Though most people like to celebrate that most important of historical documents, the original Star Wars trilogy, on May 4th—after all, you get to say: "May the Forth be with you"—a more correct day to celebrate it would be today, May 25th. Why? Because May 25th, 1977 was the day that the power of The Force was unleashed on the world at large. And we, and the movie business, have never been quite the same. more ›

It's sometimes easy to forget that New York is a city surrounded by beautiful beaches, some accessible for just the cost of a luxury MetroCard. All 14 miles of city beaches are free, and they open tomorrow, May 26th, at 10 a.m.! Click on the photos here for details on five excellent beach options within easy reach from downtown Manhattan: Rockaway Beach; Jones Beach; Fort Tilden; Sandy Hook N.J.; and Manhattan Beach. more ›

We've been celebrating Bob Dylan's 71st birthday with a series of posts this week. As mercurial as Dylan has always been, there is one thing we do know: for as long as Dylan has been writing songs, he has been writing to, for and about New York City. more ›

We've been staring into the cloudy abyss of fog all week, and are beginning to feel like we're living in an episode of Mad Men, or maybe that Stephen King movie. Either way, it's FEAR WITHOUT END... but it's also kind of pretty, albeit dreary. So send photos of this beautiful nightmare to photos@gothamist.com and we'll compose a gallery. You can also hashtag them #Gothamist and #Fog on Instagram, or tag them "Gothamist" and "Fog" on Flickr. Feel free to include a line of prose, it's what Sylvia Plath would have done. more ›

Last night, Katy Perry performed in a special concert for U.S. service members. The concert, sponsored by Pepsi and held at Pier 9 in Brooklyn, meant that Perry could wear an American flag dress and demand that a marine kiss her in the style of the famous V-J Day kiss in Times Square—"On the lips!" more ›

Daft Punk is playing at T.G.I. Friday's every day it seems: Pitchfork pointed us to a recent commercial from the fast food chain, which contains a background song that sounds suspiciously similar to LCD Soundsystem's classic "Daft Punk Is Playing At My House." Does that mean Sarah's girlfriend is working the door there too? Watch the commercial, then listen to the original song below. more ›

It seems that somebody in Chelsea is not loving the insane popularity of the High Line. So much so, in fact, that they've gone and put up signs reminding "High Line Tourists" that "West Chelsea is not Times Square. It is not a tourist attraction." Really? Because it IS attracting tourists! more ›

We all know by now that being topless is totally legal in New York whether you are a man or a woman, right? But there's nothing wrong with drawing some more attention to that fact, like the young woman baring her breasts in the East Village has been doing lately. And now the man behind the Topless New York series has launched a Kickstarter to raise funds for an exhibit showing years of his photographs documenting The Cause. more ›

If you couldn't get into the mysterious Spiegeltent in the Extra Mooga area of the Great GoogaMooga this weekend, don't sweat it—another one just popped up in Times Square. This particular century-old tent was found in a barn in Belgium and was restored for this NYC appearance. (It's also a different tent than the one that was down at the South Street Seaport back in 2006, when Gothamist presented Movable Hype 9.0 with O'Death.) These luxuriant traveling Spiegeltents were used as traveling dance halls and music/cabaret venues throughout Europe in the early 20th century; inside it feels like time stood still. more ›

Earlier this week we asked you to send in photos of your favorite bodega cats, and you delivered! Click through for some photos of the adorable guys and gals that keep our foodstuffs safe from evil rodents. We kept the descriptions vague to protect the innocent. more ›

Get ready to stuff your panic-stricken pet into the carrier and haul it on over to the Coney Island amusement district where the 2nd Annual "Pet Day at Deno's Wonder Wheel" will take place on Saturday June 16th. Does your pet enjoy being confined in a metal cage and hoisted hundreds of feet about sea level? There's only one way to find out! And the beauty of it is, "every dog, cat, fish and snake in town" gets to ride for FREE. Be sure to bring a couple plastic bags. more ›

Jonathan Pryce made his first big splash on the American state in 1990 in the midst of a sensational controversy surrounding his portrayal of a Eurasian pimp in the Broadway transfer of Miss Saigon. (Actor's Equity at first refused to let him perform in NYC because Pryce is Welsh and his character is not, but they finally relented after producers threatened to cancel the production altogether.) Pryce went on to win his first Tony award for that show, and later starred in such films as the James Bond flick Tomorrow Never Dies and the Pirates of the Caribbean series. You may also remember him from his brilliant performance in Terry Gilliam's Brazil, or his beautifully nuanced turn as Al Pacino's anxious mark in Glengarry Glen Ross. more ›

"I was so much older then/I'm younger than that now." We'll be celebrating Bob Dylan's 71st birthday with a series of posts this week. As mercurial as Dylan has always been, there is one thing we do know: for as long as Dylan has been writing songs, he has been writing to, for and about New York City. more ›

It's never going to stop raining and we're never going to see the blue skies again and your shoes are never going to dry and we're going to be drenched in our own sweat from the 100% humidity forever and ever—so just listen to the depressing version of Blind Melon's "No Rain" and deal with it. If it makes you feel better, you can click through and look at some photos of an old New York City being belted with equally bad weather. We've survived the storm before, people... and just look at how noir it all was. more ›

The first black radio announcer and legendary DJ Hal Jackson has died at the age of 96, and decades of being an important on-air voice (Mayor Bloomberg has called him "a legend.") Until recently he was still running his Sunday Classics show on WBLS for three hours each week—you can listen in on some of those below. more ›

As part of Fleet Week festivities, there's supposed to be a flyover of F-22 Raptors over the Hudson Corridor between 9:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. However, it's weather-permitting, and as NYC Aviation puts it, "Weather not looking good." more ›

MoMA threw its annual "Party in the Garden" benefit last night in the museum's elegantly minimalist sculpture garden. As we mentioned back when we were encouraging you to buy tickets, this is one of the best parties of the year—at $150 admission isn't cheap, but you get three hours of top shelf open bar plus a live open-air concert in one of NYC's most iconic locations. (You may remember this from Woody Allen's Manhattan.) Last year Kanye provided the entertainment, this year it was Santigold, who got the sold-out party jumping with her adventurous blend of pop-rap-electro funk. Here's video taken shortly after she invited audience members to dance up on stage: more ›

The first batch of Fleet Week photos are here! Flickr user jphillipobrien2006 was on hand to capture the excitement of the arriving military ships and planes. In this first roundup we're enjoying some dramatic images of the US Navy's Blue Angels air demonstration, a few F/A 18s and the delightful US Coast Guard sailing vessel USCGC Eagle. more ›

Earlier this year Björk brought her Biophilia education series to the New York Hall of Science—a program based off her album of the same name, that has actually been incorporated into the Icelandic school syllabus. Now she's teaming up with the New York Public Library and Children's Museum, with the help of the Creators Project, to bring her brand of knowledge to your children's moldable minds. The performer's educational programming series reflects "the innovative and interactive elements of the Biophilia apps and seeks to teach kids about the connections between technology, art and natural phenomena." For example: more ›

"I was so much older then/I'm younger than that now." We'll be celebrating Bob Dylan's 71st birthday with a series of posts this week. As mercurial as Dylan has always been, there is one thing we do know: for as long as Dylan has been writing songs, he has been writing to, for and about New York City. So far, we've listed our favorite Dylan covers, looked at the Freewheelin' album cover art, explored songs written about Robert Zimmerman and dived into our archives to see how Dylan has been depicted in comic books. Now, we'll look at the dark underbelly of Dylan fandom: terrible covers. more ›

Earlier today we looked at the trailer for Baz Luhrman's Great Gatsby, which features a very vibrant-looking New York City during the year 1922. Now you can click through and see what New York really looked like during that year (but wait, it's better if you first press play on the below song). And here's what was happening in the five boroughs:

• It was just a couple of years into the Prohibition Era, and New York City's speakeasy clubs were multiplying—in fact by 1925 there "were anywhere from 30,000 to 100,000 speakeasy clubs" here. more ›

The new issue of Rolling Stone is largely devoted to the recently-departed musician and filmmaker Adam "MCA" Yauch, who co-founded seminal hip hop act Beastie Boys way back in 1981. The issue features a long look at Yauch's career and "remarkable personal growth as he moved on from his band's loutish, hard-partying Licensed to Ill phase on to spiritual enlightenment in the latter half of his all-too-brief life." And it includes short but sweet interviews with surviving Beastie Boys Mike D and King Ad-Rock, who open up for the first time about their loss. more ›

