Latest news with #StephenYang
New York Post
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Hundreds of Gen Zers attempt world record at largest PACER test in Central Park, fueled by gym class nostalgia: ‘Childhood nightmare'
Forget lookalike contests and run clubs. The latest tongue-in-cheek meet-up for socially starved young New Yorkers had them reliving their gym class 'nightmares.' More than 200 Gen Zers flocked to Central Park Saturday morning to attempt to smash the world record for the largest FitnessGram PACER test – for many, a dreaded grade school running exam – after a flyer promoting the bizarre event went viral on social media. 6 More than 200 Gen Zers flocked to Central Park Saturday morning to attempt the world record at the largest FitnessGram PACER test – for many, a dreaded grade school running assessment. Stephen Yang Advertisement The fitness test, described as a 'childhood nightmare' by one bystander, requires participants to run across a 20-meter field in timed intervals that become increasingly faster. If a runner doesn't clear the field before time is up, they are eliminated from the race. 'I think everyone can relate to it because we all did it growing up,' said Jordan Haber, the 24-year-old Boca Raton, Florida native who created the Partiful event that garnered over 600 'interested' RSVPs online. 'It's free, it's accessible, it's all ages, it's something from their childhood.' Haber — who last made headlines after discovering a loophole that allowed him to become eligible for the NBA Draft despite having no prior experience playing basketball in college, high school or middle school — told The Post he found inspiration for the event after seeing a Hinge prompt quoting the PACER test's meme-ified opening instructions. Advertisement 6 The test, described as a 'childhood nightmare' by one bystander, requires participants to run across a 20-meter field in timed intervals that become increasingly quicker. Stephen Yang The running exam, also called the Bleep test, represents a shared experience among many Gen Zers, allowing them to connect — or even trauma bond, depending on their middle school memories. 'It's like how we all have the PSAT memes and bonded over that,' one runner explained. 'People might not have done well on that, but … it's something a lot of people know.' 6 Haber told The Post he found inspiration for the event after seeing a Hinge prompt quoting the PACER test's meme-ified opening instructions. Courtesy of Jordan Haber Advertisement Fresh-faced participants agreed the event — complete with a 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid'-themed promotional poster — brought back a flood of early aughts grade school memories. 'I grew up in New York City, and it was a part of normal gym class — when I saw it online, I felt a sense of nostalgia for it,' said 28-year-old Bushwick resident Emily Akers, who brought her boyfriend Jonah Daniell, 30, to try the test for the first time. 'Being an adult now and prioritizing working out more than I did when I was 15, I thought it would be fun to do it again,' she said, adding: 'In high school, I threw up [during the test], and it might happen again.' 'We just want to be kids again,' said 21-year-old nursing student Olivia Stueber. 'I need to reclaim my score from middle school, being one of the first ones out.' Advertisement 'I'm doing it for nostalgia,' said 25-year-old Harlem resident Max Silverman, 'and it's an excuse to work out on a Saturday morning.' 6 Participants agreed the event — complete with a 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid'-themed promotional poster — brought back early aughts grade school memories. Stephen Yang Some attendees noted the gym class revival put a fun spin on Manhattan's trendy run clubs — and even re-contextualized stressful memories of the classroom test. 'When I was in school, we were like 'Ugh, we have to do it again?' And now people join here just for fun,' said spectator Merce llunell, a native of Barcelona, Spain, who said she would be interested in participating if Haber were to make it a regular event. 'You miss it.' 6 Aric Cutuli, 24, of Manhattan (center), won the contest and said he prepared by having fewer alcoholic beverages than typical the night before. Stephen Yang 'I didn't do too well on it in elementary school, so I'm trying to do better,' said 22-year-old Jacob Halabe. 'There was always one kid when everyone would be done and he would just be styling on people.' The race winner Aric Cutuli — who finished with 51 laps — admitted he was 'always that kid in P.E. who was the try-hard.' 'I did better than I thought I would,' Cutuli, a 24-year-old Murray Hill resident and San Jose, California native, told The Post. Advertisement 6 Organizer Jordan Haber, 24, speaks to PACER test participants in Central Park's Sheep Meadow. Stephen Yang When asked how he prepared, he said: 'I didn't drink that much last night.' Though the event didn't draw nearly as many participants needed to break the world record (held by Army Foundation College in Harrogate, England with 941 runners), Haber argued the real point of the event was to foster a shared camaraderie among young New York City residents — especially for a demographic whose high school and college years were impacted by the social isolation of the COVID pandemic. Haber noted that, while the bizarre event was inspired by popular massive gatherings like the Timothee Chalamet lookalike contest and the 'Cheeseball man' eating events, the ability for attendees to participate is a major draw for Gen Z. Advertisement 'Manhattan is a big city and people get lost in it: people here are probably going to meet and make friends,' he said. 'It gets people out of the house … a lot of people probably came alone.' 'Nobody asked me if we broke the world record,' Haber added. 'Everyone was just like, 'This was really cool.''
