CORONAVIRUS & MONKEYPOX

1. HERE’S THE NY SCOOP 

THE STATS:

1,300, 702 vaccines bivalent vaccines
96 new hospitalizations
420 new cases

GOOD NEWS

Tech Layoffs, Shmayoffs – NYC’s employment rate is now the highest its ever been since the Pandemic, finally getting back to its pre-pandemic level. PS – if you were one of the unlucky tech layoffs, explore job listings from over 720 companies right here in NYC! Or if you have a friend, just send this to them!

Pickleball Mania…It’s a Thing! –  Did you hear? Central Park’s Wollman Rink is being replaced by pickleball courts for the summer. It’ll be pricey though… $80 an hour during off-peak hours, and $120 an hour for peak times to play. You can always go play for free in the parks.

BAD NEWS

Sayonara, Subway Booths   First it was the phone booths, and now it’s the glass boxes of emotion on the Subway platforms. Starting this week, over 2,200 MTA booth operators will be dispatched from the booths to be helping customers across the stations. Good luck to the tourists!

GIVE US THE SCOOP

2.  THE SUBWAY TOKEN, THE METROCARD AND NOW OMNY

Welcome to our latest deep dive (which is written entirely without the help of ChatGPT, but the random musings of yours truly). 
 
THE METROCARD’S DAYS ARE DATED
2023 marks the final year of the MetroCard. By next year, OMNY, or the digital tap payment that automatically connects to your smartphone will be fitted into 472 MTA stations across all 5 boroughs. Not only will the MetroCard be dropped, but so will its partner, the hunkering silver MetroCard machines. This is all in addition to subway station operators leaving their ticket booths to be freestanding agents across the platform. 
 
The move was originally announced in 2019 as a way for the MTA to become more environmentally conscious and to update the system’s efficiency. 
 
JUST LIKE THE OL’ SUBWAY TOKEN
This isn’t the first time the MTA has phased out a payment model. The very first subway token was unveiled on July 25, 1953, when New York City’s subway fare was only 15 cents. It wasn’t until 2003, that the subway token was phased out to be replaced by the MetroCard. 
 
OMNY IS NEXT
Charge your phones! Charge your kids! The MTA is gearing up to replace every MTA train and bus station with OMNY. While the move is much more efficient than fishing out your wallet and buying a card, critics argue that this prevents less technologically savvy individuals who do not have smartphones, digital banks, or accounts to adapt. 
 
The MTA will still include machines to sell cards for those who do not have smartphones at each station. Get ready to see a very different (and hopefully, safer) MTA in 2024. Let’s see how this goes! What do you think?

OH HEY, HELLO, ciaooo! 

3.  THE QUEENS NIGHT MARKET IS BACK


Are you a lover of food? Do you salivate at the thought of a night market? Do you love cheap food?! The Queens Night Market is back with two preview dates on April 15th and the 22nd. With a cap of $5 on food items, the QNM is the best bang for your buck in terms of trying different foods without paying exorbitant prices. 
 
The event gets busy though, so make sure to get your $5 tickets now! Also, its best to get here by train, bus or walking/riding. The festival opens up to the public for free starting April 29th. 
 
Location:
QUEENS NIGHT MARKET – FLUSHING MEADOWS CORONA PARK
47-01 111th St, Queens, NY 11368

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ciaooo! is an NYC based editorial site, newsletter, and events company. We're the local's guide to conquering NYC. Follow us on Instagram @ciaooomag for the latest. Nice to see you here!

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