Following her teary-eyed send-off from Saturday Night Live this weekend, Kristen Wiig got up on stage at the afterparty with the Foo Fighters to belt out "I Love Rock n' Roll," with a beer in hand and with Rockefeller Plaza's famous statue of Prometheus behind her. Also behind her were Jason Sudeikis and Andy Samberg, singing back-up. It's been rumored that the two will also be leaving the show, and were possibly upset that Lorne Michaels decided to single Wiig out in the finale farewell. more ›

"I was so much older then/I'm younger than that now." We'll be celebrating Bob Dylan's 71st birthday with a series of posts this week. As mercurial as Dylan has always been, there is one thing we do know: for as long as Dylan has been writing songs, he has been writing to, for and about New York City. So far, we've listed our favorite Dylan covers, looked at the Freewheelin' album cover art, and explored songs written about Robert Zimmerman. Now from our archives: how Dylan was depicted in comic books. more ›

Being underground on a steamy subway platform can be sweaty and soul-crushing. Which is why spotting Sam Waterston this morning—waiting for a train with a crowd of commuters—was like a mirage. When he entered the crowded 1 train, he took out his glasses and studied the subway map—perhaps he was trying to figure out what station would be his best bet to check out some of these spots. more ›

Is Jay-Z bringing all the big names to Brooklyn? Barclays Center has been announcing some major concert headliners (Leonard Cohen, Babs), with the latest being Justin Bieber, who will be performing his first big Brooklyn concert there in November. Better watch your back, Madison Square Garden. more ›

Fleet Week is officially underway, people! Right this moment ships are arriving at Pier 90 and parts of Staten Island, and the sailors and their pristinely pressed uniforms are getting ready to descend upon our fair city. If you're on the west side before 1 p.m. today you can check out the Parade of Ships floating up the Hudson—including tall ships, guided-missile destroyers like the USS Roosevelt, and other Navy and Coast Guard ships and planes. Air demonstrations will be happening all over New York City this weekend and many ships will be open to the public for tours. You can check out the full schedule of official events here. more ›

The first look at Baz Luhrman's trailer for his 3-D version of The Great Gatsby has been released, and if you've seen his previous films (Romeo+Juliet, Moulin Rouge) then it will come as no surprise to see he's created a vivid, over-the-top world from F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel. It's sort of like 1920s New York has been drenched in Moët and Hunter S. Thompson is reading the story to you while squeezing an eyedropper of LSD onto your skin everytime Eckleburg's eyes appear. Have we mentioned the Moët? Count how many times you spot it in the trailer, which some say is longer than Gatz. more ›

A protege of Kanye West was arrested at Laguardia Airport for carrying a set of brass knuckles at Laguardia Airport. At least, that what the TSA thinks 2 Chainz had. But others claim 2 Chainz was just carrying his DOPE four-finger ring and say that the Transportation Security Administration overreacted. more ›

While some prudish libraries are debating whether or not to stock E.L. James's Fifty Shades series (ahem, North Carolina), the New York Public Library is not one of them... and it looks like they need to stock up. There are currently 1,824 people that have the first book on hold. more ›

Chances are if you've heard any music, ever, you've heard Robert Moog's creation: the Moog synthesizer. Moog (rhymes with "vogue") was born in New York City, attended the Bronx High School of Science Queens College, Columbia, and Cornell, and would have been 78 years old today (he died in 2005). As a tribute, today's Google Doodle features a mini Moog that allows you to play, record, and share a composition. It certainly beats putting clothes on a turkey. more ›

Just as nothing says "spring is coming" like the first crocus coming out of the ground, nothing says "summer is coming" like the annual rising of the brain-crazed dead in Brooklyn. Which is to say, the annual Zombie Crawl returns this Sunday! more ›

Wes Anderson's latest opus Moonrise Kingdom opens this weekend, and as an amuse-bouche, here's a slightly buzzed Bill Murray giving you a behind-the-scenes tour of the set. ("I've got a little bit of rum in me now," Murray acknowledges. "Sailor Jerry. It's a spiced rum.") In introducing the actors, Murray explains that the ensemble includes "Edward Norton—he does a lot of psycho work... [And] Bruce Willis, playing a policeman. Typecast, I guess." Check it out: more ›

"I was so much older then/I'm younger than that now." We'll be celebrating Bob Dylan's 71st birthday with a series of posts this week. As mercurial as Dylan has always been, there is one thing we do know: for as long as Dylan has been writing songs, he has been writing to, for and about New York City. So far, we've listed our favorite Dylan covers and looked at the Freewheelin' album cover art. Now, we'll dive into songs written about Robert Zimmerman. more ›

Right now you can show your support by spreading the word and "liking" the Facebook page. And no disrespect to pharmaceutical pioneer Dr. Edward Robinson Squibb, who the park is currently named for... but he hailed from Delaware and probably never skateboarded a day in his life. more ›

Bodega cats are a New York City treasure—they guard our apples, our milk, and our Bud Lite Lime when we aren't around. They protect our corner bodega from the one thing that metal rolldown gate can't: rodents. And sometimes they pop their cute little faces out of the bottom shelf when you reach down to grab a bottle of water. They're so cute that we don't even care that their cat litter is right next to the produce—that's a mark of true love. Pictured is one of the bodega cats that we see every day—he lives in a storefront on Jay Street in Brooklyn with one other cat, and as you can see he takes his job very seriously, wearing a tuxedo every single day. more ›

New York has had some pretty grand movie theaters over the years, something that can be easy to forget in the age of bland stadium seating and cheap 3-D glasses we live in. Luckily, the old theaters aren't really all gone—they're just resting. The late Loew's Kings Wonder Theater is in the process of being brought back to its glory, but others, like the one above a bodega in the East Village, are set to be demolished. And some are simply in purgatory, like the Loew's 46th Street Theater in Brooklyn. This space is currently being used for furniture storage (sigh), but has miraculously retained some of its original details—according to Cinema Treasures, "Everything between the wall and the original entrance became a retail space. Everything beyond the wall, towards the original screen, has remained relatively intact." more ›

We're celebrating Bob Dylan's 71st birthday with a series of posts about the legendary songwriter this week. As mercurial as Dylan has always been, there is one thing we do know: for as long as Dylan has been writing songs, he has been writing to, for and about New York City. Yesterday we delved into our favorite Dylan covers, and today we're revisiting his Freewheelin' album cover. more ›

Jerry Seinfeld was on Andy Cohen's Watch What Happens Live last night where he revealed the longest he's been the master of his domain and how the actresses who played his many girlfriends had terrible breath. But the biggest secret the comedian let out was how he really hated the episode "The Alternate Side," because it involved a stroke victim (Elaine's 66-year-old boyfriend) whom the gang ended up feeding while he was infirm on a couch. more ›

In the wake of canceling a short-lived afternoon talk show you've never heard of (The Revolution apparently was televised and nobody watched?) the good folks at ABC have decided to expand their Good Morning America brand into a new afternoon show called, you guessed it, Good Afternoon America. Which leads us to just one truly important question: Will the new GAA hour be as gloriously drunken as the fourth hour of the Today show has been with Hoda and Kathie Lee? Cause you are totally allowed to drink after noon, right? RIGHT? more ›

As we reported earlier, The King Ad-Rock (a.k.a. Beastie Boy Adam Horovitz) paid a surprise visit to the MCA Day memorial gathering in Union Square park on Saturday. Here are more photos and videos from the informal memorial, which was organized by Beastie Boys superfan Michael Kearney. In the first video here, Kearney describes how "what's transpiring today is a total testament to the message of Beastie Boys, especially Adam Yauch: you do good things and put positive things out into the universe, people will gravitate toward it." more ›

Recently a friend residing in Williamsburg said he was going to "the city" for the evening—meaning, of course, Manhattan—which raised some eyebrows when the terminology was brought to the table at Gothamist HQ. more ›

To blur the line between art and the mundane even further, MoMA has put out a call for all your unwanted objects in preparation for an upcoming multimedia installation and performance "garage sale." The museum has been accepting donations of "strange items" over the last two weekends and will continue to receive your stuff the next two weekends as well. And almost anything goes except the usual perishables, weapons, liquids, hazardous materials... and naturally anything that has ever housed a family of bed bugs. more ›

