https://www.westsidespirit.com/news/scoop-act-takes-on-formidable-foul-foe-nyc-dog-poop-BJ5865113 hourly The Spirit - Westsider en 2026-05-19T19:06:33-04:00 SCOOP Act Takes on Formidable, Foul Foe: NYC Dog Poop https://www.westsidespirit.com/binrepository/55272314644-229c90ce62-k_4-10734639_20260519162424.jpg Manhattan politicians such as NYC Council Speaker Julie Menin (left) and Council Member Harvey Epstein (right) are collaborating on a new legislative priority: eliminating stray dog poop from NYC. https://www.westsidespirit.com/binrepository/55272213843-12c464d282-k_4-10734651_20260519162425.jpg Menin says that “The Council is as eager as golden retrievers to tackle this issue.” https://www.westsidespirit.com/news/long-island-rail-road-back-on-track-after-three-day-strike-AI5864705 hourly The Spirit - Westsider en 2026-05-20T09:15:29-04:00 Long Island Rail Road Back on Track after Three Day Strike https://www.westsidespirit.com/binrepository/lirr-trains-rolling_4-10734686_20260519171132.png Train traffic moving through Sunnyside Yard on May 19, 2026 prior to the planned noon resumption that day of Long Island Rail Road service after a three-day strike. https://www.westsidespirit.com/binrepository/screenshot-2026-05-18-111321_4-10734689_20260519171134.png Striking workers who had picketed Penn Station (above) and other major rail hubs, were back on the job May 19 and full service was expected to be operating by the time of the evening rush hour. https://www.westsidespirit.com/binrepository/janno-lieber-and-gov-kathy-hochul_4-10734692_20260519171135.jpg Gov. Kathy Hochul (left) and MTA Chair & CEO Janno Lieber at MTA Headquarters on the evening of May 18, where they announced a tentative labor deal with five Long Island Rail Road unions which had been on strike for two days. The strike officially ended at midnight that night. https://www.westsidespirit.com/binrepository/lirr-pres-robert-free-mta-photo_4-10734302_20260519171136.jpg LIRR President Robert Free announced the resumption of trains to Long Island shortly before Noon on May 19. He said by 4 p.m., there would be a full complement of afternoon rush hour trains https://www.westsidespirit.com/binrepository/janno-lieber-and-gov-kathy-hochul_4-10734694_20260519171137.jpg Gov. Kathy Hochul (left) and MTA Chair & CEO Janno Lieber at MTA Headquarters on Monday, May 18, 2026, where they announced a labor deal with five Long Island Rail Road unions who had been on strike for two days. https://www.westsidespirit.com/news/upper-west-side-neighborhood-event-calendar-may-21-27-GH5867945 hourly The Spirit - Westsider en 2026-05-20T12:05:06-04:00 Upper West Side Neighborhood Event Calendar: May. 21-27 https://www.westsidespirit.com/binrepository/met-fifth-avenue-via-www-metmuseum_4-10736821_20260520120508.jpg met fifth avenue via www.metmuseum.org https://www.westsidespirit.com/binrepository/juilliard-via-www-juilliard-edu_4-10737019_20260520120508.jpg juilliard via www.juilliard.edu https://www.westsidespirit.com/news/as-world-cup-nears-mamdani-widens-busy-sixth-avenue-bike-lane-GH5867668 hourly The Spirit - Westsider en 2026-05-20T12:28:43-04:00 As World Cup Nears, Mamdani Widens Busy Sixth Avenue Bike Lane https://www.westsidespirit.com/binrepository/img-1889_4-10735825_20260520121450.jpg The Sixth Avenue bike lane, which the Mamdani Administration is set to widen, is currently one of the busiest in the city, with many New Yorkers and visitors utilizing the lane each day. (Photo: Jacqueline Gordon) https://www.westsidespirit.com/home/conductor-ted-sperling-shares-the-joys-of-musical-story-telling-GE5868383 hourly The Spirit - Westsider en 2026-05-20T13:41:18-04:00 Conductor Ted Sperling Shares the Joys of Musical Story Telling https://www.westsidespirit.com/news/downtown-urban-arts-festival-prepares-for-its-24th-season-XL5863321 hourly The Spirit - Westsider en 2026-05-20T16:06:01-04:00 Downtown Urban Arts Festival Prepares for its 24th Season https://www.westsidespirit.com/binrepository/duaf_4-10738591_20260520144019.jpg The Downtown Urban Arts Festival will be presenting the work of 20 