Keith Kelly
Verified- Editor-in-Chief, Our Town Downtown
- Editor-in-Chief, Chelsea News
- Editor-in-Chief, The Spirit
- Journalist, Freelance
New York
Editor-in-chief, OurTown/The Spirit/Chelsea News Media Ink, NY Post, July 1998-July 2021 NY Daily News, 3/97 to 7/98 Advertising Age, senior editor, 1994-1997
Articles by Keith Kelly
Easter Parade Draws Thousands to Promenade Outside St. Patrick's
Thousands, undeterred by the gray skies and the threat of rain, turned out for one of the city's more colorful traditions, the annual Easter Parade outside St. Patrick's Cathedral on Sunday, April 4. While the rain in the forecast held down the number of revelers, the crowd was no less spirited.
Teen Finally Home after Falling Down 50 Ft Shaft on Queensboro Bridge
A 16-year-old boy who was critically injured after he fell down a 50 ft shaft on the Queensboro Bridge and was abandoned by his companions arrived home on Long Island recently after spending up to a month in the hospital recovering from injuries suffered in the fall. News that the victim, Frankie Allocca, had arrived home was posted on a GoFundMe site by his mother, Vanessa Tineo, who thanked supporters in a post on March 15, nearly a month after the near fatal accident on Feb. 16.
Repeal of Criminal Summonses for Bikes Stirs Controversy
As of March 27, bikers and e-bikers will no longer face criminal summons for traffic infractions. The bike lobby was rejoicing while many injured in past accidents with e-bikes and pedal bikes worry the city will be less safe for pedestrians.
E-biker Killed by Runaway SUV in Harlem, Driver Charged
The chaos that erupted outside the Apollo Theater on March 19 when an SUV came speeding east down West 125th has left a delivery worker dead and a 49-year-old man under arrest charged with manslaughter and allegedly driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Archdiocese to Close Another Catholic Elementary School in Manhattan
Heartbroken parents and teachers received the news that Incarnation School, a 116-year-old Catholic elementary school in Washington Heights that counts legendary Dodger sportscaster Vin Scully as an alum, will be shutting down at the end of the current academic year. It is one of three schools the Archdiocese is planning to shut down in the last round of closures. The other two are in the Hudson Valley.
Archdiocese Closes Another Catholic Elementary School in Manhattan
Heartbroken parents and teachers received the news that Incarnation School, a 116-year-old Catholic elementary school in Washington Heights that counts legendary Dodger sportscaster Vin Scully as an alum, will be shutting down at the end of the current academic year. It is one of three schools the Archdiocese is planning to shut down in the last round of closures. The other two are in the Hudson Valley.
Fire Erupts in High Rise A Block from St. Patrick's Day Parade
A two alarm fire erupted in a high rise building at 6 E. 43rd St. between Madison Ave. and Fifth Ave. at around 9:45 a.m. on March 17, shortly before the St. Patrick's Day Parade was slated to start a block away. The fire was started in the HVAC system in the cooling towers on the roof of the structure, said FDNY deputy chief Brian Whalen at a press conference.
Politics and Good Cheer Mark the 265th St. Patrick's Day Parade
The crowds along the sidelines of the 265th St. Patrick's Day parade might have been a little lighter than usual due to the cold temperatures and blustery wind but the weather did not dampen the the good spirits-or the political intrigues One of the more dramatic moments during the parade on March 17th came precisely at 1 p.m. when the 120,000 marchers halted all along the 1.5 mile route and faced south where the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center once stood to commemorate the 2,700 who...
Chilly Weather, Hot Politics, Families
With temperatures not cracking 40 degrees and a strong wind blowing, the crowds along the sidelines of the 265th St. Patrick's Day parade were lighter than usual, but the weather did not dampen the the good spirits or the political intrigues which seem to crop up every time the Irish gather.
Another Manhattan Catholic School to Close: Archdiocese
Heartbroken parents and teachers received the news that Incarnation School, a 116-year-old Catholic elementary school in Washington Heights that counts legendary Dodger sportscaster Vin Scully as an alum, will be shutting down at the end of the current academic year. It is one of three schools the Archdiocese is planning to shut down in the last round of closures. The other two are in the Hudson Valley.