Summer outdoor movie season just got busier with the announcement of the free The Central Park Conservancy's film festival, which features five cult classics for its 10th Anniversary. The films will be screened under the stars just north of Central Park's lovely Sheep's Meadow, all in one week in August. Here's the lineup, which is dedicated to movies "whose unique ability to excite, inspire, and entertain gathered a growing 'cult' following over time": more ›

In 1992, on this exact day, MTV aired the premiere of their reality television show The Real World, which was created by Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray and apparently based off of a 1973 documentary series An American Family. But is this landmark 20th anniversary something to celebrate or something to shun? more ›

"I was so much older then/I'm younger than that now." We'll be celebrating Bob Dylan's 71st birthday with a series of posts this week. As mercurial as Dylan has always been, there is one thing we do know: for as long as Dylan has been writing songs, he has been writing to, for and about New York City. Today, we'll start by delving into our favorite Dylan covers. more ›

Not everyone was waiting on line for food in Prospect Park this weekend! Hundreds of people, in fact, took one of the most beautiful weekends of the year as the perfect excuse to head to Piscataway, New Jersey, for the 2012 Steampunk World's Fair. From across the United States (and the world) folks of all ages, colors and persuasions piled into two hotels—and the space between them—to show off their gear, talk about everything steampunk, dance, drink and generally have a good time. more ›

It's time to look back at the timestamps placed in last night's episode of Mad Men—there were quite a few. Don't scroll down unless you're prepared for some spoilers. more ›

It takes most of the day to pedal through the Five Borough Bike Tour, but thanks to the magic of the Internet, you can sit on your ass and experience the whole thing on your computer screen without burning any precious calories. Shot in HD, this timelapse video by cyclist Cesar Kuriyama offers a hip-level view of the experience of the 2012 ride, which was by all accounts much less of a shitshow than last year's Bike Tour. As much as participants complain about the ride's annoying bottlenecks, it must be exhilarating to bike on the FDR: more ›

Okay, TV nerds—if a Law & Order food Tumblr wasn't enough for you, how about a Tumblr about a Doctor Who puppet in the Big Apple? more ›

The Apollo Theater announced that Chaka Khan will perform a tribute to Whitney Houston at its Spring Gala next month. One of Houston's hits from The Bodyguard was a cover of Chaka Khan's "I'm Every Woman" (written by Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson). Houston and Khan, who were friends, performed it at the 1999 VH1 Divas concert: more ›

Kristen Wiig wasn't the only one tearing up last night as she was given an emotional farewell by the Saturday Night Live cast and crew (you can watch the segment below)—a lot of people had a salty discharge escaping their eye holes, and a whole lot of them put pictures on their Tumblr or tweeted about it. Seriously, just take a look at a small sampling of this outpouring of grief below: more ›

There was a lot of big stuff happening on last night's season finale of Saturday Night Live: there was "Lazy Sunday 2" (which could end up being one of the last digital shorts), host Mick Jagger played bits of seven songs (including six Stones classics), Stefon had a hilarious return, and most emotionally, the cast bid farewell to the departing Kristen Wiig in the final sketch. more ›

Last week, "Lazy Sunday" was conspicuously absent from the star-studded SNL 100th Digital Short bonanza video. We were curious why the first Digital Short breakout hit wouldn't have been included in that—and it seems it was because Andy Samberg and Chris Parnell had one more up their sleeves. Below, watch "Lazy Sunday 2," in which the two drink mimosas at brunch, discuss the long lines at Magnolia, and catch a showing of "Sister Act: The Musical." more ›

When The CW announced its fall lineup this past week, it confirmed it had picked up the series, The Carrie Diaries, based on Candace Bushnell's novel about Carrie Bradshaw's pre-Sex and the City life. We'll have to wait until January to see young Carrie traipsing around 1984 New York City, but here's an early look at the show—check out the Madonna reference! more ›

Today is the 50th anniversary of the night that Marilyn Monroe sang "Happy Birthday" to President John F. Kennedy, Jr. at the old Madison Square Garden, between 50th and 51st Streets. After she performed, JFK took the stage and announced, "Thank you. I can now retire from politics after having had 'Happy Birthday' sung to me in such a sweet, wholesome way." To commemorate the night, LIFE has just published a series of Bill Ray's rare photos from the event. They write: more ›

Today in Union Square, people are gathering to celebrate MCA Day, which will honor the late Adam "MCA" Yauch of the Beastie Boys. It seems that bandmate Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz was moved by the public outpouring—enough so that he is participating in the event as well! more ›

Ever wonder what kind of technology the CIA uses to listen in on your phone calls? A new spy exhibition in Manhattan might prove enlightening! Spy: The Secret World of Espionage opened yesterday at Discovery Times Square, and as long as you're willing to fight off busloads of tourists, you can check out hundreds fun spy tools and artifacts from the CIA and FBI, as well a number of intelligence items collected by spy book author and espionage enthusiast H. Keith Melton. more ›

This is by far the greatest video we've seen all week: Darth Vader haggling with a traffic cop over a parking ticket somewhere in Brooklyn. Is Darth Vader's authentic NY accent the best part? He put the ticket on the dashboard! Or is it when the stormtroopers wander into the scene too late to aide their commander? You'd think Vader could have used some Jedi mind tricks to sway the cop to his side, but those almost never work on the NYPD. more ›

We've been teased for months now, and now we finally get the whole Murray: below, you can watch the trailer for the upcoming film Hyde Park On The Hudson, which stars Bill Murray as President Franklin Delano Romanowski Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The film concentrates on the 1939 meeting between Roosevelt, his wife, and his cousin/possible mistress and the King and Queen of England. It looks like it could be Oscar-bait to us, but hell, we enjoyed The King's Speech, and we'll watch just about everything Bill Groundhog-Day-Ghost-Bustin'-As­s Murray is in. more ›

The wonderful modern-day adaptation of Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock, is finishing its three-episode second season on Masterpiece Theatre this weekend, and we may not see season three for a while. So until then, it looks like CBS is trying to win over our hearts with a modern-day adaptations of Sherlock Holmes... set in New York City. more ›

Have you been told by friends, family, and grumbling strangers as they rolled their eyes at you entering an artisinal mayo shop that you look like a "hipster"? Do you gaze into the mirror combing your long ombre-toned locks, rub Kiehl's lotion into your tattoos, and shine your piercings with Brooklyn-born baby spit-up? Well has Central Casting got the job for you. Lena Dunham's show Girls was picked up for a 2nd season on HBO, and they're casting some extras (young adult, ages 18-29; and slightly older adults in their thirties, ages 30-39). The listing reads: more ›

Spandex-clad superheroes, board games, sequels, prequels, Katy Perry documentaries, pregnancy guides and 3D dance revolutions will all be taking up residency in movie theaters across the country over the next three sweltering months. There are almost 90 films coming out this summer, and there's a better-than-likely chance that most of them won't be worth your hard-earned cash. But some might just be worth it with the added bonus of free air conditioning. So we've rounded up some notable summer blockbusters that caught our eye (no Adam Sandler films or Ice Age sequels here), to evaluate whether they are, indeed, air conditioner worthy (and next week we'll take a look at upcoming indie films).
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There's been a young topless woman walking around the East Village for the past few weeks and, finally, she has spoken, confirming that she's baring her boobs to remind everyone that women have the right to go free-ranging in New York (so she's not just trying to avoid ghastly tan lines). NSFW photo below. more ›

The 55,000 square foot Park Avenue Armory has been transformed into a retro-futuristic tribute to the American space age with a sprawling installation by artist Tom Sachs. Called SPACE PROGRAM: MARS, the exhibit is also a living performance, with Sachs and his studio team of thirteen performing the myriad procedures, rituals, and tasks of their mission to Mars. Everything from the Mars landscape to the NASA aeronautical equipment is created out of salvaged materials or ordered from DIY catalogs. Click through on Katie Sokoler's photos for a look at the massive, immersive show. Here's a video preview: more ›

Yesterday we alerted you that MCA Day was coming to Union Square this Saturday, and below the organizer, Michael Kearney, tells us more about what to expect, and why he felt compelled to create a gathering to remember Adam Yauch. The event comes just over two weeks after Yauch's passing on May 4th. In the interview, Kearney sums up why so many people who never knew Yauch personally were so saddened by his death. more ›

