Arts & Entertainment

Now that James Franco has been on General Hospital for the past ten days, and counting, it's time to check in on his Port Charles alter ego, known as "Franco." Seriously. The too-weird-to-be-real scenes of his mysterious artist character include him hitting on a younger blonde lass, who in real life probably never dreamed she'd be sharing a scene with the Hollywood actor... who in turn probably never thought he'd be spewing lines like, "If it makes you feel any better I don't want to have your babies. Any commitment longer than an evening makes me break out." What do you think of his temporary role? more ›

Vinegar Hill, that quaint little area between DUMBO and the Brooklyn Navy Yard, was declared a Landmark District in 1997 — and today Forgotten NY takes a look at the neighborhood, saying: "Know that this streetscape will likely survive, as is, indefinitely." The area is filled with overgrown alleys, cobblestone streets, structures built in the early 1800s, and places we would like to live. There are even some old cars scattered about. It's worth checking out the photos and history, but would you live there? more ›

The folks at PNC Financial Services are once again providing some perspective during the holiday shopping season. They've released this year's Christmas Price Index, "having tracked the cost of each of the gifts in 'The 12 Days of Christmas' for the last 26 years. In 2009, the total Christmas Price Index — the cost it would take to purchase all of the items — reached $21,465.56, which was the smallest increase since 2002." And once again, sex sells, "nine ladies dancing" are the most expensive gift on the list this year — Bloomberg News has the full breakdown. more ›

In the battle between the West and East Coast cities, Los Angeles may just beat New York... at least on film. Remember when they blew up the Brooklyn Bridge? New Yorkers did not like that. more ›

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At first glance, the premise of Julia Jarcho's American Treasure seems clever; the production evokes film noir and Hollywood western styles to unfold a gossamer-thin "story" about a "Real History Detective," a "vagabond with a harrowing past," a malevolent human taxidermist, and "a paper trail of blood and tears that goes all the way back to this nation’s beginning—or somewhere else." Actors Aaron Landsman and Jenny Seastone Stern play multiple characters, most of them communicating in a style common to parodies of black and white detective flicks. But this affectation wears thin almost immediately, and beneath all this minimalist deadpan lurks a heart of inscrutable darkness. more ›

In light of the recent incident on the D train, in which a man was stabbed and fellow straphangers were locked in a car with the murderer, this Slate article on the history of subway studies is worth a read. more ›

After Adam Lambert's racy, same-sex kiss-and-simulated blow job performance on the American Music Awards, Good Morning America cancelled the singer's performance on the morning show. But now it turns out that GMA is welcoming admitted, convicted girlfriend-beater Chris Brown to the program next week. more ›

While many are celebrating the slashed prices today, Reverend Billy and his Stop Shopping Choir are lambasting the Black Friday masses and the corporate overlords that preside over them. This morning the good Rev hit Macy's for his annual Buy Nothing Day. In an op-ed yesterday, he wrote, "We'll be there at 5am, when shoppers who have been up all night wait in line rush the glass doors. This is the human comedy at its most sad, and it is an environmental shopocalypse." more ›

Is there any band as old as Sonic Youth (nearly three decades!) still radiating such adventurousness and vitality? (The E-Street band, perhaps, but that's apples/oranges.) On Tuesday night the ever-fresh noise rock quintet unleashed yet another spellbinding show at The Music Hall of Williamsburg—an exhilarating return to form after seeing them swallowed up by the United Palace Theater in July. As if to emphasize their commitment to developing new material, the 90-minute performance skewed toward their most recent album, The Eternal, with highlights including a blistering "Calming the Snake," and an orgasmic "Anti-Orgasm." The night climaxed with a show-closing rendition of timeless classic "Silver Rocket," and though the improvisational segment never quite blasted into outer space, the song burned up completely, inspiring atavistic stage-diving which hilariously culminated in one husky, bespectacled man struggling to get on stage just as the show ended—and diving into the audience anyway. more ›

Street artist Posterchild, who hails from Toronto but has recently been spending time in New York, just proposed to his girlfriend... via street art, of course. He says his lady love Sonja, "thought she was just helping me out with another street art project; I kept this covered until after it was installed and after the unveiling I was expecting some kind of reaction — but it took a little while to convince her that this was a proposal for real, and not just some art project!" more ›

Tomorrow night the Hudson River Quadricentennial Celebration year closes out with the addition of New York City’s Lighted Boat Parade. The sparkling aquatic march will make its way down the Hudson, around the tip of Manhattan and up to the Brooklyn Bridge. more ›

The day was clear and perfect for watching giant balloons and floats meander down from the Upper West Side to Herald Square during the 83rd Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. This year, the parade's new route took the procession down Sixth and Seventh Avenues instead of Broadway (the route is now slightly longer) and millions lined the streets for the festivities. more ›

The New York Public Library has a great collection of photographs from 1933 of "Thanksgiving Ragamuffins." Unfamiliar with the term? According to this website, kids would get dressed up and "go from house to house yelling, 'Anything f' Thanksgiv'n?' In return they would be rewarded with coins, or a piece of fruit, or a piece of candy. Apparently in those days it was called Ragamuffin Day and was practiced the day before Thanksgiving." more ›

In spite of the dreary weather, thousands of New Yorkers flocked to the Upper West Side to see balloons get inflated for today's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Here are just some photographs of the pre-parade excitement—that Spider-Man balloon looks pretty awesome. more ›

Graphic designer/urban planner Candy Chang has created a set of flash cards on New York tenants' rights that she tells us, "translates scary legal jargon into a fun and friendly format." Learn about painting your apartment, privacy, security deposits, rent stabilization, repairs, and all the other fun stuff you get along with being a tenant. more ›

