AGP Executive Report

Food & Nightlife: Frozen-yogurt mentions have surged 320% in NYC, while a new Lower East Side gelato shop doubles as an art studio. Arts & Culture: A new contemporary-art festival and inaugural Art Week are bringing exhibitions to venues across the city; downtown, a $25 million Tribeca loft preserves an early Keith Haring mural. City Traditions: New York plans to end Central Park’s 150-year horse-carriage rides by 2028, with drivers facing an uncertain transition. Big Events: New York Comic Con’s 20th anniversary drew more than 250,000 fans and generated $91 million for the city. Landmarks: The Plaza Hotel is set to close in January for at least four years of restoration.

Race Day: Jennifer Connelly, Dylan Efron and other stars are among the runners confirmed for the Nov. 1 New York City Marathon, which marks 50 years on its five-borough route. City Traditions: New York is moving to ban horse-drawn carriages after a teenager’s death, putting a 150-year-old pastime on the way out. Immigrant New York: A federal judge dismissed the Trump administration’s challenge to the city’s sanctuary laws, leaving them in place. Arts & Heritage: Rita Moreno visits Lehman College on Oct. 20 for a Hispanic Heritage Month conversation about her career and cultural legacy. Culture & Commerce: New York Comic Con drew more than 250,000 fans and generated $91 million for the city. For Artists: Mayor Zohran Mamdani doubled NYC artist grants to $10,000, the first increase of its kind in nearly 20 years. Landmark Watch: The Plaza Hotel plans to close in 2027 for a four-year restoration of its historic façade.

Landmark Hotels: The Plaza Hotel is set to close in 2027 for a four-year facade restoration, putting one of New York’s best-known addresses temporarily out of reach. City Traditions: New York City plans to phase out Central Park’s horse-drawn carriages by 2028 after a teenager’s death; drivers warn the change threatens their livelihoods. Harlem History: “Once Upon a Time in Harlem,” built around newly restored footage of a 1972 gathering of Harlem Renaissance artists and thinkers, opens in New York theaters this week. Fan Culture: New York Comic Con marked its 20th anniversary with fans at the center, while its growing crowds and higher costs reflected a tougher economy. Art and Music: The Morgan Library & Museum’s “Ragtime: Cakewalk in Pianoland” opens Nov. 13, spotlighting Scott Joplin and the music that made him known as the “King of Ragtime.” New Retail: Bellroy plans its first New York stores, in Flatiron and Soho, as the lifestyle brand expands into physical retail next year.

City Traditions: New York City leaders have struck a deal to end Central Park’s horse-drawn carriage rides by June 2028, after a fatal accident. A proposed transition plan aims to address the impact on carriage workers. Fandom: New York Comic Con marked its 20th anniversary, celebrating the fans and creators who have made it a citywide cultural fixture. Arts Funding: Mayor Zohran Mamdani has doubled the city’s artist grant to $10,000, the first increase in nearly 20 years. Film: The Korean Cultural Center New York is launching its first Korean Independent Film Festival. Historic Landmarks: The Plaza Hotel is set to close for at least four years for restoration of its historic facade.

City Traditions: New York City plans to end Central Park’s horse-drawn carriage rides by 2028, after a teenager’s death renewed calls from animal-welfare advocates to retire the 150-year-old attraction. Arts & Culture: Peter Nagy, the artist who co-founded East Village gallery Nature Morte in 1982 before helping shape India’s contemporary art scene, has died. On Screen: Lena Dunham is bringing Girls back to HBO for a five-episode run, a decade after the series finale, with several original cast members returning. Fandom: New York Comic Con marked its 20th anniversary with a packed slate of reveals and fan celebrations. For Artists: The city has doubled its artist grants to $10,000, the first increase in nearly 20 years. On Stage: Luigi: The Musical is set to return to New York next month.