We still have a week left till Memorial Day Weekend—the unofficial start of summer—but with perfect weather ahead for the next couple days, the Great GoogaMooga, and topless women roaming the East Village, we feel comfortable declaring this weekend the unofficial unofficial start of summer! And to add to the fun, the first Brooklyn Flea record fair of the year will take place tomorrow in Williamsburg. more ›

This morning, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz welcomed the Beijing Guo Sheng Opera Troupe to Brooklyn, greeting the crowd "ni hao ma?" in his shaky Mandarin*. The opera group, in town for two performances this weekend, is from Brooklyn's sister city, Chaoyang — a district in Beijing. more ›

We're going to wrap up National Etiquette Week with some rules on how to compose yourself on Twitter. Listen, it's your Twitter feed, and you can do with it what you want, and we don't like it when people tell us how to act either, but we're gonna put this out there. All we ask is that you RT it, and Tweet it at some celebrities, and then #FF us. more ›

The Queen of Disco Donna Summer lost her battle to cancer yesterday—and TMZ reports that she felt that 9/11 was involved. more ›

Finally, something to fill the Tazo-sized hole in our hearts: the Prospect Park Zoo debuted three new otter pups to Brooklyn! And they're adorably roly-poly, as you can see in the video below: more ›

We've taken a look back at Rockaway Beach before, but here's a closer look at the Rockaways through photos taken from before you were born (probably)... and way before that guy from MGMT bought a house there. more ›

Commuters and tourists gathered in Grand Central's Vanderbilt Hall yesterday to watch the MTA's 25th Annual Music Under New York (MUNY) auditions. With five minutes each to convince 33 judges of their musical aptitude, 70 hopefuls vied for a chance to be added to the roster of 350 musicians performing over 7,500 subterranean shows each week. more ›

One of the greatest annual events we look forward to each summer is The Met rooftop's seasonal rooftop exhibit. Throughout the years the artists given the massive space have ranged from Sol LeWitt to Roxy Paine to Jeff Koons to the awesome (and interactive) bamboo forest in 2010. Last year we were a little bit disappointed with the metal sculptures, but this year's installation looks magnificent, particularly with the Manhattan backdrop. Click through for some stunning photos of Tomás Saraceno's Cloud City—the 38-year-old's first major commissioned, site-specific installation. more ›

I loathe mourning celebrity but this one is just so unexpected." more ›

Oh, isn't that adorable: Some Lothario-on-the-go concluded his recent subway copulation by carefully tying his used prophylactic to an F train pole/hand rest. A more vulgar Romeo might have simply tossed his rubber carelessly to the floor of the train, or even discarded it into the dustbin of oblivion, erasing all record of his mass transit triumph. But this proud gentleman had the inspiration to share his conquest with the world. As one impressed Gothamist staffer put it, "It's like his flag!" more ›

On May 11th a Twitter and Facebook page were set up for MCA Day, which will honor the late Adam "MCA" Yauch. The event will take place this Saturday May 19th in Union Square, and will give fans of the Beastie Boy a place to memorialize him as a group. On the Facebook page, organizer Michael Kearney has written: "Picture an NYC Subway car full of all types and walks of life... singing Beastie Boys songs in unison. That's my vision for MCA DAY NYC. I'm going to build that. Thanks for your support. That trains a coming..." We've contacted Kearney for more information on the event, and will update as more details come in. more ›

It's National Etiquette Week, and while most of you are likely marking this important occasion with a refresher course on which fork goes where in a place setting, perhaps some of you are wondering how you can be more considerate to those with whom you dwell. Here are a couple of suggestions on how to harness the power of cleaning in pursuit of a more perfect (roommate) union. more ›

It's often said that in 1917 there were more personal vibrators in American homes than there were toasters, but what did these vibrators look like? Scary, futurist pleasure robots. Babeland has an excellent gallery of vibrators of yore and their modern equivalents. Click on the photos and stroll BACK IN TIME when "hysteria" was still a disease. more ›

Yesterday, ABC announced that it would add a Revenge-like drama to its fall lineup—the New York City-set 666 Park Avenue. Of course, it's about real estate and the devil. Here's the show description: more ›

Tim Presley co-founded Darker My Love, has toured with the Fall, plays with the Strange Boys and records his own work under the name White Fence. All of this is to say that the man is a sensei of rock and roll ("garage rock," if you must) and that you should be paying close attention. more ›

State Senator Daniel Squadron took to the Senate floor yesterday to introduce a resolution honoring Adam "MCA" Yauch, the beloved musician, rapper, Beastie Boys co-founder, filmmaker, Buddhist, and political activist. Yauch died of cancer ten days ago at a Manhattan hospital, and heartfelt tributes have gone up around NYC and beyond...and now all the way to the state legislature. more ›

Legendary Ramones singer Joey Ramone may have died in 2001, but he left behind a hoard of demos and incomplete songs—his brother Mickey Leigh took it upon himself to gather an all-star group of admirers and friends including Joan Jett, Little Steven Van Zandt of the E Street Band, and members of Cheap Trick and The Dictators to help complete what will likely be Joey's final album, ...Ya Know? You can listen to the whole thing at Rolling Stone. Below, listen to first single "Rock 'N Roll Is The Answer." more ›

The following post is from our advertiser, Bonobos. more ›

We're still celebrating National Etiquette Week over here (did you lock up your bike properly this morning?), and right now you're about to get a lesson from The Etiquette School of New York's Patricia Fitzpatrick, who has created the below top 10 list for us, titled: Top 10 Etiquette Dos for a More Pleasant and Civil New York City. more ›

Michel Gondry's next film is a world away from his last big budget flick, The Green Hornet, and back to what he does best with his trademark cinemalism. This doesn't mean you should expect whimsical cardboard boxes creating the scenery, however. The film, premiering at Cannes later this month, takes place almost entirely inside of a New York City bus in the Bronx. more ›

Back in the summer of 2009, the Tony Awards got dangerous when Poison lead singer Bret Michaels was clotheslined by a descending piece of scenery. Cut to present day—Michaels and the Tonys have agreed to settle his lawsuit out of court. And the video of the clotheslining is still as good as it was in 2009 (see below). more ›

This week isn't just National Etiquette Week, it is also, as part of National Bike Month, National Bike to Work Week. So we decided to combine the two for a brief discussion on how to properly lock up your bicycle. Because yes, there is an etiquette to locking up your wheels. more ›

President Obama is such a snob. During a pop culture pop quiz, the ladies of The View asked him if he knew the name of the “controversial sex book that’s on millions of women’s bedside tables"? And he said no! Why does he not know about the amazing trilogy by E.L. James that is re-igniting couples' sex lives (and helping sell out grey ties)—is he busy with other stuff or does he just read his own memoirs over and over again? more ›

If we've learned anything from the latest super-length trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man it's that no matter how many times we've seen edge-of-your-seat action scenes on one of the city's bridges it never gets old. It's a testament to the action genre, and specifically the comic book-turned-summer blockbuster genre. Why... just the other day in the latest Dark Knight Rises trailer we saw the Williamsburg Bridge get blown up, but the structure is under Hollywood's spotlight in more than one IMAX-friendly movie this year—in the below four-minute trailer you'll see Spider-Man and a number of vehicles hanging from it... more ›

The New York Photo Festival 2012 edition opens with a photo star-studded event Wednesday May 16 6-9 pm, and continues through Sunday May 20. We're giving away 2 pairs of VIP tickets, but you have to be a Gothamist Daily subscriber to win. more ›

Various allegations of misbehavior with masseurs are swirling around John Travolta. So the Daily News decided to ask Victoria Gotti, John Gotti's widow, what she thinks, since Travolta may be playing the Teflon Don. To which she said, "What difference does it make if he were gay? Who the f--k really cares? Does it make him less of a beautiful human being? No.... Leave him the f--k alone. Whatever the true story is, leave him with his dignity. In the grand scheme of things, it really does not matter." more ›

Gotham Girls Roller Derby continues its home season in bout #3. The Ladies in black -- the Queens of Pain -- will go head to head with the Cabbies in yellow, the Bronx Gridlock. These two teams boast six league championships and know each other well - a Queens/Bronx showdown always creates fireworks! What parts will the 2012 newbies play in this year's edition? We're giving away 2 pairs of tickets, but you have to be a Gothamist Daily subscriber to win. more ›

