A tree weighed down by snow from the blizzard snapped on a street in Hell’s Kitchen, nearly missing a nun walking with a child, and the close call was captured on camera.
The 30-foot tree, covered in snow as a result of the Nor’easter, collapsed onto West 51st Street, outside the Sacred Heart of Jesus convent. Neighbors couldn’t believe their eyes.
“All of a sudden I hear a crack and dthis thing came down in this direction, ” neighbor John Lombardi told News 4. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Sister Mary Joy cradled the young boy moments before the tree crashed on their path. Her fellow nuns were inside the convent when it happened, but said it was a gut feeling that sent Sister Mary Joy into safety mode, to shield the boy, who had been to the convent with his mom.
“Out of nowhere, really, the tree just uprooted,” Sister Mary Casey O’Connor said.
No injuries were reported as a result of the tree collapse. The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) cleared the tree remnants, leaving a cone in its place.
“We know that God’s hand was directing every moment, because had anyone been within one foot direction different ways, it might not have ended so happily,” Sister O’Connor said.
Jolie Nelsen, left, her father Jon Nelsen, center, and his partner Ebony Mackey, right, testify in support of the proposed Avenir casino during a Community Advisory Committee hearing at the Javits Center on Monday, Sept. 8
Photo by New York State Gaming Commission/YouTube
At least one supporter of the proposed Avenir casino in Hell’s Kitchen offered people $300 and a catered lunch to testify at Monday night’s public hearing. She is the daughter of a social media influencer who has been previously paid to promote Silverstein Properties and its Avenir project on his joint couple accounts, amNewYork has learned.
Jolie Nelsen, who spoke at the hearing as “Jolie,” invited about ten people in a group message to appear before the Community Advisory Committee, promising payment in exchange for two-minute statements backing the $7 billion development planned for West 41st Street and 11th Avenue. Screenshots of the group message were provided to amNewYork on the condition of anonymity from a source.
It is not yet confirmed how many of those invited followed through with the offer.
“Everyone, I have a business proposition,” the text reads. “There is a hearing on Sept 8 (Monday) about the location of the NYC casino. If you come and give a 2-minute speech about why it should be on 42 and 12 or whatever, you will get paid $300 and get free, nice catered lunch.”
Nelsen’s father, Jon Nelsen, and his partner Ebony Mackey, also testified on Monday in favor of the project without disclosing their ongoing collaboration with Silverstein Properties, the developer behind the casino bid.
The couple runs joint Instagram and TikTok accounts with more than 600,000 combined followers and has recently started a 10-part video series showcasing the Silverstein apartment building they live in. They also run a lifestyle jewelry brand, PlayHardLookDope, which was founded in 2017.
“Our favorite tour guides,” Silverstein Properties’ official account commented on episode two of the series. The developer is tagged in both videos, but they are not explicitly flagged as paid promotion.
In a paid promotional video, Ebony and Jon appear in Avenir hardhats alongside Dara McQuillan, CMO at Silverstein PropertiesPhoto courtesy of Instagram
Two weeks ago, before the first public hearing, in the third episode of their “Why We Live Here” series, the couple appeared in a joint post with Silverstein’s chief marketing officer, Dara McQuillan, at the proposed Avenir site, inviting followers to speak in favor of the project at the public hearing.
In response to questions from amNewYork, a spokesperson for The Avenir confirmed that Jon and Ebony were compensated for social media content promoting Silverstein buildings and the Avenir proposal. But the spokesperson denied that they or anyone else were paid to testify at Monday’s hearing.
“We did not pay anyone to testify at any hearing,” the spokesperson said. “We did provide dinner to anyone who attended — supporter, opponent, or random guest.”
The spokesperson also denied that Jolie Nelsen had been approached by the developer to recruit others with cash offers, saying: “No, absolutely not.”
According to The Avenir, “none” of the other people who testified in favor of their bid were asked to give positive statements in exchange for money.
Jon and Ebony denied any involvement with the alleged cash-for-testimony scheme, saying they did not pay anyone to testify, “and we did not offer to pay anyone to testify.”
“We work with Silverstein to do promotions, marketing, and community organizing on The Avenir and Silver Towers, where we live,” the couple told amNewYork. “We did not offer Jolie, my daughter, or anyone else any compensation to testify during the CAC hearings.”
