Samwise Metro NYC Newsletter
Sunday, April 12, 2026
Man with Machete Slashes Three at Grand Central, Shot Dead by NYPD
A 44-year-old man wielding a machete slashed three people at Grand Central Terminal Saturday morning before officers shot and killed him following a tense, 10-minute standoff. The suspect, Anthony Griffin — who identified himself as “Lucifer” — had more than a dozen prior arrests, including for menacing and slashing. Griffin first attacked an 84-year-old man on a commuter rail platform, inflicting lacerations to his head and face, then moved to the 4/5/6 subway platform where he slashed a 65-year-old man, who suffered an open skull fracture, and a 70-year-old woman. Officers issued more than 20 commands to drop the weapon before firing. All three victims sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
NYC Recorded 54 Murders in Q1 2026 — Fewest in City History
New York City recorded just 54 murders in the first three months of 2026, the lowest first-quarter figure in the department’s recorded history, the NYPD announced last week. The total beats the previous record of 60 set in 2018 and represents a 28 percent decline from the same period last year. Staten Island recorded zero homicides. The Bronx saw a 9.4 percent drop in overall major crime while Brooklyn saw a 57 percent decrease in murders. The city also tied its all-time low of 139 shooting incidents for a first quarter. Mayor Mamdani and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch credited precision policing and increased foot patrols.
Mamdani at 100 Days Stays Committed to Disbanding NYPD Protest Unit
One hundred days into his tenure, Mayor Zohran Mamdani reiterated his commitment to disbanding the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group, the controversial tactical unit deployed for counterterrorism and protest response. The mayor’s chief of staff told NY1 the administration is working with the NYPD on how to eliminate the unit while maintaining public safety and First Amendment protections. The SRG, created in 2015, has cost the city millions in lawsuit settlements. Mamdani also reaffirmed his authority over the police department, saying Commissioner Jessica Tisch “reports to me.” Critics argue disbanding the unit without a clear timeline signals a gap between campaign promises and governing.
34,000 Building Workers Vote on Strike April 15 as Contract Deadline Nears
More than 34,000 New York City residential building service workers, represented by 32BJ SEIU, will vote on a possible strike April 15, five days before their contract with building owners expires on April 20. The union and the Realty Advisory Board on Labor Relations remain deadlocked over healthcare premium sharing, a proposed second-tier lower-wage workforce, and an expansion of temporary workers. A work stoppage would affect roughly 3,500 co-op, condo, and apartment buildings across the five boroughs. The union has deployed 1,400 strike captains, while building owners have notified residents that services will decrease if a strike begins April 21.
NYC Affordable Apartments Sit Empty 285 Days on Average Before First Tenant
Newly built affordable apartments in New York City sit empty for an average of 285 days between a building’s completion and its first tenant move-in — nearly three times the national median of 110 days — according to data from Enterprise, a national nonprofit housing organization. One Inwood building with 281 affordable units received 70,000 lottery applications but had only 168 tenants after seven months. Mayor Mamdani convened a SPEED Task Force to identify and reduce bureaucratic delays slowing the lease-up process. Experts say the delays cost building owners an average of $500,000 in lost tax credit equity per project and remove needed apartments from an already strained housing market.
Manhattan Office Leasing Hits Best First Quarter Since 2014, AI Firms Set Rent Record
Manhattan posted its strongest first-quarter office leasing in more than a decade, with tenants signing leases for approximately 11.8 million square feet — the most activity since 2014. Artificial intelligence companies drove roughly half of all leasing volume. Nscale Global Holdings, an AI cloud platform, signed a lease at One Vanderbilt at $320 per square foot, setting a new record for the highest office rent in New York City. Vacancy rates fell 2.2 percentage points to 13.5 percent, while average rents climbed 3.5 percent year-over-year. Analysts note AI firms leased more Manhattan space in Q1 2026 than in all of 2025.
MTA Sues East Harlem Landlord to Force Access for Second Avenue Subway Work
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is suing the owner of a building at 2049 Second Avenue in East Harlem, asking a court to compel access needed to complete foundation work for the long-delayed Second Avenue Subway extension. The MTA says it must repair foundational walls and reinforce the structure, and that without access to the building the project cannot move forward. Work on Phase 2 of the Second Avenue Subway, which would extend the Q train from 96th Street to 125th Street in East Harlem, has faced repeated delays for years. The landlord dispute is the latest obstacle to a project that has been in planning for decades.
NYC Opens Nation’s First E-Bike Rest and Charging Hub for Delivery Workers
Mayor Mamdani and Senator Chuck Schumer joined the Workers Justice Project to open the City Hall Park Deliverista Hub — the first worker-designed rest and electric bike charging facility for delivery workers in the United States. Thousands of app-based delivery workers, many of them immigrants, navigate the city’s streets on e-bikes with few places to rest, recharge, or shelter between shifts. The hub offers seating, device charging, and a secure space for workers outside City Hall. Organizers say it is a model for other cities. The Workers Justice Project, which advocates for delivery workers, helped design the facility based on input from delivery workers themselves.
City Pulse
Yankees: Next: vs. Minnesota Twins — Sun Apr 12 at 1:30 PM ET, Yankee Stadium
Mets: Next: at Atlanta Braves — Sun Apr 12 at 12:30 PM ET, Truist Park
Knicks: Next: vs. Charlotte Hornets — Sun Apr 12 at 6:00 PM ET, Madison Square Garden
Rangers: Regular season ends April 16; Rangers out of playoff contention.