Click on the film stills for more reviews and details on this week's new releases and repertory screenings, which include The Road, Me and Orson Welles, Old Dogs, Ninja Assassin, The Princess and the Frog , The Big Lebowski, and Brazil. more ›

An express train that'll take you from Midtown to JFK Airport, with specially installed luggage racks and a conductor punching tickets, all for just $3.50? That would probably come in handy for many people today, but it no longer exists. CityRoom takes a nostalgic look back at the JFK Express, which operated from 1978 to 1990, running down Avenue of the Americas in eight stops, then non-stop to the airport. more ›

This year will be the first year the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade doesn't head down Broadway for its Herald Square finale outside Macy's. Instead, the procession of balloons, floats and performers will head down Seventh and Sixth Avenues, partially due to the new pedestrian plazas in Times Square and partially because 7th and 6th Avenues are wider (in 2005, some parade watchers were struck by M&M balloons!). more ›

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PETA's latest anti-fur face is former (1979 gold medalist) Olympic figure skater Tai Babilonia, who just hit the ice at Rockefeller Center yesterday in support of the cause. She declared, "Just because it's cold outside doesn't mean we should be cold inside. There are many more warm things to wear nowadays than fur." more ›

This morning on CBS's Early Show, Adam Lambert spoke out about his AMA controversy (which led to Good Morning America cancelling his appearance). To recap: Lambert simulated a blow job and made out with a male during his performance on Sunday night. The Early Show chose to blur out the controversial acts when running the AMA clip this morning — and during the talk segment, that they decided to call "Straight Talk," the openly gay singer defended his actions. more ›

MTV is readying to roll out their latest reality show, Jersey Shore, with promos already airing that describe their latest round of reality robots as keeping "their hair high, their muscles juiced and their fists pumping all summer long!" They also depict their Italian-American beach-going stars as the "hottest, tannest, craziest Guidos." more ›

Hate all you want on Jimmy Fallon, but the guy does the best impersonation of Neil Young covering Will Smith's "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." That is a fact. more ›

If you missed the American Music Awards this past Sunday night, and you probably did, then you didn't see ex-American Idol singer Adam Lambert's S&M charged performance. To catch you up: at about 1:18 in this video you'll see Lambert grind a male dancer's face into his crotch, before the cameras awkwardly pan down to the floor, blushing. more ›

It's that time again—time for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. And one of the fun traditions to watching the balloons being blown up the night before. This year's Thanksgiving parade balloon inflation begins tomorrow at 3 p.m. and ends at 10 p.m., with the entrance at West 77th Street and Columbus Avenue. It does get very crowded, so be patient! more ›

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After they pointed out that the Obama Fried Chicken sign was mysteriously blurred out in a new Clipse video, Brokelyn talked to video director Rik Cordero to find out why. He told them: "The decision was made by the owner of the restaurant, who wouldn't sign our location agreement unless we paid him $3,000 cash. Therefore, the sign had to be edited out for network television. I can’t really knock the guy, because taking out the sign has now given Obama Fried Chicken even more free promotion than if we had left it in." But did anyone on the shoot try the chicken? The question remains. more ›

Rainn Wilson, whom you know from The Office and Twitter, has been placed at the judges table for the Nikon Festival, which challenges entrants to submit videos lasting just 140 seconds. Max Silvestri just launched a totally unrelated talk show called 100 Seconds, which is just 100 seconds long. Naturally the two were destined to enjoy a forced five minute phone conversation with each other. Max, now an expert at the short-form talk show, managed to fit in a lot during that time — including tales of Rainn's old Williamsburg digs, and his entire philosophy on life. more ›

It's true—Benjamin Bratt is reprising his role as Law & Order Detective Rey Curtis and here are photos (close-up after the jump) of him on location. Last month, it was reported that Bratt, who played Rey Curtis for four seasons between 1995 and 1999, was returning to the show for an episode; L&O creator Dick Wolf said, "I am thrilled that Ben is coming back for a return appearance. He joined us for our recent 20th anniversary celebration and it was like he never left." more ›

If you've had to cut the gym from your budget, Urlesque reminds us that we're all already paying for an on-the-go workout space: the subway. They've compiled some videos of subway exercise methods from cities all over — the best and most comprehensive one can be found here. more ›

According to the little information out there on Billy the Kid, today would have been his 150th birthday. Did you know the Wild West outlaw may have hailed from 70 Allen Street on the Lower East Side? Depending on who you believe, he was either born "William Henry McCarty" or "William H. Bonney," and either left the LES at age 16, after murdering a man in a street fight, or moved with his family at age 3. Inside the Apple delves into the history of 70 Allen Street, noting that it housed a dyer, but could have also housed residents; "anything would have been possible in the burgeoning Irish neighborhood." more ›

Miss G Train has officially been crowned. Last Thursday the City Reliquary held their pageant for the line, and fittingly the evening was met with some hold ups — the Brooklyn Paper reports that one judge was delayed, and two contestants never even showed up. more ›

In 1935, the NY Times published an article titled, “Alligator Found in Uptown Sewer,” tracing the actions of 16-year-old Salvatore Condoluci and his comrades, who trapped and killed an 8-foot-long alligator found under 123rd Street. Today, at 92, Condoluci still remembers some of the tale, and the Times looks back at the urban legend. more ›

