The Hell Gate Podcast

Hell Gate’s March Madness of Hot Takes 2026: April Edition

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 23:41:26 GMT

🔥🔥 🔥 HELL GATE HOT TAKE MADNESS # 2 🔥🔥🔥The team defends their final elite 8 hot takes. Should Mamdani start wearing stilts? How should we punish our neighbors who flout the social contract? Is the boob light actually great? Should Mamdani be more like Kristi Noem?

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Hell Gate’s March Madness of Hot Takes 2026!

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 23:31:18 GMT

🔥🔥🔥HELL GATE HOT TAKE MADNESS🔥🔥🔥This week the team defends their visions of the past, present, and future of New York City. Is Kathy Hochul really the best dressed person in New York? Should we bring back NFTs? Late night Rockaway weed ferry? Also, welcome Julianne Escobedo Shepherd to the Hell Gate Podcast!

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A Pox on Both Your Not Very Affordable Houses (feat. Neil deMause)

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 22:21:44 GMT

Can building new housing actually fix NYC’s housing crisis? Neil deMause joins the pod to discuss the surprising difference between luxury and affordable housing (it’s not just the dog spa and sauna). Then, Katie breaks down the Mayor’s latest efforts to create the Department of Community Safety.

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Yes, the First Muslim Mayor and His Wife Are Still Muslim

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 22:22:58 GMT

This week, the NYC news cycle became totally consumed by the fact that Zohran Mamdani is Muslim and so is his wife (who wears turtlenecks! The horror!). The team weighs in on how the mayor keeps having to answer insane questions that have pretty obvious answers. Then, recommendations from Katie, Adlan, and Max.

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Psycho Speeders, Qu'est-ce Que c'est?

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 23:26:44 GMT

This week, Kathy Hochul weighs whether to represent the general electorate or the millionaires who are speeding through school zones on Ocean Parkway. Then, Jessy reports on the city’s housing indignities and Adlan issues an earnest (colossal) recommendation.

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Goddamn, Trump Still Really Loves Zohran, and The NYPD Still Hates Joy

Sat, 28 Feb 2026 00:05:36 GMT

This week—the cops get mad about the snowball fight in Washington Square Park, Mamdani gets Trump’s blessing, and a march in Albany without Mamdani goes ok. Then, the children of New York help Jessy Edwards go sledding for the first time.

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Zohran Is Really Here to Make the Rich Pay

Sat, 21 Feb 2026 01:00:23 GMT

This week: A close look at the psychology of unclaimed dog poop and the political games of politicians. Jessy gives an update on the ongoing sexual assault cases from New York prisons. Then, Adlan makes the case for leaving your apartment and weathering the February air (there are dance parties).

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Brad Lander Thinks You Should Maybe Stop Posting (feat. Brad Lander)

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 23:32:53 GMT

This week the team is joined by former NYC Comptroller Brad Lander, who is currently running for congress in New York’s 10th congressional district. We talk about what his bid could mean for federal lawmaking, and what he thinks of Mamdani’s first few weeks in the mayoralty. Then—a message for all of Hell Gate’s haters. (We’re not mad.)

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Mamdani Endorses Hochul, and No One Will “Shut Up”

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 23:01:37 GMT

Still buried in snow, New York’s politicians are making their moves. What will Hochul’s new running mate mean for the mayoral-gubernatorial good vibes? What are they yelling about up in Albany? Then, a breakdown of how the Mamdani administration is responding to the shooting of Jabez Chakraborty.

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It Is So Cold Outside and NYC Needs Some Cash

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 23:14:24 GMT

While the ice floes keep drifting down the Hudson, nurses are still picketing outside hospitals, Luigi Mangione is still in jail, and Jessy’s heat isn’t really working. Meanwhile, the Mayor announced an alarming 12 billion dollar budget deficit, and Katie further cemented her reputation as a luddite.

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Zohran’s Snow Betrayal feat. Michael Lange

Sat, 24 Jan 2026 00:46:57 GMT

This week Michael Lange (Narrative Wars) is back to look down the line at some big political happenings in 2026. Why is Zohran spending political capital on a congressional primary—which is months away—and not on keeping his campaign promises to the schoolchildren of New York City?

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Eric's Spectacular Shitcoin

Sat, 17 Jan 2026 00:41:15 GMT

Eric Adams: crypto king. Kathy Hochul: laying off the rich. And Ritchie Torres? He's got a plan to make everything right.

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Kathy Draws First Blood (for Zohran's Affordability Agenda)

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 21:02:51 GMT

One week into the Mamdani administration and we're counting some significant wins—on child care and a treacherous bike lane bump at the base of the Williamsburg Bridge—as well as the first major political challenge to his administration. Plus: Why is our former mayor in Dubai with a cosmetic gynecologist? The answer will…probably not surprise you.

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New Year, New Mayor

Sat, 03 Jan 2026 00:53:17 GMT

On a frigid New Year's Day, Mayor Zohran Mamdani was sworn into office, and Hell Gate was there to witness the whole inspiring spectacle (and lose feeling in our extremities). The gang breaks down the ceremony, discusses Mayor Mamdani's first executive orders, and lays out some of the last-minute booby traps that outgoing mayor Eric Adams laid for his successor.

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Our $20 Dinner Expert Tells Us What's What for This Year and Next

Fri, 26 Dec 2025 17:58:23 GMT

One thing we did a lot of in 2025 that we’ll probably keep up in 2026: eating. This week, social media sensation and generally great guy Scott Lynch—force behind our $20 dinner map—joins us to talk restaurants and food trends in NYC. Want to know what his favorite pick in the five boroughs is? What if you're looking to splurge, where's the best $40 dinner? What's with AI in restaurants? What in the world of food might 2026 bring?

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Mamdani's First Fumble?

Sat, 20 Dec 2025 00:33:37 GMT

A little hungover from the Hell Gate rager last night, the team assembles to discuss the last dregs of Adams’ efforts to govern, and the new mayor’s first big oopsie before starting in just a few days. Then, an update on casinos (not good) and the latest efforts to hold cops accountable (also not good).

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New York Is Going Down the Tubes

Sat, 13 Dec 2025 15:06:54 GMT

This week in NYC news: The UK is installing a new hypercapitalist project in the form of pods, or tubes, or maybe it is an airlock, or maybe a pneumatic network meant to shoot gymgoers onto ellipticals with the force of wads of cash. In any case Jessy and Chris explain how and why PureGym, formerly Blink Fitness, is forcing us into their mysterious tubes. Also, Brad Lander is running for congress. The vibe is Mr. Rogers. Will it work? Probably. Then—Katie attends a hearing featuring local celebrities Richard Kind, Matt Dillon, and Mark Ruffalo, who have unified in defense of their church-slash-pickleball court (that is turning into a pile of sand).

