The Hell Gate Podcast

This week, the fragility of billionaires leaves us wondering if it would be OK to get flayed alive. Mamdani’s NYPD protects the sale of stolen land and Albany’s budget is finally announced. Then, a recommendation from Jessy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

His Royal Majesty came to visit New York City this week, but we’ve got a lot else on our minds. The team updates some judicial happenings and breaks down the latest on Hochul’s endless budget negotiations.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A grab bag of NYC happenings this week: Chi Ossé is arrested in Bed-Stuy, super speeders continue to speed, Jessy learns about bats, and Dan Goldman is toast.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hell Gate got eight minutes with the mayor, and the team put their heads together to break down his answers (and non-answers) one-by-one.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

100 days after his inauguration, Mamdani’s approval is still up—by a comfortable margin. But is this just a honeymoon? The team looks over what Mamdani has accomplished so far and speculate on what might come next. Plus, housing court hijinks, and a recc for a great new NYC film. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🔥🔥 🔥 HELL GATE HOT TAKE MADNESS # 2 🔥🔥🔥The team defends their final elite 8 hot takes. Should Mamdani start wearing stilts? How should we punish our neighbors who flout the social contract? Is the boob light actually great? Should Mamdani be more like Kristi Noem? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🔥🔥🔥HELL GATE HOT TAKE MADNESS🔥🔥🔥This week the team defends their visions of the past, present, and future of New York City. Is Kathy Hochul really the best dressed person in New York? Should we bring back NFTs? Late night Rockaway weed ferry? Also, welcome Julianne Escobedo Shepherd to the Hell Gate Podcast! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can building new housing actually fix NYC’s housing crisis? Neil deMause joins the pod to discuss the surprising difference between luxury and affordable housing (it’s not just the dog spa and sauna). Then, Katie breaks down the Mayor’s latest efforts to create the Department of Community Safety. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the NYC news cycle became totally consumed by the fact that Zohran Mamdani is Muslim and so is his wife (who wears turtlenecks! The horror!). The team weighs in on how the mayor keeps having to answer insane questions that have pretty obvious answers. Then, recommendations from Katie, Adlan, and Max.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Kathy Hochul weighs whether to represent the general electorate or the millionaires who are speeding through school zones on Ocean Parkway. Then, Jessy reports on the city’s housing indignities and Adlan issues an earnest (colossal) recommendation.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week—the cops get mad about the snowball fight in Washington Square Park, Mamdani gets Trump’s blessing, and a march in Albany without Mamdani goes ok. Then, the children of New York help Jessy Edwards go sledding for the first time.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week: A close look at the psychology of unclaimed dog poop and the political games of politicians. Jessy gives an update on the ongoing sexual assault cases from New York prisons. Then, Adlan makes the case for leaving your apartment and weathering the February air (there are dance parties). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week the team is joined by former NYC Comptroller Brad Lander, who is currently running for congress in New York’s 10th congressional district. We talk about what his bid could mean for federal lawmaking, and what he thinks of Mamdani’s first few weeks in the mayoralty. Then—a message for all of Hell Gate’s haters. (We’re not mad.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Still buried in snow, New York’s politicians are making their moves. What will Hochul’s new running mate mean for the mayoral-gubernatorial good vibes? What are they yelling about up in Albany? Then, a breakdown of how the Mamdani administration is responding to the shooting of Jabez Chakraborty.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While the ice floes keep drifting down the Hudson, nurses are still picketing outside hospitals, Luigi Mangione is still in jail, and Jessy’s heat isn’t really working. Meanwhile, the Mayor announced an alarming 12 billion dollar budget deficit, and Katie further cemented her reputation as a luddite. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Michael Lange (Narrative Wars) is back to look down the line at some big political happenings in 2026. Why is Zohran spending political capital on a congressional primary—which is months away—and not on keeping his campaign promises to the schoolchildren of New York City? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eric Adams: crypto king. Kathy Hochul: laying off the rich. And Ritchie Torres? He's got a plan to make everything right. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One week into the Mamdani administration and we're counting some significant wins—on child care and a treacherous bike lane bump at the base of the Williamsburg Bridge—as well as the first major political challenge to his administration. Plus: Why is our former mayor in Dubai with a cosmetic gynecologist? The answer will…probably not surprise you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On a frigid New Year's Day, Mayor Zohran Mamdani was sworn into office, and Hell Gate was there to witness the whole inspiring spectacle (and lose feeling in our extremities). The gang breaks down the ceremony, discusses Mayor Mamdani's first executive orders, and lays out some of the last-minute booby traps that outgoing mayor Eric Adams laid for his successor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One thing we did a lot of in 2025 that we’ll probably keep up in 2026: eating. This week, social media sensation and generally great guy Scott Lynch—force behind our $20 dinner map—joins us to talk restaurants and food trends in NYC. Want to know what his favorite pick in the five boroughs is? What if you're looking to splurge, where's the best $40 dinner? What's with AI in restaurants? What in the world of food might 2026 bring? