Urbanite

Latin Mass makes comeback in NYC

Tuesday December 30, 2008 3:26 PM By Sean Joseph

The Rev. James Miara gives communion at a traditional Latin Mass at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in the Bronx. (Alana Abel)

By Max J. Dickstein

When Benjamin Cirillo goes with his wife and infant daughter this Sunday to Church of Our Savior in Murray Hill, the service — a traditional Latin Mass — will be unfamiliar territory.

“I came into the Church as an adult, so I’ve still got a lot to learn,” said Cirillo, 28, a portfolio manager for a hedge fund. “I’m looking forward to following it page by page.”

Our Savior’s pastor, the Rev. George William Rutler, is making his church the third in Manhattan in the past year to regularly offer a Latin Mass.

In place of vernacular-language liturgy introduced by the Vatican in 1970, Rutler, in low-voiced Latin, will conduct a centuries-old Mass last popularly celebrated in the early 1960s. Pope Benedict XVI eased the Latin Mass’s revival in July 2007, when he scuttled a requirement that bishops review any parish’s request to perform it.“I thought it would be appropriate to have the old rite,” Rutler said. “Younger people are looking for something stable.”

Dioceses are no longer required to keep tabs on the practice in parishes, but one estimate puts the number in the region at about two dozen, perhaps triple the number of regularly celebrated Latin Masses in the New York region compared to a year ago, though still a tiny minority with about 1,000 parishes in the region.

The Latin rite’s return underscores a divide between Catholics who never adjusted to the new Mass and others who fear a scaling-back of contemporary reforms.

The Second Vatican Council, which introduced the new Mass, enacted some important reforms in the church’s attitude toward the modern world, said the Rev. Jean-Pierre Ruiz, a theology professor at St. John’s University. “But the church never intended to jettison the long and rich liturgical tradition associated with the Latin Mass,” he said.

In Little Italy of the Bronx every Sunday morning, Mario Borgatti shuffles to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, where he served as an altar boy in the 1920s, to celebrate the Latin Mass that started there last December.

“I grew up with it and I missed it,” said the 93-year-old pasta maker.

While the Mass has appeared in several parishes in the past year, there has been a Latin Mass at St. Agnes Church on East 43rd Street since 1988, when Pope John Paul II restored it with restrictions.

“It’s supposed to connect you more to the divine,” said congregant Scott Surrency, 35, of Greenwich Village.

But while some worshippers have attached themselves exclusively to the revived service, others say that the old and new can coexist.

“They complement each other,” said Dempsey Acosta of St. Agnes. “Both of them are treasures that we have to protect.”

Old vs. new

Orientation: Post-Vatican II Mass, Priest faces Congregation; Traditional Latin Mass, Priest and congregation both face east

Language: Post-Vatican II Mass, Vernacular; Traditional Latin Mass, Latin

Communion: Post-Vatican II Mass, Priest places the Eucharist in the congregation's hand; Traditional Latin Mass, Priest places the Eucharist directly in the worshipper's mouth while the alter boy holds a tray under the worshipper's chin

Lay participation: Post-Vatican II Mass, May perform readings; Traditional Latin Mass, Only an ordained man may read

Tags: religion, latin, catholic, mass, history

New Yorkers have some things to look forward to in '09

Tuesday December 30, 2008 3:21 PM By Jason Fink

By Jason Fink

New Yorkers looking to put a tough year behind them and indulge in a little optimism about 2009 can take heart.

amNewYork has come up with five reasons to look forward to the coming year.

• Real estate a good bet

After months of dismal news on the housing front, recent reports that prices in New York City have dropped by as much as 20 to 30 percent in the past year means 2009 may be the time to get back into the market for an apartment.

And with interest rates plunging, buyers are sure to be calling the shots.

“There are new options out there, especially in the new high-rises,” said Danielle Varvaro, 27, of Union Square, who is looking to buy a new place next year.

• New direction in politics

For Republicans, the exit of President George W. Bush from the White House brings a chance to rejuvenate the party and start grooming the next generation of leaders.

Meanwhile, President-elect Barack Obama has vowed to shake up Washington, and his supporters see a bold plan to put people back to work and reposition America on the world stage.

“Many people hope that something is going to change,” said Anna Henriquez, 18, of the Lower East Side.

• Football keeps getting better

After a stinging end to the ’08 NFL season, the Jets are reportedly in talks with former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher, who has shown that he can lead a team to a Super Bowl title.

“They need a motivator,” said Robert Stash, of Manhattan.

And while the Giants have hit some bumps in the road, they are still favorites to return to the big game, where they will aim for back-to-back titles.

• New baseball stadiums

The Yankees and Mets, flush with a bevy of new high-priced stars, will each get a new address. Though ticket prices will be higher, both Yankee Stadium and Citi Field will have modern amenities the old ones lacked.

“It will give a lot of people something to do and the revenue will be great for the city,” said Adam Hamilton, 27, of Flatbush.

• The New York City spirit

New Yorkers, as resilient a bunch as there is, know that sometimes it’s darkest before the dawn.

“People, for the most part, are optimistic about next year,” said Harvey Urbieta, 29, of the Upper East Side.

Though freelance journalist Robbie Wallenstein is unemployed, he said his luck has no where to go but up come 2009.

“I don’t have money so how can I lose it?” said Wallenstein, 28, of Morningside Heights.

Marlene Naanes and Aline Reynolds contributed to this story.

55,000-title collection of Kim's Video setting sail for Italy

Tuesday December 30, 2008 1:35 PM By Rolando Pujol

Via Yelp

The fate of Kim's Video's 55,000-title collection has been settled — and the beneficiaries will be the 11,000 residents of Salemi, Italy. Former Urbaniter Lauren Johnston has details of how owner Yongman Kim's priceless collection has become the subject of an unusual transatlantic gift.

Kim's will end rentals on St. Marks Place Dec. 31, as the former Kim empire meets its demise, the victim of Netflix and changing media-consumption habits.

From the News: Kim went with a bid from Salemi Mayor Vittorio Sgarbi – a former TV talk show host described as "one of the oddest and most colorful figures in contemporary Italy,"by the British newspaper, The Independent – who's trying to revitalize his poverty-stricken town.

Jeremiah at Vanishing New York has more, including photos.

-- Rolando Pujol

Tags: kim's video, history, retail, east village, st. marks place, endangered nyc, real estate, shopping

Henican: Wretched '08 sets bar low for '09

Tuesday December 30, 2008 1:25 PM By Emily Ngo

At times like this, it’s always better to look forward than to look back.

And I will. In a moment.

But who can resist one last outburst of disappointment and disgust at the past 11 months and 30 days? Good riddance, 2008! Do you know anyone who had a really good year?

The stock market tumbling. People losing their homes. Retirement savings, cut off at the knees. The banks and the car makers, teetering at bankruptcy. Two million jobs, just gone.

It was a year of problems so real and so personal, many people even forgot about Afghanistan and Iraq. And now, just in time for the ball drop, the Middle East is on fire again. The Chinese were obviously onto something with the Year of the Rat. The only hard part is choosing an official mascot: Bernie Madoff? The credit-card pushers? Our own shallow greed?Now here’s the good thing about hope: It really does spring eternal. And here’s the good thing about new years: They really do come around every 12 months.

And here’s a cheery fact at the year of 2008: This miserable year set the bar of comparison so low, we’re likely to be grinning like maniacs this time next year.

If the economy is only half a disaster, it won’t feel so awful any more.

If you still hate your job but you have it — hey, break out the champagne.

If your stocks are down just 20 percent, shrug and tell yourself, “It could have been a whole lot worse — and was.”

As you might have heard, we have a new man moving into the White House. He ran on

a slogan, “Yes we can.”

Who knows whether he can — or not? But after eight of “no we can’t ever,” even the occasional achievement will look pretty good.

Happy New Year! Bring it on!

Tags: henican, economy, new year's

NYC gears up for Jonas Brothers in Times Square

Tuesday December 30, 2008 11:46 AM By Jason Fink

The Jonas Brothers (Joe, Nick and Kevin). AP photo

By Jason Fink

New York is prepared for the invasion of the Jonas Brothers.

The NYPD is denying a report that fears over the crowd expected for the mega star trio in Times Square tomorrow night prompted plans for additional security.

“These entertainers did not have an effect on our plans in any significant way,” said NYPD spokesman Paul Browne. “The report . . . is wrong. It sounds like something a promoter is putting out there.”

Meanwhile, it was announced that Bill and Hillary Clinton will push the button for the famous ball drop to ring in 2009 as part of the annual party with Dick Clark and Ryan Seacrest.

An article posted today on People magazine’s Web site said cops were preparing to use extra security because the Jonas Brothers can inspire madness in their young fans.Citing a source, the Web site reported that the show’s producers met with police, who told them a “mob scene” was possible during the New Year’s Eve celebration.

The teen heartthrobs, who attract legions of screaming young fans seemingly everywhere they go, drew an adoring crowd of hundreds at the Apple store in SoHo this summer.

Police say a million people could be in Times Square and the security presence, as always, will be strong.

“We expect a large crowd and a large (police) presence to accommodate that crowd,” Browne said.

Tags: jonas brothers, new year's eve, times square, police, entertainment

Classic signs ruined by 99-cent shop's mega mural

Tuesday December 30, 2008 11:17 AM By Rolando Pujol

BEFORE

Photos by Rolando Pujol

A few weeks back, we told you about these great old hand-painted ghost signs that surfaced in Herald Square recently.

Well, take a good look at the picture above. It's a part of history now.

In the weeks since, Jack's 99 Cent shop painted a huge mural on the side of the West 32nd Street building, and most of the signs disappeared under the new coat of paint.

We thought those signs were certainly worth more than 99 cents. In fact, they were priceless. But apparently, they're worth nothing at all.

-- Rolando Pujol

AFTER

Tags: jacks 99 cent store, herald square, signs, ghost signs, history, old school, manhattan, architecture, advertising

Jets will do 'whatever is necessary' to land Cowher

Tuesday December 30, 2008 9:29 AM By Ryan Chatelain

Bill Cowher is expected to interview for the Jets' head-coaching job. (Photo by Getty)

By Ryan Chatelain

How badly do the Jets want Bill Cowher? So badly, apparently, that Mike Tannenbaum may be willing to give up the general manager’s job to land the Super Bowl champion coach.

Tannenbaum would restructure his job so that Cowher could bring in his own GM, ESPN.com is reporting. Cowher plans to speak with the Jets about the job, but no date for the interview has been set, according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen.

ESPN reported Tuesday morning that Cowher was not interested in the Jets job because he wants to bring in his own personnel director. By the afternoon, however, the network was quoting a high-ranking Jets official as saying the team is willing do “whatever is necessary” to hire Cowher.

Meanwhile, Newsday is reporting that the GM position might not be a sticking point at all in the Cowher negotiations.

"We plan to speak with him," a team source said. "But there have been no discussion yet. We have gotten no indication from him that he would not take the position based on the front office power structure."

Tags: sports, jets

A food lover's guide to 14th street

Tuesday December 30, 2008 9:25 AM By Lucy Blatter

Baked goods at Max Brenner. Credit: Ryan Thatcher

By Linda Perney

Special to amNewYork

It's cold outside. Too cold to go roaming from store to store, looking for the perfect anything. And, there's no need to anyway.

Over the past few years, supermarkets have gone really super, offering organic produce, high-end prepared meals, exotic cheeses and produce and fine baked goods. 14th Street offers a conglomeration of these markets, so if you really do insist on shopping around, you can just nip next door and sample the treats there. And if the supermarkets don't do it for you, the Greenmarket surely will.BALDUCCI’S

81 Eighth Ave.,

212-741-3700,

Open 7 a.m.-9 p.m., everyday

Once, there actually was a Balducci, and he ran a vegetable stand in the Village; eventually, the stand became a family-owned market that grew and grew, finally occupying the corner of Ninth Street and Sixth Avenue.

Now, the market is located at 14th Street and Eighth Avenue, in what was once a bank. Instead of trading in cold, hard cash, the store trades in excellent prepared foods — some 50 or so dishes every day, ranging from down-home fried chicken to pistachio-crusted salmon to stuffed lobster tails.

In addition, there are selections of cheeses, meats, seafood as well as a deli counter, produce section and baked goods.

GARDEN OF EDEN

7 East 14th St.,

212-255-4200

Open Mon.-Sat. 7 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sun. 7 a.m.- 9:30 p.m.

This large full-service market has plenty to put together a party with: Prepared foods range from latkes and pigs in blankets to scallops in white wine to chicken salads. There are also hams carved from the bone, brisket, plus, in the deli area, pates, terrines, foie gras prosciutto and smoked salmon.

Other treats include well-priced chocolates, a fresh seafood bar that carries shrimp of all sizes, meat and produce departments, and, in the bakery section superb key lime pies that taste like summer in the middle of winter.

WHOLE FOODS

4 Union Square South,

212-673-5388,

Open 8 a.m.-11 p.m, everyday

In the space that once housed the discount store Mays, Whole Foods now deals in healthy (if high-end) foods.

There's no point trying to describe what they carry —trust us, they sell just about everything. Prepared foods run the gamut from fried chicken to salt-and-pepper shrimp to duck with black cherry glaze.

Indian food is available at the hot bar, and the cheese department is as varied as it gets. If you're looking for local-local, what about pickles from Rick's Picks (from Prospect Heights) or Gorilla Coffee (also from Brooklyn) or Tate's Cookies (from Long Island)?

MAX BRENNER CHOCOLATES BY THE BALD MAN

841 Broadway,

212-388-0030

Open Mon – Thurs 9 a.m. – midnight; Fri.- Sat. 9 a.m. – 2 a.m.; Sun 9 a.m. – 11 p.m.

Okay, so it's not right on 14th Street; it's a block south. Still, if you're looking to take a quick break and maybe pick up a few chocolates, well, here's the place. What about a warming chocolate fondue ($20.25-$24.95 for two)? Or, say, a little chocolate soup ($10.25)?

UNION SQUARE GREENMARKET

One of the glories of shopping 14th Street is the Union Square Market; in fact just about every chef worth his or her salt shows up at some point to sift through the stalls.

Summer is, of course, its main season, when the market is awash in fresh tomatoes, berries, peaches and other produce. Winter, you go for things like cheeses, meats, seafood, baked goods, plus artisanal honey, organic cider and more. The market is open Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. (Northern side of Union Square.)

Tags: balducci's, whole foods, garden of eden, max brenner, union square green market, 14th street

Viral video: Crashing under pressure

Tuesday December 30, 2008 8:19 AM By Sean Joseph

While impressive, this robot still has a few kinks to work out after falling down a set of stairs.

Tags: viral video, television, robots, technology

Bubblies for any budget

Tuesday December 30, 2008 6:21 AM By Lucy Blatter

Storme Wood, wine director and somellier at of Vero Midtown

By LUCY COHEN BLATTER

It’s bubbly time! Whether you’re willing to shell out for one of the priciest bottles around or want to keep bubbly costs down, Storme Wood, wine director and sommelier at Vero Midtown, has suggestions.

The highly celebrated Champagne label simply connotes a sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France. Sparkling wines from other countries — such as Proseccos from Italy and Cavas from Spain — can be just as good and often carry a much smaller price tag and better value.

Champagnes can only be made from three varieties of grapes — Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. In other countries, there are no restrictions and sparkling-wine makers can experiment with many types of grapes.For a splurge:

If you don’t mind spending hundreds, Wood suggests Perrier-Jouet. “Perrier-Jouet Fleur de Champagne Rosé is my absolute favorite,” she said of the Champagne, which starts around $175, depending on the vintage.

“Their Blanc de Blancs Fleur de Champagne is out of this world too.” Many vintages of these Perrier-Jouet bottles retail upwards of $350.

For thrifty tippling:

If you were hoping to spend Hamiltons rather than Franklins, there are plenty of sparkling wines from regions other than Champagne.

Wood suggests Italy’s Bottega Petalo Il Vino dell’Amore, made of 100% Moscato grapes. “The grapes are grown in an area with a lot of wild roses, so the wine has a really pretty formal aroma, and peach and apple flavors,” she said. It retails around $14.

From Spain, she suggests d’Abbatis Cava, which is made entirely of one variety of grape: Parellada. “It’s the polar opposite of the Petalo, which is decadent and luxurious. The d’abbatis Cava is bone-dry, almost chalky,” she said. It retails around $15.

For New Year’s Day brunch:

Don’t be fooled by the misconception that rosés are too sweet. “I always tell people not to equate rosés with white zinfandels. Rosés are often more flavorful than white ones,” said Wood.

“I love them for brunch because they are very versatile and food-friendly.” In particular, Wood suggests Gosset Rosé Brut (which retails around $90 a bottle).

Wood suggests serving dry Champagnes or sparkling wines with creamy dishes such as Eggs Benedict and sweeter Champagnes for dishes such as French toast and berries.

When making mimosas, opt for something not too sweet or too dry. “Prosecco is a good way to go, ” she says. “It’s nice and light and easy to drink.”

Recipe: Gelee Shot (an upscale version of the Jello shot)

Heat a simple syrup (made from equal parts sugar and water) until thickened; turn off the heat. Add 1 1/2 quarts Champagne and 13 gelatin sheets and stir frequently until the gelatin is dissolved. Divide among 24 small containers —we recommend using something lovely such as demitasse or espresso cups. Sprinkle a few pomegranate seeds in each cup and place in the refrigerator to set. Cheers!

Created by Chris Siversen, the executive chef at Bridgewaters and Twenty Four Fifth.

Tags: champagne, prosecco, cava, sparkling wine, perrier-jouet, food

Mangini couldn't withstand pressure

Monday December 29, 2008 3:53 PM By Ryan Chatelain

Eric Mangini was 23-25 in three seasons as Jets coach. (Photo by David L. Pokress/Newsday)

By Ryan Chatelain

It wasn’t just a late-season collapse that cost Eric Mangini his job as Jets coach.

When Gang Green’s front office splurged before the season, doling out $140 million in free agency and then trading for future Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre, it put the pressure on the coach once dubbed “Man-genius.”

“The team was built to win now,” said Joe Pietaro, editor of New York Sportscene magazine. “It wasn’t in rebuilding mode.”

The Jets yesterday fired Mangini, who compiled a 23-25 record in three seasons and led the team to the playoffs in 2006. After an 8-3 start this year, the Jets appeared to be a cinch to reach the postseason but lost four of their last five games, cutting their season short.In addition to Favre, the Jets added perennial Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca, offensive tackle Damien Woody, fullback Tony Richardson, defensive tackle Kris Jenkins and linebacker Calvin Pace. But all they had to show for the roster overhaul was a disappointing third-place finish in the AFC East.

“In New York, you gotta win,” said Franklin Romero, 27, a Jets fan from the Upper West Side. “You’re always expected to be great. If you keep Mangini around, you’re going to be going in circles.”

Not all Gang Green fans, however, agreed that Mangini deserved the ax.

“They kind of forced Favre down his throat,” said Joseph Moscato, 45, of the Upper East Side. “They should have given both [Favre and Mangini] at least two years together.”

In fact, a report by Fox Sports surfaced yesterday about Favre being unhappy that Mangini would question the Pro Bowl quarterback’s on-field decision-making in front of the entire team.

The attention now shifts to Favre and whether he will return to New York next season. The Jets’ first order of business, meanwhile, is a search for Mangini’s successor. Super Bowl champion coaches Bill Cowher and Mike Holmgren are on many fans’ wish lists, but Pietaro said he thinks a promising assistant, namely Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, would be a good fit.

“They could win with a coordinator,” Pietaro said. “You saw with Atlanta and Miami that teams could have a quick turnaround and success without prior head-coaching experience.”

Aline E. Reynolds contributed to this report.

Tags: jets, nfl, sports

MTA's official 'doomsday' fare hike

Monday December 29, 2008 3:40 PM By Pete Catapano

New Yorkers may up end paying $103 for monthly MetroCards

(RJ Mickelson, amNY)

By Marlene Naanes

mnaanes@am-ny.com

It might not be a happy new year for New Yorkers after all.

Subway and bus riders could pay up to $103 for a monthly pass, lose their bonus on MetroCards or pay as much as $3 a ride under two “doomsday” proposals released by the MTA yesterday.

“It’s a tsunami of a fare hike,” Gene Russianoff, Straphangers Campaign staff attorney, said in a statement. “It’s a nightmare, particularly at a time when [New Yorkers are] struggling to make ends meet.”

Unlimited MetroCards would go up about 25 percent under one proposal that distributes the hike among all fares — whether its on daily or bonus cards — and brings a monthly pass to $103, a $22 hike.

The second proposal eliminates the bonus on MetroCards but also softens the blow to unlimited passes, including the monthly that would go up to $99.

Eliminating the 15 percent bonus that riders now get when they put $7 or greater on a MetroCard bristled transit advocates.“This would make it harder for lower-income riders to obtain a discount,” Russianoff said. “If the proposal is adopted, these riders would need to have $31 in their pockets — the price of a seven-day unlimited-ride discount MetroCard — to obtain any discount.”

The MTA will hold public hearings on the hike proposals and service cuts beginning on Jan. 14.

The agency’s board will vote on the proposals in March to implement them beginning in June.

Albany can take a major amount of the sting out of either proposal by passing recommendations from a governor-appointed commission, including a payroll tax and new tolls on East River bridges. Under those recommendations, fares would go up only 8 percent.

Under an 8 percent hike, the MetroCard bonus could actually go up to 20 percent under one proposal, and the MetroCard base fare would remain at $2 under the proposal that eliminates the bonus.

Albany would likely need to act before March.

“[The proposals] make clear that there’s no good way to implement such a big increase, and we hope the Ravitch Commission recommendations will be implemented to make them unnecessary,” MTA spokesman Jeremy Soffin said in a statement.

Tags: fare hike, mta, metrocard, ravitch commission, transit

This week's travel deals

Monday December 29, 2008 10:55 AM By Lucy Blatter

By Emily Ranager

Special to amNewYork

Enjoy wine and olives:

Celebrate the Sonoma Valley Olive Festival with these discounts from hotels and spas in Sonoma, Ca. Through February, six locations will offer deals ranging from 50 percent off spa services to 25 percent off nightly room rates.

For example, a trip to the MacArthur Place starts at $199 per night and includes lodging, olive martinis upon arrival, and $25 off an olive oil body polish or any 50-minute spa treatment.

For an even more affordable vacation, Best Western Sonoma Valley Inn has rates starting at $99 per night, including continental breakfast delivered to your room and a bottle of wine upon arrival.

Visit www.sonomavalley.com for a full list of promotions.Rent a beachfront property:

If your budget is holding you back from a warm-weather trip, let Zonder.com help you find a value-priced vacation rental.

The site lists more than 5,000 beachfront properties in Florida, San Diego, Mexico and the Caribbean that will be easy on your wallet because they have amenities like kitchens and laundry that hotels usually don’t. For example, a five-bedroom, three-bath house in Destin, Fla. that sleeps 12 is $286 per night—just $24 per person. www.zonder.com.

Stay in Florida for less:

Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort in Marco Island, Fla. is offering a bailout package of up to $200 in resort credits per night. Stay Jan. 31 to March 21 and get $100 daily to use toward restaurants, spa treatments and golf; trips March 22 to April 17 will get $200 of credit daily. Nightly rates start at $499. Booking deadline based on availability. www.marriott.com.

Tags: sonoma valley, zonder.com, caribbean, marco island marriott beach resort, florida, travel

Viva la recession: Paris on a budget

Monday December 29, 2008 10:43 AM By Lucy Blatter

The Palais-Royal's arcade and gardens are ideal for a free afternoon stroll. Credit: Monique Stringfellow

By Monique Stringfellow

Special to amNewYork

Paris is associated with many things — haute couture, fine cuisine, architectural opulence —but a good deal is not often one of them. Suprisingly, though, Parisians are actually very sensible spenders. So, Paris on a budget is less about cutting corners than doing the city like a Parisian.

What to do

Go to Notre Dame, but skip the overcrowded climb to the top of the tower (for 7.50 euros) and opt instead for a (free!) wander within the main area of the world’s most famous Gothic Cathedral.

Climb the steps of Montmartre’s Sacré Coeur for an unbeatable (and free!) view.

Weather permitting, follow Hemingway’s example and transform the city into a moveable feast. Picnics are the best way to combine sightseeing, people watching (a favorite Parisian pastime) and eating (another fave pastime.) without the high cost of a café meal.The Champ de Mars – the grassy area beneath the Eiffel Tower – is a favorite for local families and the banks of the Seine host a lively social scene on sunny days.

Do some market-hopping at Clignancourt, the city’s largest, at the northern edge of the city. Find art, antiques and vintage clothes. It’s free to look and, should you decide to buy, bargaining is not at all gauche, so go for it.

Where to stay

Located in the cool 20th Arrondisement, the Philippe Starck-designed Mama Shelter is a design snob’s dream. At 79 euros per night, it’s also a steal. Rooms are outfitted with 24-inch iMacs and Kiehl’s supplies the bath products.(www.mamashelter.com)

Where to eat

Parisians are almost as cosmopolitan as New Yorkers when it comes to dining out.

For amazing Cambodian, try Le Cambodge (10 Ave. Richerand) in the un-touristy Canal area.

For couscous, Chez Omar (47 rue de Bretagne) is a Marais standby.

The Belleville neighborhood boasts Vietnamese and Thai restaurants that more than hold their own against New York’s best.

The specialty of Domaine de Lintilllac (20 rue Rousselet) is foie gras. While that would seem to disqualify it for inclusion, it miraculously doesn’t. Entrees like cassoulet and duck confit hover around 10 euros, while a generous amount of top quality foie gras goes for a reasonable 12 euros.

A typical French night out often involves sitting at a local café over a carafe of house wine. Coming from the land of $14 glasses of merlot, the 10-to-12 euro price tag should cast off any lingering doubts about Parisian affordabilité.

Tags: paris, france, montmatre, champ de mars, hemingway, mama shelter, travel

Viral video: Everything is not as it seems

Monday December 29, 2008 8:19 AM By Sean Joseph

A nifty camera trick makes this toy car look actual size.

Tags: viral video, television, cars

Old-school diner reopens with new attitude

Monday December 29, 2008 7:09 AM By Marlene Naanes

The space-age Market Diner in Hell’s Kitchen, once a hangout for Frank Sinatra, has finally reopened, much to the delight of classic diner lovers everywhere.

The diner, which features an outdoor patio and an updated interior was set to open in early June but had seen some setbacks. It officially reopened earlier this month.

The 1962 diner’s exterior, with its zig-zag roof in the Googie architectural style, will be surrounded by outdoor seating for up to a 100 people in warmer weather. Before it closed in 2006, the diner was known as one of the few businesses in Manhattan to have its own customer parking lot.

The indoor changes created a more natural and modern look, an owner has said. The decor was set to feature a rock sculpture and wooden furnishings, which reviewers on yelp have said makes it feel like it rocketed out of a Jetson's episode.

The eatery, at West 43rd Street and 11th Avenue, also is supposed to feature a bar that will sell frozen drinks. The Market also added a couple of non-diner items to its classic American fare, such as spring rolls.

The Tsinias family, which leases the diner from Moinian Group, has been in the diner business for almost 35 years and owns the Cosmic Diner, which moved to West 52nd Street and Eighth Avenue after many years in Columbus Circle.

Tags: endangered nyc

Jets coach Eric Mangini fired

Monday December 29, 2008 5:35 AM By Mae Cheng

(Associated Press)

The Jets fired coach Eric Mangini Monday morning, a day after the team was ousted from post season play.

Sources have said in recent weeks that owner Woody Johnson, who extolled Mangini's virtues in a preseason meeting with the team's beat reporters, had become frustrated with the team's performance and, by extension, Mangini.

"For the current New York Jets organization, we've made the decision to move on," Johnson said. "It's a judgment call. This is not a decision that we reached yesterday or 10 minutes ago. We don't take this decision lightly. We want to build on the successful foundation that he's laid."

Johnson said he did not consider firing general manager Mike Tannenbaum along with Mangini.The Jets' swoon came after an 8-3 start, losing to Denver, San Francisco, Seattle and Miami. Quarterback Brett Favre threw nine interceptions in the final five games, including three in Sunday's season-ending loss at East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The Jets needed to win that game and have either the New England patriots or Baltimore Ravens to reach the playoffs. Both those teams won before New York's game was finished.

After going 4-12 last season - the franchise's worst record since 1996 - the Jets' offseason overhaul included the addition of Favre, offensive lineman Alan Faneca and defensive tackle Kris Jenkins.

It's also unclear what will become of Favre. After Sunday's loss, the future Hall of Famer quarterback said he is uncertain about his future but his physical health will play a role in deciding whether he will return to the NFL.

- Erik Boland/Newsday

Tags: eric mangini, jets, brett favre

Jets sleeping with the fishes: Fans react

Sunday December 28, 2008 3:55 PM By Emily Ngo

By Emily Ngo

With the season and fans’ hearts on the line, the Jets on Sunday suffered another late-season implosion — this one at the hands of their former quarterback Chad Pennington.

The Gang Green supporters who gathered at Third and Long bar in Murray Hill mourned their run, which ended with a 24-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins at Giants Stadium. They were more than familiar with the disappointment.

“It’s been bad for so long,” said Jen Jabis, 35, of Murray Hill. “I’ve been a Jets fan since I was 5, so I’m kind of used to this.”

Jabis and friend Antonia Koller, 37, a Giants fan, had kept their fingers crossed for an all-New York Super Bowl. “We had very high hopes early in the season,” Jabis said.

The Jets’ playoff fate was dependent on losses yesterday by the New England Patriots or the Baltimore Ravens. A Patriots victory over Buffalo earlier in the day dampened early postseason hopes, but then the Ravens clinched the wild card with a win over Jacksonville and erased those hopes altogether.

Quarterback Brett Favre’s once-promising team had again collapsed, losing four of its last five games.Pennington, unceremoniously dumped in the preseason for the legendary Favre, may have found some consolation in his new team’s success and its unlikely AFC East title.

“When you come back to New York for a game that has this much at stake, there’s got to be some emotion,” said Chris Langrill, 29, of Williamsburg.

After the first touchdown of the game went to the Jets, faithful fans celebrated with high-fives all around. Later, they debated the futures of Jets head coach Eric Mangini and Broadway Brett, who is in his 18th season of pro football.

“Brett’s going to stay, and Mangini’s going to go,” said Jabis, who favors former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher as a replacement. “They were playing better when Brett wasn’t listening to Mangini.”

“It’s going to be tough to keep him,” Luke Sullivan, 33, said of Mangini. “He hasn’t done anything special to keep his job.” Asked how many seasons Favre still had in him, the Sunnyside resident formed a zero with his thumb and index finger.

“Three weeks ago, the playoffs would have been a definite yes,” Sullivan said. “Now, it’s a no.”

Teal-clad Dolphins fans at Third and Long yesterday were careful not to gloat.

Spiro Maroulis, a 35-year-old from Flushing, reminded his rivals: “It’s all in good fun.”

Tags: jets, murray hill, sports

Top 10 New York Stories of 2008:

Sunday December 28, 2008 2:52 PM By Sean Joseph

Eliot Spitzer resigns as governor in March with his wife, Silda, by his side. (Getty)

By Pete Catapano and Rolando Pujol

It’s safe to say 2008 was rather on the unpredictable side. We saw massive economic meltdowns, bizarre political scandals and history made as Sen. Barack Obama was elected to the White House.

While no list could cover the entire landscape of a rather monumental year, here are the top 10 New York stories of 2008:

DOUBLE DOSE OF FARE HIKES

Although fares and tolls already went up in March, the MTA proposed a whole new set of hikes as it copes with a $1.2 billion budget deficit. Along with service cuts, the MTA said in worst-case scenarios, single-ride fares could rise to $3 while monthly MetroCards could top out at $105.

Also coming into play is the possibility of tolling on the East River bridges. If implemented, the tolls could keep the hike down.

SPITZER SCANDAL

In the most shocking scandal of the year, the state’s political “golden boy” was literally found with his pants down when it was discovered he was a client of high-priced escort service.

Just a year into his administration, New York’s governor was discovered to be spending thousands of dollars on prostitutes, particularly the now-famous Ashley Dupre. Spitzer, or “Client No. 9” as he was described in court papers, resigned on March 17 but didn’t face charges. This lead to the installation of the state’s first black governor, David Paterson.

Michael Strahan, left, and Eli Manning celebrate the Giants' first Super Bowl victory since 1991. (AP)

GIANTS WIN SUPERBOWL

New York got its first victory parade since 2000 as the Giants recorded one of the most-unlikely Super Bowl victories.

After winning three road playoff games, the Giants were a double-digit underdog against the unbeaten New England Patriots. Eli Manning, the game’s MVP, connected with Plaxico Burress on a 13-yard touchdown to give the Giants a stunning 17-14 upset. It was the Giants first title since 1991.

DEATH OF HEATH LEDGER

The city was stunned by the Jan. 22 death of 28-year-old actor Heath Ledger in a SoHo loft, where mourners immediately mounted a massive makeshift memorial. While an accidental overdose was blamed and Ledger’s friend Mary-Kate Olsen was embroiled in the controversy, she eventually did not have to testify about Ledger’s prescription drug use.

Ledger, who had just finished work as the Joker in “The Dark Knight,” had recently separated from his wife, the actress Michelle Williams.

GOODBYE TO SHEA AND YANKEE STADIUMS

A crowd of 54,610 bid farewell to Yankee Stadium on Sept. 21, with a 7-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. Derek Jeter addressed the crowd from the pitcher’s mound after the game in an emotional goodbye to the most storied venue in sports. The Yanks were eliminated from postseason contention the next day, leaving them out of the playoffs for the first time since 1993.

Meanwhile, the Mets final game at Shea was a sad one. The Amazin’s were knocked out of postseason contention in their final game at Shea, a heartbreaking 4-2 defeat to the Florida Marlins on Sept. 28.

POPE VISITS NYC

Though he lacks the celebrity wattage of his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI still dazzled the city during his three-day visit to New York City. His tour in April included stop at Yankee Stadium, the United Nations and a synagogue, a first for a pope visiting the United States. The themes he sounded include reconciliation in the aftermath of the clerical sex-abuse scandal.

BUDGET CRUNCH

Struggling to close a $15.4 billion deficit, Gov. Paterson unveiled a startling tax-and-slash budget package that touches upon virtually every part of life. The governor also proposed deep cuts to funding to New York City, which is itself cutting jobs, reducing services and hiking taxes as it struggles to cope with the Wall Street collapse.

HARLEM CELEBRATES OBAMA

In a historic display of jubilation to match the election of Barack Obama as the nation’s first black president, residents of Harlem, the symbolic seat of the city’s African-American community, cheered the news in spontaneous, joyful street celebrations. Indeed, horns honk and people shout from windows in neighborhoods all around the city as the Democrat-heavy New Yorkers exult.

This was the culmination of the presidential elections that started with New Yorkers Sen. Hillary Clinton and former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani as their respective parties’ front-runners.

DEADLY CRANE COLLAPSE

On a quiet Saturday afternoon in March, a towering crane collapsed in the Turtle Bay neighborhood of Manhattan, killing seven people and sparking outrage over lax oversight of the city’s development boom.

It turned out the construction site did not meet zoning code. Reforms followed, but additional construction deaths kept worries high.

TERM LIMITS EXTENDED

Although in the past he was vehemently against extending term limits for New York City elected officials, Mayor Michael Bloomberg flip-flopped this year when he decided to run for a third term.

Saying the city needs him because of the economic crisis, the mayor lobbied for support in the City Council to change the law, which they did on Oct. 23 by a 29-22 vote.

Tags: eliot spitzer, giants, yankees, mets, pope, economy, harlem, obama, term limits, bloomberg, transit, subway, sports, religion, politics, manhattan

P&G: Last call Dec. 31, but a new life awaits nearby (but maybe not for the sign)

Sunday December 28, 2008 11:48 AM By Rolando Pujol

The P&G sign during its last days at West 73rd Street and Amsterdam Avenue. (Photos: Rolando Pujol)

Dec. 31 will be your last chance to drink at the famed P&G bar on West 73d Street and Amsterdam Avenue. The 66-year-old Upper West Side watering hole has been forced out of its home and is moving several blocks up, to Columbus Avenue and West 78th Street.

This could also be one of your last chances to bask in the glow of P&G's great sign. It's not yet clear whether the great neon assemblage will be able to make the move to the former home of Evelyn Lounge, named after Evelyn Nesbit, who is said to have lived in what will be the P&G's new home.

The New York Times examines what happens to places that have to move, yet try to hang on to their old name, identity and, of course, clientele. Examples of this phenomenon are plentiful, from the Kettle in Greenwich Village to Le Cirque. And on a bigger scale, there are venues like Madison Square Garden that have hopped around town, far from their original haunts.

The Times zeroes in on the question:

But if drinking and dining have always been a moveable feast in New York, is charisma cartable? Can the character of everything from venerable pubs to palatial eateries migrate with their names and owners? This portability issue has gained new urgency in a season of economic disarray, when property owners are less willing to extend the leases of even the most beloved old-timers.

Urbanite is glad P&G will survive in a new form, and is rooting for that sign to make the trip, too, or at least find a caring new home.

-- Rolando Pujol

Tags: p&g, restaurants, bar, rent increases, real estate, endangered nyc, manhattan, history, development, bars

Elected officials: Give MTA $20B in federal help

Sunday December 28, 2008 10:48 AM By Emily Ngo

By Emily Ngo

Elected officials yesterday pleaded with Washington for a $20 billion injection to help the debt-wracked MTA.

Already, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s money problems have led to delays on the construction of the Second Avenue subway and the rehabilitation of some two dozen stations.

With a boost from President-elect Barack Obama’s hefty economic stimulus plan, these infrastructure needs could be addressed, said Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY).

The elected officials yesterday said the funds also would help alleviate the MTA’s $1.2 billion budget deficit. The agency has been considering a fare hike on single train and bus rides that, in the “worst-case scenario,” would increase the cost to $3 from $2.

Federal help would not only dig the MTA out of its ditch, it would create tens of thousands of jobs and boost the “greening” of New York City, said Schumer, who made the plea alongside Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-Manhattan/Brooklyn), of the House’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.Obama’s staff and Congressional leaders are still hammering out the details of the president-elect’s rescue program.

The purchase of 1,575 hybrid buses, the Tenth Avenue station for the No. 7 train and the completion of the Fulton Transit Center in its original scope are other projects that could use a hand from Obama, Schumer and Nadler said.

“This stimulus could be a life-saver for New York’s mass transit system,” Nadler said.

Tags: sen. chuck schumer, mta, economic stimulus, politics, transit

Florsheim shuffles out of Herald Square

Sunday December 28, 2008 8:49 AM By Rolando Pujol

The Florsheim site on Sunday, Dec. 28 (Photos: Rolando Pujol)

Florsheim Shoes has been at the corner of 35th Street and Sixth Avenue for as long as we remember. This morning, we walked by and found it shuttered.

The corner looks positively funereal now. The white lettering on the Florsheim sign has been darkened, and the windows have been papered in black.

We hadn't shopped in the store in many years, but we always appreciated it presence in the neighborhood. It was just a good old-fashioned shoe store. Nothing wrong with that.

After hitting retails problems that sunk shoes chains such as Kinney, Florsheim got a new boost in 2002 when members of the namesake family took over again.

amNY will dig around for more on this corner's fate this week.

-- Rolando Pujol

Tags: florsheim shoes, herald square, manhattan, endangered nyc, shopping

Viral video: The price is exactly right

Sunday December 28, 2008 8:42 AM By Sean Joseph

“Price is Right” host Drew Carey doesn’t seem to think anything is suspicious, or even care, when a contestant gets the price of his showcase exactly right with a bid of $56,437.

Tags: viral video, television, game show, price is right, drew carey

Ma Bell tolls outside of Veselka's

Sunday December 28, 2008 7:25 AM By Rolando Pujol

Jefferson Siegel sends along this photo of a public telephone sign outside Veselka's on Second Avenue and Ninth Street. Nice retro touch.

What's interesting about this sign is that it's a "proper" one for New York City. It mentions "New York Telephone," which was then part of AT&T. This style of Bell logo was used from 1939 to 1964. Today, New York Telephone goes by the flashier Verizon.

Tags: veselka's, east village, new york telephone, at&t, verizon, signs, endangered nyc, manhattan, restaurants

Cover story: A New Deal for New York

Thursday December 25, 2008 1:19 PM By Emily Ngo

By Marlene Naanes, Emily Ngo and Ryan Chatelain

Even before the president-elect takes office next month, New Yorkers are already putting together a wishlist of critical projects they hope will be funded under Barack Obama’s infrastructure-building initiative.

“New Yorkers should see it as a great opportunity to rebuild our infrastructure and make our city even stronger,” Brad Hoylman, chairman of Manhattan Community Board 2, said of Obama’s stimulus package. “As well as creating jobs, it would ensure our city is able to grow in the next century.”

