The end of NYC Politics 101 and the beginning of something new

Reintroducing myself

I drafted this post on “reintroducing myself” last year because new people were subscribing to NYC Politics 101 and I thought it’d be helpful to introduce myself and give a refresher of what I’m doing here.

But now I’m sharing this post with a different lens, since I won’t be writing about NYC local politics anymore. Because I’ve moved to San Francisco. I’m having our first kid in a few months, and my husband and I moved to be closer to family. It was always a matter of time before we made the move back to California, since our parents and siblings are all in Sacramento and the Bay Area. So once the reality of pregnancy hit, we set the timeline to move before baby girl makes her appearance.

The move has been exciting and bittersweet too. But my most profound feeling is of gratitude, and privilege. I might not live in NYC anymore, but the city shaped me and is a part of me. That’s a gift. And it’s a gift to love both cities, SF and NYC. I’ve mentioned before that I was involved in local politics in SF before I moved to NYC, and I hope to dig back in now that I’ve moved back. Maybe I’ll even write about it.

So this post on “reintroducing myself” is a good place to leave NYC Politics 101. There’s still good stuff here, even though there won’t be new stuff.

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Reintroducing myself

Hi, I’m Sachi. In my day job, I support foundations and nonprofits to use data to serve communities better. My not-job side passion is local politics. I moved to NYC in 2021, and smart people and groups helped me find ways to influence the issues I care about. I started this newsletter in 2024 to 1) continue to learn how NYC politics works, and 2) write down what I learn in case it can be helpful for others.

I believe:

• If you care about social impact, local politics is the highest ROI way to spend your time, energy, and money. Join a local organizing group, donate to local advocacy groups.

• Voting isn’t enough. You have to do one more thing, or two or three. I know it’s hard to figure out where to start. And it’s even harder to make it fit into your life. That’s why I ran the NYC Primary Bootcamp last June. You can use the Bootcamp action list as a playbook for building your political influence today. Or next week. Or next year.

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I served on my community board in Manhattan.

It was a drama worthy of Hollywood. Here’s the three-part saga that includes everything from resignations to accusations to firings to sketchy anonymous donations.

Chapter 1: A Year of Turmoil and Transformation at Manhattan Community Board 5

Chapter 2: A Year of Turmoil and Transformation at Manhattan Community Board 5

Chapter 3: A Year of Turmoil and Transformation at Manhattan Community Board 5

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Deep dive topics

I like going down rabbit holes. My approach is to assess: what’s the problem, what’s the ideal solution, who are the players blocking that solution, and how can the rest of us can get in the game. Here’s my rabbit holes on:

• Public Toilets

  • I rated each of New York City’s privately owned public toilets

  • I published a piece in Vital City on how Mamdani can deliver on his public bathrooms promise

  • I wrote about how neighborhood opposition affects what gets built in New York City and when

• Casinos

  • I examined the side effects of casinos and found that the worst negative side effect of casinos is problem gambling.

  • I explored models for decreasing problem gambling.

  • I summarized the casino bids and the concessions they offered.

• Historic Preservation

  • I put together a 5-question quiz so you can test your skills at identifying which NYC buildings are designated as landmarks.

  • Since preservationists are a small group of people with an outsize voice, I catalogued the moves that they use to build and keep power.

• The NYC Comptroller’s Office

  • A breakdown of what the NYC Comptroller really controls– and what they don’t

  • Property Taxes 101: What Every New Yorker Should Know

  • Whether you should be concerned about the current status of NYC’s pension funds

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And a couple helpful explainers

for civic building blocks like jury duty and following local news:

What to expect when you get jury duty in NYC

A Practical Guide to NYC Local News Outlets

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Recommended NYC Substacks

One of my favorite things about writing on substack is that I’ve gotten to know other powerful writers. Here’s a few NYC substack authors I recommend, and a favorite sample post from each:

Maximum New York - NYC’s Median Rent is ~$1.6k, and How That is Even Possible

Abundance New York - A Tale of Two Turnarounds: Reimagining New York’s industrial neighborhoods, from Midtown to the Marine Terminal

Friends of NYC Abundance - A guide to hosting fundraisers for local candidates you care about

NYCuriosity - Manhattan Should Charge for Parking

SeaNYC - Good NYC Civic Membership Groups

CAFÉ ANNE - The NYC Snack That Ate My Lunch! Plus! Protein cage match!! Bodega worker predictions for 2026!!!

Sparks From Culture - Laughing And Crying At The Same Time

Big City, Little Friend - How do you like them apples?

Me looking a little pregnant in our last days in our Brooklyn apartment