🌱 NYC Rent Board Considers 16% Hike + Spotted Lanternfly Season

Good morning, New York City!

• NYC's rent guidelines board is considering a rent hike of up to 16 percent.
• A city employee allegedly threatened New Yorkers with concerns about their water bill.
• The spotted lanternfly will be back soon.

But first, today's weather: Partly sunny. High: 72 Low: 56.

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

1. New York City's Rent Guidelines Board discusses raising the rent for more than one million New Yorkers living in rent-stabilized apartments — potentially by a lot. At the high end, they considered a 16 percent increase for two-year leases, while the lowest increase considered was 5.3 percent for one-year leases and 6.6 percent for two years. (New York City Patch)
2. A city employee has been arrested for allegedly making verbal threats to people who called the Department of Environmental Protection with questions about their water bill. He even threatened to shoot one person, according to a report. (Gothamist)
3. Mayor Eric Adams unveiled a sweeping citywide agenda, called PlaNYC, on Thursday, also known as "getting sustainability done." It includes buyouts for properties in flood zones, electric car charging stations, and free solar panel installations on New Yorkers' homes, but for now it's unclear how it will all get funded. (THE CITY)
4. On 4/20, the unofficial cannabis holiday, the NYC Sheriff's Office raided an unlicensed Midtown pot shop called "Weed World," where they seized illegal products, some of which were tested after allegations some merchandise had made customers ill. (New York Daily News)
5. The invasive spotted lanternflies are expected to be coming back sooner than expected this spring — partially due to unseasonably warm weather over the past weeks. That could be bad news for New York's agriculture businesses. New Yorkers are encouraged to crush lanternfly egg clusters if they see any. (NBC New York)

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.

Today in New York City:

• Spring Wine & Food Festa: Street Food — Eataly NYC Downtown (6 p.m.)
• Jena Friedman + Samantha Bee: Not Funny (7 p.m.)
• World Premiere: A Festival of Psalms Choral Concert with Organist David Briggs (7:30 p.m.)
• Live Music Fridays Presents: The Pointers (8 p.m.)
• Taiwan Philharmonic’s NYC Debut at David Geffen Hall (8 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• New NYC-themed artwork by artist Angel Ortiz, a collaborator with Keith Haring, is debuting at a SoHo gallery next month. (Time Out)
• Would you believe New York City is home to 340,000 millionaires? That's what a new report says, making the Big Apple the wealthiest city in the world "by several measures." (New York Post )
• There's a chance (albeit relatively slim) that Formula 1 racing could be coming to New York City. The Adams administration's initial bid to bring racing to Randall's Island was rejected. (AMNY)
• The Times Square Alliance has released its summer events calendar, complete with free concerts. (Gothamist)
• "Everybody Loves Raymond" star Ray Romano's directorial debut, "Somewhere in Queens," premieres today and features locations throughout Forest Hills, the neighborhood he grew up in. (Forest Hills Patch)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Friday! See you all tomorrow for another update.

— Dashiell Allen

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