Certainly there is no shortage of mega-undertakings — improvements at Kennedy and LaGuardia airports, Hudson River rail tunnel, etc. — that may vie for aid. amNewYork reached out to a number of community boards throughout the city and selected some neighborhood-oriented projects the new administration should also consider:

Revamping Pier 40

Pier 40, a two-story structure at the Hudson River and Houston Street that hosts a parking garage and soccer and baseball fields, is crumbling and no one yet has come up with a financially feasible plan that is acceptable to the West Village community.

A city and state entity, which oversees the pier, has put out requests for proposals but there does not seem to be enough private sector money to complete an almost $300-million renovation, Hoylman said.

Plans to create an entertainment complex with park space have drawn ire from some community members who want to preserve all of the athletic fields. An influx of cash from the federal government would help save the pier and provide much-needed jobs.FDR Drive

Realigning the FDR Drive north of 34th Street, and reconstructing the aging artery, could help grant East Side residents’ wish for more park space along the East River.

The roadway is in need of repair, and such a project would allow for pedestrian overpasses to the river, said Lyle Frank, Community Board 6 chair.

“The better your roads, the better your infrastructure, the better to attract people,” Frank said.

Realigning that part of the roadway would cost about $40 million, state transportation officials estimate.

A greener New York

Obama’s plan calls for green jobs that include developing alternative forms of energy and installing fuel-efficient heaters and air conditioners. Helen Rosenthal, Manhattan Community Board 7 chairwoman, hopes that includes retrofitting government buildings, such as public schools and city-run housing, with energy-efficient technology.

The city Department of Education recently opened its first green school this year, a project that rehabbed a former dormitory for about $50 million. The department plans to build new green schools and also add environmentally sustainable features during improvement projects of existing schools, said spokeswoman Margie Feinberg.

Rec centers to promote healthy living

Obesity and diabetes are some of the most pressing issues in Washington Heights and Inwood, and local community board district manager Ebenezer Smith feels one way to solve them is through building recreation centers.

Residents, especially children, need affordable, YMCA-like places to exercise and play sports in the area, which is deficient in recreation centers, Smith said.

The centers could also provide nutrition information. “We need to educate the people [that] this is the type of food we should be eating, not the food you can buy in the bodega,” Smith said.

No studies have been done yet on how much building a series of centers in the neighborhood would cost.

Bush Terminal Piers Park 1-5

Sunset Park, a Brooklyn community first helped in 1936 by funds from President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal economic programs, still finds itself with among the lowest amounts of parkland per capita in the city.

The Bush Terminal Piers Park 1-5 had been a possible solution, but plans to build additional green space were stymied by the sagging economy.

“We were finally starting to see positive investments made in this community,” said Community Board 7 district manager Jeremy Laufer, “and then suddenly, the financial crisis hits and those things are jeopardized.”

The park, which could later offer restaurant booths and concession stands for sporting activities, would cost between $20 million and $30 million.

Kosciuszko Bridge

Replacing the nearly 70-year-old Kosciuszko Bridge, which carries the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway over Newton Creek, with two lower, parallel spans will relieve traffic congestion and increase safety, transportation officials said.

The project is estimated to cost $630 million. Federal funding is anticipated but not yet secured, officials said.

The proposed work is currently open to public comment, and construction would begin no sooner than 2012.

Flood-resilient sewer systems

Already a decades-old problem, flooding in Queens seems to be worsening, evident by the July 2007 deluge that caused $1.6 billion in damage to homes and crippled the subways. Many blame aging sewers, development and more intense storms for flooding in neighborhoods such as Rego Park, Woodside, Fresh Meadows and Jamaica.

“In the last couple of years, we’ve been getting more complaints,” said Marie Adam-Ovide, district manager of Community Board 8. “One of the synagogues [in Fresh Meadows] had to spend thousands of dollars to renovate their basement floor, and as soon as they did, it rained and flooded again.”

The Department of Environmental Protection plans to spend $2.8 billion to rebuild the entire city’s sewerage system by 2017. In the meantime, dozens of other projects to alleviate flooding in Queens are slated to begin in the next few years, but officials fear budget constraints could stall the work further.

Aline E. Reynolds contributed to this story.

Tags: infrastructure, city boards, barack obama, construction, transportation, sewage system, education, endangered nyc, transit, queens, neighborhoods, manhattan, health, environment, economy, development, brooklyn, architecture

Stores offer deeper discounts after the holidays

Thursday December 25, 2008 1:15 PM By Garett Sloane

Stores offer big sales after Dec. 25 to keep consumers in the shopping spirit. (Getty)

By Marlene Naanes

and Keiko Morris

mnaanes@am-ny.com

New Yorkers will reap the benefits Friday of retailers’ last-ditch effort to come back after a dismal holiday shopping season, slashing prices up to 75 percent in day-after-Christmas sales.

Stores including Macy’s and Bed Bath & Beyond are offering between 50 to 75 percent off, with coupons delivering deeper savings. Yet even with additional incentives this year, the same economic crisis that spurred the discounts is also holding back even the most serious bargain hunters.

“I plan to look for the 70 to 80 percent off — the real deals,” said Cassandra Sykes, 53, of Union Square. “[You should] only take it if you need it because of the things you are going through right now.”Dec. 26 has become more than a day for consumers to return unwanted gifts, with many stores opening early and offering door-buster specials.

“They are going to have a lot of inventory to sell,” said Britt Beemer, chairman of America’s Research Group, a market research firm. “When you are already at 60 and 70 percent off, how low can you go?”

Bad weather dashed retailers’ hopes of salvaging the season last weekend with the lowest number of shoppers — 38.7 percent surveyed — in six years, according to the America’s Research Group/UBS 2008 Christmas survey.

Even people who were able to go Christmas shopping are not tempted to do post-holiday spending with so much economic uncertainty.

“You don’t want to go crazy on one day when you don’t know what the next week is going to bring,” said Leon Vincent, 27, of the Upper West Side.

This year, 51.5 percent said they bought a gift card, compared with 57.6 percent last year and 66.8 percent in 2006, so retailers have to be more aggressive, Beemer said.

Some New Yorkers who received gift cards say they will go out and spend it, but they won’t go overboard regardless of the deals.

“I’m not that hardcore,” said Julia Smith, 29, of the Upper West Side. “I will probably go shopping but only because I received some gift cards. Wherever my day takes me, I’ll just go out looking around.”

Keiko Morris is a Newsday staff writer.

Got a gift card for the holidays? Here’s what you should know:

— Find out whether there are expiration dates or activation, maintenance, inactivity and transaction fees tacked onto the cards.

— Spend your card, don’t save it. Since retailers can’t count a gift card until it is redeemed, stores will entice consumers by holding special sales after Christmas and stocking shelves with new merchandise in January.

— Keep your receipt. Some retailers are able to reissue a lost gift card if consumers have kept the original purchase receipt.

— Many retailers allow recipients to register cards online, which enables customers to check their balance and report lost cards.

(National Retail Federation)

Post-Christmas shopping tips

— Make a shopping list and know exactly what you want to buy.

— Shop early, especially if there is something you really want. Stores get busy around 11 a.m. and shopping traffic is heavy throughout the day.

— If you are returning a gift, bring your gift receipt. Many stores are making it difficult to return items without receipts.

— If you are returning something without a receipt, be thankful for store credit.

— Accept that everything will take longer than usual. Even if the retailer is discouraging returns, people will attempt to take back items without receipts. Also, some stores are understaffed, adding to delays.

— Be polite. No one wants to listen to a screamer.

(Britt Beemer, chairman and founder of America’s Research Group, a market research firm)

Tags: shopping, macy's, bed bath & beyond, christmas, post-christmas, sales, discounts, bargain hunters, gift cards, retail, economy

Throwback Thursday: The 1976 Toys 'R' Us ad

Thursday December 25, 2008 9:14 AM By Rolando Pujol

Merry Christmas from Urbanite and amNewYork. In the spirit of the day, we present a classic animated ad for Toy 'R' Us, which features Geoffrey and his family busily shopping during "The Toys 'R' Us Time of Year," as the jingle goes. This ad ran from 1976 to 1985.And this morning, PIX 11 trotted out the Yule Log followed by "The March of the Wooden Soldiers" starring Laurel and Hardy. That just about makes a perfect Christmas morning. Check out this video tribute to old-school holiday TV on Channel 11, and our recent post on the Yule Log, with a slideshow history of the log.

-- Rolando Pujol

Tags: throwback thursday, wpix, yule log, toys r us, television, history

Subway ad watch: What's with these weird train grab handles?

Thursday December 25, 2008 8:54 AM By Rolando Pujol

These subway ads for Stratton Mountain Ski Resort offer an escapist fantasy for straphangers. You're in the subway now, and could be hitting the slopes in Vermont in just a few hours, so get thee to the airport pronto!

As alluring as such a getaway sounds, we have a quibble with the ad. Look at the photo of the businessman on the subway. And notice the grab handles on the train. Any New Yorker could tell you that grab handles of that design do not exist in the subway system. In fact the last handles (examples, left, can be found at the City Reliquary) vanished from service several years ago, with the retirement of the old No. 7 "Redbird" trains to watery graves, where many now serve as artificial reefs in the Atlantic Ocean.

You can still find grab handles on MTA buses, and the Roosevelt Island tram actually has leather straps (the one place you can truly be a straphanger). which are poised for retirement.

But triangle-shaped grab handles in the subway? Nope.

-- Rolando Pujol

Tags: advertising, subway

Viral video: Requesting backup

Thursday December 25, 2008 7:08 AM By Sean Joseph

All it took was a minivan with two sliding doors to get away from this cop.

Tags: viral video, television, crime

Cover story: Spending on empty

Tuesday December 23, 2008 3:06 PM By Emily Ngo

By Annie Lok

Special to amNewYork

The mantra during the holidays is “shop, shop, shop,” but for some, the consumer chant is like dangling a drink in front of a recovering alcoholic.

One member of Debtors Anonymous, a group that counsels shopping addicts, said she has a more difficult time controlling her addiction when the holidays roll around.

“A lot of times those urges overcome me, and I want to go and spend, especially now it’s the holidays, I want to get my family everything they want,” said Kathy, also a spokeswoman for the group, which only allows members to use first names when talking with the press.

Shopping addicts have a hard time controlling the urge to spend, because their affliction is often psychological and not just about experiencing money troubles, according to Debtors Anonymous. A shopaholic’s self-worth is sometimes tied to spending on others out of fear of letting them down, Kathy said.

“Friends, coworkers who asked me for money, I would give it to them even if I don’t have money to pay my electric bill,” said Kathy, a 15-year member of the group, which can be found at DebtorsAnonymous.com.

Kathy is an extreme example of the debt problem in the United States. Credit card debt is nearly $1 trillion, four times what it was about two decades ago. Also, with the economy in the dumps, more Americans are delinquent on their payments.“When people lose their jobs or otherwise run into financial trouble, they use their credit cards to pay basic expenses,” said Erik Salazar, a manager at GreenPath, a consumer credit counseling agency in New York City.

GreenPath helps people manage finances but differs from Debtors Anonymous, which is a 12-step healing program that, similar to Alcoholics Anonymous, fuses financial advice with spiritual guidance.

There has been about a 20 percent surge in consumers coming in for counseling at GreenPath during the last few months, according to Sarah Fouquart, a group manager there. The agency sees up to 500 people a week and is experiencing far fewer cancellations than they’d expect during the holidays.

“What we find, there is some reluctance to close the credit cards this time of year,” Fouquart said. “People want to hang on to them for holiday spending.”

In New York, the temptation to shop is in every window — even for consumers who are not members of Debtors Anonymous or involved in credit counseling.

“If you have to buy something — presents, anything — you don’t have a choice,” said Jose Obas, 50, of Flatbush. “You have to use your credit card. There’s just no money.”

The debt spiral is familiar to Jeanette Pearl, 33, of Ozone Park, who has about $10,000 in credit card bills.

“Everyone’s in debt, no matter what age they are,” Pearl said. “It starts at a young age, and as you get older, it gets worse. You have to start getting out of it as soon as you can.”

It seems more people are trying to shake the habit. Members of Debtors Anonymous said they noticed more newcomers, although the exact number in its ranks is unknown.

Rebecca, from Manhattan, has been a member of Debtors Anonymous for four years, and said the organization has imbued her with a spirituality that transcends consumerism.

“I’m not using money to comfort myself, to escape,” she said.

Emily Ngo contributed to this report.

Tags: cover story, shopping, debt

Henican: Wishing you a merry 'Money Christmas'

Tuesday December 23, 2008 3:03 PM By Emily Ngo

Years from now, people will still remember 2008 as the Money Christmas — and not because we all have so much of it now.

I don’t know about you, but I haven’t felt this broke since college.

And 2008 didn’t become the Money Christmas because Grandma decided, after all these years, to slip $50s — not $20s — into the little money envelopes she sends to the kids this time of the year.

Honestly, Grandma, it’s the thought that counts, not the denomination — although, yes, some greedy eyes did shine a few watts brighter when the Christmas-Eve-Eve mail arrived.

But that goes only so far.

This is the Money Christmas because — let’s just face it — the impossible issues of money, money, money are dominating not just the news right now but also our lives. The lack of money. The lust for money. The hope that some day, we might actually have some money again.

Is this really what the Celebration of the Birth of Christ is supposed to be about? Of course not. But here it is, Money Christmas, 2008.

Money: Not enough to pay the mortgage.Money: Not enough to fill the stores.

Money: Mega-bailouts for Detroit and Wall Street.

Money: Not even mini-bailouts for you and me.

Money: The CEOs are still getting theirs.

Money: Blago’s auctioning a Senate seat on eBay.

Money: Caroline’s obviously loaded, but she won’t say how much or from where.

Money: The MTA has so little, the subway fare could be $3 soon.

Money: Gave it away to Bernie Madoff.

Money: Mets and Yanks think we should be pay more for their stadiums.

Money: Your pension and my 401K — both cut in half.

Money: Barack’s coming — and he’d better get us some.

When I was a kid and $10 was Grandma’s Christmas denomination, we had a sticker on the back of our car. “Keep Christ in Your Christmas.”

We could probably use a new one now: “Christmas: Give Cash This Year.”

Tags: henican, economy, shopping, christmas

City Living: Boerum Hill

Tuesday December 23, 2008 2:21 PM By Rolando Pujol

Photos by Sam Horine

By Craig Raphael

Special to amNewYork

Until the 1960s, Boerum Hill was known as “South Brooklyn” or "North Gowanus" along with neighbors Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill.

But in true New York real estate fashion, the area was rechristened in the name of the Boerum family, former farmland owners, in order to improve its appeal. The name may have taken time to stick, but today there is no doubt that Boerum Hill is firmly on the map.

With new shops and restaurants popping up along Atlantic Avenue and scenic tree-lined streets nearby, it has fast become one of Brooklyn's most desirable neighborhoods.

Proximity to several subway lines and the Flatbush Avenue LIRR station, as well as the BAM cultural district and other Brooklyn institutions, is also a big draw.

“It’s close to everything — there are a lot of great shops and restaurants,” said resident Maeve O’Donnell. “And because the buildings are low-rise, you really get a sense of the changing light and the season. It’s very refreshing.”

Atlantic Avenue, the commercial center of the neighborhood, is the home of “Antique Row,” a unique cluster of antique shops, in addition to a host of African and Islamic stores between Third and Fourth avenues.

It also hosts Atlantic Antic every fall, one of the biggest street festivals in New York. Boerum Hill is known for its strong sense of community, nourished by groups like the Boerum Hill Association, which holds meetings and events throughout the year. Said resident Kelly Williams: “You get to feel like you’re having a real neighborhood experience in the middle of it all.”

FIND IT

Boerum Hill is bordered by State Street to the north, 4th Avenue to the east, Warren Street to the south and Smith Street to the west.

Bedouin Tent

TO EAT

A variety of culinary options can be found along Atlantic Avenue, including bakeries and an ice cream shop to satisfy your sweet tooth. If you're in need of a cup of coffee and a snack, pop into The Victory Café (718-596-9035) on the corner of Hoyt and State streets.

Bedouin Tent

Fresh pita baked before your own two eyes make the falafel sandwiches at Beduoin Tent among the best in Brooklyn. Other highlights include 10-inch Middle Eastern pizzas and marinated chunks of juicy lamb. 405 Atlantic Ave., 718-852-5555

Jolie

Jolie is a French bistro that rises above the pack with nightly specials, strong drinks and an excellent brunch menu. Try the hangar steak sandwich, cooked rare — you won’t be disappointed. 320 Atlantic Ave., 718-488-0777

Hanco’s

The classic Vietnamese sandwich (shredded pork, Vietnamese ham, cilantro, mayo and daikon radish) is in fine form at Hanco’s, which also serves bubble tea and a variety of iced drinks. 85 Bergen St., 718-858-6818

Blue Marble

Smooth, creamy organic ice cream in flavors such as pistachio-almond, maple and pumpkin (in addition to traditional favorites) has attracted droves of locals to this recently opened shop. They also serve coffee, tea and baked goods. 420 Atlantic Ave., 718-858-1100

Mai

With a beautiful interior, friendly service and stellar South Asian food, Mai is one of the best values in the neighborhood. The fish dishes, in particular, are excellent; order the curry squid or pan-seared salmon with mango chutney. 497 Atlantic Ave., 718-797-3880

Betty Bakery

Red velvet cupcakes, petit fours and apple tart tatin are among the highlights at this adorable bakery, which also serves muffins, scones, pastries and bread. 448 Atlantic Ave., 718-246-2402

The Brooklyn Inn

TO PARTY

Smith Street’s bar and restaurant row may be the neighborhood’s de facto hang-out spot, but it’s not the only game in town. Nearby venues include a biker bar with karaoke and a lounge converted from a historic synagogue.

Kili

Head to Kili during the week when you can stake out a spot by the fireplace and enjoy the cozy atmosphere with friends. Tuesday night is open mic, and DJs play throughout the week. 79 Hoyt St., 718-855-5574

Deity

A former synagogue replete with pillars and mirrored walls, Deity is a lounge with an alluring ambiance and hopping weekly dance parties. 368 Atlantic Ave., 718-222-3692

The Brooklyn Inn

A historic setting and plenty of character make the Brooklyn Inn a favorite among locals and non-locals alike. 138 Bergen St., 718-625-9741

Hank’s Saloon

An authentic dive bar with cheap beer, free barbecue and requisite sticky floors, Hank’s is most well known for its rollicking jukebox and live-band country karaoke. 46 Third Ave. (at Atlantic), 718-625-8003

Vintage Signage

TO SHOP

Those in need of last-minute holiday gifts will find plenty to choose from at the various antique shops and boutiques that line Atlantic Avenue between Smith Street and Fourth Avenue.

GRDN

Provisions for “the urban gardener” abound at GRDN, which offers a colorful array of garden accessories, supplies, plants and themed gifts. 103 Hoyt St., 718-797-3628

Sterling Place

Stylish home décor, antique furniture, cookware and novelty items can all be found at Sterling Place, which also has a store in Park Slope. It has a plethora of gifts for men including antique razors, watches and assorted trinkets. 363 Atlantic Ave., 718-797-5667

Knit-A-Way of Brooklyn, Inc.

In search of soft, plush yarn to fashion a new hat or scarf? Is your kitten in need of a new diversion? Look no further than Knit-A-Way of Brooklyn, which also hosts weekly knitting and crochet classes. 398 Atlantic Ave., 718-797-3305

Aanwar Co.

The dizzying variety of lotions, creams and essential oils at Aanwar Co. is enough to keep your skin nourished and sweet-smelling for a lifetime. 428 Atlantic Ave., 718-875-3791

Vintage Signage

Filled with signs and other ephemera from Brooklyn and France, this store’s visual delights add a healthy splash of color to Antique Row. 334 Atlantic Ave., 718-834-9268

Horesman Antiques

Horesman Antiques is a sprawling, classic antique store with high-quality furniture, objets d’art, paintings and jewelry. 351 Atlantic Ave., 718-596-1048

Sterling Place

TO SEE

A number of cute neighborhood attractions, as well as some can’t-miss seasonal events, keep things busy in Boerum Hill.

Hoyt Street Garden

After you’ve spent your energy browsing the shops on Atlantic Avenue, relax at this charming community garden, adorned with signs that boast “Winner of the Dress Up Your Neighborhood Contest.” A bulletin board outside gives the scoop on local events. Corner of Hoyt Street and Atlantic Avenue

Metaphor Art Gallery

A contemporary art gallery that showcases the work of emerging and mid-career artists, Metaphor specializes in installation, works on paper and painting. Currently on display is a holiday group show entitled “Treasure Chest.” 382 Atlantic Ave., 718-254-9126

Atlantic Antic and Atlantic Avenue Art Walk

Mark your calendar for next fall’s Atlantic Antic, which fills 10 blocks of Atlantic Avenue with hundreds of vendors, multiple music stages, hayrides, belly dancers and other attractions. Earlier in the summer, the Atlantic Avenue Art Walk provides a self-guided tour of artist studios, public art exhibits, live music and other activities. Atlantic Avenue from Hicks Street to Fourth Avenue

ESSENTIAL VISIT

Stroll down Atlantic Avenue and pop into the various stores and boutiques. On the way back, ogle the brownstones on Pacific and Dean streets.

REAL ESTATE

Boerum Hill has some of the finest housing stock in all of Brooklyn, consisting mostly of three- and four-story brownstone and brick buildings dating from the 19th century. "It's more low key (and less expensive) than Brooklyn Heights," said Emily Fisher from Halstead Realty.

Dean Street

TO RENT

One-bedroom floor-through on Pacific Street with stainless steel appliances and marble fireplace: $2,600

Renovated studio on State Street with hardwood floors and full bath: $1,195

Two-bedroom on State Street with exposed brick and hardwood floors: $2,400

TO BUY

Three-family, four-story brownstone on Pacific Street with crown moldings, marble fireplaces and south-facing garden: $2,175,000

One-bedroom co-op on Atlantic Avenue with wood-burning stove and private roof: $595,000

Two-bedroom condo in new building on Dean Street with stainless steel appliances and energy efficient details: $780,000

RECENTLY SOLD

1,300-square-foot condo on Bergen Street: $845,000

3,360-square-foot multi-family brownstone on Pacific Street: $2,350,000

First rental and sale listing courtesy of Emily Fisher at Halstead Property,(718-613-2048). Other listings from Trulia.com and Craigslist.

Q&A WITH MAEVE O’ DONNELL

Maeve O’ Donnell is a 24-year-old artist living in Boerum Hill.

What are some of your favorite places in the neighborhood?

Bedouin Tent — the lamb sandwich is delicious and everything is fresh. They have a little garden in the back and you get a free pastry at the end of the meal if you dine in. Sterling Place is great for birthday and Christmas presents.

What do you like most about the area?

The community is very welcoming; people say hello to each other on the street. I was also very lucky that my landlord introduced me to my neighbors.

What’s not so great about Boerum Hill?

There’s a lot of traffic that passes through on the way to the bridges or the BQE, and it can be very loud.

How has the neighborhood changed since you moved there?

Atlantic Avenue has gotten a lot more commercial, which is nice because they are fixing up a lot of the old storefronts. It’s brought a lot of life to the fronts of the buildings, which are very clean and well kept.

How do you think it will change?

I worry that it will become too expensive. The boutiques are already really expensive, and the restaurants are getting more upscale, which will make it more difficult to go to them. I also worry that with the economy, some of the problem spots in the neighborhood may get more dangerous.

DID YOU KNOW?

There is still disagreement over the neighborhood’s boundaries—while some residents consider Court and Smith Streets to be part of Cobble Hill, others maintain they lie within Boerum Hill.

Actors Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams drew attention to Boerum Hill when they moved there in 2005.

In the 1920s, Boerum Hill was home to many Mohawk steelworkers, famous for building several of New York's most famous skyscrapers and bridges.

In the early 20th century, the Brooklyn downtown theater district was in full swing, and many traveling vaudeville actors took up residence in nearby Boerum Hill.

FACT SHEET

Library Brooklyn Public Library—Pacific Street Branch: 25 Fourth Ave., 718-623-3808

Police Station: 84th Precinct. 301 Gold St., 718-875-6811

Fire Department: Engine 226, 409 State St.

Food Markets: Met Food, 197 Smith St., 718-237-0317 C-Town Supermarket, 239 Bond St., 718-852-8542

Transportation Subway: F, G to Bergen Street; A to Hoyt Schermerhorn; 2,3 to Nevins Street. Bus: B61, B63 (Atlantic Avenue), B37, B103 (Third Avenue), B65 (Bergen Street).

Banks: Washington Mutual, 192 Smith St., 800-788-7000 Independence Community Bank, 130 Court St., 718-722-5700

Crime Stats: The 84th Precinct, which also covers Downtown Brooklyn and Vinegar Hill, has reported one murder, three rapes, 235 robberies, 129 felonious assaults, 136 burglaries, and 52 grand theft autos in 2008. In 2007, there were two murders, three rapes, 214 robberies, 165 felonious assaults, 145 burglaries and 47 grand theft autos in 2007.

Schools:

Public Elementary: PS 251 Philip Livingston School, 314 Pacific St., 718-330-9275 PS 37 The Pacific School, 314 Pacific St., 718-330-9305 MIDDLE: School for Global Studies, 284 Baltic St., 718-694-9741 HIGH: School for Global Studies, 284 Baltic Street, 718-694-9741 Brooklyn Technical High School, 29 Fort Greene Place, 718-858-5150

Private: St. Ann’s School, 129 Pierrepont St., 718-522-1660. Brooklyn Friends School, 375 Pearl St., 718-852-1029.

Tags: boerum hill, city living, real estate, restaurants, shopping, history

Shop for yourself with these pre-Christmas sales

Tuesday December 23, 2008 1:37 PM By Emily Ngo

Really now, it’s time to be serious. Buying and making gifts for others is fun and makes you warm, etc., but you deserve something for all the hard “thinking about others” you’ve been doing.

With one eye on the post-Christmas sales, concentrate and take advantage of these pre-Christmas sales (60 percent off appears to be the magic number):

J. Crew: As much as 60 percent off a ton of stuff, and hey, it’s final sale time!

Nine West: Ewww yourself. As much as 60 percent off, with an additional 30 percent off sale items.

Banana Republic: As much as 60 percent off, and lots of sizes left.

Timberland: Winter sale with free shipping on $100 orders and promo codes for an extra 20 percent off.

Best Buy: Up to 20 percent off of digital cameras.

— Emily Ngo

Tags: shopping, sales, online, christmas

The Barefoot Contessa's simple and elegant New Year's Eve

Tuesday December 23, 2008 12:33 PM By Lucy Blatter

By Lucy Cohen Blatter

On her Food Network series, “Barefoot Contessa,” Ina Garten employs a laid-back, yet elegant approach to entertaining. In real life, she practices what she preaches.

"People don’t believe me when I say this, but cooking is hard for me,” she says. “That’s why I keep things simple.”

For a New Year’s Eve dinner party, she suggests picking a meal that can be made in an hour or two, or something that can be prepared well in advance. “You can do the cooking and assembling and put something in the fridge. Pies, in particular, can be assembled and refrigerated,” she said.When it comes to entertaining guests, Garten eschews new recipes for dishes she can make really well — especially on a special occasion like New Year’s Eve.

“For me, my New Year’s Eve meal is like a little black dress. It’s classic, and I just dress it up a bit with special touches,” she said.

She suggests a New Year’s menu that includes roast capon (a more elegant choice than the classic roast chicken), tagliarelle with truffle butter, roast carrots, and an apple tart for dessert. “I’ll serve it with a glass of Sauternes to make it really special,” she says, “that's like the diamond necklace to the black dress.”

When they arrive for the New Year’s Eve meal, Garten hands each guest a glass of Champagne. She also suggests serving Prosecco with splash of cassis, which is more affordable.

As for appetizers, Garten sticks to noncook options, like gravlax or spreads from specialty stores.

A true proponent of casual dining, Garten loves buffet, even family-style meals. “I can’t remember the last time I plated meals,” she said with a laugh.

“The best thing for a party is for the hostess to feel great. People want to feel that the hostess has cooked for 20 minutes and hasn’t slaved over a hot stove for hours.”

Roast Capon

Ingredients:

1 (8 to 10 pound) fresh capon

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 lemons, quartered

12 fresh thyme sprigs

4 tablespoons (1⁄2 stick) unsalted butter, melted (divided)

2 yellow onions, sliced

2 pounds carrots cut diagonally into 2-inch chunks

Sprinkle outside of capon liberally with salt. Wrap well and refrigerate until you are ready to roast it. Capon can sit in refrigerator up to 2 days.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place capon breast side up in 16-by-13-inch roasting pan and pat outside dry with paper towels. Sprinkle inside of cavity generously with salt and pepper. Place lemons and thyme inside cavity. Tie legs together with kitchen string and tie wings close to body of capon. Brush capon with 2 tablespoons of the melted butter, then sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.

Place onions and carrots in large bowl. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to onion mixture along with another 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and toss well. Place vegetables around capon. Place capon into oven legs first. Back of oven tends to be hotter than front. Roast 11⁄2 hours or until juices run clear when you cut between the leg and thigh.

Remove capon from oven and cover pan with aluminum foil. If vegetables aren't browned, transfer capon to a platter and cover with aluminum foil. Return vegetables to oven to cook while meat rests. Allow capon to rest 20 minutes, then carve it and serve warm with the vegetables. Skim fat off pan juices and pour juices over meat and vegetables.

From “Barefoot Contessa at Home”

Tagliarelle with Truffle Butter

Kosher salt

½ cup heavy cream

3 ounces white truffle butter

Freshly ground black pepper

1 (8.82-ounce) package of Cipriani tagliarelle dried pasta or other egg fettucine

3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

3 ounces Parmesan, shaved thin with a vegetable peeler

Add 1 tablespoon salt to a pot of water and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, in a large (12-inch) sauté pan, heat the cream over medium heat until it comes to a simmer. Add the truffle butter, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper, lower the heat to very low, and swirl the butter until it melts. Keep warm over very low heat.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes exactly. (If you’re not using Cipriani pasta, follow the directions on the package.) when the pasta is cooked, reserve ½ cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta. Add the drained pasta to the sauté pan and toss it with the truffle-cream mixture. As the pasta absorbs the sauce, add as much of the reserved cooking water as necessary to keep the pasta very creamy.

Serve the pasta in shallow bowls and garnish each serving with a generous sprinkling of chives and shaved Parmesan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve at once.

Serves 2 or 3 for dinner, 4 or 5 for a side dish or appetizer

Serves 6

From “Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics”

French Apple Tart

For a really fast apple tart, Garten says to suggests using defrosted frozen puff pastry.

For pastry:

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, diced

1/2 cup ice water

For apples:

4 Granny Smith apples

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, small-diced

1/2 cup apricot jelly or warm sieved apricot jam

2 tablespoons Calvados, rum or water

For the pastry, place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse for a few seconds to combine. Add the butter and pulse 10 to 12 times, until the butter is in small bits the size of peas. With the motor running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degress. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Roll the dough slightly larger than 10 x 14 inches. Using a ruler and a small knife, trim the edges. Place the dough on the prepared shet pan and refrigerate while you prepare the apples.

Peel the apples and cut them in half through the stem. Remove the stems and cores with a sharp knife and a melon baller. Slice the apples crosswise in ¼-inch-thick slices. Place overlapping slices of apples diagonally down the middle of the tart until the pastry is covered with apple slices. Sprinkle with the full ½ cup sugar and dot with butter.

Bake for 45 minutes to one hour, until the pastry is browned and the edges of the apples start to brown. Rotate the pan once during cooking. If the pastry puffs up in one area, cut a little slit with a knife to let the air out. Don’t worry! The apple juices will burn in the pan but the tart will be fine! When the tart’s done, hear the apricot jelly together with the Calvados and brush the apples and pastry completely with the jelly mixture. Loosen the tart with a metal apatula so it doesn’t stick to the paper. Allow to cool and serve warm or at room temperature.

From "Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics"

Tags: barefoot contessa, new year's eve, ina garten, food

Big spenders: Yanks' cash flows despite economy

Tuesday December 23, 2008 12:11 PM By Jason Fink

By Jason Fink

Apparently, nobody told the Yankees about the economic downturn.

By signing free agent star Mark Teixeira, 28, today to an eight-year deal worth $180 million, the Bronx Bombers have now committed $423 million in salary in just the last month.

They landed the other big fish on the market, pitcher CC Sabathia, to the tune of $161 million over seven years, and locked up righty hurler A.J. Burnett with $82.5 million over five years.

The team, which missed the playoffs this year for the first time since 1993, now has the four highest-paid players in baseball: Alex Rodriguez (10 years, $275 million) and Derek Jeter ($189 million over 10 years) top the list, followed now by Teixeira and Sabathia.

That could change when free agent Manny Ramirez signs somewhere but, at 36 years old, he’s unlikely to get as many years as Teixeira.

The Teixeira signing comes a day after the Yankees received a luxury tax bill of $26.9 million on last year’s payroll.

The marquee names are coming to the Bronx as the Yankees prepare to move into their new stadium in April. The bold moves also outshine the biggest catch the crosstown rival Mets made this off-season, the signing of closer Francisco Rodriguez to three years and $37 million.

Tags: yankees, mark teixeira, sports

amNewYork letters to the editor

Tuesday December 23, 2008 11:57 AM By Sara Baumberger

Guv’s trip to Iraq a waste of taxpayers’ money

Can you please explain to me, why Gov. David Paterson had to visit Iraq? Did he fly commercial? What class, and who paid for the trip? He could have saved tax money to help some needy families.

— Harry L. Koundakjian, Manhattan

Being a Kennedy is not a qualification

Re “Kennedy ‘Palin-ized,’” Dec. 22: My applause goes to Rep. Gary Ackerman for stating the obvious: Caroline Kennedy is like Sarah Palin in that she is being isolated from the press. Why? She is not qualified for the position. I am also tired of the comparison between her and Hillary. But Hillary was chosen by the people. She put her qualifications on the table and the people decided. Now we have an unelected governor considering someone who is hiding from the public she wants to represent. Please pick someone who is qualified. Being a Kennedy is not a qualification.

— Rodrigo Pocius, Brooklyn

Caroline shouldn’t be New York senator

Seeing Caroline Kennedy have lunch with Al Sharpton on Friday is enough for me to say she is not who I want representing me — that and her lack of experience and her uncle being Ted Kennedy. Then you have cousin Robert Kennedy, Jr., who thinks Chavez is our good oil-producing friend in Venezuela. When a senator has to be replaced next November, the people should vote. The appointment should only finish the current election year!

— Bernie McGrath, Holbrook

Tags: letters to the editor

Ring in '09 with the right drinks

Tuesday December 23, 2008 11:13 AM By Lucy Blatter

Photo credit: Celebrations.com

By Lucy Cohen Blatter

New Year’s Eve may be the only holiday where the cocktails are just as important— some might say more important — than the food.

Leanne Shear and Tracey Toomey, cocktail therapists for Celebrations.com, provided tips for getting the drinks just right.

“Going out on New Year’s Eve is really expensive. Having people over is really the more affordable option,” Toomey said.To make your home bar cost effective, Toomey and Shear, authors of “Cocktail Therapy” and “The Perfect Manhattan,” suggested setting up a Bellini bar, with a range of fresh or frozen fruit purees and Champagne. For an even more affordable option, substitute Champagne with Prosecco or Cava.

Serving one specialty cocktail — like Shear and Toomey’s signature cranberry margarita — is another way to save some cash; it’s also less overwhelming than a fully stocked bar.

“We always advise people to try a simple twist on the classic cocktail,” Toomey said. “If you’re making a mint mojito, add basil.”

“You don’t want to have to start making drinks at 11:59, so you want to have plenty prepared in advance,” Shear said. “It’s all about the host having fun — that really sets the tone for the party.”

When it comes to the morning after, Toomey and Shear said hangovers are avoidable. “The cardinal rule is not to mix drinks too much; stick to one thing,” Toomey said.

“If you have a glass of water with every cocktail it’s nearly impossible to have a hangover.”

She added,“We always like to remind people, it’s a marathon, not a sprint.”

Bellini bar

To make the purees, simply defrost a bag of frozen fruit and cook it in a saucepan with a little lemon juice and some sugar until the fruit starts to break down and the sugar dissolves. Then pulse in a blender or food processor until smooth and strain through a sieve to get out all the seeds. Purees can be made weeks in advance and frozen.

Cranberry Margarita

Ingredients:

Tequila

Cointreau (or triple sec)

Lime juice

Lime zest

Orange zest

Simple syrup

Whole cranberries

To make the mix, cook cranberries with the simple syrup (sugar and water)

until the cranberries start to break down and get mushy. Remove from heat

and add the lime juice and the lime zest and orange zest. Then blend until

smooth and strain through a sieve. Next, mix in the cointreau and tequila.

(Amounts vary depending on how many drinks you are preparing, but the ratio

should be 2 parts mix to 1 part tequila and 1/2 part cointreau). Shake over

ice and serve up in a martini glass. Garnish with three whole cranberries

*This cocktail is available at Braeburn restaurant in the west village (at

Perry and Greenwich St.) where Troomey is behind the bar - if anyone wants to

come by and sample before making for a crowd!

Tags: bellinis, cocktail therapists, leanne shear, tracey toomey, celebrations.com, food

Teixeira's a Yankee: Report

Tuesday December 23, 2008 10:37 AM By Pete Catapano

By Pete Catapano

According to SI.com, the Yanks are about to sign Mark Teixeira for 8 years. $180 million.

Earlier today, the Washington Times reported that the slugger was about to sign with the rival Red Sox.

According to SI.com's John Heyman:

"Teixeira, who hit .308 with 33 home runs and 121 RBIs in 2008, will receive an eight-year, $180 million deal from the Yankees with a full no-trade provision."

This along with signings of CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett make this quite a productive winter for the Yanks.

Tags: sports

Viral video: Icy landing

Tuesday December 23, 2008 8:38 AM By Sean Joseph

This guy fails to get out of the way of racing sleds and takes a hard hit.

Tags: viral video, television, racing, sleds, snow, sports, weather

Outrage over "Sopranos" actor verdict

Monday December 22, 2008 7:52 PM By Jason Fink

By Jason Fink

The acquittal of “Sopranos” star Lillo Brancato today in the murder of a New York City cop sparked outrage and vitriol from the slain officer’s comrades.

The head of the police union called Brancato, 32, an “animal” and expressed satisfaction that he will remain behind bars at least until his next hearing in January. Brancato was convicted for attempted burglary in the December 2005 incident, which left Officer Daniel Enchautegui, 28, dead.

“The only good thing is that this skunk is not walking out to spend Christmas with his family,” said Patrick Lynch, president of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association. “The sad part is that neither is Daniel.”

Brancato, who also appeared with Robert De Niro in “A Bronx Tale,” faces up to 15 years behind bars. If a judge sentences Brancato to the minimum of three years, he may get credit for time served because he’s been imprisoned that long.

“What message is this sending out to the New York City police officers today?” said Yolanda Rosa Nazario, the victim’s sister.

After a night of drinking at a strip club, Brancato and his friend, Steven Armento, went to an acquaintance’s house in the Bronx looking for drugs and when no one answered, they tried to break into his basement apartment, cops say.

Enchautegui, who lived next door, came out to see what was going on and Armento shot and killed him with a .357 Magnum. Armento was convicted and is serving a life sentence. Brancato was charged with felony murder because the killing happened during the commission of a felony.

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly called the verdict a disappointment.

“We hope that the family and friends of Daniel Enchautegui find some comfort in the fact that at least one in the pair responsible for his death was convicted of murder,” he said.Adam Mehrfar, a New York criminal lawyer, said a celebrity defendant will always have a different experience than someone who is unknown.

“It plays into the equation for the defense attorney, the prosecutor and the jury,” he said. “It would be difficult, I would imagine, to completely disregard the fact that they may know the person in public. Their perception of that celebrity could work for or against him.”

Paul Martin, also a New York criminal lawyer, said he was

surprised by the verdict.

“It does seem a little inconsistent,” he said.

Martin said Brancato had an advantage not because he is a celebrity, but because he was able to hire a top-notch legal defense team.

His lawyer, Joseph Tacopina, who once represented former New York Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik, said Brancato was relieved.

“This will be a second chance for him in life,” Tacopina said. “Lillo’s committed to taking advantage of it.”

The Associated Press contributed to this story

Tags: crime, lillo brancato

$3 fare, $105 monthly MetroCards Possible: MTA

Monday December 22, 2008 6:58 PM By Pete Catapano

By Marlene Naanes

Subway and bus riders could be paying up to $3 a trip next year, according to new fare hike details released by the MTA yesterday.

Also, 30-day MetroCards could jump from $81 to $105 in a worst-case scenario, according to notices the MTA published on its Web site for the upcoming fare hike public hearings.