Bomb Scare at MSK Shuts York Ave for Several Hours
The Upper East Side, which was already on a state of heightened alert following bombs tossed at domonstrators a week earlier, was breathing a sigh of relief after a suspicious package left in the lobby of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center was deemed "non-hazardous." Police sealed off traffic for hours on York Ave.
Undecided Votes Hold Key in Crowded Race for Nadler Seat in Congress
Two recent polls say Kennedy heir Jack Schlossberg is the leading candidate in the 12th Congressional district race but a third of the voters in both polls said they were still undecided in the district that covers the Upper East Side, the Upper West Side and Midtown Manhattan above 14th St, One poll conducted by GQR and commissioned by candidate George Conway and first reported by City & State said Schlossberg was the early leader with 25 percent.
Yankees Fan Bank Robber Hits Stuyvesant Town Citibank
It was not exactly a grand slam for one Manhattan bank robber. While his heroes were at spring training in Florida, a white male suspect in his 50s who is believed to be a New York Yankees fan, hit a Citibank in Stuyvesant Town (a.k.a. Stuy Town) and made off only with an estimated $500. Police said he was wearing a Yankees t-shirt and an MLB jacket with "New York" across the front.
Yankee Fan Bank Robber Hits Stuyvesant Town Citibank
It was not exactly a grand slam. A white man in his 50s and believed to be a Yankees fan, hit a Citibank in Stuyvesant Town and made off only h witan estimated $500. Police said he was wearing a Yankees t-shirt and an MLB jacket with "New York" across the front. It is the second violent crime in the complex that houses more than 25,000 in 110 buildings across 80 acres on the East Side of Manhattan between E. 14th St. and E. 23rd St. On Jan.
UWS Power Broker, Politician, Mom
"Even her enemies liked her." That's how Gordon Davis, who worked alongside Ronnie Eldridge in the office of Mayor John Lindsay remembered the lifelong Manhattanite, politician, power broker, mom and mensch in a tribute beamed into a filled-to-capacity Alder Hall at the New York Society for Ethical Culture at Central Park West and East 64th Street on Wednesday March 11.
Suspect Nabbed, Charged with Setting Homeless Person on Fire at Penn Station
A suspect is in custody after setting a 37 year old homeless person on fire outside the Amtrak level of Penn Station, police sources told Straus News. The suspect could be facing attempted murder charges. Three people had approached the victim and one of them reportedly set his clothes on fire. All three fled into the Amtrak station around 8:40 p.m. on March 2. The suspect was nabbed in the area on March 3.
3rd Youth Arrested after Injured Teen Abandoned in Bridge Fall
A third teen has been arrested for abandoning a 16-year-old boy who fell down a 50 ft worker's shaft on the Queensboro Bridge while attempting to perform a social media stunt. His companions fled and it was hours later before first responders were were able to find and rescue the critically injured teen. The injured teen, identified as Frankie Allocca suffered brain and spine injuries according to his mother, Vanessa Tineo.
O'Keefe & Arnon Drop Out of A.D. 74 Democratic Primary Race
Keith Powers, the incumbent in the 74th Assembly District now has an uncontested path to the Democratic party nomination as the two main challengers in the race both said that they are suspending their respective races. Community activists Kevin O'Keefe and Josh Arnon both said they were suspending their campaigns in the Democratic primary within minutes of one another on Feb. 20. Powers won a special election on Feb.
Tenants Assoc. Calls Town Hall; Stuy Town Teen Rape Suspect Faces 17 Count Indictment
The homeless man who was arrested for the vicious rape of a 14 year-old girl in Stuyvesant Town is now facing a 17 count felony indictment for the attack on Jan. 29. Meanwhile the Stuyvesant Town/Peter Cooper Village Tenants Association, which was blocked by management from speaking at a webinar for residents on the violent attack on Feb. 12, is calling its own in person Town Hall. It is set for 7 p.m. at the Septodont Lecture Hall which seats 440 people the NYU School of Dentistry, 345 E.
NY-Presbyterian Nurses Ratify Contract Ending Bitter Strike
The longest and most bitter strike by nurses in New York City history is over. Forty one days after they walked off the job, striking nurses at New York-Presbyterian voted overwhelmingly on Feb 21 to ratify a new three year contract that will give them pay hikes of just over 12 percent over the course of the contract and increased protection against layoffs and increased staffing levels, the union announced. NY Presbyterian was the last of the three big hospitals to return to work.