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The WNYC "Radio Rookies" recently went on a search for the "Flushing Pimp," whom many have consistently seen on the streets in Queens throughout the years (he's even got a Facebook page dedicated to him). Their search took some dark turns, however, when they ultimately found out through his sister that he died, after battling spinal cancer, lung cancer and two brain tumors. He was also allegedly schizophrenic, which was triggered after his mom died when he was 19. So, while this isn't as whimsical as we'd hoped, it's sweet he's been given a posthumous tribute. more ›

Ladies in over-the-top lingerie get-ups stomped down the runway at the Lexington Avenue Armory for Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. According to Newsday, "Some 2,000 showgoers including Jay-Z, Michelle Trachtenberg and Virgin Atlantic's Richard Branson (a 'fashion show virgin,' he said) were treated to the extravaganza of bra-and-panty clad Victoria's Secret angels - much more modest than in years past - strutting down a runway with adjacent mosh-pits, wearing massive wings, lunar sculptures, branches and glitzy accessories that conjured a 'magical journey' from space voyage, old world train travel, an enchanted forest and a happy hippie segment that included a giant inflatable pink polka-dot puppy that rose from the floor." more ›

The latest public art project to glean some attention can fit right in your pocket... but it's gonna cost ya. The NY Times reports that seven million MetroCards were distributed starting in September, all containing the word "optimism" on the back. The MTA, perhaps seeing it as a way to brainwash unhappy customers, oversaw the project. more ›

Click on the images above for more details and reviews on this week's new releases and repertory screenings, which include Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans, Broken Embraces, Fix, The Blind Side, Missing Person, Mammoth, Planet 51, Staten Island, Defamation, New Moon, Psycho, Jabberwocky, Red Cliff, and Rene'.
more ›

Following her trip on the Hudson, Swoon got a bit more adventurous and gathered up more than 30 other artists to help her take her Swimming Cities to the Adriatic Sea. Three handcrafted vessels navigated the waters, and ended up crashing the Venice Biennale in Italy. Luckily Tod Seelie was on hand to capture it all, and now his photographs will be on exhibit, starting tonight, at the Anonymous Gallery. more ›

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It's hard to feel bad for Jude Law when we all lack privacy in the city — in much less swank digs. Turns out the actor moved in right next to the NYU freshman dorm Hayden Hall, and the student body is enjoying their new view. The dubious dorm dwellers have now leaked their secret to the NY Post (with paparazzi style photos), saying whenever they spot Law on his Washington Square balcony (sometimes with his son), there's complete chaos. more ›

While tUnE-YaRdS may sound like a band comprised of more than one, it is just one woman: Merrill Garbus. During live shows she's accompanied by Nate Brenner — and currently they're both on tour with Dirty Projectors. They're in town all weekend (at Music Hall of Williamsburg and Bowery Ballroom) — and they're even adding on a free show at Permanent Records (7 p.m.) in Brooklyn tonight. So you have no excuse not to catch them. This week Garbus told us a bit about Jay-Z, her ultimate supergroup, and why she insists on aLtErNaTiNg caps with lowercase. more ›

In February, FLAG Art Foundation will be presenting "Size DOES Matter," an exhibition showcasing the element of scale in contemporary art in February with the 7'1'' center for the Cleveland Cavaliers drafted to curate. Yes, Shaquille O'Neal has selected—and even commissioned some—52 pieces of art for the show. more ›

Remember that whole Obama Fried Chicken debacle? It's back, in a sort of blurred-out-on-MTV kind of way. Brokelyn reports that the Clipse video for “Popular Demand (Popeye’s)” consists mostly of Clipse and Cam'ron and company "in front of a place with a blank yellow marquee." That is, if you see it on MTV, it will appear blank—everywhere else it's running with a fully in-focus sign, reading "Obama Fried Chicken." So whose call was it to lift the OFC sign from the final cut? Surely the artists picked that spot for a reason besides censoring it out. more ›

After the New York State Pavilion at the former World's Fair site gained landmark status, the structure finally started moving towards getting preserved. Now's your chance to help out! The HDC reports that this Saturday and next they're looking for 12-40 volunteers "to help out onsite on... performing a range of activities from removal of invasive vegetation, to the careful and systematic collection and bagging of map fragments that have been dislodged from the floor of the Pavilion." RSVP here, and meet in Flushing Meadows Park at 9 a.m. (further instructions will be sent out prior to meeting). more ›

Though it's not what he's known for, Andy Warhol created some really cute illustrations for a children's book series! And now a set of those illustrations is headed toward the auction block next month as part of Bloomsbury's Illustrated Books auction. Reportedly "they were drawn by Warhol early in his career, between 1957 and 1959, for the Doubleday Book Club's popular series Best in Children's Books." more ›

Another day, another Bridgeversary! This Saturday the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge turns a youthful 45 years old. The folks at Inside the Apple have a full history, noting that when it opened in 1964, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world. The bridge connects Staten Island to Bay Ridge (or Yellow Hook), and was the "last major arterial road in Robert Moses's grand plan to connect all of New York by automobile." more ›

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Wife of Christo, and artist herself, Jeanne-Claude has died at age 74. She co-created the 2005 "Gates" installation, that spanned 23 miles in Central Park, alongside her husband (the installation brought $254 million to the local economy here). Mayor Bloomberg spoke with Christo this morning to offer condolences on the behalf of the city, where Jeanne-Claude died last night of a brain aneurysm. more ›

