NYC NOW - August 18, 2023: Midday News

Episode Date: August 18, 2023

Mayor Eric Adams is proposing to house migrants in the now-shuttered Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan. It's the same facility where convicted sex offender and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein took his own life. Meanwhile, police are investigating a potential hate crime in Borough Park after a man had his yarmulke snatched off his head. And in the latest installment of our series "I Tried It", WNYC's Ramsey Khalifeh dives into the pulsating beats of Basement, a much-revered techno club in Queens.

Welcome to NYC Now, your source for local news in and around New York City from WNYC. It's Friday, August 18th. Here's the midday news from Tiffany Hansen. Mayor Eric Adams' administration wants to house migrants in a notorious federal jail that was closed after disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide there. Officials later deemed the jail's squalid conditions unsafe for humans. The request was suggested in an... an August 9th letter to New York Governor Kathy Hockel as the city struggles to handle the thousands of migrants who have arrived in the city from the southern U.S. border. The city's letter identifies several sites in which migrants could potentially be housed, including the defunct metropolitan correctional center jail, which was closed in 2021.

More than 58,000 migrants are currently staying in city shelters. A man wearing a yamika was harassed on the street in Burrow Park in what police are investigating. as a potential hate crime. According to the NYPD, the 49-year-old who was not injured was on a busy section of 18th Avenue around 7.30 Wednesday night when two men on a scooter stopped nearby. One of the riders got off the scooter and swiped the yarmulke off the man's head. Both suspects then drove off.

Police are working to identify the suspects, and as of early this morning, no arrests have yet been made. The incident came the same day police arrested a suspect accused of scribbling anti-suffles. Semitic graffiti on an Upper East Side synagogue. Looking for clearing skies this afternoon, breezy with a high of 84 degrees. Right now, 76 in Central Park with a mix of sun and clouds. On WNYC, I'm David First. And it's time for the latest edition of our series, I Tried It,

where one of our reporters checks out novel and trendy experiences in New York City and reports back on how it went. Today we're discussing a techno club in Queens called Basement. And among fans of techno music, it is the hottest ticket in town. WNYC's Ramsey Khalifay tried it and is here to talk about the club. Hey, Ramsey. Hey, David. So what's so special about Basement?

What makes this a novel experience? So Basement is considered by many ravers to be the best techno experience you can get today in the U.S. What that means is the club stays open all night up until 8 in the morning. and it's actually located in the basement of an abandoned glass factory. So that's kind of the setting you're getting. Okay, well, people wait in line for hours to get in. Why? It's only open two days a week, Friday and Saturday. There are similarities with a famous club in Berlin,

which is the epicenter of techno music right now. It's called Bergheim. Over there, they essentially vibe check you at the door, making sure your demeanor fits into the club's highly engaged dance floor, as they describe it. They also ask you a couple of questions. so if you pass, you're allowed entry. Phone cameras are required to be covered.

That means you can't take any pictures while you're there. Baseman replicates that to some degree, but it's a lot less difficult to get in. As far as the music, let me put you in the right state of mind for what that kind of sounds like. Baseman is home to classic, hard, and industrial techno from talent coming from all around the world, many of whom perform at the best clubs in Berlin and Europe.

Wait, so you have to answer a couple of questions at the door to get in, and there's a vibe check? Did they vibe check you and can you explain the procedure? If they did vibe check me, I wouldn't have known. It's more of, let's say, a silent analysis of my being. I dressed in a black tank top and a loose pair of jeans, so I guess that fit the bill. Okay, so you got in. I actually got there at 11 p.m., so the line wasn't very long yet.

Okay, so the line wasn't long at that time. So do I have it right that getting there at 11 p.m. is early for this club? Yeah, I'd say so. It typically picks up between 2 and 3 in the morning. This is going to be really problematic for my weekend edition schedule here, Ramsey. Okay, so what about those questions? How'd you do? So I read on strategy on social media. There are actually threads where hundreds of people discuss ways to get into this club. Wow.

They asked me two questions. One, why are you here? And two, what DJs have you come to listen to? And you had some answers ready? I prepared ahead of time. I actually saw this one DJ named Umfang on the roster and browsed her Instagram for a few hours before I left for the club. I liked her music, so I remembered to bring her up if I was asked. Luckily, I wasn't asked any tough follow-ups. The other bouncer looked at me and said, well, she's playing right now, so you better get in. Okay, well, congratulations.

And did they just let you waltz on in there with your phone? I was actually instructed when I got in to cover my phone's front and back cameras with stickers that I was given. Okay, so you covered your phone with stickers, but what's to stop you from peeling those off as soon as you walk in? Let's just say I'd rather not find out. I'd probably get kicked out. Okay, well, once you got in, what did it look like?

Okay, so think of the Paris catacombs. It was very dark and smoky. There were spotlights hanging from the ceiling. Sometimes it was red and other times white. The club actually has two rooms. One is a smaller indoor area where they play house music. House music uses more vocal samples, keys, and symbols. So that room feels more like a party.

You can actually sing along to some of that music. But the basement area is larger, and that's where the techno is played. very electronic all around. I probably left the club at 4 in the morning. It officially closes at around 8 a.m. Any last words of advice if we want to try it? If you want to go, consider going alone if you're into that type of music. There's actually a culture of people going alone.

It can be a personal and meditative experience. And don't worry too much about the questions at the door. If you know who's playing, they should let you in. W1YC's Ramsey Khalifa. Thank you for joining us. Thank you, David. And let's finish with some more appropriate music. Take us to the basement.

Yeah, let's do it. Thanks for listening. This is NYC now from WNYC. Be sure to catch us every weekday, three times a day, for your top news headlines and occasional deep dives. And subscribe wherever you get your podcast. We'll be back this evening.