The final public hearing before the CAC makes its final determination of the Avenir bid at the end of the month, saw about 75% of speakers back the proposal. However, the number of non-locals, employees, and union participants distorts the result somewhat. Among neighborhood residents, the sentiment on the Avenir was essentially split.
Jolie Nelsen did not immediately respond to requests for comment for this story.
Accusations of ‘incentivized’ influence
During the hearing, Jolie Nelsen praised the project as a way to enliven a neighborhood she described as desolate.
“The streets are empty at night, the nearest subway stop is a 15-minute walk away, and most of the restaurants are several avenues away. This disconnect emphasizes all the dangerous parts of living in a city, which makes me feel unsafe walking alone at night,” she said.
“This project is perfect for this neighborhood, and this neighborhood is perfect for this project,” Jolie Nelsen added. “The area is off the West Side Highway, near the hubs of Port Authority and Penn Station, and not already extraordinarily congested like Times Square.”
During her two-minute testimony, Ebony Mackey, who fully identified herself and disclosed that she lives at a Silverstein property, criticized “dramatic” longtime residents who oppose the plan, particularly those living in Manhattan Plaza – an affordable housing complex with a growing older population.
“This is not Oklahoma. This is New York City,” she said. “People who have been living here since 1970 and oppose anything that has to do with innovation, because they want to continue living their cushy lives on Section Eight. Well, things do not always remain the same. Things grow and they become better.”
Jon Nelsen, who only identified himself as Jon, went further, suggesting residents of Manhattan Plaza were being coached by the rival casino bid in Times Square.
“Why is Manhattan Plaza’s opposition to this casino hotel in such a dramatic way? Are they incentivized?” he asked, holding up a Caesars Palace mailer.
During Monday night’s hearing, several Manhattan Plaza residents warned that ambulance response times are a big concern and that a casino would only worsen congestion around the Lincoln Tunnel.
Nelson argued that residents were trying to sabotage the Avenir bid because the Times Square proposal had pledged donations to an ambulance program to improve response times.
“It’s almost like they were told what to say,” he added.
None of the three disclosed their family connection during spaced-out testimony or their history of producing favorable content about Silverstein Properties. Federal guidelines require influencers to clearly label paid partnerships, though the couple’s posts have not included such disclaimers.
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HELL’S KITCHEN, Manhattan (WABC) — The West Bank Cafe & The Laurie Beechman Theatre is closing its doors for good in August.
The iconic establishment that has been open for nearly 50 years is a sacred space for experimental New York theater and comedy.
Even though employees say they don’t make much money, they say that’s beside the point.
“I wouldn’t change it for the world, I love what I do,” owner Steve Olsen said.
The Beechman Theatre is in the basement of the West Bank Cafe, which opened in 1978.
But the tiny 90-seat theater built an audience in the grime that surrounded it back then, and became a staple in the theater world and beyond.
Bruce Willis was a bartender at the West Bank Café in it’s early years, Sean Penn was a regular customer and Lewis Black, a famous comedian, wrote plays downstairs for 10 years.
“A couple of months ago it was 8:30 at night and I was looking around the dining room there were seven Tony Award winners and four Pulitzer Prize winners scattered around the dining room. And it struck me that we have all known each other since we were in our 20s and 30s. And a lot of these people did plays downstairs,” Olsen said.
The legendary New York night spot never recovered after COVID shut it down during the pandemic.
Olden and his staff are counting on a late summer surge in business and the city has offered to see if there is anything that can be done to help preserve the space.
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Shoshana Bean is one of the Tony-nominated stars of the musical “Hell’s Kitchen.” It’s inspired by the life of Alicia Keys, who developed the show. The musical follows Ali, who’s yearning for independence from her overprotective mother, played by Bean.
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Alicia Keys has released her own version of an original song, “Kaleidoscope,” from her Broadway musical Hell’s Kitchen. The recording also features vocals by Maleah Joi Moon, who portrays a 17-year-old character based on the young Keys in the semi-autobiographical musical.
The song, which is available on all streaming platforms, will be performed by Keys and the cast on Friday’s The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon on NBC.
