MAYOR ADAMS, NYC TOURISM + CONVENTIONS, THE BROADWAY LEAGUE ANNOUNCE FREE LIVE CONCERT IN TIMES SQUARE TO CELEBRATE 400 YEARS OF NEW YORK CITY HISTORY

 

“Founded By Broadway” Will Feature Performances From 23 Celebrated Broadway Shows on September 7 

  

Part of Adams Administration’s “Founded By NYC” Campaign Commemorating  City’s 400th Anniversary Through Concerts, Celebrations, and Free Events During 2025 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, NYC Tourism + Conventions (NYC Tourism), and The Broadway League today announced “Founded By Broadway,” a free live concert to celebrate the 400th anniversary of New York City and spotlight Broadway’s vital role in the city’s history. The concert — which will take place live in Times Square on September 7, 2025 at 11:00 AM, rain or shine — will be a marquee event for “Founded By NYC,” the Adams administration’s immersive year-long campaign commemorating 400 years of New York City history. “Founded By Broadway” will celebrate the past, present, and future of Broadway, with performances and appearances by some of Broadway’s newest and most celebrated shows, including Aladdin, & Juliet, The Book of Mormon, Buena Vista Social Club, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, Chicago, Death Becomes Her, The Great Gatsby, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Hell’s Kitchen, Just in Time, The Lion King, Mamma Mia!, Maybe Happy Ending, MJ, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical, The Outsiders, Punch, SIX: The Musical, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York), and Wicked. All performances will be accompanied by live music courtesy of The Music Performance Trust Fund and the Film Funds. Performances and artists are subject to change closer to the final performance date. 

  

Originally unveiled at the end of 2024, Founded By NYC celebrates the 400th anniversary of New York City through activations across the five boroughs — including New York City-themed movies as part of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation free summer movies series; the largest-ever New York City Department of Transportation Summer Streets with 400 blocks of free events citywide; the 47th annual Museum Mile Festival; and more. 

  

“For well over 100 years, a small stretch of theaters in the heart of Manhattan has transported audiences across the entire world and through time. From stories set as close as Hell’s Kitchen to epic adventures in far-off lands, Broadway has inspired generations of New Yorkers and visitors alike with its creativity, energy, and ambition,” said Mayor Adams. “The story of Broadway is the story of New York City, and with ‘Founded By Broadway’ and this Times Square concert for all to partake in for free, we will help tell both of these stories this September. Thanks to ‘Founded By NYC,’ we’re thrilled to be hosting events like this all year long as we commemorate more than four centuries of New York City history and show, once again, why we are ‘the greatest city in the world.’” 

  

“There’s only one Broadway and there’s only one New York City. The heart of Times Square is the perfect place to celebrate Broadway’s legacy,” said Jason Laks, president, The Broadway League. “As we mark 400 years of this extraordinary city, the ‘Founded By Broadway’ concert will bring together the energy, talent, and storytelling that define New York and inspire the world. We’re proud to be part of the ‘Founded By NYC’ campaign and to showcase the artists, productions, and performances that continue to make Broadway a cultural cornerstone and economic engine for our city.” 

  

“Broadway is synonymous with a visit to New York City, and what better way to celebrate 400 years than with a free, live concert in the center of it all, Times Square,” said Julie Coker, president and CEO, New York City Tourism + Conventions. “As a marquee moment of our ‘Founded By NYC’ campaign, this celebration will spotlight our renowned theater scene and launch NYC Broadway Week, offering 2-for-1 admission to a variety of remarkable shows this season while supporting local businesses in the theater district.” 

  

Event Details 

  

Title: Founded By Broadway 

Date: Sunday, September 7, 2025 

Time: 11:00 A.M. – 12:30 P.M.; rain or shine  

Location: Duffy Square in Times Square (West 46th and West 47th Streets between Broadway and Seventh Avenue) 

Cost: Free 

Website: nyctourism.com/foundedbybroadway 

  

The Adams administration’s Founded By NYC campaign — led by NYC Tourism + Conventions — brings together organizations across the city, including the Lenape Center,  The Broadway League, the Museum of the City of New York, Times Square Alliance and multiple other Business Improvement Districts, all city agencies, and more. Throughout the year, New York City’s 400th anniversary is being incorporated into major city events in the worlds of art, film, music, and more, including Gracie Mansion’s art installations, New York free summer movies featuring notable films set in the five boroughs, the Museum Mile Festival, performances by Broadway stars, and the largest-ever Summer Streets. New York City’s 400th anniversary themes are also being featured at additional events, parades, festivals, institutions, and celebrations across the city throughout the year. The campaign is supported by Hamilton, the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, including the song, “The Schuyler Sisters,” which provides the soundtrack for the Founded By NYC video. 