City Traditions: New York is moving to end Central Park’s horse-carriage industry by 2028, raising questions about the workers’ future and the fate of an iconic tourist attraction. Fandom & Film: New York Comic Con marked its 20th anniversary, while NewFest opened with a lineup of 12 LGBTQ films. Arts Access: The city has doubled its artist grant to $10,000 and will provide free art supplies to grantees; NYC Artists Open Their Doors also puts local creators in the spotlight. Food Culture: Magnolia Bakery and Mimi’s teamed up on a banana-pudding frozen yogurt, giving a New York classic a new twist. Cultural Identity: Mayor Zohran Mamdani skipped the Columbus Day Parade, prompting criticism from Italian-American leaders even as he pledged to host a heritage reception.

Campus Accountability: Cornell has suspended fraternity parties and social events for the rest of the academic year after protests over its handling of a 2024 sexual-assault allegation. The university says it will review fraternity life and strengthen investigations. Changing City Traditions: Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Council Speaker Julie Menin back phasing out Central Park horse-drawn carriages, with a proposed June 2028 end date and a transition plan for workers. Arts Access: Mamdani has doubled the city’s artist grant to $10,000, while a new “Opera for All” effort brings performances to thousands. NYC on Screen and Stage: NewFest’s first-half lineup opens with 12 LGBTQ films, and New York Comic Con marked its 20th anniversary as a major pop-culture gathering. Cultural Institutions: The longtime leader of Irish Arts Center plans to step down next year.

City & Community: Mayor Zohran Mamdani ordered a review of NYPD use-of-force policies as an ICE shooting in Marble Hill prompted protests and renewed calls for the agency to leave New York. Arts Funding: The city is doubling artist grants to $10,000, while Beyoncé gave Harlem’s Studio Museum $2 million for its work championing Black artists. Pop Culture: New York Comic Con brought 3,000 fans to the Dragon Ball Super: Beerus premiere, and the Brooklyn Nine-Nine cast reunited to remember Andre Braugher. Culture & Heritage: Navratri dancers brought Garba to Times Square, while Mamdani’s absence from the Columbus Day parade stirred debate over the city’s Italian-American traditions.

Music & the City: Harry Styles used his Madison Square Garden show to remember Oscar Belgal, the man shot by ICE in the Bronx, and urged fans to stand for “dignity and justice.” Arts Funding: New York City plans to double artist grants to $10,000, the first increase in nearly 20 years. Comic Con: New York Comic Con brought major fandom news, including a Disney+ animated “Artemis Fowl” series; Nicolas Cage said he rejected an Amazon waiver allowing AI use of his performance. Heritage & Arts: Fifth Avenue’s Columbus Day parade celebrated Italian-American heritage, while a separate Randall’s Island gathering honored Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The documentary “Torn: The Israel-Palestine Poster War on NYC Streets” won a New York Emmy.

Immigrant Community: Oscar Belgal, shot by an ICE agent in Marble Hill, remains in federal custody with a bullet in his neck, his lawyers say. A judge has blocked his deportation as the shooting fuels protests and calls for an investigation. Arts & Culture: New York Comic Con marked its 20th anniversary with packed show floors, cosplay and announcements including new Naruto projects. Artist Support: New York City is doubling grants for artists to $10,000 for the first time in nearly 20 years, expanding a key source of support for the city’s creative community. Music Business: Mondo.NYC runs Oct. 13–16, bringing more than 190 music, tech and finance leaders together for talks on AI, artists’ rights and the industry’s future. Books & Food: “Hot literature fall” is turning classic novels and book-club picks into social-media style, while baker Bryan Ford shares a rum-topped bread pudding made with day-old bread.

New York Comic Con: The convention brought major announcements, from a new Naruto anime to a first look at Blade Runner 2099, alongside a spotlight panel with Idina Menzel. Arts Funding: New York City is doubling artist grants to $10,000 for the first time in nearly 20 years, expanding support for local creatives. Brooklyn Culture: Haitian artists, designers and musicians brought their work to CultureCon, celebrating Caribbean creativity in the borough. Museum Milestone: The Ukrainian Museum marks 50 years in New York, reflecting the city’s enduring cultural ties to Ukraine. Dancehall: Jamaican artist Max Wayne and Bahamian singer Starr Trilli teamed up on a remix gaining traction on tri-state radio.

