32: The Midtown Power Outage and Steam Explosions

A Great Big City — New York City News, History, and Events

• Top story this week has to be the blackout that hit west Manhattan. Coming 42 years to the day after the 1977 blackout from last week's show, this year's power outage was much less dramatic and lasted only a few hours. ConEd CEO John McAvoy described the failure of both the primary and backup protection systems at a power substation at 64th Street and West End Avenue, leading to power outages once the system was interrupted by a subsequent substation at 49th Street.

• Although the blackout wasn't caused by a spike in electricity usage, the heat is still on in the city, with daily high temps in the 90s. In response, cooling centers have been opened across the city in senior centers, public housing, and public libraries. On July 18th, Mayor de Blasio signed a local state of emergency that calls on city government buildings and all office buildings over 100 feet tall to conserve energy and set their thermostats no lower than 78°. Temperatures are set to rise and humidity will increase, leading to heat indexes over 100° before rain arrives on July 22nd. You can do your part by turning off your air conditioner when leaving your home and using public transportation instead of driving, which will keep the air quality clear during the heat wave. If you'll be opening your windows to get some ventilation, you can install safety devices called vent locks for sash windows or metal clips for sliding windows that make sure windows can't be forced all the way open from the outside.

• 5 years ago on July 17, 2014 — Eric Garner dies after being put in a chokehold by NYPD officers

• 12 years ago on July 18, 2007 — A steam pipe explodes near Grand Central, sending debris flying and disrupting Midtown during evening rush hour

• 1 year ago on July 19, 2018 — A steam pipe explodes near the Flatiron Building, causing a large crater outside 141 Fifth Avenue

• Be aware of your surroundings during this time of year, as two of city's steam explosions have happened during just this week in history. If you see any bulging pavement or steam escaping through cracks in the ground, stand clear and call 911 to report a dangerous condition.

• Citi Bike announced they will be expanding their coverage area over the next five years that will eventually triple the number of bikes to 40,000 and double the coverage to include the Bronx for the first time and further expand into Brooklyn and Queens.

• 5 years ago on July 22, 2014 — Two Berlin artists replace the American flags on the Brooklyn Bridge with all-white replicas

• 97 years ago on July 27, 1922 — The Hess family installs a mosaic at Seventh Avenue and Christopher Street marking what is probably the smallest plot of land in NYC

• 7 years ago — Photos of the Derecho Storm Hitting New York City

• 2 years ago — Top Five Subway Stations Ready for New Sponsored Names

• 8 years ago on July 28th, Mars Bar's Demolition Begins

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Park of the day

• Father Demo Square

Parks Events

• Celebrate Open Garden Day with the NYC Parks Department's Greenthumb program, where your local community gardens will open their doors and host fun events and information sessions.

Concert Calendar

This is the AGBC Concert Calendar for the upcoming week:

• Robyn is playing The Barclay Center on Friday, July 19th.
• Khemmis and Cloak are playing Saint Vitus Bar on Friday, July 19th.
• Acid Dad, Static Static, and The Values are playing Baby's All Right on Friday, July 19th.
• Billie Eilish is playing Radio City Music Hall on Friday, July 19th.
• 25 Years of Mercury Lounge, The Mooney Suzuki, The Negatones, and The Realistics are playing Mercury Lounge on Friday, July 19th.
• Mal Blum and adult mom are playing Rough Trade NYC on Friday, July 19th.
• OzyFest, A R I Z O N A, John Legend, Miguel, and Tove Lo are playing Great Lawn on Saturday, July 20th.
• Saor, Falls of Rauros, and Wayfarer are playing Saint Vitus Bar on Saturday, July 20th.
• Coney Island Music Festival, Bane's World, jeanines, Los Wilds, Miranda and The Beat, The Advertisers, The Feelies, and The Mystery Lights are playing Stillwell Stage Coney Island on Saturday, July 20th.
• The Mooney Suzuki and The Realistics are playing Mercury Lounge on Saturday, July 20th.
• The Marías is playing The Bowery Ballroom on Saturday, July 20th.
• The Marias is playing Bowery Ballroom on the Lower East Side on Saturday, July 20th at 8pm.
• GIMME RADIO PRESENTS Tomb Mold Superstition Ruin Lust Coagula!, Tomb Mold, Coagula, Ruin Lust, and Superstition are playing Saint Vitus Bar on Sunday, July 21st.
• JoJo Siwa with The Belles is playing Forest Hills Stadium in Forest Hills on Sunday, July 21st at 7pm.
• Twice is playing Prudential Center on Sunday, July 21st at 7pm.
• The Protomen and TWRP are playing Elsewhere on Monday, July 22nd.
• XXL Freshman Tour: XXL Freshmen is playing PlayStation Theater in Midtown on Monday, July 22nd at 8pm.
• Broadway Rising Stars is playing The Town Hall in Midtown on Monday, July 22nd at 8pm.
• Dead To A Dying World and Dead to a Dying World are playing Saint Vitus Bar on Tuesday, July 23rd.
• Godsmack with New Years Day is playing Beacon Theatre on the Upper West Side on Tuesday, July 23rd at 8pm.
• Chase Atlantic is playing Webster Hall in Noho / Union Square on Tuesday, July 23rd at 8pm.
• Elvis Costello and The Imposters and Blondie, Elvis Costello and The Imposters, and Blondie are playing Forest Hills Stadium on Wednesday, July 24th.
• Summer Salt, Dante Elephante, and Motel Radio are playing Warsaw on Wednesday, July 24th.
• Wavves, Sharkmuffin, and SURFBORT are playing Industry City Courtyard on Wednesday, July 24th.
• JoJo Siwa with The Belles is playing Prudential Center on Wednesday, July 24th at 7pm.
• Elvis Costello with Blondie is playing Forest Hills Stadium in Forest Hills on Wednesday, July 24th at 7pm.
• Iggy Azalea is playing Bowery Ballroom on the Lower East Side on Wednesday, July 24th at 7pm.
• Michael Buble is playing Madison Square Garden in Midtown West / Chelsea / Hudson Yards on Wednesday, July 24th at 8pm.
• Kurt Vile, Cate le Bon, and Dinosaur Jr. are playing SummerStage NYC on Thursday, July 25th.
• John Mayer Summer Tour 2019 and John Mayer are playing Madison Square Garden on Thursday, July 25th.
• Imperial Teen, Liam Benzvi, and Macy Rodman are playing Baby's All Right on Thursday, July 25th.
• Kurt Vile is playing Rumsey Playfield, Central Park in Midtown East on Thursday, July 25th at 6pm.

Find more fun things to do at agreatbigcity.com/events.

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Learn about New York

Here's something you may not have known about New York:

• In 2016, the MTA's 6,418 subway cars traveled a total of 358,000,000 miles!

Weather

The extreme highs and lows for this week in weather history:
Record High: 104°F on July 21, 1977
Record Low: 55°F on July 20, 1890

Weather for the week ahead:
Rain today through Monday, with high temperatures peaking at 98°F on Sunday.
Now that summer has arrived, so have warnings about high UV exposure: Now is the time to start protecting your skin and eyes from ultraviolet radiation, which will be higher during the summer months. Look for a skin protectant that is labeled as "broad spectrum" and at least SPF 50 and wear sunglasses with both UVA and UVB protection.

Outro

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Intro and outro music: 'Start the Day' by Lee Rosevere — Concert Calendar music from Jukedeck.com