  

The Founded By NYC campaign highlights the achievements, creativity, and resilience of the five boroughs and its people, including the perspectives of marginalized audiences like those of the Indigenous community, women, and people of color. Throughout planning for New York City’s 400th anniversary, the Mayor’s Office has partnered with the Lenape Center to uplift the voices of the Lenape community. Last year, Mayor Adams proclaimed November 20 “Lenape Heritage Day” in a ceremony at Gracie Mansion. This announcement came one year after Mayor Adams hosted the first-ever mayoral reception celebrating Native American and Indigenous heritage at Gracie Mansion to ensure the past contributions and painful experiences of the Lenape people and other Indigenous communities are not lost to history. 

  

As part of the campaign, NYC Tourism launched “From Times Square to the World,” a video series featuring local hosts using Times Square as a starting point to explore all five boroughs and uncover groundbreaking cultural movements, creative cuisines, and revolutionary ideas that make New York City unlike anywhere else. The video series can be found on the Founded By NYC website and NYC Tourism social media pages, alongside two series entitled Origin Stories and Object Lessons. The campaign also includes Founded By NYC branded content, created with media partners WNBC New York and Telemundo, as well as Atlas Obscura and the Bowery Boys.    

  

Founded By Broadway will be held in partnership with The Broadway League. The Broadway League, founded in 1930, is the national trade association for the Broadway industry representing more than 800 members from nearly 200 national and international markets including theatre owners and operators, producers, presenters, and general managers, as well as suppliers of goods and services to the commercial theatre industry. Key league programs and resources such as Kids’ Night on Broadway, The Jimmy Awards/National High School Musical Theatre Awards, Broadway Bridges, Black to Broadway, ¡Viva! Broadway, Broadway Membership Fellows, Broadway Speakers Bureau, and the Internet Broadway Database represent the League’s ongoing commitment to creating an inclusive culture within the industry that is geared toward accessibility and advancing audience development, industry practices, and workforce opportunities. The Broadway League co-administers the dotBroadway top-level domain, providing online visitors assurance that the web address they are accessing is from a verified League member. Since 1967, The Broadway League has been co-presenting the Antoinette Perry “Tony” Awards.  

Governor Hochul Announces Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 Moving Forward With Award of Tunneling Contract

Next Phase of the Project Will Extend Existing Tunnel to 125 St

New Approach to Phase 2 Yields $1.3 Billion in Savings; On Track ToBe 10 Percent Cheaper Than Phase 1

Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 Project Will Bring Transit Equity to East Harlem

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Board has approved the tunnel-boring contract for Phase 2 of the Second Avenue Subway, the project extending the Q train from 96 Street to 125 Street that will deliver new transit access to East Harlem residents. This new tunnel will extend from 116 Street to 125 Street. Crews under this contract will also excavate space for the future 125 Street Station, and in a cost-containment measure that saves the MTA $500 million, will outfit the tunnel along the route that was built in the 1970s to accommodate the future 116 Street Station.

The work to bore the new tunnel, between 35 and 120 feet below Second Avenue, is expected to take place using 750-ton machines equipped with 22-foot diamond-studded drill heads. Early work will commence later this year, with heavy civil construction starting in early 2026 and the tunnel boring itself expected to begin in 2027.

“It's been a century since the people of East Harlem were promised the new subway they deserve — and we are finally getting it done,” Governor Hochul said. “East Harlem is one of the most transit-reliant neighborhoods in New York, but every day, tens of thousands of commuters lack subway access. The Second Avenue Subway will change everything; it will shorten commutes for over 100,000 daily riders and make East Harlem more vibrant than ever. Awarding this contract means that the time for promises to this community is over and the time for building is here — next stop 125 Street!”

The contract, valued at $1.972 billion, is being awarded to Connect Plus Partners, a joint venture between Halmar International and FCC Construction. It is the second of four construction contracts for the Q train extension. Despite New York City’s high construction costs, the Second Avenue Subway Phase 2’s cost-benefit is significant and is projected to have the lowest cost per rider of any active heavy rail project in the country.

Improved Practices and More Than $1 Billion in Savings

As part of the MTA's commitment to delivering key infrastructure projects better, faster and cheaper, the contracts for Phase 2 incorporate lessons learned from Second Avenue Subway Phase 1.

Addressing utility relocation requirements upfront reduces the risk of unexpected costs or delays later as construction progresses — especially in New York City which has one of the most complex underground utilities networks in the world, most of which is unmapped.

