NYC NOW - September 9, 2024: Midday News

Episode Date: September 9, 2024

Starting this Monday, New York City Ferry riders must pay $4.50 for a one-way trip, a 50-cent increase. Meanwhile, two public schools in Jersey City are testing systems to keep phones away from students during the school day. Finally, WNYC’s David Furst speaks with Eater New York food editor Melissa McCart about her top five pizza spots in the city.

Welcome to NYC now. Your source for local news in and around New York City from WMYC. It's Monday, September 9th. Here's the midday news from Michael Hill. As of today, New York City ferry riders are paying more for their commute. WNYC's Tiffany Hanson has more. Riding the New York City ferry now costs you 50 cents more than it did just 24 hours ago. Ticket prices have risen from 5.NYC's Ferry's Ferry now costs you 50 cents more than it did just 24 hours ago.

Ticket prices have risen from $4 to $4.50 for a one-way ride. Likewise, the ferry's discount program, available to seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income riders, has increased by 10 cents to $1.45 for a one-way ticket. Schedule changes also take effect today. The ferry's South Brooklyn route will resume making stops at Governor's Island, and the Rockaway Astoria and South Brooklyn lines will tweak their departure times. Price and schedule changes are available at Ferry.NYC and on the Ferry app. Two Jersey City Public Schools are trying out programs to remove phones from the classroom and the policy soon could go district-wide. The Jersey Journal reports President Barack Obama Community School 34 and Academy 1

are testing out different systems to keep phones away from students during the school day. School 34 will use magnetic pouches to lock phones away. while Academy 1 will have students trade in phones for Chromebooks, Chrome Books during the school day. Right now, the district requires students turn off devices during class. The school board president has expressed support for expanding the pilot, citing concerns about bullying. 71 and sunny right now, sunny and 76 for a high today, then tomorrow's sunny in 79, Wednesday just about the same, and it's back to the 80s on Thursday and Friday. This is W&1M.6.

Stay close. There's more after the break. On WNYC, I'm David First. There are plenty of fancy new dining spots around town, but every once in a while you need to go back to the basics and focus on the foundations of what a society and a local culture is built upon. And here in New York City, that means pizza. Our friends at Eater, New York, published their list of the iconic pizzerias in the five boroughs. And here to give us the grand tour is the editor of Eder, New York.

Melissa McCart, welcome back. Thank you so much for having me. When you first launched Eater, New York, I imagine pizza was the first topic that came up. This is like as core mission as it gets for you guys, right? I think so. I'm pretty sure you can't be an editor or reporter at Eater, New York, unless you have very strong opinions about pizza. Well, that's interesting. to hear because when you run a piece like this on what you're calling the iconic pizzerias, do you brace yourself for the feedback? I mean, this is a subject that inspires strong opinions and furious debates. We do. I think saying the iconic pizzas of New York City is less controversial than saying the best pizzerias of New York City. Well, I see you're already protecting yourself in the way that you've titled this,

but I'm going to pretend that you said best. So let's get to a few of the classics on your This take us around town. Where should we go first? Okay. I really like Joe's first slice place. And I feel like a pizza slice is a year-round food, but for me, it feels like a perfect summer item because you're sort of out and about, you're cruising between one venue to another, like a pizzerie is a great place to pop in and people sort of spill out onto the sidewalk or they might be waiting. And Joe's is like the iconic slice joint. Greenwich Village Institution. Absolutely.

It's been open since the 70s, chewy crust. The tip of it droops a little bit, and the size of it is bigger than a paper plate. Plus, it's one of those great New York places that has all the photos on the walls, right? Absolutely. It's great. Another one I like is John's a Bleaker Street, and that is a coal oven pizza. You can't walk in for a slice, but it's a kind of place where I love sitting. down at the booths. The interior is all graffitied. If you order a glass of Kianti, they pour it to the

top of the glass. It's not very expensive. Okay, Johns of Bleaker Street. So let's move away from the village. Where should we go next? Some place that people absolutely love, and I've been known to make the destination myself, is Danino's pizzeria and Staten Island. The original Daninos is where you have to go. Yes, there's one in Greenwich Village and there's one on the Jersey Shore, but the original as a place with all of the character. And it is the place where you want to go for the briny clan pizza and mozzarella. And the space has been around since 1937. So it's just one of those bucketless pizzerias. It was a dock workers hangout, but it feels like a truly local place. You know, when you go on a trip somewhere, even if you're making a trip to a different neighborhood

that you haven't been to in New York, I know that I want to go to the places that feel like what is the most local place in the neighborhood, and Daninos feels like the most local place. All right. I know it's still breakfast time around here, but I am ready for pizza now. Take us to one more location? I'm sure you've heard of Lucali. Lucali is in Brooklyn, and it's a cash-only B-Y-O-B place. You just show up and wait forever, and maybe you're competing with Jay-Z or Beyonce for a seat, which good luck to you. But the pizza's are great. It's very convivial. It's like the kind of place where, you know, people might bring a magnum of some kind of wine and pour it around the house. It's very fun. Okay. Lucali in Brooklyn, this is at 575 Henry Street. Yes. It's totally

worth the wait. I mean, it's the kind of place that it would be a challenge if it were your neighborhood favor because you'd always have to wait, but as a place that you're like, let's make it at Lucali night, you're signing up for the experience. All right, sign up for the experience. Lucali in Brooklyn, so many more pizzerias to get to. And you can read more about some of your other iconic New York City pizzerias. Just go to Eater, New York. Melissa McCart, editor of Eder, New York. Thanks for joining us again. Thanks for having me. Thanks for listening. This is NYC now from WMYC. Check us out for updates every weekday, three times a day, for the latest news headlines and occasional deep dives.

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