Virginia K. Smith

All hands on deck to save the 2030 Census (and everything that depends on it, which is a lot!). Thanks to @vksmith.bsky.social for a great overview of the Trump administration's latest threats to the census. cc @jeffwice.bsky.social @thenyic.bsky.social @council.nyc.gov

big day for the culture wars

we've also got a report from @timdonnelly.com on the fresh new hell of AI's incorporation into the 311 app. we hope you're sitting down for this reveal, but so far? everyone's least favorite tech is making it harder to get help, not easier nygroove.nyc/nyc311-ai-sm...

first up, we've got @vksmith.bsky.social looking at the Nitehawk Union's battle against the theater's new QR code billing system, which — spoiler — both customers and workers seem to hate nygroove.nyc/nitehawk-qr-...

just what everyone loves, being forced to use a QR code anywhere, but especially in a movie theater nygroove.nyc/nitehawk-qr-...

it's the most wonderful time of the year 💫https://nygroove.nyc/open-house-new-york-2026/

tasking our in-house AI agent with telling this person to go fuck themselves

beep beep new Local Angle comin' through! nygroove.nyc/the-local-an...

OK! good chat.

at the gates ave post office and the clerk just yelled at the line "there is no mailing at this location at this time!!" lmao

please enjoy Tim and Callie’s magnum opus

look if the Chicago River and the Seine can become swimmable this really might not be that nuts nygroove.nyc/swimming-in-...

First up: some people are seriously looking into making the Prospect Park Lake swimmable, which is not as insane as this picture would suggest. @vksmith.bsky.social has the scoop: nygroove.nyc/swimming-in-...

interviewed the grandaddy of nyc neighborhood blogs, @evgrieve.bsky.social, for the inaugural edition of The Local Angle nygroove.nyc/ev-grieve-bl...

new apartment nightmare just dropped nygroove.nyc/ceiling-mush...

wait wait, you mean Florida isn't actually a viable replacement for New York City? first I'm hearing of this www.curbed.com/article/ken-...

yet another W for the greatest to ever do it tbqh! variety.com/2026/biz/new...

"But since Gotti’s done, we haven't had a dead body. It's a little boring, to be honest. I always look for the body. What do I look for now? Dead fish?" nygroove.nyc/guardian-of-...

'Born in Flames' rips and I'm very happy that Virginia caught up with director Lizzie Borden this week, for a special members-only post!

one of the coolest and most interesting people I've ever interviewed, quite frankly! nygroove.nyc/born-in-flam...

wonder if they'll give me a full week off work so I can see this entire lineup Y/N nygroove.nyc/independent-...

didn't know they let JP Morgan execs guest on the newsletter

v good new angle on the restaurant AI slop phenomenon

As a “single guy attempting to date,” he tells WIRED, “the conversation shifts or gets shut down altogether” when he reveals his line of work. [...] “That's usually the last time you hear from them." www.wired.com/story/data-c...

on.soundcloud.com/gbmrjuQsMxlb...

the concept of taylor swift getting married at madison square garden......... www.tmz.com/2026/06/05/t...

Dave has abused his body for the sake of our business once again nygroove.nyc/video-why-di...

I love AI

Credit where it's due! The @nygroove.nyc and @vksmith.bsky.social are ahead of the curve with this one! nygroove.nyc/sex-and-the-...

love to learn that the DOT literally just paints over old locks like a landlord instead of taking them down nygroove.nyc/cops-vs-broo...

I couldn't help but wonder ... who approved these sexy composting bus ads? @vksmith.bsky.social got to the bottom of it nygroove.nyc/sex-and-the-...

after weeks and weeks of talking about this, I finally blogged about it nygroove.nyc/sex-and-the-...

meanwhile giant brands that have poured money into audience research have already determined that the move is to specifically sell themselves as not using AI because absolutely everyone hates it nygroove.nyc/local-busine...

hello today I wrote about something that's been driving me crazy lately: the proliferation of beloved local businesses turning to off-putting AI slop. I sat down with one of them to ask why nygroove.nyc/local-busine...

who among us doesn't want to "drink up: some loaded beef nachos and "blackberry marh"?

New in The Groove: Why are so many local businesses churning AI slop into your feeds? @timdonnelly.com did some classic 'guy in diner' reporting to find out nygroove.nyc/local-busine...

I'm finally using my platform to educate the public about Kate & Leopold nygroove.nyc/whats-the-mo...

We're on to the second round of the @nygroove.nyc bracket to determine the best NYC movie of the 2000s and have some interesting matchups. Shiva Baby vs. Spider-Man! Igby vs. Llewyn Davis! Anora vs. Marty Supreme! Victor Vargas vs. The Devil! And a bunch more! nygroove.nyc/lights-camer...

if you need some delight today might i suggest this episode of TIU ft. @joshgondelman.bsky.social and @alisonleiby.bsky.social they answered questions about money and friendship!

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We hear “stick to sports” too much, but let’s be clear here: Team USA itself refused to stick to sports, eschewing representation of so much great American culture for, uh, Da Troops and nothing else.

They said it would take 193 years to clean London’s air. We did it in nine. 💨 London has now met legal limits for nitrogen dioxide air pollution.

can’t believe this didn’t work out for them

the libraries continue to give us a ludicrous amount of free stuff even as they get treated like a political football, btw nygroove.nyc/nyc-culture-...

the best band in new york city and that's not an exaggeration nygroove.nyc/real-young-l...

I'm shocked, SHOCKED that joe ricketts is keeping busy terrorizing his neighbors in wyoming these days www.nytimes.com/2026/03/02/u...

Have been meaning to check out New Colossus Fest and will be doing so after reading @vksmith.bsky.social's story on how it carries on the spirit of dirtbag daytime drinking music fests of the past nygroove.nyc/the-dream-of...

waxed a little nostalgic on the blog, so sue me nygroove.nyc/the-dream-of...

rare and needed reminder that better things are possible and we have free will to make them happen!!!! nygroove.nyc/garbage-clea...

A century ago, beavers were basically extinct in Massachusetts. Now, their numbers are in the tens of thousands. Their rebound in the state all started with an ill-fated love triangle involving three beavers named Paul Bunyan, Paula Bunyan and Big Swede.