“The news is awful,” Gene Russianoff, Straphangers Campaign staff attorney, said in a statement. “Riders could end up paying a lot more for a lot less service.”Last week, the MTA board approved service cuts and fare and toll hikes that would bring in an additional 23 percent in revenue beginning in June next year to bridge a $1.2 billion budget gap. Riders might also have to put a minimum of $12.50 on a MetroCard for a bonus to kick in. Currently riders just have to buy $7 to get a 15 percent break

“A high threshold will make it harder for low-income riders to be able to be able to buy it,” Russianoff said.

Tolls on MTA bridges and tunnels could also rise to as much as $7.

MTA officials warned yesterday that the notices give a range and a specific proposal will be released sometime next week.

“It’s the upper limit. There’s no proposal in there,” said MTA spokesman Jeremy Soffin. “It’s designed so that there’s wiggle room in there. This sets the range.”

The ranges allow for changes based on the public’s feedback and input from the MTA Board, which will likely vote on fare hikes in March. Public hearings will be held in all five boroughs from Jan. 14 until Feb. 4.

Officials have maintained that hikes could be decreased if Albany approves revenue-generating recommendations that include a payroll tax and tolls on the East River bridges. If no action is taken on the recommendations, fare hikes would go into effect in June.

Jason Fink contributed to this story

Tags: mta. fare hike, subway, bus, bridges, transit

Beacon: Leave the city for some culture

Monday December 22, 2008 6:28 PM By Lucy Blatter

Once a dying industrial town, Beacon, N.Y., has undergone a cultural rebirth during the past decade. A restored downtown and the world-class Dia:Beacon museum revived this city on the Hudson River as a destination for tourists.

Take a day trip and explore Beacon’s small-town charm — it’s just 60 miles from Manhattan.Dia:Beacon

Housed in a historic printing factory on the Hudson River, this 300,000-square-foot museum is home to one of the largest collections of contemporary art in the world.

The permanent collection includes pieces by some of the most important artists from the 1960s and 1970s, including Andy Warhol’s “Shadows” — an installation of multiple silk-screened and hand-painted canvases — and three of Richard Serra’s enormous “Torqued Ellipse” sculptures.

Nabisco built the factory in 1927 to print biscuit cartons, but Dia director Michael Govan thought the long-abandoned building with vast open spaces and north-facing skylights would be the right venue for showcasing the Manhattan-based Dia Art Foundation’s permanent works.

After a $20 million renovation, Dia:Beacon opened to the public in 2003. The museum is just a five-minute walk from the Metro-North train station (3 Beekman St., 845-440-0100; From Nov. 14-April 13, open Friday to Monday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., admission: $10).

More culture and shopping

After a visit to Dia, take a stroll down Beacon’s historic Main Street. Much of its original 1800s architecture has been restored.

The buildings now house galleries, antique stores, boutiques and restaurants.

Hudson Beach Glass

162 Main St.,

845-440-0068

Hudson Beach Glass hosts glass-blowing demonstrations almost daily, and its gallery space showcases bowls, serving platters and other pieces created by the owners.

RiverWinds Gallery

172 Main St.,

845-838-2880

A few doors down, RiverWinds Gallery showcases works by more than 40 artists from the Hudson River Valley.

20th Century Fox Antiques

466 Main St.,

845-831-6059

For great antique shopping, head to 20th Century Fox Antiques (open weekends only).

The shop specializes in pieces from the Art Deco and Art Nouveau movements, boasting an extensive collection of lamps, furniture and more.

Dickinson’s

440 Main St.,

845-838-1643

Dickinson’s is another go-to place that’s perfect for finding old, vintage clocks and furniture of all kinds.

Dine and drink

Alps Sweet Shop

269 Main St.,

845-831-8240

For a quick snack while antiquing, swing by Alps Sweet Shop. The third-generation owners stock specialty chocolates sure to satisfy any sweet tooth.

The Piggy Bank

448 Main St.,

845-838-0028

For dinner, The Piggy Bank is known far and wide for its slow-cooked smokehouse barbeque. Ribs are the thing at this down-home joint: try a half-rack dry-rubbed with your choice of two sides ($14.95).

Max’s

246 Main St.,

845-838-6297

Grab a drink afterwards at Max’s on Main, where weekends mean live music from local bands.

Mount Beacon

With more than 32 miles of public trails, Mount Beacon is ideal for city slickers looking to get back to nature.

The 1,500-foot summit is the former home of the Incline Railway, one of the steepest tracks in the world when it was built in 1902.

The railway drew tourists from the city to the restaurant and dance hall at Mount Beacon’s peak.

Today, visitors can still enjoy spectacular views of the Hudson Valley from the top.

Tags: mount beacon, dia:beacon, n.y., travel

New cars taking E train out of the 1960s

Monday December 22, 2008 6:01 PM By Rolando Pujol

New York City Transit yesterday began rolling out new subway cars on the E line which feature automated announcements, digital information boards and a screen that scrolls upcoming station names.

Other subway lines, including the L and W, already have the cars.

The new subway cars, called R160s, have brighter interiors and a smoother ride. Most of the cars along the line date to the 1960s.

(Marlene Naanes)

Tags: e train, subway, queens, manhattan, transit, transportation

Viral video: A painful lesson

Monday December 22, 2008 8:21 AM By Sean Joseph

It is safer to attempt a backflip on the ground than on a tightrope. At least he was only a couple feet up.

Tags: viral video, television

Stress hits hard on Wall Street

Sunday December 21, 2008 5:03 PM By Garett Sloane

The New York Stock Exchange is a stressful place for the traders who are dealing with an unsteady market. (AP)

By Rebecca Wolfson

Special to amNewYork

Riding the market is a heart-pounding experience these days, and all the stress that comes with it is a threat to the health of workers on Wall Street, doctors warn.

Dr. Johnny Lee, a cardiologist and spokesman for the American Heart Association, said his patients, half of whom work in the financial sector, have taken up harmful eating, drinking and smoking habits during the last few months.

“I spend most of my visits now reinforcing lifestyle issues: ‘How are you doing with the financial crisis? Have you stopped exercising?’ ” Lee said.The bad habits can trigger heart disease and increased blood pressure.

The stock market has been bouncing from free fall to dramatic climbs, turning any which way in an instant without warning.

“Volatility in the past several months has exploded,” said Jeff Tjornehoj, a research manager at Lipper. “Over the past, say, 20 years there really isn’t a precedent for the level of volatility we have now.”

The highs and lows that stockbrokers experience on a daily basis lead to greater amounts of stress than other jobs, said Dr. Alden Cass, a pyschologist who recently co-authored “Bullish Thinking,” which advises financial professionals on how to remain emotionally stable during difficult economic times.

The Centers for Disease Control ranked stockbroker sixth in its report of most stressful jobs. Cass has studied stress and depression in stockbrokers and now treats about 30 people in the financial sector.

“Dealing with sudden and abrupt market changes on a second–to-second basis, things can go up really quick or down really quick, within seconds.”

In the past few months Cass has made many referrals for patients to see doctors.

“Emotional exhaustion, increase in substance abuse, problems in marriages, these are all things that seem to be a bit more pronounced right now,” Cass said. “I see a lot more physical ailments.”

“I’ve lost 15 pounds in the last four months and I’m not dieting,” said one stock broker from a major Wall Street firm. As clients’ accounts dissipate, stock brokers take it personally, he said.

“Clients are really scared,” said the broker who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “There’s been a flight to safety.”

Sunday nights he used to relax, but the downturn has prompted him to start watching the business channel so he can anticipate Monday morning.

“It’s tough to get out of bed in the morning,” he said.

Tags: wall street, economy, stockbrokers, stress, health, lipper, american heart association, volatility, stock market, dr. alden cass, “bullish thinking”

City storefronts, in danger of closing, find rent relief

Sunday December 21, 2008 4:37 PM By Garett Sloane

Mr. Joe is saddled with skyrocketing rents while sales receipts are plummeting.

By Garett Sloane

gsloane@am-ny.com

To keep city stores from shuttering, landlords and tenants are displaying an unprecedented level of cooperation, even renegotiating signed leases, according to business leaders.

Storeowners and landlords throughout the city are contending with an abysmal business climate, but instead of folding, communities are coming together to try and keep their neighborhoods vital.

“It’s getting just brutal out there,” said Councilman David Yassky. “Mom-and-pop and neighborhood retail stores have been suffering with rents for years now, but now they’re getting the double whammy of business just falling off the cliff.”

Consumer spending is one of the hardest hit sectors of the economy, and stores are not pulling in enough to make their rents.

“They’re paying rents based on the 2007 economy, but their sales receipts are the 2008 economy,” said Yassky, who is chairman of the council’s Small Business Committee and is running for city comptroller.Wilma Alonso, executive director of the Fordham Road Business Improvement District, said she has seen a change in attitude on the part of landlords.

“Property owners are identifying issues with their tenants, and they cannot pay the rent so they are going to be able to renegotiate the lease at least temporarily,” she said.

Revisiting leases is a recent phenomenon for the retail sector in New York, according to a number of brokers and business leaders. While renegotiating helps keep stores open, it is also a sign of how weak the economy is, Yassky said.

A business owner, Joe Mizrahi, said he renewed a lease in October for one of his three Mr. Joe stores, which sell clothing and apparel. The rent went up from $19,000 a month to $30,000 at his space on Eighth Avenue in Manhattan, but since then business receipts have been down 60 percent from last year, he said.

Now, he wants to renegotiate the terms of that lease.

“I’m sure [the landlord will] say no — I don’t know what to do. It’s very painful,” said Mizrahi, who has been in business more than 30 years.

After years of prosperity, many revitalized neighborhoods are struggling to keep the gains they’ve made. Healthy retail is at the core of every vibrant downtown area, and a key quality-of-life component.

“When it’s clean. When it’s tidy. When things are in order, people end up recognizing it and want to keep it that way, and they’re empowered to do even better,” said Robert Walsh, commissioner of the city’s Small Business Services.

The reverse is also true, he said.

“When you see the streets have not been swept, the bad guys recognize that and people looking to make trouble in a neighborhood or community see that there is neglect and they pounce on it,” Walsh said.

Walsh has seen the worst of days during decades of working with the small business community. As executive director of the Union Square Business Improvement District, he spent the 1990s chasing crack dealers out of the neighborhood and helped develop the area into the energized shopping corridor it is now.

“We’re going to be working hard to ensure that [the city] doesn’t revert back,” he said.

The mayor’s office has come up with a number of initiatives in the last few months to help small businesses, including $5 million in microloans to help them get money during the credit crunch. Also, merchants, landlords and community leaders are banding together with a sense of urgency as they recognize their shared predicament.

“The landlords are talking to their tenants. The retailers are talking to their brokers. The brokers are talking to the owners, and everybody is trying to look for solutions,” said Faith Hope Consolo, chairwoman of the retail leasing and sales division at Prudential Douglas Elliman.

The dynamic has certainly shifted. During boom times city landlords were notorious for driving out businesses in search of higher-paying tenants, but today they’re willing to negotiate by offering more free months rent, longer deals at the same rate and money to improve the stores.

It’s a phenomenon Yassky called “enlightened self-interest” on the part of landlords, and their continued flexibility is likely going to be necessary if they want to retain tenants rather than try to attract new ones under the current market conditions.

Stores in the city are going to have a hard time making enough money to pay the rent, according to a recent study by Property and Portfolio Research, a Boston-based firm that analyzes retail data. The firm predicts the city’s “economic vacancy rate” will shoot up from historic lows of 2 percent seen last year to near historic highs of 12 percent by the end of next year. The economic vacancy rate does not mean the amount of physical storefronts that are open or closed. It is an indicator of how much money stores are making compared to how much they should be making to support the amount of retail space in a given area.

If the indicator shoots up, however, it translates to more closed storefronts, said Andy Joynt, the New York metro area analyst at PPR.

There are no definitive studies on the exact amount of empty storefronts in the city, but Prudential Douglas Elliman projects that vacant storefronts will jump from historic lows of less than five percent to about 15 percent next year.

“Some retailers are iffy at the moment,” said Patrick Breslin, the president of Grubb & Ellis East Coast Retail Group. “So Christmas is do or die time.”

He predicts the city is “way off from hitting bottom,” and next year will see a number of stores closing.

With a long slog likely ahead for city stores, the business districts, merchant associations and almost all relevant community groups are becoming more vigilant.

“Relations in many communities are better than they’ve ever been before,” Walsh said.

There are more people taking pride in the community, and more people willing to speak up than there were during some of the city’s darkest days like the 1970s, he said.

“When we see problems of public safety or sanitation or vacancies,” Walsh said. “It’s going to be our job to keep our eyes and ears open, and look to pounce when we see problems.”

Aline Reynolds contributed to this report.

Tags: retail, tenants, landlords, rents, economy, new york city, storefronts, vacancies, david yassky, small business services, robert walsh, faith hope consolo, patrick breslin, grubb & ellis, prudential douglas elliman, property and portfolio research, fordham road business improvement district, wilma alonso, shopping, development

Discounts (barely) helping NY shoppers through season

Sunday December 21, 2008 3:49 PM By Emily Ngo

Shops on 34th Street in midtown Sunday advertised sales galore.

By Emily Ngo

Last-minute Christmas shoppers were greeted Sunday by massive signs announcing deals galore, but most New Yorkers were unfazed. At the stores lining midtown’s 34th Street, shopping bags were a more rare sight than last year.

Deborah Raji snapped just two $25 sweaters, marked down from $40 at Banana Republic, calling the deals “decent.”

“The sales are equal to last year,” said Raji, a 24-year-old from Harlem.

The brightly colored store displays advertising $5 deals (H&M) and up to 70 percent off (Aldo shoes) were only meant to lure customers inside, said Liza Pizzaro, 37.

“Discounts are the same as last year, if not worse,” huffed the Bronx resident. “And we have less money to spend so they’re just killing us.”

Humay Guliyeva, an Upper West Side resident, stood out in the crowd with her masses of shopping bags. She admitted she wouldn’t be able to buy as much if she didn’t shop at stores known for their deals, like H&M and Old Navy.“The really good stuff — the quality clothes and designer brands — are never on sale anyway,” said Guliyeva, who bought a $7 T-shirt from Old Navy.

“People just shop,” the 23-year-old said. “It’s Christmas, and they have to buy presents.”

Jailito Rodriguez emerged from Dr. Jay’s, a clothing store whose windows were plastered with announcements of a “super sale” of items 40 to 80 percent off the original price. He had saved $40 on his purchase of a backpack, hat and gloves.

“There are definitely more deals, and it’s probably because of the poor economy,” said Rodriguez, 28, who works in midtown. “And people are buying. We tend not to think when we see a deal.”

(Photos: Emily Ngo)

Tags: shopping, midtown, christmas, deals, restaurants

Vintage signage: Phil's Stationery in midtown

Sunday December 21, 2008 3:15 PM By Rolando Pujol

The sign for Phil's Stationery at 9 E. 47th St., is one hardy and hard-to-miss holdout. Its bold yellow, mix of fonts and little mid-century stars compel contemplation. And as we did just that, we noticed a small tag for Sign World, the company that created it. That tag itself carries a little old-school surprise: It bear an old telephone exchange (The NA exchange, short for NAtional?), which helps us date the sign to before the early 1970s.

And, as pointed out here, you have to love the misspelling of Xerox as "Zerox."

-- Rolando Pujol

Photos: Rolando Pujol

Tags: signs, midtown, phil's stationery, history, mid-century, old school, manhattan

Heating up the holidays: Experts say more sex this time of year

Sunday December 21, 2008 2:02 PM By Jason Fink

BY JASON FINK AND EMILY NGO

New Yorkers have one more reason to look forward to the holidays: It’s the season of sex.

According to biorhythm researchers and makers of sex-related products, the Christmas-New Year’s period produces a year-high spike in sexual activity and conceptions in the United States.

“I would have to agree with that,” said Zack Hemenway, manager of the Pleasure Chest, a sex shop in the West Village. “We definitely do see an increase in people buying stuff for the holiday season.”

Experts attribute the uptick in loving to holiday leisure and New Year’s resolutions to have children. New Year’s irresolution fueled by alcohol and partying is another contributing factor.

“Right before New Year’s Eve is our highest sales peak,” said David Johnson, group product manager for Trojan brand condoms.

A store clerk at a bodega on Ninth Avenue, who wouldn’t give his name, said they too sell more condoms this time of year than any other.

“I don’t know about women, but men like to have fun in the winter more than in summer,” he said.As expected, the holiday urge surge can also be seen by a peak in U.S. births in September, according to David Lam of the University of Michigan’s Population Studies Center in Ann Arbor.

“There are more babies in the fall because you stay in the house all day in the winter,” said Eric B., 42, of the Bronx. “There’s nothing to else to do.”

“It’s cold outside, so of course, people want to cuddle more,” said Darryl Remson, 27, Jersey City.

Holiday intimacies aren’t just an American rite, according to Gabriele Doblhammer of the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Rostock, Germany. Heavy Christmas-New Year’s sex “is characteristic of all Christian cultures in which it has been evaluated,” she and co-researcher Joseph Lee Rogers found.

Recognizing the risks entailed, the British Health Education Authority once ran a condom ad before New Year’s with the tag line: “Just in case old acquaintances aren’t quite forgot.”

What about the notion that spring is the season of love?

Among partners chronically pressed for time, intimacy flourishes in the rare leisure of three-day weekends, analysts said.

Accordingly, the long July Fourth, Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends also produce spikes in condom sales, Johnson said.

So does the run-up to Valentine’s Day, he added.

“And before Mother’s Day, there’s a small peak.”

McClatchy Newspapers contributed to this report.

Tags: christmas, new year's, sex, holiday traditions

Fashion world reacts to economic woes

Sunday December 21, 2008 11:20 AM By Julie Gordon

The Rock & Republic show, left, and Vera Wang show, both at Bryant Park in September (Getty)

By Julie Gordon

The fashion world is trying to ease the pain of the economic climate that has forced big-name designers including Betsey Johnson, Vera Wang and Rock & Republic to pull their New York fashion shows out of Bryant Park in February.

Steven Kolb, executive director of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, said his organization is working to create a venue that would hold fashion presentations instead of traditional runway shows. He said he hopes to “pull it together” for February, and that it would be ideal to have the space at Bryant Park.

“The world is changing hour to hour, and we’d be foolish to think the fashion industry isn’t going to change along with it,” Kolb said.He also said the economic downturn could be Darwinian in nature.

“Over the next year, you’ll see really creative talented people with a good business strive and weed out people who maybe shouldn’t be showing anyway,” he said.

Several designers said they are still showing at Bryant Park. A rep for Max Azria confirmed the designer will hold his three shows at the park’s Tents. Reps for Tibi and Rebecca Taylor said they’re also having their runway shows at the Tents. And Tommy Hilfiger is returning after three years of showing at another venue.

IMG released the following statement last week regarding designers dropping out of Fashion Week:

"We fully realize and expected that the economy would effect some designers ability to present a full-on runway show this season. However, we have requests from many other designers who have not shown in the tents in several seasons taking those time slots. As soon as the schedule is confirmed we will share all those names in early January. All indications point to a full house at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in February. We are also still trying to identify and create a 4th venue for 'presentations' in or very close to Bryant Park."

Tags: fashion week, betsey johnson, vera wang, rock & republic, cfda

Caroline's every kind of Democrat

Sunday December 21, 2008 11:04 AM By Rolando Pujol

Caroline Kennedy says she’s a “Clinton Democrat.”

This might come as a small surprise to Hillary Clinton, who stood by helplessly in the make-or-break Democratic primaries while Caroline and her Uncle Teddy grandly backed Barack Obama.

But don’t read too much into that little disconnect. Caroline’s also an “Obama Democrat” and a “Kennedy Democrat” and a “Schumer Democrat” and apparently a “Sharpton Democrat” too.

Now that she wants to be New York’s junior senator, Caroline will be whatever kind of Democrat she has to be, even if that means riding up to Lenox Avenue and sitting for a full cholesterol infusion with Democratic Reverend Al.

Oddly, she did fail to mention she’s a “Paterson Democrat.” Once reminded that Governor David gets to name Hillary’s Senate replacement all by himself, don’t expect that omission again from Caroline.

This label flexibility is possible only for a candidate, like Caroline Kennedy, who is a political blank slate, someone who has hardly ever had to take a public position on anything. Heck, she could be a “Blagojevich Democrat” if she chose to, although that might not be so helpful right now.

She was pleasant and poised as she stepped out of Sylvia’s Restaurant. But asked how she’s prepared to be a U.S. Senator, she fell back immediately on genealogy and her nice-person resume.

“I come at this as a mother, as a lawyer, as an author, as an education advocate and from a family that really has spent generations in public service,” she said.

Ah, families. There are families all over this mess. It isn’t often that three of America’s top Democratic clans — the Clintons, Cuomos and Kennedys — are all so intertwined in ambitions and resentment with all of them pretending to still be friends.

A quick review: The Kennedys sold out the Clintons. Hillary created the Senate-seat drama by signing on as Obama’s secretary of state. So Mario Cuomo’s son Andrew was the heir apparent – until Caroline, whose cousin Kerry divorced Andrew, decided she might want the job.

Pick your label: Aren’t families fun?

Tags: henican, caroline kennedy, politics, history

Go caroling Sunday night in Boerum Hill

Sunday December 21, 2008 9:24 AM By Rolando Pujol

Sunday from 7-8pm, take part in a Boerum Hill tradition by serenading local residents with Christmas cheer. Santa hats, jingle bells and song sheets are provided; no prior experience necessary. Corner of Hoyt Street and Dean Street, at the steps of the Mugavero Center

-- Craig Raphael

More on Boerum Hill in our City Living profile of the Brooklyn neighborhood, coming later this week.

Tags: brooklyn, boerum hill, caroling, holiday traditions

Viral video: Rocking out too hard

Sunday December 21, 2008 8:51 AM By Sean Joseph

A security camera caught this driver rocking out so hard to Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” that his air bag inflated and car alarm went off.

Tags: viral video, television, cars, music, queen

One less fro-yo place in New York

Friday December 19, 2008 11:51 AM By Rolando Pujol

We noticed the other day that Yoqua Bar, on 23rd Street near Madison Square Park, is no more. Never checked out the place, but there are plenty of competitors in the vicinity for those with a taste for tartness on the tongue.

Still, we wouldn't dare call the fro-yo trend dead, although you would think that moment should be nigh or pretty much here. Perhaps the flatlining economy and the brutal start to winter (heck, it's not even winter yet) may conspire to undermine the countless array of frozen-yogurt places, or at least their continued growth.

For now, it seems one thing is certain: There is seemingly no end to new frozen-yogurt places, and no limit to creative plays on the words "yogurt" or "berry."

-- Rolando Pujol

Tags: frozen yogurt, fro yo, yoqua bar, madison square park, food, manhattan, restaurants

Viral Video: Portland Yuppies can't drive in the snow

Friday December 19, 2008 11:21 AM By Rolando Pujol

Just pray your driving adventures during this storm do not reach these comically tragic proportions.

Tags: viral video, television, portland

Endangered NYC: Saving architectural treasures in the outer boroughs

Thursday December 18, 2008 4:21 PM By Rolando Pujol

This is amNY's third annual special report on preservation. Previous coverage can be found here and here.

By Lana Bortolot

Special to amNewYork

Manhattan’s iconic architecture has long given the borough favored-child status

at the Landmarks Preservation Commission.

Of some 1,210 individual landmark designations in the five boroughs since the commission’s inception in 1965, 779 are in Manhattan, as well as 64 out of 105 designated Historic Districts and extensions.

But today, the outer boroughs are increasingly enjoying the attention their architectural treasures deserve, powered by community activism, even as certain beloved structures still meet the wrecking ball.

“The tone has changed out there,” says Peg Breen, president of New York Landmarks Conservancy, a private advocacy group. “I think there’s been a heightened level of interest and there’s a pent-up demand.”It’s an area that Robert B. Tierney, Landmarks Preservation chairman, agrees has been out of sight and mind.

“There wasn’t the necessary focus and attention [outside Manhattan],” Tierney said, noting that his commission has redirected its attention to the boroughs. “They’re no longer overlooked. And I think the record of what’s already been done should give people reassurance that we are focused very markedly on issues in those boroughs.”

Indeed, recent data provided by the commission show an increased number of designations outside of Manhattan. Of the 1,158 building designated in fiscal year 2007, 1,114—or 96 percent—are outside of Manhattan.

All three historic districts designated in fiscal year 2008 were in the outer boroughs—two of which, DUMBO and Eberhard Faber Pencil Company, responded directly to concerns over the loss of Brooklyn’s historic industrial waterfront. By the end of fiscal year 2009, the commission will have designated more districts outside of Manhattan than any other administration since its inception, says commission spokeswoman Elisabeth de Bourbon.

Yet, despite the improved record, outer borough residents feel ignored, and voice their frustrations on blogs devoted to politics and preservation. Certainly, losses this year, like that of the Bay Ridge Methodist Church, leave some unconvinced the city is doing enough.

“We've had some heartbreaking losses," says Simeon Bankoff, executive director of the Historic Districts Council. "Even people who don’t go to church get upset when churches are ripped down.” He noted, "People often are unaware of the special

character of a place until it’s threatened: they have their own personal Penn Stations.

The virtual dialogue—often heated and infused with both fact and opinion—links citizen brigades throughout the boroughs so that preservationists in Queens can empathize with (or criticize) like- minded activists in the Bronx. And whether they face the loss of a historic church or the addition of a big-box retailer, they present a unified front to elected officials and the city landmarks commission to make a difference.

Despite the losses of beloved buildings, Tierney says “There’s a

whole other narrative of buildings being saved and we don’t want

people to lose sight of that. “

So, here, in amNewYork’s third annual look at what might be lost,

preservationists post their wish list of sites to be saved.

BROOKLYN

Erasmus Hall Academy (Tiffany L. Clark)

Erasmus Hall Academy

911 Flatbush Ave., Flatbush

architect unknown, 1787

Protected from view by its Gothic surroundings, but rotting away from neglect, is the original Georgian-Federalist wooden structure of the academy whose founders include John Jay, Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. The oldest secondary school in New York is designated a city landmark, but suffers from years of neglect. Restoration efforts are locked in a stalemate between the Erasmus alumni, which are rallying to restore it, and the School Construction Authority.

Brooklyn Rapid Transit Power House (RJ Mickelson)

Brooklyn Rapid Transit Power House

322 Third Ave.

architect unknown, 1902

Eligible for the National Register and under LPC review, this Romanesque Revival powerhouse on the Gowanus Canal is all that remains of a massive complex that provided power for Brooklyn’s steam railroads, elevated trains, and street cars. If renovated, says Melissa Baldrock, a preservationist at the Municipal Art Society, “the building could be a great space for small manufacturers who could rent out smaller spaces within the building, for a large manufacturer, or for an arts and cultural space.”

The Shore Theater put Coney Island on the map as a year-round destination. Below, the the fate of the Astroland rocket is up in the air. (Photos: Tiffany L. Clark)

Coney Island’s historic resources, various dates

Mermaids may mourn the demise of Astroland (b. 1962; d. 2008), but it’s Coney Island’s other historic resources that now face threats. Several 19th- and early-20th-century buildings are endangered , says Baldrock. Coney Island’s entertainment history is reflected in Henderson’s Music Hall, where the Marx Brothers first performed in 1907, and the Shore Theater, which put Coney Island on the map as a year-round destination. It contains a theater for 2,500 people, but now sits vacant.

While landmarks such as the Cyclone, Parachute Jump, and Wonder Wheel are protected, Astroland’s other icons, including the Astrotower and the Rocket, are not. Like the parachute jump (from New York's 1937 world’s fair), the Astrotower is part of the local skyline. Still operable, at 270 feet height high, it provides unparalleled views of the area. The rocket, while not a ride, is one of Coney Island’s most photographed icons—a flight of fancy on its own.

Gowanus Canal area

Now that its cleaner than it’s been in years, the Gowanus Canal is ready for its photo op — and an onslaught of development interest. Says Rick Bell, executive director of the American Institute of Architects’ New York chapter, “When you ask what’s the best and highest use for the waterfront, it’s seldom going to be something that retains industrial use. Chances are you’re looking at housing when the market picks back up.” And current upzoning plans would permit just that along the northern blocks of the canal, putting the historic use of the canal—in operation since the 1850s—and its industrial character at risk. Says Lisa Kersavage, director of advocacy and policy at Municipal Art Society, “The city ought to be doing more to support the manufacturing industries rather than upzoning for residential. It’s better to be barging than trucking through our brownstone neighborhoods.”

The Red Hook grain silos(RJ Mickelson/amNY)

Red Hook grain silos

Columbia Street at the Gowanus Canal, 1922

After a 50-year vacancy, the concrete grain silos adjacent to Red Hook Park on the Gowanus Canal present a number of possibilities, and their future treatment will significantly impact the character of their surroundings. Keeping the industrial feel of the silos, Bell says, would win a nod of approval from modernist architect Le Corbusier, who admired the unusual landscape presented by Midwestern grain silos. But, Ikea’s success there, he says, raises the more likely possibility of mixed-use projects with a retail component.

BRONX

Cass Gilbert's Morris Park station (also known as Van Nest station) in the Bronx (Tiffany L. Clark)

Rail stations, various locations

Cass Gilbert, 1908

Gilbert may be better known as the architect of the Woolworth Building, but his more humble works have not gone unnoticed by preservationists. Strung along the Harlem line of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, only three of the ornate stations remain in the Bronx, and are in serious decline. A fourth in Pelham Parkway is in near ruins. Evoking European influences — one in French Renaissance style and another likened to an Italian palazzo —the stations have potential for restoration and occupancy. Amtrak’s efforts to find tenants have been unsuccessful and the advancing decay of the stations make restoration more costly as time goes by.

Kingsbridge Armory (Tiffany L. Clark)

Kingsbridge Armory

29 W. Kingsbridge Road

Pilcher & Tachau, 1912

A stunning neighborhood landmark, the Romanesque Revival armory is

said to be the world's largest, built as a militia drill floor. A recent proposal by the Related Companies includes a retail/entertainment mix that will bring the site back into active use, but also raises concerns of turning the Romanesque Revival armory into a regional shopping destination. Any restoration, however, will have to take into account the enormous costs of stabilization and the scale of the undertaking. But experts say it’s worth it—the building “really defines the neighborhood’s character,” says Bell. “What would it look like if it were gone? What would they relate to as a landmark?”

Noonan Plaza Apartments in the Bronx (Tiffany L. Clark)

Noonan Plaza Apartments

105-145 W. 168th St.

Horace Ginsbern, 1931

These embellished Art Deco-Mayan apartment buildings contained a 15,000-square-foot garden with flowering shrubs, mosaic walkways and water features. “It’s a particular style we don’t see a lot of,” says Andrea Goldwyn, director of public policy at New York Landmarks Conservancy. Heard in 1992, but not yet designated by the city, Goldwyn added, “We want to stay on top of it and bring it to people’s attention.”

Brady Court at 754-764 Brady Ave. in Pelham Parkway (RJ Mickelson)

Pelham Parkway South

Bounded by Pelham Parkway, Bronx Park East, Bronxdale and Matthew avenues

It’s not yet a historic district, but the dense cluster of 1920s and 1930s apartment here represent a building type that’s “almost entirely overlooked by LPC, but is key to an understanding of the history of housing in the city,” says Andrew S. Dolkart, director of the Historic Preservation Program Columbia University School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. The six-story buildings comprise a cohesive housing tract that captures the fancy of the era: Moorish embellishments, Spanish tile, crenellated rooflines and courtyards, as well as serving the cultural needs of the middle- and working-class community that lived here.

QUEENS

A scattering of 19th-century houses is all that remains of Astoria Village, an enclave beneath the newly renamed Robert F. Kennedy Bridge. Multi-family buildings and other development have replaced gracious homes, some from the Civil War-era. While it’s unlikely to qualify for district designation, individual buildings may still qualify for landmark status, and protecting them would keep some vestige of the village. The neighborhood also contains two important early churches and burial grounds, including the Irish Famine Cemetery.

Unprotected, and with large home lots, neighborhoods such as Broadway-Flushing and Richmond Hill, the Historic Districts Council says, are “fertile ground for McMansions and other out of character development.” In Forest Hills, preservationists are fighting to spare Neo-Renaissance rowhouses on 72nd Avenue (formerly Roman Avenue) dating back to 1906, and rare survivors of the oldest extant development here.

Michael Perlman, chair of the Rego-Forest Preservation Council, hopes to find an arts or culture group for the empty Ridgewood Theater. (Tiffany L. Clark)

Ridgewood Theater

55-27 Myrtle Ave., Ridgewood

Thomas White Lamb, opened 1916

After 91 years, the ornate Ridgewood Theater, the longest continuously operating theater in the country, closed in 2008. Up for sale, plans for its next incarnation are unknown, but preservationists fear alteration, not restoration, of the exterior. A local group hopes to install an arts organization in the building, and a landmarks commission spokesperson said the theater is under “active consideration,” and the commission has calendared the Ridgewood Historic District.

Schleicher Mansion

11-41 123rd St., College Point

architect unknown, circa 1851

Once boasting water views, and now at the core of a traffic roundabout, the Hermann Schleicher mansion is a decaying piece of Gilded Age architecture—one of a few remaining mansions built by German industrialists here. Converted to a hotel, then an apartment building, the building stands vacant after tenants were forced to evacuate this summer after a city inspection. It was calendared for LPC hearing on Dec. 9, which halts demolition by the owner or a developer who would do the same, but if not designated, this mansion and its eclectic history will be lost.

Elmhurst Library (Tiffany L. Clark)

Elmhurst Library

86-01 Broadway, Elmhurst

architect unknown, opened 1906

One of seven Carnegie libraries built in Queens, the much-used Elmhurst Library will be demolished for a larger building. What the Carnegie libraries lack in grandeur, they make up for with distinctive architecture that reflects the character of the communities they serve. “Normally you would not want to see a Carnegie library demolished, but they made a pretty compelling case that this is what they had to do to serve the population,” says Breen.

STATEN ISLAND

HISTORIC HOMES

Staten Island’s vernacular homes and mansions are in danger of being lost. Many sit on large plots, making them attractive development sites. Owners of larger homes struggle to maintain them, lacking a strong preservation ethic, are often resistant to landmarking. Preservationists continue to fight for the houses. “Not only are they architecturally interesting, but they really speak to Staten Island’s maritime history. When they’re gone, it severs our links to that history,” says Goldwyn.

Captain Abram and Ann Dissosway Cole House

4927 Arthur Kill Road, Tottenville, circa 1840s

One of a few remaining houses that once housed prominent industrial and maritime merchants, the 19th-century Greek Revival, owned by members of the Cole family until the 1970s, was calendared in the 1960s and remains unprotected by landmark designation. Preservationists support landmarking the house, but the owner has asked the commission to remove the house from consideration so he may demolish it.

U.S. Coast Guard Station (Tiffany L. Clark)

The U.S. Coast Guard Station formerly the U.S. Light-House Service

1 Bay Street, St. George

Alfred B. Mullett, 1865-71

A designated city landmark, the administration building is one of the few surviving French Second Empire buildings by the architect who also designed the Carson City and San Francisco mints, the Customs house in Knoxville and the Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C. The complex was the holding station for materials destined for lighthouses along the east coast, and also a research site for lighthouse equipment. In poor condition, it’s empty and awaits a plan.

S. R. Smith Infirmary

101 Stanley Ave., Stapleton

Alfred Barlow & B.L Gilbert, 1889

Modeled after the Cancer Hospital on Central Park West and 106th Street (now condominiums), this Victorian “castle” stands abandoned. Plans to covert the turreted building into residences some 20 years ago failed and without occupancy of some kind, the building will continue to deteriorate. A landmark request was heard in 1991, but it remains undesignated and unprotected.

* * *

2007: HOW THEY FARED

Successes and losses mark last year’s “10 (more) to Save.” Here’s how they fared.

Donnell Library Center

20 W. 53rd St.

Closed and will be razed for a hotel.

Morris B. Sanders House

219 E. 49th St.

Designated landmark November, 2008.

George Washington Bridge Bus Station

Broadway, between West 178-179th streets

In October 2008, Port Authority unveiled plans for a $152 million renovation, expected to begin within two years. The station does not have landmark protection and its modernist design could be compromised.

James A. Farley Post Office Building

421 Eighth Ave.

Still under study, but Madison Square Garden has removed itself from a proposal to relocate to Farley, relieving fears of the arena overtaking the historic interior.

Abolitionist homes

Nos. 231 and 233 Duffield Street

New plans for this block of homes included an Underground Railroad museum and sale of air rights for a new hotel. But negotiations between the owner and developer have stalled, and the project may be scaled back.

1847 James Sloan and Abigail Hopper Gibbons home

339 W. 29th St.

A stop work order has halted further construction here. LPC has calendared landmarking the area as a historic district, which would include the Hopper Gibbons House.

Federal buildings

Nos. 94, 94-1/2 and 96 Greenwich St.

Remain undesignated and unprotected while an ownership dispute continues. A hotel developer wants to purchase air rights and demolish at least one building.

508-510 and 732-734 West End Ave

Buildings at 732-734 failed to meet the criteria for designation and have been emptied awaiting demolition. Rent-stabilized tenants at 508-510, are fighting to have their leases renewed.

Congregation Shearith Israel

8 W. 70th St.

Landmark West! and neighbors filed a lawsuit in New York State Supreme Court in September challenging the NYC Board of Standards and Appeals approval of seven zoning variances for a nine-story luxury condo here. CSI has delayed construction.

Admiral's Row

Brooklyn Navy Yard

The Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corp. is the likely buyer of site from the Army National Guard, and preservation groups continue to press for plans that would include the historic buildings in future development.

Brooklyn Waterfront

The Eberhard Faber Pencil Company, DUMBO and parts of the former Domino Sugar Corporation Refinery were designated in the past year. The Austin, Nichols & Company Warehouse will be converted to residences. Red Hook is on watch.

Brownstone Brooklyn

Heard by LPC in October, Prospect Heights is on its way to landmarking. Yet other brownstone neighborhoods—Carroll Gardens Wallabout and parts of Brooklyn Heights—remain on watch.

The Franklin Building

186 Remsen St., Downtown Brooklyn

Still vacant and reported to need too much work and priced too high to make habitation viable in the current market. The building next door was demolished, leaving the Franklin vulnerable to the same fate.

The humble diner

Closure of the famed Cheyenne Diner (411 Ninth Ave.) after 68 years is a reminder that these working-class eateries are still at risk.

Religious Buildings

Development plans for West-Park Presbyterian (86th Street and Amsterdam Avenue) have halted while a local group challenges a demolition permit. Bay Ridge United Methodist, the “Green Church,” was demolished for condominium development. St. Saviour’s in Maspeth was dismantled and awaits resurrection on a new site in All Faiths Cemetery.

****

They’ll save Manhattan

amNewYork asked preservationists for a wish list of Manhattan sites to be landmarked. Here’s what they said:

Andrew Berman, executive director

Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation

“The twin threats of New York University and private development have put the South Village area under enormous pressure, and landmark designation is needed now more than ever to preserve [that] wonderful neighborhood. It was entirely left out of the Greenwich Village Historic District in 1969, largely because its working class architecture was not considered worthy of preservation at the time.”

Andrew S. Dolkart, director

Historic Preservation Program, Columbia University School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation

“Teachers College, a spectacular and long-overlooked complex of buildings where five different architects and architectural firms designed nine separate and interconnected buildings, creating an extraordinary feeling of unity, using various forms of Gothic-inspired design. [It’s] a major institution in the history of New York and in the history of educational pedagogy.”

Anthony C. Wood, historian and author of “Preserving New York”

“The proposed expansion to the Upper East Side Historic District to include Lexington Avenue and environs. One key building, the Kean Building, has been lost because of the unresponsiveness of the Landmarks Preservation Commission, but the essence of the proposed expansion to the district still remains intact. Lexington Avenue is ‘Main Street’ for residents of the Upper East Side, and it still retains … a distinctive sense of place.”

Tags: endangered nyc, history, landmarks, preservation, 10 to save, queens, brooklyn, manhattan, staten island, bronx, old school, development

amNewYork Letters to the Editor

Thursday December 18, 2008 2:33 PM By Sara Baumberger

Fare hike: New Yorkers must say ‘enough’

The MTA board is right; this fare hike is absolutely draconian. It’s a shame that they couldn’t vote accordingly. It is unjust to increase the fares again on already cash-strapped New Yorkers. Especially when the MTA chief himself makes $300,000 a year. It is time that New Yorkers stand up together and say, “Enough!” I urge a boycott of the MTA as soon as this fare hike takes effect.

— Dominic Quintana, Astoria

Who will build the tanks if Detroit tanks?

If the auto industry goes out of business while D.C. continues to mull over its bailout, who’s going to build our tanks and other military vehicles? The Chinese?

— Dean Green, Newark, N.J.