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A little hungover from the Hell Gate rager last night, the team assembles to discuss the last dregs of Adams’ efforts to govern, and the new mayor’s first big oopsie before starting in just a few days. Then, an update on casinos (not good) and the latest efforts to hold cops accountable (also not good). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week in NYC news: The UK is installing a new hypercapitalist project in the form of pods, or tubes, or maybe it is an airlock, or maybe a pneumatic network meant to shoot gymgoers onto ellipticals with the force of wads of cash. In any case Jessy and Chris explain how and why PureGym, formerly Blink Fitness, is forcing us into their mysterious tubes. Also, Brad Lander is running for congress. The vibe is Mr. Rogers. Will it work? Probably. Then—Katie attends a hearing featuring local celebrities Richard Kind, Matt Dillon, and Mark Ruffalo, who have unified in defense of their church-slash-pickleball court (that is turning into a pile of sand). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team pulls an Eric Adams this week and leaves the city to go hang out somewhere quaint and European, but hotels are expensive and so are flights, so they end up in Atlantic City (the New York of New Jersey). It's bleak out there. It's giving post-apocalyptic preview of what New York can expect from the parade of casinos coming soon to the metropolitan area. It’s cold, and dad’s not coming home. And he took the dog, too. It’s making us wonder if this is actually the best way to fund the MTA, and why we’re not just taxing the fucking rich. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re here this holiday week to mull over NYC’s Thanksgiving highlights and consider the benefits of escaping to Sharlene’s for 5 small beers after your mom tells you “there’s never a ‘good’ time to have kids, you know.” Then, updates on Mamdani’s transition committees and some news about leadership in the city—and whether or not they’ll help Mamdani answer questions like “Where does the NYPD end and federal law enforcement begin?” Truly, kind of a tough one! Finally, Adlan tells us about the beautiful $1,800/month basement apartment he’s so grateful to be signing a lease for. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What’s going on Mamdani? Getting scared of doing what you said you’d do? Or is big bad Jessica Tisch giving you the creeps? The team is trying to make sense of what you’ve been saying and it’s not quite adding up to the same spunk we saw just a couple weeks back. And how was the meeting with Trump today? Did the fish filet go over ok? We’re betting yes. (Spoiler: Total Mamdani victory—listen to the end of the episode for us reacting to the Oval Office meetup that has everyone buzzing.)Meanwhile, our current mayor is somewhere out there, still burning taxpayer dollars for his eurorail gap year soul search. Does he know Andorra is not part of the EU? Does he know he can take PTO? Come home mayor Adams. We miss you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Max, Chris, and Nick (the boys) discuss the Mamdani transition so far—the incoming first deputy mayor knows where all the (metaphorical) bodies are buried in Albany, while the incoming chief-of-staff is hoping to keep the administration honest to its progressive ideals. Meanwhile, Cuomo’s campaign is transcending to higher and higher planes as they attempt to ret-con the plot of the general election. Then: Elizabeth Street Garden is a park now? And should we ban carriage horses? Both of these issues might be 2026 problems. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zohran won! The sun rose this morning on a city with a democratic socialist, Muslim, immigrant, shockingly young mayor-elect. The team was up late covering the respective victory and concession parties, and this morning—a bit weary—they rolled out of bed to reflect on the evening and the mayoral race as it came, finally, to a close. What’s next for Zohran? And what does it look like when a progressive candidate doesn’t abandon the political apparatus that got them into office? Will we get to find out? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we have whiz-man, superstar data boy, and mayoral poll vibe-checker Michael Lange to give us the block-by-block for this week’s election. How it’s looking from both the birds-eye and the street-level. Then, the team debriefs about Mamdani’s performance on the stage last week at the live taping of the Hell Gate Podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Friday night, just a few hours before the start of early voting, Democratic mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani sat down for an interview with the Hell Gate Podcast in front of a live audience at the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens. During our 45-minute conversation, we grilled Mamdani about his desire to keep Jessica Tisch as his NYPD commissioner, and how he plans to combat attempts to undermine his ambitious agenda.We also talked about the barrage of racism and Islamophobia that Andrew Cuomo and the anti-Mamdani forces have hurled at him in the waning days of the campaign, how he stays alert and healthy while maintaining a grueling schedule, and his one-Red Bull-per-week indulgence.Also: Mamdani's position on a controversial universal daylighting bill in the City Council, whether he'll bring back real snow days for schoolchildren, and if he'll build affordable housing atop Elizabeth Street Garden. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Max reports back from the big Mamdani rally, where the candidate got the stamp of approval from some big-time establishment Democrats. Then: Are you confused about the housing ballot propositions you have to vote on soon? Luckily Chris has the breakdown for you, to clear it up completely, with no further questions. We close out with some speculations on what Eric Adams's new gig will be. Full time Cameo star? Green juice king? Hope springs eternal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eric Adams went on a taxpayer-funded vacation to Albania. What? Why? Regardless, we're in favor of it. While Zohran Mamdani is beginning to don the mayoral sash, the team considers whether it seems as though Cuomo is gaining any “Cuo-mentum”—after all, bigger polling gaps have been closed. Then, Jessy Edwards breaks down her reporting that illustrates just how bad a housing crisis the new mayor of our fine city will have to tackle. Daunting. We'd be in Albania as well. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s a cold world, get a sweater. Eric Adams dropped out of the race. What’s going to happen to our beloved mayor? Who is going to take care of the crypto man babies? Who will flag down the wait staff at the Table of Success? We really thought he was in it to win it. The team freewheels a discussion on what’s next for our mayor, and then, for the public good, a watch party of the trailer for the hottest e-book ever self-published about a soon-to-be-former NYC mayor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bluestockings, home of narcan training polycule meet-cutes and queer activist utopian prefiguration, has shuttered its doors effective immediately. Meanwhile, District 2’s CEC meetings have finally given in to the anger of parents trying to keep their trans kids safe—although it seems like the plot may be teed up for a sequel showdown… and in Brooklyn, perhaps the sloppiest union busting job of all time reminds us incompetence can sometimes be good, and, very funny. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kathy Hochul has finally endorsed Zohran Mamdani. Brad Lander was arrested again at the immigration courthouse. The wheel keeps turning in New York City and even the billionaires are throwing tantrums. The team breaks down how the money flow is making the march toward casinos seem unstoppable. Meanwhile, happy birthday Modi? Why are you in my fridge?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Life's a game, but it's not fair. I break the rules, so I don't care. Eric Adams is running for office, and into Hell Gate at the gym. Did he fumble his chance to be ambassador to Saudi Arabia? With his stock dropping fast, his media appearances are as weird as ever. Meanwhile, the team checks in on Mamdani, to find that he seems to be inching toward the center on the NYPD, with Jessica Tisch potentially still waiting in the wings.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eric Adams is up to something. While everyone else was getting back to work this week in our fine city, Adams was in Florida. Doing what exactly? Could he be dropping out? To vacation indefinitely at Mar-a-Lago? To cruise in first class, riding high off oil money from Saudi Arabia? To take selfies with celebrities and smash champagne flutes on the deck of a cruise ship filled with crypto bros? With just a few weeks left in the race, Donald Trump and his associates are meddling as much as they can in NYC politics to tip the scales. What is going on not-so-behind-the-scenes? Join us as we speculate wildly. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this end-of-summer special, the gang calls in from their Italian villas and Fire Island cabins to look back on our hellish summer in New York. What were you doing when Trump was bombing Iran? Some of us were on boats, watching Shakespeare, swimming in sewage, or DJing sweet beats. Then, reporter Arielle Gordon breaks down the clown renaissance taking our fine city by storm, and reminds us all to be a little more stupid.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, some breaking news: A bag of potato chips (sour cream and onion), a pantsuit, and a bike lane are making us wonder what the hell is really going on behind the scenes in NYC politics. The Adams crew continues to cook up bribery and corruption, and we are here to feast at the table. Though, all things being equal—as we’ve established—seafood is always a good deal.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andrew Cuomo is leaning so hard into twitter he’s falling off. Millennials posing as Zoomers posing as Cuomo are taking on Mamdani and Mamdani is responding in turn. The team takes apart some of the false arguments getting tossed around, and despite the heat, nothing is sticking. Then, the Summer Youths make it rain thanks to the Parks Department, Katie breaks down what’s hot at the Rockaway Film Festival, and the team discusses an important controversy: What is an OK food to eat on the MTA? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our city's fine rats are bathing in fountains and tanning on lily pads, Cuomo and Trump are reportedly gabbing it up, and Elizabeth Warren is back on CNBC to dish it out against our raging billionaires. It's the dog days of summer and the anti-Mamdani coalition cooked up a new set of logos but it doesn’t seem like anybody is quite hitting the mark. Then, the team interrogates the biases in John Catsimatidis's "Mamdani Policy Impact Calculator" and find that you can't argue with a "crime cost increase." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A mass shooting in Midtown earlier this week left four dead, and one of the victims was a cop. True to form, Cuomo and corporate media have taken this as a cue to attack Mamdani for his stance on the NYPD, and, similarly true to form, totally miss the point. The team unpacks how the shifting demographics of voters in the city—and its cops—complicate the cookie-cutter picture they’ve been painting for the past few decades. Then, a billionaire zoom call makes the team wonder if it’s ok to spend $300 on an oyster platter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team talks about the Trump administration's escalating pressure on our fair city, beginning with Columbia University's massive, humiliating settlement. Was it worth it, Columbia? Which then brings us to the federal government suing the Adams administration over New York City's sanctuary policies—how is Mayor Eric Adams reacting to Tom Homan finally being "up his butt"?Then, our intrepid correspondents discuss a Phish show they saw at Forest Hills Stadium this week. Listen if you dare! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We begin with the obligatory unpacking of Trump/Epstein and soon move on to our own local sex pest attempting to make a comeback using Zohran Mamdani’s social media strategy. Katie breaks down why Curtis Sliwa is neither the hero Gotham needs nor deserves, but why he should stay in the race anyway... And finally, Max wraps up the pod with a saucy surprise…  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Failing New York Times is at it again, digging into the depths of Mamdani’s college applications and collaborating with a eugenicist to… what end exactly? This week the team talks race, and unrelatedly, why Sid Rosenberg is so red. (Is it because John Catsimatidis is making him that way…? Maybe.) The anti-Mamdani coalition is mustering its forces, and Mamdani is fielding it all. Finally, we ponder whether police commissioner Jessica Tisch might have a place in the Mamdani administration, or if she'd be a liability in the long run. Join us for a breezy one from the burgeoning socialist utopia that’s New York City. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The ranked choice ballots have been counted and Zohran Mamdani’s win is even more decisive. Now that we’ve entered the valley between the primary and general elections, what is the landscape looking like? The team digests the state and country’s (mostly racist) immediate reactions to Mamdani’s primary win, and considers who in the field is worth really paying attention to. Meanwhile Adlan gets a mysterious email tip to come down to a supermarket street corner, and Trump continues his fascist escalation in NYC. Happy 4th, Hell Gate readers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The editors gather in the early morning to commiserate and lick their wounds over Cuomo’s tragic loss… How did we get here? How could a democratic socialist run a campaign in this city and win? We’re kidding, the Mamdani campaign threw a perfect game, and rewrote the electorate. Last night the team was running around the city covering the election—at watch parties for Adams, Lander, Cuomo, and Mamdani—all with radically different vibes. A bit groggy but with spirits high, we speculate on what Mamdani’s win could mean for the general election come November, for politics moving forward in this city, and (highly speculatively) for the country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The election is underway and the team is tossing and turning. Pre-debate polls still show Zohran Mamdani losing, and meanwhile Cuomo is on TV, his Dodge Charger is blocking NYC traffic, and his super PAC is flexing anti-Zohran ads into every gym and sports bar and laundromat in the city. Meanwhile Brad Lander got arrested by federal agents —and was given critical support by the coalition of candidates that, in this election cycle, seem to finally be coming together against Cuomo (sorta). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the editors can’t help but hash out the state of the race—early voting opens up this Saturday, June 14th. Cuomo may have taken a beating this week from Brad Lander at the second mayoral debate, but the poll margins are extremely tight. Still, Cuomo is characteristically absent from spin rooms, spaghetti dinners, and our good graces. It’s hard to divine what might happen now. Are TV ads better than grassroots campaigns? Do protests even do anything? Will the NYC elite cabal band together against change? (Almost certainly.) Maybe we’re lost in the sauce, but please come simmer alongside us for a while. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we unpack the latest craven twist in the mayoral dogfight—the first cross endorsement of the race… for Andrew Cuomo… from Jessica Ramos. Yes, Ramos who questioned Cuomo’s “mental acuity” and referred to him as “the Democratic Party's Trump.” A few blocks away from the endorsement, ICE agents clad in masks and hoods continue to lead asylum seekers into vans, and transport them to this administration’s immigration-gulag-archipelago. Max breaks down the mechanics and the consequences of ICE’s movement in Downtown Manhattan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the editors discuss Mamdani’s new poll numbers, and whether ranked-choice voting will really coax rival candidates to finally team up. Will the underdogs manage to band together against asteroid-like candidate Cuomo? (Yes, we discuss the 1998 film Deep Impact.) Also, what the hell is going on with Eric Adam’s crypto-lifestyle? Why is he in Vegas? And what does this have to do with the SoHo kidnapping? Then, Chris Robbins brings us to the scene of this past Wednesday’s ICE raid at an immigration court on Varick St., where asylum seekers were kidnapped and taken out of state. Thank you to The CITY’s Gwynne Hogan for the audio featured in today's episode. Full clips can be found on bluesky here, and here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.