New York Post
4 days ago
- Business
- New York Post
Jamaica, Queens tries to rebrand with $100K marketing campaign as locals brace for change
A $100,000 marketing campaign is aiming to rebrand a stretch of Jamaica. Queens with a hip-sounding acronym ahead of a rezoning expected to transform the transit hub. The new nickname 'DJQ' — for more than three dozen blocks along Jamaica Avenue — comes ahead of a rezoning that officials believe will pave the way for new residential units, shops and public space. 'Jamaica has always been a commercial hub, and now it's about bringing awareness and opening people's eyes up to the fact that this is a place that you can come and shop and eat and wander around,' said Whitney Barrat, president of Downtown Jamaica Partnership President Whitney Barrat, which is leading the rebranding effort. 'It's just much easier to start from a brand that's identifiable … and get people familiar with all the neighborhood has to offer,' Barrat told The Post. DJQ — short for Downtown Jamaica, Queens — specifically describes the zone stretching from Sutphin Boulevard to 169th Street. 6 Jamaica, long seen as an outer borough transit hub, is attempting to rebrand itself as a New York City destination. Stephen Yang The $100,000 rebrand aims to 'reframe perceptions of Jamaica from pass-through to destination' by advocating for small businesses, boosting public safety and hosting family-friendly programming, according to the group. 6 Downtown Jamaica Partnership BID vice president Jahnavi Aluri (left) and president Whitney Barrat. Stephen Yang The city Planning Commission is set to vote next month on a massive Jamaica Area Rezoning Plan to add up to 12,000 new homes – 4,000 of them permanently affordable – and create an estimated 7,000 new jobs in hospitality, technology and light manufacturing. 'Beyond these zoning changes, the plan would include strategic investments to enhance infrastructure, transit access, open space, and more,' city documents read. At the same time, the city plans to build a one-acre park dubbed Station Plaza outside the Sutphin Boulevard subway station and a $70 million investment in street improvements, both set to begin in 2026. 6 A section of buildings which will be turned into the three block-long Station Plaza. Stephen Yang The area has already been undergoing massive changes in recent years, Barrat said, with a 13% population boom between 2010 and 2020 — outpacing the citywide population increase twofold — and a spate of new luxury high-rise apartments began sprouting up since the pandemic. Among the newest offerings are a barber shop, bakery and ice cream shop, alongside Raising Cane's, Shake Shack and Chipotle — but there's still an unfulfilled demand for late-night eateries and nightlife to inject life into the area beyond the bustling LIRR, AirTrain and subway stations. 'We want people to come here and shop, not just for the transportation hub,' said BID board member Sari Kulka, who hopes the rebrand will attract bookstores, pet stores, co-working spaces, restaurants and breweries in the future. 6 The area has already been undergoing massive changes in recent years, Barrat said, with a 13% population boom between 2010 and 2020. Stephen Yang Now, the group is requesting city funding for a handful of public safety 'ambassadors' to be the NYPD's eyes and ears on the corridor and keep tabs on quality-of-life concerns like fighting, drug use and illegal vending. 6 Rufus King Park in Jamaica, Queens. Stephen Yang The BID hopes the local-led initiative will help mitigate 'one-size-fits-all' solutions like the city's 2021 busway redesign, which gobbled up parking in the car-centric neighborhood and decimated business for some locals, like Rincon Salvadoreno owner Elena Barcenes. 'I would probably say 75% of my customers are gone now,' Barcenes said, noting longtime customers of her 40-year business disappeared due to the lack of parking and a surge in parking tickets issued. 6 'I would probably say 75% of my customers are gone now,' business owner Elena Barcenes said, attributing the drop to a DOT busway project that gobbled up Jamaica Avenue parking spaces. Stephen Yang Barcenes, who supports the rezoning project, hopes to expand her business with catering, as well as nightlife offerings with DJs as more young people move into the area. The rezoning plan may also propose changes to the design of streets and enforcement of traffic regulations to prioritize cyclists, seniors and people with disabilities, per planning documents, as part of the initiative set to combat the 'big housing shortage' facing the neighborhood. 'It's a positive thing for the community, I think it would be a great option for low-income people,' said Bronx native Fabiola Cyriaque, 23, who has been living in a homeless shelter in Jamaica since March. 'I'm excited.'