Caroline has same ideals as New Yorkers

I am excited that Caroline Kennedy wishes to fill her uncle’s Senate seat, which is now occupied by Hillary Clinton, who supported the Iraq war. By backing Barack Obama, Kennedy can’t be accused of sexism or carpetbagging. Being a courageous citizen who has experienced tragedy, she chose to stop further tragedies.

— Daniel Osuagwu, The Bronx

Obama cabinet is same ol’ Washington

Obama’s cabinet selections have come from the same tired political “pork barrel.” What happened to his call for change? He could make amends by naming Robert Kennedy Jr. to head the Dept. of the Interior, along with his cousin Caroline Kennedy in the Senate.

— Michael Perez, Manhattan

Tags: letters to the editor

City Council votes to hike property taxes by 7 percent

Thursday December 18, 2008 1:55 PM By Scott A. Rosenberg

BY JASON FINK

The City Council Thursday night voted to raise property taxes by 7 percent, part of a package of budget measures aimed at cutting a projected $1.2 billion deficit over the next year and half.

The mayor’s office also agreed to release the $400 property tax rebates it had resisted sending out, ending a standoff with council members who insisted the administration was legally obligated to mail the checks.Critics blasted the tax plans as a bad deal for homeowners and a burden on citizens still reeling from a slew of new taxes announced this week by Gov. David Paterson.

“The people have been taxed enough,” said Councilman Charles Barron (D-Brooklyn). “It’s like, ‘here’s your $400 and now you’re going to give it right back because you have a 7 percent tax hike.”

The average homeowner will see an increase of about $118 for the remaining six months of the fiscal year. The increase will raise about $600 million, city officials said.

Supporters of the tax hike, which passed 33-18, said it was necessary to plug a gap that has only grown as the economy has soured.

“Nobody wants to vote on property tax increases,” said Councilman David Weprin (D-Hollis), the chairman of the Finance Committee. “This is the responsible thing to do.”

Also Thursday, Bloomberg announced July’s police class would be cut to 250 from about 1,000 cadets, and that January’s class, which the administration initially sought to cancel, will also be 250.

Councilman Peter Vallone (D-Astoria), chairman of the Public Safety Committee, said that combined with attrition, the cuts will mean a force of about 33,000, the lowest level since 1991.

“Our residents should be very afraid,” he said. “These cuts will absolutely result in more crime.”

Marc LaVorgna, a spokesman for Mayor Michael Bloomberg, said the department had shown it could keep crime down with fewer officers.

“The police department has a proven ability to do more with less,” said LaVorgna, who did not address the figures Vallone cited.

The council also voted to increase the hotel tax by 0.876 percent, raising the average $300 room rate by an extra $2.62 per night.

Tags: michael bloomberg, city council, david paterson, charles barron, david weprin, peter vallone, economy, politics

New Yorkers are living longer

Thursday December 18, 2008 1:27 PM By Pete Catapano

By Aline Reynolds

There’s lots of bad news in the city lately: fare hikes, tax hikes, messy weather. But at least there's something to feel happy about.

Mayor Bloomberg and Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden said that life expectancy has risen by a year and three months since 2001, giving New Yorkers a life-expectancy of 79 years old.

And last year, the death toll citywide dropped to a record-low of 6.5 deaths per 1,000 people; the number of overall deaths, meanwhile, have dropped from 60,218 in 2001 to 54,073 in 2007.The number of births in the city, meanwhile, rose to 128,961 last year, compared to the 2006 total of 125,506.

Bloomberg said the the positive statistics is due to “confronting the leading causes of preventable death through aggressive anti-tobacco measures, and innovative cancer screening programs.”

Photo: Mayor Bloomberg (AP)

Tags: bloomberg, health department

Budget leaves city worker benefits vulnerable

Thursday December 18, 2008 12:49 PM By Ryan Chatelain

By Ryan Chatelain

As the Bloomberg administration grapples with a $4 billion budget shortfall over the next two years, city employees may soon be asked to foot a chunk of the bill.

The city could shave at least $2 billion annually from its spending by requiring municipal workers to contribute to their health insurance costs and work regular 40-hour weeks -– norms in the private sector.

“We are discussing with the municipal unions ways to save money during the financial crisis, but we will discuss any proposals across the table, not through the media,” said Marc LaVorgna, a spokesman for Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

The business-backed Citizens Budget Commission and the Manhattan Institute, a public-policy think tank, have long pushed for employee contributions to all health insurance and 40-hour workweeks, and the time might be ripe for the city to rekindle the debate.When asked about the possibility, City Council Finance Chairman David Weprin (D-Hollis) said, “Everything should be on the table,” although he admitted cuts to benefits would not likely be discussed before July.

Currently, 90 percent of the city’s 350,000 workers opt for health care plans that don’t require them to pay a share of their premiums. With the exception of uniformed workers and teachers, most city employees work 35 or 37½ hours a week.

Charles Brecher, research director for the Citizens Budget Commission, estimates the city would save about $1 billion a year by requiring employees to pay 10 percent toward individual health insurance plans and 20 percent for family coverage. Another $500 million could be saved by requiring retirees to pay half their costs.

Taxpayers will spend $6.7 billion this year on city employees’ benefits, the vast majority going to health care.

“There’s nothing wrong with asking them to pay, even if it’s a small amount,” said Nicole Gelinas, a fellow with the Manhattan Institute.

While free health care for employees in other cities is not unheard of, the perk is increasingly coming under fire, most notably in Philadelphia. Gelinas added that New York’s benefits package is “generous” compared to other municipalities.

Mandated 40-hour workweeks would yield about $500 million in relief to the city by eliminating the need for 7,000 jobs over the next three years, analysts say. In response to the wide budget gap, Bloomberg has already announced plans to cut 3,000 jobs, issuing 500 pink slips.

The pension system for new employees may also be retooled. But with many variables at play, the potential savings are difficult to project, Brecher said.

Harry Nespoli, chairman of the Municipal Labor Committee, the umbrella group for municipal unions, said it would be unfair to target city workers, arguing that the attractive benefits package is a big reason employees pass on accepting higher-paying jobs in the private sector.

“You take that away, fuggedaboutit, nobody would take a city job,” he said.

“This is caused by Wall Street and by financial companies, but yet the Main Street people like the city workers are the victims of this whole thing.”

Tags: bloomberg, city budget, politics

MTA gears up for blast of winter

Thursday December 18, 2008 12:17 PM By Rolando Pujol

Transit authorities are on alert for Friday afternoon’s forecasted blast of wintry weather, with snow blowers, deicing trains and extra manpower at the ready.

The National Weather service expects between three and six inches of slow and sleet Friday with highs in the mid-30s and lows in the mid-20s.

The morning rush hour will see some flurries, but the evening commute will take the biggest hit with the onset of an intense wintry mix, according the weather service. Transit will deploy snow clearing and deicing equipment to keep platforms, stairs and outdoor tracks clear, transit officials said.

Salt-spreading and snow plow-equipped trucks will also be available to clear the way for buses.

-- Marlene Naanes

Tags: mta, weather, snow, transit, transportation, subway

Tress up your holiday cocktail routine

Thursday December 18, 2008 11:40 AM By Julie Gordon

Grab a cocktail and get your hair done at Butterfly Studio Salon's Social Butterfly Night on Thursdays. (Alana Abel)

By Lauren Epstein

During the holidays, trips to the salon are inevitable. Also inevitable? The longing to attend as many parties as possible. Luckily, several venues around the city are combining both desires, offering wine, champagne and cocktails along with manicures and hair styling.

Butterfly Studio Salon

149 Fifth. Ave., 2nd fl., btwn 21st and 22nd sts., 212-253-2100

This Kerastase flagship salon serves wine Tuesday to Saturday starting at 5 p.m., but visit Butterfly on a Thursday to experience a true treat — Social Butterfly night. The salon stays open until 10 p.m., with music pumping and Butterflytinis — made of pomegranate juice, vodka, triple sec, lemonade and ice — flowing.Belazza Salon & Spa

519 Eighth Ave., btwn 35th and 36th sts., 212-971-6100

This upscale salon is a hidden gem in the West 30s. Sip your choice of red or white any time after 4 p.m., and relax with a Caribbean Pedicure ($50) or a Swedish Massage ($50 for 30 minutes). Haircuts are reasonable, starting at $50 for women and $30 for men.

Red Market Salon

32 Gansevoort St., 4th fl., at Little W. 12th St., 646-666-3042

Red Market understands the needs of night owls. Open from 2 p.m. until 11:30 or midnight (depending on customers’ needs), this lounge-like salon plays discs created by local DJs and offers clients a selection of wine and champagne. Haircuts start at $100 for women, and $85 for men.

Tela Design Studio

31 Little W. 12th St., btwn Washington St. and Ninth Ave., 212-463-8213

Owner Philip Pelusi and his staff use organic products to treat hair, and incorporate 100 types of tea into both the treatments and the menu. Also available to imbibe is wine (offered daily), and sangria on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights until 9 p.m. Sit back and relax with a drink and a pedicure ($50) or an organic hair treatment ($65 and up). The colonial-style Tela also houses an art gallery.

Shape NYC

56 E. 34th St., btwn Park and Madison aves., 212-779-2465

Shape NYC, the only Paul Mitchell focus salon in New York City, also makes music its focus, with a different tune selection in each room. Relax, glass of wine in hand, to soothing beats in the wash-and-rinse room, and then get a blowout to high-energy club beats. Women’s haircuts range from $45 to $125, and men’s cuts range from $30 to $50.

Roy Teeluck Salon

38 E. 57th St., btwn Madison and Park aves., 212-888-2221

The Roy Teeluck Salon offers its patrons a chilled glass of wine at all times. Enjoy your beverage while you highlight your locks ($150 and up) or get a haircut ($100 and up) at this friendly, cozy East Side salon.

Tags: bars

Snow will turn into icy mess on Friday

Thursday December 18, 2008 11:16 AM By Rolando Pujol

The National Weather Service has discontinued the Winter Storm Watch for the city, replacing it with a Winter Weather Advisory, but we are hardly in the clear. Here's the latest, and constant updates can be found on amNY's weather page:

Winter Weather Advisory in effect from 8 am Friday to midnight

EST Friday night...

The National Weather Service in Upton has issued a Winter Weather

Advisory for snow and sleet... which is in effect from 8 am Friday to

midnight EST Friday night. The Winter Storm Watch is no longer in

effect.

Snow is expected to overspread the region Friday morning... and

could become heavy at times in the afternoon. The snow is expected

to mix with sleet and rain in the afternoon... especially along

the South Shore of Long Island.

Snowfall accumulations of 2 to 3 inches of snow and sleet is

possible along coastal areas... including Long Island... Staten

Island... Queens and Brooklyn. 3 to 5 inches of snow and sleet is

expected across Manhattan... the Bronx as well as Hudson and Union

counties in New Jersey. Locally higher amounts are possible

further inland.

There may be sharp differences in snowfall amount over short

distances... but in general higher snowfall amounts are expected

as you move inland.

Winter Weather Advisory means that periods of snow... sleet... or

freezing rain will cause travel difficulties. Be prepared for

slippery roads and limited visibilities... and use caution while

driving.

Tags: snow, blizzard, weather, christmas, holiday traditions

Winter Restaurant Week will be biggest ever

Thursday December 18, 2008 9:32 AM By Lucy Blatter

NYC Restaurant Week Winter 2009 will run from January 18-January 23 and January 25-January 30. Sundays have been added to the dining program for the first time and prices remain unchanged with three-course prix-fixe lunches for $24.07 and three-course prix-fixe dinners for $35.00 (excluding beverage, tax and gratuity).

This winter will be the city’s largest Restaurant Week ever, with more than 250 participating restaurants, and more than 100 offering their pre-fixe menus on Sunday, January 18 and Sunday, January 25.

Reservations open to the public on January 5 and will be available at www.nycgo.com.

Tags: restaurant week, nyc restaurant week, food

'Mad Men' makes its mark on Madison scaffolding ad

Thursday December 18, 2008 9:12 AM By Rolando Pujol

There's something very familiar (shall we say, Don Draperesque) about the scaffolding advertisement for 180 Madison Avenue. Could this become new digs for Sterling Cooper? Find the ad at East 34th Street and Madison Avenue.

-- Rolando Pujol

Tags: mad men, 180 madison avenue, advertising, architecture

Go bright this winter

Thursday December 18, 2008 9:02 AM By Julie Gordon

Comptoir des Cotonniers coat, $260; at Comptoir des Cotonniers, 155 Spring St., 212-274-0830

By Julie Gordon and Jessie Pascoe

Make the winter blues a little brighter this season with shades usually reserved for summer. Punches of pink, orange, blue, yellow and print can transform your mood and outerwear style from boring to bold. And remember, just because the mercury is dropping, your fashion sense doesn’t has to fall.

Check out our picks for winter here.

Viral video: Wii Sports accident

Thursday December 18, 2008 8:33 AM By Sean Joseph

There are reasons Wii controllers come with cords to put your hand through. One of them is so you don’t throw it and break your flat-screen TV.

Tags: viral video, television, video games, sports, wii

City Living: Sunnyside

Thursday December 18, 2008 7:27 AM By Rolando Pujol

Explore 20 photos of Sunnyside HERE. (Photos: Alana Abel)

By Joseph Broadus and Miranda Siegel

Special to amNewYork

“Welcome to Sunnyside” proclaims the brightly lit sign at the intersection of Queens Boulevard and Greenpoint Avenue, and one certainly does feel welcome spending time in this sprawling, multicultural neighborhood.

Although it’s traditionally been an Irish area, Sunnyside has long welcomed newcomers, with sizable Korean, Turkish, Romanian and Colombian populations now calling it home.

“This area is always changing,” says Juaquin Velazquez, owner of The Haab, a Mexican coffee shop. “There are a lot more young people moving in from Manhattan. But it’s changing for the good; people here are very open.”Known for being home to one of the country’s first planned garden communities, Sunnyside is defined by three commercial strips — Greenpoint Avenue, Queens Boulevard and Skillman Avenue — which divide the neighborhood into smaller areas with distinct personalities.

The historic district around Skillman Avenue, which is characterized by an easy pace and blocks of two-story houses with private gardens and shared interior courtyards, is the one that Manhattan resident John Davison, a designer, prefers.

“There’s such charm; in the spring, it’s like a 1960s bohemian garden city in London,” said Davison. “It’s the most tempted I’ve ever been to move out of Manhattan.”

Closer to Queens Boulevard and Greenpoint Avenue, among the standard conveniences of banks, pharmacies, salons and fast food joints, are too many Irish pubs to count, too many bakeries to resist and even a few options for the connoisseur of Romanian food and entertainment.

“The more time we spend here, the more we find,” says Michel LeRoy, another guest considering the area. "You won't find better food for the price than in this neighborhood."

FIND IT

Sunnyside is defined by Van Dam Street to the west, the Sunnyside Rail Yards to the north, New Calvary Cemetery and 51st Street to the east and the LIE to the south.

THE ONE THING YOU MUST DO

Sunnyside Gardens, an early example of a New York planned community, was designated a historic landmark just last year. Take an hour to wander the sidewalks and pathways, peek through the ivy-covered gates into the lush and nurtured gardens, fantasize about afternoon tea and forget about the city.

DID YOU KNOW?

* Sunnyside is home to Sunnyside Gardens Park, one of only two private parks in New York. (The other is Manhattan’s Gramercy Park)

* One of Sunnyside’s most recognizable landmarks, the vaguely “art deco” Sunnyside Arch at 46th Street and Queens Boulevard, was built in the eighties by a community group. It was renovated in 2005.

* Many famous entertainers have called Sunnyside home, including Ethel Merman, Perry Como, Bix Beiderbecke, Rudy Vallee and James Caan.

* Sunnyside hosts the only St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York that makes space for gay and lesbian members of the Irish community. The St. Pat’s for All parade also features representatives from Caribbean, Latino, Korean and American Indian communities.

* On the corner of 45th Street and Queens Boulevard, where a Wendy’s now stands, there was once The Sunnyside Gardens, a boxing and wrestling arena where Andre the Giant fought several matches and where John F. Kennedy held a campaign rally in 1960.

TO EAT

With Korean, Peruvian, Irish, Turkish, Italian and Mexican restaurants all in good supply, Stray Vintage co-owner Tara Glasser isn’t exaggerating when she says, “You can definitely just do an eating tour of the neighborhood.”

Aubergine Café

With its brick walls, specialty coffee, crocks of steaming chili, cozy seating and patrons waving to their friends through the windows, Aubergine embodies Sunnyside: warm and easy-going, with a strong sense of community.

49-22 Skillman Ave. 718-899-1735

Los Pollos Limeños

Behind an awning covered in toque-wearing cartoon chickens is a Peruvian joint dishing up generous, inexpensive platters of plump, succulent chicken, sweet maduros and fried yucca. Expect your standards for cheap food to rise!

45-51 46th St. 718-392-8141

Dazies

With its resident piano player, soft lighting and fur-clad clientele, Dazies has been pampering Sunnyside’s most discerning residents for nearly 30 years. Go on, guzzle that wine and scarf that platter of Pollo alla Napoli with gusto—these prices won’t leave holes in your wallet.

49-41 Queens Blvd. 718-786-7013

Alpha Donuts

In a city of cutesy patisseries and $5 cupcakes, it’s refreshing to find a bakery—and a 24-hour bakery at that—that just keeps it real. Hang out at the old-fashioned diner counter and savor the luscious creations: dense, oily and crusted with glaze.

45-16 Queens Blvd.

Sidetracks

Love it or hate it, this might be a sign of one new nightlife trend in the area: the ultra-modern lounge. Enjoy a range of dishes, including shepherd’s pie and scallops cannelloni, surrounded by fancy lighting and illuminated red squares on the walls.

45-08 Queens Blvd. 718-786-3570

Rose Restaurant

With the vibe of a comfort-food diner and all the friendly first-name greetings that go along with it, Rose Restaurant is the place to enjoy Irish breakfasts, fish and chips and chicken potpie—and to indulge your quiet curiosity about bangers and mash.

44-07 Queens Blvd. 718-784-0745

TO PLAY

From the slew of Irish pubs lining Queens Boulevard to live comedy, karaoke and open-mic nights, one doesn’t need to go far—or spend much—to be entertained in Sunnyside. Opening soon on Skillman Avenue is Claret, a wine bar that will definitely fill a need in the area.

The Diving Bell

One of many new businesses attracting local attention, this Queens Boulevard pub features live music on weekends. No reports yet of any spontaneous drunken sea shanties inspired by the nautical decor, but it won’t be long.

45-15 Queens Blvd. 718-786-6005

Bliss Street Station Restaurant

A classic Irish pub, complete with brogues cursing a bad football play and trading weekend fishing stories. They food is also popular, but meal or no meal, the welcoming staff and entertaining conversation will entice you to stick around for a few drinks.

47-02 Greenpoint Ave. 718-729-2547

Center Cinemas

There’s a certain charm in watching Quantum of Solace with your feet stuck to the floor and your back pinched in a cramped seat, right? It may not pamper you, and you may feel like washing your hands (or showering) after you leave, but if you’re strapped for cash the $4 Tuesdays offer a cheap escape.

42-17 Queens Blvd. 718-361-6869

The Grind

In this airy coffee shop—which also has weekly comedy and open-mic nights—you can nurse a cappuccino and crack open a novel while hypnotic trip-hop plays in the background. Come early if you’re looking to stretch out and study—that couch by the fireplace goes quickly!

39-24 Queens Blvd. 718-361-0396

TO SHOP

The area south of Queens Boulevard, behind the Sunnyside Arch, is something of a homegrown outdoor mall lined with discount clothing stores, salons, Colombian bakeries, a Latin-American music store, and a pet store, complete with puppy in the window.

Stray Vintage

Though the Modern Lovers playing on the stereo make it seem like this vintage goods store is better suited to Greenpoint or Park Slope, it feels right at home on its quiet corner. Pop in to chat with the friendly young owners and explore the yellowing paperbacks and Patsy Cline records, and you just might leave with a 1940s radio or a vintage Super-8 projector.

48-09 Skillman Ave. 718-779-7795

Turkiyem

At this local Turkish imports shop, you'll find all kinds of wrapped Ülker biscuits, grape molasses, halal meats, rose and quince jams, boregi, baklava, Turkish Delights and pickled stuff.

46-31 Skillman Ave. 718-937-3456

Kumari Enterprises Inc.

This is the place to go to buy gifts for the relative who just can’t get enough jade elephant figurines. The small shop is crammed with beautiful hand-knotted rugs, Tibetan and Nepali handicrafts, incense and jewelry; you could even leave bundled up in an authentic Tibetan herdsman hat!

45-43 47th St. 347-242-3604

Butcher Block

Breeze past the $150 gift baskets and marvel at the walls of products imported from Ireland and Great Britain. There are daily lunch and dinner specials, but you could also just load up on beetroot salad, McVitties’s digestive biscuits or even a Mint Aero bar for the road.

43-46 41st St. 718-784-1078

TO DO

Though Sunnyside is best known for its dining options and old-world charm, there are still plenty of other fun things to do in the area besides eat and wander around. It’s easy to get to know your neighbors, and with the recent establishment of the Sunnyside Shorts Film Festival and a new CSA (Community Supported Agriculture organization), it looks like the options are only expanding.

SugaRroom

Juan Arache's cake design studio not only sells Dora the Explorer cake molds and instructional DVDs, it also offers cakemaking courses! That's right, you can learn how to make gum paste gardenias, roll out slabs of fondant cream and squeeze royal icing out of a pastry bag in their workshop next door.

Visit sugarroom.com for class schedules and rates.

43-46 40th St. 718-707-2900

Thalia Spanish Theatre

Behind the modest façade of Queens’s “first and only bilingual Hispanic theatre,” you’ll find colorful tango and flamenco dances and groundbreaking, first-rate performances of Spanish, Latin American and Hispanic plays. In addition, regular workshops offer lessons in acting, puppetry and dance to children.

47-17 Greenpoint Ave. 718-729-3880

Films at All Saints Church

No gross bathrooms, no $5 popcorn, just informative and worldly films. On the second Friday of each month, toss a small donation into the basket and enjoy a night of thought-provoking movie-viewing and discussions with neighbors. This month’s feature focuses on Brazilian urban planning.

43-12 46th St. 718-784-8031

Saturday Farmer’s Market

The market in front of Lou Lodati playground recently added a fish stand and organic beef vendor to the standard assortment of fruit, produce, and baked goods. Pick up one of the buttery soft, molasses-rich gingerbread cookies to nibble as you stroll among the tents.

Skillman Ave. at 43rd St.

THE BUZZ

Ask any local what’s up in Sunnyside and you’ll hear the same story over and over: Younger people from Manhattan are flocking to the area to escape the high rents while taking advantage of the easy access to midtown.

Are the locals bothered by this influx of newcomers?

Catherine Murphy, the owner of Aubergine Café, doesn’t seem to mind. “People are very welcoming here; the new families are really investing in the neighborhood,” she said. “They’re not just coming here to sleep; they’re putting down roots.”

Q&A WITH JESSE MCTIERNAN

Jesse McTiernan, 30, works as a restaurant host in Manhattan. He moved from Woodside to Sunnyside a year and a half ago.

What’s your favorite place to hang out in Sunnyside?

There are really a lot of good places. I think Sidetracks stands out as a really pretty place. It has a nice crowd, a good bar scene, a lot of 20-30 year olds. I think it is part of a new kind of Sunnyside.

What’s great about the area?

Definitely the proximity to midtown Manhattan. It’s so close to everything, but you get so much more space for such a bargain. It literally has everything you want. Also, from certain blocks you can get a great view of the fireworks on the Fourth of July.

What’s not so great?

Oh, the movie theater! You have to wear galoshes if you go in that place.

Why did you move to Sunnyside?

There were a lot of reasons: the amount of space you get for your money; it’s easy to get to Manhattan and Long Island City, which has a lot of fun bars; and it’s easy to get out to the Mets games in the summer.

What type of person would like to live there?

I think if you’re into Ireland, you’d definitely like it. Also, though, just families and young professionals who want to have the space to live like adults.

How has the neighborhood changed?

I think the neighborhood’s looking younger; the crowd on the train’s looking younger. More people like me are moving in from Manhattan. It’s nice; there are more dating options now.

Any big changes on the horizon?

Well, the secret is out, so the prices are going up and the area is expanding further out from Queens Boulevard.

What’s something about the area that nobody knows?

The park in the summer is a great place to play basketball, and it definitely stands up to the [West] Fourth Street Courts [in Manhattan]in terms of the quality of the players.

REAL ESTATE

Aside from the very attractive Sunnyside Gardens—one of the country’s first planned garden communities—Sunnyside is largely made up three-to-six story prewar apartment buildings and co-ops.

In recent years, young professionals have discovered Sunnyside’s lovely housing options, and more are settling in.

“People moving to Sunnyside from Manhattan find the 20 minute commute on the 7 train is outweighed by the larger apartments they are able to rent,” says Bonnie Milcarek, Licensed Real Estate Agent at Pari Passu Realty Corp. and a Sunnyside resident.

“It’s better than living in a closet in Manhattan.”

TO BUY

$183,000 for a 500-square-footprewar studio co-op (43-33 48th St.)

$280,000 for a two-bedroom prewar co-op (45th St.)

$335,000 for a two-bedroom apartment on the first floor of a garden-style co-op building (48-35 43rd St.)

$357,000 for a renovated 1000-square-foot split two-bedroom, two-bathroom co-op

$402,560 for a 629-square-foot one-bedroom condo (43-33 48th St.)

TO RENT

$800 for an L-shaped studio with separate kitchen (41st St. at 50th Ave.)

$1,400 for a renovated one-bedroom apartment (44th St. at 47th Ave.)

$1,550 for a renovated three-bedroom apartment (Skillman Ave.)

$1,800 for a three-bedroom apartment (near the Bliss St. Station)

$1,900 for a two-bedroom apartment in a historic Sunnyside Gardens two-family home (Skillman Ave. at 44th St.)

$2,500 for a two-bedroom apartment on a tree-lined residential block*

*Call Bonnie Milcarek, Licensed Real Estate Agent at Pari Passu Realty Corp. 917-679-9195.

THE FACT SHEET

Queens Community Board 2

Libraries

Queens Public Library – Sunnyside

43-06 Greenpoint Ave. 718-784-3033

(undergoing renovation)

Queens Public Library – Woodside

54-22 Skillman Ave. 718-429-4700

Transportation

Subway: 7 to 33rd-Rawson St.; 40th-Lowery St.; 46th-Bliss St.

Bus: Q32, 39, 60, 104; B24.

Police Station

108th Precinct

5-47 50th Ave. 718-784-5411

Fire Department

Engine 325, Hook & Ladder 163 (Woodside)

41-24/2 51st St.

Banks

Capital One Bank

40-20 Queens Blvd. 718-392-9470

Supermarkets

Associated Supermarket

44-07 Greenpoint Ave. 718-361-5638

Food Dynasty

46-10 Queens Blvd. 718-706-6563

Crime stats

The 108th Precinct, which include Sunnyside, Woodside and Long Island City, reported three murders, eight rapes, 183 robberies and 262 burglaries so far this year. For the same period last year, there was one murder, 12 rapes, 187 robberies and 193 burglaries.

Schools

PS 199, 39-20 48th Ave.; PS 150, 40-01 43rd Ave.; PS 11, 54-25 Skillman Ave.; IS 125, 46-02 47th Ave.

Tags: city living, sunnyside, brooklyn, real estate, shopping, architecture, history, restaurants, nightlife, queens, development

Shoe-brandishing straphanger: fare hikes contemptible

Wednesday December 17, 2008 2:32 PM By Marlene Naanes

BY MARLENE NAANES and ALFONSO A. CASTILLO

mnaanes@am-ny.com

Transit riders were angry at the “doomsday” budget reluctantly adopted by the MTA yesterday.

Angry enough to attempt a shoeing.

In a protest reminiscent of an Iraqi journalist’s recent attack on President George Bush, one enraged subway commuter at yesterday’s MTA board meeting attempted to grab his size 10 1/2-D Red Wings all the while yelling at MTA chief Elliot Sander, “You made $300,000 last year, and this shoe is for you!”

Stephen Millies, 54, of Jackson Heights, was hauled away before he could reach his shoes and was later given a disorderly conduct summons. But his furor over the budget was echoed by dozens of MTA riders, employees and elected officials who came out for yesterday’s vote to jack up subway and bus fares by 23 percent.

As he was being walked in handcuffs to the police precinct in Grand Central, Millies said: “My shoe is a sign of contempt because he \[Sander\] wants to raise the fare on disabled people. That’s contemptible.”Sander later laughed about the incident and said he empathized with angry riders.

“I certainly do appreciate the anger and the concern that is out there about our budget, and that was reflected in \[Millie’s\] comment,” he said.

By a vote of 13-1, the MTA board passed the 2009 operating budget, even while calling it “draconian,” “miserable” and “barbaric.” In addition to the fare increases, the budget calls for service cuts to help plug the $1.2 billion deficit the agency is facing next year.

Norman Seabrook, the only board member to vote no, called on Albany and the city to pitch in financially. Other board members pushed for state legislators to approve a pay roll tax and East River bridge tolls — recommendations that would generate extra revenue for the MTA — before the increases take effect in June.

Public hearings on the hikes and service cuts could begin in January, and specific pricing schemes would likely be voted on in March.

Tags: transit

Manhattan home sales plunge

Wednesday December 17, 2008 1:46 PM By Jason Fink

By Jason Fink

With Manhattan real estate prices now estimated to be down by as much as 20 percent since the summer, New Yorkers may sense an opportunity to buy in.

“I’m in the market to buy in the next year or two,” said Arzo Anwar, 31, who rents in the Financial District. “I’ve heard that prices have dropped.”

In fact, the current edition of the Federal Reserve Board’s Beige Book – an economic snapshot of various regions released eight times a year – paints a picture of a plummeting market.

“Transaction activity has dropped off noticeably, and there has been a large increase in the number of listings,” says the report, released earlier this month.

The beige book findings are based on an analysis by real estate appraisal firm Miller Samuel.

“It’s basically our observation that something that contracts today is selling for 20 percent less than something that was contracted for this summer,” said Jonathan Miller, the company’s president. “The milestone point was that one-week period when Lehman went bankrupt, Fannie and Freddie were bailed out and AIG was bailed out. That’s when we started to see a real tangible change.”He attributed the drop to a lack of available credit and the implosion on Wall Street, which has left many without year-end bonuses.

Lockhart Steele, the founder of the real estate Web site curbed.com, said 20 percent might even be too low.

“Behind the scenes, brokers are whispering even scarier numbers, like 30 or 40 percent,” he said.

Miller would not provide average sales prices, saying he would wait until the fourth quarter report is published.

The company numbers for the third quarter, which ended in September, showed an 11 percent drop in the average price of a Manhattan apartment, to $1.48 million.

Officials at two top real estate firms, Corcoran and Halstead, declined to comment.

In the world-famous Dakota, a luxury building on Central Park West, a 10-room apartment listed in October for $19.5 million, down 19 percent from its original $24 million in June.

“I’m not surprised by any of the statistics these days,” said Alex Sczesnak, 24, of the Bronx. “The recession hit us a lot later than the rest of the country. I guess it’s finally hit us here.”

The drop in sale prices may be forcing some into the rental market.

“Many of those having difficulty selling their apartments are putting them up for rent, boosting the number of rental listings substantially,” the Beige Book report says. “Average asking rents are reported to be down 1 to 4 percent from a year earlier.”

While some in the industry have been saying that Manhattan real estate would buck national trends, the crash now seems to be in full swing.

“It would be ludicrous for someone to think that New York wouldn’t be affected,” said Greg Easton, vice president of Kahr Real Estate. “It’s going to be a buyer’s market for a while.”

Aline Reynolds and the AP contributed to this story

Tags: real estate

amNewYork Letters to the Editor

Wednesday December 17, 2008 12:29 PM By Sara Baumberger

Gov. Paterson’s tax plan is the easy way out

Re “No escaping guv’s tax plan,” Dec. 17: How very thoughtful and imaginative of him. Tax everything! Gov. David Paterson has shown that in hard times you don’t need to think of ways to eliminate wasteful spending, just tax an already-taxed New Yorker. He then has the gall to make it seem like it’s a hard choice to make, when in actuality it’s probably the easiest way to deal with a state’s financial problems. Way to find creative solutions.

— Memphis Aguilar, Bayonne, N.J.

Fare hike unacceptable

The MTA has increased fares several times over the past few years and the service got worse. They recently announced their latest fare increase, and it is absolutely insane. Paying more than $100 for a monthly card? No way. I would like to propose a weeklong boycott of the system by all New Yorkers. Monopolies sometimes forget about the public’s purchasing power.

— Ricardo Ruiz, the Bronx

Caroline Kennedy is a New Yorker

Re Tom Le’s letter, “Kennedy shouldn’t get Clinton’s Senate seat,” Dec. 17: Caroline Kennedy has spent her entire adult life in NYC; Hillary parachuted in from Illinois or Arkansas and stole the seat from Nita Lowey. Go for it, Caroline!

— Jim Dillon, Long Island City

Tags: letters to the editor

President Socrates? At least one New Yorker hopes so

Wednesday December 17, 2008 11:42 AM By Jason Fink

By Jason Fink

Who is Chuck Baldwin?

More New Yorkers voted for him in the November presidential elections than for Michael Bloomberg, Rudolph Giuliani or Bill Clinton.

Baldwin, a conservative radio host and columnist who was the Constitution Party’s presidential nominee, received 69 write-in votes, behind only Hillary Clinton with 304 and Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) with 193, according to uncertified results provided by the New York City Board of Elections.

Baldwin did better than Socrates, who got one vote; out-polled Joe the Plumber, who also got one; and even bested Paris Hilton, Britney Spears and Vladmir Putin, who each got one.

Bloomberg, who reportedly flirted with the idea of running for the White House, got 34 votes, while Giuliani got nine. Both scored better at the ballot box than Jesus, whose three votes were tied with God or YHWH.So, who are these people who make lonely protests (“None of the Above” scored one vote), try out their humor (“My Cat Ginger,” one vote) or show off their erudition (“Antonin Artaud,” one vote for the French avant-garde playwright)?

“Almost always, write-ins are limited to scattered idiosyncratic episodes where individuals evidently are making a personal statement,” said Bob Erikson, a political science professor at Columbia University.

He said organized write-in campaigns sometimes have an impact, noting that in 1964, the winner of the New Hampshire Republican primary was write-in candidate Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr.

A spokesman for Baldwin, who did not campaign in the city and decided not to spend the money it would have taken to get on the ballot, said he got about 600 votes statewide.

“I was a little disappointed that it wasn’t more,” said Gary Odom, Baldwin’s campaign coordinator.

Tags: presidential election, politics

Buy your very own Charlie Brown Christmas tree!

Wednesday December 17, 2008 9:38 AM By Rolando Pujol

This put us right into the holiday spirit.

An Upper West Side Christmas tree stand is selling what are brilliantly billed as "Charlie Brown Christmas trees." They're cute and ever so forlorn, so we found it difficult to resist "adopting" one, especially when the price is a mere buck.

The salesman told us people are scooping them up as a seasonal talking pieces for their desks. The tree stand is on Broadway between West 97th and 98th streets.

"A Charlie Brown Christmas," by the way aired last night. But fear not, you can watch it on YouTube.

-- Rolando Pujol

Tags: peanuts, charlie brown christmas, holiday traditions, history, television, old school, manhattan

For foodies: This week’s dining briefs

Wednesday December 17, 2008 9:11 AM By Lucy Blatter

By Emily Ranager

Special to amNewYork

Foods Across America: Give gift packages of the country's most beloved regional foods to the gourmet in your life this holiday season. Try the Midwestern Sampler with Detroit's Cheli Chili, Chicago's Vienna Beef hot dogs, and Wisconsin's Elegant Farmer apple pie ($80.95), or opt for the Southern Comforts package with New Orleans' Cafe du Monde coffee and beignet mix and Mississippi's Bass Pecan pie ($62.95). More than 30 brands and specialties are available to be shipped to your door.Through Dec. 24, Feast of the Seven Fishes: Enjoy this traditional Italian Christmas Eve meal at Patsy’s Italian Restaurant from noon to 9:30 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The four-course prix-fixe menu is $59 per person and includes dishes like calamari salad, linguine with frutti di mare sauce, shrimp scampi and homemade strufoli, or honey balls. 236 W. 56th St.; 212-247-3491.

Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 28, Historic Greenwich Village Taverns at Christmas: Go back to the days when the Village was a haven for artists, poets and writers at this holiday-themed walking and drinking tour. Beginning at 5:15 p.m., learn about the taverns where greats like Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald got their drink on — all decked out in Christmas finery. Call 212-465-3331 for reservations and meeting place. $16.

Through Jan. 6, Holiday Tea: Get in the holiday spirit at the Lowell Hotel with special holiday activities daily for kids and grownups daily. From 3 to 6 p.m., children can decorate cookies and enjoy teatime treats like apple cider and jelly sandwiches, while adults will sip afternoon tea and nibble more sophisticated sandwiches and sweets. 28 E. 63rd St., 212-838-1400. $45.

Tags: foods across america, feast of the seven fishes, patsy's, lowell hotel

Public Advocate: city clinics need more of STD vaccine

Wednesday December 17, 2008 9:00 AM By Marlene Naanes

By Marlene Naanes

mnaanes@am-ny.com

None of the city health department’s STD testing clinics offer a vaccination that can prevent a sexually transmitted disease that can cause genital warts and cervical cancer, a study has found.

The health department's 10 STD clinics test for disease and offer vaccines for Hepatitis A and B but not for genital human papillomavirus, according to a report that Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum will release today.

The clinics should offer the HPV vaccine because it’s the most common STD, the report said.

“Every young woman should have affordable access to the life-saving HPV vaccine to reduce the risk of developing cervical cancer,” Gotbaum said in a statement. “I'm pleased that some city clinics have increased access to this vaccine, but more must be done to keep young women safe from a common, but preventable disease."The study also found that one of the five health department immunization clinics didn’t offer the vaccine to children. However, the study found the availability of the vaccine increased dramatically in health department immunization and children's clinics.

The public advocate’s office recommended, among other things, that the STD clinics and all child and teen health clinics offer the vaccine.

The health department said it offers hepatitis vaccinations at its STD clinics because federal guidelines recommend it. But no federal guidelines say HPV vaccinations should also be available there. Furthermore, patients are unlikely to return to complete the necessary injections, a department official said.

The department added that the HPV vaccine is recommended for girls who are 11 or 12 and its clinics do not serve children under 12 years old.

All of the department’s immunization clinics, meanwhile, offer the vaccine to children aged 9 to 17 with parental consent and to women aged 18 to 26.

Tags: std, health department, public advocate, women

Cheap and cheerful New Year’s Day Brunches

Wednesday December 17, 2008 8:43 AM By Lucy Blatter

By Emily Ranager

Special to amNewYork

After the ball drops and the party’s over, it’s likely you’ll awake to 2009 feeling the aftereffects of your revelry, in mind, body and wallet. Skip the white linen tablecloths and enjoy these New Year’s Day brunches, that are cheap, cheerful and sure to cure whatever ails you.

Cure your post-New Year's Eve hangover with a dish from Agave. Credit: Lorenzo Poli

Agave

140 Seventh Ave. S.,

212-989-2100

Kick off the New Year in Southwestern style and dine among cacti and cow skulls. For $13.95, Agave’s prix-fixe brunch includes a margarita, mimosa or wine, and regionally-inspired egg specialties like huevos rancheros, or a la carte dishes like the grilled adobo chicken, Chile and cheese quesadilla ($11).

The bar also boasts more than 80 different types of tequila, so you can keep the New Year’s party going if you’ve got the energy.Choice Kitchen and Cocktails

380 Third Ave.,

212-779-1380

Drag yourself out of bed and sit down at this warm Gramercy brunch spot, where $14.95 will get you an entrée and two cocktails. Choose from classic breakfast dishes like blueberry pancakes and eggs benedict or lunch fare like burgers and salads.

Cup

35-01 36th St., Queens,

718-937-2322

This Astoria diner serves up heaping portions of greasy-spoon staples and classic dishes with a twist. Get your morning-after fix with Caribbean French toast, which is coconut crusted and topped with berries, bananas and whipped cream ($7.50) or try the Turbo Omelette with chicken, spinach and fresh mozzarella ($7.95). Cup also offers tons of burgers, sandwiches, salads, pastas and desserts.

Egg

135 N. 5 St., Brooklyn,

718-302-5151

This southern-style Williamsburg diner serves up breakfast classics with ingredients sourced from local farms. The menu is short, but the prices are sweet: try the eggs Rothko, an easy-cooked egg in a slice of brioche topped with cheddar and a side of tomatoes and bacon ($6.50) or organic pancakes with Vermont maple syrup ($6).

Egg is BYOB., so come with your own booze to help with your hangover.

Good Enough to Eat

483 Amsterdam Ave.,

212-496-0163

Since opening in 1981, this Upper West Side eatery has been a favorite among neighborhood locals for its extensive menu and its homey atmosphere.