New York-born actress Olivia Wilde may garner some attention for her looks, but the 25-year-old also has quite a resume under her belt. You may know her as Thirteen on the television show House, you may have seen her around town while she was filming the Black Donnelleys, or you may just have spotted her browsing the Brooklyn Flea. Currently she's promoting the film Fix, which her husband (who is a real life prince, by the way) Tao Ruspoli directed. It opens at the Village East tomorrow, and earlier this week she told us a little bit about the film, her favorite books, and where to get the best taco in the city. more ›

The Radio City Rockettes are definitely busy these days—this morning, they will be on a Nostalgia Train! NYC Transit says the 1930's era IND Nostalgia Train will leave the Chambers Street E platform at about 10 a.m. and "will make stops enroute to the D line at West 4th Street, arriving at 47-50 St/Rockefeller Center station." Well, naturally the destination is Rockefeller Center, which is right by Radio City Music Hall, where the Christmas Spectacular is playing. more ›

Perhaps crazier than the mystery of where 5th and Broadway was in Williamsburg... the blogger at Pardon Me For Asking dug up an old map showing something called Yellow Hook. Indeed, there was a Yellow Hook! The NYPL (where there's currently a great exhibit mapping New York's shoreline), has some more evidence of this magical land, which was south of Red Hook. more ›

Now that Williamsburg has become a popular destination for tour groups and fashion students, the hipsters who took over the neighborhood years ago are losing their precious Pool Parties. Circle of life. We're told that with the deadline quickly approaching to find a new spot, there's no agreement in place and "the end could be near." As such, Senator Chuck Schumer is requesting that the community show some support—this summer the very same Senator Schumer pledged to the audience at one show that the free concerts would be back on the waterfront in 2010. more ›

Be warned: this video of Sad Panda will melt even the coldest of hearts. The fact is that Sad Panda (sometimes Spongebob Squarepants) is actually pretty sad, and that makes us Sad Humans. more ›

Seems like just yesterday we were unable to afford the iconic Givenchy black dress that Audrey Hepburn wore in Breakfast at Tiffany's, and this weekend more of her glamorous garb is going on the block. more ›

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Déjà vu! Yesterday the Radio City Rockettes had some help in lighting The Empire State Building up, from their furry friend King Kong. The lights were green, white and red last night in celebration of the opening night of the 2009 Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Here's a little bit of history on the dance troupe, who first took the stage at Radio City on December 27, 1932. more ›

The New York University web-rendition of contemporary metropolitan reality shows like Gossip Girl and The City is looking to expand its cast for the spring season. Executive Producer Michael Flutie's webisode venture titled Under The Arch follows select NYU students and alums as they go about their lives in the city. While the show revolves around 9 students and their "authentic experiences," the casting call is open to "new students, friends, influencers and talent" from all over for its second season. The search continues tomorrow at the David Barton Gym (4 Astor Place) from 9:30am-12pm. And just so you know how to dress for your big audition, get a look at the show here. more ›

At least one heavy metal deejay and musician is aware of how loud he can be. Benjamin Sachwald might be bringing the noise at night, but at his day job he's rewriting the noise code! Metro reports that at his firm, AKRF, he's "updated the sound standards for the 21st century, adding requirements for Mister Softee trucks. The company also does readings for fed-up tenants living above bars and developers planning projects by elevated subways." more ›

The Bronx Zoo opened on November 8th, 1899 with 843 animals (there are now over 4,000). Upon its 110th birthday, the Daily News lists off 110 other things you should know about the place (leaving out the time they caged a Congolese pygmy for a "Human Exhibit"). more ›

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Yesterday afternoon it was reported that Ken Ober, best known as the host of MTV's Remote Control, died on Sunday at the age of 52. The cause of death hasn't been announced, but his agent has come out with some details, saying: "His body was discovered in his home. The last person to have spoken to him was on Saturday morning. No foul play is suspected, no suicide, it looks like natural causes, just no one knows the exact cause yet." more ›

It’s hard to believe, but it’s been almost eight years since the release of Jonathan Safran Foer’s best-selling first novel, “Everything is Illuminated,”. Since then, among other things, he’s released another novel, "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," wrote a libretto for an opera, and been called everything from a "luminous talent" to "a fraud and a hack." His newest book, “Eating Animals,” is a personal account of his own struggles with and journey toward vegetarianism, and was inspired in part by the birth of his son. We talked to Foer about the process of researching, the factory farming system, and how his critics view him. more ›

All afternoon rumors have been flying around the internet with news that Ken Ober has died. We weren't about to fall for another Zach Braff-esque death scare, but sadly it has now been confirmed that the former host of MTV's Remote Control died suddenly over the weekend. more ›

Are you guys totally stoked for the crazy two-day Leonid meteor shower that's about to go down? Our man on the street, with his eye on the sky, Joe Schumacher tells us: "It looks like there will be two peaks, a lesser one starting around 4 a.m. EST on Tuesday and the larger one about 12-13 hours later. The first one should have 2-3 dozen meteors per hour." While the light pollution will likely block the experience for many, the skies will be clear and cooperating. more ›

Print isn't dead just yet, it's living on as art. The Museum of the City of New York has put together a nostalgic exhibit comprised of photographs from the now defunct LOOK Magazine. The publication reached peak circulation (of nearly 8 million) in the late 1960s, with nationwide readers who were attracted to the Only in New York-esque photographs (some of them taken by the likes of Stanley Kubrick). So naturally, the exhibit is called "Only in New York: Photographs from LOOK Magazine" (as is the book). more ›

Last week the new Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree arrived at 30 Rock after being torn from its roots in Easton, Connecticut. It will now have until December 2nd to be adorned with lights (last year folks were not impressed by the energy-efficient LED lights), before being plugged in for holiday revelers to enjoy. Here's some history on the tree tradition, which started about 77 years ago — and a look back at trees of the past (in 1938 there were two!). more ›