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Hell Gate Goes to Atlantic City to Consider the Casinopocalypse

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 23:00:13 GMT

The team pulls an Eric Adams this week and leaves the city to go hang out somewhere quaint and European, but hotels are expensive and so are flights, so they end up in Atlantic City (the New York of New Jersey). It's bleak out there. It's giving post-apocalyptic preview of what New York can expect from the parade of casinos coming soon to the metropolitan area. It’s cold, and dad’s not coming home. And he took the dog, too. It’s making us wonder if this is actually the best way to fund the MTA, and why we’re not just taxing the fucking rich.

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Happy Thanksgiving From Hell Gate and Our Committee of 400 Friends

Fri, 28 Nov 2025 23:15:56 GMT

We’re here this holiday week to mull over NYC’s Thanksgiving highlights and consider the benefits of escaping to Sharlene’s for 5 small beers after your mom tells you “there’s never a ‘good’ time to have kids, you know.” Then, updates on Mamdani’s transition committees and some news about leadership in the city—and whether or not they’ll help Mamdani answer questions like “Where does the NYPD end and federal law enforcement begin?” Truly, kind of a tough one! Finally, Adlan tells us about the beautiful $1,800/month basement apartment he’s so grateful to be signing a lease for.

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You Can Call the President a Fascist, He Says It’s OK

Sat, 22 Nov 2025 00:35:04 GMT

What’s going on Mamdani? Getting scared of doing what you said you’d do? Or is big bad Jessica Tisch giving you the creeps? The team is trying to make sense of what you’ve been saying and it’s not quite adding up to the same spunk we saw just a couple weeks back. And how was the meeting with Trump today? Did the fish filet go over ok? We’re betting yes. (Spoiler: Total Mamdani victory—listen to the end of the episode for us reacting to the Oval Office meetup that has everyone buzzing.)

Meanwhile, our current mayor is somewhere out there, still burning taxpayer dollars for his eurorail gap year soul search. Does he know Andorra is not part of the EU? Does he know he can take PTO? Come home mayor Adams. We miss you.

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Boys Club: Mamdani Transition and ESG Infinity

Fri, 14 Nov 2025 23:40:50 GMT

This week, Max, Chris, and Nick (the boys) discuss the Mamdani transition so far—the incoming first deputy mayor knows where all the (metaphorical) bodies are buried in Albany, while the incoming chief-of-staff is hoping to keep the administration honest to its progressive ideals. Meanwhile, Cuomo’s campaign is transcending to higher and higher planes as they attempt to ret-con the plot of the general election.

Then: Elizabeth Street Garden is a park now? And should we ban carriage horses? Both of these issues might be 2026 problems.

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Zohran Mamdani Elected Mayor of New York City

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 01:40:21 GMT

Zohran won! The sun rose this morning on a city with a democratic socialist, Muslim, immigrant, shockingly young mayor-elect. The team was up late covering the respective victory and concession parties, and this morning—a bit weary—they rolled out of bed to reflect on the evening and the mayoral race as it came, finally, to a close. What’s next for Zohran? And what does it look like when a progressive candidate doesn’t abandon the political apparatus that got them into office? Will we get to find out?

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One Last Mayoral Race Vibe Check feat. Michael Lange

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 23:18:06 GMT

This week we have whiz-man, superstar data boy, and mayoral poll vibe-checker Michael Lange to give us the block-by-block for this week’s election. How it’s looking from both the birds-eye and the street-level. Then, the team debriefs about Mamdani’s performance on the stage last week at the live taping of the Hell Gate Podcast.

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An Interview With Zohran Mamdani, Democratic Candidate for Mayor of New York City

Sat, 25 Oct 2025 21:00:16 GMT

On Friday night, just a few hours before the start of early voting, Democratic mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani sat down for an interview with the Hell Gate Podcast in front of a live audience at the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens.

During our 45-minute conversation, we grilled Mamdani about his desire to keep Jessica Tisch as his NYPD commissioner, and how he plans to combat attempts to undermine his ambitious agenda.

We also talked about the barrage of racism and Islamophobia that Andrew Cuomo and the anti-Mamdani forces have hurled at him in the waning days of the campaign, how he stays alert and healthy while maintaining a grueling schedule, and his one-Red Bull-per-week indulgence.

Also: Mamdani's position on a controversial universal daylighting bill in the City Council, whether he'll bring back real snow days for schoolchildren, and if he'll build affordable housing atop Elizabeth Street Garden.

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Housing Ballot Props Explained

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 22:29:28 GMT

Max reports back from the big Mamdani rally, where the candidate got the stamp of approval from some big-time establishment Democrats. Then: Are you confused about the housing ballot propositions you have to vote on soon? Luckily Chris has the breakdown for you, to clear it up completely, with no further questions. We close out with some speculations on what Eric Adams's new gig will be. Full time Cameo star? Green juice king? Hope springs eternal.

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Eric Adams Is in Albania, the Albania of New York City

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 22:08:41 GMT

Eric Adams went on a taxpayer-funded vacation to Albania. What? Why? Regardless, we're in favor of it. While Zohran Mamdani is beginning to don the mayoral sash, the team considers whether it seems as though Cuomo is gaining any “Cuo-mentum”—after all, bigger polling gaps have been closed. Then, Jessy Edwards breaks down her reporting that illustrates just how bad a housing crisis the new mayor of our fine city will have to tackle. Daunting. We'd be in Albania as well.

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Wow, We Seriously Can’t Believe Eric Adams Dropped Out!!!

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 22:32:32 GMT

It’s a cold world, get a sweater. Eric Adams dropped out of the race. What’s going to happen to our beloved mayor? Who is going to take care of the crypto man babies? Who will flag down the wait staff at the Table of Success? We really thought he was in it to win it. The team freewheels a discussion on what’s next for our mayor, and then, for the public good, a watch party of the trailer for the hottest e-book ever self-published about a soon-to-be-former NYC mayor.

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What Is Happening at Bluestockings?

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 23:25:00 GMT

Bluestockings, home of narcan training polycule meet-cutes and queer activist utopian prefiguration, has shuttered its doors effective immediately. Meanwhile, District 2’s CEC meetings have finally given in to the anger of parents trying to keep their trans kids safe—although it seems like the plot may be teed up for a sequel showdown… and in Brooklyn, perhaps the sloppiest union busting job of all time reminds us incompetence can sometimes be good, and, very funny.

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It's Someone's Birthday...

Fri, 19 Sep 2025 23:47:41 GMT

Kathy Hochul has finally endorsed Zohran Mamdani. Brad Lander was arrested again at the immigration courthouse. The wheel keeps turning in New York City and even the billionaires are throwing tantrums. The team breaks down how the money flow is making the march toward casinos seem unstoppable. Meanwhile, happy birthday Modi? Why are you in my fridge?