Try pumpkin French toast made with the restaurant’s homemade pumpkin bread and topped with a cranberry and pear compote ($10.25), or opt for the apple pancake topped with apple-raisin compote, sour cream and cinnamon sugar ($10.25).

Be warned: weekend brunch lines can be more than an hour.

Schiller’s Liquor Bar

131 Rivington St.,

212-260-4555

Lower East Side partiers won’t have far to go for their post-revelry brunch fix. Schiller’s offers satisfying a la carte options like a sour cream and hazelnut waffle ($9) or eggs hussard poached with ham, tomatoes, mushrooms, bordelaise and hollandaise sauce ($12). Indulge in one of their brunch cocktails like Pimm’s Cup, a blend of gin, lemonade, mint and fresh fruit ($10).

202

75 Ninth Ave.,

646-638-1173

Housed within designer Nicole Farhi’s Chelsea boutique, 202 will help you kick off 2009 with a full stomach and fashion-forward apparel. It’s a mostly British-inspired menu, like the traditional English breakfast of bacon, sausage, tomatoes, mushrooms and poached eggs ($13) and buttermilk pancakes with blackberry compote and crème fraîche ($11).

Tags: new year's day, brunch, new year's day brunch, food

Viral video: Bubble skills

Wednesday December 17, 2008 8:24 AM By Sean Joseph

This girl definitely makes the most of her bubble gum, blowing four bubbles before it bursts.

Tags: viral video, television, bubble gum

Man tries to throw shoe at MTA chief over fare hike

Wednesday December 17, 2008 6:52 AM By Mae Cheng

Another attempted shoeing has occurred.

This time, it was at the MTA board meeting where a vote was to take place to jack up subway and bus fares by an astounding 23 percent.

An impassioned rider reached for his shoe and yelled "This shoe is for you!" at MTA chief Elliot Sander during the Wednesday morning meeting.Shouting "You made $300,000 last year and this shoe is for you!," Stephen Millies, 54, of Jackson Heights, was trying to remove his shoe when security stopped him and took him out of the meeting, Newsday reported.

The move was an apparent reference to an incident Sunday at a news conference in Baghdad in which President George W. Bush ducked two shoes hurled at him by an Iraqi journalist who shouted at Bush in Arabic.

Millies, who wore Red Wing, size 10 1/2 D, was issued a summons for disorderly conduct and released, MTA officials said.

He was among nearly two dozen transit riders, MTA employees and elected officials who addressed the MTA board before it took its vote.

- Alfonso A. Castillo and Sophia Chang/Newsday

Tags: fare hike, mta, elliot sander, transportation

Guv's tax plans outrage New Yorkers

Tuesday December 16, 2008 1:37 PM By Jason Fink

Gov. David Paterson at a news conference today. AP photo

By Jason Fink

New Yorkers are fuming today at the prospect of new taxes on everything from downloading music to riding in taxis to watching cable TV.

“It’s absolutely wrong,” said Marlyn Durand, 40, of Brooklyn. “This economy is so bad that creating more taxes just doesn’t make it any better for us.”

The dizzying array of new taxes and fees – New Yorkers would also pay taxes on movie tickets, satellite radio and malt liquor - are part of Gov. David Paterson’s plan to balance the state’s $121 billion budget.

There is even a tax on your taxes: A $10 fee will be charged to anyone who files income taxes on paper rather than online.

“It seems like they just grabbed anything they could and threw it in there,” said Tom Schatz, president of Citizens Against Government Waste.Paterson’s budget plan, presented yesterday to the Legislature, is aimed at closing a $15 billion deficit over the next two years.

In addition to the new taxes, it also proposes to:

• Cut school aid by $698 million

• Increase public college tuition by 14 percent

• Eliminate 3,108 state jobs, including 521 layoffs

• Increase driver’s license renewal fees

• Eliminate the sales tax exemption for clothes under $110

In total, the budget includes 137 new or increased taxes, fees and fines.

“I think it’s going to create more bankruptcy,” said Desire Alcantara, 16, of the Bronx.

Assmb. James Tedisco, (R-Schenectady), the minority leader, blasted the plan.

“Raising and imposing new taxes penalizes New York’s middle class families, drives employers away and will ultimately worsen, prolong and deepen this economic recession,” he said.

The Democratic governor was also lambasted by labor leaders and education advocates.

“It's working people getting stuck with the bill,” said Danny Donohue, president of the Civil Service Employees Association union, which represents state workers.

In presenting the budget yesterday, Paterson blamed the state’s fiscal woes not just on the reeling economy but on irresponsible spending in the past.

“Unfortunately, we have lived beyond our means,” he said. “We have made too many promises and unfortunately have asked for two few sacrifices.”

The budget was presented more than a month early so that legislators could get to work before the new session begins in January. Paterson said would like to see a budget passed well before the April 1 deadline in order to avoid increasing the deficit even more.

“Although the news is dire, Gov. Paterson deserves praise for his straight-forward leadership throughout a fiscal crisis the likes of which I have not seen in my lifetime,” Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said.

Ryan Chatelain and AP contributed to this story

Tags: budget, gov. david paterson, taxes, politics

A proper English yuletide dessert

Tuesday December 16, 2008 1:21 PM By Lucy Blatter

London Lennie's Christmas pudding

By LUCY COHEN BLATTER

lucy.blatter@am-ny.com

First, let’s clear up a common misconception: English puddings bear no resemblance to the creamy, custard-like, lunchbox staples popular in this country.

In the U.K., puddings are more cake-like, and are often steamed or boiled rather than baked, making them more moist than most cakes.

“A lot of people will order our Christmas pudding and expect to get something with a rice pudding consistency. We always educate our staff to explain it,” said Eben Leonard, chef at The Libertine. His English-style restaurant serves sticky date pudding all year long and Christmas pudding during the holidays.The basics

Christmas pudding is a dessert steeped in tradition — and alcohol. The cake, which is very dense and sweet, features candied fruits, almonds and citrus peel, and is soaked in brandy.

Traditionally, it features suet (a mutton or beef fat), which adds a moisture and dark richness not found in the American-style fruitcake.

Today, many chefs substitute suet with vegetable shortening. Others, like Jeff Baruch of London Lennie’s in Rego Park, Queens, choose to go the more traditional route with suet.

“It’s sort of cool, because it’s so different,” Baruch said.

The pudding traditionally contains 13 ingredients, representing Jesus and the 12 apostles.

It is also often covered with holly — to represent Jesus’ crown of thorns.

Finally, the brandy-soaked dessert is set aflame to represent Jesus passion.

Preparing pudding

Christmas pudding is certainly not a last-minute dessert. “I know quite a few people who begin preparing the next year’s pudding the year before. It’s something they nurture all year,” said Josh Emett, chef de cuisine of Gordon Ramsay at The London.

After the dough is prepared, it is left to rest for up to a day and steamed for up to eight hours to ensure its moist taste.

It can sit in the fridge for up to a year, where it’s constantly doused with brandy or, in some cases, stout.

Mixed reviews

At Gordon Ramsay at the London, Christmas pudding is a must. “We can’t not serve Christmas pudding on the holiday. I don’t think people like it every day, but on Christmas, definitely,” Emett said.

“Personally, I absolutely hate Christmas pudding,” said Danny Boome, the British-born host of Food Network’s “Rescue Chef.” “It always reminds me of burnt fruit. I like fruitcake better because it’s sweeter.”

Other options

As a traditional English alternative to Christmas pudding, Boome recommends spotted dick, a sponge cake with raisins, served with custard on top.

For an entirely different dessert, he suggests a mince pie — shortcrust pastry filled with marinated spiced raisins, oranges and plums that are often dried out and marinated throughout the year. “The longer it takes, the better it tastes,” Boome said.

You’ve got to hand it to the British — they know how to plan in advance.

Recipes:

Classic Christmas Pudding

3/4 c. currants

1 c. seedless raisins

1 c. white raisins

1/2 c. candied mixed fruit peel

1/2 c. candied cherries, chopped

1/2 c. blanched slivered almonds

1/2 c. dark brown sugar

1/2 tsp. allspice

1/2 tsp. salt

1 med. chopped apple

1 sm. carrot, scraped and chopped

1 1/2 tbsp. orange peel

1 tsp. lemon peel

1/4 lb. chopped beef suet

1 c. flour

2 c. fresh, soft white bread crumbs, shredded with a fork

3 eggs

1/2 c. brandy

1/4 c. fresh orange juice

1/4 c. lemon juice

Combine the currants, raisins, candied fruit peel, almonds, apple, carrot, orange and lemon peel and beef suet, tossing them about with a spoon or your hands until well mixed. Stir in flour, bread crumbs, brown sugar and spices.

In another bowl beat eggs until frothy. Stir in brandy, orange and lemon juice and pour this mixture over fruit mixture. Knead vigorously with both hands, then beat with wooden spoon until all ingredients are blended.

Drape a dampened kitchen towel over the bowl and refrigerate for at least 12 hours. Spoon mixture into 2-quart pudding mold and cover with tight cover or a strip of buttered foil.

Place mold in a large pot and pour in enough boiling water to come about 3/4 of the way up side of mold. Bring water to boil; cover pot tightly and reduce heat to its lowest point. Steam pudding for 8 hours. As water boils away, replenish it.

Remove pudding from pot and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate pudding for at least 3 weeks before serving. Plum pudding may be kept up to a year in the refrigerator or other cool place. Unmold and serve warm with hot butter sauce.

Courtesy of Eben Leonard at The Libertine

Danny Boome’s Traditional English Mince Pies

For the filling:

1 cup blanched almonds

1 cup dried apricots

1 cup raisins

1/2 cup currants

1/2 cup glace cherries

4 cooking apples, cored and chopped

Juice and zest of 2 lemons

Juice and zest of 1 orange

1 cup muscovado sugar

1/3 pound finely chopped beef suet

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 1/2 cups brandy, plus more for soaking

For the pastry:

15 ounces all-purpose flour

5 ounces confectioners’ sugar

12 ounces cold butter, cut into pieces

Juice and zest of 1 orange

Milk, for glazing

To make the filling: In a food processor add all of the ingredients. Place the lid on firmly and pulse the mixture to a finely chopped consistency.

Spoon mixture into a bowl, add a little more brandy, cover with plastic wrap, and place into the refrigerator over night.

To make the pastry: Into a clean mixing bowl sift the flour and confectioners’ sugar. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.

Tags: christmas pudding, mince pies, danny boome, food

Betsey Johnson, Carmen Marc Valvo cancel Bryant Park shows

Tuesday December 16, 2008 11:31 AM By Julie Gordon

Betsey Johnson's most recent fashion show, left, and Carmen Marc Valvo's, both at Bryant Park

By Julie Gordon

Two of New York Fashion Week’s biggest names have canceled their February shows in Bryant Park’s tents: Betsey Johnson and Carmen Marc Valvo.

Shows in one of Bryant Park’s three tents can cost upwards of $100,000. Johnson and Valvo both usually show in the largest venue.

“We are choosing not to show under the Tent, which seats over 1,000 people, due to the uncertainty as to how many editors and buyers will actually be traveling to New York for the collections,” said Frank Pulice, a spokesman for Valvo.

Pulice said Valvo, a 10-year Bryant Park vet, will have a showing of some sort in New York, and that his team is “exploring many creative ideas.” That could include a traditional runway show or a presentation of clothing in a more informal environment, such as a party.Johnson’s office did not return a request for coment.

In response, IMG, which runs New York Fashion Week, released the following statement: "We fully realize and expected that the economy would effect some designers ability to present a full-on runway show this season. However, we have requests from many other designers who have not shown in the tents in several seasons taking those time slots. As soon as the schedule is confirmed we will share all those names in early January. All indications point to a full house at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in February. We are also still trying to identify and create a 4th venue for 'presentations' in or very close to Bryant Park."

Tags: betsey johnson, carmen marc valvo, fashion week

Viral video: How to land a man

Tuesday December 16, 2008 10:32 AM By Emily Hulme

This found video, brought to us by the folks at Everything is Terrible, teaches the ladies some valuable lessons in picking up men.

Tags: viral video

Pretzels for everyone!

Tuesday December 16, 2008 5:44 AM By Lucy Blatter

Photo courtesy of The Snack Factory

For hungry and tired shoppers, help is on the way today. Dozens of Santas and elves will hit the streets to hand out over 45 thousand crunchy Pretzel Crisps. The free pretzel crisps will be available at Columbus Circle, Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Herald Square and the R.A.F Post Office at 34th Street, starting at 9 a.m. Pretzel crisps come in varieties ranging from Everything to Buffalo Wing to Chocolate Covered Pretzel Crisps. Judging from how quickly we’re going through our office’s bags — they are a great holiday snack.

Tags: pretzel crisps, santas, food

Barack Obama coins are everywhere but worth little

Monday December 15, 2008 4:33 PM By Garett Sloane

By Jessica Troiano

Special to amNewYork

Many Americans hope that President-elect Barack Obama will solve our nation’s financial woes, but experts caution that coins featuring the next president’s face are not a sound investment decision.

Within days of Obama’s victory, television ads offering commemorative presidential coins popped up all over the airwaves. Most offer a real U.S. coin with a plastic or metal overlay with the president-elect’s image on it for a price that is many times the face value of the coin: About $10 for a $1 coin.

Coin experts, or numismatists, warn buyers that these defaced coins have virtually no resale value.“If it’s a silver coin, it will be worth the price of the silver,” said Jim McNamara, professional numismatist at Stack’s, a New York City coin auction house. “If it’s not silver, it probably won’t be worth anything.”

Altering U.S. coins in this manner is not illegal, said Michael White, a U.S. Mint spokesman.

“As long as you don’t represent it as other than the alternate coin that it is, you can sell it,” he said.

The Mint does not encourage the practice, however, and published a consumer alert advising the public that the Obama coins are not currency.

As for its sentimental value, the coin’s worth is in the eye of the beholder. If consumers want to own a souvenir, the coins may be worthwhile, said Jay Beeton of the American Numismatic Association.

“If people see value in it as a political memento, so be it,” he said.

Tags: barack obama, american numismatic association, u.s. mint, stack’s, coins, memorabilia, president-elect

How to not get buried by pyramid schemes

Monday December 15, 2008 3:11 PM By Pete Catapano

Charles Ponzi, the father of pyramid schemes

By Garett Sloane

gsloane@am-ny.com

If your money manager operates out of a secret office … you may be in a Ponzi scheme.

Or if he uses a two-bit accountant to audit his $50 billion books … you may be in a Ponzi scheme.

Even if he’s a respectable member of the Wall Street elite …you may be in a Ponzi scheme.

The $50 billion fall of Bernie Madoff is the most spectacular of pyramid-scheme collapses and perfectly illustrates how these classic frauds long have been perpetrated. The most famous case began in 1919, when Charles Ponzi first duped investors with the promise of doubling their money in 90 days.“If it’s too good to be true,” then it is, said Michael Goldberg, a Florida-based attorney and Ponzi- scheme expert

That’s rule No. 1 to prevent fraud: Start to ask questions when an investment seems too perfect, as Madoff’s alleged scam did. Madoff offered investors about 12 percent a year return on their money — a not-so outlandish rate — but when you couple that with the consistency of his performance the scheme becomes apparent.

Madoff reported that his portfolio only suffered five months of losses out of 156 months.

“What you should get suspect at, is how steady it was,” Goldberg said. “Nothing is that steady.”

Madoff’s alleged scam operated like the traditional pyramid scheme, which pays investors with money from other investors.

“As long as you have a steady flow of money you can keep the plates spinning in the air,” said Charles Ross, head of a Manhattan law firm with extensive experience handling fraud cases.

And when the money dries up — and during these economically strapped times it’s a desert out there — the pyramid collapses.

Usually the flow of money into pyramids comes from elderly people on the verge of retirement.

Goldberg called Florida the “ground zero” of Ponzi schemes. In the Madoff case, however, the victims weren’t naïve retirement community types, but some of the most sophisticated individuals and institutions — from Steven Spielberg to HSBC Bank.

These supposedly savvy customers could have picked up on any of the clear signs, but as with any Ponzi scheme, the success depends on the greed of investors.

“It’s human nature,” said Andrew Lo, an MIT finance professor and expert in the psychology of pyramid schemes. “It’s fear and greed.”

The economic exuberance that led to the financial crisis we are seeing today is the same that allowed a player like Madoff to thrive, Lo said. In good times smart people don’t ask questions when they should, he said.

Box:

Here are some signs that experts say expose a scheme for what it is — after the “too good to be true” test, of course:

• The operator uses suspect financial partners from banks to accountants. In Madoff’s case, his accountant operated out of a tiny storefront in Rockland County, when a $50 billion fund should require the top accounting firms in the world.

• Secrecy is the hallmark of Ponzi schemes. Madoff ran a shadow office on the 17th floor of a midtown office building, and he also reportedly kept investors in the dark about how he made such steady returns.

• If the investment minimum to join suddenly drops, which reportedly happened with Madoff.

• If there is a discrepancy in the investment strategy. Madoff appears to have been investing in different types of securities than he said he was, Lo said.

Tags: scams, ponzi, madoff, wall street, economy

Marisa Tomei wrestles with 'exotic' role

Monday December 15, 2008 2:34 PM By Pete Catapano

By Robert Levin

Special to amNewYork

Marisa Tomei will always be loved around these parts for her pitch-perfect, Oscar-winning performance as Brooklyn girl Mona Lisa Vito in “My Cousin Vinny.”

She’s a native of the borough and a fixture in theater, so it comes as a surprise to learn that though she still has an NYC apartment, she’s called Los Angeles home for the past four years.“People get so outraged [at my move]. I have a right to sunshine and peace and quiet,” Tomei says, laughing.

She spoke at the recent press day for “The Wrestler,” a New Jersey-set drama from director Darren Aronofsky that opens tomorrow.

The film follows aging wrestling legend Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson (Mickey Rourke) as he tries to get his life in order and come to terms with the fact that his body can no longer serve him as it once did.

Tomei plays Cassidy, an exotic dancer struggling with her affection for Randy, a client of hers. She credits her intimate rapport with Rourke in large part to the pared down production.

“Everything was handheld and it was such a small crew,” she says. “Everything was on location. All those things add to intimacy and reality.”

“The Wrestler” is the second film in just over a year, the other being “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead,” to require significant nude scenes from the actress. Tomei says she found them more of a burden the first time around.

“Once you cross a certain line in your life then you’re kind of like, 'I don’t mind it really,' you’re just over that line, whatever it is," she says. “I had already crossed that line in 'Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead,' so it was bigger then.”

Tags: marisa tomei, los angeles, new york city, the wrestler, mickey rourke, darren aronofsky, new jersey, my cousin vinny, academy awards, wrestling, independent film

Ottawa: Winter thrills

Monday December 15, 2008 1:21 PM By Lucy Blatter

By Jessie Pascoe

Special to amNewYork

Winter’s frost often sparks a vacation down south. Try a new path this season by embracing winter’s wonders in a city that comes alive below freezing.

Only an hour-and-a-half flight from New York, Canada’s capital city of Ottawa offers an international setting with a local charm.Winter festivities

The first three weeks of February bring Winterlude to Ottawa.

Must-do activities include a skate on the Rideau Canal — a UNESCO heritage site and one of the world’s largest skating rinks, where rentals are readily available.

Head over to Confederation Park to gawk at the innovative ice sculptures competing in the International Ice-Carving Competition or cross the Ottawa River to Quebec’s Gatineaus, where Canada’s largest cross-country ski competition takes place across hectares (acres for you non-metrics) of trails.

Shop ‘til you drop

East of the government and business district, the ByWard Market is akin to SoHo. The market is a nexus of various vendors and markets selling everything from local produce to souvenirs and trinkets.

For local designs and vintage finds, head over to Dalhousie Street, where a slew of shops have sprung up in recent years. Favorites include secondhand store Young Jane’s (203 Dalhousie St., 613-794-6452) and the sophisticated Victoire (246 Dalhousie St., 613-321-1590).

Get cultured

One of the oldest Canadian cultural institutions, the National Gallery of Canada, houses an impressive array of Canadian and non-Canadian art. Located east of the Parliament buildings, you can’t miss it: Louise Bourgeois’ giant bronze spider perches over the entrance yard (380 Sussex Drive, 613-990-1985).

For smaller cultural fixes, Arts Court — housed in a former court house — offers contemporary takes on performing, visual and media arts and houses The Ottawa Art Gallery and its impressive Firestone Collection of modern Canadian art (2 Daly Ave., 613-564-7240).

Stay in style

Named for one of Canada’s most prominent Prime Ministers, Wilfred Laurier, Chateau Laurier offers more than 400 guest rooms.

It is also known for numerous dining facilities, such as Zoe’s Lounge — named after Laurier’s wife — renowned for its elegant, if not pricey, afternoon teas and cocktail hour (1 Rideau St., 613-241-1414).

Dine and drink

Stay warm during Winterlude by sampling a beavertail, a flattened fried dough sold at the omnipresent beavertail huts. Served with a variety of toppings — the Killaloe Sunrise, with cinnamon, sugar and lemon juice, is a local favorite — beavertails are as common a sight as the maple leaf flag.

After shopping at Dalhousie Street, swing by upscale Sweetgrass Bistro, a native Canadian restaurant offering a menu heavy with game. Sample it all with their Potlatch Platter, which features marinated venison sausage, red deer terrine, duck pate, smoked salmon, wild boar ham and cheeses (108 Murray St., 613-562-3683).

For a cheap pint, try Manx Pub, a popular University of Ottawa student hangout with plush red velvet booths and powerful hangover-busting brunch deals (370 Elgin St., 613-231-2070).

Tags: ottawa, travel, winter travel

amNewYork Letters to the Editor

Monday December 15, 2008 12:47 PM By Sara Baumberger

Blagojevich: This is why we hate politicians

Recent events concerning the Illinois governor’s criminal behavior further point out why the public despises politicians. Rod Blagojevich’s unfortunate choice of words did him in.

— Herb Stark, Massapequa

Sense of entitlement is ruining the country

There’s a huge difference between our current economic crisis and the Great Depression. In the ’30s, people didn’t wait for the government to bail them out. This was before the liberal-socialist revolution of the ’60s. People in the ’30s knew the only way to survive was with hard work. Today, both individuals and corporations not only feel entitled to the government bailing them out, they are outraged when it doesn’t happen. We’re all in for a wicked lesson in economic Darwinism, for only those with the ability to adapt and adjust to a new American economy and society will survive.

— Michael Chimenti, Oakland Gardens

Auto bailout: Why the fuss?

Approximately 20 years ago, Lee Iacocca, who was then head of Chrysler, asked our government for a loan. It was given to him without the production going

on today, and not only did he repay it, but it was done before the due date. Perhaps I am missing something, but why is this loan different from the one in the past?

— Bunny Abraham, Manhattan

Tags: letters to the editor

Private funds sought for high-speed train

Monday December 15, 2008 11:51 AM By Jason Fink

By Jason Fink

Calling the nation’s existing rail service a “Third World transportation” system, federal officials today said they are seeking a private operator to run a high-speed train between New York and Washington.

At a news conference at Penn Station, Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said a request for proposals was sent out yesterday to build and operate a line that would make the trip in two hours by averaging a speed of 120 to 150 miles per hour.

Amtrak’s Acela service currently averages 83 miles per hour and shuttles passengers between New York and Washington in just under three hours.

“We used to lead the world in mass transit, now we are far behind,” said Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan).

The feds are asking for similar proposals in nine other regions, including California, Chicago, and the Gulf Coast.No details were released on what the service might cost or when it would be ready, though a timeline shows final recommendations going to Congress in April 2010.

Developing the service would mostly involve fixing and expanding bridges and straightening tracks along the Northeast Corridor but would not require new technology, officials said.

Amtrak, which could play some role in the new system, does not currently have the money to do what the feds are asking, said railroad spokesman Cliff Cole. He added that the entire project would cost “billions of dollars.”

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a supporter of the idea, said he envisions a public-private partnership.

Tags: transit, amtrak, transportation

Work halted after wall collapses at former mission in Murray Hill

Monday December 15, 2008 11:17 AM By Marlene Naanes

By Marlene Naanes and Aline E. Reynolds

A Murray Hill building’s wall partially collapsed yesterday afternoon during construction work, damaging an adjacent building and causing temporary transit delays and traffic problems, officials said.

Part of a wall that connects the two buildings collapsed about 3 p.m. while construction workers poured concrete on the roof of the building at 135 E. 36th St. The building next door, at 133 E. 36th St.,, received minor structural damage, and while no one was injured, residents there were evacuated as a precaution.

“Everyone ran down real fast—10 plus workers," said Joe Welles, a doorman at the Carlton Regency, an apartment tower across the street. "There was a little bit of panic."

The incident temporarily shut down Lexington between East 35th and 37th streets until just before 5 p.m. New York City Transit slowed down No. 4, 5 and 6 trains, which run under Lexington Avenue, as a precaution until just after 4 p.m.

The buildings department halted work at 135 E. 36th Street, which once was a mission for Namibia and is still owned by the African republic. Workers are adding a sixth floor to the structure. It was given a citation for failing to protect the adjacent property.

The building has several open buildings department violations, including another citation for failing to protect an adjacent property at about the same time last year.

Neither building was in danger of collapse.

Mission representatives could not be reached for comment. Some residents said the building is considered an eyesore and has been under construction for at least a year after a fire several years ago.

“It makes me nervous, ‘cause it’s close by,” said Michael Ross, 43, a freelance designer who lives nearby. “Anything close by hits closer to home — it’s where you do your errands all the time.”

Photo: Scaffolding covers 135 E. 36th St. yesterday. A wall in the building partially collapsed during construction work, which the city has halted. (Aline E. Reynolds)

Tags: murray hill, building, collapse, subway, lexington avenue, development

Viral video: Towing a tow truck

Monday December 15, 2008 9:17 AM By Sean Joseph

This woman uses her front-wheel drive SUV to get back at a tow-truck driver.

Tags: viral video, television, traffic

Radio WXOU Bar plays same tune under new ownership

Sunday December 14, 2008 4:28 PM By Garett Sloane

Robert Gelardi is living the dream: He now owns his favorite bar, WXOU Radio in the West Village.

By Garett Sloane

gsloane@am-ny.com

Robert Gelardi bought a “hole in the wall” and he plans to keep it that way.

He recently took over WXOU Radio Bar, an unassuming little spot known for its jukebox and low-key vibe that distinguishes it from more-upscale West Village neighbors.

“We’re better off being a hole-in-the-wall bar,” he said. “A very underground bar.”Gelardi, 40, was a bartender at WXOU 14 years ago and later went on to a career in the beer and liquor wholesale business. In the 1990s, when he lived on nearby Grove Street, Gelardi said WXOU was the only place he would drink at.

He recently raised enough cash with two other partners to buy it, though he would not say how much he paid.

“The opportunity to buy your ideal bar is a once in a lifetime thing,” Gelardi said.

Until he stepped in at WXOU, it was part of a group of establishments — WCOU Radio Bar (Tile Bar), the Magician, the Brooklyn Inn and 12th Street Ale House — all owned by the same partners.

Some had seen the sale of WXOU as a sign that big changes were afoot or that the other bars could be sold eventually, too. Gelardi, who is friends with the old owners, said he knows for a fact that the other places are safe. He also gave assurances that he has no major overhauls in store for his bar.

That’s just the way Bruce Meakem likes it.

“It’s a lot of the same,” said Meakem, 40, who has been a regular at the bar since it opened in 1994.

Perhaps the most sensitive alteration will be to replace the mammoth jukebox with a wall-mounted one, Gelardi said.

“People who come in here have especially strong feelings about music,” Gelardi said. So, WXOU will continue to offer a soundtrack to match that passion.

The bar will have a new look with slight renovations sometime next month.

“We’re just going to take it, spit-shine it,” Gelardi said.

Tags: wxou radio bar, the magician, 12th street ale house, tile bar, wcou radio bar, west village, economy, bars

Did 'SNL' go too far in mocking gov's blindess?

Sunday December 14, 2008 1:54 PM By Jason Fink

By Jason Fink

“Saturday Night Live” is known for pushing the envelope, but the show may have pushed it too far yesterday when it mocked Gov. David Paterson for being legally blind.

In the sketch, part of the “Weekend Update” segment, cast member Fred Armisen, his left eye squinting, wheels his chair up to the desk and then struggles with which way to face. Later while discussing the economy, he holds a chart upside down, to uproarious laughter. During a farewell speech from departing castmember Amy Poehler, he wanders aimlessly in front of the camera.

During a discussion with “Weekend Update” anchor Seth Myers about whom to appoint to fill Hillary Clinton’s senate seat, Armisen’s Paterson suggests taking someone out of the “freak bin” of upstate New York.

“They don’t have to be blind. It could be someone with, like, a gamey arm or the giant gums with the tiny teeth,” he says. “I’m tired of all these fancy two-eyed smart alecks from the big city running the show.”

The sketch also poked fun at Paterson’s admitted cocaine use in his 20s.

Paterson’s office released a statement last night taking the show to task.

“The governor engages in humor all the time, and he can certainly take a joke,” the statement said. “However, this particular ‘Saturday Night Live’ skit unfortunately chose to ridicule people with physical disabilities and imply that disabled people are incapable of having jobs with serious responsibilities.”Carl Jacobsen, president of the National Federation of the Blind of New York, slammed the sketch, adding that the show would likely never use racist humor in connection with the governor, who is black.

“I think ‘Saturday Night Live’ was reaching for a cheap laugh at the expense of a whole class of people,” said Jacobsen. “They have to find someone to pick on so we’re down to blind guys.”

New Yorkers said going after Paterson’s disability – he is legally blind as a result of a childhood infection – is out of bounds.

“That’s definitely over the limit,” said Christian Best, 35, of Brooklyn. “That’s in poor taste.”

Johnny Chaz, 48, of Queens, said he expects the episode to cause an uproar.

“Blind people might be out there next week protesting,” he said. “You can’t make fun of an affliction that he can’t do anything about.”

A spokesman for NBC declined to comment.

Sara Benincasa, a New York-based comedian, praised much of the sketch but said going after Paterson for being blind is “lazy.”

“I was surprised they went there,” she said.

Of course not all New Yorkers were offended.

“I think he’s big enough to handle it,” said Sandy Needham, who lives on the Upper West Side. “My television has a switch. If you don’t like it, turn it off.”

Tags: gov. david paterson, saturday night live, entertainment, politics

amNewYork Letters to the Editor

Sunday December 14, 2008 12:42 PM By Sara Baumberger

Nothing wrong with shortened first names

Re “CC, J.J., A.J.: Pitchers or toddlers?” 12-14: Max J. Dickstein’s half-hearted attempt to appease those of us with two-letter first names was too little, too late after slamming the convention. I suggest he try shortening his own name to “MJ” for a while. Would it really be so bad to be associated with the greatest basketball player that ever played the game?

— JJ Weinstein, Manhattan

Cops should focus their time on real crimes

The cops charged with sodomizing Michael Mineo claim they approached him on the pretext that they believed he was smoking marijuana. Some years ago, one Patrick Dorismond ended up dead because he took offense when approached about where to buy pot by an undercover officer. Isn’t it time New York followed Massachusetts’ lead, where possession of under an ounce of pot is decriminalized? Then the police can go back to catching real criminals.

— Ray Albieri, Brooklyn

Law needs to really punish big thieves

When will the law truly punish corrupt bigwigs? Take their every dollar and possession, and give their whole families nothing but some clothes, welfare and Section 8! Poverty: Isn’t this what their former workers get?

— J. Andrew Smith, Bloomfield, N.J.

Tags: letters to the editor

Career 180: They took a chance on pants

Sunday December 14, 2008 11:37 AM By Lucy Blatter

By Karen Tina Harrison

Special to amNewYork

The big career switch:

From finance to men’s pants

Who pulled it off?

Andy Dunn, 29, worked in mergers and acquisitions, then went to Stanford for an MBA and “the freedom of the student life.” Last year, he and a classmate, Brian Spaly, started a men’s pants company, Bonobos (www.bonobos.com), that has sold over 10,000 pairs.

What took you from finance to the garment industry?

My interest has always been innovative consumer companies. Brian and I thought that guys would be into buying well-priced, well-fitting pants online, because most men hate shopping and can’t stand the way their pants look.What’s your job like?

At first, Brian and I did everything, but now we have a cool team in our Flatiron headquarters. Brian’s in charge of design and production; Bonobos are made here in NYC. I manage our Web presence, customer service and marketing. I work six days a week and travel about a week per month to recruit employees and meet with Bonobos customers and potential investors.

How does one succeed in a Web-based sales startup?

You need self-confidence, salesmanship and a genuine relationship with your team, your customers and your investors. And you need an awesome product — today’s successes go way beyond image. If you say your pants fit, they’d better. And luck really helps, because timing can make or break a startup.

What’s in it for you?

New entrepreneurs don’t make bankers’ salaries, but selling a product or service you stand behind is incredibly fun. And we’re proud to be creating jobs in New York City even in a recession.

What else is there to know?

We feel that before Bonobos, no one in the men’s pants business was thinking about the dudes who actually wear them. “Bonobos” are monkeys who are, shall we say, very into one another, and our customers are very into our pants!

Tags: bonobos

Feds to push for high-speed train between NYC and Washington

Sunday December 14, 2008 11:31 AM By Jason Fink

By Jason Fink

Proposals are being sought for high-speed rail service between New York and Washington, federal officials are expected to announce tomorrow.

The Transportation Department will seek bids and may consider a private operator, an idea championed by Rep. John Mica (R-Florida), the ranking Republican on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Mica is scheduled to attend the announcement at Penn Station, along with Transportation Secretary Mary Peters and Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has endorsed the plan.

The new service would cut down travel time between the two cities to two hours, its advocates say.

Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-New York), who is also on the committee, has balked at the notion of a private operator running the line.

In May, when Mica’s plan was first floated, Bloomberg said: “Investing in modern mass transportation is critical to New York’s future, and all options should be on the table.”

Tags: transportation, trains, transit

Man throws shoes at Bush in Iraq

Sunday December 14, 2008 10:23 AM By Pete Catapano

By Pete Catapano

The president's surprise visit to Iraq took a bizarre turn when a man threw both of his shoes at him during a news conference today. The attacker missed, and the president laughed off the incident later.

"All I can report," Bush joked later, "is a size 10," the AP reported.

Check out the video:

Tags: bush, shoes, iraq, zany, politics

'Notorious': Biggie Smalls' mother reflects on the film about her son

Sunday December 14, 2008 9:33 AM By Julie Gordon

Notorious B.I.G. (Lori Shepler/The Los Angeles Times; Mother Voletta Wallace, with a wax statue of her son at Madame Tussauds in Times Square in 2007 (Getty)

By Scott A. Rosenberg

“Notorious,” the excellent new biopic of the slain Brooklyn rapper Notorious B.I.G. — a.k.a Biggie Smalls, The King of New York and Christopher Wallace — comes to theaters in mid-January, and Biggie’s mother, Voletta Wallace, has some early thoughts.

“This is a very good movie,” she says. “Was I proud? I wouldn’t use that word. I am very glad that I did the movie. I have no regrets doing the movie. I wanted to see what others never saw and I never knew.”

Wallace, who is played by Angela Bassett in the film, was on set for the making of the movie, and had a producer credit. She also got to watch her grandson, Christopher Jordan Wallace, the son of Biggie and his widow Faith Evans, play his father as a youngster.

“I loved every minute of it,” Voletta Wallace says. “[I was] a little mushy there. He wanted to do that. He took his job very, very seriously.”But Wallace doesn’t gloss over the fact that the “sweet, considerate, generous young man” she raised changed, turning into a drug-dealing, weapon-toting, wise-talking man she didn't recognize.

“To be honest with you, I saw a monster last night,” Wallace says. “Do I love the monster? No. But I love my son. Love you don’t change. My love is still here for my son. But his behavior? Thank god he’s not here because I would slap the daylights out of him.”

Biggie was shot and killed in Los Angeles in March 1997.

Tags: notorious b.i.g., biggie smalls, christopher wallace, voletta wallace, entertainment

Viral video: World's worst intersections

Sunday December 14, 2008 8:35 AM By Sean Joseph

If you thought New York City traffic was awful, check out this compilation of five of the worst intersections in the world.

Tags: viral video, television, traffic, vietnam, singapore, beijing

Henican: The perils of bathrobe reporting

Thursday December 11, 2008 3:56 PM By Emily Ngo

Facts are pesky little things.

They have this maddening habit of refusing to present themselves.

Often — and I know this from many years of wrestling facts as newspaper reporter and columnist — you have to go outside and grab the jumpy suckers one by one. Then, you have to shine a light in their eyes and slap ’em upside the head, stunning them long enough for the rest of the world to get a good, clear view and start to figure out exactly what these particular facts might mean.

Whew!

I’m not complaining here. Fact-hunting, often called “reporting,” is a noble and rewarding occupation, although not so much monetarily any more. But it sure isn’t quick or easy. I promise you that much. And it sure isn’t cheap.

What’s cheap is some self-absorbed nitwit sitting in front of a computer in his bathrobe, stealing the facts that some hard-working, low-paid newspaper drone just spent hours collecting.Then, Bathrobe Boy tosses off a condescending comment or two about those stolen facts, throwing in a few dismissive pokes at the fact-chasing newspaper dinosaur who did all the grunt work of discovery.

You want to know about the current state of the news business? That’s where the news business is today.

The people who gather the facts — the vast, vast majority of them still employed in the ink-on-paper world, even though their stories now also appear on the Internet — are watching in horror as their beloved business collapses and all the preening Bathrobe Boys declare themselves “The Future.”

Hell, maybe they are.

But get back to me — will you? — when all these New Media outlets achieve the cash flow and the attention span and the social conscience to sit through a three-week trial at the courthouse, prowl the corridors of power with a notebook, read the agenda of every zoning meeting, climb the housing-project stairway before the body is cold, stand outside the precinct in the rain until the perp is walked — all to gather some facts.

The Bathrobe Boys may do the hard work one day. They haven’t done it yet.

And that’s just a fact.

Tags: henican, newspaper, media, blogging

Losing power of the press

Thursday December 11, 2008 2:53 PM By Scott A. Rosenberg

As newspapers decline, a gap in coverage grows

By JASON FINK

With a recent wave of cutbacks, layoffs and consolidations threatening the already-reeling newspaper industry, readers are left with a question: what is being lost?

Even as online news sources proliferate and 24-hour cable channels provide a running tally of the day’s events, newspapers – traditionally the bastions of investigative reporting and public service journalism – are gasping for breath in nationwide.In the last week, the Tribune Company announced it will file for bankruptcy, the Rocky Mountain News in Denver is likely to close and the Miami Herald may be up for sale. This comes after years of shrinking newsrooms from the smallest weeklies to behemoths like The Los Angeles Times.

“What this means is fewer voices, fewer opinions presented in fewer ways, all of which has a tremendous impact on the public discourse in a very dangerous way,” said Mary Boyle, a spokeswoman for Common Cause.

Of course, journalism thrives in a variety of media, and Web sites such as ProPublica and Politico have shown that quality reporting doesn’t require barrels of newsprint. But the speed at which newspapers are in decline will leave a hole in the media landscape that is hard to fill, especially in mid-size markets.

“When you look at who breaks the news, it’s newspapers,” said Tom Patterson, a professor of government and the press at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

Robert Kubey, director of media studies at Rutgers University, said when papers cut staff it often means less oversight of local government.

“How do they do investigative journalism and keep politicians and businesses honest?” he said. “Blogs can fill in some of the vacuum but do they have the resources to risk lawsuits for taking on the powerful?”

Amy Takis, 32, of Brooklyn Heights, said she fears that as newspapers disappear, people may lose “the big picture. …Blog reporters are not fact checking pieces because the demand is so overwhelming.”

Whatever the ultimate fate of newspapers, they remain a critical training ground even for journalists who go on to work in other media. As newspaper staffs shrink, so might the ranks of those who dedicate their careers to the profession.

And readers who now rely on an array of disparate sources for information will need to ask more about who is reporting the news and what their motives are, said Kelly McBride, an ethics group leader at the Poynter Institute.

“Consumers are going to have to develop a set of critical questions,” she said. “For the most part, professional journalists answered these questions before the information came out. Now, news is in the hands of the entire universe.”

Tags: newspapers, propublica, politico, tom patterson, robert kubey, kelly mcbride, media

amNewYork Letters to the Editor

Thursday December 11, 2008 12:54 PM By Sara Baumberger

His team is chosen; now it’s Obama’s time to lead

President-elect Barrack Obama intelligently appointed his team of good men and women; now there will be one less distraction when he is president. I can’t wait until Jan. 20, when he can concentrate on helping our economy and keeping the U.S. on its correct international path.