Hell’s Kitchen, which debuted Off Broadway at the Public Theater last year, begins previews at Broadway’s Shubert Theatre on Thursday, March 28, with an opening night set for Saturday, April 20.
The musical was conceived by Keys, who wrote the music and lyrics, with Kristoffer Diaz writing the book. Michael Greif directs and Camille A. Brown choreographs.
The official synopsis: “There’s a place where the rhythm of the city is music, where every corner has a story, and every window is a kaleidoscope. Where a girl can step out of her apartment and find the world. That’s Hell’s Kitchen, a new musical from 16-time Grammy Award winner Alicia Keys that’s about to make Broadway feel brand new.”
The new single, announced today by AKW Productions, is produced by Breyan Isaac and Keys, and co-produced by Adam Blackstone. It’s released via Alicia Keys Records.
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay and his wife Tana have welcomed their sixth child to the “Ramsay brigade.”
The 57-year-old TV star announced the birth of his son, Jesse James Ramsay, on Saturday. Ramsay shared three photos to Instagram featuring Tana, 49, in a hospital bed as she holds their couple’s newest baby.
“What an amazing birthday present please welcome Jesse James Ramsay, 7lbs 10oz whopper!!” Ramsay wrote. “One more bundle of love to the Ramsay brigade!!”
Ramsay seemed to imply that after having an evenly split three boys and three girls, the couple is “done” having children.
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The birth announcement attracted a wave of congratulations from Ramsay’s followers, including best wishes from Wolverine actor Hugh Jackman and Marvel’s own Hawkeye, Jeremy Renner.
Ramsay and his wife married in 1996. The couple have five other children, 25-year-old Megan, 23-year-old twins Jack and Holly, 22-year-old Matilda (or “Tilly,” as she’s commonly known) and four-year-old son Oscar.
Before Oscar was born, the Ramsay parents revealed Tana had suffered a miscarriage after five months.
In recent years, Ramsay has shared rare glimpses of his family life with the public. In September, the restaurateur told People Magazine — in his usual colourful language — that Tana wanted another baby.
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“I’m going to be at school celebrating sports day with a f— ing walker!” Ramsay joked.
Tana told the outlet both she and Ramsay come from large families with four children, so having many kids of their own was “sort of second nature to me.”
As is the way with many fathers to gen-Z children, Ramsay often appears on his daughter Tilly’s TikTok page. There, the combative Hell’s Kitchen host shows a softer side than most Ramsay fans are used to — and even takes part in the occasional dance challenge.
NEW YORK — A crane went up in flames Wednesday morning high above Manhattan, then partially collapsed onto the street below.
The fire broke out shortly before 7:30 a.m. 45 stories up in the air at a building that was under construction on 10th Avenue between West 41st and 42nd streets in Hell’s Kitchen.
Watch: Video shows moment crane came crashing down
Social media video captured the dramatic scene when the crane’s boom came down, smashing into a building across the street.
Twelve people were hurt, including three firefighters. All of the injuries were described as non-life-threatening.
The Department of Buildings said Wednesday afternoon that, following a preliminary inspection, the crane, building under construction and neighboring building that was struck are all structurally stable and not in danger of collapse.
The FDNY said the five-alarm fire started in the engine compartment as workers were lifting a load of concrete to the 36th floor. The crane operator tried to put it out with hand extinguishers, but it became too overwhelming, and he had to exit the crane.
The FDNY got the call around 7:25 a.m. and as firefighters responded, the partial collapse happened, and the building strike.
Mayor Eric Adams provided an update on the scene, along with the FDNY and Department of Buildings, saying the situation could have been a lot worse, especially considering the high-traffic area.
“We are extremely fortunate that we were not during the busy time of day,” Adams said. “As you know, Port Authority is here, many of the buses move through here.”
First Deputy Commissioner Joseph W. Pfeifer said the crane was lifting 16 tons of concrete when the fire started.
“There’s a beam that goes out, and that’s carrying the weight of concrete. And that weight of 16 tons is attached by a cable. As the fire heats the cable, the cable weakens to a point where it loses its strength, and that’s when the collapse occurred,” he explained.
Watch: Expert on fighting rooftop construction fire
Pfeifer credited the crane operator for spotting the fire and trying to put it out.