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Who's Gonna Run This Town Tonight?

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 22:58:22 GMT

Life's a game, but it's not fair. I break the rules, so I don't care. Eric Adams is running for office, and into Hell Gate at the gym. Did he fumble his chance to be ambassador to Saudi Arabia? With his stock dropping fast, his media appearances are as weird as ever. Meanwhile, the team checks in on Mamdani, to find that he seems to be inching toward the center on the NYPD, with Jessica Tisch potentially still waiting in the wings.

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Mr. Adams Goes to Riyadh?

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 23:38:46 GMT

Eric Adams is up to something. While everyone else was getting back to work this week in our fine city, Adams was in Florida. Doing what exactly? Could he be dropping out? To vacation indefinitely at Mar-a-Lago? To cruise in first class, riding high off oil money from Saudi Arabia? To take selfies with celebrities and smash champagne flutes on the deck of a cruise ship filled with crypto bros? With just a few weeks left in the race, Donald Trump and his associates are meddling as much as they can in NYC politics to tip the scales. What is going on not-so-behind-the-scenes? Join us as we speculate wildly.

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Clowning Through the Hell Gate of Summer

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 16:00:00 GMT

In this end-of-summer special, the gang calls in from their Italian villas and Fire Island cabins to look back on our hellish summer in New York. What were you doing when Trump was bombing Iran? Some of us were on boats, watching Shakespeare, swimming in sewage, or DJing sweet beats. Then, reporter Arielle Gordon breaks down the clown renaissance taking our fine city by storm, and reminds us all to be a little more stupid.

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This Filthy Town is Run on Potato Chip Cash Bags

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 22:26:33 GMT

This week, some breaking news: A bag of potato chips (sour cream and onion), a pantsuit, and a bike lane are making us wonder what the hell is really going on behind the scenes in NYC politics. The Adams crew continues to cook up bribery and corruption, and we are here to feast at the table. Though, all things being equal—as we’ve established—seafood is always a good deal.

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Millennials Posing as Zoomers Posing as Andrew Cuomo

Fri, 15 Aug 2025 21:42:00 GMT

Andrew Cuomo is leaning so hard into twitter he’s falling off. Millennials posing as Zoomers posing as Cuomo are taking on Mamdani and Mamdani is responding in turn. The team takes apart some of the false arguments getting tossed around, and despite the heat, nothing is sticking. Then, the Summer Youths make it rain thanks to the Parks Department, Katie breaks down what’s hot at the Rockaway Film Festival, and the team discusses an important controversy: What is an OK food to eat on the MTA?

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Our Rats Are Chilling on Lily Pads While Our Billionaires Are Freaking Out

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 16:50:18 GMT

Our city's fine rats are bathing in fountains and tanning on lily pads, Cuomo and Trump are reportedly gabbing it up, and Elizabeth Warren is back on CNBC to dish it out against our raging billionaires. It's the dog days of summer and the anti-Mamdani coalition cooked up a new set of logos but it doesn’t seem like anybody is quite hitting the mark. Then, the team interrogates the biases in John Catsimatidis's "Mamdani Policy Impact Calculator" and find that you can't argue with a "crime cost increase."

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The Corporate Media Cannot Figure Out How to Blame Zohran Mamdani

Sat, 02 Aug 2025 16:04:11 GMT

A mass shooting in Midtown earlier this week left four dead, and one of the victims was a cop. True to form, Cuomo and corporate media have taken this as a cue to attack Mamdani for his stance on the NYPD, and, similarly true to form, totally miss the point. The team unpacks how the shifting demographics of voters in the city—and its cops—complicate the cookie-cutter picture they’ve been painting for the past few decades. Then, a billionaire zoom call makes the team wonder if it’s ok to spend $300 on an oyster platter.

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Is Donald Trump No Longer a Phan of Eric Adams?

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 21:10:13 GMT

The team talks about the Trump administration's escalating pressure on our fair city, beginning with Columbia University's massive, humiliating settlement. Was it worth it, Columbia? Which then brings us to the federal government suing the Adams administration over New York City's sanctuary policies—how is Mayor Eric Adams reacting to Tom Homan finally being "up his butt"?

Then, our intrepid correspondents discuss a Phish show they saw at Forest Hills Stadium this week. Listen if you dare!

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Cuomo & Sliwa's Search for Sauce

Fri, 18 Jul 2025 22:18:28 GMT

We begin with the obligatory unpacking of Trump/Epstein and soon move on to our own local sex pest attempting to make a comeback using Zohran Mamdani’s social media strategy. Katie breaks down why Curtis Sliwa is neither the hero Gotham needs nor deserves, but why he should stay in the race anyway... And finally, Max wraps up the pod with a saucy surprise…

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Mamdani the Frontrunner

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 23:07:03 GMT

The Failing New York Times is at it again, digging into the depths of Mamdani’s college applications and collaborating with a eugenicist to… what end exactly? This week the team talks race, and unrelatedly, why Sid Rosenberg is so red. (Is it because John Catsimatidis is making him that way…? Maybe.) The anti-Mamdani coalition is mustering its forces, and Mamdani is fielding it all. Finally, we ponder whether police commissioner Jessica Tisch might have a place in the Mamdani administration, or if she'd be a liability in the long run. Join us for a breezy one from the burgeoning socialist utopia that’s New York City.

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Mamdani’s Decisive Win and What Comes Next

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 14:53:35 GMT

The ranked choice ballots have been counted and Zohran Mamdani’s win is even more decisive. Now that we’ve entered the valley between the primary and general elections, what is the landscape looking like? The team digests the state and country’s (mostly racist) immediate reactions to Mamdani’s primary win, and considers who in the field is worth really paying attention to. Meanwhile Adlan gets a mysterious email tip to come down to a supermarket street corner, and Trump continues his fascist escalation in NYC. Happy 4th, Hell Gate readers.

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Zohran Mamdani Won

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 20:31:25 GMT

The editors gather in the early morning to commiserate and lick their wounds over Cuomo’s tragic loss… How did we get here? How could a democratic socialist run a campaign in this city and win? We’re kidding, the Mamdani campaign threw a perfect game, and rewrote the electorate.

Last night the team was running around the city covering the election—at watch parties for Adams, Lander, Cuomo, and Mamdani—all with radically different vibes. A bit groggy but with spirits high, we speculate on what Mamdani’s win could mean for the general election come November, for politics moving forward in this city, and (highly speculatively) for the country.