A tipster randomly spotted this ranch-style home on Pulaski Street in Bed-Stuy, just off Nostrand, and given that we are somewhat obsessed with suburban looking homes juxtaposed in NYC's urban neighborhoods, we thought we'd share. What is it doing there? According online records, it was built in 2000 and is owned by the Salvation Army, who may run it as an adult care facility. more ›

A demonstration for an underground transit system in New York City was first built by Alfred Ely Beach in 1869, with a 312 foot run under Broadway in Lower Manhattan (this was later demolished when the BMT Broadway Line was built in the 1910s). The first underground line of the subway opened in October of 1904, though the first elevated line opened 35 years prior. Click through for a look at the underground subway system being constructed, from Delancey Street to the Bronx, from 1901 through 1931—and here's what a ride through the tunnels looked like back in 1905. more ›

A Portland-based filmmaker and father of two, James Winters, got his kids and his nephew to reenact the Beastie Boys' video for "Sabotage" as a tribute to Adam "MCA" Yauch, who succumbed to cancer on May 4th. This is one of the more adorable tributes created so far (but our favorite is still the mural in Brooklyn), so we won't even question why they felt the need to go off-script and put a clown in it. more ›

Shuttered club CBGB is back in the zeitgeist this year! In January we broke the news that the current owners would be reopening the venue, then in March it was announced that they'd be having a festival this summer, and now the club is under Hollywood's shining spotlight, with the biopic on the venue finally moving forward. more ›

[UDPATE BELOW] In 2009 we looked back at the city's history of toxic smog, wondering "if an upcoming season of Mad Men might revolve around the smog problem in 1966." And last night we had our answer: Don Draper & Co. were submerged in a sea of smog, unable to open the windows. The only mention of the smog is when Megan tells Don, "The radio said there's a smog emergency. The air's toxic. I don't want that in here." In the world Matthew Weiner's created, this is less about the historical reference point and much more about symbolism, however, the smog did cause real problems for real New Yorkers of the time. more ›

Mindy Kaling’s new sitcom was picked up for the 2012-2013 television season, and will air on Fox starting later this year. The actress (and producer, and author, and all around multitalent) will star in The Mindy Project (the title will likely change) as an OB-GYN “who’s trying to get her life in order"... and guess what? She's doing it all in Manhattan. more ›

These two Ghostbusters nerds are putting a smile on our faces today. The duo, from Bleeding Cool, took a tour of spots the movie filmed at in Manhattan, recreating scenes at most of them. The result is a pretty servicey guide for fellow fans of the film, including eight stops which took about six hours to travel to... this includes breaks, getting lost, and an occasional run in with Zuul. more ›

It's National Etiquette Week once again, and we'll be (politely) celebrating for the next five days. To start things off, tell us what irks you the most when you're out there on the sidewalks, underground in the subway system, sitting in a movie theater, ordering at Starbucks... or anywhere else in New York City. We've likely covered your pet peeve before, but we can't stop/won't stop until people stop hugging the subway poles, dammit. more ›

Yes! The lineup for the annual summer Mondays outdoor film series at Bryant Park is out and, we gotta say, it is looking pretty darn good! Because this is the 20th go-round for the popular HBO-sponsored series they are double-dipping and reshowing crowd-pleasing favorites. And with options including Psycho, The Wizard of Oz, On The Waterfront, Rebel Without a Cause, All About Eve and Raiders of the Lost Ark, who are we to complain? Even if going to the movies in Bryant Park didn't offer the rare, free, chance to annoy the crap out of Glenn Beck, a lineup like that would be enough to get us to brave those scary Bryant Park crowds. more ›

The never ending Second Avenue Subway project has announced that famous local artist Chuck Close is going to be making a massive series of permanent mosaics for the subway line's 86th Street station. All in all the mosaics will bring about 1,000 square feet of art to the subway—at a cost of roughly $1 million, according to the MTA's Arts for Transit program. Luckily, the station is supposed to have an elevator—so the famously wheelchair-bound artist can see his work in action. more ›

Catalpa Music Festival is giving two lucky readers the chance to each win a pair of weekend passes to what is going to be New York City's best summer event! Held over July 28th+29th on Randalls Island, Catalpa will feature some of the world's hottest artists. We're giving away 2 sets of passes, but you have to be a Gothamist Daily subscriber to win. more ›

In March we introduced you to Rob Michael Hugel, and his new web series I Hate Being Single, which—insofar as it deals with the Brooklyn "Youngs" and relationship issues—is sort of the like a boys version of HBO's Girls. Tonight the show's finale is getting a screening treatment over at IndieScreen in Williamsburg, and we thought it might be fun to have Hugel (who created and stars in the show) take over our Instagram on the occasion, for an exclusive, never before seen look at Williamsburg, a neighborhood which has never been Instagrammed before. He started things off with the above photo, noting, "I think these 2 were secretly talking to each other [at] The Blue Stove off Graham.” more ›

Last week Sunny Bak held the opening for her new show at the Ivy Brown Gallery on Hudson Street in Manhattan, about eight blocks from her old studio, where her friends the Beastie Boys filmed their video for "Fight For Your Right (To Party)" (add 876 Broadway to the walking tour). The show, Solid Gold Hits: A Tribute to the Beastie Boys, is a collaboration with Cey Adams, who did a lot of the band's design and artwork, one of the first being the lettering that spelled out Beastie Boys on the album cover of the 1983 release Cooky Puss. The opening party for their show was held on May 3rd, and sadly, at 9 a.m. the next morning, Adam "MCA" Yauch succumbed to the cancer he'd been battling for three years. more ›

OMG, Shoshanna Shapiro, are you ready for this? The CW has picked up—TV industry speak for "agreed to order"—The Carrie Diaries, the glamorous teen years of everyone's favorite Sex and The City character who writes for a living and invests all her money in designer shoes. America deserves role models like this and now there's a description of the show! more ›

While you were sleeping, the Space Shuttle Enterprise was "demated" from the NASA 747 that brought her to NYC. Sometime around 3 or 4 a.m. Sunday morning, the shuttle was separated from the plane she piggybacked here on, and was placed back inside of JFK Airport's Hangar 12. The process took over ten hours. more ›

It's no "Meat & You: Partners In Freedom," but we enjoyed this 17-minute tutorial on how bicycles were made in England in 1945, back when bike lanes weren't a political bargaining chip, and pie cost six pence, and… more ›

Hopefully by now you've already gotten a chance to have brunch with your mom (or whatever motherly figure you have in your life), or call and thank her for putting up with you and all the dumb, unseemly things you do. It seems someone has decided to celebrate by putting stickers reading "Reserved for mothers today" all over the M Train, then taking photos of happy families on this Tumblr. And that's only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Mother's Day tributes. more ›

Yesterday was the OHNY openstudios event at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. We'll have a full post on that tomorrow, but thought you might also enjoy some new landscape shots taken from buildings around the Yard. Since last we took a full tour, there's been a ton of redevelopment, including a new visitor's center at Building 92. more ›

Saturday Night Live celebrated the 100th Digital Short last night with a star-studded video, featuring cameos from Justin Bieber, Jon Hamm, Natalie Portman, Justin Timberlake, Julian Casablancas, Usher, Will Ferrell, and Michael Bolton. There were also tons of references to past hits including Shy Ronnie, Two Worlds Collide, Iran So Far, Jizz In My Pants, Stumblin' and more. But one sketch was conspicuously absent: there was no sign of alum Chris Parnell nor any references to the first Digital Short breakout hit, "Lazy Sunday." more ›

Will Ferrell was joined by lots of familiar faces for the penultimate episode of this season's Saturday Night Live last night. He started the night off by playing Joe Biden's "imaginary friend" George W. Bush in the cold open before giving his mother a heartfelt dedication during his monologue. The highlight of the night was the 100th Digital Short, which included tons of callbacks and guest appearances by Justin Bieber, Jon Hamm, Natalie Portman, Justin Timberlake, Julian Casablancas, and Michael Bolton. more ›

It's a gorgeous day, which means that the Red Admiral butterflies can be spotted, especially near flowers! The orange, black, brown and white vanessa atalanta have been spotted in greater numbers this year. Even though we found out some great Red Admiral facts earlier this week (some may settle in NYC! they love butterfly bushes!), we chatted with entomologist—and Cornell-NY State Integrated Pest Management Program field expert—Jody Gangloff-Kaufmann about the fluttering creatures to find out more because we're mesmerized by them. She also revealed that they have been "attacking" her sliding glass doors last weekend! more ›