playwrights for its 24th season. https://www.westsidespirit.com/binrepository/lamama-still_4-10739146_20260520165630.jpg Most of the performances will be taking place at La MaMa Experimental Theatre. After being located in the Theatre District for the past few years, the festival is making its way back downtown. https://www.westsidespirit.com/news/condo-developer-to-demolish-corlears-school-on-w-15th-street-KH5845286 hourly The Spirit - Westsider en 2026-05-20T20:53:18-04:00 Condo Developer to Demolish Corlears School on W. 15th Street https://www.westsidespirit.com/binrepository/tempimagebfzhig_4-10713232_20260514124636.jpg A condo developer has filed demolition plans for the Corlears School on W. 15th St., days after buying it for $19 million. https://www.westsidespirit.com/binrepository/tempimageae8m3d_4-10713289_20260512171931.jpg The school is transitioning from a K-5 model to a pre-K model this upcoming fall. https://www.westsidespirit.com/news/woman-scalded-to-death-after-fatal-fall-into-manhole-med-examiner-LK5862793 hourly The Spirit - Westsider en 2026-05-20T20:54:53-04:00 Woman Scalded to Death after Fatal Fall into Manhole: Med Examiner https://www.westsidespirit.com/binrepository/screenshot-2026-05-20-at-12-34-35-pm_4-10733033_20260520153818.png A manhole cover sits near East 52nd Street and Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan following the death of Donike Gocaj, 56, who authorities said fell into an uncovered manhole after stepping out of her vehicle Monday night, May 18, 2026, in New York. Investigators are continuing to examine the situation. https://www.westsidespirit.com/binrepository/unknown_4-10738862_20260520153823.jpg Donike Gocaj, above with two of her grandchildren. She died in a freak accident when she fell down an uncovered manhole on May 18 after stepping out of the front door of her parked car. https://www.westsidespirit.com/news/halmar-tapped-by-amtrak-for-8-billion-penn-station-redo-msg-won-t-have-to-move-EF5869035 hourly The Spirit - Westsider en 2026-05-21T10:42:45-04:00 Halmar Tapped by Amtrak for $8 Billion Penn Station Redo; MSG Won’t Have to Move https://www.westsidespirit.com/binrepository/tempimage04pm9v_4-10741270_20260521105246.jpg The current Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden (above) will be torn down under a new overhaul plan for Penn Station. https://www.westsidespirit.com/binrepository/penn-station-courtesy-halmar_4-10738805_20260520175800.png Halmar was picked to be the master developer of Penn Station and its plan leaves Madison Square Garden in place. The rendering above was from an earlier redesign plan released by the developer. No new renderings were released in conjunction with the announcement on May 20. https://www.westsidespirit.com/binrepository/msg-at-night_4-10739171_20260520175802.png Madison Square Garden, home to the Knicks and the Rangers, is not going to have to move to a new location now that Halmar has been picked by Amtrak and the Trump Administration to be the new master developer. https://www.westsidespirit.com/news/city-boosts-ferry-service-ahead-of-world-cup-but-no-harlem-connection-CF5869271 hourly The Spirit - Westsider en 2026-05-21T13:10:38-04:00 City Boosts Ferry Service Ahead of World Cup, But No Harlem Connection https://www.westsidespirit.com/binrepository/nyc-ferry-vessel-h-91_4-10739142_20260520174000.jpg New York City is expanding ferry service to capitalize on the World Cup, which will see an influx of soccer-mad tourists. https://www.westsidespirit.com/binrepository/hgssezxxwaensbl-4-10654760-2026042417_4-10739150_20260521120009.webp City Council Member Shaun Abreu (center) and Manhattan B.P. Brad Hoylman-Sigal (center-right) are trying to kickstart World Cup ferry service from W. 125th Street. https://www.westsidespirit.com/news/apricots-no-longer-the-poor-relation-in-the-yellow-fruit-world-XL5872202 hourly The Spirit - Westsider en 2026-05-21T14:20:47-04:00 Apricots: No Longer the Poor Relation in the Yellow Fruit World https://www.westsidespirit.com/binrepository/apricots_4-10744131_20260521140614.jpg Behold the apricot.