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The last two decades have found comic writer Jonathan Ames, known for his slanted wit and brutal honesty, become a veritable chameleon of pop-culture mediums. By turns novelist, essayist, journalist, theatrical performer, and amateur boxer, the Ames style has remained unmistakable—as the Times put it, Ames "has rarely strayed far from himself." more ›

One of the most memorable plays we saw last year was The Walworth Farce, a pitch-black comedy by Irish playwright Enda Walsh. The story concerned a menacing father who every day forces his two sons to join him in performing a farcical play he wrote about a phony brain surgeon's attempt to cheat his estranged brother out of his inheritance. In that frenzied, hysterical production, the family's shabby apartment doubled as their stage, and all nine parts were played by the housebound men, as a sort of elaborate domestic ritual for an audience of none. more ›

The complete history of Eldridge Street between Stanton and Rivington has all been visually played out in this 12-second video. Don't blink, you might miss that time it was Delancey Farm. more ›

Good news everyone: street artist Posterchild has brought superhero changing stations to NYC! How convenient for the caped and masked crusaders amongst us, and much needed since traditional phone booths are nearly extinct. more ›

Click on the film stills for details and reviews on this week's new releases and repertory screenings, which include 2012, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Messenger, Oh my God?, Pirate Radio, Ten9Eight, Uncertainty, William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe, Women in Trouble, The Red Shoes, Goonies, and All Tomorrow's Parties. more ›

Yesterday, with a bit (a lot) of inspiration from Andrew Sullivan, we asked that you send us your views. Submissions came in from Kensington to Washington Heights... and we'd love to see more. What do you see when you look out the window? Send a photo and location. more ›

It's amazing that anyone wants to celebrate the G train, but the NY Post is reporting that Williamsburg's City Reliquary is hosting a pageant to do just that. They report that the museum and civic organization will hold the pageant on November 19th in conjunction a photography exhibit documenting past Miss Subways winners. more ›

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William Kunstler was one of America's most famous radical lawyers. In the 1960s and 1970s, he defended civil rights protesters, Martin Luther King, Jr., and The Chicago Seven. He was called in by the inmates during the Attica prison uprising, and defended members of the American Indian Movement during their 71-day standoff with the federal government at Wounded Knee, South Dakota. Later in his career, he took on a string of controversial cases, including defending clients accused in the Central Park Jogger beating, the murder of Meir Kahane, and the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center. Tonight, "William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe" opens at theaters in New York and Boston, with a national expansion to follow. It was directed by his daughters, Emily and Sarah— we asked them some questions about their father's controversial life. more ›

It was Andy "Warhol's night" at yesterday's contemporary art auction at Sotheby's. One of his first silk-screen paintings, "200 One Dollar Bills" yielded a surprising $43.7 million: While the bidding started at $6 million, the price jumped rapidly between five bidders, all of whom were eager to nab the Warhol classic. The estimated price was $12 million, so it was a shock that the painting brought in more than three times that. Sotheby's refused to reveal the identity of the buyer, but one unsuccessful bidder told the Times, "I think the painting was worth it. It was rare and great. And the appealing estimate helped encourage bidding." more ›

Earlier this year a reader spotted a tourist group coming off the Bedford Avenue L in Williamsburg. So it shouldn't come as too much of a shock that there's now a course at FIT called "Williamsburg, The New Style Frontier." Or at least, there was on October 24th. more ›

Italian illustrator Matteo Pericoli "has executed an intimate collection of drawings — glimpses of the city, as seen from the windows of prominent New Yorkers." CityRoom takes a look at his new book The City Out My Window: 63 Views of New York, which includes drawings and stories inspired by them. For example, Stephen Colbert says of his view: "Because my studio is directly across from a windowless telecommunications skyscraper whose peak bristles with microwave transmitters, when I think of my view mostly I think about cancer, so I try not to think about it at all." more ›

Are aliens checking out Manhattan? One man says he filmed a "red craft" UFO for four nights straight this month, and has some footage to back up his claim. He says he filmed from The Great Hill in Central Park, saying, "When I started filming, it hovers about then suddenly I descends near the Reservoir. Slowly and vanishes. After about 30 min, when I got home, It popped up again for about 40 more minutes and morphed into a Plane... I know its sounds crazy... Its been out for about 4 nights so far... For some reason it knows I'm filming it." more ›

New York's newest Apple Store, at West 67th and Broadway, is officially opening up its doors this Saturday at 10 a.m. (we're told they will be giving out t-shirts). We're about to head inside for a special sneak peek, and will be updating with more images over the course of the day. First impression: that's a lot of glass! And the roof is glass, too. And this is their fourth glass staircase. more ›

It's time for your annual subway reef moment of zen. Last November the Today Show gave us an up-close look at the watery graves that some subways will meet. Now the NY Times points out that tonight's National Geographic Ultimate Factories program visits a plant that produces the new subway cars, "telling us for almost an hour about all the welding and wiring and safety inspections that go into making the things." That's right, see the subway car that will inevitably cause you to be late for something, before it even hits the track, and way before it hits the surf. more ›

Did you know that of the 150ish historical statues in all of New York City there are only five of real women? According to NYC Statues, Joan of Arc was the first, and the others are Eleanor Roosevelt, Gertrude Stein, Golda Mier, and Harriet Tubman — who was the last one, put up in 2007. more ›