Queensboro Bridge Teen Stuck in Shaft Hours before 911 Call
Details remain murky regarding a 16-year-old boy who was rescued on Feb. 16 from the bottom of a 50-foot workers' maintenance shaft on the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge after apparently slipping off a ladder. Reports speculated he was trying to film a TikTok video that went bad. Several posters on a reddit site said the boy identified only as "Frankie" was at the bottom of the shaft for hours before 911 was called and that up to three companions fled after he fell.
O' Keefe and Arnon Drop Out of Dem Primary Race for Assembly
Keith Powers, the incumbent in the 74th Assembly District now has an uncontested path to the Democratic party nomination as the two main challengers in the race both said that they are suspending their respective races. Community activists Kevin O'Keefe and Josh Arnon both said they were suspending their campaigns in the Democratic primary within minutes of one another on Feb. 20. Powers, who won a special election on Feb.
Queensborough Bridge Shaft Fall Teen 'Left to Die': Report
A 16-year-old boy abandoned by companions after he tumbled down a 50 ft. maintenance shaft on the Queensboro Bridge has sustained brain injuries, according to the boy's mother. The injured teen's mother, Vanessa Tineo, said in an interview with Gothamist that her son, Frankie Allocca, has been "in and out of consciousness" since he was rescued by firefighters in an complex hours long operation on Feb. 16. "They left him there to die," said Tineo said of the companions who fled after her son's fall.
Teen 'Left to Die' After 50 Foot Shaft Fall on Bridge Has Brain Injury: Report
A 16-year-old boy abandoned by companions after he tumbled down 50 ft. maintenance shaft on the Queensboro Bridge has sustained brain injuries, according to the boy's mother. The injured teen's mother, Vanessa Tineo, said in an interview with Gothamist that her son, Frankie Allocca, has been "in and out of consciousness" since he was rescued by firefighters on Feb. 16.
Suspect in Stuy Town Teen Rape Faces 17 Count Indictment
The homeless man who was arrested for the vicious rape of a 14 year-old girl in Stuyvesant Town is now facing a 17 count felony indicement for the attack on Jan. 29. "This brutal, broad daylight attack horrified this community and the entire borough," said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. "As alleged Germaine Paham raped a young girl who was just trying to return home.
Queensboro Bridge Teen Stuck in Shaft Hours before 911 Call: Report
Details remain murky regarding a 16-year-old boy who was rescued on Feb. 16 from the bottom of a 50-foot workers' maintenance shaft on the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge after apparently slipping off a ladder. Reports speculated he was trying to film a TikTok video that went bad. Several posters on a reddit site said the boy identified only as "Frankie" was at the bottom of the shaft for hours before 911 was called and that up to three companions fled after he fell.
Teen May Have Been Down 50 ft Shaft on Bridge for Hours Before 911 Was Called
Details remain murky around the 16-year-old boy who was rescued on Feb. 16 from the bottom of a 50 ft workers' maintenance shaft on the Ed Koch Queensboro bridge after apparently slipping off a ladder. What is not clear is how long the victim was lying there and what precipitated his fall. Reports speculated he was trying to film a Tik Tok video that went bad.
Teen Rescued after Falling Down 50 Ft Shaft on Bridge
Details remain murky around the 16-year-old teen who was rescued on the Feb. 16 from the bottom of a 50 ft workers shaft on the Ed Koch Queensboro bridge after apparently slipping off a ladder. What is not clear is how long the victim was lying there and what precipitated his fall. Reports speculated he was trying to film a Tik Tok video that went bad.
New York-Presbyterian Nurses Still on Strike as Mount Sinai and Montefiore Ratify Contracts
About 4,500 nurses remain on strike against New York-Presbyterian after workers rejected the pact which the union bargaining committee had already rejected. That means pickets remain up at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia at W. 165th St and Fort Washington Ave. on the UWS.
Mamdani Pleads with State to Help Close $7B Budget Deficit
Mayor Zohran Mamdani journeyed to Albany on Feb. 10 to plead with lawmakers to send more money even as he said the project two year budget deficit is now projecgted at $7 billion, down from the $12 billion he was projecting only weeks earlier. But the city is not allowed to operate in the red so the gap must be closed in the new fiscal year that begins on July 1.