New York Comic Con: The convention unveiled a slate of anime and sci-fi news, including a four-episode Naruto–Ninkū crossover, a new manga from creator Masashi Kishimoto and a trailer for Prime Video’s Blade Runner 2099. Pride in the Capital Region: Troy’s third annual Collar City Pride festival brought together performers, 50 vendors and community resource groups, with organizers highlighting the ongoing fight for LGBTQ+ rights. Literary New York: The Lahore Literary Festival at Asia Society celebrated the Pakistani city’s writers, theatre and arts, drawing a connection between Lahore’s cultural role and New York’s. Community Tensions: Protests followed an ICE shooting in Marble Hill, as residents voiced fear and anger over federal enforcement in their neighborhood.

Immigration and Community: Protests continued across New York after ICE shot Oscar Belgal in the Bronx, with a judge blocking his deportation for now. The incident has intensified calls for accountability and fears among immigrant families. New York Comic Con: Marvel and Japanese publisher Kadokawa launched five manga series, including new Spider-Man and Deadpool stories. Image Comics also announced Roam, reuniting Paper Girls creators Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang. Neighborhood Identity: President Trump threatened to withhold federal funds unless the city adds Little Italy to its map of immigrant enclaves, putting New York’s recognition of its diverse communities in the political spotlight. Art and Culture: The Korean Cultural Center New York’s retrospective of Tchah Sup Kim, featuring more than 130 works, is on view through Oct. 24.

ICE Shooting and Protests: A federal agent shot a man during an immigration operation in Marble Hill, with a five-year-old in the car. The shooting prompted protests and calls from immigrant advocates for an independent investigation and public release of body-camera footage. Comic Con: New York Comic Con marked its 20th anniversary with elaborate fan costumes and previews of upcoming anime and comics, drawing fans to the city’s biggest pop-culture gathering. Arts Funding: New York City doubled individual artist grants to $10,000, offering more support as rising costs squeeze the creative community. Chelsea Exhibition: “From Form to Force” brings nearly five decades of work by Masaaki Noda to GOCA by Garde, pairing new steel sculptures with paintings shaped by the artist’s Japanese, Greek and New York experiences. Caribbean Heritage: New York’s Caribbean community joined tributes to calypso legend Mighty Sparrow, who died in the city at 91 after a career spanning more than seven decades.

Marble Hill Shooting: An ICE officer shot a man during an operation in Marble Hill while a five-year-old was in the car, sparking protests and a dispute between Mayor Zohran Mamdani and federal officials over the incident and immigration enforcement. New York Comic Con: The convention unveiled a trailer for Mike Flanagan’s “The Exorcist: Martyrs,” starring Scarlett Johansson as an NYPD detective, and teased a new project for the Tiny Chef. Support for Artists: New York City doubled grants for local artists, with individual awards rising to $10,000 as the city looks to ease rising costs. Culture and Learning: The New York Botanical Garden is launching its first Día de los Muertos celebration, while the state is expanding free community college to more adult learners.

Immigration Enforcement: An ICE officer shot Dominican man Oscar Belgal in the neck during an arrest in Marble Hill as his 5-year-old rode in the car. A federal official said agents believed they were in danger; Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned the shooting and called for ICE to leave the city, as protests followed. Campus Accountability: Former Cornell student leaders say they warned the university of a fraternity “rape culture” in 2022, two years before a student alleged she was sexually assaulted by seven fraternity members. The lawsuit’s claims are contested, and no criminal charges have been filed. Literature: Anne Carson won the Nobel Prize in Literature, honoring writing that moves between poetry, essays, classical scholarship and fiction—and often leaves readers productively unsettled. Pop Culture: New York Comic Con marked its 20th anniversary with fresh anime announcements, including a teaser for Berserk of Gluttony Season 2. Arts Funding: New York City has doubled individual artist grants to $10,000 and added free art supplies.