Additional cost containment initiatives in Phase 2 include reuse of a tunnel segment that was built in the 1970s from 110 Street to 120 Street along Second Avenue, early real estate acquisition, adoption of best value contract structures such as A+B contracts (design-build), close coordination of contracts and reduction in back-of-house, ancillary space and station size.

All told, these initiatives have saved more than $1.3 billion.

Transit Equity for East Harlem

East Harlem is a historically underserved neighborhood which has one of the largest concentrations of affordable housing in the United States and where 70 percent of residents rely on transit. Phase 2 will create three new accessible stations right in the heart of the community at 106 Street, 116 Street, and 125 Street, and offer one-seat rides from East Harlem to the Upper East Side, West Midtown and Coney Island, shortening travel times by up to 20 minutes.

More than 70,000 jobs, including union-wage construction jobs, will result from the Second Ave Subway Phase 2 project. A 20 percent local hiring goal for the project will generate good-paying job opportunities for hundreds of East Harlem residents.

East Harlem has long been promised a new subway connection on Second Avenue. In the 1920s, the Second System proposal, which ultimately became the IND subway system, included service on Second Avenue. In 1948, New York City voters approved bonding intended to build the second avenue subway, which was ultimately left unbuilt after the start of the Korean War. In 1927, construction on the line finally commenced in East Harlem, but was later abandoned in 1975 during the city’s fiscal crisis. Sections of the tunneling constructed in the 1970s will be utilized in Phase 2.

About Phase 2

The second phase of the project will extend Q train service from 96 Street north to 125 Street and then west on 125 Street to Park Avenue, approximately 1.5 miles in total. There will be a direct passenger connection with the existing 125 St subway station on the Lexington Avenue subway line. Phase 2 will also feature an entrance at Park Avenue to allow convenient transfers to the Metro-North Railroad’s Harlem-125 Street Station.

Each station will have above-ground ancillary buildings that house ventilation, mechanical, and electrical equipment, as well as space for possible ground-floor retail and community uses. The expansion will serve an additional 110,000 daily riders and provide three new ADA accessible stations — raising the bar for customer comfort and convenience. Increased multimodal transit connectivity at the 125 Street station at Park Avenue with connections to the 4 5 6 lines, Metro-North and the M60 Select Bus Service to LaGuardia Airport will allow for convenient transfers to other subway and commuter rail lines, facilitating smoother, faster transportation across the city and metropolitan region.

About Phase 1

Phase 1 of the project extended the line from 63 Street to 96 Street and was New York City's largest expansion of the subway system in 50 years. Service opened on January 1, 2017, with additional stations at 72 Street and 86 Street. Since its completion, the Second Avenue Subway has carried more than 130 million passengers in total, including more than 200,000 passengers on a typical pre-pandemic day. 

Attorney General James Sues U.S. Department of Justice to Protect Services for Survivors of Violent Crime

 

DOJ Threatens to Cut Hundreds of Millions in Victim Services Funding Unless States Assist in Administration’s Mass Deportation Agenda

New York Stands to Lose $212 Million in Funding to Help Survivors Heal, Recover, and Seek Justice

New York Attorney General Letitia James today joined 20 other attorneys general in suing to block the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) from illegally conditioning federal funding for crime victims on states’ cooperation with federal immigration enforcement efforts. The Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) provides more than a billion dollars in grants to states each year to support survivors of crime with services such as medical care, counseling, shelter, and compensation for lost wages. The funds also enable victims and their families to fully participate in the criminal justice system in the wake of a crime. Now, DOJ is forcing states to choose between abandoning public safety policies that protect all New Yorkers – including immigrant communities – and forfeiting the lifesaving funding that millions of victims rely on. Attorney General James and the coalition are asking the court to strike down these unlawful conditions and ensure survivors and their families can continue to access critical services.

“The federal government is attempting to use crime victim funds as a bargaining chip to force states into doing its bidding on immigration enforcement,” said Attorney General James. “These grants were created to help survivors heal and recover, and we will fight to ensure they continue to serve that purpose. New Yorkers deserve a justice system that puts their safety first. We will not be bullied into abandoning any of our residents.”

Congress enacted VOCA more than 40 years ago to address the neglect of crime victims in the criminal justice system. Funded entirely by fines and penalties from federal criminal cases, VOCA grants support compensation programs and direct assistance for survivors, including advocacy services, crisis counseling, sexual assault forensic exams, funeral and burial costs, and emergency shelter. VOCA has been critical in improving the treatment of victims of serious crimes by providing them with the assistance, support, and services necessary to aid their recovery after the trauma of a criminal act and to help them navigate the justice system. States use these funds to assist approximately 10 million victims each year. In 2025, nearly $1.4 billion in VOCA funds are available for states.

