N.Y. Today: Is the Local Weed Store the New Place to Hang Out?
New York’s dispensaries are putting themselves out there as alternative gathering spaces.
New York Today
June 29, 2025
John B. King Jr., the chancellor of the State University of New York, appears in front of microphones and a sign that reads, Investing in Central Brooklyn. He wears a dark blue suit, white shirt and light blue tie. Gov. Kathy Hochul stands to his right and wears a dark blue jacket and white shirt. They both clasp their hands. About a dozen men and women stand behind them.

A Hospital Was in Critical Condition. Could $1.1 Billion Fix It?

University Hospital at Downstate in Brooklyn faces many of the problems plaguing other medical centers in New York, but the state has reversed course and is investing in it.

By Joseph Goldstein

Brad Lander and Zohran Mamdani smile at one another.

Big CITY

How Brad Lander Helped Push Zohran Mamdani Toward Victory

In New York’s mayoral primary, Andrew Cuomo was no match for the energy of progressive rivals who saw a virtue in unity.

By Ginia Bellafante

The offices and residential buildings of Midtown Manhattan.

New York Gears Up for Fight to Count 1.8 Million Noncitizens in Census

City leaders see threats from the Trump administration and Republican officials that could lead to undercounting immigrants and minority groups.

By Winnie Hu

A man sits alone in a theater space.

The Curtain Drops on Improv Theater for the New York Police

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said a staffing crisis kept her from letting officers participate in a Brooklyn theater group that began after the death of Eric Garner, who died after a police officer put him in a chokehold, in 2014.

By Maria Cramer

A man in wire rim glasses plays a double bass.

Can a Jazz Bassist Who Served Time on Terror Charges Revive His Career?

Tarik Shah, who played with jazz greats in his youth, spent years behind bars after pleading guilty to plotting to teach martial arts to Qaeda fighters. Now he is out and working on a comeback.

By Corey Kilgannon

A rendering of a development with townhouses and young couples and a father with a child walking on a boardwalk.

A New Rail Line May Come to New York. Will a Housing Boom Follow?

The Interborough Express, a rail line connecting Brooklyn and Queens, could spur the building of tens of thousands of homes. Obstacles await.

By Stefanos Chen

Simona Rodano stands among a crowd of children holding Italian flags while wearing a red hat and white wings.

Routine

How the ‘Italian Fairy’ Spends Her Day Teaching Children to Sing

Simona Rodano barely has time to strap on her sparkly wings before she dashes around New York City, teaching children how to sing in Italian, French and Spanish.

By Nancy A. Ruhling. Photographs by Sean Sirota

A black and white drawing of a bird on a windowsill.

METROPOLITAN DIARY

‘She Went Inside and Returned With a Shoe Box That Had Seeds in It’

A flash of lime green in Park Slope, a museum beckons and more reader tales of New York City in this week’s Metropolitan Diary.

Want more news? Check out our full coverage.

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