This week, the city seems to be holding its breath for the Knicks. From corner bodegas in East Williamsburg to Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s office, basketball is the dominant topic of conversation.
Championship fever is a familiar, if infrequent, condition for New Yorkers. It will surely intensify as the NBA Finals approach, filling the late spring air with a nervous, collective energy.
Championship fever is a familiar, if infrequent, condition for New Yorkers.
Global Games
As if one citywide obsession were not enough, the 2026 World Cup is also imminent. New York and New Jersey share hosting duties, a considerable logistical feat for a region preoccupied with its basketball team.
Matches begin June 13 at MetLife Stadium. For those without a ticket to New Jersey, public viewing is planned at various fan zones across the boroughs.
- The Brooklyn Bridge Park fan zone is scheduled to run from June 13 through the final on July 19.
- A free-ticket lottery for these zones opens to the public on June 11.
On Johnson Avenue
Back in Bushwick, work continues at 573 Johnson Avenue. We are in the final stages of building Jaywalker, a new cocktail bar from the people at New York Distilling Company.
The dust is settling and the varnish is drying. Our doors are scheduled to open around June 11, roughly ten days from now. We look forward to seeing the neighborhood then.