Gotham Gazette

The Place for New York Policy and politics

Aleta LaFargue

Aleta LaFargue

  • New York's Arts and Cuisine are the Soul of Our City, We Must Do More to Revitalize Them

    proclamation cast award

    A darkened theatre (photo: Benjamin Kanter/Mayoral Photo Office)


    The COVID-19 pandemic has been detrimental to New York’s economy, with people losing jobs, businesses shuttering, and our city government accumulating astronomical deficits.

    While city and state governments continue to roll out recovery plans, industries that keep getting overlooked, like the arts and dining, have been the backbone of neighborhoods on the West Side of Manhattan.

    Since the start of the pandemic, more than 1,000 New York City restaurants have been

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