Hell Gate NYC

Hell Gate NYC is a worker-owned, independent digital news outlet covering New York City. Launched in 2022 by four former editors of Gothamist and Vice (including Max Rivlin-Nadler, Christopher Robbins, and others), the site was created in response to the instability of venture-backed local media and a desire to build a newsroom owned and governed by its journalists. Its name nods to the treacherous East River strait, signaling both its New York identity and its slightly irreverent tone.

Editorially, Hell Gate blends traditional local reporting with sharp voice and cultural coverage. It covers city politics, housing, labor, transportation, arts, nightlife, and neighborhood-level stories that larger outlets sometimes overlook. While it publishes investigative pieces and accountability reporting, it also embraces personality-driven writing and a conversational style, positioning itself as both watchdog and participant in the city’s civic life.

The outlet operates on a subscription model, with most content behind a paywall. Reader memberships fund the newsroom directly, allowing it to avoid reliance on major corporate ownership or heavy advertising. As a worker-owned cooperative, staff members share in decision-making and financial outcomes, an approach meant to create long-term sustainability and editorial independence.

Hell Gate NYC represents part of a broader movement in local journalism: small, digitally native, journalist-owned outlets attempting to rebuild community news infrastructure after years of newsroom closures and hedge-fund consolidation. Its model prioritizes accountability, sustainability, and a distinctly New York voice.