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Tis the season to chop down thriving trees! This year's Rockefeller Center Christmas tree hails from Easton, Connecticut and will be arriving at 30 Rock today. The Daily News reports that the 76-foot Norway spruce is 50 years old and was growing in the yard of teacher Maria Corti. Once the tree is set up in its new temporary home, it will take about two weeks to decorate, with the official lighting ceremony on December 2nd. more ›

What on earth is the General Lee doing in New York City? The replica of the Dukes of Hazzard car was spotted in Brooklyn over the weekend, and it isn't the first Confederate flag to make it to the borough. Chances are you'll see it around town, those are New York plates! The Brooklyn Eagle ran it to it as well, parked over on Union Street in the Columbia Waterfront District. Let's us know if you see it catching some air. more ›

Yesterday we posted an old photo of a lone brownstone located somewhere in the East 60s, which in 1959 was about to be demolished for a future development. So where was the brownstone when it met its end? Our commenters figured it out... good job! The building was at 215 East 68th Street. more ›

What can't James Franco do? The actor, who will soon appear on General Hospital, is allegedly looking to obtain a Ph.D at Yale University after completing his masters of fine arts degree at Columbia. This is all while he's also enrolled as a filmmaking student at NYU. He told the Yale Daily News, "I'm applying to Ph.D. programs next year so I came out (to Yale) to see what the program was like." more ›

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Congressman Fiorello LaGuardia once declared: "No greater monument to the life and activity of the Republic can be imagined than Governors Island as a national airport." Today the Daily News looks back at one of the ideas for the island that never quite came to be... more ›

Anecdotal evidence suggests that transit police have been cracking down on musicians and other performers busking in the subway system—even though the MTA's own rules permit low-volume performance under certain conditions. A number of musicians and a busker advocacy group tell amNY that "police harassment has grown to disturbing levels in recent months." more ›

An intense traveling art exhibit that aims to enlighten people about the horrors of sex trafficking has arrived in New York. Called "Journey," the installation consists of seven shipping containers with work by international artists intended to evoke the experience of being a sex trafficking victim. It opened yesterday on Washington Place, and will remain open through Sunday. This video shows the interior of one of the containers, in which Coco de Mer founder Sam Roddick recreates a room in a brothel: more ›

Street gangs used to have way cooler names — like, say, the Devil's Rebels for instance. Now there's some amazing footage that's resurfaced of the '70s Bushwick gang, originally broadcast as part of a 1976 newscast. The footage was allegedly captured using a night vision lens and concealed cameras, and Bushwick BK notes that it all goes down in the 83rd Precinct, "a battleground for the police and young street criminals, where a teenage gang roams the streets at night looking for trouble." more ›

Last night was the memorial for late musician Mary Travers, which took place at the Riverside Church in Morningside Heights. NY1 reports back, saying that her long-time collaborators Peter Yarrow and Noel 'Paul' Stookey were joined by Pete Seeger, Judy Collins, Tom Paxton and more. Stookey said, "We dearly miss her. And this thing, death, it's like two shoes dropping. The first one drops when the death occurs. The other one drops a month or two later when you face up to the fact that, yeah, she's really gone." more ›

We happened upon this photo in the LIFE magazine archives. The caption reads: "Construction in NYC: land being cleared for 20 story building in East 60s — still occupied brownstone is soon to go." It was still occupied! The photo was taken in 1959... any guesses as to what block it was on? more ›

Yesterday, a day before its 40th birthday, Sesame Street was designated with a temporary street naming at... 64th and Broadway? While there are many neighborhoods that went into the set design for the show, many seem to think the Upper West Side isn't the best spot to dedicate a street in its name. However, while the show is filmed in Astoria, the corporate headquarters are actually on the, wait for it, UWS. more ›

These Lohan family tapes keep getting released, and allegedly the latest recorded conversation between Lindsay's parents reveals that the actress was dating Heath Ledger back in January 2008... when he died! Dun dun dun. Mama Lohan told her ex-husband during this particular phone conversation, "I don't know if you know that, but I know cause I would drop her off and they were friends. Very, very close, okay? That fucked her up. When she's drunk or takes an Adderall with it, she will do something like Heath Ledger did in a second without thinking." She went on to say that Ledger's death set her daughter off into the downward spiral. And the fastest way to help her out of that downward spiral is to release private conversations about her personal life. more ›

The stage adaptation of Green Day's Grammy-winning rock opera American Idiot is coming to Broadway, following a successful debut at Berkeley Rep. A spokesman for the production tells Playbill, "There is a Broadway future for the show, but at this time no dates or theatre are confirmed." So, you know, get excited... or indifferent. We're no fans of Green Day's simplistic faux-punk mascara rock, but if this thing's a hit, maybe we can look forward to Steady Diet of Nothing: The Musical? Tony Roberts would make a great Justice Brennan. more ›

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It took 40 years, but earlier today Sesame Street was honored with their own corner of New York (64th and Broadway, to be exact). We're told, "On the eve of the program’s big birthday, a temporary street sign was unveiled and a Mayoral Proclamation bestowed by the City of New York, proclaiming November 10 Sesame Street Day.” Do we get off for that? more ›

You've probably walked by the Marble Cemetery on 2nd Avenue before, but have you ever dared peek inside? The Scout recently took a closer look at the pretty commonly known, yet nearly hidden space (between 2nd and 3rd Streets), coming back with some amazing photos of what can be found once you get past the gate and down the narrow alleyway. more ›

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He materializes upstage wearing dark skirts, some sort of plastic tube stuffed in his mouth, his hair tied in a spiky pony-tail, a plastic duck in a birdcage hugged to his chest. The classic Chordettes oldie Mr. Sandman is playing, and in a flash we're once again transported to Foremanland, a singular dimension of feverish theatrical provocation, devoid of conventional narrative but rich with humor and deliciously inspired tableaux. more ›