The Parks Department has backed off from a law introduced in the fall that bans performers from practicing their craft within 5 feet of a bench or 50 feet of a monument, a rule that would have all but cleared Washington Square Park of its superb buskers. “Generally, expressive matter vending rules do not apply to buskers and entertainers,” a spokesperson for the Parks Department told DNAinfo. Unfortunately, taking your shoes off on a hot day while sitting next to someone who is eating is still 100% legal. more ›

It might not feel like it, but summer's almost here, and with it comes another season of sunning, strolling and biking on Governors Island! The Trust for Governors Island recently revealed its line-up for 2012, and while ongoing construction has cut down on big concerts and closed off public access on Fridays, there will still be plenty of events and activities to keep you sunburned and satisfied. Take a look at the full schedule here; and check out some of our favorites below. more ›

After seeing him don a "Brooklyn Loves Barbra" t-shirt like no one else can on Wednesday, we naively assumed that would be the peak of Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz's sartorial splendor for the week. Happily, we were proved wrong, as his office released a photograph of him celebrating the reopening of J.J. Byrne Playground. more ›

Oh, of course. Marc Jacobs, who wore boxers and little else to the Costume Institute Gala at the Met, has gone and turned graffiti into profit. Remember how early Tuesday morning somebody painted "ART" on the inescapable designer's Mercer Street store? Of course you do. Well, today the store started selling a hot pink T-shirt with the graffiti silkscreened on it. For $689. And what's even more 2012? According to a saleswoman, they just sold one this afternoon. more ›

In December of 2009, we had the opportunity to interview Adam Yauch, the Beastie Boy and founder of the film production company Oscilloscope Laboratories. It was six months after Yauch had been diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in his left parotid (salivary) gland. At first MCA seemed optimistic about the diagnosis, saying, "I just need to take a little time to get this in check, and then we'll release the record and play some shows. It's a pain in the neck (sorry had to say it) because I was really looking forward to playing these shows, but the doctors have made it clear that this is not the kind of thing that can be put aside to deal with later." Last Friday, however, Yauch succumbed to cancer at age 47. more ›

This year, we have a presidential election, which makes it the perfect time for the Associated Press to share its photographs of presidents at Federal Hall. In its exhibit, The American President, the AP is featuring over 80 photographs showing presidents from John F. Kennedy to Barack Obama. more ›

Mother's Day is this Sunday—hopefully you've already booked a table for brunch, or bought her the Jets gear or lightweight erotica she so desperately wants. To get in the spirit, here's a sweet little video featuring New Yorkers (including Reggie Watts!) thanking their moms for bailing them out, encouraging them to eat fruits and vegetables, and for the good looks: more ›

Each year FIGMENT takes over Governor's Island, and this summer they'll be back over there for a sixth time, from June 9th through the 12th. We'll have a more comprehensive guide to the free event coming up next week, but we were particularly drawn to this rendering of Lady Liberty's decapitated head stuck in the green grass. Damn you, you maniacs! more ›

Last night the legendary Loretta Lynn announced that Zooey Deschanel would be starring in the stage adaptation of her 1976 autobiography, Coal Miner's Daughter, which will be coming to Broadway. more ›

'Tis the season for galas we aren't fancy enough to attend but do anyway, and next up is MoMA's annual Party in the Garden, taking place on May 22nd. Last year we attended when Kanye West (along with Jay-Z) was the musical guest for the evening, and this year they've booked Santigold, who the NY Times just favorably profiled. The party is 11 days away, and there are still tickets available, which start at $150 (after party ticket) and go alllllll the way up to $100,000 (dinner table for ten). more ›

Since bikes are on our brain today, we thought we'd dip into the NYC Municipal Archives again to check out some old school, two-wheelin' New Yorkers. Click through for a look back at cyclists in 1927 through the '40s, a good hundred years after the first bicycles were being introduced to the public (though who knows when that guy in photo #3 was riding around, there's no date given). more ›

On most days, over on the western edge of Washington Square Park, you'll find Paul, a man with a few dozen pigeons and a storied past. He's known by most as simply The Birdman, a name which he does not mind, and his pigeon post is an unusual sight, even for NYC. Last week we took some time to get to know Paul and his friends, who frequently come to hang out with him, feed the animals, and see the simple and special connection he has with one of the city's most ubiquitous birds. more ›

After they were spurned by Mitt "Mean Streak" Romney, SNL got Rolling Stones frontman and "tiny todger" Mick Jagger to do double duty as host and musical guest for their season finale on May 19th. We wondered what Jagger might have planned for the musical portion without the Stones—but Entertainment Weekly reports that Jagger has recruited some no-name musicians to serve as his backing bands—who is this Arcade Fire, and what exactly is a Foo Fighter? more ›

Making the rounds to promote his upcoming movie The Campaign, Will Ferrell was on Jimmy Fallon last night where he sang the utterly silly song "I Got My Tight Pants On." It was up there with "Bitch Hunter" and the Old Milwaukee commercials as one of the best things Ferrell has done since the seminal Step Brothers. All the kids are talking about it this morning at the local five and dime! Watch it below, unless you want to risk waking the snake: more ›

Last Friday we were deeply saddened by the news that musician and filmmaker Adam Yauch, a.k.a. MCA of the Beastie Boys, had succumbed to cancer. A week later, we're still deeply saddened, and we're not alone. Last night Brooklyn Bowl was packed with Beastie Boys fans who gathered for a screening of Yauch's kinetic concert doc Awesome, I F*&king Shot That, followed by a DJ set by ?uestlove of The Roots. At one point during his set, ?uest reminded the crowd that MCA "was the first and only person on the planet to stage dive in Soul Train. Twice." And elsewhere in NYC, more tributes to Yauch are surfacing. more ›

Last night we chatted with a few of the hundreds of women (and some men!) waiting on line at the Union Square Barnes & Noble to have their books signed by E.L. James, author of the infamous erotica novel Fifty Shades of Grey. If you've been living under a rock, the book—dubbed "mommy porn" by some—has been causing quite a stir because of its illicit content and the subsequent public discovery that women are actually sexual creatures. Yeah, Women's Lib! Next step, labor reparations. more ›

In the video, Shadow program director Susan Murphy—who was probably like the 1980s version of NY1's Jamie Shupak—says the "catchy traffic lingo" of the time was: bumper to bumper ("that's a biggie"), bottlenecks, and residual delays. So little has changed... one might say it seems like catchy traffic lingo has been at a standstill for decades. more ›

Game on, Nick Lachey. more ›

It's Winged Animal Week here on Gothamist, so please feast your eyes on these magnificent peacock photos from inimitable photographer Katie Sokoler. She shot the peacocks on the campus of The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in Morningside Heights, where three of these remarkable creatures roam the grounds—which are open to the public! more ›

To honor the recent passing of writer and illustrator Maurice Sendak, Stephen Colbert revisited a past interview with the beloved children's book author and announced the official release of his own new children's story, I Am A Pole (And So Can You!). The cover of which features a quote from Sendak himself that says, "The sad thing is, I like it!" more ›

Bryant Park is celebrating 20 years with a look back at the park's somewhat sordid history. more ›

In case there was ever any doubt that New Yorkers could really care less about seeing celebrities in the flesh, the amount of complaints about A-listers flooding to film in certain neighborhoods should just about prove it. The latest locals to win the war against film crews reside in DUMBO and Brooklyn Heights, where they've actually been harping on Hollywood to put a halt to filming in the area for over a year now. more ›

Lee Ranaldo, the wizardly guitarist for Sonic Youth [RIP?] is playing a solo show (with a backing band) at Webster Hall tomorrow night, opening for M. Ward. We apologize for the short notice (it's sold out!) but we recommend finding a way in if you can. Ranaldo will be performing selections from his first solo song-based album, Between the Times and the Tides, an unassuming and personal collection of tunes which, to our ears, evokes early R.E.M. more than it does the experimental noise of Sonic Youth. (Check out one the video for one of the songs, "Angles," below.) We recently spoke with Ranaldo about the record, his life in New York around the corner from Occupy Wall Street and Ground Zero, and the nebulous future of Sonic Youth. more ›

We've had some fun with our "before you were born" photo series in the past, giving the treatment to each of the five boroughs—but now that the NYC Municipal Archives has unleashed nearly one million new photos on us, we can do the same with different neighborhoods in each boroughs. more ›

