Virginia Smith

New York

co-founder @theNY_Groove, digital editor @marketplace, proud member @mplaceunion @sagaftra (also: @wgaeast and @gmgunion forever)

Articles

It’s now your civic duty to snitch on landlords

2 weeks ago | nygroove.nyc | Virginia Smith

At long last, a new dawn has arrived: after years of advocacy and flailing real estate industry attempts to block it, The FARE Act — short for Fairness in Apartment Rental Expenses — officially went into effect yesterday.
Brian Lehrer: Toilet vandal?

2 weeks ago | nygroove.nyc | Virginia Smith

In our new members-only feature, Extras, Extras, we’re bringing you all the extra behind-the-scenes info from our reporting that didn’t wind up in the final story. The DVD extras of journalism, if you will. Well, it sure does feel like a lifetime ago that we were basking in the late April sun and exploring the not-so-wide world of outdoor dining last week, doesn't it?
All your ranked-choice voting questions, answered

2 weeks ago | nygroove.nyc | Virginia Smith

Ranked-choice voting has only been on the scene in New York City elections since 2021, but the system has been pretty immediately well-liked and widely used — 85% of voters ranked at least two mayoral candidates in the June 2021 primary, and 45% ranked a full five, according to nonprofit advocacy organization Common Cause New York. Still, you’d be forgiven if you have some lingering questions about the whole thing.
The 28 worst things bosses ever did to New York Groove readers

Jan 14, 2025 | nygroove.nyc | Virginia Smith

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PSA: Norovirus is surging, and protocols are very different than COVID

Jan 9, 2025 | nygroove.nyc | Virginia Smith

I did not plan on this being my first published writing of 2025, but this week I’m coming to you straight from the trenches, better known as my bed, where I’ve been utterly incapacitated since Sunday with norovirus. That’s right, while some people out there are compulsively hemming and hawing about the theoretical possibility of bird flu, an outbreak that hasn’t even happened yet, a very real, potent viral evil already walks among us.
Everything to know about City of Yes if you haven’t been paying attention

Nov 21, 2024 | nygroove.nyc | Virginia Smith |Tim Donnelly

If you haven’t locked in on what City of Yes is or why it’s so important — what, you’ve been overwhelmed and busy keeping track of other political news? — today is the day to learn. A would-be policy cornerstone of the Adams administration, City of Yes has the potential to create thousands of badly-needed new housing units every year, mainly through slashing assorted red tape that tends to stand in the way of their construction.
How far will NY's new Equal Rights Amendment protect you?

Nov 7, 2024 | nygroove.nyc | Virginia Smith

You don’t need us to remind you that on the whole, Election Day was a big, fat W for the absolute worst that humanity has to offer. But in the interest of not embracing doomerism, we can take space to appreciate the wins of the day, and New York State had a big one — the long-awaited passage of Prop. 1, or our state-level version of the Equal Rights Amendment.
Inflatables are dead, long live the skeletons

Oct 30, 2024 | nygroove.nyc | Virginia Smith

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Why advocates say Prop. 2 is trash

Oct 24, 2024 | nygroove.nyc | Virginia Smith

All the way back in June — when Eric Adams’ indictment was just a twinkle in federal prosecutors’ eyes — Dave warned us all about the mayor’s sinister efforts to rewrite parts of the New York City Charter, basically our local version of the Constitution, for reasons definitely not to do with expanding his own power and gaining leverage in his feud with the City Council.
All the best spooky season movie screenings right now

Oct 17, 2024 | nygroove.nyc | Virginia Smith

Now listen, I love lounging around on the couch mainlining scary movies as much as the next person. But nothing hits quite like seeing a slasher or a spooky slow-burn in an honest-to-god theater with perfect, expensive popcorn, immersive sound, no impetus to look at your phone, and a bunch of strangers losing their shit right alongside you. For the horror-averse among you, hear me out: seeing a scary movie in a theater is actually far less scary than watching it at home.