Under DOJ’s new immigration-related conditions, VOCA funding would be cut off to any state or subgrantee that refuses to give Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) unfettered access to facilities, provide advance notice of individuals’ release dates, or honor all civil immigration enforcement requests. These requirements directly conflict with policies that New York and many other states have adopted to ensure victims and witnesses can report crimes without fear of deportation.

Attorney General James and the coalition argue that losing VOCA funds would devastate the network of victim services programs that states have built over decades. Without this funding, states would be forced to scale back or shut down compensation programs that cover medical bills, funeral costs, and lost wages for survivors, as well as assistance programs that provide counseling, emergency shelter, crisis hotlines, and legal support. The sudden loss of these resources would disrupt services for millions of survivors nationwide, leaving many without access to the help they need to recover from violence and trauma, and undermining public safety in communities across the country.

In New York, more than $212 million in VOCA funds are at stake. These grants support thousands of victims each year by covering urgent needs such as medical care and rape kits, crime scene clean-up, relocation to ensure safety, funeral and burial expenses, transportation to court, and long-term counseling. VOCA dollars also fund a statewide network of more than 250 community-based programs – many of them the sole provider in rural counties – offering crisis hotlines, domestic violence shelters, advocates to accompany survivors to court, and specialized services for children, older adults, and people with disabilities. Without this funding, programs across the state would be forced to close or turn survivors away, erasing decades of trust built with immigrant and other vulnerable communities and leaving countless New Yorkers without the support they need to heal, seek justice, and rebuild their lives.

Attorney General James and the coalition argue that DOJ is presenting states with an impossible choice: either forego millions of dollars in congressionally-appropriated funds that support some of their most vulnerable residents in the aftermath of a crime or undermine their own public safety policies by diverting state and local resources to federal civil immigration enforcement. Accepting these unlawful terms, they contend, would destroy trust between immigrant communities and the legal system, making it difficult to pursue justice and fully protect communities from crime.

The attorneys general assert that DOJ’s attempt to strong-arm states into abandoning these policies by manipulating critical funding for victims violates fundamental constitutional principles, including separation of powers and federalism. They argue that the conditions exceed DOJ’s statutory authority under VOCA, undermine Congress’ power of the purse, upset the federal-state balance, and run afoul of the Constitution’s Spending Clause and separation of powers doctrine, as well as the Administrative Procedure Act.

Attorney General James and the coalition are asking the court to block DOJ from enforcing these unlawful conditions, vacate the immigration enforcement requirements from this year’s VOCA grants, and ensure that states continue to receive the funds Congress intended to support crime victims and their families.

The other statea in the lawsuit are California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.

New Yorkers for Parks - 2025 Daffodil Project registration is LIVE 🌼

 

Registration for the 2025 Daffodil Project is LIVE!

The wait is over! It's finally time register for the 2025 Daffodil Project. Sign up now and reserve free daffodil bulbs and native seed to plant in your community.    The Daffodil Project is a living memorial and citywide volunteer effort, a celebration of New Yorkers championing parks equity in their communities and a catalyst for civic engagement.   See the full list of 2025 distributions:

Saturday, September 6: The Bronx  – Soundview Park Sunday, September 7: Brooklyn – Prospect Park Plaza West Saturday, September 13: Queens – 34th Ave Open Street (34th Ave between 93rd St and 94th St, Jackson Heights) Sunday, September 14: Manhattan – Union Square North Plaza Saturday, September 20: Harlem – A. Philip Randolph Square Sunday, September 21: Staten Island – Willowbrook Park Saturday, September 27: Far Rockaway – RISE Rockaway, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Blvd

Whether you're a longtime participant or a newcomer, we hope you'll join us in stewarding and advocating for parks and open spaces this fall!  Register Now! Volunteer at a distribution! Every year, New Yorkers for Parks depends on volunteers to help with all aspects of Daffodil Project distribution events. Responsibilities are wide ranging and include bagging bulbs, checking in participants, and collecting petition signatures, and can be adjusted to accommodate individual interest and ability. We hope you'll join the bulb brigade in 2025! Sign up to Volunteer Support the Daffodil Project The 2025 Daffodil Project wouldn't be possible without the generous support of our donors. Your contributions help us distribute daffodils and native seeds in every borough, beautifying communities and mobilizing advocates in services of a greener, more resilient city. Please consider making a donation today. Your support makes a lasting impact. Donate Today NY4P is a 501(c)3 non-profit charitable organization, All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.