News: City

Though many New Yorkers’ political attention has been primarily focused on the June 22 Democratic mayoral primary, a chance at the city’s highest office is not the only seat up for grabs that day. With 35 out of 51 seats open this election cycle, hundreds of political hopefuls are vying for the chance to sit on City Council next fall, with 14 candidates running in District 7— an expansive district that stretches from 96th Street to 165th Street and home to 179,682 people.

Last week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that New York state would be significantly expanding vaccine eligibility, with all New Yorkers above the age of 16 becoming eligible for vaccination starting April 6. However, even as vaccine distribution has ramped up across the country and in New York City, West Harlem residents, especially seniors, still face significant uphill battles in getting a vaccine.

After closing last November, New York City high schools have reopened for in-person instruction. While high schools in West Harlem have welcomed students back, many community members have expressed concern over safety measures to protect students, teachers, and their families from COVID-19.

Mark Levine, the Democratic City Council member representing New York City’s seventh district, is running for Manhattan borough president. Levine has represented the district, which encompasses Morningside Heights, West Harlem, Washington Heights, and a section of the Upper West Side, since 2014.

Imagine a typical New York City elementary school classroom: littered with half-chewed pencils, decorated with neon alphabet posters, filled with students’ voices as they work through books, with the ease of their reading serving as an unwitting indicator of their educational future. While not a complete determinant, a child’s reading ability can predict much of their scholastic trajectory—for example, a student who does not reach a third-grade reading level by the third grade is four times less likely to graduate high school by 19.

Within the first week of striking by the Graduate Workers of Columbia-United Auto Workers, New York University’s Graduate Student Organizing Committee-United Auto Workers announced a strike authorization vote. This vote will begin on March 23.

As members of the Graduate Workers of Columbia-United Auto Workers shifted in-person picketing efforts to the Columbia Irving Medical Center on Wednesday and to the Manhattanville campus on Thursday, the protests have become a stage for contenders in New York City’s upcoming Democratic mayoral primary on June 22 to take a stance on labor rights issues.

Over the past decade, Morningside Heights and West Harlem community members have watched as high-rise towers and luxury developments have popped up throughout their neighborhoods. And amid rising rent prices and fears of overdevelopment, residents have increasingly looked with concern toward vulnerable property sites in the area.