Secret Room In Rikers Island: 5 Must-Read NYC Stories

Good evening, NYC Patch readers! We've assembled some of the most share-worthy stories from the state for today, just for you.

Here are the top five stories from the city:

1. Prospect Park Zoo's gates remain indefinitely closed weeks after remnants of Tropical Storm Ophelia inundated the Brooklyn menagerie. (Read more on Patch.)

2. A man brutally beat a Queens teen for wearing a turban and a COVID mask in an MTA bus, police said. The suspected hate crime Sunday left a 19-year-old bus passenger with a cut to his head and pain, authorities said. (Read more on Patch.)

3. Mayor Eric Adams promises his latest tech push won't lead to Skynet. The city launched its first artificial intelligence, or AI, chatbot Monday for the MyCity Business site, Adams announced. (Read more on Patch.)

4. Migrant families with children can only stay in New York City's shelters for 60 days, said Mayor Eric Adams. (Read more on Patch.)

5. Who built a secret room in Rikers Island found bedecked with leather couches, a giant TV and 17 snowblowers? (Read more on Patch.)