NYC NOW - May 23, 2023: Midday News

Episode Date: May 23, 2023

New York City council staffers plan to rally tomorrow in front of City Hall to demand a living wage. Also, funeral homes have been declining in numbers in New York -- and across the country. Erica Hill decided to open one in 2021 in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, it was an unusual career move. But Hill is trying to rethink the death care industry, and make it a little bit better for the living. WNYC’s Kerry Shaw caught up with Hill to learn more about her new funeral home, Sparrow.

NYC now. Welcome to NYC now. Your source for local news in and around New York City from WNYC. It's Tuesday, May 23rd. Here's the midday news from Michael Hill. New York City Council staffers plan to rally tomorrow in front of City Hall to demand a living wage. Their union, the Association of Legislative Employees, says almost half of AIDS earned less than $55,000 a year. Daniel Kroop is the president of. the union. He says members expect more from a legislative body that generally prides itself on progressiveness. The city council to be a place that doesn't just talk to talk, but walks to walk at being a great employer, at being an employer that is helping create thriving communities.

The union is demanding a minimum of $75,000 salary for council member aids. Tomorrow's rally falls on the final day of testimony for the city's executive budget. Council Speaker Adrian Adams his office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 67 and mostly cloudy, mostly sunny today and a steady, 67, mostly clear tonight in 53. Again, 67. Funeral homes have been declining in numbers in New York and across the country. So when Erica Hill decided to open one in 2021 in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, it was an unusual career move. but Hill is trying to rethink the death care industry and make it a little bit better for the living.

WNYC's Carrie Shaw caught up with Hill to learn more about her new funeral home, Sparrow. Erica Hill spent about 20 years working in video production, making content for fashion and cosmetics companies. She did not envision herself opening a mortuary. If you had told me 10 years ago that this is what I'd be doing, I'd tell you you were absolutely insane. And yet, here she is, in a workplace, with dead bodies downstairs. I have no interest in dying. I love living life, but I think, I mean, I've had enough loss in my life

that it's just unfortunately a reality and every single person on this earth is going to die. We really try to work with families and incorporate things that are important to them instead of us dictating to them what it should be. Sparrow looks and feels like a spa. It has wood floors, skylights, and soothing wall colors. The funeral director, Alexander Agarad, explains it this way.

Most funeral homes are literally stuck in 1972, from the carpet to the drapery, to the scents, to decrepit bathrooms, to the mismatched furniture. You would never have that yet. Sparrow smells like pine, thanks to the candles everywhere. You can buy those candles in the gift shop. Yes, the funeral home has a gift shop. Hill calls it comforting goods. We have a lot of urns, but then we also have chocolate bars and greeting. cards and candles and incense and, you know, just things that make you feel good, whether you're

buying something for yourself or for a family member. What Hill is trying to do is repackaged death care. You know, it's the idea of taking something that's existed for a really long time, looking at it in a different way. Like, I often talk about SoulCycle, and stationary bike cycling in a group existed at gyms before SoulCycle came along. but it wasn't sexy. There's no different than sweet greens.

Restaurants offered salad. Sparrow offers what you'd expect at a mortuary, funerals, burials, and cremations. But it also offers exit parties. It's a celebration for someone who is alive, but near death. So far, no one has taken her up on this. Everybody jokes about, like,

I wonder who'd show up at my funeral. It's like, well, why wait for that? You know, like, if your Aunt Sally is going to fly across the country, for your funeral, why not have your Aunt Sally come while you're still alive and spend a little time with you? Hale is entering the death care industry at a time when funeral homes are, well, dying. In 2022, just 11 new funeral homes opened in New York State and 13 closed, according to data from the Department of Health. In the past 20 years, the industry has shrunk 18% across New York. Some experts say that's because existing funeral homes have merged and become more efficient.

Jack Schmidt, at the National Directory of Morticians, has a different theory. We're missing some of that entrepreneur spirit in the industry right now, where a lot of people going into the business, they're more interested in working for a company instead of working for themselves. Sparrow is on track to do 120 funerals this year. Hill has dreams to open a dozen more in the next three to five years. For now, she's trying to make sure her clients have the experience they want, whatever that means to them.

I loved being a director and a producer. I loved it. But I love this more. Like this feels like I'm being of service, that I'm really helping people. And, you know, I think most people realize that when you help other people, it always makes you feel really good.

Carrie Shaw, WNYC News. 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 podcasts. More this evening.