A New Way To Follow The Mayor's Race

Dear Reader,

I’m reaching out with an update and an invitation. As many of you know, Bklyner has been quiet. Like many of you, I’ve spent the past year thinking about what kinds of conversations we need to have to make New York City a better place to live—and how we can move past political drama and sound bites to focus on real solutions.

That’s why I’m excited to share that I’ve joined the Manhattan Institute as editor of The Bigger Apple, a weekly newsletter focused on New York City policy and politics.

(You can sign up for The Bigger Apple here, or — just hit reply to this email and say hi, and I’ll add you.)

My focus at Bklyner has been on practical, thoughtful reporting on the issues that shape daily life in this city—housing, transit, public safety, education—at the ground level.

The Bigger Apple builds on that same mission, but with a citywide lens. My aim is to cut through the noise and deliver clear, accessible insights on the big decisions being made right now—and what they’ll mean for the future of New York. I’ll be tracking the messy mayoral primaries (including Brooklynites Brad Lander and Zellnor Myrie, as well as Mayor Adams), breaking down policies like the City of Yes rezoning, subway safety issues, plans to improve schools and much more.

If you work in government, policy, or advocacy in NYC, I hope The Bigger Apple will offer a useful perspective—and even challenge your thinking—whether you lean left or right. My goal is to foster debate, encourage pragmatic solutions, and bring you ideas from some of the sharpest policy minds in the city, including Eric Kober on housing and zoning, Stephen Eide on homelessness and mental health, and Nicole Gelinas, whose new book Movement has been called The Power Broker for transportation.

The newsletter goes out Friday mornings, we’ve published just a few issues so far (you can find them here), and I’d really value your feedback as The Bigger Apple continues to take shape. If you’re interested, I hope you’ll subscribe (it’s free!) and let me know what you think. Or just respond to this email, and I'll add you to the list.

Warmly,

Liena

P.S. I miss Bklyner, and you are increasingly likely to hear from me here as well, especially as the primaries approach – because I cannot resist sharing gems like this on local elections that don't get much citywide coverage:

The Special Election for the Borough Park (Council District 44) seat is tomorrow, March 25, and Senator Simcha Felder is running against Harold “Heshy” Tischler to fill the seat vacated by Kalman Yeger, who replaced Helene Weinstein in the Assembly after she retired at the end of 2024. And, according to City & State, it is not clear that Felder will win. But if he does, they expect a political game of musical chairs:

"Republican City Council Member Inna Vernikov is reportedly weighing a run for Felder’s Senate seat if he wins the council race. If successful, that would open up a vacancy in her Southern Brooklyn council seat. Former Council Member Ari Kagan is already fundraising for a run in District 48, Vernikov’s current district. Kagan declined to comment when asked whether he would challenge Vernikov even if there wasn’t a vacancy in her council seat. But best believe those two have March 25 marked on their calendars."  

Plus we've got lots to talk about housing – the City of Yes is already starting to have an impact, and I can't help noticing Brooklyn specific news and issues as I work to cover the city. But for now, I hope you’ll join me at The Bigger Apple. Let’s keep this conversation going.