🌱 NYC Rents Fall For 6 Months: Study + Subway Agents Leave Booths

Good morning, New York City!

• NYC rents have been falling for six months, but they're still leading the nation.
• An exonerated man is set to receive a $5.5 million settlement.
• Subway station agents are leaving their booths and heading to the platform starting Thursday.

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Now, today's weather: Times of clouds and sun. High: 54 Low: 33.

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

1. Rents in New York City fell for the sixth consecutive month in March, but they still remain the highest in the nation for one-bedroom apartments with an average of $3,370, a new study found. San Francisco still held that honor for two-bedroom apartments at $4,000. (New York City Patch)
2. A man who was exonerated for the rape of author Alice Sebold when she was in college will get a $5.5 million settlement, according to reports. The lawyers for the man who spent 16 years in jail, had shown that Sebold was tricked by prosecutors during a police lineup. (New York City Patch)
3. The NYC subway's more than 2,000 station attendants will permanently leave their booths on Thursday, the MTA announced, and will now instead circulate throughout stations assisting customers. (Gothamist)
4. Hoping to avoid the staffing shortage it experienced at the start of last summer, the city is raising the starting pay for new lifeguards at public swimming pools from $16.10 to $19.46 an hour and returning lifeguards could be eligible for a $1,000 bonus. (THE CITY)
5. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is considering using at least $130 million that would be raised from its controversial congestion pricing plan to address pollution in neighborhoods that would be impacted by an increase in car traffic, such as in the Bronx. The proposal would include air filtration systems for schools, and encouraging off-peak hours for commercial vehicles. (Subscription/The New York Times) (Free/Streetsblog)

New York City pic of the day:

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Today in New York City:

• Discounted ($100) cat tattoos in Brooklyn (12 - 8 p.m.)
• Ruby Warrington + Rachel Cargle: Women Without Kids (7 p.m.)
• c.a.t.a.m.o.n Dance Group presents Somewhere — Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan (7 p.m.)
• Ambush Comedy at Two Boots Pizza in Williamsburg (7:30 p.m.)
• Speed Dating @ Radegast | 20s & 30s | Brooklyn, NYC (7:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Noise complaints are on the rise in New York City — up 40 percent this winter compared to the same time in 2019, with 40,000 logged to 311 last month — and in some cases they've led to fatal consequences. (New York Daily News)
• An old proposal by Gov. Kathy Hochul to improve Penn Station by building 10 skyscrapers didn't work out and now a developer has the idea to cover Madison Square Garden in glass as an alternative. (Subscription/The New York Times)
• An 18-year-old Harlemite was pleasantly surprised on Monday night when she was awarded a $60,000 scholarship from NYC's hometown basketball team, the Knicks, to attend college. The Knicks were also victorious against the Houston Rockets. (Harlem Patch)
• The Legal Aid Society wants to know exactly how much "vital evidence" went up in flames at a Red Hook, Brooklyn NYPD warehouse fire last December. (New York City Patch)
• Eleven formerly-homeless tenants are facing eviction from their apartments after their landlord raised the rent by $700 and refused to renew their agreements, they said. They had gotten their homes through the city's Special One-Time Assistance grant program. (Gothamist)

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You're officially in the loop for today. I'll be back in your inbox tomorrow with your next update!

— Dashiell Allen

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