— Ruth Unterberg, Manhattan

End prejudice; allow gays to marry

Re “Gay rights may have to wait,” Dec. 10: Gays should not be a stigmatized minority, and allowing them to marry is a step toward ending the unwarranted exclusion of homosexuals from the respect that they and all human beings should receive. An impressive number of poets, artists, composers, novelists and scientists have been gay, among them Sappho, Michelangelo, Tchaikovsky, Proust, and Alan Turing. Turing, whose discoveries helped win World War II and eventually led to the computer age, was driven to suicide by the silly — and at times, murderous — prejudice against gays.

— George Jochnowitz, Manhattan

Hold prez accountable for his actions

I find it absolutely unconstitutional for a president to pardon himself and others who have put forth his policies from taking responsibility for those actions. How can we be a democracy if we cannot hold our leaders responsible for the direction our country is headed? How can we progress if nothing or nobody is held accountable?

— Gabriela Richard, Manhattan

Tags: letters to the editor

City Living: Gowanus

Thursday December 11, 2008 9:24 AM By Mae Cheng

Photos by Alana Abel

By Hesper Desloovere

Special to amNewYork

Hemmed in by south Brooklyn’s signature quaint brownstones and stroller-stuffed streets, the mostly desolate stretch of foreboding warehouses in Gowanus seem incongruous.

Still, a stroll through Gowanus can reveal curious artifacts of past eras, when the area was a hub for Brooklyn’s shipping industry and a manufacturing center, thanks in part to the canal that roughly bisects the neighborhood.

However, short-sighted, shoddy construction of the Gowanus Canal and exponential growth in the area caused the rapid buildup of sewage, mercury, lead, PCBs, and other foul pollutants. As shipping dropped off dramatically, the stinking sludge only accumulated in the canal, leaving Gowanus a ghost town.

In the past decade, zealous locals have made spirited attempts to clean up the “waterfront,” petitioning all levels of government to tackle the toxic waterway while rolling up their sleeves to dredge the canal at their own risk. At the same time, light industry has begun to pick up again, and artists have set up shop in the some of the neighborhood’s rambling factory spaces.

For now, Gowanus remains prime for exploring—an unfathomably untouched expanse of sleepy industry and murky water.FIND IT

Gowanus is bounded by Butler Street to the north, the Gowanus Expressway to the south, Smith Street to the west, and 4th Avenue to the east.

THE ONE THING YOU MUST DO

There’s no phone number to call or reservation to make to experience one of Gowanus’ defining features—you just have to be in the right place at the right time. When a barge comes chugging up the Gowanus Canal, clanging bells and flashing lights bring traffic to a halt as the bridges are raised (or retracted) to let precious cargo through. Between the fanfare and the sheer scale of the spectacle, this rare occurrence provides a thrilling glimpse of the area’s industrial heritage.

DID YOU KNOW?

* The Gowanus Canal is rumored to be a former mob dumping ground.

* At an elevation of 90 feet, the Smith-9th street subway station is the highest in the system.

* Built in 1889, the Carroll Street Bridge spanning the Gowanus Canal is the country’s oldest retractile bridge and one of only four of its kind in the U.S.

* Former Gowanus bridge operator and local character Leonard “The Chicken Man” Thomas is the author of “Cooking with the Chicken Man,” a collection of 100 chicken-related recipes.

* A baby whale wandered into the Gowanus last April.

THE FACT SHEET

Transportation

Train: F, G to Smith-9th Sts.; F, M, R to 4th Ave-9th St.; M, R to Union St.

Bus: B37: 3rd Ave-9th St., B75: Smith-9th Sts., B77: Smith-9th Sts., B103: 3rd Ave.—State St.

Brooklyn Community Board 6

250 Baltic St.

Crime Stats

The 78th Precinct, which covers Park Slope and Gowanus, reported three murders, four rapes, 119 robberies, and 178 burglaries so far this year. For the same period last year, there was one murder, six rapes, 144 robberies and 172 burglaries.

Police

78th Precinct

65 Sixth Ave., 718-636-6411

Fire

Engine 279 Ladder 131

252 Lorraine St. at Smith St.

Library

Park Slope Branch

431 Sixth Ave., 718-832-1853

Schools

P.S. 372 The Children’s School, 512 Carroll St.; Hannah Senesh Community Day School, 342 Smith St.; P.S. 38 The Pacific School, 450 Pacific St.; P.S. 321 William Penn School, 180 Seventh Ave.; Berkeley Carroll School, 181 Lincoln Pl.; St. Francis Xavier School, 763 President St.

Banks

HSBC Bank

325 Ninth St., 718-499-6122

Bank of America

534 Fifth Ave., 718-788-1367

Washington Mutual Bank

533 Fifth Ave. 800-788-7000

Markets

Urban Organic Home Delivery

240 Sixth St., 718-499-4321

THE BUZZ

Murmurs about a Whole Foods landing in the neighborhood have persisted for months, but the projected site continues to remain empty save for a lone building at Third Street and Third Avenue that was spared from demolition.

Granted landmark status by the city for being “a pioneering example of concrete construction in the United States,” the curious Italianate building is crumbling under graffiti and banners advertising demolition services. While the building’s owner maintains that Whole Foods has accepted responsibility for restoring the structure, the natural foods giant has made no moves to perk up the dilapidated landmark.

As this token of the past continues to disintegrate, future gentrification looms with the threat of a Whole Foods invasion. Though supermarkets are sorely lacking in the neighborhood, the construction of Whole Foods would likely produce the same commotion and proliferation that the introduction of Fairway did in Red Hook—infusing an explicitly slow pocket of the borough with a hustle and bustle that’s not necessarily welcome.

Q&A

Sara Kinney is a bartender at Bar Tano.

What attracted you to Gowanus?

I got a really good rental situation—I paid like $400 a month for a tiny room, and the rent has gone up $150 a year since then. Some people have stable rents for five or 10 years though.

How would you characterize the neighborhood?

It’s creative, but not too self-aware. It’s slowly moving in the direction of more artists and a younger crowd, but the landlords are committed to keeping things the way they are. Gowanus is pretty safe, there’s not much crime —just some shady behavior. There’s some prostitution on Third Avenue, which is kind of weird.

How has the area changed in the years since you moved here?

People are looking a Third Avenue differently, as more of a destination. There are a lot of old-school Italian families, but a creative community is developing. Now we get a lot of people from the Bell House since the owners have a built-in clientele from Union Hall. I like that people are paying attention.

What are your favorite neighborhood spots?

I love the Bell House, and Proteus Gowanus has interesting shows. There’s an experimental film venue called Light Industry that shows amazing stuff.

What don’t you like about Gowanus?

There’s a preconceived set that you’re going to find here—it doesn’t reflect how multicultural the city is as much as other places do. It’s less convenient, so people don’t always come down here. I ride my bike everywhere, and it’s further away from some things in Manhattan.

Do you think the canal cleanup will ever happen?

There are always articles about how the Gowanus will be the new Venice, but there are mobsters in there. The Gowanus itself is funky—you have to hold your breath when you walk by in summer.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever seen in the canal?

A pillow with someone’s name on it.

TO EAT

While Smith Street is brimming with dining options, Gowanus is no slouch when it comes to adventurous and playful menus. Restaurants are sprinkled throughout the area, but Union Street and Fourth Avenue are safer bets for food.

Bar Tano

One of the first and only restaurants to colonize desolate Third Avenue, Bar Tano arrived with much fanfare, following in the successful footsteps of big brother Bar Toto in Park Slope. Wash down the pork meatballs with a Gowanus cocktail, which—all bartender tall tales aside—is concocted with grapefruit juice rather than canal water.

457 Third Ave., 718-499-3400

Tomato N Basil

This is the kind of place where you want the slice with chunks of chicken submerged in gooey mozzarella — hands down the neighborhood’s best pizza.

227 Fourth Ave., 718-596-8855

Mercado Social

Local favorite Maria’s Mexican Bistro has been reinvented as Mercado Social with the help of Latin cuisine connoisseur Antonio Lara, who’s most recently lent his expertise to Danny Meyer’s The Modern. Offering traditional Mexican fare like chile rellenos and tamales as well as more exotic dishes, the new iteration of the restaurant promises to be a foodie destination.

669 Union St., 718-638-2344

Palo Santo

With all the surrounding brownstones, it’s easy to miss Palo Santo on first inspection. Part Latin market cooking, part South American wine bar, the restaurant serves up a rotating selection of seasonal specialties from pan-roasted porgy to braised rabbit.

652 Union St., 718-636-6311

Sheep Station

Doling out authentic Australian fare and the attendant beers, Sheep Station describes itself as a place to “dust off the work boots or loosen the tie.” Make like Hugh Jackman and dig into a Shearer ’s Burger, a patty piled high with beets, pineapple, fried egg, lettuce, tomato and onions.

149 Fourth Ave., 718-857-4337

Root Hill

The beacon of the bourgeoisie, Root Hill is the area’s landmark coffeehouse. Exposed brick and chartreuse sofas serve as the perfect backdrop for sipping a latte and tapping away at a laptop.

262 4th Ave., 718-797-0100

TO PLAY

The up side of being off the beaten path is the ability to keep the crowds local. Each of these neighborhood bars — most of them centered around Fourth Avenue — boasts its own distinct feel and gang of regulars.

Pacific Standard Brooklyn

The most wholesome of the bunch, Pacific Standard features brighter lighting and exponentially more board games than the competition. Stop in for a friendly game of Jenga over a beer.

82 Fourth Ave., 718-858-1951

Black Mountain Wine House

Fashioned as a rustic log cabin, Black Mountain Wine House treats Gowanus as the wild frontier. More charcuterie than frank and beans, the tiny hideaway’s food and drink selection airs decidedly on the pretentious side. There’s a healthy choice of French, Italian, American, Greek, Spanish and South American wines to pair with snacks like white bean crostini and swiss chard and ricotta pie.

415 Union St., 718-522-4340

Gowanus Yacht Club

Devoid of a canal view or anything resembling a yacht, this landlocked outdoor hangout is a cult favorite. Devotees of the joint’s sloshing pitchers and crispy hotdogs rabidly await the reopening of GYC after every winter hiatus.

323 Smith St., 718-246-1321

Canal Bar

As the resident dive bar of a dive neighborhood, Canal Bar is legit. From the nonstop jukebox to the dog-friendly attitude, the atmosphere is affectation-free.

270 Third Ave., 718-246-0011

Cattyshack

Saturday is the night to hit this lesbian locale. Check out the first floor for hip-hop and dancing, or head upstairs to relive the 1980s and take advantage of the smoker-approved patio.

249 Fourth Ave., 718-230-5740

4th Avenue Pub

4th Avenue Pub gets it with an effortless equation: popcorn machine + serious beer selection + decent prices + laidback bartenders = just right.

76 Fourth Ave., 718-643-2273

TO SHOP

Unless you’re in the market for scrap metal or tires, Gowanus is not a prime destination for shopping. Head west to Smith Street for Carroll Gardens’ sweet boutiques and gourmet food selection.

Claireware

Billed as “urban folk pottery,” Claireware is exactly what you would expect: handmade mugs, bowls, knobs, tiles and vases painted with irregular patterns sold out of a light, leafy space.

543 Union St., 718-875-3977

Lowe’s

While residents tend to revile this massive home improvement storehouse, Lowe’s is a solid representation of the neighborhood’s shopping offerings: vast, industrial, and pretty handy if you know what to do with the materials the store trades in.

118 Second Ave., 718-249-1151

Dear Fieldbinder

Emblematic of the nearby Smith Street experience, Dear Fieldbinder is the very picture of taste. As appealing as the boutique’s expertly culled collection of accessible designer clothes is its helpful staff—the store’s cheerful employees are quick to offer suggestions without a hint of pushiness.

198 Smith St., 718-852-3620

Proteus Gowanus

TO DO

With a burgeoning arts scene, there’s plenty to see and hear in Gowanus. But much of the neighborhood’s appeal lies in stumbling upon ancient signage and perplexing street art just by poking around. The crossings at Union, Carroll, Third and Ninth Streets are ideal for peering into the foreboding depths of the canal and speculating about its contents.

The Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club

While some people stand around clucking about the state of the canal, others are getting their hands dirty. The Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club leads regular expeditions on the canal with the mission of cleaning it up, but canoes are also available for explorers wary of what a dredging might unearth.

Excursions depart from Second St. near Bond St. , 718-243-0849

The Bell House

The friendly folks behind Union Hall and Floyd have brought their affinity for dark wood and warm lighting to a 1920s warehouse in Gowanus, transforming the lofty space into a vaudeville-inflected venue. Outfitted with chandeliers, a 450-foot stage and a long polished bar, The Bell House does double duty as lounge and performance space. Expect acts ranging from Japanther to all-kid bands sponsored by the Gowanus Music Club.

149 Seventh St., 718-643-6510

The Yard

Home of the Gowanus Harvest Festival and host to outdoor performances, The Yard is the area’s answer to waterfront entertainment. Take in the scenery and enjoy the myriad events managed by Meanred Productions.

388-400 Carroll St.

Brooklyn Lyceum

This hipster haunt is home to more than just Brooklyn bands: The venue lends its soaring space to theater, music, dance, comedy, and even sports. Look out for productions of “Peter and the Wolf” and “A Charlie Brown Christmas” — holiday activities the whole family can get behind.

227 Fourth Ave., 718-857-4816

Proteus Gowanus

Housed in a former box factory, Proteus Gowanus is an interdisciplinary gallery and reading room — in other words, a space wholly dedicated to neat stuff and the study thereof. The 2008-9 exhibit of art, artifacts, and books is concerned with the notion of “mend,” from explorations of sweater darning to methods of conservation.

543 Union St., 718-243-1572

Coignet Stone Company Building

Cowering in the corner of a sprawling vacant lot at Third Street and Third Avenue is the Coignet Stone Company Building, a charming emblem of the forces at work in Gowanus: An odd, impenetrable remnant of abandoned industry, surrounded by emptiness and stubbornly staying put in the face of modern incursions. The fact that the building’s ornate columns and cornices are buried under graffiti and grime makes it all the more intriguing an artifact.

360 Third Ave.

REAL ESTATE

Despite rezoning efforts, a considerable portion of the neighborhood still isn’t outfitted for habitation (though artists have been known to shack up in their lofts illegally). Available properties range from century-old tenements to converted lofts, as well as three-family homes and empty lots that enterprising types would still do well to capitalize on. While eminently affordable compared to neighboring Carroll Gardens and Park Slope, Gowanus has no brownstones or ready-made charm.

TO BUY

On Market

376 President Street, 1,115 square feet, 2 bedroom: $799,000

340 Bond Street, 738 square feet, 1 bedroom: $560,000

Union Street artists’ lofts, 1000 square feet: $450,000

TO RENT

Current Rentals

Union Street, 800 square feet, 1 bedroom and den: $1,900

Bond Street, 1,000 square feet, 2 bedroom: $2,400

Union Street, 1300 square feet, 2 bedroom: $3,875

CONTACT

Rod Murray, Cobble Heights Realty Inc.

rmurray@cobbleheights.com

Tags: gowanus, city living, real estate

Jennifer Aniston bares it all -- well almost

Thursday December 11, 2008 9:06 AM By Admin

Jennifer Aniston wears a tie -- and nothing else -- on the January cover of GQ magazine.

The 39-year-old actress strips down and shows off her toned body next to the headline: "Is it just us or is Jennifer Aniston getting hotter?"

Joking about the relentless media coverage of herself, ex-husband Brad Pitt and Pitt's partner Angelina Jolie, Aniston tells the magazine: "The funny thing is that people don't realize we all go away to the Hamptons on the weekends."

Not exactly. Says Aniston: "But can you imagine? That'd be hysterical: I've got Zahara on my hip, and Knox ..."

As for Jolie's past remarks about falling for Pitt on the set of "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," Aniston says: "No daggers through the heart. I laugh. Am I surprised? ... Considering the source, nothing surprises me."

(AP)

On the Net: http://men.style.com/gq

Tags: celebrities, jennifer aniston, brad pitt, angelina jolie, gq, magazines, television, movies, hamptons, fashion, entertainment

WTC survivor staircase moves again at ground zero

Thursday December 11, 2008 8:30 AM By Admin

The staircase that served as an escape route for

people fleeing the World Trade Center on Sept. 11 is now in a

museum.

The museum to commemorate the 2001 terrorist attacks hasn’t been

built yet, but the 57-ton survivors’ staircase was moved by crane

Thursday across ground zero to its future entrance.

The staircase stood for years as the last remaining above-ground

remnant of the original trade center complex.

Preservationists — and survivors who used it to get quickly from

the outdoor trade center complex to the street below on Sept. 11 —

hoped it would stay in the same place, but it stood in the

footprint of one of five planned office towers.

In 2006, state officials announced they would demolish all but

one or two slabs of the staircase to make way for the new tower,

undeterred by a group that named the steps one of the nation’s most

endangered historic places. The staircase weighed 175 tons at the

time, too heavy to drive across bridges into storage; officials

couldn’t find space for it in a nearby park.

But planners changed their mind a year later, finding a spot for

the 37 stairs at the entrance pavilion to the below-ground memorial

museum.

The stairs were moved for the first time in March — after

construction crews chipped away at the concrete foundation and

replaced it with metal supports — and again in July from one end of

the site to the other.

On Thursday, a crane moved the staircase about 150 feet north

from the trade center footprint to the street-level entrance.

Visitors won’t be able to use the stairs but will see them as they

descend a parallel stairway from street level into the museum.

The memorial and museum are both expected to be open in 2012.

(The Associated Press0

Tags: ground zero, staircase, world trade center, development, new york city

Viral video: Pizza delivery prank

Thursday December 11, 2008 8:25 AM By Sean Joseph

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you got a pizza delivered to another pizzeria?

Tags: viral video, television, pizza, food

Top Golden Globe nods: 'Benjamin Button,' 'Frost/Nixon,' 'Doubt'

Thursday December 11, 2008 6:45 AM By Admin

"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and "Frost/Nixon" led the Golden Globes on Thursday with five nominations each, among them best drama, while "Doubt" also has five, including four acting slots.

Other best-drama nominees: "The Reader," "Revolutionary Road" and "Slumdog Millionaire."

Meryl Streep had two nominations, best dramatic actress for "Doubt" and musical or comedy actress for "Mamma Mia!"; and Kate Winslet also had two, best dramatic actress for "Revolutionary Road" and supporting actress for "The Reader."

Also chosen for dramatic actress were:Anne Hathaway, "Rachel Getting Married"; Angelina Jolie, "Changeling"; and Kristin Scott Thomas, "I've Loved You So Long."

Nominees for dramatic actor were Leonardo DiCaprio, "Revolutionary Road"; Frank Langella, "Frost/Nixon"; Brad Pitt, "Benjamin Button"; Sean Penn, "Milk"; and Mickey Rourke, "The Wrestler."

The year's biggest hit, the Batman blockbuster, "The Dark Knight," came in with strong awards buzz across the board but had only one nomination, supporting actor for Heath Ledger as the Joker.

"Heath was a friend of mine," said actor Terrence Howard, a presenter at the nominations ceremony. "He gave his all in that film. I think he will win in that category. He'll also get an Oscar."

"Doubt" also scored supporting nominations for Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Viola Davis, plus a screenplay slot for director John Patrick Shanley, who adapted his Pulitzer Prize-winning play.

Tom Cruise and Robert Downey Jr. were nominated as supporting actor for "Tropic Thunder." Each played odd roles: Cruise hidden behind a bald cap, beard and fat suit, Downey playing a white actor who undergoes a skin-tinting procedure to play a black man.

The Harvey Milk film biography "Milk" also had been at the top of awards watchers' lists but only grabbed an acting nomination for Penn. And one of the year's biggest comedy hits, "Sex and the City," was shut out completely.

While the hit "Mamma Mia!" was among best musical or comedy nominees, the category was dominated by smaller movies. The other contenders are "Burn After Reading," "Happy-Go-Lucky," "In Bruges" and "Vicky Cristina Barcelona."

Clint Eastwood had two music nominations for his "Changeling" score and for co-writing the title song for "Gran Torino," part of which he also sang. But he missed out on directing nominations for both films and for an acting slot in "Gran Torino," in which he starred.

The animated hits "WALL-E" and "Bolt" had two nominations apiece, for best animated picture and best song, the "WALL-E" tune co-written by Peter Gabriel and the "Bolt" song co-written by Miley Cyrus, who also lent her voice to one of the film's lead characters.

The song category was loaded with big names, including Bruce Springsteen for the title tune of "The Wrestler" and Beyonce Knowles for co-writing a song in "Cadillac Records."

"Vicky Cristina Barcelona" earned a supporting-actress nomination for Penelope Cruz, and her co-stars Javier Bardem and Rebecca Hall each grabbed lead-acting slots in the musical or comedy categories.

Joining Hall and Streep in the musical or comedy actress lineup were Sally Hawkins for "Happy-Go-Lucky," Frances McDormand for "Burn After Reading" and Emma Thompson for "Last Chance Harvey."

Along with Bardem, "In Bruges" stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson both were nominated for best musical or comedy actor. Also chosen were James Franco for "Pineapple Express" and Dustin Hoffman for "Last Chance Harvey."

Ralph Fiennes had two nominations, supporting film actor for "The Duchess" and best actor in TV movie or miniseries for "Bernard and Doris." Tom Wilkinson earned two TV nominations, actor in a movie or miniseries for "Recount" and supporting actor in a series, movie or miniseries for "John Adams."

HBO presentations top TV nominations

The HBO psychotherapy series "In Treatment" and the movie dramatization of the 2000 election aftermath "Recount" both earned five Golden Globes nominations on Thursday.

"In Treatment" was nominated for best television drama, with series star Gabriel Byrne, Melissa George, Dianne Weist and Blair Underwood getting nods for their acting. "Recount" will compete for best TV movie or miniseries, with Kevin Spacey, Tom Wilkinson, Laura Dern and Denis Leary nominated for their acting.

Completing the good day for HBO, its miniseries "John Adams" earned four nominations.

Meanwhile, Tina Fey's magical run continued. The show she created and in which she stars, NBC's "30 Rock," earned a nomination for best comedy and Fey received a best actress nod.

Fox's "House" was the only broadcast nominee for best TV drama. Besides "In Treatment," other nominees were HBO's "True Blood," Showtime's "Dexter" and the reigning Emmy winner, AMC's "Mad Men."

Showtime's "Weeds" and "Californication," HBO's "Entourage" and NBC's "The Office" will compete with "30 Rock" for best TV comedy.

Jon Hamm and January Jones of "Mad Men" both earned nominations for best actors in a television drama.

Hamm and Byrne are competing against Hugh Laurie's damaged doctor in "House," Michael C. Hall in Showtime's "Dexter" and Jonathan Rhys Meyers of Showtime's "The Tudors."

Other best actress nominees were Sally Field of ABC's "Brothers and Sisters," Mariska Hargitay of "Law & Order: SVU," Anna Paquin of HBO's "True Blood" and Kyra Sedgwick of TNT's "The Closer."

The Globe ceremony is scheduled for Jan. 11, 11 days before Oscar nominations.

The glitzy Globes were canceled last year after celebrities said they would boycott the show in honor of a strike by the Writers Guild of America. Winners were announced at a hasty news conference instead.

Hollywood faces labor strife again with a potential strike by the Screen Actors Guild. But a strike-authorization vote early next month would come too late to affect the Globes this time.

The awards are presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, a group of about 85 critics and reporters for overseas outlets.

------

On the Net:

http://www.hfpa.org

Tags: movies, television, golden globes, awards, celebrities, movie stars, actors

Mike Cameron may also end up a Yankee

Thursday December 11, 2008 6:29 AM By Mae Cheng

The latest to don pinstripes may be veteran centerfielder Mike Cameron.

The Yankees are in talks to trade Melky Cabrera for Cameron, according to Newsday.

Cabrera was seen as part of the Yankee's future, but failed to produce the numbers in his at-bats that the team needed.

This comes a day after the Bronx Bombers scored CC Sabathia, the most coveted starting pitcher on the market. The whopping $161 million, seven-year deal makes Sabathia the highest paid pitcher.

Cameron is a Milwaukee Brewers' teammate of Sabathia's as well as his good buddy, all the more to make the Yank's latest big-time investment comfortable in his new home.

Tags: mike cameron, yankees, cc sabathia, bronx bombers

Pronounce Blagojevich, Ahmadinejad with ease

Wednesday December 10, 2008 2:53 PM By Emily Ngo

Illinois-bred amNY staffers can do it, but if you also want to be an expert at pronouncing Gov. Rod Blagojevich's name, use Slate's handy audio guide.

And it was The View's Whoopi Goldberg who got us pronouncing Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's name somewhat correctly:

Now ... try to pronounce my last name.

— Emily Ngo

Tags: politics, world affairs, television

Web sites serve up controversy by selling reservations to city restaurants

Wednesday December 10, 2008 2:42 PM By Garett Sloane

By Rebecca Wolfson

Special to amNewYork

Reservations for the hottest restaurants in town are hot commodities online.

The latest Web site to enter the reservation trade is CelebrityTables.com, which launched in August, and there are others where diners pay to get a table at the city’s best restaurants on short notice.

The online swap — or “reso-scalping” as it is sometimes referred to — is not without controversy. Many in the restaurant industry think the idea of third parties selling their reservations is underhanded.

For some New Yorkers in search of a table at the best restaurants, however, shelling out $15 to $75 is worth it to avoid a months-long wait.“Sometimes I don’t prepare,” said Andrew Winkler of Queens. On one of those occasions, his anniversary, he scored a seat at Buddakan at the last minute through TableXchange.com.

“Who in New York knows what they’re doing 30 to 45 days from now?” said Brian Joseph, senior vice president at CelebrityTables.

Sites like CelebrityTables, which charges up to $50, and PrimetimeTables.com often book the tables and then resell them, but the founders of both sites claim to also have relationships with restaurants that get them access to reservations. However, they wouldn’t say which restaurants those were.

“At the end of the day we are a service company,” said Pascal Riffaud, who founded PrimetimeTables in 2006. “We want to make sure that we make the restaurants happy.”

About 500 PrimetimeTables members pay a $500 annual fee and $45 per reservation, according to Riffaud. Nonmembers pay $75 per reservation.

TableXchange doesn’t book the reservations; it just allows holders to sell them.

The site, founded in 2007, claims to control fraudulent behavior by limiting sellers to four tables per night.

“The price of the reservation typically equals the price of two or three beers versus hundreds of dollars you might have to pay a maitre d’ for a coveted table,” TableXchange founder Gabriel Erbst wrote in an e-mail.

Tags: reservations, restaurants, economy, tablexchange.com, primetimetables.com, celebritytables.com, reso-scalping, buddakan, gabriel erbst, pascal riffaud, food

Too much for CC?

Wednesday December 10, 2008 2:24 PM By Pete Catapano

(AP)

BY PETE CATAPANO

The Yankees shunned behemoth contracts in recent years, choosing instead to develop their young players.

But what a difference a year without the playoffs makes.

Going back to their old playbook, they Yankees pulled out $161 million from their wallet yesterday for CC Sabathia, signing the most coveted starting pitcher on the market to a seven-year deal that makes him the highest paid player in the position.

“They’ve been in dire need for a front-line starter for quite some time now and Sabathia is the best around right now,” said A.J. Daulerio of sports site, deadspin.com. “If they start throwing obscene amounts of money at Derek Lowe and A.J. Burnett, well, that would really prove they haven’t learned from their mistakes.”

The contract is big (and so is Sabathia, who’s 290-plus frame has some wary), though some say the Yankees had no choice but to cough up the cash to right their ship. This year, they missed the playoffs for the first time since 1993.

“They’re moving into a new stadium in which they’re charging a lot of money for tickets and luxury suites,” said Dave Pinto a former ESPN analyst and owner/author of baseballmusings.com. “They want to win.”

Despite having by far the biggest payroll in the league year after year, the team hasn’t won a championship since 2000.

The 29-year-old lefty’s contract will trail Alex Rodriguez’s $275 million, 10-year deal with the Yankees as well as Derek Jeter’s $189 million, 10-year contract with the Bronx Bombers.

There’s also some concern about Sabathia’s physical condition.

“I would not pay $160 million for seven years for a 300-pound pitcher,” said Jim Jacobs of Yankeesbaseballblog.com.Some Yankee fans would further argue that $161 million is a lot to spend for any one player, given that the economy is sliding and that the team is asking the city for $370 million more in public bonds to finance a new stadium.

“The sport has evolved into a business,” said Brooke Smith, a 22-year-old architect’s assistant from Williamsburg. “It's not just the good old American game that it used to be.”

At least one fan believed that winning is priceless.

“Other teams develop winners, the Yankees buy winners,” said Chris Basilas, 47, of Bayside. “We want winning teams.”

Pinto said that at the end of the day, the Yankees will still have to answer to their fans.

“When the team starts playing bad, the tickets will go down,” Pinto said.

The Yankees may not be done with their shopping spree yet. They still might re-sign Andy Pettitte, and have had talks this week with Ben Sheets and agents for Burnett. Adding those pitchers will put them well over the $200 million mark again.

Aline E. Reynolds and the AP contributed to this story.

Tags: yankees, sports, sabathia, free agent

Think Blagojevich is the worst? Maybe not

Wednesday December 10, 2008 2:04 PM By Emily Ngo

Shameless: Blagojevich isn’t necessarily the slimiest of American politicians. Here are others:

Tom DeLay: Ex-GOP Texas congressman and House majority leader indicted on charges for conspiracy to violate election laws, including phone jamming and accepting lobbyists’ gifts, and money laundering in 2005.

Duke Cunningham: GOP Californian congressman quit in 2005 after pleading guilty to taking $2.4 million in bribes and charges including tax evasion and mail and wire fraud.Edwin Edwards: Democratic Louisiana governor was convicted in 2001 of racketeering, extortion and money laundering. Said: “I will be a model prisoner as I have been a model citizen.”

Richard Nixon: GOP president resigned in 1974 amid Watergate scandal, which involved taking illicit campaign contributions and wiretapping opponents. Said: “I’m not a crook. I’ve earned everything I’ve got.”

Boss Tweed: Democratic N.Y. congressman and senator convicted in 1873 of embezzling as much as $200 million in public funds by skimming money off city contracts. Led the legendarily corrupt Tammany Hall political machine.

— Emily Ngo

Tags: rod blagojevich, politics

Around the world on Christmas Day

Wednesday December 10, 2008 12:25 PM By Lucy Blatter

By Emily Ranager

Special to amNewYork

Honey-glazed ham and fruitcake may be traditional Christmas dishes, but in New York, every country’s cuisine is at your fingertips. If you can’t go away for Christmas, hit one of these local eateries serving global fare and making merry on Dec. 25.

Japanese

245 Park Ave.,

212-475-9377;

87 Seventh Ave. S.,

212-691-7885

SushiSamba is offering a $45 prix-fixe White Christmas-themed dinner at both of its Manhattan locations. From 3 p.m. to 1 a.m., enjoy a holiday cocktail, organic beet salad, black beer braised short ribs, a holiday sushi assortment and blueberry chinsuko yaki, a cobbler topped with ice cream and milk cinnamon foam. Add a sake pairing for an additional $30 per person. The full regular menu will also be available.Chinese

43 W. 65 St.,

212-595-8895

Eating Chinese food on Christmas Day is a tradition all its own for some, but chow mein is taken up a notch at Shun Lee. The restaurant will serve its full regular menu from noon to midnight. For a treat, try specialties such as crispy jumbo prawns sautéed in Grand Marnier sauce ($27.95).

Austrian

344 W. 11th St.

212-352-2300

For an upscale take on traditional Austrian cuisine, indulge in Wallsé’s $85 four-course prix-fixe menu. From 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5:30 to 11 p.m. dishes will include smoked salmon with sour cream, cucumbers and caviar, carp with truffle-cabbage salad, filet of veal with noodles and yellow boletuses, and apple tatin with toasted almond ice cream. Add a wine pairing for $40 extra.

Russian

150 W. 57 St.,

212-581-7100

A nine-foot-tall Christmas tree, ornaments hanging from the chandeliers and red and green décor are sure to put you in the holiday spirit at The Russian Tea Room, but at $105 for adults and $50 for kids, this prix-fixe menu is a definite splurge. From 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. the four-course menu includes smoked sable, sturgeon and pickled vegetables, red borscht, chicken Kiev and chocolate vodka soup. The restaurant’s regular a la carte menu also will be available.

French

65 St. Mark’s Place,

212-477-5560

Jules Bistro will offer a three-course prix-fixe dinner menu for $29.50. From noon to 10 p.m., the dishes will include lobster bisque as well as sautéed filet mignon with port wine reduction, potato gratin and string beans. Bûche de Noël, the traditional Christmas log, also will be served. There will be live jazz in the evening.

Italian

319 Graham Ave., Brooklyn,

718-599-8899

Motorino, a brick-oven pizza and antipasti joint in Williamsburg, will be serving special seasonal pizzas to make you merry, without breaking the bank. Try the artichoke with homemade fior di latte, smoked pancetta and parmigiano; prosciutto di Parma with oregano and pecorino; or black truffle pizza with mozzarella, parsley and pecorino ($13 to $16). The restaurant is also BYOB, so you can save a few bucks after other wallet-emptying holiday spending.

Tags: christmas dinner, christmas meals, food

amNewYork Letters to the Editor

Wednesday December 10, 2008 11:23 AM By Sara Baumberger

Gay marriage good for New York’s economy

Re “Gay rights may have to wait,” Dec. 10: It is preposterous to suggest, as state Senate leader Malcolm Smith has, that the economy must be addressed before legislation on gay marriage rights. Legalizing same-sex marriage would be a fiscally wise decision. Revenue generated by gay weddings can only help the economy. Between a guaranteed increase in commerce and a more equitable state civil rights platform, we cannot afford to put off this issue.

— David Terhune, Brooklyn

Gay inequality is unacceptable

Gay marriage rights in New York will never be a lost cause. If elected state Democrats are against equality for all its citizens, the gay community will remember and react. Our rights cannot be bargained away just when our state has a pro-equality, democratic Senate. Our community will make calls, write letters and vote to ensure that anti-equality senators like Carl Kruger and Ruben Diaz are stopped. Write letters. Call your friends. Don’t stand for this. This is unacceptable.

— Brandon Brock, Astoria

Everyone needs to make sacrifices

If Gov. Paterson could use a billion dollars to balance the budget, then he should stop giving more money to the Yankees and Mets. If these teams need money they can start cutting payroll like every other business is forced to do. The good times are over for everyone.

— Michael Perez, Manhattan

Tags: letters to the editor

Viral video: Real-life Mario Kart

Wednesday December 10, 2008 8:39 AM By Sean Joseph

This guy dresses up as Mario and loads his go-kart up with banana peels. It turns out, bananas don’t really make cars spin out of control.

Tags: viral video, television, video games, mario kart

City restaurants travel back in time

Wednesday December 10, 2008 8:29 AM By Lucy Blatter

By LUCY COHEN BLATTER

lucy.blatter@am-ny.com

New Yorkers will soon have an opportunity to feast like kings.

Starting next month, 16 of the city’s top restaurants will offer meals inspired by grand 19th century banquets as part of Zagat Survey’s Vintage Dinner Series.

Each restaurant will host a one-day only event with a unique prix-fixe menu, featuring many dishes, ingredients and cocktails that have not been seen in years.

“We’re going to revive some foods that lay the foundation for fine dining as we know it,” said Tim Zagat.Stanley Lobel of Lobel’s Meats said he looks forward to introducing city restaurant-goers to less-common – and fortunately more reasonably priced — game and cuts of meat.

He also hopes to introduce organs like calves’ hearts and beef livers, as well as blood for use in gravy.

Thomas Keller of Per Se said his restaurant will recreate not only the dishes, but will also offer the “entire experience and ambiance” of a 19th century banquet, featuring an “abundance of food and wine.”

Chef David Waltuk of Chanterelle said his team looked at theme menus from the time period and found that a lot of the food was classic French.

The restaurant will serve oyster chowder with caviar, whole roast snapper (filleted at the table) with Sauce Americaine, among other dishes.

The dinners will take place from Jan. 12-March 25, and reservations are currently being accepted. All meals will be priced on par with the restaurants’ standard menus.

Participating restaurants and dates:

Adour at The St. Regis New York, Chef Joel Dennis – Sunday, January 25

Aureole, Chef Charlie Palmer – Wednesday, March 25

Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Chef Daniel Barber – Thursday, February 5

Bouley, Chef David Bouley – Thursday, January 15

Caf̩ des Artistes, Chef Joseph Paulino РMonday, January 12

Chanterelle, Chef David Waltuck – Thursday, January 27

Daniel, Chef Daniel Boulud – Tuesday, February 3

Del Posto, Chefs Mario Batali & Lidia Bastianich – February 11

Gramercy Tavern, Chef Mike Anthony – Monday, March 16

Jean George, Chef Jean George Vongerichten – Monday, March 23

La Grenouille, Chef Matthew Tropeano – Wednesday, February 25

Le Bernardin, Chef Eric Ripert – Monday, March 9

Le Cirque, Chef Craig Hopson – Tuesday, March 3

Ouest, Chef Tom Valenti – Thursday, March 5

Tags: zagat, vintage dinner series, food

CC Sabathia agrees to join Yankees

Wednesday December 10, 2008 6:06 AM By Mae Cheng

The courtship is over and the Yankees have got their man.

CC Sabathia has told the Yankees that he wants to pitch for them, according to published reports. The team said it is "extraordinarily optimistic" that an agreement will be reached for a seven-year/$160 million deal.

The two sides are still finalizing the details, but some of the money will likely be deferred, Newsday is reporting.

The deal would make Sabathia the highest paid starting pitcher.

Tags: cc sabathia, yankees, pitcher

Cover story: Is gay marriage in New York off the agenda?

Tuesday December 9, 2008 2:41 PM By Jason Fink

By Jason Fink

With Democrats in control of Albany and a powerful gay rights advocate in the governor, New York supporters of same-sex marriage seemed on the verge of victory.

But a confluence of factors – a massive budget deficit, a contentious power struggle in the state senate and less-than-unanimous Democratic support – may quash any hope of legalizing gay marriage in New York any time soon.

“The timing is not good,” said Sarah Chinn, head of the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies at the CUNY Graduate Center. “It may get pushed to the side.”

In recent days, reports have surfaced that incoming state senate leader Malcolm Smith (D-Queens) agreed to keep the marriage bill from the floor to prevent three lawmakers from defecting to the Republicans, which would cost Democrats the majority in the upper house.

One of the so-called “gang of three,” Sen. Ruben Diaz (D-Bronx), is a vocal opponent of same sex marriage. The other two, senator-elect Pedro Espada of the Bronx and Sen. Carl Kruger of Brooklyn, have been offered leadership posts, though Espada yesterday was reportedly unhappy with the deal. Not so with Diaz. “I’m very happy with the agreement we reached. We got everything we want, and that’s all I’m going to say.”Meanwhile, Smith today denied promising to scuttle a same-sex marriage bill. He said that dealing with the state’s $10 billion deficit would be the top priority.

“Rebuilding New York’s economy comes first,” he said.

New Yorkers, however, disagreed, saying the timing is ripe to push ahead with gay rights.

“Even with the economic crisis going on ... you can’t ignore it,” said Rob Archer, 23, of Park Slope. “It’s something that affects a lot of people in New York state.”

“The whole issue of gay marriage, in about 15 to 20 years, will be looked upon the way segregation is looked upon now,” said Mark Lesseraux, 40, also of Park Slope.

Currently, Massachusetts and Connecticut are the only two states to have legalized same-sex marriage, though it’s been a hot-button issue in dozens of other states, including in California, where voters last month passed a referendum outlawing the practice.

Gov. David Paterson’s office said he still intends to introduce a gay marriage bill. In fact, one of his first acts when he became governor earlier this year was to recognize same-sex unions performed elsewhere.

But with the state’s fiscal woes, Paterson may find himself consumed with closing the budget gap. His office today would not commit to a timetable for asking lawmakers to take up the marriage bill.

Evan Stavisky, a Democratic political consultant, said that politics and deal-making aside, the bill is dead for now because of simple math.

“The truth is that there probably aren’t enough votes in the senate,” he said.

Marlene Naanes contributed to this story.

Tags: same-sex marriage, state senate, gov. david paterson, politics

Advocates: Some pharmacies leave New Yorkers lost in translation

Tuesday December 9, 2008 6:46 PM By Marlene Naanes

By Marlene Naanes

mnaanes@am-ny.com

New Yorkers who speak limited or no English are risking their lives when they use a pharmacy that doesn’t translate instructions or warnings on prescriptions, immigrant advocates said yesterday.

Reyita Rivera, a 49-year-old Rockaway Beach resident, found herself in detox after a pharmacist couldn’t tell her in her native Spanish that she should only take her nerve medication for 15 days. Rivera took the medicine for a month, and practically became addicted to the drug that also left her so drowsy and dizzy she had to rely on her son to help her to the bathroom.

“I went to the pharmacy and asked, ‘What does this mean? What does this mean?’ And they couldn’t tell me in my language,” she said. “They didn’t help me. I tried to get help, and that’s why I had the problem.”