Ever wonder what it's like to be a bird during mating season? No? Well, it looks like you're alone, bird-hater, because yesterday dozens of ornithoid enthusiasts gathered in Gramercy at the literal crack of dawn to celebrate spring and the upcoming onslaught of baby bird-making that comes with it. And, yes. There were costumes. more ›

A few days ago some street artists went to the Midwood section of Brooklyn—where Adam "MCA" Yauch attended Edward R. Murrow High School—and created a mural for the late Beastie Boy. The Entree Lifestyle crew, who put it up, write: more ›

Ithaca, NY just got a whole lot cuter with the arrival of five Great Blue Heron chicks! The fuzzballs hatched over a few days at the end of April/beginning of May and the world was watching thanks for some carefully placed webcams. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology installed the high-definition cameras in 2009 when the birds first arrived at Sapsucker Woods to roost, the first time such birds had nested in the park. The herons have been in the nest—which are also called heronries—ever since, and the treetop bungalow is now four feet across and a foot deep. Plenty of space to house a growing family! more ›

While we were unfortunately unable to attend last night's wild rumpus, held in honor of the late Maurice Sendak, we're told by those in attendance that it was "tons of fun" and ran through 1 a.m. Click through for a little look at the celebration of the author's life, and below is a video of what we're told is "rumpus music making on our Jacob's Ladder temporary architectural installation" (at the Congregation Beth Elohim in Park Slope). more ›

New York is no stranger to acts of protest, and the Museum of the City of New York's newest exhibition, Activist New York, which opened over the weekend, focuses on how activists and episodes of social, political and religious activism have shaped the city over time. more ›

Boy howdy that Moth crowd doesn't mess around! Last night the inimitable storytelling organization held its annual gala fundraiser, called The Moth Ball, at Capitale, a dramatically-lit event space in a beautiful old bank on the Bowery. Among those in attendance: Martin Scorsese, Tyra Banks, John Turturro, Kyp Malone, Al Sharpton, and funnyman Mike Birbiglia, who opened up to us about eating sandwiches in airplane bathrooms. more ›

The Bronx Zoo recently welcomed three new additions and shared an adorable photograph of the black-necked swans cygnets. Interesting fact: When they are small, they ride on the backs of their parents for "warmth, transportation, and protection from predators." more ›

Last night, as part of the New Yorker's monthly discussion series, "The Big Story," editor-in-chief David Remnick hosted a panel at Joe's pub on Blown Covers, art director Françoise Mouly's recently-published collection of old and rejected New Yorker covers. Remnick moderated the panel, which featured Mouly as well as cartoonists and frequent (and often controversial) cover artists Barry Blitt and Bob Staake. more ›

In 2010, the NY Post was up in arms over the possibility of Wolverine playing Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and columnist Mike McAlary on Broadway—while Hugh Jackman may possess "the most intense swishing" ever seen on the Great White Way, they scoffed at the notion of him being able to play a heavy-drinking man with hair on his chest. But it seems the play has traded up—the Post reports that Tom Hanks is now in negotiations to make his Broadway debut in 2013 by playing McAlary in a new play by Nora Ephron. more ›

Mad Men's Jon Hamm has some advice for reluctant young gentlemen who are being pestered to do "stuff" with their girlfriends: kiss them already. "If it's making out, he should want to do that. It's super fun." But if it's sex: "He's probably right…Slow your roll." And should gals be embarrassed if they fart in front of their boyfriends? "Everybody farts." These nuggets of wisdom come courtesy of Rookie Mag, and Hamm's St. Louis Cardinals shirt and 13-o'clock shadow. more ›

The outdoor summer concert lineups keep coming in, so let's see how things are shaping up. So far we've gotten announcements from the L Magazine's Northside Festival, the Williamsburg Waterfront concerts (now at Williamsburg Park and called The LACOSTE L!VE Concert Series), the ol' standby SummerStage, and Celebrate Brooklyn. And it's kind of nice we don't have to take a slow ride to see any of the bands playing... more ›

At this point there's no word about an official public memorial service for the late great Adam Yauch, the musician and filmmaker who succumbed to cancer at age 47 last week. But we ran into rapper DMC at The Moth Ball last night, and he hears there will be a memorial for Yauch (a.k.a MCA) this week, but the planning is a little complicated because while Yauch's family is Jewish, he was a practicing Buddhist for most of his adult life. more ›

John Hodgman is the common denominator in many of our favorite things: The Daily Show, Bored To Death, hobos, and iconic computer commercials. The former literary agent released his third book, That Is All, last fall, and it neatly bookends his three-part series of Complete World Knowledge in addition to providing a blueprint for the end of the world (hint: Stephen King is somehow still publishing books). We will grant him what "any writer really wants" and say that it is very funny, because it is. more ›

There aren't too many occasions that put us on the side of Anna Wintour, but the Vogue editrix banning Kim Kardashian from the Met Costume Institute Gala has us screenprinting "Team Wintour" tees. more ›

After months of rumors, the Barclays Center has confirmed that Brooklyn native Barbra Streisand will perform a concert at the new venue on October 11. Babs said in a statement, "Brooklyn to me means the Loew’s Kings, Erasmus, the Yeshiva I went to, the Dodgers, Prospect Park, great Chinese food. I’m so glad I came from Brooklyn—it’s down to earth. I guess you CAN come home again." more ›

Men In Black III will be helping to kick off summer blockbuster season on May 25th, and they've got some unique ways to get you interested in the flick. more ›

Last night, Christie's auction of postwar and contemporary art hit record numbers, led by sale of the 1961 Mark Rothko painting "Orange, Red, Yellow" for $86.9 million. That payout for the 93" x 81¼" painting shattered the 2007 price paid for the 81" by 55.5" Rothko, "White Center," which David Rockefeller sold for $72.8 million. What recession!? more ›

Next week, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden will open their new $28 million vistor center to the public. The 20,000 square foot facility, which includes a glass building and exterior landscaping, incorporates several environmentally sustainable features like a 10,000 square foot living roof. We stopped by yesterday as contractors were putting the finishing touches on facility and its surroundings for last night's donor dinner and today's media preview. more ›

Tonight, Christie's will have its Post-War and Contemporary Art auction and the highlights include a 93" x 81¼" Mark Rothko painting, Orange, Red, Yellow, and Jackson Pollock's Lot 22 from 1951. more ›

There's going to be a Wild Rumpus tonight in Brooklyn to celebrate the life of Maurice Sendak, who died earlier today at his home in Connecticut. Ron Lieber, who is helping to get the word out, tells us it will happen from 11 p.m. until midnight tonight at the Congregation Beth Elohim in Park Slope—"bring books to read, memories, stories, songs, things to eat or drink. We're trying to get a batch of morning cake together, too. Rabbi Andy Bachman will preside." more ›

Show biz is big biz in NYC these days, according to a study by the Boston Consulting Group, which says the film and television industry generated $7.1 billion dollars in revenue for New York City last year, an increase of over $2 billion dollars annually since 2002. An estimated 130,000 people are employed by film and TV productions in the city, an increase of 30,000 jobs since 2004. Which we guess makes up for that one time a production assistant made us wait to cross the street. more ›

The Space Shuttle Enterprise can still be seen (at least for the rest of this week) if you drive by the hangar it's being housed in at JFK Airport. After that it will be prepared to make its move to the barge that will bring it down the Hudson River to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in June. But when will you be able to get an up close look at the big hunk of historic NASA machinery? The museum released a statement today announcing that the Shuttle will be on view to the public starting July 19th. more ›

Have you ever wanted to hear Jon Hamm freestyle as one-man-band Reggie Watts worked his magic alongside him? Have you ever hoped that when he did this his rhymes would be loosely based on the 1970/80s sitcom Taxi? Dreams come true, people. more ›

Last night Hollywood startlets and sports heroes descended on the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the museum's annual gala, this year honoring a new Costume Institute exhibition called Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations. The exhibit explores the work of the two Italian designers and "suggests new readings of their most innovative work," according to the museum's introduction. While the actual exhibit was inside the museum, last night's show took place on the red carpet where stars strutted and posed for photographers on the steps, all dolled up in (mostly) delightful designer duds. more ›