After news that Goldman Sachs (and Citigroup) received 200 swine flu vaccines out of 5,400 requested, which is the same amount as Memorial Sloan-Kettering received for its 27,000+ request for its workers, Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update decided to tap into the populist outrage. more ›

If you don't have a rooftop or illegal fire escape garden, but you crave the taste of fresh thyme and basil for your homecooking... then you might to check out the possibility of window farming. New Yorkers Britta Riley and Rebecca Bray created Window Farms since growing food inside New York apartments is such a challenge. They simply channeled the "hydroponics research conducted by NASA scientists and marijuana farmers" — now through a drip system made from recycled water bottles, they've been growing beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, arugula, basil, lettuce and kale! CoolHunting stopped by to get a closer look: more ›

After speculation the expensive Julie Taymor-directed Spider-Man musical might be on the ropes, it turns out there's a new lead producer. The NY Times reports that Michael Cohl, a rock promoter, "was taking command of the financially troubled project at the behest of U2’s Bono and the Edge, who together wrote the music and lyrics for the show" and said the show would go on next year. While he's never been a lead producer, he did co-produce Spamalot and "is widely regarded in the entertainment community as a man with deep pockets, a Rolodex packed with investors and a knack for presenting entertainment spectacles." more ›

This would have made a great Halloween costume. Fred Lebain has a new series of photographs that blend New Yorkers right into New York. Animal notes that "After shooting the scene, Lebain returned with a large-format print that he then photographed again using tripods and other ubiquitous poster-holding techniques." Perfect for a city where pretty much everyone is invisible. more ›

As you've probably noticed from Google's art this week, it's Sesame Street's birthday! Oh the times we've shared. The television show is in its 40th year (here's the pitch), and there's lots of celebrating going on. This coming Monday "the City of New York will unveil a proclamation and announce a temporary street naming in honor of the program’s permanence and everlasting impact on New York City’s history and four generations of children across the country." Yep, Sesame Street is getting a street! The dedication will take place at noon at 64th and Columbus Avenue. more ›

Click on the film stills for more details and reviews for this week's new releases and repertory screenings, which include Precious, The Men Who Stare at Goats, Fourth Kind, A Christmas Carol, The Box, Collapse, Turning Green, That Evening Sun, And Now For Something Completely Different, and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. more ›

The crisp and clear weather was perfect for a Yankees 27th World Series Championship ticker tape parade—so perfect that the streets along the Canyon of Heroes were teeming with excited people celebrating the Bronx Bombers victory. In fact, check out the Gothamist Newsmap and see the incidents of "large crowd," "unruly crowd," and "airmail" (things larger than confetti/streamers being thrown) in the area. more ›

The massive project is falling further behind schedule, it's millions of dollars in the hole, and will need a miracle to meet a looming make-or-break deadline. All we need now are a string of eminent-domain lawsuits, and Julie Taymor's wildly ambitious Broadway adaptation of Spider-Man might as well change its name to Atlantic Yards: The Musical. (Starring Harvey Fierstein as embattled developer Bruce Ratner!) Today Taymor is meeting with producers to decide whether to proceed or postpone the technically insane project, which is hemorrhaging money like Mr. Orange gushing blood in the back seat of Mr. White's car. Is it gonna be okaaay? more ›

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In preparation for its American adaptation of the UK's provocative television knockout Skins, MTV is holding a casting call in Brooklyn in search of 15-18 year old non-actors of all types in its hunt for "the most charismatic and actually edgy kids." They're looking for genuine alpha males, divas, and "shy-types" to portray their naturally stereotypical selves along the vein of the original series which follows adventurous teens who deal with issues like pregnancy, eating disorders, and fulfilled teacher fetishes. While the series will inevitably take place in Baltimore, casting agent Kim Madalinski tells Brokelyn that looking in Brooklyn is a "no brainer." more ›

Eco-experimenter Mary Mattingly is taking her next project ashore. Earlier this year she was living in her waterpod, and now she's off to Metropolitan Exchange Building at 33 Flatbush Avenue to create something called “Air Ship Air City," according to the Brooklyn Paper. more ›

Set your DVRs: Starting November 20th actor/student/dreamboat James Franco will be making his debut on General Hospital—which inexplicably is just way more exciting than his upcoming cameo on 30 Rock. more ›

The Beatrice Inn shut down earlier this year after neighbors had enough of the A-list crowd partying it up at all hours. As the same war is being waged by neighbors of the Jane Hotel, against their late night ballroom antics, word is that the Beatrice may reopen. more ›

The crazy steam-spewing Union Square "Metronome" clock is off by 52 minutes! Does anyone even know how to read this thing? One blogger explains just how to decipher it:

The 15 numbers of the digital clock display time going and coming relative to midnight. Read time going left to right and time coming in the opposite direction. So, if the clock reads 180746***135205 it means that it is 6:07 P.M. (18 hours/07 minutes/46 seconds since midnight) and that there are 5 hours/52 minutes/13 seconds remaining until midnight. The three numbers in between are a blur of moving numbers. It is like a digital hourglass.