About 75 percent of New York pharmacies do not offer translations of prescription information, Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum and immigrant advocacy group Make the Road New York said yesterday at a news conference at City Hall. Gotbaum recently introduced legislation that would require pharmacies to translate prescription information.“Clearly understanding a prescription you are given is a basic right, yet pharmacies all around the city are allowing New Yorkers to take home medication with instructions they can’t understand,” Gotbaum said in a statement.

The legislation comes on the heels of an agreement last month between the attorney general’s office and CVS and Rite Aid, which promised to provide prescription instructions in customers’ primary language. Make the Road New York filed a complaint with the attorney general about the lack of translation services last year.

Duane Reade, which was not singled out by the public advocate, said yesterday that certain stores offer translation on request and has many bilingual pharmacists.

"We are also working to expand our capabilities to better serve the diverse New York City community," the company said in a statement.

Tags: immigration

Transit fare hike could be higher than expected

Tuesday December 9, 2008 6:43 PM By Marlene Naanes

BY MARLENE NAANES

mnaanes@am-ny.com

To bridge its budget gap, the MTA needs to hike fares by 28 percent — rather than the 23 percent the agency proposed — given that a severe price increase is likely to result in a dropoff in ridership, a report issued yesterday found.

The report, compiled by the city Independent Budget Office (IBO) at the request of the Straphangers Campaign, said under a 28 percent hike, the 7-day MetroCard would increase from $25 to $32, and the 14-day MetroCard would increase from $47 to $60.

“Development of fare policy is complicated and we have only just begun that process,” the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said in a statement.While not directly commenting on the IBO report, the MTA said that even its proposed 23 percent increase is greater than what it wants to implement.

Last week, a governor-appointed commission came up with a series of proposals that it said if passed, would stem the fare increase next year at 8 percent. The recommendations include charging tolls on the East River and Harlem River bridges as well as a payroll tax.

“Transit fares will go through the roof and service through the floor unless Governor Paterson and state legislative leaders come to the rescue of transit riders,” said Gene Russianoff, Straphangers Campaign staff attorney, in supporting the commission’s suggestions.

There will be a state hearing today on both the MTA and commission’s proposals.

The IBO also found that without the commission’s recommendations and if the MTA were to forgo its proposed service cuts on subways and buses, fares would need to go up by a whopping 32 percent to plug the agency’s $1.2 billion budget gap.

Tags: transit

Council votes to raise hotel tax

Tuesday December 9, 2008 6:25 PM By Jason Fink

By Jason Fink

New York may become a little more expensive for out-of-towners.

The City Council today introduced a bill that would increase the hotel tax from 5 percent to 5.875 percent. That would mean an additional $2.62 for the average $300-a-night room.

If passed, council members estimate the tax would generate $80 million by June 2010.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who in the past has opposed an increase, indicated today he might support it this time.

Tags: city council, budget, city hall dispatch

Fit to be fried

Tuesday December 9, 2008 6:25 PM By Lucy Blatter

By Lucy Cohen Blatter

lucy.blatter@am-ny.com

It’s hard to imagine a Hanukkah celebration devoid of latkes. The oil-laden potato pancakes are decadent, sure, but they are also a holiday must.

“Crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside is what you’re going for,” said Jeff Nathan, a caterer, cookbook author and owner of Abigael’s on Broadway.Nathan is a latke purist. “The base should always be potato,” he said. “People try making latkes with all different kinds of vegetables, but they won’t work as well if they have too much water.”

“It’s really a combination of the grated potato texture and the flavor of browned potato” that makes the latke, said Dave Lieberman, a contributor to Women’s Health.

The basics

Nathan uses high-starch potatoes such as Yukon Gold (he likes the taste better than basic baking potatoes). Sometimes, he’ll throw in blue and purple Peruvian potatoes, just for color. He’ll use sweet potatoes occasionally, but the downside is that they don’t come out as crispy because they absorb more of the oil.

The oil, of course, is of utmost importance. The tradition of serving food fried in oil on Hanukkah comes from a story in which the Maccabees reclaimed the temple from the Greeks and were able to keep their menorah lit for eight days with only one cruse of oil.

“For the best latkes, the oil has to be the right temperature — about 375 degrees,” Nathan said. “If it’s too hot, it’ll burn on the outside, and if it’s too low, the latke will absorb all the oil and be filled with grease.”

Preparing pancakes

Nathan prepares latkes in two steps: First, he fries them and lets them rest on a paper towel to absorb some of the oil. He later puts them back in the oven to warm them up.

Nathan suggests fully cooking latkes before putting them in the refrigerator, or they’ll turn black.

While he doesn’t like to veer too far from the potato base, Nathan does add various herbs. “I add fresh rosemary because it works so well with the potatoes.”

Lieberman also suggested thyme, and even curry powder.

Topping them off

When it comes to the latke’s toppings, Lieberman said he’s a big fan of fruit-based accompaniments.

“Applesauce is traditional, but I serve latkes with compotes and chutneys of all kinds. And they’re a low-fat option as well,” he said. “By making your own compotes and chutneys, you can control the amount of sugar.”

Since Hanukkah is the middle of apple season, he also makes apple relishes with a few different kinds of apples. “They all have different tastes too,”

Nathan said.

“Sometimes I’ll add in pomegranate syrup or seeds. Sometimes I’ll add some cilantro,” he said.

If you choose to go the easy route and buy a jar of applesauce instead, Lieberman suggests searching for the lowest sugar option.

Getting creative

For holiday parties, Nathan sometimes uses latkes as a base instead of bread. He’ll top latkes with dill, sour cream or smoked salmon; sometimes he’ll make brisket sandwiches with latkes or put kimchi and a grilled short rib on top of them.

“I’ve also taken pastrami that’s been slow cooked for four hours, piled it on top of the latkes and drizzled Dijon mustard on them,” he said. “To me, they’re platforms on which you can build.”

Tags: jeff nathan, abigael's on broadway, latkes, dave lieberman, food

Tom Cruise butts into Heidi and Spencer's biz

Tuesday December 9, 2008 4:45 PM By Julie Gordon

Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt (Getty)

By Julie Gordon

Tom Cruise just can’t mind his own beeswax.

On Monday’s “The Live Hills After Show,” Cruise mouthed off about the Nov. 20 elopement of “Hills” stars Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt. Previously, Montag said she wanted a large wedding.

“If a girl wants a wedding, you’ve got to give her a wedding,” Cruise said. “Spencer, dude, you’ll realize this later.”

Cruise and wife Katie Holmes had an elaborate affair at an Italian castle in 2006.

Cruise ended up on Monday’s program because he gave an interview to MTV Canada to promote his film “Valkyrie,” an MTV rep told us. During that interview, a few “Hills” questions were asked, and then used on the “The Hills Live After Show,” which is also filmed in Canada.

Tags: heidi montag, tom cruise, spencer pratt, speidi, the hills, entertainment

Senator Fran Drescher?!

Tuesday December 9, 2008 4:41 PM By Pete Catapano

By Pete Catapano

Everyone seems to want a shot at Hillary's senate seat. And the list is getting weirder.

How does Senator Fran Drescher sound to you?

2003 that gave us Governor Schwarzenegger, but the list of those who want to be our next senator has gotten long and weird:

Andrew Cuomo

Caroline Kennedy

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown,

U.S. Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand,

Rep. Nydia Velazquez

Rep. Carolyn Maloney

Teachers Union chief Randi Weingarten

Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi

Rep. Steve Israel from Long Island

Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion

and now, the Nanny....

Perhaps, the Naked Cowboy from TImes Square can throw his hat in the ring

Met fans rejoice: You've got K-Rod

Tuesday December 9, 2008 4:24 PM By Pete Catapano

By Pete Catapano

Once he passes his physical K-Rod will be a Met, reports say

After weeks of rumors, the Mets have finally reached a deal with star closer, Francisco Rodriguez, ESPN is reporting. The deal is worth $37 million over three years.

This is a huge win for the Mets for two reasons: They're bullpen was a disaster last year, plus they landed K-Rod for three years rather than the risky five he wanted.

Last season, K-Rod broke the major league record for saves by recording 62. Just 26, Rodriguez has posted at least 40 saves in the last four seasons. He will be taking the place of BIlly Wagner, who's recovering from elbow surgery in the last year of his contract.

This could be the happiest day for Mr. Met since he got to meet former French Culture Minister Jack Lang in 2007. (Getty)

Tags: k-rod, mets, mr. met

Get 'hop'-ing this holiday season

Tuesday December 9, 2008 3:28 PM By Lucy Blatter

By Lucy Cohen Blatter

lucy.blatter@am-ny.com

Summer may be the season of outdoor parties and cold suds, but winter is a great time to enjoy a nice, robust beer.

Justin Philips, owner of the Park Slope specialty bar Beer Table, suggested the perfect beers to complement your meals during these cold winter months.

- Schneider aventinus, which has a barley base but also contains some wheat as well. “It’s structured and robust and smells like fresh banana bread,” Philips said.

Also try Schlenkeria urbock, which has malt smoked over a beechwood fire, making it super aromatic. Both German beers can be found in most Whole Foods Markets, according to Phillips.

-For Hanukkah meals, Philips suggests something dry, light and bitter to complement the fried latkes. One suggestion is Uerige altbier. The brewery that it comes from in Dusseldorf, Uerige, actually sells potato pancakes, Philips said.

-For Christmas meals, he suggest something full in texture but not in weight. Try Extra Gold from the Captain Lawrence brewery in Pleasantville, N.Y. Raison D’Etre from Dogfish Head in Delaware is another option.

Tags: beer table, justin philips

What’s in Season: Oysters (with recipe!)

Tuesday December 9, 2008 3:25 PM By Lucy Blatter

By Ben Muessig

Special to amNewYork

Seasonal fare doesn't just come from the fields — it can also come from the seas. This week, pick up a tasty aquatic treat that's available throughout the winter.

The old proverb is true: months that include the letter R in their names are the prime time for oysters, at least according to John Mullholland, of the Seatuck Fish Company of East Point."You can probably find oysters all year round, but they're best when it's cold," said Mullholland, who sells the mollusks at farmer's markets around the city.

These delicious bivalves have long been treasured as a delicacy and an aphrodisiac — but they're also a nutrient-packed snack. Oysters are a great source of zinc, iron, selenium and vitamins A and D — plus they're low in cholesterol.

Oysters are easy to prepare in all kinds of recipes. You can roast oysters for a simple entrée, serve them breaded and fried for a tasty snack, or make them into a French oyster soup. If you're brave, try slurping oysters raw. Fresh oysters cost about $10 per dozen.

Recipe: Oyster po’ boys

¼ cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon minced lemon peel

2 long French rolls, split horizontally, lightly toasted

Vegetable oil (for frying)

¹⁄³ cup yellow cornmeal

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 8-ounce can oysters, drained, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce

STIR mayonnaise, lemon juice, and lemon peel in small bowl to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pull out some bread from bottom half of each roll to form shallow pocket. Spread mayonnaise in pockets.

POUR oil into medium skillet to depth of ¼ inch. Heat 5 minutes over medium heat. Blend cornmeal and cayenne in small bowl; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roll oysters in cornmeal mixture to coat. Fry oysters until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer oysters to paper towel to drain.

ARRANGE oysters in bottom halves of rolls. Top with shredded lettuce and roll tops.

Serves 2

From “The Bon Appétit Fast Easy Fresh Cookbook”

Tags: oysters, bon apetit

Viral video: Underdog to the rescue

Tuesday December 9, 2008 8:20 AM By Sean Joseph

After the daring rescue of a much bigger dog on a highway in Chile, this pup is a legend. Unfortunately, nobody can find the four-legged hero.

Tags: viral video, television, animals, chile

Jay Leno to get new 10 p.m. talk show on NBC

Monday December 8, 2008 3:06 PM By Pete Catapano

(AP)

By Pete Catapano

Jay Leno isn’t leaving NBC after all.

According to reports, in a surprise move, the network will announce today that the “Tonight Show” will get a new talk show every week night at 10 p.m. Conan O’Brien will move from his “Late Night” desk and will take over “Tonight” in May 2010.

The 10 p.m. show will be a similar format to “Tonight,” according to The New York Times. The network has long feared that Leno would move to a competitor.

Leno took over the “Tonight Show” following Johnny Carson’s retirement in 1992.

Former Saturday Night Live star Jimmy Fallon, meanwhile, will take over for Conan on “Late Night.”

The news broke hours after NBC chief Jeff Zucker told analysts at a media investor conference sponsored by UBS that NBC is considering cutting the number of hours or perhaps even the number of nights it provides programming.

"Can we continue to program 22 hours of prime-time? Three of our competitors don't. Can we afford to program seven nights a week? One of our competitors doesn't," Zucker said. "All of these questions have to be on the table. And we are actively looking at all of those questions."

Having Leno in primetime, therefore, will free NBC from developing new original programming.

(with AP)

Tags: jay leno, television

amNewYork Letters to the Editor

Monday December 8, 2008 2:06 PM By Sara Baumberger

Media shielded Obama from smoking criticism

Re “Blowing smoke over quitting?” Dec. 8: After following the election very closely, I was shocked to learn that Obama smokes — another example of the media protecting their “chosen one.” I was happy to see it finally exposed, but dismayed by the subtitle, “New Yorkers sympathize with his struggle to quit smoking.” I’m a New Yorker who doesn’t sympathize. This is a 47-year-old man in 2008 with two young daughters! Curiously, the media concealed Obama’s smoking (even Fox News!). The media attacked McCain’s health and age, suggesting he could drop at any moment, though his mother is a sound 96. Obama’s mother died young, of cancer no less.

— Greg Turner, Brooklyn

Maybe a Kennedy is just what New York needs

Re “NY’s senator Kennedy?” Dec. 8: Caroline Kennedy wants to be our next senator after Hillary Clinton steps down. The question is that during these economic times don’t we need someone who has held office and has proven leadership ability? Well, President-elect Barack Obama was accused of not having enough experience and now he’ll be running the country. Caroline has things in her favor that might prove to her advantage. She comes from a legendary family with powerful connections and has championed public education, not to mention she has raised $65 million for NYC schools. Her mission will better the lives of New Yorkers. So who knows? She might just have what it takes.

— Frederick R. Bedell Jr., Glen Oaks Village

Tags: letters to the editor

Monday December 8, 2008 2:04 PM By Jason Fink

Report: Winehouse hubby seeking cash for silence

Monday December 8, 2008 1:45 PM By Jason Fink

By Jason Fink

and Kara Warner

Amy Winehouse, right, with husband Blake Fielder-Civil. Photo by Getty Images

Apparently hoping for the title world’s worst husband, troubled rocker Amy Winehouse’s soon-to-be-ex is threatening to pen a tell-all book unless she forks over $1.5 million, a British tabloid is reporting.

“That’s pretty much the definition of extortion,” said Kimberly Summers, a criminal defense lawyer in New York. “Any sort of threat, ‘if you don’t pay me, I’ll do X,’ that’s extortion.”

According to the News of the World, Blake Fielder-Civil, in jail for assault and trial-fixing, made the demand after Winehouse’s father, Mitch, offered him £50,000 (about $74,000) to divorce the “Rehab” singer, whose public battles with drugs and alcohol have become legendary.

“Mitch’s £50,000 offer was an insult. Amy’s worth £10 million ($14.9 million) and Blake’s her husband. He’s entitled to at least £3 million ($4.5 million) after all he’s been through with her,” Fielder-Civil’s mom, Georgette, was quoted as saying in the News of the World.The latest twist in the couple’s sordid saga comes on the heels of Field-Civil’s admission that he introduced Winehouse to heroin and crack cocaine, setting her on the self-destructive path that has made her a stalwart of the gossip pages and come to overshadow her promising musical career. The two were married in May 2007 in Miami.

While it’s not clear what Fielder-Civil would reveal – the 25-year-old singer's antics are hardly a secret – the mere threat could be enough for criminal charges.

British law defines blackmail as someone who “with a view to gain for himself . . . makes any unwarranted demand with menaces.”

Jeremy D. Morely, an English lawyer who practices in New York, said even if it did not become a criminal case, the demand for money would hurt Field-Civil’s position in a divorce proceeding.

“An English court would not be amused by that,” he said.

Serena Gallagher, a spokeswoman for Universal Music Group, Winehouse's record label, said the company does not comment on its artists' personal lives. Her publicist could not be reached for comment tonight.

Tags: amy winehouse, celebrities, music, entertainment

Get away: This week's travel deals

Monday December 8, 2008 1:04 PM By Lucy Blatter

A trip to Aruba has its perks. Credit: Tribune Media Services

By Emily Ranager

Special to amNewYork

Stroll along the beaches of southern Spain with this package vacation to Costa del Sol from Gate 1 Travel, starting at $699 per person for double occupancy. The price includes round-trip airfare from New York, six nights at the Sol Príncipe Hotel, which overlooks Playamar Beach, a full-day sightseeing tour and breakfast daily. Depart on Jan. 13 or 20, 2009 for the lowest prices, but additional dates from January through March are available for $50 extra. Hotel upgrades start at $50 per person for the entire trip. Deadline based on availability. www.gate1travel.com; 800-682-3333.Omni Hotels, a chain with locations in about 30 U.S. cities, is offering 25 percent off its rates through Jan. 4, 2009. Rates range from $139 to $309 per night, depending on the city, with a minimum two-night stay required. Reservations must be made seven days in advance and are non-refundable. Room taxes vary by city. No single occupancy bookings. The Holiday Sugar and Spice package also includes a room-service delivery of hot cocoa. www.omnihotels.com; 888-444-6664.

Lufthansa is offering holiday sale fares on its business class flights from New York to several destinations in Europe. For example, a round-trip flight to Frankfurt, Germany, starts at $1,592, including taxes and fees. The fare is normally about $3,000. The sale applies to travel Dec. 20 through Jan. 9, 2009. The lowest fares are for mid-week departures. Seven-day advance purchase required; book by Dec. 26. www.lufthansa.com.

Hit the slots in Las Vegas, where hotels throughout the city have slashed rates up to 30 percent off compared to last year’s holiday season. Of the 74 hotel-casinos in Sin City, 54 offer rooms for less than $50 per night in December. Lowest prices are at El Cortez, a newly renovated downtown Vegas casino, with rooms starting at $14 nightly. Higher-end resorts like Bally’s, MGM Grand and the Las Vegas Hilton also have rooms for less than $80. The best rates are for travel Dec. 14 through Dec. 24. www.LasVegasAdvisor.com.

Get a resort credit and a fifth night free with The Westin Resort, Aruba’s Vacation Bailout package. Travelers who book a five-night trip will receive a $150 credit for dining or other activities at the resort, and guests who stay six nights-or-more get a $200 credit. The four-star resort sits on seven-and-a-half acres of beaches and gardens and features eight restaurants, spas, a casino and golf course. Rates start at $269 per night. Book by Dec. 31 and travel by April 16, 2009; blackout dates are Dec. 27 to 30. www.westin.com; 877-822-2222.

Tags: travel deals

Avoid scams this holiday season

Monday December 8, 2008 1:00 PM By Lucy Blatter

Be careful when you click. Credit: iStockPhoto

By LUCY COHEN BLATTER

lucy.blatter@am-ny.com

This holiday season, even the savviest traveler can fall prey to Internet booking scams.

That’s where the Alliance Against Bait & Click comes in. The group aims to eliminating “bait and click” scam ads — or “scads” — where companies use the sponsored links section on popular search engines to lure consumers away from the Web sites where people are searching.Alliance members — such as Northwest Airlines, Marriott, Starwood Hotels and InterContinental Hotels — have found various Web sites deceptively claiming to be affiliated with them.

In some cases the scad sites had misinformation (claiming no room availability when, in fact, there was). In other instances, they quoted room prices that were much higher than the actual rates. In the most extreme cases, they sold hotel accommodations, and when the customers arrived at the hotels, there were no records of the transactions.

Jarrod Agen, the spokesman for Alliance Against Bait & Click, provided some tips to help keep your holiday travel bookings scam-free:

- Take a close look before you click. “Look at the headline first, then the text, and then the URL. Make sure that they’re all in line with what you’re searching for. If the headline and text is for Marriott but URL is totally different don’t use it.”

- If you find yourself on a site you don’t trust, leave quickly. “These sites can open you up to Spyware, viruses or fraud.”

- If it sounds too good to be true it probably is. “This season, holiday deals will be better than they have been for a long time, so that makes it easier for scammers to get away with the deals.”

- Check in with the company. “It’s always a good idea to verify the deal with the hotel or airline.”

Tags: alliance against bait & click, travel

New Year’s Eve celebrations, closer to home

Monday December 8, 2008 12:43 PM By Lucy Blatter

First Night Hartford. Credit: Aaron Kotowski

By Emily Ranager

Special to amNewYork

You don’t need a plane ticket to start 2009 off right. These getaways are just a few hours outside the city.

Cross the border and ring in 2009 in Niagara Falls, Ontario, host of Canada’s equivalent to New Year’s Eve in Times Square. Fireworks displays at 9 p.m. and midnight will light up the Falls, and you’ll have a spectacular view from Queen Victoria Park, the site of a free concert beginning at 7:30 p.m and headlined by Rodger Hodson, the former lead singer of British progressive rock band Supertramp.If partying in the frigid temperatures isn’t your idea of a good time, several hotels in the area offer packages with alternative events. For example, two nights at Sheraton on the Falls, a buffet dinner at the Fallsview Restaurant, admission to a New Year’s Eve party, a midnight champagne toast, New Year’s Day brunch and an additional breakfast starts at $538 per couple.

Niagara Falls is about seven hours by car from Manhattan and is also served by Amtrak and Greyhound. Remember to allow additional time to cross the Canadian border.

Get the New Year’s party started in Atlantic City, N.J., where there will be something for everyone’s celebratory tastes. Serious partiers will want to dance the night away at Casbah’s Bangin’ Bash at Trump Taj Mahal, where DJs will spin and revelers will party into the wee hours.

Party and room packages are $749 per couple and include accommodations, admission to the nightclub and two hours of open bar. Tickets to the party alone are $100.

For something a bit tamer, have a laugh at “Late Late Show” host Craig Ferguson’s stand-up comedy show at Borgata Hotel and Casino, or get soulful with the Pointer Sisters at the Tropicana. Hotels in Atlantic City start at $199 for New Year’s Eve. Atlantic City is about two-and-a-half hours by car from Manhattan and is also served by Greyhound and Amtrak.

For a family-friendly alternative to New Year’s debauchery, bring the kids to First Night Hartford, an all-day arts celebration.

From 2 p.m. to midnight on Dec. 31, downtown Hartford, Conn., hosts an alcohol-free festival of arts, music, dance, fireworks and more. Purchase a $15 button to get access to tons of artists and shows, like an extreme trampoline performance full of crazy twists and flips, a break dancing Shakespeare workshop, and a battle of the bands.

Kids’ tickets are just $2. Hotels in the Hartford area start at $55 for New Year’s Eve, but expect to pay upwards of $120 for accommodations closer to downtown.

Hartford is about two-and-a-half hours by car from Manhattan and is also served by Amtrak and Greyhound.

Try a cozy New England retreat if you’d rather skip the crowds. A three-night getaway to the Bear Mountain Inn in Waterford, Maine, includes accommodations, a four-course candlelit dinner for two, a New Year’s Eve party with other guests, a romantic breakfast on Jan. 1 and daily fireside hot chocolate and nuts.

Rates range from $350 for standard guest rooms to $1300 for a private lakeside cabin. Waterford is about 7 hours by car from Manhattan.

The closest Amtrak station is in Conway, N.H., about 25 miles away.

Or start 2009 at The Sagamore, a luxury resort on Lake George in Bolton Landing, N.Y. Rates start at $389 per person for three nights’ accommodations, dinner on New Year’s Eve, a party with live music and midnight toast, and a recovery brunch on New Year’s Day.

Bolton Landing is about four hours by car from Manhattan. The Sagamore will arrange transportation from the Amtrak station in Albany.

Tags: first night hartford, atlantic city, new year's eve, new england, travel

Viral video: Mom catches son singing Britney Spears

Monday December 8, 2008 8:39 AM By Sean Joseph

This kid gets so scared when his mom catches him imitating Britney Spears that he falls down in the middle of “Baby One More Time.”

Tags: britney spears, viral video, television, music

More 'decaffiti' on Brooklyn's sidestreets?

Monday December 8, 2008 3:20 AM By Emily Ngo

It seems the sidestreets of Brooklyn, especially the likes of Williamsburg and Greenpoint, are seeing a jump in decal graffiti.

Let's call if "decaffiti."

But while the giant stickers can slapped on walls in less time than it takes to, say, spray-paint an elaborate mural, they don't last nearly as long.

— Emily NgoP.S. Here's one for the road:

Tags: grafitti, brooklyn, arts, gentrification

Cover story: Obama says he won't take cigarettes to the White House

Sunday December 7, 2008 2:44 PM By Jason Fink

By Jason Fink and Emily Ngo

President-elect Barack Obama vowed today to kick some butts.

In an interview aired today, Obama, whose cigarette habit has dogged him in the media, said he would refrain from smoking in the White House.

“It’s easier said than done,” said smoker Allen Duncan, 31, of the West Village.

Like most other New Yorkers interviewed yesterday, Duncan said that Obama’s habit was his own business.

Obama, well-known for his cool demeanor and grace under pressure, became a bit rattled when Tom Brokaw on “Meet the Press” grilled him on whether he’d really given up the habit.

“I have,” Obama said. “What I said was that there are times where I have fallen off the wagon.”

“Wait a minute,” Brokaw replied, “that means you haven’t stopped.”

“Fair enough,” Obama conceded.

He then promised not to smoke in the White House, where the practice was banned at the behest of former First Lady Hillary Clinton – now Obama’s choice for secretary of state.

“I've done a terrific job, under the circumstances, of making myself much healthier,” he said.Obama reportedly promised his wife, Michelle, that he would quit when he decided to run for president. He was frequently seen chewing Nicorette gum during the campaign.

“It’s a bad time to quit smoking,” because of the struggling economy, said Jeff Rice, 42, a smoker from Montclair, N.J. “I’d be too stressed out to quit.”

In an interview with Men’s Health Magazine for the November issue, Obama copped to bumming smokes occasionally during the campaign and said, “I figure, seeing as I’m running for president, I need to cut myself a little slack.”

In fact, had Obama been running at just about any other time in American history, he would need very little slack.

Numerous presidents have smoked, with little or no public outcry. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was elected a record four times, was rarely photographed without his trademark cigarette holder clenched in his teeth.

But as the negative health effects of smoking have become more widely known and cities and states have raced to enact indoor bans, the habit has become considerably less socially acceptable.

First Lady Laura Bush admitted to once being a regular smoker and Bill Clinton was known to puff cigars, but a regular and public cigarette habit would almost certainly be a problem now for someone meant to be a role model.

“He has to quit for health reasons,” said Harold Govan, 40, of midtown. “He should just quit and move on with his life. Just throw those cigarettes away.”

The AP contributed to this story.

Tags: barack obama, white house, smoking, politics

City council pushes $500 million in spending cuts

Sunday December 7, 2008 1:51 PM By Jason Fink

By Jason Fink

Locked in a battle with Mayor Michael Bloomberg over his plan to withhold this year’s property tax rebates, members of the City Council today outlined $500 million in proposed spending cuts over the next two years.

The cuts focus heavily on the Department of Education, which would see a reduction of some $75 million in non-classroom spending.

The plan would also reduce 311 service, slash the NYC & Company Tourism Fund budget, and delay the purchasing of new vehicles, among dozens of other programs.

“These cuts show that the council is willing to make tough choices in the face of financial adversity, that we are willing to do more with less if that means acting in the best interest of our city,” said Speaker Christine Quinn.The proposals come a month after Bloomberg outlined his own plan to close what is now estimated to be a $1.6 billion gap this fiscal year.

Among the least popular of the Bloomberg cuts was the cancellation of the $400 property tax rebate checks that were supposed to be mailed out in October. Council members contend the administration is obligated to send them out, but so far it has not.

While members who signed onto the budget proposals yesterday made no mention of the rebates, Bloomberg has challenged the council to come up wth an alternative for the $256 million his office said the checks will cost the city.

The council proposals would save $170 million this fiscal year and $325 million in fiscal year 2010.

Tags: budget, city council, speaker christine quinn, city hall dispatch

Will senate seat go back to the Kennedy family?

Sunday December 7, 2008 1:05 PM By Jason Fink

Caroline Kennedy at the Democratic National Convention in August. Photo by Associated Press

By Jason Fink

A Senate seat that has seen its share of political celebrities might just get one of the Democratic party’s most famous names.

The political world is abuzz about news that Caroline Kennedy is among the front-runners to replace Hillary Clinton, who is expected to step down to become secretary of state.

Kennedy, 51, a lawyer who lives in Manhattan, called Gov. David Paterson last week to discuss the seat once held by her uncle, Robert F. Kennedy.

Paterson has said little about replacing Clinton, who would likely be confirmed for her new post and resign from the Senate next month.

“I am sure if [Kennedy] is interested, she'll call back, but I'm not going to rate any of the candidates or talk about perspective candidates,” Paterson told CNN this weekend.Kennedy has never held elective office, which one political consultant said could hurt her.

“She’s going to have to shake hands with a lot of people she doesn’t like,” said Hank Sheinkopf, who worked for President Bill Clinton’s 1996 re-election campaign.

Sheinkopf said Kennedy would be able to raise money but is “not battle tested” and could prove vulnerable to a Republican.

Though she has been a national figure since she was a toddler scampering around the White House when her father, John F. Kennedy, was president, Caroline Kennedy has long avoided the spotlight.

Then, earlier this year, she and her uncle, Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), endorsed Barack Obama in the primary against Clinton, causing a rift among two of the country’s most prominent political families.

Obama called Kennedy a “wonderful American” but said he did not want to get involved.

Other contenders for the post include state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, several members of the House of Representatives, Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi and Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, among many others.

To hold the seat, whoever is appointed would have to run in a special election in 2010 and then for a full, six-year term in 2012.

Tags: politics

Use the holiday season to get ahead

Sunday December 7, 2008 12:33 PM By Lucy Blatter

Don't become a joke at the office party. Credit: IStockPhoto

By Lucy Cohen Blatter

lucy.blatter@am-ny.com

It’s holiday time, which means you’re likely to spend more time socializing with colleagues.

Nicole Williams, a career expert, TV personality and bestselling author, offers advice on how to best take advantage of the office holiday party and how to buy the right Secret Santa gift. She also shows how your strategy during the holidays can bear gifts later on.

Holiday party etiquette

The biggest mistake people make, Williams says, is not taking advantage of the fact that superiors attend the holiday party. “You should use the party as an opportunity to extend your network and talk to your bosses. Don’t just stick to your small social group,” she says.

When it comes to office party conversations, Williams suggests asking colleagues about themselves, because people feel closer to those who know more about them.

And, while it’s tempting to talk about the bad economy or possible layoffs, Williams suggests staying positive and festive.

It goes without saying, but be careful of how much alcohol you consume. You want to appear festive, not foolish.Holiday party attire

Holiday parties provide an opportunity to get noticed, Williams says, so take advantage. “You should limit your outfit to one sexy thing. Because if you feel more sexy you’ll feel more confident.”

For men, Williams suggests wearing a suit, or not. “If you wear a suit every day don’t where one to the party and vice versa. Just do the opposite of what you normally do, so you can get noticed.”

Secret Santa tips:

Williams stresses the importance of being creative and personalizing gifts. She also suggests adding face time. “If you give a box of tea, make a date to enjoy it together. It’s all about growing the relationships.” Also, she adds, “don’t underestimate the power of a card.”

Tags: holiday parties, christmas parties, office parties, secret santa, nicole williams

Sample sales: DVF, Tracy Reese, Catherine Malandrino

Sunday December 7, 2008 11:43 AM By Julie Gordon

A model at Diane von Furstenberg's fall fashion show in New York (Getty)

Here are this week's sample sales:

alice + olivia

Dec. 8, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Dec. 9, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Dec. 10, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Dec. 11, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. 26 W. 36th St., second floor, btwn Seventh and Eighth aves. 212-947-8748

This season’s tops, sweaters, pants, dresses and other items are at wholesale prices and below. A wool-blend blazer htat was $385 is now $159. A color-block sweater dress with a belt that was $396 is now $159.

Tracy Reese

Dec. 9 to 10, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Dec. 11, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. 250 W. 39th St.. 212-398-9300.

Tracy Reese’s girly dresses are perfect for a holiday party. A pleated strapless dress that was $475 is now $215. A black velvet cocktail dress that was $260 is now $130.

Diane von Furstenberg

Dec. 9, 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Dec. 10, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Dec. 11, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Dec. 12, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Dec. 13, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 260 Fifth Ave., btwn 28th and 29th sts.

Diane von Furstenberg’s famous wrap dresses — and other frock styles — are marked down to $150. Also at the sale are coats ($350), jackets ($150), skirts ($80), pants ($80) and samples/damages ($50).

Furla

Dec. 10 to 12, 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. 552 Seventh Ave., fifth floor, btwn 39th and 40th sts.

Italian leather accessories brand Furla is holding its first sample sale. Fall and resort handbags are half-price, and all shoes are $100.Mackage

Dec. 10 to 12, 12 to 7:30 p.m. 275 W. 39th St., seventh floor. 212-391-5287

With their bitter cold winters, Canadians should be outerwear experts. Well, Mackage’s designers are. The brand’s beautifully detailed coats and jackets are now up to 50 percent off. Mens’ and women’s wool, leather and shearling styles are available.

Catherine Malandrino

Dec. 10, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Dec. 11 to 12, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. 145 W. 18th St., btwn Sixth and Seventh aves. 212-388-0339

The fall/winter ’08 collection is 75 percent off. A fringe halter dress that was $595 is now $195. A sleeveless dress with rosettes that was $495 is now $195. Rare vintage pieces from the runway collection are also on sale.

Nest

Dec. 9, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Dec. 10, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 325 W. 38th St., ste. 302, between Ninth and 10th aves.

Don’t forget about baby. Infant and toddler clothing, as well as diaper bags, are 50 to 75 percent off. Onesies that were $38 are now $12. Diaper bags that were $285 are now $120. Organic items are also available.

Tags: sample sales, diane von furstenberg, tracy reese, furla, the nest, catherine malandrino, mackage

David Gregory to host 'Today' show ... wait, scratch that

Sunday December 7, 2008 9:50 AM By Rolando Pujol

The Associated Press ran a very strange bulletin Sunday morning. David Gregory was going to be hosting the "Today" show, which would have been interesting news for Meredith Vieira and Matt Lauer. The goof was fixed -- some 5 minutes later -- to report what media watchers were anticipating: Gregory would be hosting "Meet the Press" on NBC.

The AP mistake follows a weird -- and recurring -- New York Times error Saturday. The first draft of the Sunny von Bulow obituary listed the byline as "Ennemy," which is rather unfortunate. Folks familiar with Times bylines filled in the blanks: The piece was the work of retired reporter Enid Nemy. The typo was later fixed, but it somehow came back again when a tweaked version of the story was posted several hours later.

-- Rolando Pujol

Tags: ap, new york times, enid nemy, david gregory, today show, meet the press, sunny von bulow, television, media

Career Close-Up: Publicists

Sunday December 7, 2008 9:40 AM By Lucy Blatter

Lizzie Grubman, one of the most well-known publicists. Credit: Getty.

By KAREN TINA HARRISON

Special to amNewYork

Layoffs have reached epidemic levels in the city and around the country, prompting thousands of people who have lost their jobs to consider new careers. With this in mind, amNewYork is kicking off a bi-weekly feature that will provide a closer look at various careers. First on our radar: publicists.

What they do:

The goal of public relations pros, or publicists, is to get people talking about, and patronizing, their clients. Publicists work in-house at corporate companies; in PR firms similar to ad agencies; or in their own small firms.How they do it:

Publicists create awareness of their clients (or companies) by getting them featured or mentioned in the media and by sparking word-of-mouth buzz. Independent publicists tend to specialize in a single field such as fashion, restaurants, hotels, books, etc.

They land accounts by pitching campaigns to potential clients. Publicists must devise engaging ways to interest the media in the client.

Methods include writing press releases and suggesting story angles, producing events, and working one-on-one with journalists, often over business lunches.

How they get there:

Many publicists get hooked up via college internships in big firms. A bachelor's degree is required, but a PR or communications degree is not.

PR resumes can be enhanced by certificates in public relations from part-time programs like that at New York University's School of Continuing and Professional Studies (www.scps.nyu.edu).

What they need:

“A successful publicist has common sense, imagination and natural social skills,” says Geoffrey Weill of Geoffrey Weill Associates, a Manhattan PR firm that specializes in travel destinations. “To do right by everyone involved — the client, the press, the consumer and yourself — you must believe in what you're promoting and never waver from the truth. People are tired of spin.”

What they make:

Entry-level publicists earn $30-40K, but talent is spotted quickly, and good publicists are steadily promoted into the $60-100K range. A publicist who opens a firm that lures well-paying clients will do well, especially if the firm is bought by a larger one.

Where to learn more:

www.prquickstart.org/

www.prssa.org/jobcenter/resources

www.instituteforpr.com

www.bls.gov/oco/ocos086.htm

Tags: publicists, pr, geoffrey weill associates

Beware the Old Navy megaphone man on 34th Street

Sunday December 7, 2008 8:56 AM By Emily Ngo

If you had the misfortune of passing Old Navy's 34th Street store on Sunday, you've likely fallen victim to the promoter with megaphone. He's shouting ... and we mean shouting ... about the last day of sweater deals at the retailer.

The deals — 40 percent off Old Navy's warmest — are worth ducking in for, but don't forget to grimace at the obnoxious megaphone man on your way through the door.

— Emily Ngo

Tags: shopping, old navy

Viral video: 'Cheeto Pet,' pottery that grows

Sunday December 7, 2008 8:34 AM By Sean Joseph

This spin off of the classic Chia Pet makes a great holiday gift and an even better snack.

Tags: viral video, television, food, animals

Henican: Too-small sacrifices for Big 3

Thursday December 4, 2008 3:27 PM By Emily Ngo

Tough times demand tough measures, and I know I’m doing my share.

You should have tasted the squirrely cup of deli coffee I choked down this morning. That swill almost had me mumbling on the sidewalk: “Hey, brother, can you spare a grande skim cappuccino?”

I’m not alone in this, I understand. And I’m not looking for sympathy. Half my friends in New York are cutting out luxuries, skimping on essentials and trying to convince themselves that mac-and-cheese is a great new kind of pasta dish.

And those “Rolexes” you see on Canal Street? They more or less keep time.

But as rumors of recession have given way to an undeniable economic collapse, the people at the top still aren’t suffering like the rest of us are. And I don’t just mean the indignity of leaving the corporate jet at home, driving a shiny new car to Washington and stopping at a Quiznos on the way.

Quiznos, huh?When General Motor CEO Rick Wagoner saw the sign outside the sub shop saying, “MMMM … Toasty,” he must have thought it was an omen for the cheery welcome he’d be getting Thursday on Capitol Hill.

What he got instead was a snarky crack from Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby and lectures on his industry’s many screw-ups.

“Are you gonna drive back?” Shelby asked. “And if so, if some of us wanted a ride to Detroit, could we ride back with you?”

Well, now that it’s become an issue, yes.

But big business, big government — the payback has only begun. These are the people who got us into all this trouble. If they can’t get out of it in a hurry, at least they should suffer at our sides.

I didn’t write any subprime mortgages or pay myself $30 million a year. And no, it isn’t nearly enough to take a $1 annual salary during the bailout phase, no doubt expecting fat bonuses at the end.

Wagoner came up Pennsylvania Avenue Thursday in a plug-in Chevrolet Volt. The electric car looked nice, but it isn’t even for sale yet to regular people. And that, right there, is a big part of the problem.

Tags: henican, auto bailout, big 3, gm

Time to party like it’s 1933: Speakeasies to celebrate Repeal Day

Thursday December 4, 2008 2:51 PM By Scott A. Rosenberg

By Edith Zimmerman

Metromix.com

On Dec. 5, 1933, the U.S. government ratified the 21st Amendment, which repealed Prohibition. Except for the grim, gray old temperance ladies, Americans rejoiced. No more brain-eroding bathtub gin! No more lethal doses of alcoholic “medicine!”

So here we are, three-quarters of a century later, celebrating this terrific (if mostly pretend) holiday.

Thus, when the clock strikes 9 p.m. this Friday, put on your classiest ’30s-era duds and take a long, hard drink while toasting the men and women who worked hard to make that drink possible. And if you’d rather not do that in the privacy of your own home, here’s a list of speakeasy-esque bars and drinking venues where you can get your Repeal on.Back Room

102 Norfolk St., btwn Delancey and Rivington sts., 212-228-5098

Even cynical New Yorkers feel a little cooler slipping through the dark alley leading to this modern incarnation of a speakeasy, where the Distilled Spirits Company is throwing a Repeal Day party. Lounge on a velvet sofa while sipping beers from paper bags or dirty martinis served, as always, in sly porcelain teacups. The party opens to the public at 8:30 p.m.

