The Mayoral Race Heats Up for Top Contenders

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Weather: There will be rain today with temperatures in the mid-50s. Expect rain tonight, too.

Alternate-side parking: In effect until April 29 (Holy Thursday, Orthodox).


With less than 10 weeks before the June 22 Democratic primary that is likely to determine the next mayor, each day becomes more consequential for the top four contenders: Andrew Yang, the 2020 presidential candidate; Eric Adams, the Brooklyn borough president; Scott Stringer, the city comptroller; and Maya D. Wiley, a former counsel to Mayor Bill de Blasio and a former MSNBC analyst.

As the mayoral candidates ramp up in-person events and key endorsements are announced, the contenders’ strengths and weaknesses are becoming more visible.

Here are three things to know:

On Tuesday, the Democratic Party’s progressive wing announced that Mr. Stringer was its first choice for mayor in the primary, when ranked-choice voting will be used. The party picked Dianne Morales as its second choice and Ms. Wiley as its third.

Over the past year, progressive activists have had rising influence in New York, from successfully knocking off an incumbent congressman to fueling upsets in several state legislative races. Yet the mayor’s race may prove to be different, with the most moderate candidates appearing to be among the strongest. It remains unclear how the party’s endorsement will affect the race.

[‘Sense of disappointment’ on the left as the N.Y.C. mayor’s race unfolds.]

Mr. Stringer, 60, began the mayoral race as a top candidate. He acquired the resources, the résumé and the name recognition that was only made possible by decades of experience in politics. Still, my colleague Katie Glueck wrote that in a crowded field, Mr. Stringer has yet to break through.

Ms. Glueck found that Mr. Stringer is competing against other candidates who are also branding themselves as progressives and against veteran government officials. He is scrambling to win over major endorsements and garner widespread support.

[He has trained to be mayor for decades. Will voters be persuaded?]

On Monday evening, Andrew Yang was booed out of a protest in Battery Park. The event was organized to denounce the recent fatal shooting of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man, by a police officer in Brooklyn Center, Minn.

In a video shared on Twitter, protesters are seen shouting, “We do not want you here and you are not welcome here,” and “Do not use our protest for your publicity,” at Mr. Yang before he leaves on his bike.

The reaction highlighted Mr. Yang’s difficulty in garnering support from anti-police groups, who were upset after the mayoral candidate said he would fully fund the New York Police Department’s Asian Hate Crimes Task Force.


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The Times’s Ben Sisario writes:

From June to September, Bryant Park will present a series of 25 programs from some of the city’s most prominent institutions and performance groups, including the New York Philharmonic, Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Joe’s Pub, the Classical Theater of Harlem, Paul Taylor Dance Company and Town Hall.

City Parks Foundation’s SummerStage also announced this week that it would be returning to Central Park and other locations with in-person concerts, including a benefit show on Sept. 17 by the band Dawes.

Among the other organizations participating in Bryant Park’s series this summer are Elisa Monte Dance, Harlem Stage, National Sawdust, New York Chinese Cultural Center, Limón Dance Company and Greenwich House Music School. Singers from the New York City Opera will perform a Pride concert on June 18.

Bryant Park will limit attendance to 200 people for each performance, although producers say it is possible that state regulations could allow bigger crowds as the season progresses. The events are free, but tickets must be reserved in advance. Most events will also be livestreamed.

Once arriving at the park, patrons will have their temperatures checked and be shown to their seats, which will be arranged with room for social distancing. The park does not plan to require vaccinations or proof of negative virus tests, but it is considering those as options, according to Dan Fishman, the park’s director of public events.

It’s Thursday — plan for summer.


Dear Diary:

This is my block, 17th Street between Second and Third. I own it.

I’m not a real estate tycoon. I was born here. While the doctor and the cabdriver argued about whose car to take, out I came, on a snowy sidewalk, under the shadow of the Third Avenue El.

Back then, New York was a series of small towns strung together. On our block, my friends and I knew every neighbor, and they knew us.

We played in the street all day until dark. I recognize every crack in the sidewalk, every stoop where we gossiped, every pole we climbed and every fire hydrant we jumped over. (It does seem as if the fire hydrants have shrunk over the years.)

Now, when I come back to this block, something happens.

I suppose on the outside, I look like an older woman. On the inside, while I’m here, it’s magic. I become that young kid again. The aches and pains disappear. I can run and I can skip. When I walk home, the feeling stays with me the whole way. It happens every time.

Yessiree, I own this block.

Or perhaps it owns me.


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