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Early Voting Mayoral Madness

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 22:53:34 GMT

The election is underway and the team is tossing and turning. Pre-debate polls still show Zohran Mamdani losing, and meanwhile Cuomo is on TV, his Dodge Charger is blocking NYC traffic, and his super PAC is flexing anti-Zohran ads into every gym and sports bar and laundromat in the city. Meanwhile Brad Lander got arrested by federal agents —and was given critical support by the coalition of candidates that, in this election cycle, seem to finally be coming together against Cuomo (sorta).

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Andrew Cuomo's Zohran Mommy Dommy

Fri, 13 Jun 2025 22:10:05 GMT

This week, the editors can’t help but hash out the state of the race—early voting opens up this Saturday, June 14th. Cuomo may have taken a beating this week from Brad Lander at the second mayoral debate, but the poll margins are extremely tight. Still, Cuomo is characteristically absent from spin rooms, spaghetti dinners, and our good graces. It’s hard to divine what might happen now. Are TV ads better than grassroots campaigns? Do protests even do anything? Will the NYC elite cabal band together against change? (Almost certainly.) Maybe we’re lost in the sauce, but please come simmer alongside us for a while.

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Jessica Ramos, WYD?

Sat, 07 Jun 2025 00:50:17 GMT

This week we unpack the latest craven twist in the mayoral dogfight—the first cross endorsement of the race… for Andrew Cuomo… from Jessica Ramos. Yes, Ramos who questioned Cuomo’s “mental acuity” and referred to him as “the Democratic Party's Trump.”

A few blocks away from the endorsement, ICE agents clad in masks and hoods continue to lead asylum seekers into vans, and transport them to this administration’s immigration-gulag-archipelago. Max breaks down the mechanics and the consequences of ICE’s movement in Downtown Manhattan.

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Zohran Mamdani Surges, Meanwhile Eric Adams & ICE Goons Run Riot

Fri, 30 May 2025 23:15:21 GMT

This week, the editors discuss Mamdani’s new poll numbers, and whether ranked-choice voting will really coax rival candidates to finally team up. Will the underdogs manage to band together against asteroid-like candidate Cuomo? (Yes, we discuss the 1998 film Deep Impact.) Also, what the hell is going on with Eric Adam’s crypto-lifestyle? Why is he in Vegas? And what does this have to do with the SoHo kidnapping?

Then, Chris Robbins brings us to the scene of this past Wednesday’s ICE raid at an immigration court on Varick St., where asylum seekers were kidnapped and taken out of state. Thank you to The CITY’s Gwynne Hogan for the audio featured in today's episode. Full clips can be found on bluesky here, and here.

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The Sea of Cuomo & Other Institutional Failures

Fri, 23 May 2025 23:00:02 GMT

This week the team talks over some of the business you’d rather not have to wade through: Andrew Cuomo’s appearance on the Bari Weiss podcast, which, for better or worse, is probably the longest we’ve heard Cuomo speak since the pandemic. And the latest in the long line of indignities that the tiny institutional body of the CCRB has weathered trying to hold cops accountable in NYC.

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Mayoral Forum Recap & Eggs Over Easy with George Santos

Sat, 17 May 2025 13:59:17 GMT

At the Public Theater, the Hell Gate team somehow wrangled three politicians onto bar stools to get: blasted with an air horn, roasted for not knowing any Knicks players (other than Jalen Brunson), and scrutinized for how they’d deal with NYC not-so-hypotheticals as mayor. Scott Stringer, Brad Lander, and Zohran Mamdani shared the stage with some real camaraderie, and the team mulls over what went right, wrong, weird, and whether any of it even matters with Cuomo being Cuomo. Then, Jessy tells us about her brunch date with a Cameo star.

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Big Wins for the Knicks, Catholicism, and Hell Gate's Jessy Edwards

Fri, 09 May 2025 16:45:01 GMT

What a week—for one, it seems like some cosmological force (new pope included) is on the Knicks's side. And how do we feel about a pope from Chicago? Hot or not? We also chat about mayoral candidate Brad Lander's bid for nuance, in an empty synagogue. Finally, we give a shoutout to our very own Jessy Edwards, who was announced as a finalist this week for a little thing known as a Pulitzer.

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What's Wrong With the NYPD's Gang Database

Fri, 02 May 2025 17:33:46 GMT

Hell Gate's Nick Pinto discusses a new civil rights lawsuit that reveals the disturbing details of the NYPD's gang database, and what's behind the recent uptick in bogus arrests. And remember three years ago when Mayor Adams asked for photos of cops on their phones? Thanks to contributor Erin Durkin's FOIL request, we finally know what New Yorkers sent in. We also check in on the mayoral race and do a close read of some candidates' new ads.

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Does NYC Need a Lonely Mayor?

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 16:00:39 GMT

We break down some of our top stories this week, from Mayor Adams criticizing the right to due process (unless it's for himself), to what's going on with the Civilian Complaint Review Board, to the Cuomo campaign's latest gaffe. We also discuss "Writing on Raving," a new anthology about the rave scene in Brooklyn and beyond, with co-editors Zoë Beery and Geoffrey Mak.

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CuomoGPT: How a Garbled Housing Plan Gave Away the Game

Fri, 18 Apr 2025 20:42:14 GMT

On this week's podcast, we discuss Cuomo using ChatGPT to help write his housing plan, and the state of the Democratic mayoral primary. Also, Vybz Kartel is free! And Hell Gate's Adlan Jackson was there for his Barclays Center show.

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The Mouse Episode

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 17:29:56 GMT

It's finally the episode we know everyone's been waiting for—the mouse episode, where Hell Gate staffers discuss the various ways we've been traumatized by mice in our apartments. What New Yorker can't relate? Plus, we discuss Governor Hochul's efforts to exterminate discovery reform.

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Eric Adams: Liberation Day

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 15:59:41 GMT

Eric Adams is free—from his federal charges and the Democratic Party. We break down the dismissal of his corruption case, and how his decision to run for reelection as an independent could shake up the race.

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NYC Hot Takes Elite Eight; Writer Scott Lynch Talks $20 Dinners

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 16:09:06 GMT

Hell Gate's March Madness of NYC Hot Takes continues! Thanks to our readers' bracket picks, only the spiciest takes have risen to the top, and this week we're squaring off over the Elite Eight. We also chat with $20 Dinner writer Scott Lynch about the new, incredibly useful and interactive $20 Dinner Map, and what he's learned covering more than 100 New York City restaurants for Hell Gate.

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March Madness of NYC Hot Takes Preview: Tournament Picks

Fri, 21 Mar 2025 16:23:52 GMT

It's that time of year again—Hell Gate is proud to present the 2025 March Madness of NYC Hot Takes! This week, we preview some of the takes we think have the heat to go all the way. (Did you fill out your bracket yet?) We also break down the twisty "jail saga" of Brooklyn comedian William Banks.