“That crane operator saw that the fire started and tried to extinguish it. So we give a lot of credit to the crane operator. But the fire overwhelmed that operator and had to exit the crane,” he said. “The crane operator was able to get out and is safe.”
FDNY units are currently operating at a crane collapse and fire at 550 Tenth Avenue in Manhattan. Please avoid the area of 10th Avenue and 11th Avenue from West 41 Street to West 42 Street. Please use alternate routes and expect traffic in the area. pic.twitter.com/lEc03WwnWd
— NYC Mayor’s Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) July 26, 2023
As they closed off the streets, firefighters had the difficult task of fighting the fire high above.
“The difficulty when you have a fire so high up is to be able to supply water to the building and stretch hose lines from inside the building and across the street,” Pfeifer said.
The site of the fire, 550 10th Ave., is currently under construction. It’s a mixed-use residential building around 47 stories high.
“We will look at the structural integrity of the building that was hit, the structural integrity of the building worked on,” said Department of Buildings Commissioner James Oddo.
ADVISORY: In regard to the crane collapse in Manhattan this morning, the following streets are currently closed.
10 Avenue – CLOSED between West 39 Street- West 42 Street
The DOB says an independent assessment will be conducted to figure out what happened. They have issued a stop work order at the tower project.
More than 200 fire and EMS personnel assisted.
The fire went to five alarms as they searched and evacuated nearby buildings.
Drivers are urged to avoid the area. Tenth Avenue is closed from 39th-42nd streets. West 30th Street is closed in both directions between Dyre and Galvin Avenues.
NEW YORK — Imagine going on vacation and coming home to a surprising mess inside your home.
A renter on Manhattan’s West Side claims someone got into his apartment and trashed the place, CBS2’s Jenna DeAngelis reported Thursday.
“It’s really unnerving,” Hell’s Kitchen resident Thomas Mayo-Smith said.
Mayo-Smith claims someone got into his Silver Towers apartment while he was on vacation. He said he left Sept. 1 and returned on Sept. 6.
“I came back, opened up my door, and I found my apartment completely ransacked. There was drug paraphernalia all over the place,” Mayo-Smith said.
He showed DeAngelis photos of the mess.
“This is all the stuff they left on my coffee table. My tax documents, health documents were strewn across my bed,” he said.
Mayo-Smith said a strange pair of sneakers and suitcase were left behind, along with an unusual note, which reads, “25 more moves to go.”
Items he said were missing include his scooter, an old iPhone, and a clay mold of his late-dog’s paw print.
“This person just seems like a NetFlix documentary psycho. It’s not someone who had a grudge on me because they didn’t break my TV. They just stole a pretty inexplicable, hard-to-understand combination of things,” Mayo-Smith said.
He said he called the NYPD. He also brought his concerns to building management.
“They have done nothing,” Mayo-Smith said.
“I feel really bad for Thomas and what he experienced, but it just doesn’t add up, and I’m hoping the detectives will figure out what happened here,” said Dara McQuillan, spokesperson for Silverstein Properties.
McQuillan showed CBS2 how the building’s security system works. Each tenant gets a unique digital key to their apartment.
He said the digital system logs every time a key is used to access a unit and he showed DeAngelis the log for Mayo-Smith’s apartment.
“Our log showed us nobody used a key to enter the apartment in the time he was away,” McQuillan said.
McQuillan showed DeAngelis how tenants could leave their doors unlocked, with the flip of a switch, if they choose.
“The only other way a person could have gotten into this apartment is if the switch had been clicked and the door was left open,” McQuillan said.
Police sources told CBS2 there was no sign of forced entry. Mayo-Smith said he’s confident he locked his door when he left.
“I really have no confidence he’s gonna get caught. At this point, I’m just hoping management updates their security protocol. Anybody with a pizza box and an apartment number in their head can get in this building,” Mayo-Smith said.
DeAngelis reached out to the NYPD, which said there’s a report on file for burglary and the investigation is ongoing. No arrests have been made.
Police sources said detectives will be reviewing building video as part of the investigation. DeAngelis was told there are cameras in the lobby and elevators.
Mayo-Smith said he feels there should be cameras in hallways and has since installed his own at his apartment.
