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 2026-05-21T10:53:01-04:00 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. https://www.westsidespirit.com/news/crime-watch/female-arsonist-indicted-for-three-alarm-chelsea-blaze-other-fires-MJ5874284 hourly The Spirit - Westsider en 2026-05-22T09:33:56-04:00 Female Arsonist Indicted for Three-Alarm Chelsea Blaze, Other Fires https://www.westsidespirit.com/binrepository/female-arsonist-indicted-three-alarm_4-10746700_20260522074949.jpg FDNY Deputy Chief Anthony Arpaia after three-alarm Chelsea fire at 210 Seventh Avenue, on the northwest corner of West 22nd Street. https://www.westsidespirit.com/binrepository/female-arsonist-indicted-three-alarm_4-10746761_20260522075556.jpg Alleged arsonist Brittany Babb has been indicted for three-alarm blaze that destroyed 210 Seventh Avenue, seen here in Sep. 2024. https://www.westsidespirit.com/binrepository/female-arsonist-indicted-three-alarm_4-10746789_20260522080343.jpg 210 Seventh Avenue in a 2014 photo. https://www.westsidespirit.com/binrepository/female-aronsist-indicted-chelsea-blaz_4-10746764_20260522080343.jpg 210 Seventh Avenue as seen in 2009, note Chelsea’s Espresso Bar and many street newspaper boxes. https://www.westsidespirit.com/voices/why-new-yorkers-should-care-about-the-return-of-jim-crow-politics-in-the-south-DN5861014 hourly The Spirit - Westsider en 2026-05-22T11:37:28-04:00 Why New Yorkers Should Care About the Return of Jim Crow Politics in the South https://www.westsidespirit.com/binrepository/laura-dunn_4-10732081_20260518171539.png Laura Dunn, a veteran civil rights attorney, decries the recent Supreme Court decision weakening the 1965 Voting Rights Act. https://www.westsidespirit.com/voices/let-s-build-an-nfl-stadium-on-randall-s-island-for-the-jets-YL5863054 hourly The Spirit - Westsider en 2026-05-22T11:57:19-04:00 Let’s Build an NFL Stadium on Randall’s Island for the Jets https://www.westsidespirit.com/binrepository/football-randalls-island-2-png-10733220-10733220_4-10733220_20260519112808.jpg A Randall’s Island master plan with a New York Jets stadium https://www.westsidespirit.com/binrepository/football-jets-png-10733183-10733183_4-10733183_20260519112802.png Here is what a Jets stadium on Randall’s Island, in the shadow of the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge (aka the Tri-Borough Bridge) would look like. https://www.westsidespirit.com/news/central-park-horse-collision-leads-to-renewed-ban-calls-DK5873306 hourly The Spirit - Westsider en 2026-05-22T12:31:11-04:00 Central Park Horse Collision Leads to Renewed Ban Calls https://www.westsidespirit.com/binrepository/screenshot-2026-05-21-at-4-19-59-pm_4-10746515_20260521162120.png A spooked carriage horse flipped over another carriage near Central Park on Monday, May 18, hospitalizing the driver. https://www.westsidespirit.com/binrepository/screenshot-2026-05-21-at-4-22-04-pm_4-10746546_20260521162303.png A number of local politicians swiftly seized on the incident to call for the passage of Ryder’s Law, which would ban the carriage trade in New York City. https://www.westsidespirit.com/news/christian-school-bids-20m-to-take-over-bankrupt-manhattan-country-school-GJ5874822 hourly The Spirit - Westsider en 2026-05-22T13:13:58-04:00 Christian School Bids $20M to Take Over Bankrupt Manhattan Country School https://www.westsidespirit.com/binrepository/manhattan-country_4-10747714_20260522120256.webp The Geneva School of Manhattan has proposed a $20 million offer to buy the property of the now closed Manhattan Country School, which filed for bankruptcy in May 2025. https://www.westsidespirit.com/news/hotel-management-and-union-ratify-new-hotel-workers-agreement-GI5875778 hourly The Spirit - Westsider en 2026-05-22T14:26:10-04:00 Hotel Management and Union Ratify New Hotel Workers Agreement https://www.westsidespirit.com/binrepository/hotel-and-gaming-trades-council_4-10749899_20260522142439.jpg Following contract negotiations, the Hotel & Gaming Trades Council union secured a new contract May 21 for NYC hotel workers which increases wages by 50%. https://www.westsidespirit.com/binrepository/vijay-dandapani_4-10749483_20260522132911.webp Vijay Dandapani, president of the Hotel Association for NYC, represented management in the negotiations. https://www.westsidespirit.com/binrepository/rich-maroko-headshot_4-10749485_20260522142440.jpg Rich Maroko, president of the Hotel & Gaming Trades Council union, said hotel workers were ready to walk out if the negotiations had bogged down. https://www.westsidespirit.com/news/mamdani-proclaims-new-era-in-childcare-even-as-preschool-enrollment-remains-flat-BI5875715 hourly The Spirit - Westsider en 2026-05-22T14:27:52-04:00 Mamdani Proclaims “New Era in Childcare” Even as Preschool Enrollment Remains Flat https://www.westsidespirit.com/binrepository/55281093281-31c23f9283-c_4-10749167_20260522135843.jpg Mamdani has received support from Gov. Kathy Hochul in his childcare ambitions; she has put $1.2 billion towards an expansion in coverage. https://www.westsidespirit.com/binrepository/55280171157-91f7eab8cf-k_4-10749226_20260522130814.jpg The amount of students utilizing public preschool in NYC has remained flat at around 100,000 students, Mayor Mamdani said on May 19, although he touted service improvements and future additions.