to Come to Church of the Heavenly Rest (January 28)
• Hope and Healing: a “Lifeline Song Cycles” Fundraising Concert (January 28)
• Italian Dinner with Tiramisu Finale in NYC (January 29)
• Special Needs School Virtual Fair (January 30)
• Lecture: When the Wave Knows It’s the Ocean: Apostolic Wholeness and the Kinship of God (January 30)
• Berkeley College Master of Business Administration Information Session (January 31)
• New York Fashion Week Runway Show + Cocktail Party by Culture & Couture (February 11)
• Love Can Really Hang You Up the Most (February 14)
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You're officially in the loop for today! I'll see you around.

— Dashiell Allen

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