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With Free Speech Under Attack, Mayor Adams Asks: What About Me?

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 16:14:56 GMT

The ICE detention of former Columbia graduate student Mahmoud Khalil sent shockwaves across the city this week. We break down how our local political leaders responded. And we talk about a new book on the death of the artist Michael Stewart, who was beaten and killed by Transit Police officers in 1983, and how it sheds light on the psyche of Mayor Adams, who began his career as a transit cop in the early '80s.

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Adams vs. Adams vs. Cuomo?

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 16:08:29 GMT

It finally happened—Andrew Cuomo is officially running for mayor. So is City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. Wait, and is Eric still running? We're here to break down the state of this chaotic race. Plus: Mayor "no quid pro quo" Adams made an awkward appearance at a congressional hearing on "sanctuary city" policies, where he got roasted by members of his own party.

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The Mayor Who Can't Mayor

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 15:16:04 GMT

The mayor says he can't govern effectively while under federal prosecution. But Eric Adams says that actually isn't a problem? Things keep getting weirder as more people contemplate jumping into the mayor's race. Plus, why is the Brooklyn Museum broke? Too much Hannah Gadsby? Or not enough?

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Kathy Hochul Did Not Go Rambo

Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:20:25 GMT

Yes, Eric Adams is still our mayor. This week, we discuss his bizarre dismissal hearing, and Governor Hochul's decision not to remove him from office. Which...may be smart politics, but doesn't exactly jibe with her recently professed love of the 1982 Rambo movie "First Blood."

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Mayor Adams Enters His Pawn Era

Fri, 14 Feb 2025 17:00:31 GMT

Imagine you're the mayor of New York City, sitting down to a nice steak dinner with a Republican billionaire, when you find out that the Justice Department has ordered local prosecutors to drop the charges that could land you in federal prison. Yay! But wait, there's a catch...you're now entirely beholden to President Donald Trump. This week, we're of course talking about what might be next for Eric Adams, as well as this year's Westminster Dog Show, and, just in time for Valentine's Day, Bill de Blasio's new girlfriend.

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Trump's EOs Hit Trans and Immigrant New Yorkers

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 20:18:26 GMT

This week we're talking about NYU Langone and Mount Sinai's decisions to cancel gender-affirming care appointments for trans youth, and how the Adams administration is rolling over for Trump's immigration crackdown. Plus: Why did Eric Adams lie about a colonoscopy? Why does Jenifer Rajkumar suddenly want to become the public advocate? And what's up with Daniel Penny's new VC job?

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Eric Adams Gets Off?

Fri, 31 Jan 2025 21:31:36 GMT

Rumors were swirling as Mayor Adams took some mysterious PTO earlier this week. Was it...norovirus? Or was he just too excited by some promising news coming out of the Department of Justice? We also break down what's going on with hyperlocal news site Bushwick Daily, and what Paragon's upcoming closure says about New York nightlife.

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A Perfect Pardon Recipe

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 21:50:01 GMT

From Mar-a-Lago to the inauguration's MMA overflow room to a giggly sit-down with Tucker Carlson, Eric Adams has been hustling harder than ever for a pardon during Trump’s first days in office. Plus: What’s in—and out—of Kathy Hochul’s "affordability" budget.

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Congestion Pricing, Cops on the Subway, and Cash in the Mayoral Race

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 18:40:59 GMT

The Hell Gate Podcast is back, baby, and better than ever with some exciting new updates. This week, we're talking congestion pricing, the latest infusion of cops into the subway, and the current status of the mayoral race (yes, including A***ew C**mo). Plus: David Lynch's incredible New York City anti-littering PSA.

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The Season Finale of 'Eric Adams'

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 22:06:11 GMT

The third season of Eric Adams comes to its thrilling conclusion—Ingrid Lewis-Martin in handcuffs! Luigi Mangione, also in handcuffs! Eric Adams acting like Batman. And a brand new character enters the picture: Suave Luciano.

Join us on the edge of our seats.

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Eric Adams Is Ready to Unravel New York's Sanctuary Laws

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 22:48:49 GMT

Way, way too much happened this week. Mayor Eric Adams claimed the NYPD wasn't ignoring the murder of a 17-year-old migrant (they kind of were), then he jetted off to Puerto Rico to get some sweet, sweet Bitcoin cash, and finally he met with Tom Homan, Trump's "Border Czar" to express his eagerness to weaken laws that protect New York's immigrant residents. Whew! Also Daniel Penny is free and Luigi Mangione is in jail.

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Eric Adams Unleashed: The Mayor Dares New Yorkers to 'Cancel Me'

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 21:56:37 GMT

Back in 2021, Eric Adams was hailed (by himself) as "the face of the new Democratic party." Now, three years, one federal indictment, and one presidential election later, the mayor is openly flirting with a return to his Republican roots—clunky references to "cancel culture" and all. A moderately hungover quartet of Hell Gate editors hop on the microphone after their holiday party blowout to talk about all things Eric Adams...as he prepares to ditch the Democratic party.

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A Hell Gate Thanksgiving Debate

Fri, 29 Nov 2024 14:51:33 GMT

Pass the stuffing....and a side of acrimony! This week, Hell Gate editors hop on the microphone to talk about the scourge of Christmas tree sellers popping up around NYC before Thanksgiving...or is it actually a GOOD thing? We battle it out. We'll be back next week with real news and cultural coverage, but in the meantime, enjoy!

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Is Mike Lawler the Next Governor? Or More Like Squidward?

Sat, 23 Nov 2024 17:03:44 GMT

Hell Gate is on our annual retreat in the Italian Alps, but we still found time to hop on the microphone to talk about the new NYPD commissioner, Donald Trump and Eric Adams at the big UFC fight, Jenifer Rajkumar's campaign launch, the end of equity initiatives in New York's legal weed market, as well as Mike Lawler's blackface episode....and his possible likeness to Squidward.

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A Boss With a Brain Worm Is Still the Boss

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 23:55:42 GMT

This week, the brain worms associated with Hell Gate editors Chris, Esther, Nick, and Max plumb the depths of our deeply strange moment—from Eric Adams's appearance on The View, to Democrats trying to make sense of last week, to congestion pricing, and more, these worms are up to speed on this week in NYC worker-owned news.

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Donald Trump, Mayor Adams, and Half-Eaten Big Macs

Fri, 08 Nov 2024 21:13:38 GMT

We've got a lot to discuss—game theory, Russian interference, Katie's long night at the Javits Center….there's also Mayor Bill de Blasio's press conference about how New York will protect its immigrant population, and governor Andrew Cuomo trying to outdo him….We also have an interview with Congressman Joe Crowley lined up…OH WAIT. OH NOOOOOOO.