Nurses at Mount Sinai and Montefiore Ratify Pacts; Strike Still on Against NY-Presbyterian
The longest nurses' strike in New York City is over for three Mount Sinai hospitals in Manhattan and Montefiore in the Bronx after rank and file nurses overwhelmingly approved tentative pacts and will return to work by Feb. 14 But 4,500 nurses remain on strike against New York-Presbyterian after workers rejected the pact which the union bargaining committee had already rejected.
City Catholics Hail Archbishop Hicks-But Challenges Await New Leader
Pomp and circumstance of the Roman Catholic Church were on full display on Feb. 6 as Archbishop Ronald Hicks was installed as the new spiritual leader of the 2.5 million Catholics in the Archdiocese of New York in a ceremony at St. Patrick's Cathedral. He's replacing Cardinal Timothy Dolan who reached the mandatory retirement age.
Powers Surges to Victory over Foley in 74th Assembly District Race
Former city council member Keith Powers scored a landslide win pulling in 82.1 percent of the vote in the special election Feb. 3 for the NYS Assembly 74th district. The Republican/Conservative challenger Joe Foley gnarred 16.1 percent of the votes, according to unofficial results from the board of elections.
Some Fault Management Response to Vicious Crime
Germaine Parham, a 33-year-old ex-con who is accused of viciously raping a 14-year-old girl in the stairwell of a Stuyvesant Town building near First Ave. and the First Ave. Loop Rd. has been caught, cops said. "Members of the NYPD assigned to the US Marshals' New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force in assistance with the Capital Region Regional Fugitive Taskforce apprehended Germaine Parham in connection with this heinous crime," the NYPD posted on its X account on Feb. 3.
Stuy Town Rapist Caught! Some Fault Management's Response to Vicious Crime
Germaine Parham, a 33-year-old ex-con who is accused of viciously raping a 14-year-old girl in the stairwell of a Stuyvesant Town building near First Ave. and the First Ave. Loop Rd. has been caught, cops said. "Members of the NYPD assigned to the US Marshals' New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force in assistance with the Capital Region Regional Fugitive Taskforce apprehended Germaine Parham in connection with this heinous crime," the NYPD posted on its X account on Feb. 3.
Powers Powers to Victory in 74th Assembly Dist. over Foley
Former city council member Keith Powers scored a landslide win pulling in 82.1 percent of the vote in the special election Feb. 3 for the NYS Assembly 74th district. The Republican/Conservative challenger Joe Foley gnarred 16.1 percent of the votes, according to unofficial results from the board of elections.
Police Hunting Suspect in Rape of Teen in Stuyvesant Town Elevator
Police are looking for 33-year-old male for sexually assaulting and violently raping 14-year-old girl in the lobby and elevator in the Stuyvesant Town complex during the late morning of Jan. 29. The suspect was subsequently identified by police as 33-year-old Germaine Parham in the attack. One source said the attack took place inside 300 First Ave. near the corner of 18th St. when ordered the teen to "remove her clothes. Police said he raped the teen and then fled with her iPhone.
Pervert Rapes Teenager in Stuy Town, Suspect on the Lam
Police are looking for 33 year old male for sexually assaulting and violently raping 14-year-old girl in the lobby and elevator in the Stuyvesant Town complex on the morning of Jan. 29. One source said the suspect, subsequently identified as 33-year-old Germaine Parham, ordered the girl to "remove her clothes," sexually assaulted her and then stole her iPhone and fled.
Pervert Threatens Teen in Stuy Town, Steals Her iPhone
Police are looking for an unidentified male for making verbal threats against a 14-year-old girl in the lobby and elevator in the Stuyvesant Town complex on the morning of Jan. 29. One source said the suspect ordered the girl to "remove her clothes" but instead stole her iPhone and fled. Police said only that the suspect "verbally threatened" the victim before fleeing with her mobile phone. There seems to be confusion as to the exact address in the sprawling complex on the East Side of Manhattan.
Early Voting for West Side Senate Seat Runs Through Feb. 1
The special election for the New York State Senate seat on the West Side of Manhattan in District 47 which pits Democrat Erik Bottcher against Republican Charlotte Friedman runs through Feb. 1. The district includes Chelsea and Hell's Kitchen as well as parts of Greenwich Village and part of the UWS up to W. 113th St. Early voting was postponed on Jan. 25 due to the storm that walloped New York but resumed on Monday, Jan. 26 as the city dug out even as it experiences a prolonged deep freeze.