Employees Only

510 Hudson St., btwn Christopher and W. 10th sts., 212-242-3021

A true speakeasy-style restaurant and bar, Employees Only held a big and rowdy pre-Repeal party on Monday, complete with burlesque, cake and bar-top dancing. But if you didn’t make it on Monday, head to EO on Friday for your own celebration.

Pegu Club

77 W. Houston St., btwn W. Broadway and Wooster St., 212-473-7348

Pegu Club is less of a party and more of a perpetual celebration of old-school drinking ideals. As always, expect classy drinks and classy digs, and do your best to look sharp.

LeNell’s

416 Van Brunt St., btwn Van Dyke and Coffey sts., Red Hook, 877-NO-SNOBS

If you’d rather not go out to a bar, you can throw a “Hooray, Prohibition’s over!” party at your own apartment after stocking up at the legendary Red Hook liquor store, where you’ll enjoy special savings on booze from noon to midnight on Repeal Day.

The Box

189 Chrystie St., btwn Rivington and Stanton sts., 212-982-9301

This LES debauchery den extraordinaire seems like a fitting place to throw a Repeal Day party, no? Expect DJs, burlesque, aerial performance and a slew of scintillating surprises under the Box’s jewel-encrusted chandeliers.

Tags: prohibition, repeal day, back room, employees only, pegu club, lenell’s, the box, bars

'Real World: Brooklyn': Meet the roommates and tour their digs

Thursday December 4, 2008 2:30 PM By Julie Gordon

Chet, left, and Ryan -- two of the cast members on "The Real World: Brooklyn." (Photos: RJ Mickelson/amNY)

By Julie Gordon

“The Real World: Brooklyn” cast-members believe it’s a real shame people are already judging them.

The show debuts on Jan.7, so America has not yet met them. And even before they had set foot in Red Hook in August to film the show, local residents were already harping on the negative images of seasons’ past: sex, drinking and public rowdiness.

“We’d hear, ‘Oh, it’s Fake World. You guys suck,’” said roommate Scott, a 23-year-old personal trainer and model from New Hampshire, who is one of the eight “RW” guys and girls (yes, it’s eight this season). “This one guy in a bar said we were a virus,” Scott said. “So I walked up to him and said, ‘Really?’ You don’t know who I am.”

amNewYork spent time with the cast yesterday and gave them a chance to introduce themselves to our readers:

J.D., 22, Miami Beach, Fla.

A dolphin and whale trainer back home, J.D. describes himself as strong, smart, independent and “not your typical gay guy.” He said he has been forced to be independent — he was abused as a child by his father, and grew up partly in foster care.

One reason he auditioned for the show was to find the family he didn’t have as a kid. And though he said everyone in the house became “really good friends,” the group wasn’t as tight-knit as he thought it would be.

While in New York, the roommates were allowed to pursue a career path of choice. JD worked on public policy for the LGBT community center and for the gay-lesbian-straight network.

“One of the reasons why we really got along was because we had the outlet of doing what we wanted,” he said.

Scott, 23, Salem, N.H.

Scott isn’t a big partier — never has been, never will be.

“I went to college for four years and I went to three college parties,” he said. “Why? Because college is a place to learn and not to party.”

He felt similarly about his move to New York, saying going out every night to have sex, get drunk and do drugs is “B.S.”

Instead, he spent his time focusing on a budding modeling and acting career — appropriate, as Men’s Health magazine gave the personal trainer an award for his rock-hard abs before he moved to New York.

“It’s OK in the first episode they show me in the gym doing my thing. I worked in a gym my whole life like that’s me. That’s my hobby,” Scott said. “But you know what’s going to be great? When the stories start to unfold and you get to know me.”

Sarah, 22, San Francisco

Sarah’s passion is helping victims of sexual abuse through art therapy, which she had to put on the back burner in New York because she was always being followed by cameras.

Instead, she spent her time helping a nonprofit called Free Arts that brings art programs to inner-city schools, and teaching art therapy at the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Center.

Sarah is currently in a relationship with a guy who lives in San Francisco, though she previously only dated women. She said her heart truly is in San Francisco, where she plans to live once the “RW” hullabaloo is finished.

She said she “totally” understands why some NYC locals were hesitant to have their establishments filmed for MTV.

“In San Francisco I have little coffee shops and bars and I would not want some crew coming in there and advertising their names,” she said.

Baya, 21, Salt Lake City

One of the bars that allowed the “Real World” crew to film inside was East Village joint Angels and Kings, which is partly owned by Fall Out Boy musician Pete Wentz. Baya DJ’d there on Tuesday nights.

Besides getting a gig as a resident DJ, Baya pursued her love of dance while in the city.

After the show, Baya is staying in New York, moving to a Stuyvesant Town apartment with “RW” roommates Scott and Devyn.

Baya said she wants people to understand that though she may look one way — when we saw her she was shoeless and wearing leggings, a tie-dye shirt and tons of silver jewelry — she has a variety of interests.

“I love hip-hop dance, my soul is in hip-hop, but at the same time, I’m really rooted in the earth. That’s my home,” Baya said. “I’m a free spirit.

Devyn, 20, Kansas City, Mo.

Confident and outspoken, Devyn thinks the reason some New Yorkers weren’t welcoming to the Brooklyn “Real World”-ers is because they’re closet fans.

“Nobody likes to be yelled at, but it’s almost like a compliment,” Devyn said. “You need more haters. That means you’re doing something right.”

A former Miss Missouri Teen and Miss America Teen, Devyn attracted male attention while on the show, but she loves reciting the quote, “It is easier to get into heaven than into Devyn.”

While in New York, Devyn was the public relations director for a new fashion label, and is set to transition into their spokesmodel. She also performed with a local rock band in Brooklyn.

Katelyn, 24, West Palm Beach

Katelyn is the first transgender person on the show, a fact she was reluctant to share with the roommates at first.

“I didn’t want to come in with this chip on my shoulder, like, ‘I’m Katelyn, the transsexual,’ and I dare you to knock that off,” she said. “I wanted them to realize,

‘Hey, this is Katelyn.’ Transgender may be what I am but it’s not who I am.

Katelyn underwent gender reassignment surgery this summer in Thailand.

She said she used the television exposure to reach out and do advocacy work in the LGBT community. She’s also working on a book.

“I can normalize the transgender label,” she said.

Ryan, 23, Gettysburg, Penn.

Want to see Ryan’s face light up? Mention Lower East Side spot Creperie.

“We went there so many times, I might even go tonight,” Ryan said.

On a more serious note, he is an Iraq war vet, and enlisted in the Army at age 17. While in New York, he got involved in veterans’ organizations since he’s now in the public spotlight. But he doesn’t want people to only associate him with his military background.

“Yeah, I was an Iraq vet, but I do other things, too,” he said.

That includes writing songs and a memoir, and taking classes at the New York Film Academy.

Chet, 23, Salt Lake City

Chet said he’s not as unaware as some cast members of past, including Julie from the New Orleans “RW” cast.

“While she [JULIE] found herself questioning what a condom was and confusing it for candy, I’m really not that kind of person,” Chet said. “I’m 23 years old and I know everything from A to Z about sex, about drugs, about sexuality.”

That said, Chet, a Mormon, is a virgin and doesn’t drink.

“But Mormons can go out and have fun and dance,” Chet said. “I love dancing. That’s how I feel most comfortable.”

Chet hopes his outgoing personality — and love of music — will translate into a career as a host on a “Total Request Live”-style show. He noted the connections he made with MTV, hopefully they will help him with that pursuit.

Tags: real world, brooklyn, television, entertainment

Atlantic Yards delayed again, and opponents doubt it will ever get built

Thursday December 4, 2008 1:38 PM By Marlene Naanes

The lot at 800 Pacific Street where Brooklyn's Ward Bakery once sat is now an empty construction site for the Atlantic Yards. (Photo by Phil S. Kropoth)

By Pete Catapano

This month, ground was supposed to be broken on the Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn, the biggest development in the borough’s history.

But no symbolic shovels have been dug into the ground — and, opponents say, there may never be.

Although neighborhood residents have seen buildings demolished, coped with a closed bridge, and heard the rumblings of underground construction, the project has hit a wall.

Lawsuits and the economy have thwarted the Atlantic Yards mega-development in Prospect Heights, said Daniel Goldstein, spokesman for opposition group Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn.

“There are not constructing anything,” Goldstein said. “They don’t have the land or the money to build anything.”

The uncertainty of the $4-billion project’s future was punctuated with the news that developer Forest City Ratner has halted work in a 22-acre area of the site that was slated for the New Jersey Nets arena and 16 other buildings. Citing a lawsuit filed over the project’s use of eminent domain, a spokesman for the developer said the project’s preliminary work has progressed as much as possible until the legal action is resolved.

“Once the litigation is resolved we will be well positioned to begin the construction of phase-one of the project, including the Barclays Center," said Forest City Ratner spokesman Joe DePlasco.Until that lawsuit is settled - as well as another regarding the project's environmental impact - and other issues are resolved, the developer cannot purchase the land where the Nets arena will sit from the MTA. Goldstein, whose group organized and funded a lawsuit against the Empire State Development Corp. for using eminent domain to take the land for the project, says he doubts it will ever be built.

“I think they don’t have the money,” he said. “The economy is a big obstacle. The bigger obstacle is the litigation. Even if they bought everybody out they still don’t have the money build and they still don’t own all the properties.”

Instead of construction, there’s been only destruction in Prospect Heights; 26 of the 53 building slated to be demolished have been taken down.

The Atlantic Yards project has been an enemy to many residents, wary of the car traffic high rises and an arena will bring, as well as shadows replacing the sunlight they’ve grown accustomed to.

Some residents say the work has been a blight on the neighborhood.

“It’s gotten a lot scarier since they started tearing things down,” said Ellen O’Shea, a bartender at Freddy’s Bar and Backroom, referring to her former apartment on Sixth Avenue and Vanderbilt Avenue. “After dark, I’d feel really uncomfortable walking those few blocks now.”

Freddy's is one of the plaintiffs in the suit to stop the project. Developer Bruce Ratner owns the building that houses Freddy’s and will likely tear it down to make room for the arena.

During summer construction at the Dean Street-Sixth Avenue intersection, Freddy’s looked like an “abandoned edifice,” O’Shea said. “You couldn’t even see the front of Freddy’s” from the street until last week, she added.

One small business owner in the area, who only wanted be identified as Joe, seemed perplexed at the kind of work being done in the neighborhood.

“They made a bunch of holes, and then covered them up. They’d do it again and again,” he said.

Despite all the griping, the Atlantic Yards has a big backer in Borough President Marty Markowitz.

“We all knew there would be delays until litigation is finalized, and it is my understanding that should the ruling clear the way, progress will move at a faster pace,” he said yesterday. “There's no question these are challenging times; I still believe the weakening of the American economy underscores the importance of moving ahead with projects like Atlantic Yards.”

Aline Reynolds and Marlene Naanes contributed to this report.

Tags: atlantic yards, development, bruce ratner, develop don't destroy brooklyn, skyscrapers, real estate, endangered nyc

Four 'Real World: Brooklyn' roomies to stay in NYC

Thursday December 4, 2008 1:21 PM By Julie Gordon

"The Real World: Brooklyn" cast, from left to right, Devyn (holding dog Brooklyn), Sarah, Chet, Ryan, Baya, Katelyn, Scott and J.D. (RJ Mickelson/amNY)

By Julie Gordon

There's a little online dispute about the number of "Real World: Brooklyn" cast members staying in NYC after the show ends. Well, we were at the Red Hook loft earlier today, and we got the answer: Four.

Three of them are living together — Devyn, Baya and Scott — and already got an apartment in Stuyvesant Town they'll soon be inhabiting. Here's what they, and their other former castmates, will be doing while in NYC:

Devyn, 20, Kansas City, Mo.

Wants to pursue an acting and singing career, and is signed on as a spokesmodel for an up-and-coming fashion designer

Baya, 21, Salt Lake City

Trying to be a professional hip-hop dancer

Scott, 23, Salem, N.H.

Continuing with modeling pursuits (he was already given a best abs award by Men's Health)

Chet, 23, Salt Lake City

Hopes to be a host of a "Total Request Live"-style show

Tags: real world, brooklyn, entertainment

Throwback Thursday: Christmas in New York, 1985

Thursday December 4, 2008 12:29 PM By Rolando Pujol

Video via TapThat2012 on YouTube

We'll be dedicating Throwback Thursday to old-school holidays in the city for the rest of the month. First up, we offer you a glimpse of Channel 5 in 1985, during its last Christmas as "WNEW-TV," before it was purchased by Rupert Murdoch and his fledgling Fox Network, and the station's "Foxification" began.

This clips contains a great collection of vintage NYC staples. They include ads for 1010 WINS, New York Telephone (a Nynex Company), Lafayette Circuit City, and a movie ad for "Silk Stockings" voiced by longtime Channel 5 announcer Ed Ladd.

-- Roland Pujol

Tags: throwback thursday, wnew-tv, christmas, 1985, holiday traditions, television, advertising, old school

Free coffee alert!

Thursday December 4, 2008 11:57 AM By Lucy Blatter

Talk about creative marketing. Unlikely pair Starbucks and Zipcar have teamed up to reward good samaritans.

Starting today, Zipcar will be driving around New York City with life size magnetic version of Starbucks signature red holiday cups attached to their roofs. When someone stops to warn the drivers about their coffee, the drivers will then spread the message, “Happy Holidays,” and rewards the good Samaritans with a Starbucks gift card. The promotion will continue through Friday, December 12.

Tags: starbucks, zipcar, food

City restaurants to go back in time

Thursday December 4, 2008 11:52 AM By Lucy Blatter

Tim and Nina Zagat with some of the city's top chefs, who will take part in the Vintage Dinner Series. Credit: Marty Katz/Zagat.com

Today, Zagat Survey unveiled its plans to launch the Vintage Dinner Series, in which 16 of the city’s top restaurants will host dinners inspired by grand 19th Century banquets. Each restaurant will plan its own menu, and feature many dishes, ingredients and cocktails that have not been seen in years.

Thomas Keller, chef at Per Se, said his restaurant in particular will look to recreate not only the dishes, but the “entire experience and ambiance” of a 19th Century banquet, with an “abundance of food and wine.”

The dinners will take place from January 12-March 25, and reservations can be made from today on through the restaurants themselves. Among the restaurants participating are Bouley, Chanterelle, Daniel, Jean George, Le Bernardin, Per Se, and many others. More on the series to come in amNewYork.

Tags: zagat, bouley, chanterelle, daniel, jean george, le bernardin, per se

Urban archaeology: A defunct bank still has an ominous sidewalk warning for would-be squatters

Thursday December 4, 2008 8:47 AM By Rolando Pujol

The Haier Building in midtown was once home to the Greenwich Savings Bank, which went bust in 1981. (Photos by Rolando Pujol)

The neo-classical Haier Building stands out among the warehouses and offices buildings of the Garment District. Considered among the best works of the firm York and Sawyer, the building is now headquarters to Haier America, which sells everything from HVAC systems to wine cellars.

But the building was once home to the Greenwich Savings Bank, which had it roots in the Village, not the tony neighborhood full of well-heeled finance types in Connecticut.

Haier's name is now prominently displayed outside the building, but the Greenwich bank's link to the site has not entirely been chiseled away. Just look down on the sidewalk, where small brass plaques demarcate the property line of the Greenwich Savings Bank. We're told somewhat imperiously that we are "crossing by permission only" and that "permission is revocable at will."

Take that, wanna-be squatters! And read more for an explanation behind these plaques, which are designed to prevent "adverse possession" of a property by someone who does not own it.

And by the way, the bank's ending came in a way that's all too familiar to us today. It collapsed in 1981, its remnants were absorbed by Metropolitan Savings Bank, then Crossland Savings, and today, its DNA survives in HSBC.

-- Rolando Pujol

Tags: greenwich savings bank, haier building, adverse possession, history, banks, urban archaeology, manhattan

Viral video: Circus shot wins game

Thursday December 4, 2008 8:24 AM By Sean Joseph

A recent college basketball game between two SUNY schools ends with an amazing behind-the-back buzzer-beater.

To suggest a viral video, e-mail Sean Joseph.

Tags: viral video, television, sports, basketball

City Living: Inwood

Wednesday December 3, 2008 9:24 PM By Rolando Pujol

A perfect place to appreciate Inwood’s beauty is the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park. Below, the Mamajuana Cafe, whose name is inspired by a Taino Indian miracle potion. Twenty-four photos of Inwood HERE.(Photos by Alana Abel)

By Magdalene Perez

Special to amNewYork

When schoolchildren in New York are taught that the Dutch purchased Manhattan Island from American Indians for just $24 and trinkets some 400 years ago, it’s unlikely the teacher also mentioned the transaction occurred in Inwood, the borough’s most remote neighborhood.

Perched at Manhattan’s north end, Inwood blends a unique mix of big-city feel with serene settings. Three beautiful parks, Fort Tryon, Isham and Inwood Hill, surround the Art Deco walk-ups in an oasis of green. Apartment buyers are often attracted to Inwood by the prospect of Hudson River views and good schools, at prices much lower than downtown.

Once the setting of some of the most heated battles of the American Revolution, Inwood transformed from rural to urban in the early 20th century. With the subways came development, and for many years Irish and Jewish families dominated the neighborhood.

That changed in the 1970s and ’80s, when an influx of immigrants from the Dominican Republic gave the neighborhood a distinctly Caribbean flavor.

A concentration of buyer-owned co-ops west of Broadway and rented apartments on the east side shape the neighborhood. But that is changing. With younger downtowners coming north in search of cheaper rents, Inwood is seeing a transformation, with more bars, restaurants and hangouts opening to suit the newcomers’ tastes.FIND IT

Inwood is bounded by Harlem River to the north and east, Hudson River to the west, and Fairview Avenue to the south.

A striking building at 213th Street and Broadway

REAL ESTATE

Long ago, development came in waves, first on the east, then west of Broadway, and today the avenue is still a dividing line of sorts. You’ll find co-ops on the west — some in beautiful Art Deco buildings — and rentals on the east.

Prices have risen in recent years, but the overall pain in the housing market has made a dent, according to Lisa Snyder, a real estate agent for Halstead Property.

“Everything’s come down in price pretty significantly,” Snyder said. “Right now the market is dead.”

To buy

$229,000

Studio in a 1939 co-op, 425 sq. ft. (Seaman Ave. near 215th St.)

$275,000

One-bedroom, one-bath co-op in elevator building with parking (Park Terrace East and 215th St.)

$675,000

Three-bedroom, two-bath in a 1954 co-op (Indian Road near 215th St.)

$1,720,000

Three-story four-family home with garden patio, 3,456 sq. ft. (95 Park Terrace West)

Recently sold

$290,000

One-bedroom, one-bath co-op on Arden Street, 725 sq. ft.

To rent

$1,500

Two-bedroom with river views (Cumming St. and Seaman Ave.)

$999

Studio with views facing Inwood Hill Park (Seaman Ave. at 204th St.)

$1,050

One-bedroom (Sherman Ave. at Thayer St.)

Contact: Lisa Snyder, Halstead Property, 718-878-1712

DID YOU KNOW?

NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar grew up here.

The Leonardo DiCaprio film “The Basketball Diaries” was set in 1960s Inwood.

A founder of Macy’s Department Store, Isidor Straus, owned a country estate here.

The oldest farmhouse in Manhattan, Dyckman House, is on Broadway and 204th Street

TO EAT

Years ago, Inwood was not among the greatest places to find varied and quality eats. But foodies can take heart in knowing that has changed. Today a veritable restaurant row has sprung up on Dyckman Street, and the many Dominican options are now complemented with American, Italian, Asian and Mediterranean spots.

809 Sangria Bar & Grill

112 Dyckman St.,

212-304-3800

With a curtained “VIP” section, this Dominican restaurant is one of Inwood’s places to be seen. For those who usually trek downtown to eat, the prices are a bargain. A roasted lobster is $28 and filet mignon goes for $26. The appetizer sampler for two comes with arepas, empanadas, crab cakes and croquets, $24. And don’t forget the sangria.

Garden Cafe

4961 Broadway (near 211th),

212-544-9480

Neighbors swear by brunch at this American café located steps from Isham Park. In warmer days, the outdoor patio is a plus. You can expect to pay between $12 and $24 for an entrée, stuffed chicken breast and seared wasabi-aioli tuna, respectively.

Indian Road Cafe & Market

600 W. 218th St.,

212-942-7451

Exposed brick walls and high ceilings complement the rustic nature of Inwood Hill Park, just past this Italian bistro’s doorstep. The chefs go seasonal: this fall an endive salad with toasted pumpkin seeds, apples and dried currants ($10) graces the menu, along with “Arthur Avenue” sausages ($12), beef goulash ($14) and a Portobello and kale sandwich ($10). Also drop

by for a wide selection of local craft beers.

Park Terrace Bistro

4959 Broadway (near 207th),

212-567-2828

This French-Moroccan spot won top honors —best dinner, best service and best ambiance — in Inwood’s annual dining guide. The kitchen makes couscous full of shrimp, scallops, almonds, apricots and cranberries, served in saffron cream sauce ($24). Fish, chicken, veggie or lamb tagines range from $16 (veggie) to $25 (fish). If that isn’t enough to make you feel like you’ve been transported to North Africa, the belly dancers and plush interior will.

Mamajuana

247 Dyckman St.,

212-304-1217

The big draw at this Dominican restaurant is a buffet-style brunch for just $19, with unlimited mimosas and coffee. Staples such as fresh-to-order omelets and pancakes are offered alongside Dominican dishes such as mashed plantains and black beans and rice. All in an airy, high ceiling space that evokes the Spanish Old World.

de Cafe

4842 Broadway (near 204th),

212-567-7657

For a quick, cheap bite, drop by this Inwood Hill Park coffee shop. Java, espresso and sandwiches serve to energize. And who can beat a breakfast omelet with potatoes and toast for $5.25?

TO PLAY

Inwood is no bar-hopping Lower East Side, but there are plenty of watering holes, from lounges to dives. Summertime brings music, movies and performances in the parks. And for those who seek arts, culture and dance year-round, hop a train to nearby Harlem, where museums and music venues abound.

Piper’s Kilt

4944 Broadway,near 207th St.,

212-569-7071

Customers find a friendly atmosphere and affordable beers at this neighborhood bar. And regulars swear by the burgers, too.

Guadalupe

597 W. 207th St.,

212-304-1083

This Mexican restaurant offers one of the best happy hour deals in town: 2-for-one margaritas and half-price bar food and drinks. The cavernous interior has a medieval feel: stained glass and dominating religious-themed paintings abound.

Pied Piper Children’s Theater

20 Cumming St.,

212-544-2976

Children from 5 to 18 can learn acting skills in this theater located in Holy Trinity Church. The repertoire includes Shakespeare, Don Pasquale and children’s classics such as “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.”

Liffy II Bar

5009 Broadway, near 213th St.,

212-544-7255

This comfortable bar is not well known, but it has plenty of perks. Rotating activities range from karaoke to bingo.

Scavengers of Inwood is packed with antiques. The shop is at 600 W. 218th St.

TO SHOP

Tread Bike Shop

250 Dyckman St.,

212-544-7055

Neighbors swear by the helpful customer service at this bike shop, where tune-ups are always given free estimates.

Nostylgia

251 Dyckman St.,

212-304-0337

Sneakerheads will find classic kicks and clothing at this urban boutique.

Quisqueya

551 W. 207th St.,

212-569-3531

This shop has a full range of Spanish-language music, from salsa to reggaeton.

Critter Outfitter

210 Pinehurst Ave.,

212-928-0342

Locals pick up pet essentials and accessories at this shop just south of Inwood.

PJ’s Liquor Warehouse

4898 Broadway,

212-567-5500

This well-stocked spirits house peddles a big selection of wine at surprisingly low prices.

THE BUZZ

Many Inwood residents don’t mind being a bit further than most from the bustle of downtown Manhattan.

So it comes as no surprise that when nightlife began to appear in the neighborhood, some began to complain.

Noise by far has been “the most compelling issue” among residents who appear at community board meetings, according to Ebenezer Smith, the district manager of Community Board 12.

“People come from outside the neighborhood, they come to Dyckman and cruise,” Smith said. “The residents think this noise is from restaurants on Dyckman, but really the restaurants have nothing to do with it.”

The Cloisters are assembled from five monastic structures from southern France.

ESSENTIAL INWOOD

The Cloisters

Fort Tyron Park, A train to 190th

A perfect place to appreciate Inwood’s beauty is the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park. In this medieval art museum, you’ll feel far from the city, with breathtaking views of the Hudson River. Inside, 5,000 artworks, including tapestries, sculpture and painting, date from the Ninth to the 15th centuries, when lords and ladies ruled Europe. The building is assembled from five monastic structures from southern France whose gardens are tended today just as they would have been 600 years ago.

TO SEE

More than any other neighborhood, Inwood offers peeks into Manhattan’s rural, Dutch Colonial past.

Dyckman House

4881 Broadway at 204th St.,

212-304-9422

Visiting this 1784 farmhouse, the oldest in Manhattan, gives you a chance to imagine upper Manhattan when it was just fields. Now a museum, entry is $1 for adults and free for children. It is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Inwood Hill Park

Dyckman St. and Payson Ave.,

212-304-2365

This park, shown above, on Manhattan island’s northernmost tip boasts the only natural forest left in the borough. Here is where Dutch colonist Peter Minuit bought Manhattan island for the equivalent of $24 and some trinkets in 1626. Today you will find caves, a salt marsh, birds and a host of ballfields and trails.

Fort Tryon Park

Fort Washington Ave. and Cabrini Blvd.,

212-795-1388

You can thank John D. Rockefeller Jr. for crafting this breathtaking park, a former battleground during the American Revolution.Steep hills offer amazing views of the Hudson River and the New Jersey Palisades, providing the perfect setting for a walk or run.

The BASICS

Subway

207th, or 215th; A to Dyckman or 207th - Inwood. Bus: 100 or Bx 7 (Broadway), Bx 12 (207th Street), 4 (Fort Washington Ave)

Schools

Public: Elementary: Amistad Dual Language School, 212-544-8021. Middle: Harbor Heights Middle School, 212-927-1841. High: High School for International Business and Finance, 212-927-1841; High School for Health Careers and Science, 212-927-1841. Private: Good Shepherd School, 212-567-5800; Northeastern Academy, 212-569-4800

Banks

Bank of America, 4941 Broadway, 212-544-0147; Chase, 161 Dyckman St., 212-304-2286 ;

Food Markets

Pathmark, 410 W. 207th St., 212-569-0600; La Torre Supermarket, 5008 Broadway, 212-942-1212

Library

Inwood Library, 4790 Broadway, 212-942-2445

Post Office

90 Vermilyea Ave., 212-000-1111

Community Board

CB12, 711 W. 168th St., 212-568-8500

Police

34th Precinct, 4295 Broadway, 212-927-9711

Fire Department

Engine 95, 515 W. 181st St., 212-570-4284

Crime

The 34th Precinct, which covers Washington Heights and Inwood, has reported three murders, 17 rapes and 229 robberies so far this year. It reported one murder, 18 rapes and 243 robberies through this time last year.

Q&A

David Gross, 20, is a student and lifelong Inwood resident.

How has Inwood changed over the years?

My dad has seen more change than I have. He’s seen it grow more Hispanic, and now more white people are moving up here again. Recently a lot of restaurants have been popping up around here, like Mamajuana, that attract a lot of people. That’s one of the biggest changes I’ve seen. As far as safety, it was worse before; they’ve actually done a lot of clean-up and it’s pretty safe.

Where do you like to hang out?

Dyckman Express is one of my favorite places [to eat]. It’s cheap but really good.

Is gentrification affecting the neighborhood?

It’s interesting because there’s kind of a split. In the last five or six years we’ve gotten a lot more people from downtown. Apartments have gone up a lot. I’ve seen a studio go from $700 a month to $1,100 now. It’s still cheaper than downtown, but it’s a lot more expensive now.

What attracts people to Inwood?

We’ve got a lot of shops where you can get clothes. A big, big thing is the restaurants. If you come to Dyckman on a Friday or Saturday night, you can’t find any parking, some places even have valet parking.

What might deter someone from moving here?

Parking. Just the amount of people who come out during the prime hours from 4:30 in the afternoon on make it really frustrating. There’s sometimes construction on the subway, but I go to Westchester for school, so I don’t find it an issue.

If someone had a few hours to visit, what should they do?

Eat! You can tell I’m a big food person. But besides that, definitely the Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park. And Inwood Park is nice because it’s still natural. You’ll see people playing baseball, handball, soccer, everything.

Tags: inwood, city living, real estate, shopping, restaurants, music, museums, manhattan, history, arts, architecture

New Tasti look, same D-Lite taste: Chain adapts to fro-yo competition

Wednesday December 3, 2008 3:45 PM By Sean Joseph

Tasti D-Lite added the new tagline, "Dessert Your Guilt," to be more health-centric. (RJ Mickleson/amNewYork)

By Julie Gordon

In a city crowded with frozen dessert shops, Tasti D-Lite’s recent brand re-launch may be just what the company needs to reclaim its title as king of New York’s market — or at least be able to compete.

This fall, Tasti opened two flagship centers, gave a facelift to 27 of its outposts, updated its logo, added a health-centric “Dessert Your Guilt” tagline and began advertising on taxi toppers and buses. Those efforts, along with converting the business to a franchise format, are designed to help expand Tasti to 500 locations worldwide during the next few years, said Bill Zenke, chief marketing officer for Tasti D-Lite.

During the past few years, Pinkberry, Red Mango and a number of other soft Korean-style yogurt stores have exploded around the city, breathing new life into a stagnant market. Now, it’s only natural that Tasti — which says its soft treats are technically neither yogurt nor ice cream — wants a piece of that resurgence.

“Pinkberry has really done a big push in New York, which has been Tasti D-Lite’s turf, so it could be a defensive move on their part,” said Emily York, who covers food for Advertising Age. “And Red Mango’s going into New York as well. That’s huge.”Earlier this fall, Pinkberry signed with branding firm Bulldog Drummond, while Red Mango hired advertising agency The Richard Group. Zenke declined to specify how much Tasti spent on its re-launch.

“It's hard to miss all of the new frozen yogurt shops popping up around New York. In many ways, this is a clear reflection of the trend toward

people wanting to live and eat more healthfully,” Zenke said. “We believe that our unique ability to offer consumers the best of both worlds — a great-tasting treat without the guilt — will help us translate our success in New York City to success around the world.”

Some New Yorkers said they prefer Tasti for that reason.

“Tasti has an amazing variety of flavors that, like jellybeans, freakishly and inexplicably taste just like their descriptions,” said Annika K. Martin, who lives in the Financial District.

Martin also noted people up eating fewer calories at a place like Tasti because there aren’t as many toppings.

But others prefer Pinkberry or Red Mango for its tart taste, upbeat environment or some other unexplainable reason. On Facebook, Pinkberry has 6,756 fans, Red Mango has 1,786 and Tasti has 313.

“I’ve actually been trying to pinpoint what it is I love so much about Pinkberry, and I can’t figure it out. I just know I’m addicted,” said Rebecca Siegel, who lives in midtown east. “I also really love the Pinkberry logo.”

But, with the sinking economy, dessert shops may have to tweak their marketing strategies to incorporate the idea of an “inexpensive luxury” or “guilty pleasure,” said Russ Winer, chair of the marketing department at New York University’s Stern School of Business.

“Obviously there’s a fun aspect to a dessert treat, but we’re starting to see a lot of food outlets and restaurants’ [sales] going down,” Winer said. Nationwide in October, sales for retail and food services were down down 4.1 percent from the previous year — and that’s just as the economy entered its freefall.

“I used to go every day but when my job became a statistic of the economy I stopped going,” said Red Hook resident Chip Mac Donald of his Tasti D-Lite trips.

Tags: advertising, food, business, tasti d-lite, frozen yogurt, restaurants, manhattan, economy

A modest proposal: Some other ideas for the MTA

Wednesday December 3, 2008 2:12 PM By Jason Fink

By Jason Fink

New Yorkers are sure to end up paying off the MTA’s $1.2 billion deficit, it seems.

Under the MTA’s plan to hike subway and bus fares and a governor-appointed commission’s proposal to charge drivers on East River bridges, all city residents will feel the pain.

“You can’t balance the budget on any one group,” said William Henderson, executive director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA. “There’s a range of stuff you could do.”

In the spirit of every-little-bit-helps, amNewYork has compiled other ideas that could generate revenue for the MTA without breaking the backs of riders or penalizing outer borough drivers.Tax co-ops buyers

Requiring co-op purchasers to pay a mortgage recording tax would net $140 million a year, according to an estimate from the city’s Independent Budget Office.

Currently, buyers of condos and other real estate pay a tax on their mortgages, which is collected by the MTA, but co-op purchasers don’t. Because co-op buyers are technically purchasing shares rather than real estate, the loans they take out are not considered mortgages.

“We consider it a loophole,” said Jeremy Soffin, an MTA spokesman.

Grab a share of the lottery

The state lottery racked up $6.67 billion in sales last fiscal year, with some 38 percent — $2.56 billion — going to education. The rest was used to pay out prizes and for expenses.

Perhaps a new lotto game, or even a small portion from the existing pie, could go to public transit.

“Lotteries do raise money and, in many states it’s a major source of revenue,” Henderson said.

Other suggestions in that vein have included legalized sports gambling, an idea pushed by Councilman Tony Avella, (D-Bayside), who is also a mayoral candidate.

Raise driver’s license fees

Non-commercial licenses cost $50 to renew and some have called for a small increase.

“The concept that motorists should subsidize transit is not radical,” said Gene Russianoff, an attorney for the Straphangers Campaign. “Congestion is bad now. It would be unthinkable without public transit.”

Already, City Comptroller Bill Thompson, another mayoral candidate, has proposed raising vehicle registration fees, especially for heavier cars.

Corporate sponsorship

Pushing to implement an “adopt-a-station” program, similar to the one highways have, could rake in millions of dollars for the MTA, particularly with a big corporate sponsor eager to advertise.

The MTA has also begun selling ads that completely cover the outside of trains and wrap around turnstiles. It earned $106 million last year from ads and expects to make another $50 million next year.

Tags: mta, subways, tolls, taxes, transit

The Cover Story: Familiar fix for budget crunch — Raise fares and toll bridges

Wednesday December 3, 2008 2:05 PM By Jason Fink

By Jason Fink

and Marlene Naanes

The commission that’s been working for nearly a year to find ways to shore up the MTA’s flagging finances is expected to endorse two familiar solutions tomorrow: Tolls on the East and Harlem River bridges and an 8 percent fare hike.

“They’re coming up with the same old tired solutions that the public has rejected already,” said City Councilman Tony Avella (D-Bayside). “We have too many bureaucrats who can’t think out of the box.”

The governor-appointed Ravitch Commission, which was formed in February to come up with recommendations for the state legislature, will also call for:

•A payroll tax imposed on businesses in the region

• Combining of some services

• Reducing administrative staff at the MTA

• A regional bus authority that would oversee lines in Long Island and Westchester

“I’m not sure how people are going to deal with paying those fares,” said Alex Muniz, a fragrance sales consultant from the Bronx. “Jobs are being cut, and businesses are cutting on employee hours.”At a news conference today, Gov. David Paterson confirmed the 8 percent hike, which was first proposed by the MTA this summer, and expressed support for the payroll tax.

“The message we keep trying to deliver is that we are in a very difficult fiscal time, and so it’s either going to be fare hikes or it’s going to be tolls and a combination of payroll taxes, but it’s the only way,” Paterson said.

Tom Berger, 29, a stage director from Washington Heights, said he was dubious about the tolls and fare hikes.

“(It’s) a short-term solution,” he said. “Unless you can use that cash to look at the long game and invest in long-term solutions.”

Another critic of fare hikes, state Sen. Bill Perkins, (D-Manhattan), suggested the MTA sell some of its real estate holdings to raise money.

“I want to see some creativity,” he said. “I’m very concerned about that old idea that keeps coming back: Raise the fares.”

Perkins, a member of the Transportation Committee, called the East and Harlem River tolls a “Quixotic” idea that’s “been around for a while and never gone anywhere.”

Gene Russianoff, an attorney for the Straphangers Campaign who has been sharply critical of the MTA, said the Ravitch Commission appears to have struck a good balance.

“(It’s) asking everybody who benefits from the subways, buses and commuter lines to help contribute to their maintenance,” he said. “That includes drivers, riders and businesses.”

But Hector Gonzalez, 27, of the Bronx, expressed frustration at being subject to decisions made by the transit agency.

“It’s unfortunate that the MTA is pretty much a monopoly,” he said. “We have to pay one company to get from point A to point B. We really have no power against it.’

On the Dec. 16, the governor will propose the state budget, including any provisions from the Ravitch Commission. The budget will be approved by the legislature sometime afterward, but when is unclear.

(Aline Reynolds contributed to this story)

Tags: transit, subways, tolls, fare hike, ravitch commission

Knicks top moneymaker in NBA

Wednesday December 3, 2008 1:02 PM By Pete Catapano

The Knicks have suffered seven consecutive losing seasons, but they’re winners financially.

The team is the most valuable franchise in the NBA for the fourth straight year, according to Forbes magazine’s annual rankings.

The Knicks are worth $613 million — up from $608 million last year — and generate $208 million in annual revenue.

The Lakers, worth $584 million, are the league’s second-most valuable franchise.

The Knicks and amNewYork are both owned by Cablevision.

(amNY)

Tags: knicks, sports

amNewYork Letters to the Editor

Wednesday December 3, 2008 12:23 PM By Sara Baumberger

Please curb your pets

Re “Pooper Troopers Keep City Clean,” Dec. 3: Beyond picking up (or not) after their pets, people need to be reminded to lead their pets to the curb to do their business. Too many pet owners allow their pets to pee and poop smack in the middle of the sidewalk — where the rest of us walk.

— Melissa Bell, Manhattan

Mayor shouldn’t try to influence the law

With all due respect to Mayor Bloomberg, I think he is wrong to suggest to the authorities that Giants star Plaxico Burress should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. I am not a fan of Mr. Burress, but I think that when someone holds the position of mayor, their words have a lot of power and influence on a lot of things. This is a law enforcement problem that they can handle without his input. The only person harmed in this matter was Burress himself. It was a foolish mistake, and as it stands now with the mayor’s input, it would be hard for him to get a fair trial. Let good sense prevail.

— Valentine Young, Manhattan

A record year for MTA

The MTA hit us with two of the largest fare hikes in NYC history over the last decade and has record ridership, so they have more money than ever. How is it that they now have the largest debt ever, rather than the largest surplus? There is only one possibility if we let them raise the fare again: more record debt, more record service cuts, more record waste, more record fraud. If Gov. Paterson and Mayor Bloomberg won’t do their job, they must be fired.

— Liam Kirchberger, Brooklyn

Tags: letters to the editor

The city's best hot chocolates

Wednesday December 3, 2008 11:52 AM By Lucy Blatter

By Emily Ranager

Special to amNewYork

After having strolled through the city in the cold, you and your guests deserve to warm up with one of the city’s best hot chocolates.

Max Brenner is a chocoholic’s paradise, with more than 10 varieties of hot cocoa. Kids will love Choco-Pops ($4.50), a hot cocoa with crunchy chocolate wafer balls, and sophisticated adults can opt for the chocolate chai ($4.20), a chai spice blend infused with hot white chocolate truffle. 841 Broadway between 13th and 14th sts., 212-388-0030; 141 Second Ave. at 9th St., 646-467-8810.

City Bakery may serve Manhattan’s most well-known hot chocolate. The lines can be long, but the thick, rich cocoa topped with homemade marshmallows is worth the wait. 3 W. 18th St. between Fifth and Sixth aves.; 212-366-1414.

One of the city’s most celebrated chocolatiers, Jacques Torres Chocolate Haven serves up five varieties of cocoa. Try white hot chocolate with a hint of mint or the Wicked, a classic cocoa with a dash of ancho and chipotle peppers ($3 each). 350 Hudson St. at King St.; 212-414-2462.

City Bakery's hot chocolate. Credit: Jori Klein

Tags: hot chocolate, jacques torres, city bakery, max brenner, food

Avoiding the tourist traps

Wednesday December 3, 2008 11:34 AM By Lucy Blatter

Naples 45's pizza. Photo credit: Phil S. Kropoth

By Emily Ranager

Special to amNewYork

Out-of-town guests flock to New York when the lights and tinsel go up. Escorting family and friends to major holiday attractions can make even the most cheerful hosts hungry. Here, amNewYork recommends convenient eateries that will keep you well fed while showing guests around, without breaking the bank.

If you're checking out the Rockefeller Christmas Tree:

Naples 45

200 Park Ave. at 45th St.,

212-972-7001