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New Jersey's 2nd favorite son Bon Jovi has signed on to become the first "artist-in-residence" at NBC. In a feature in this week's Observer, Felix Gillette traces the strange pairing, profiling both the pragmatism of self-described CEO Bon Jovi, as well as NBC's love of synergy and refusal to acknowledge criticism. more ›

Revel New York has released another video in their amazing series, which profiles all sorts of New Yorkers. You already met the Pigeon Lady, but they've also talked to Hester Diamond (Mike D's mom) and now their latest piece delves into the world of Brooklyn boxer Danny Jacobs. more ›

For the love of everything that is good and pure in this world, the next time there are multiple Lloyd Doblers around town, please alert us! Yesterday there were not 1, not 2, but approximately a zillion trench-coat wearing, boom-box-over-head-holding Lloyd Doblers right in this very city. Did you see them? USA Today reports that the self-dubbed "Mobler" hit up Penn Station, NYU, Union Square and landed in Times Square to meet up with a band called the Lloyd Dobler Effect, who sang "In Your Eyes." more ›

Jay-Z and Beyonce are spreading the wealth. The Daily News reports that the couple "ran up a $1,200 bill at the Upper East Side Italian restaurant Nello's last week" after savoring their Dom Perignon, white truffles and lobster salad. If they liked it so much why didn't they just put a ring on it! (Sorry.) They were so pleased with the service and food, however, that they dropped a $500 tip. That's over 40%! The News calls out another Nello's diner, a Russian billionaire, for being relatively stingy with a 15% tip of $7,328 tip on a $47,221.09 lunch. more ›

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Where was this hat in Sylvia Plath's day? A 22-year-old designer has created a cute little knit cap that literally stabs you in the skull until you smile. It's like Stepford Wife-chic! The claim is that "Through repeated use of this conditioning device you can train your brain to smile all the time." Goodbye sad affect, hello manufactured happiness! See creepy video after the jump. [via Pat's Papers] more ›

Mary Travers, of folk singing group Peter, Paul & Mary fame, died at the age of 72 back in mid-September. The NY Times now reports that a memorial celebration of her life and music will be held at 7 p.m. this coming Monday at Riverside Church in Morningside Heights. "The service will be open to the public. Tickets will be available on the day of the event on a first-come-first-served basis. Half the seats will be reserved for invited guests," and everyone from Pete Seeger to Whoopi Goldberg is expected to show. more ›

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Have you been asking yourself: where is all this candy coming from? So has the New York Times, and what they found may shock you: It is leftover candy from Halloween! The exclusive scoop reveals that some are so sick of seemingly harmless miniature candy bars that they bring the excess into the the office to unload on coworkers... who were apparently confused about this process until now. more ›

Now that Halloween is out of the way, it's time to talk turkey. The annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is just around the corner, and it's getting a new route this year. As previously mentioned, the route will no longer go down Broadway after Columbus Circle and will instead had down 7th Avenue and then 6th Avenue towards Macy's. One reason is the new pedestrian plazas in Times Square while another is the fact that 6th and 7th Avenues are wider than Broadway. As previously mentioned, the route will no longer go down Broadway after Columbus Circle and will instead had down 7th Avenue and then 6th Avenue towards Macy's. more ›

The Cooper Square Hotel is draping itself in glamorously gritty graffiti. They've commissioned artists Joyce Pensato, Nick 1, Vizie and Shinique to deck the walls of an adjacent building it recently bought, according to the NY Post. Vizie told the paper, "The only real unifying theme is the colors, black and white," but his section is "a tribute to a friend who died over the summer." more ›

We received our smiley-face laden wristbands so that we may gain entry to the Vice 15th Anniversary + Halloween party this past Saturday — but around 11 p.m. that night we were already hearing that the 1994-themed extravaganza was total mayhem, so we took our flannel elsewhere. more ›

Who can't use a little cute animal "news" on a Monday? Prospect Park Zoo recently introduced "a trio of new yellow footed rock wallabies in the Australian Walkabout on Discovery Trail," and they sent us this photo of one of them with a pumpkin! Since the WCS loves giving its animals pumpkin treats around Halloween, even the snow leopard had some fun with one at Central Park Zoo recently: more ›

As reported over the weekend, the revival of Neil Simon's "Brighton Beach Memoirs" ended its run yesterday after only one week due to poor ticket sales. Today, the NY Times asks what went wrong, and came up with several possible answers: Simon's old-fashioned brand of comedy, the lack of star power, a slumping Broadway economy, an ever-evolving zeitgeist...actually, it seems like everything is what went wrong. more ›

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Yesterday's 40th running of the ING NYC Marathon saw over 40,000 people traveling across the five boroughs to clock in 26.2 miles of running, walking, handcycling, and more. Besides the men's and women's race winners Meb Kelflizighi and Derartu Tulu, there were other champs: more ›

It may have been raining, but the annual Village Halloween Parade still attracted thousands of costumed marchers and spectators. Check out these photographs from our readers (and thank you for sharing them!). more ›

Oscar-winning actress Penelope Cruz and director Pedro Almodovar are the main feature of the NY Times' Holiday Movies section. But don't ask about Cruz's relationship with Javier Bardem! "Asked if a wedding is in the works, she said, with a pleasant smile and eyes of cold steel: 'You are a writer for The New York Times, yes? I think maybe you are not supposed to ask that kind of question.'" more ›

And they're off! Over 40,000 runners are on their way to finishing the 2009 New York City Marathon, which snakes across all five boroughs before its dramatic — and surprisingly hilly — finish in Central Park. All eyes are on three-time winner Paula Radcliffe, the British champ who this summer won the NYC Half Marathon. On the men's side, the Brazilian runner Marílson Gomes dos Santos is fighting for his third NYC Marathon victory against a field of formidable contenders including Kenyans James Kwambai and Robert Cheruiyot. more ›