STAYCATION: BEACH SEASON AT CONEY ISLAND 2022

Harlem Bespoke:  The Independence Day weekend is here and a lot of us are just going to save some money and do the time-honored staycation.  New York City is a big place and most residents do not get to see other neighborhoods on the weekly grind so this is a chance to check out some of the beaches at the outer boroughs.

READ: $100 FOR FIRST VACCINATION IN NYC

Harlem Bespoke: Those who have waited this long to get vaccinated will get $100 for the first shot at any city-run site starting today.  You just need proof of NYC residency or employment and the a debit card will be emailed or sent via regular mail to complete the transaction. Apparently 40 percent of the city population is unvaccinated so having another rewards incentive might be the way to go to get more on board.  More on the full schedule can be found on the government site with no appointment necessary: LINK

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INTRODUCING: NYC BEACHES OPEN 2021

Harlem Bespoke:  The big Memorial Day weekend news is that all NYC public beaches will open officially on Saturday.  Notably Coney Island has had the amusement park running again earlier in the month and now nature lovers can head to the shore. We have been visiting the iconic Brooklyn destination for decades now and everything has really changed dramatically as far as the grit factor goes.  Another plus is that it is one straight subway ride on the D train but just remember to pad in 45 minutes or so for travel time each way if departing from 125th Street.  There might be rain in the forecast but Monday appears to be the day to go this time around.  More on the May 29th beach opening on the government site: LINK

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BREAKING: NYC CAPACITY RESTRICTION LIFTED MID MAY

Harlem Bespoke: The big news at the start of the week is that Governor Cuomo just announced that the majority of NYC capacity restrictions will be lifted on Wednesday May 19th.  That will also include all theaters and Broadway shows which all account for a huge part of the entertainment business in the city.  Gyms, salons, restaurants, museums and even offices will no longer have to severely limited foot traffic so we expect a lot more venues uptown to finally open. 

Only large outdoor stadium events will be limited to 30 percent which does not affect the majority of businesses found uptown.  Positive corona virus results have plummeted by 50 percent in the past month and proves that the vaccination efforts come up with solid results.  With that said, social distancing will still be recommended so get used to staying six feet apart from someone in line: LINK

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VACCINATION: 16 AND OVER ELIGIBILITY THIS TUESDAY

Harlem Bespoke:  The state has approved those 16 and over to get vaccinated starting this week on Tuesday, April 6th.  With that said, getting an appointment online is not an easy task and we did go through a couple of online resources in the city before securing a date this month.  What worked for us was the city site Vax4nyc.nyc.gov which had locations in the Bronx and Manhattan available.  Harlem Hospital seems to be booked really quickly so we ended up in lower Manhattan which is not a big deal since the subway makes transportation convenient.   Clicking a few boxes and typing in your name is all it takes after securing a date so those looking should really check this official government site out: LINK

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VACCINATION:50 AND OVER ELIGIBILITY THIS WEEK

Harlem Bespoke:  The state has now approved those 50 and over to get vaccinated starting this week on Tuesday, March 23rd.    With that said, getting an appointment online is not an easy task and we did go through a couple of online resources in the city before securing a date this month.  What worked for us was the city site Vax4nyc.nyc.gov which had locations in the Bronx and Manhattan available.  Harlem Hospital seems to be booked really quickly so we ended up in lower Manhattan which is not a big deal since the subway makes transportation convenient.   Clicking a few boxes and typing in your name is all it takes after securing a date so those looking should really check this official government site out: LINK

HarlemBespoke.com 2021

READ: COVID UPTICK AND INCREASED FINES

Harlem Bespoke: Fines for not wearing a mask in the city increased from $50 to $1,000 recently because of an uptick in Covid cases in Brooklyn and Queens (click on map to enlarge).  Metrics had been below 1 percent for the over a month but now a 3 percent number has officials concerned especially in the orthodox communities found in the aforementioned outer boroughs.  Large religious social gatherings with folks not wearing masks appear to be an issue but other parts of the city have been doing their part and keeping things in check.  The New York City Commissioner of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has now given agencies the green light to close any businesses that do not comply with social distancing mandates:  LINK

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