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Eric Adams Is Back in Court

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 22:22:15 GMT

Mayor Eric Adams took time out of his busy schedule on Friday to attend a hearing in federal court, where his lawyers asked philosophical questions like, what is bribery when you really think about it? Hell Gate's Christopher Robbins calls in just moments after leaving the courthouse on Friday.

PLUS: Some observations from Sunday's Trump MSG rally, Adams's continued game of footsie with Trump, and a deeply chthonic reaction to the Board of Elections and their betrayal of the values of Halloween (yes, that means Nick is also back).

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Eric Aaaaaadams, Come Out to Playyyyy

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 21:17:10 GMT

Helllll Gatttttteeee. Come out to playyyyyyyyyyyyyy.This week's Hell Gate Podcast answers many pressing questions: What was it like to attend a New York City ticker-tape parade with an indicted mayor? How are state law enforcement officials probing the mayor's inner circle? Will Adlan Jackson, under duress, sing the iconic line from "The Warriors" to open the pod?

After the gang gets you up to speed on the happenings in Adamsworld, we dive right into this new "concept album" from Lin Manuel-Miranda and Eisa Davis that is basically like, What if the 1979 movie "The Warriors" was a 26-track Spotify record featuring a shitload of '90s hip-hop royalty doing a kind of musical theater? The Guardian gave it five stars.

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Mets/Yankees Never Forget 9/11

Fri, 18 Oct 2024 21:24:07 GMT

No indictments. No arrests. No resignations. The world's worst hat?

Not a quiet week by any means, but after six weeks of non-stop Eric Adams news, we found some time to catch our breath, finish some long-simmering stories, and report about some of the other stuff going on in our beautiful city.

Join the Hell Gate editors on yet another journey into the world of sound on this week's Hell Gate podcast.

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Listen, It's Totally Normal to Lose Seven Top Aides in One Month

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 22:32:13 GMT

Seven top-level members of the Adams administration have departed in the last month—including the heads of the NYPD (TWICE), the Health Department, and the school system. And those are just the executives.

However, Mayor Eric Adams says this has nothing to do with the federal investigation into his administration, and is just general burnout. Sure?

Anyways, the Hell Gate team is back for another episode to talk about more arrests, some great Facebook posting by the newly-resigned Philip Banks III and where is "deep Queens." Listen up!!!

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Not So Nice Numbers for Mayor Adams

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 21:09:42 GMT

This week, Hell Gate continues to drink from the firehose that is the Eric Adams indictment news cycle. Editors editors Chris, Adlan, Max, and Katie discuss a questionable radio spot, a power couple ties the knot, a series of high-profile City Hall resignations, Governor Hochul's razor-sharp political instincts, bureaucrats seizing the moment, another day in court for the mayor, extortion allegations, divine intervention, and what else but Megalopolis come up in this edition of Hell Gate's Emergency Podcast.

(Is it really still an emergency if it never stops? That's a question we'll tackle...next week.)

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Mayor Eric Adams: Indicted

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 19:13:15 GMT

Yes, you might have heard, Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted on federal corruption charges.

In addition to providing round-the-clock updates over at the website, Hell Gate's editors found time to hop on the mic to break down the indictment, one of the wildest days in NYC politics history, and also provide a quick update from Eric Adams's Friday arraignment.

This is it, the episode it's all been building towards.

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Our Brooklyn Monsignor, Who Art Under Subpoena

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 22:22:53 GMT

Oh Divine Eternal Father, united with your Divine Son and the Holy Spirit and through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg you to destroy the power of your worst enemies: the malign spirits. Throw them into the deepest caverns of hell, and keep them there forever, take possession of your kingdom; since it has been created by yourself; and very justly it belongs to you. Heavenly Father, grant us the reigning right of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. With every beat of my heart and with every breath, I repeat this prayer, for pure Love to you. Amen.

That's along the lines of what we'd be saying if we were in the shoes of Brooklyn Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello, whose church, as NBC New York reported on Thursday, has been subpoenaed by the feds. Also reportedly involved? Frank Carone, the former chief of staff to Mayor Eric Adams.

On this week's podcast, we've got indicted FDNY chiefs, a former co-conspirator who carries around a tin of breath mints to offer reporters, and yes, a Catholic priest, wrapped up in this week's round of stunning revelations from the multiple federal investigations surrounding Mayor Eric Adams and the people in his administration and inner circle. Join Hell Gate editors Adlan, Katie, Max, Nick, and Chris as we bring you up to speed on all things federal investigations into Eric Adams.

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Emergency Podcast II: Still an Emergency for Eric Adams? Yes.

Fri, 13 Sep 2024 21:54:58 GMT

Seriously, how can we even keep up with this stuff?! Resignations! Covid! More lawsuits! Even more heretofore unknown or unheralded brothers!

Hell Gate editors are back again to help you wade through everything that has been happening to New York City's mayor and his associates during this busy, busy week.

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Emergency Podcast: The Feds Raid Adams’s Inner Circle

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 21:36:07 GMT

The number of reported federal investigations surrounding Mayor Eric Adams apparently just increased from two to three.

On Wednesday morning, FBI agents raided the homes of three of the most senior aides to Mayor Eric Adams, confiscating laptops and cell phones, according to the CITY. NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban and top mayoral aide and close friend to Mayor Adams Timothy Pearson also had their homes raided or phones taken by the FBI, according to NY1.

So, with this much going on, you think we weren't going to have to hop on the mic? Adlan, Katie, Max, Nick, and Chris bring you up to speed on all things City Hall federal investigations... in this EMERGENCY PODCAST EPISODE!

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Hell Gate Presents: March Madness of NYC Hot Takes 2024

Fri, 29 Mar 2024 21:20:31 GMT

Come we now once again to the end of March, a time of madness, the gathering crescendo of a great tourney, the end of a road upon which many set out, but only a few traverse entire.

Since we first published our second annual Hell Gate March Madness Hot Take Bracket earlier this month, the public has been in understandable general uproar. Families have been torn asunder, bar brawls are up an astounding 237%, and Eric Adams was so shaken to his core, he found God (again).

The bracket provoked conversation, discussion, takes about the takes, and a metadiscourse about chopped cheese that we're now even sorry we started.

