🌱 Owl On The Loose + Thousands Of NYC Millionaire 'Ritzy Renters'

Good morning, New York City!

• There's more millionaire renters in the city than ever before.
• Gov. Kathy Hochul wants to raise the cap on charter schools in NYC.
• A Eurasian owl is on the loose from the Central Park Zoo.

But first, today's weather:

Partly sunny and cold. High: 26 Low: 25.

🏘️ Looking to differentiate yourself from other real estate agents in New York City? Partner with the New York City Patch and gain access to a targeted, engaged audience through our premium newsletter sponsorships. Click here to learn more.

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

1. A group of local politicians visited the city's new facility to house migrants in Red Hook, Brooklyn on Thursday, finding both positive and negative aspects to it — there's adequate heat inside, but showers are located outside, and there's little to no privacy in the congregate setting. (AMNY)
2. Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed raising the cap on the number of charter schools allowed in New York City during her state budget proposal, potentially leading to a "charged battle" with charter detractors, including teachers' unions and left-leaning Democrats. Charter schools are publicly funded and privately run. (Subscription/The New York Times)
3. New York City's non-Hispanic African American population has decreased over the past two decades by more than 125,000 people, with the trend particularly notable in gentrifying neighborhoods like Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn and Harlem in Upper Manhattan. The decline has potential political and cultural implications for long-established communities. (Gothamist)
4. Millionaires are renting more apartments in New York City than ever before, according to a new study which found the city has 2,457 of them, representing three-quarters of all millionaires renting across the United States. That's also a 171 percent increase from 10 years ago. Overall, the Big Apple is the "it" place to rent for anyone making over $150,000, the study from RentCafe concluded. (New York City Patch)
5. The streets are getting dirtier each year, according to the Department of Sanitation's own analysis. But even so, they described the calculations as "antiquated" — finding 96.4 percent of streets "acceptable" in 2020, compared to 89 percent in 2022, and just 1.5 percent to be "filthy" last year. (The City)

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. Please include your full name and an optional description.

This weekend in New York City:

• Saturday — Winter Jam 2023: Central Park (11 a.m.)
• Saturday — Brooklyn Pop-Up Artisan Market: Brooklyn Museum, Prospect Heights (5 p.m.)
• Saturday — Jerry Seinfeld at Beacon Theater, UWS (7 p.m.)
• Sunday — "Hamilton": Richard Rodgers Theater, Midtown (3 p.m.)
• Sunday — Grammy Bingo at The Standard Hotel (9 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Greenpoint, Brooklyn is now a contender to be considered NYC's next "Little Tokyo." (Subscription/The New York Times)
• About 50 workers staged a protest outside of Google's New York City headquarters on Thursday, after the tech company laid off 12,000 of its workers — about 6 percent of all employees. (New York Post)
• An ex-gynecologist will spend the next two months in prison while he awaits sentencing after being convicted of sexually abusing hundreds of patients, an NYC federal judge ruled on Wednesday. (Associated Press)
• On Sunday night pay close attention the skies, New York City, you might just see a "snow moon" passing overhead. (New York City Patch)
• A Eurasian eagle owl has been on the loose from the Central Park Zoo, after being spotted on Madison Avenue. It escaped after its stainless steel mesh enclosure was vandalized and cut. (New York City Patch)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

• Chronic Foot Pain Center - Dr. Robert Kornfeld — (Visit website)
• Silver Stars Fitness — (Visit Website)
• Church of the Heavenly Rest — (Visit website)
• Add your business here

Events:

• CARL DIX on Why Defunding the Police & Abolishing Prisons Under This System Are Dangerous Illusions (February 4)
• SUNDAY FEB 5 Symposium on Death and Memory: 9:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m (February 5)
• Aztec Two Step 2.0 Feat Rex Fowler Dodie Pettit & Friends (February 6)
• Preschool Admissions Workshop (February 7)
• Special Needs School Admissions Panel Discussion (February 7)
• Talk About “U” — Fibroids, Love and Intimacy (February 7)
• How to Strengthen Executive Functioning in Children (February 8)
• Kindergarten Admissions Workshop (February 8)
• Mid-Century Modern and Design | Online Auction (February 9)
• Gray Divorce — Vesta's Bergen & Passaic County, NJ Hub (February 9)
• Dirty Words & Dangerous Ideas: Censorship Battles in American Culture, Past and Present (February 9)
• The Moving Memory project (February 10)
• Kimberly Akimbo on Broadway (February 11)
• Love Can Really Hang You Up the Most (February 14)
• Transfer Open House (February 15)
• Girls in Business Camp NYC 2023 (February 25)
• Add your event

For sale:

• 1969 Ford Mustang $17,000 (Details)
• Add your item

Other classifieds:

• Demos Parneros’ Top 5 Suggestions to build a caring and Successful Workplace Culture (Details)
• Demos Parneros on Keeping the World in Mind: Branding for Social Impact (Details)
• Add your classified

Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Saturday! I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow morning with a new update.

— Dashiell Allen

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