New York Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Trouble-packed NYC animal shelters land another $1M in taxpayer funds — GOP's Sliwa slams as ‘drop in the bucket'
The city is dumping another $1 million into its troubled jam-packed animal-shelter system to hire and train 14 new staffers, City Hall said Friday. The Animal Care Centers of New York City — a nonprofit with a $1.4 billion contract to run the Big Apple's animal-shelter system for 34 years — recently announced it was suspending its intake of dogs and cats because of 'critical' overcrowding. The move came days after a Post expose revealed ongoing sickening conditions at ACC's new $75 million city-funded shelter in Queens. Advertisement 5 Anna Garguilo, an adoptions counselor with Charmy, 4, an Akita mix. Stephen Yang 'ACC's work to ensure no animal is left behind is essential to protecting animals across New York City, and our administration is proud to invest $1 million in additional funding to support the work ACC does and boost their capacity to better care for animals,' Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement. 'I also urge New Yorkers looking for a pet addition to their families to adopt, so we can ensure that every animal can find a loving home.' Advertisement But GOP mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa slammed the funding announcement as a piecemeal solution to the larger problem of animal welfare in Gotham. 'The city has completely ignored animal welfare,' Sliwa wrote on X. 'Today's $1M for ACC is a drop in the bucket. ACC has a 34-year contract worth over $1B—and yet our shelters are overcrowded, surrenders are paused, and animals are suffering.' 5 New York City mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa holds a campaign event outside of an Animal Care Center on 110th street in East Harlem in Manhattan. Stephen Yang 5 'ACC has a 34-year contract worth over $1B—and yet our shelters are overcrowded, surrenders are paused, and animals are suffering,' Sliwa said. Stephen Yang Advertisement The red-beret-wearing Republican, who shares an apartment with six rescue cats, earlier this week called for the city to end its contract with ACC and replace it with a city-run overhaul that would include a 'quasi-private public partnership' to shift the cost away from taxpayers. A new animal welfare agency would be created in the 'basement' of City Hall and all shelters would be kill-free and offer free spay and neuter programs under a Sliwa administration. The ACC has three active sites across the five boroughs with more than 1,000 animals in its care. 5 New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks at a press conference to announce that 200 rescues have been made through the NYPD's drone and enforcement operations targeting subway surfing on July 21, 2025 in New York City. Andrew Schwartz / Advertisement 5 A new animal welfare agency would be created in the 'basement' of City Hall and all shelters would be kill-free and offer free spay and neuter programs under a Sliwa administration. Stephen Yang While the ACC is mandated to have a location in each of the five boroughs, the Brooklyn location is currently closed till 2026 for renovations, and the Bronx resource center has been 'temporarily' closed since May. Another $92 million facility in The Bronx is still under construction even though it was slated to open in the spring. The ACC did not respond to a Post request for comment. Adams' campaign did not respond to a request for comment, either.