But now the takes must battle it out! From these 64 exemplary competitors, only one will win. So we've put together some hot take bracket-ologists, who also happened to author the hot takes, to get to the bottom of the hottest take of all, previewing some of the spiciest match-ups,

If you live within a 15-minute walk of a restaurant, you should not be allowed to order delivery from it (5) vs. You should only be able to order delivery from restaurants within a 15-minute walk from you (12)
Andrew Cuomo should be mayor, it's a proper punishment for his misdeeds (7) vs. Bill de Blasio is a catch (10)
The Carbone private dining club looks fun and I would appreciate an invitation (7) vs. If you live in an apartment with a dog and it barks for hours every time you leave it alone, your neighbors are not in the wrong for complaining to your landlord (10)
If someone on the street asks you for a dollar, and you pull out your wallet and all you have is a $20, you must give them the $20 (5) vs. If you see someone selling candy on the subway, buy some candy (12)
Those nut vendors should be banned for false advertising (they're not that good) (2) vs. Clipping your nails on the subway is fine but EATING on the subway is not (15)
There should be a thing where on every subway car, one person is algorithmically selected to be able to share their phone screen onto all the video screens in the car (4) vs. If you actually want me to compost, I'm gonna need a City-sponsored coupon booklet or a tax write-off or some other incentive. Until then, my food waste is going in the trash! (13)
Flaco should have lived out the rest of his life in a cage the size of a minivan (3) vs. All the animals in the Central Park Zoo should be freed and allowed to roam the streets of New York City, like Flaco (14)
The MTA should play piped-in Muzak in subway stations (7) vs. Weed is too strong and New York state should pass a law to make it weaker (10)

Who will be victorious? Will we even announce a winner? Possible not! Even so, we felt it was time to bring back the now-irregularly-released Hell Gate Podcast!

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The Eric Adams Table of Success (Part 2)

Tue, 26 Dec 2023 20:49:41 GMT

We're back with part two of our special two-part episode about our new project THE ERIC ADAMS TABLE OF SUCCESS, an interactive website exploring dozens of people who are in the mayor's orbit, their connections to each other, and why it all matters.

On part two, a roundtable of Hell Gate writers discuss Eric Adams's connections to the world of nightlife, exactly who does what at City Hall, and his cop friends who know him from way back in the day.

Be sure to check out the whole project here

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The Eric Adams Table of Success (Part 1)

Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:08:20 GMT

We mark the return of the Hell Gate podcast with a special two-part episode about our new project THE ERIC ADAMS TABLE OF SUCCESS, an interactive website exploring dozens of people who are in the mayor's orbit, their connections to each other, and why it all matters.

On part one, a roundtable of Hell Gate writers discuss Eric Adams's connections to the world of business, who's who in his campaign, and who he parties with.

Stay tuned for part two coming early next week, and be sure to check out the whole project here.

Happy holidays, from Hell Gate!

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A Night at Whitestone Lanes

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 14:14:12 GMT

When the Daily News reported a few weeks ago that Whitestone Lanes was closing, it was like a mighty redwood was being chopped down. The Flushing bowling alley has been a neighborhood gathering place since the 1960s, and in the age of upscale bowling joints built for corporate expense accounts, Whitestone is one of those no-frills, all-charm spots that truly are for everyone. So this week, Hell Gate hit the lanes to hear how bowlers feel about the impending loss of one of the last bowling alleys in Queens.

Plus: Hell Gate writer-editor Adlan Jackson brings his Leave Your Apartment column to the pod, talking with Screen Slate founder Jon Dieringer about New York's thriving indie film scene and a trashy B-movie you won't want to miss.

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When Cat Rescue Goes Wrong

Fri, 23 Jun 2023 20:52:21 GMT

How did what started as Instagram drama around two missing rescue cats spiral into a NYPD and ASPCA raid—and 44 charges of charges of animal neglect—that rocked New York City's cat rescue community? Hell Gate writer-editor Katie Way takes listeners behind the scenes of her recent investigation into animal altruism gone wrong.

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New York's Age of Design Apathy Is Here

Fri, 16 Jun 2023 18:58:47 GMT

This week, the Department of Motor Vehicles unveiled its design for a new license plate celebrating New York City, the first of 10 regional license plates to be released this summer. But instead of dipping into New York's inexhaustible iconography, the DMV settled on a design that has the vibe of what can best be described as a "subway ad for a for-profit college," featuring a phallic One World Trade towering over a tiny Statue of Liberty. The plate is objectively bad and ugly—but what if that's the point? What if the plate, as Hell Gate's Adlan Jackson wrote this week, is another artifact (along with the reviled We <3 NYC logo) of the city's current expensive, contemptuous "Age of Design Apathy?"

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Where Did All the Lifeguards Go?

Fri, 09 Jun 2023 17:56:25 GMT

New York's beaches kicked off the summer season over the last month with plenty of wind, sun, nutcrackers, and an extremely limited number of lifeguards. As the Parks Department revealed earlier this spring, the City currently has roughly a third of the lifeguards needed to fully open the City's beaches and pools.

The lifeguard shortage isn't new—the City struggled last year to hire enough lifeguards before the summer season, waiting months to take action and raise pay to entice the part-time employees to get back in the tower.

Knowing full well that this would be an issue heading into the summer, City Hall worked to make the lifeguard test easier and less opaque, and redoubled outreach efforts to high schools to get people into training programs. But the new push only yielded 200 new lifeguards, and just 280 returning lifeguards.

So what's standing in the way of the city hiring lifeguards? Is it part of a national phenomenon, or is this way more of a local issue? While New York City's Park Department, which runs many of its beaches, is way below its hiring goals—adjacent beaches, run by the National Parks Service, or the state, are doing just fine—and don't plan on closing any stretches. So what gives? Are we just going to live with limited pool hours and closed beaches forever?

Hell Gate went to the Rockaways to find out.

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Why Does Eric Adams Think Migrants Are ‘Destroying’ New York?

Fri, 02 Jun 2023 13:00:00 GMT

Last spring, the Adams administration began talking about the arrival of migrants into the City’s shelter system—and promised that New York would step up where other cities wouldn’t. But more recently, the mayor has started busing asylum seekers upstate, claiming that the migrant influx has “destroyed” the city and will cause deep cuts to its social services. How has migration, which has been at the core of NYC’s identity for so long, become a headline issue, and why has the Adams administration taken such a dramatic turn? Felipe De La Hoz and Gaby Del Valle, who write the immigration policy newsletter Border/Lines, join us to discuss these questions and more.

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The Hell Gate Guide to Summer 2023

Fri, 26 May 2023 13:35:15 GMT

Ah, Memorial Day weekend. Time to hit the beach and crack open a nice cold can of...Celsius? That energy drink from the bodega?! From the drink of the summer, to the song(s) of the summer, our taste-making staff is here to guide you on what's in (speed dating) and out (barefoot boys) for summer 2023.

