Empty Newsstands Could Soon Become Recharge Stations for NYC Delivery Workers

U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer and Mayor Eric Adams announced Monday a potential $1 million federal grant that would convert empty NYC newsstands into access hubs for food delivery workers to rest, recharge, swap bike flats, and more. The first in a network of hubs would be near City Hall, following a study from advocacy group Los Deliveristas, which determined that it’s one of the most convenient spots for delivery workers to pitstop.

“This is the workers’ idea,” Hildalyn Colón Hernández, director of policy and strategic partnerships for Los Deliveristas, told Eater. “It’s an opportunity to claim a space on the streets — and that we’re not just raising problems; we’re finding solutions.”

A Cornell University study projected that there are some 65,000 delivery workers in New York City. The legislation still has to pass the Senate in December before construction can begin.

Starbucks union reaches settlement with flagship shop

More union news out of Starbucks. The international coffee company agreed to its first legal settlement over unfair labor practice charges at its New York City Roastery, which voted to unionize in April 2022. The charges, which were filed at multiple points this spring, allege workers were disciplined for their involvement in union organizing. Starbucks workers plan to rally in support of the decision at a Staten Island location of the chain — at 480 Forest Avenue, at Bard Avenue — from 12 to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, October 5.

Here’s what’s replacing the historic Gem Spa

The East Village’s iconic Gem Spa closed after close to a century in the first year of the pandemic. Now, the corner shop at 36 Saint Marks Place, at Second Avenue, has found a successor in local coffee chain Poetica Coffee. According to EV Grieve, owner Parviz Mukhamadkulov inherited the keys to the space last week, which will eventually sell coffee, croissants, and baked pierogis. The Saint Marks Place cafe will be Poetica’s second Manhattan location and ninth in the city overall.

Monterey to open in Midtown this week

From the group behind Isabelle’s Osteria in Flatiron and Dagon on the Upper West Side comes Monterey, a 180-seat American restaurant with a 12-seat marble-topped bar and a balcony decked out in pink velvet booths. James Tracey is a chef and partner, who besides Isabelle’s Osteria, worked at Gramercy Tavern and Craft. Look for dishes like king crab cocktail, fried artichoke, shrimp and grits, aged Porterhouse, pan-roasted salmon, and cinnamon sugar doughnuts for dessert. The restaurant at 37 E. 50th Street, near Park Avenue, opens for dinner on October 6.