🌱 88K Vacant Rent Stable Apartments + East Village's Mushroom Walls

Good morning, New York City!

• There's a lot of housing-related news today: not only are mushrooms growing out of the walls in one East Village apartment building but there were over 80,000 vacant rent stabilized apartments in NYC last year, a city agency estimates.
• The ice cream shop Van Leeuwen will pay thousands in fines for not accepting cash at its locations.

But first, today's weather:

Plenty of sunshine. High: 62 Low: 48.

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

1. Mushrooms are growing out of the walls in an East Village apartment building, residents say. That's just the tip of the iceberg of tenant's complaints against their landlord, which include collapsed ceilings, roaming rodents, and squatters defecating — leading some to sue and refuse to pay rent. (New York City Patch)
2. New York City's Housing Preservation and Development agency estimates there were over 88,000 vacant rent stabilized apartments last year in the Big Apple–far more than the 61,000 counted by the state. That's 1 in 1o of NYC's total rent-stabilized stock. (THE CITY)
3. Brooklyn-favorite Van Leeuwen Ice Cream agreed to pay a $33,500 in fines after dodging a New York City law requiring them to accept cash at their locations for two years, the Consumer and Worker Protection department announced Thursday. "Cash is king," Mayor Eric Adams said. (New York City Patch)
4. New York City's schools need an influx of funding to help accommodate over 5,000 students from migrant families that have recently arrived in the city–many of whom have limited English proficiency and have experienced trauma–according to Comptroller Brad Lander who believes $34 million is required. (AMNY)
5. Mayor Adams want to make Diwali, which is celebrated by Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Buddhist communities, a school holiday next year by replacing June's Brooklyn-Queens day–and he's asking Albany legislators to do it. This year Diwali falls on Oct. 24. (THE CITY)

New York City pic of the day:

There's definitely been a Halloween trend in these photos the past few days!

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.

Today in New York City:

• Open House New York 2022 (multiple times)
• Wolf Tale - Days Of The Dead Festival (7 p.m.)
• Unbound A Haus of Haunts - Jefferson Market Library (7:30 p.m.)
• Alias Smith and Jones Bring Live Blues To The Shrine In Harlem (8 p.m.)

Crime and safety corner:

• Clyde the cat has been missing from an Upper West Side Petco for the past two weeks. (New York City Patch)
• A swordsman hit a straphanger on the head with his sheathed weapon while riding an A train in Lower Manhattan Thursday morning, police told Patch. (New York City Patch)

From my notebook:

• A City Hall aide was fired after being recorded making after-hours complaints about the Mayor and police officers–it was the police officer comments that ultimately fired him, according to a spokesman. (New York City Patch)
• A bathhouse in the Rockaway peninsula's Jacob Riis Park is getting a $50 million makeover that will include restaurants, a bar, a pool, event spaces, and 28 hotel rooms. (New York City Patch)
• City workers cut down the 100th dilapidated NYC dining shed in Lower Manhattan yesterday to applause from neighbors. (AMNY)
• NYC Council's unionized staff doesn't want to lose the option for hybrid work, which could end this month. (Gothamist)

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Events:

• EAST COAST MIDWEST 22nd Annual Diversity Employment Day Virtual Video (VV) Career Fair (October 21)
• "Spirit Drenched in Gold" 5Rhythms Dance & Movement Meditation Class (October 21)
• LaGuardia Community Run (5K) (October 22)
• Death in New York Walking Tour (October 22)
• Madison Avenue Fall Gallery Walk (October 22)
• The 20th Century’s Crimes Against Time: How Technology Hijacked the Past, the Present & the Future (October 22)
• Messy Millie: A New Musical (October 22)
• Hip Hop vs Reggae® Jewel Yacht NYC Saturday Midnight Yacht Party (October 22)
• Boarding School Admissions Fair (October 24)
• Why Boarding School? An In-person Panel Discussion with Directors of Admission (October 24)
• Citizen by CNN & 92NY: The Midterm Election (October 24)
• A Third Choice: Andrew Yang in Conversation with Thane Rosenbaum (October 25)
• Keep Your Spine Healthy & Strong with HSS! (October 26)
• PAWS NY Virtual Volunteer Orientation - October 26 (October 26)
• FoieGone - A Farewell to Foie Gras, Now a Celebration! (October 26)
• Fabbri Presents - AMERICAN STRING QUARTET (October 26)
• Frida Kahlo the Immersive Biography Comes to Brooklyn! | Opening October 27 (October 27)
• The Yoga of Knowledge and Wisdom, Bhagavad Gita Lecture Series Oct 27 - 30 (October 27)
• Parenting Young Children in the New Normal (October 27)
• Carnegie Hill Neighbors Annual Spooktacular (October 31)
• Introduction to Judaism Class (November 2)
• Feast of All Saints: Service of Remembrance featuring Fauré Requiem (November 6)
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Announcements:

• Behind The Scoreboard -- A Dance To Remember (Details)
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Thanks for following along and staying informed! I'll see you soon.

— Dashiell Allen

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