Hell Gate's songs of the summer:

"Summer Glass," Julie Byrne

"Mrs. Officer," Lil Wayne

"I Wanna Sex You Up," Color Me Badd

"Breezin'," George Benson

"Everywhere," Fleetwood Mac

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The State Of Cycling in NYC

Fri, 19 May 2023 20:21:58 GMT

As anyone who's whizzed down the Williamsburg Bridge bike path past sullen J train riders will tell you, biking in New York is not only a great way to save $2.75—it's also just... fun. But, we're still a town ruled by cars. And while cycling rates exploded during the pandemic and Citi Bike can barely keep up with demand, we're also on track to have the deadliest year for cyclists since 2014. This week: Hell Gate visits a neighborhood reeling from another senseless traffic death, investigates a bizarre Citi Bike malfunction, and even sends two staffers to learn to ride.

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Hell Gate's Inaugural Podcast Fundraiser Birthday Party

Fri, 12 May 2023 18:16:39 GMT

In case you haven't heard, Hell Gate turned one this week! So of course we hosted an extremely real and cool birthday party which we obviously recorded for our weekly podcast. Hear from the staff about why we started and joined Hell Gate, some of our favorite stories from our first year, and the current status of our involvement with the Hell Apes™ crypto-collectible platform. You'll NEVER believe who calls in.

If you love Hell Gate and this podcast, help us reach our $7k in 7 days goal by tipping our newsroom here by noon on May 15. And you can subscribe to Hell Gate anytime here!

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WTF Happened This Budget Season

Fri, 05 May 2023 18:03:20 GMT

New York state FINALLY has a budget—a month late, and 800,000 housing units short. New York Focus senior reporter Sam Mellins sits down with Hell Gate to break down what the hell happened this budget season, from the death of Good Cause Eviction to horse-racing industry subsidies (???) to the best bathroom in the state capitol. Plus, we take you inside this week's rowdy Rent Guidelines Board hearing, where housing activists took the stage to protest the board's proposed rent increases.

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The MTA's ‘Clickbait Cuisine’ Is Inedible Content

Fri, 28 Apr 2023 16:16:26 GMT

Ever wondered why you're being inundated with videos of "clickbait cuisine" on the subway? Like, recipes for "brieghetti pie" (that's a baked spaghetti pie with a wheel of brie in the middle) or homemade sprinkles? Are you the kind of sicko who is sorta curious about what would happen if you actually made one of these recipes? Have we got an episode for you! This week, writer Willa Glickman discusses her unsettling investigation of this phenomenon, "Here's Why You're Seeing Gross Viral Recipes on Your Subway Commute," and the Hell Gate staff puts our bodies on the line to recipe-test the "brieghetti pie."

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Is NYC Actually Cleaning Up Its Dirty, Dirty Power Grid?

Fri, 21 Apr 2023 20:24:32 GMT

New York has a plan to finally get off fossil fuels within the next 20 years. Doing that will mean changing a lot about how we live, from what our buildings look like to how we get around and where our electricity comes from. Can we pull it off? This week, Hell Gate visits one of NYC's oldest power plants in Queens, and a solar-paneled HDFC co-op in Harlem to find out.

This episode is sponsored by Bike Plant. Tell them Hell Gate sent you, and get a 10 percent discount on parts and accessories and some free Hell Gate stickers—what a deal!

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A NYC Real Estate Broker Tells All

Fri, 14 Apr 2023 16:05:26 GMT

Spring in New York means moving season, and moving probably means you're gonna have to text a bunch of random people... and then fork over 15% of your annual rent to one of them. But besides unlocking the door to an apartment you found on StreetEasy, what does a broker *actually* do, and why is New York one of the only cities in the country where tenants have to pay their fees? Hell Gate discusses these questions and more with Anna Klenkar, a licensed associate real estate broker who uses TikTok (@annaleeklenkar) to pull back the veil on the apartment-hunting process. Plus: some dispatches from NYC parks on the frenetic first vibes of spring.

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Inside—and Outside—the Courtroom with Donald Trump

Fri, 07 Apr 2023 19:59:36 GMT

When Hell Gate first discussed how to cover the Trump arraignment, the consensus was, let's not. But then our own Max Rivlin-Nadler snagged a spot at the front of the courthouse press line and...well, we ran with it. This week: Dispatches from The Line, the Marjorie Taylor Greene counterprotest, and yes, inside the courtroom with Donald Trump.

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The March Madness of NYC Hot Takes

Fri, 31 Mar 2023 13:58:27 GMT

Is the Vessel... actually cool and beautiful? Was Bill de Blasio the best NYC mayor of all-time?! Is Domino's making the best pizza in the city right now?!!! We don't 100 percent stand by all of these takes, but we'll defend them on a podcast if we have to. That's right—this week the Hell Gate team winnows down the Elite Eight of our NYC Hot Takes March Madness bracket to a Final Four. Listen to find out which spicy takes prevail, and be sure to check out the full bracket here.

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The Big Ugly Mess Behind New York's Busted Budget Process

Fri, 24 Mar 2023 19:21:51 GMT

Budget season is heating up, baby!! And Hell Gate is here to break it down for you. First, we look at why the New York state budget process is such a shitshow, and why a newly empowered state legislature could mean even more chaos this year. Then, we chat with Kim Phillips-Fein, professor of history at Columbia University and author of Fear City, about Eric Adams' proposed austerity budget, his beloved "high-income earners," and the lingering impacts of the 1970s fiscal crisis.

Read Hell Gate's full interview with Kim Phillips-Fein here.

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Is New York's Legal Weed Dank Enough?

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 15:43:41 GMT

You can legally buy weed in New York now, but… is it worth the trouble? And what do former NBA All-Star Chris Webber, an empty warehouse complex in Detroit, and an agency called the Dormitory Authority have to do with the state's lumbering rollout of legal cannabis? Seeking answers, Hell Gate convenes a panel of dedicated stoners to compare legal and gray market weed, and speaks with Brad Racino, editor and publisher of New York Cannabis Insider.

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The Battle Over Bail Reform

Fri, 03 Mar 2023 16:24:26 GMT

Where does New York’s bail reform debate stand? And what does pretrial detention mean for those who have to suffer through it? Hell Gate catches up with Prakash Churaman, who spent his teen years being shuffled through New York’s carceral system and just barely survived. We also talk with Jullian Harris-Calvin, director of the Greater Justice New York program at the Vera Institute of Justice, for some broader context on how bail reform became such a political live wire.

You can read Max Rivlin-Nadler's reporting on Prakash Churaman's case here, here, here, and here.

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The Casinos Are Coming

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 21:53:18 GMT

What’s a “racino”? Why does Governor Hochul want to use slot machine money to help fund the MTA? Is Mets owner Steve Cohen going to build a casino on the Citi Field parking lot? Hell Gate visits Resorts World New York City in deep Queens and chats with reporter Neil DeMause to answer these questions and more.

Read Neil DeMause’s Mets casino story here.

Check out the New York State Comptroller’s 2020 report on gambling revenues here.

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.