Monday, October 26, 2026 · No. 70
Good morning. Here's the week: SHSAT registration closes Friday, the same afternoon as Asphalt Screams. Saturday is Halloween. On Sunday the Marathon comes up First Avenue and the clocks fall back, and Tuesday, Nov. 3, is Election Day. Also today, a ghost story from Gracie Mansion and a correction from yesterday.
Schools & Kids
SHSAT registration closes Friday
For families of current eighth graders: the Education Department lists Friday, Oct. 30, as the last day to register for the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test. You register through MySchools. The high school and LaGuardia applications stay open after that. It says its dates can change, so check the page before you count on any of them. Via NYC Public Schools.
via NYC Public Schools
Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, is a remote school day
The Education Department's calendar says school is in session remotely for all students on Tuesday, Nov. 3, so plan for a day of classes at home. Alternate-side parking is suspended that day on the city's 2026 calendar, but meters and all other parking rules stay in effect. Via NYC Public Schools and NYC DOT.
via NYC Public Schools
The Week Ahead
Friday: claim free tickets for Asphalt Screams
Asphalt Green's free Halloween event runs Friday, Oct. 30, from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. at 555 East 90th Street. The first hour is sensory-friendly. Admission is free, but Asphalt Green asks families to claim tickets online before they come. Via Asphalt Green.
via Asphalt Green
Early voting runs through Sunday
Early voting for the Tuesday, Nov. 3 general election continues every day through Sunday, Nov. 1. Your early voting site depends on your registered address and may not be the same as your Election Day poll site. Look up your site and that day's hours at vote.nyc before you go. Via NYC 311.
via NYC 311
Sunday: the Marathon comes up First Avenue
The TCS New York City Marathon is Sunday, Nov. 1. Runners come off the Queensboro Bridge at mile 16 and head north on First Avenue through the neighborhood. NYRR's spectator page covers where to watch and the race-day rules. The city hasn't posted its 2026 street-closure list yet, and we'll run it when it does. Our standing guide to watching from Yorkville has been updated with NYRR's First Avenue crossing points. Via New York Road Runners.
via New York Road Runners
Corrections
A correction from Sunday's edition
Sunday's history corner said Marcus Loew built the larger Orpheum Theatre across the street from the Yorkville Theatre on East 86th Street. Cinema Treasures puts the Orpheum on the same block, closer to Third Avenue. The online edition has been corrected. We regret the error.
via Cinema Treasures
Yorkville, Remembered
Gracie Mansion's ghost story, and the young bride behind it
Gracie Mansion's best-known legend centers on Elizabeth Wolcott Gracie, daughter of Connecticut governor Oliver Wolcott Jr. She married Archibald Gracie's son William in 1813 and died suddenly at the house in June 1819, at about 24. The Litchfield Historical Society's records give her death as June 1819. Folklore says her ghost still drifts through the house. Former first lady Chirlane McCray said she never saw a ghost, though doors there opened and closed by themselves. Mayor Eric Adams said in 2022, “there are ghosts in there, man.” It's a legend, not a documented fact, so file it under Halloween week.
source: East Side Feed
Five days to Halloween and six to the extra hour of sleep. Get the costumes sorted early this week. Enjoy your Monday.