New York Post
7 days ago
- Business
- New York Post
Foreign tourism to NYC expected to see ‘devastating' $4B drop this year according to industry experts
For foreign tourists, the shine is coming off the Big Apple. Some 2 million fewer visitors from other countries are expected to make the trip to New York City this year, which could cost New York City $4 billion in foreign tourism dollars for 2025, a major industry group said. 5 Big Apple businesses that cater to floods of tourists are already feeling a pinch as foreign travelers are ditching New York this summer, The Post has learned. Stephen Yang Advertisement The drop — which could be as much as 14% — will have a brutal affect on the New York economy, as foreign tourists usually spend big, according to NYC Tourism + Conventions, which did the study. 'Although international visitors make up 20% of total visitation, they account for approximately 50% of all visitor spending, making them essential to New York City's economy,' group CEO Julie Coker said in a statement. 'Combined, this downward revision represents an estimated loss of over $4 billion in direct spending.' Advertisement Big Apple businesses that usually cater to floods of tourists told The Post they are already seeing things slow to a trickle — which is a major disappointment after NYC Tourism + Conventions announced a 'full recovery' for NYC tourism from the effects of COVID-19 in 2024. They blame a variety of causes for the drop, including the United States' new positions on foreign policy and tariffs, especially the new attitude toward Canada. 5 Tourists gather in Times Square in Manhattan. Stephen Yang 'There is an absolute real-world decline in tourism and revenue due to Trump's tariffs, and aggressive posting towards our friendly northern neighbors,' said tour guide operator Matt Levy of Spread Love Tours, who told The Post he is now 'belt tightening' and seeking to take on 'luxury' clientele to make up for losses. Advertisement Levy, whose company caters to a 'significant number of student travel groups from Canada,' was slammed with a staggering 85% drop in revenue from Canadian visitors this year, he said — effectively wiping out a national demographic that makes up 30% of his total revenue. 'For 2026, I would bet hard money it will go to zero [dollars from Canada],' Levy said, noting all of his Canadian revenue from 2025 came from groups that put their deposit down pre-election. 'The kids, the parents want to go, but the school boards are saying, 'Why are we going to go spend money to generate taxes in a country where the president hates us?'' he continued. ''Rather, we can spend money and generate taxes in our own nation.'' 5 K. Krombie, tour guide at Purefinder New York and author of 'Death in New York: History and Culture of Burials, Undertakers and Executions.' Michael Nagle Advertisement K. Krombie, a tour guide who operates Purefinder New York tours like 'Death in New York' and 'Central Park: Scandal and Vice,' told The Post she has seen a 'drop in revenue.' 'I think a lot of it is based around politics,' she said. 'I think some of it is a defiant boycott, and a lot of it is financial, because of the global effects of the tariffs. People are like, 'well, we can go somewhere else to spend our money.' . . . It's devastating, and utterly noticeable, but it's one of those things that you only really can study in hindsight.' 5 Seventeen-year-old Britany Vimos, who sells NYC souvenirs to tourists across the street from Byrant Park. Nicole Rosenthal/NY Post Lori Pickhardt, New York City Manager of Tours By Foot, said there was one hope for city tourism. 'We are hopeful the fall of the US dollar entices people to take advantage of travel to the US, but we are not expecting things to pick up for the next 3.5 years since there seems to be no sense of concern in the United States about the impact on small American businesses or the American consumer.' Christina Hansen, the spokesperson for Central Park's horse carriage drivers, said the union is missing 'a lot of our customer base, which is the UK, Canada, Ireland and Australia. 'But I think domestic tourism is down too . . . because of economic chaos, air travel issues and [a] perceived terror threat due to foreign policy decisions.' 5 Women sell fruit in front of the Hard Rock Cafe in Midtown, Manhattan. Stephen Yang Advertisement Even a manager at a Midtown Applebee's, who declined to provide his name, told The Post his business is down at his location by more than 20% since last year – and blames dwindling tourism numbers for it. A Hard Rock Café worker similarly lamented: 'I don't think it's been the same since last year.' Still, NYC Tourism said that it will continue its global marketing campaign 'with focused outreach across Canada, Mexico, the UK and Western Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia Pacific. 'Our welcoming spirit will not waver,' Coker added, 'and global travelers have an open invitation to visit the one and only New York City when they're ready.'
New York Post
24-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Trump to sign executive order forcing homeless off America's streets
WASHINGTON — President Trump will sign an executive order Thursday calling on states and cities to 'remove vagrant individuals' from the streets — and rehouse homeless people, drug addicts, and those suffering from mental problems in 'treatment centers.' The order redirects federal funding to finance 'treatment centers, outpatient treatment and other facilities,' per a readout of the order viewed by The Post. States and municipalities that already crackdown on open illicit drug use and urban camping, loitering or squatting, and tracking sex offenders, will be prioritized for grants. The order redirects federal funding to finance 'treatment centers, outpatient treatment and other facilities.' Stephen Yang 'President Trump is delivering on his commitment to Make America Safe Again and end homelessness across America,' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. 'By removing vagrant criminals from our streets and redirecting resources toward substance abuse programs, the Trump Administration will ensure that Americans feel safe in their own communities and that individuals suffering from addiction or mental health struggles are able to get the help they need.'
