Summer Streets are back on for the first three Saturdays in August between the hours of 7 am and 1 pm, nearly seven miles of New York City’s streets are open to the public to play, run, walk and bike. Summer Streets provides space for healthy recreation and encourages New Yorkers to use more sustainable forms of transportation. This is an annual celebration of New York City’s most valuable public space.

What was once the largest video rental chain in the U.S. with thousands of stores will soon be down to just one. Bend, Oregon, is the home of what will be the last Blockbuster in the country. Jamie Yuccas from CBS News has more about the once largest video rental chain in the country.

Since 1978, her successful business has been the go-to source for numerous clients — costume designers, stylists, photographers, artists, and fashion designers — who come from the world of film. For the past 10 years, Helen Uffner Vintage Clothing, a film, TV and Broadway fixture for nearly 40 years, has been ensconced in a 6,200-square-foot showroom at Queens Plaza in Long Island City.

A new landlord increased the rent 26%, to more than $100,000 annually. Now due to Long Island City’s changing landscape and whopping rents, Uffner has had no choice but to search elsewhere for a new space to house her massive collection, which lived in a 6,300 square foot loft located at 30-10 41st Ave. She has since now found a new location at 42-24 Orchard Street, about 2-3 blocks away but as is in most cases these days in any development area, she says “our lease comes with a caveat,  a one year demolition clause.” She has a long road ahead opening wardrobe cartons and making sure clothing is racked correctly. Helen says “It’s been a challenging journey but the new location is coming along! Couldn’t have done it without the support of my friends, in and out of our industry”

Though the city’s film and TV production business is booming, the industry’s growth has somehow overlooked the wardrobe business.  

http://www.fox5ny.com/news/311446114-video 

That’s me Channeling the different Fashion Genres :  Check out the video on Youtube:  A Brief History of Black Men’s Fashion.

Disney has purchased the rights to develop Trinity’s property in The West Village section of New York City. The property will be the new site of Disney’s New York operations. Under a transaction valued at $650 million, Disney will acquire the rights to develop the 4 Hudson Square site for 99 years.

In a release Disney says the project will create thousands of jobs during the development and construction of the site. When finished it will serve as the new home for much of ABC’s production in New York, including Live with Kelly and Ryan, The View and WABC-TV (Eyewitness News) Good Morning America will stay at its current location in Times Square.

http://abc7ny.com/video/embed/?pid=3734037

The city is pushing out a new pilot program that will set aside hundreds of dedicated parking spaces for car share services.The 309 spots will be located in neighborhoods throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens.    The city hopes the two-year pilot will help to ease the traffic congestion and improve air quality.  Starting June 4, Enterprise CarShare and Zipcar vehicles will be available, with signs marking the exact locations.

If you’ve spent any time on the Internet this past week, you’ve probably heard and then argued over a certain viral sound clip. But for Broadway and television actor Jay Aubrey Jones, he hears himself. Jones did some voice work for Vocabulary.com, recording more than 36,000 words for the website in 2007, including saying the word, “Laurel.” And apparently, that is the source audio for the “Laurel, Yanny” viral clip that’s been driving the Internet crazy.

“When I first heard this recording, it was on Wednesday morning on television, and I was putting myself together, and I did not recognize my voice at all,” Jones tells Weekend Edition Sunday’s LuLu Garcia-Navarro.

https://www.wnyc.org/widgets/ondemand_player/wnyc/#file=/audio/json/856985/&share=1

After receiving several phone calls, texts and emails from a producer at Vocabulary.com and other friends, Jones says, “They explained that it was my voice that has been creating this brouhaha for want of a better word.” Jones says he actually hears the word, “Laurel,” when he listens to the clip of his voice, but a friend of his “swore up and down that all she heard was ‘Yanny.’ ”

Are you receiving CHINESE ROBOCALLS? If so, you are not alone. If you live or work in New York City, you’ve received a robocall in Mandarin.

https://www.wnyc.org/widgets/ondemand_player/wnyc/#file=/audio/json/851061/&share=1

The robocall messages are usually a variation on the same theme: this is the Chinese consulate, we have an important document that needs to be picked up, it may affect your status in the U.S., press a button to speak with a specialist. People receiving these calls should report them to the Federal Trade Commission. The Chinese consulate is aware of the scam and has posted a warning. The Federal Trade Commission, which helps consumers and law enforcement collect information on illegal phone calls, is also aware and has posted its own warnings. To avoid being a victim of this scam: just hang up.

You can now see if your train line is delay before you start your commute. A new website RealMTA.info is giving straphangers real-time updates on subway delays by wiping affected lines right off the MTA map. Disrupted lines disappear from the user’s view. Web developer Eric Markfield created it to use publicly available information to highlight subway delays.

Mayor Bill de Blasio is putting into place a plan to keep cars off Central Park’s roads, except for the four main transverse roads through the park at 97th, 86th, 79th and 65th streets.  Most areas of Central Park will go car-free this summer. The plan will go into effect at the end of June, banning cars on several park drives below 72nd Street.

To many New Yorkers, winning the affordable housing lottery is pretty much the same thing as winning the actual lottery. But many people find it to be a hassle applying to Housing Connect lottery. The qualifications for individual lotteries might be a bit confusing, many people feel it’s not easy to snag one these newly apartments. While the online application process is pretty straightforward. Finding a low-cost apartment in New York City is not an easy task, but the city does offer programs to help out.  Check out AM NY as it breaks down the process.