UES Doorman Killed by Off Duty NYPD Sgt. Driving Wrong Way
Manuel Boitel, a beloved Upper East Side doorman who was heading to his home in Peekskill, N.Y. was killed when his car was hit head on by a wrong way driver on the Taconic State Parkway. At around 11:39 p.m. on Jan. 22, Tiffany Howell, 47, an off duty NYPD sgt and a resident of Warwick, NY, was driving south in the northbound lane when her 2021 Infiniti collided with the 2024 Toyota driven by Boitel, according to the NY State Police.
Early Voting for NYS Senate Seat on West Side Postponed
The special election for the New York State Senate seat on the West Side of Manhattan in District 47 which pits Democrat Eric Bottcher against Republican Charlotte Friedman has been postponed from its scheduled start on Jan.
Real Estate Giant Once Praised by City Now Has 2 Execs at top of Worst Landlords List
A financially struggling mid-town Manhattan real estate giant, which once drew praise for preserving affordable housing in Harlem, has just had two of its top executives named #1 and #2 on the annual list of Worst Landlords in the City. A&E Real Estate Holdings president Margaret Brunn was deemed the #1 worst landlord, followed right behind in number two by vice president of operations Donald Hastings. Making the infamous list may be the least of the 15-year-old company's problems, however.
Executives from A&E Real Estate Top Infamous List
A financially struggling mid-town Manhattan real estate giant has just had two of its top executives named #1 and #2 on the annual list of Worst Landlords in the City. A&E president Margaret Brunn was deemed the #1 worst landlord, followed right behind in number two by vice president of operations Donald Hastings. Making the infamous list may be the least of the 15-year-old company's problems, however.
More Cops in Subways, Extend Q Line, Childcare, Affordability and Blasts Trump
Despite the drop in crime on the New York City subways in 2025, Governor Kathy Hochul in her State of the State address said she is budgeting $77 million to put more cops and National Guard troops in New York City subways. There were quite a few other goodies in the grab bag that will have an impact on the city. The wide-ranging speech touched on topics from childcare and universal pre-K to the Second Avenue subway extension.
More Cops in Subways, Extend Q Line, Pushes Childcare, Affordability and Safety.
Despite the drop in crime on the New York City subways in 2025, Gov. Kathy Hochul in her state of the state address said she is budgeting $77 million to put more cops and National Guard troops in New York City subways. There were quite a few other goodies in the grab bag that will have an impact in New York City. The wide ranging speech touched on topics from child care and Universal pre-K to the Second Ave. subway extension.
Thirteen State and Local Electeds Call on Hudson River Park to End ICE Parking Now
Parking is going to get a whole lot tougher for ICE agents in New York City. The Hudson River Park Trust said it won't renew its parking contract with ICE that allow its vans to be parked in the Pier 40 garage when the current agreement expires at the end of June. An uproad erupted after the digital news site Hell Gate first reported on ICE's contract after it dug info after the digital site Sludge published a map that showed ICE contracts across the United States.
Hudson River Park Should End Parking Contract with ICE Immediately
Parking just got tougher for ICE agents in New York City. The Hudson River Park Trust said it won't renew its parking contract with ICE that allow its vans to be parked in the Pier 40 garage when the current agreement expires at the end of June. Borough president Brad Hoylman-Sigal said renting the parking spaces to ICE violates New York City's status as a sanctuary city and has called for the contract to be ended immediately and not wait until June.
Mamdani Admin Unveils Plan to Extend Bus Only Lanes on Madison Ave. Below 42nd St.
The Madison Ave. corridor, which moves 91,000 people a day by bus on one of the slowest moving avenues in the city, should soon see faster buses as the city unveiled plans to extend the Madison Ave. bus lanes an additional 19 blocks covering the stretch from 42nd St. to E.
Menin Elected Speaker of City Council
Julie Menin, who has quietly campaigned to be the new City Council speaker for months, realized her dream when she was unanimously elected by a 51-0 vote on Jan. 7. Political observers say the centrist Democrat will be a counter balance to some of the more progressive policies of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist. “Words truly cannot describe the tremendous gratitude I feel for my incredible colleagues.
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