Who cares if Fifty Shades Of Grey author E.L. James is speaking at various free events in the New York area? Yesterday, around 400 women paid $85-125 for the chance to have a buffet lunch with James, where she answered pre-screened questions, and get their books signed by the erotica author. Worth it? Newsday got a mixed reaction: One woman called it a waste ("I wanted her to talk about whether she thinks this strengthened people's relationships or had the opposite effect. You're British, how did you write such an American book?") but another raved about James, "She's really a modern-day hero for us suburban housewives. She put a little zest back into our lives." more ›

First of all, New York has a Wolf Conservation Center! And secondly, their wolf population just grew, when eight new very rare Mexican wolf pups were born on Sunday. Just LOOK AT THEM! more ›

In part two of our interview with Buzz Bissinger, we talk to the author about his book Friday Night Lights, his recently released follow-up documenting his twenty-five year relationship with Boobie Miles, After Friday Night Lights; Bissinger's latest book, Father's Day, a memoir about raising one of his twin sons who was born with brain damage; what he thinks about Twitter; and his current opinion on blogs. You can find out more about Father's Day here, follow Buzz's 140-character screeds @buzzbissinger, and read part one of our interview about banning college football. more ›

Welcome back to Winged Animal Week at Gothamist—yesterday we talked to City Birder Rob Jett about urban birdwatching, and today we're visiting Brooklyn's backyard chicken coops. more ›

The parental war on music has been going on ever since Elvis first gyrated on stage, but sometimes it's easy to forget that parents just never understood, especially when the bands they raged against ended up proving them wrong down the road. Adam Yauch famously apologized for The Beastie Boys' earlier antics and boorish behavior, in part by penning this lyric into 1994's "Sure Shot": “I want to say a little something that’s long overdue/The disrespect to women has got to be through/ To all the mothers and sisters and the wives and friends/ I want to offer my love and respect to the end." Yauch also became more politically active, raising awareness about China's persecution of Tibetans, and he's now remembered as an individual any parent would hope their kids would look up to—as Randall Roberts put it in the LA Times this weekend, "he managed to carve a path at once so admirable and unlikely that his contributions should serve as a model for a life worth living." more ›

While the fashion world was up at at the Met last night for the Fashion Institute Gala, somebody downtown decided to have a little fun at Marc Jacobs's expense. As Jeremiah's Vanishing New York points out, the omnipresent designer's Mercer Street store was given an artistic, hot-pink makeover last night. "Art," eh? Okay. But what does it mean? more ›

Maurice Sendak, the beloved author and illustrator of dozens of children's books, died at age 83 in Connecticut today. He had suffered a stroke on Friday and died in a Danbury hospital. more ›

Last night episode of Mad Men included a lengthy scene soundtracked by The Beatles Revolver-era psychedelic song "Tomorrow Never Knows." (The scene directly contrasts an earlier scene where an advertiser can't afford to use a real Beatles song in his commercial.) The entire song plays, bringing the viewer from Don Draper's arm chair all the way to the end of the credits. So how much did that cost Matthew Weiner & Co.? According to Forbes around $250,000 (about $150,000 more than a song by another band would normally cost). more ›

Trailblazing performance artist Marina Abramovic's latest project may prove to be her most ambitious yet: she's trying to raise $15 million to build a performance art center in Hudson, New York (a.k.a. Williamsburg-on-Hudson), to be located in a former theater that's fallen into disrepair. The 23,000-square-foot facility is designed by Shohei Shigematsu and Rem Koolhaas of the firm OMA, and—if it ever gets built—will feature auditoriums for long-duration performances, and specially-designed reclining massage chairs to fall asleep in. more ›

We're not really Ball or Gala people, but each year we'll endure heels for the Moth's annual fête, because it's that enjoyable. The Moth Ball is tomorrow night, and here's your reminder that tickets are (somehow) still available (we have confirmed this)—just call this number: 646-205-2722. more ›

While Lindsay Lohan and Woody Allen are no strangers, the duo have been mixing it up quite frequently as of late. In February the fallen starlet was photographed with Allen and his wife Soon-Yi Previn, and over the weekend the trio were out again, this time dining at the Upper East Side's Phillippe. And of course her mom Dina told the NY Post, “He just believes in her talent, and they’re really great friends." more ›

[UPDATE BELOW] Over the weekend, many musicians, artists and other notables shared their remembrances of the late great Adam Yauch, the musician and filmmaker known worldwide as MCA. The Mets walked out to Beastie Boys songs before Friday night's game, and there was a beautiful Yauch tribute on the MSG scoreboard during yesterday's Knicks game. And yesterday comedian Neal Brennan, who co-created and co-wrote the Chappelle Show, shared this video that never aired, from the series' aborted third season. It features Beastie Boys performing "The New Style" on a boat in New York City’s East River. Earlier today, the video was taken down for violating Viacom's evil sensibilities, but now it's back up... for now. more ›

This post has more SPOILERS than our usual Mad Men posts, so stop reading now if you haven't seen last night's episode. Previously: The Rolling Stones play Forest Hills, Queens, the Charles Whitman shooting spree in Austin, the Richard Speck murders, that "thing'"happened in Bed-Stuy, Roger takes LSD, and Peggy goes to Minetta Tavern. more ›

So you're in New York [tomorrow] for a debate about banning college football. Do you feel that all of college football should be banned or is it just the BCS? I think all of college football should be banned. I have a feeling these programs don't make any money and no one is really, on any level, presenting a good argument to me as to why they should exist in an academic setting. more ›

This week we'll be taking a closer look at New York City's winged animals, starting today with some information on what kind of birds we have in this city. We talked to Rob Jett, who runs weekly birdwatching tours in Green-Wood Cemetery (Wednesdays) and Prospect Park (Tuesdays), logging what he spots with his binoculars on his blog, The City Birder. Below, Jett tells us what kind of birds one can expect to see around these parts if they look close enough, and more. more ›

Fans, friends, fellow musicians, and the entire internet has been paying tribute to Beastie Boy Adam "MCA" Yauch since he died of cancer at the age of 47 on Friday. We've spent much of the weekend mourning by keeping Beastie Boys videos and albums on a constant rotation (YouTube mixes really come in handy sometimes). But even all that doesn't give a complete picture of how funny and witty Yauch and the band could be—so below, check out a handful of interviews from throughout the Beastie Boys career, which reveal the bands lucid evolution. more ›

Marijuana enthusiasts, activists, and those who just feel like people of color shouldn't be persecuted for possessing a plant that does substantially less harm than many legal drugs marched from Washington Square Park to Union Square yesterday afternoon. According to photographer Jim Kiernan, rappers Immortal Technique (his second appearance in a week in Union Square) and King David performed and "Ganja Granny" Arlene Williams as well as a representative from Law Enforcement Against Prohibition spoke. We also spotted marijuana activist and John Lennon pal David Peel in the crowd. more ›

They said it couldn't be done, but here we are: little-known arthouse flick The Avengers has overtaken Think Like A Man at the box office! $220 million David hath slayed $12 million Goliath! Even more remarkably, The Avengers took in $200.3 million during its opening weekend domestically, making it by far the biggest debut ever. How many orgasms did you get while watching it? more ›

Giants quarterback Eli Manning took to Saturday Night Live to mock his New York credentials, as well as rival quarterback Tim Tebow and big brother Peyton Manning. Manning acquitted himself admirably, and the sketches, on the whole, were pretty good, though writers did put Manning in drag (that's a go-to for athletes who host). more ›

Last night, Coldplay revisited their cover of the Beastie Boys' "Fight For Your Right (To Party)" at the Hollywood Bowl—they did it at the 2009 All Points West festival, too, and apparently didn't learn their lesson—to pay tribute to Adam Yauch, the Beastie Boys founder, filmmaker, and humanitarian who died yesterday at age 47. Here are a few other (some better) covers of Beastie Boys songs: more ›

When news broke yesterday that Beastie Boy Adam "MCA" Yauch had died of cancer at the age of 47 the Internet pretty much shut down. Yauch tributes dominated Twitter and everyone mourned by watching and listening to The Beastie Boys. more ›

Yesterday, famed video game arcade Chinatown Fair reopened after shuttering last year due to a rent dispute. But lovers of old school CF, beware, because the times and token machines have changed. While the Chinatown Fair of yore was known for its extensive collection of fighting games—and, famously, a live chicken skilled at tic-tac-toe— the new CF is stocked with more family-friendly gadgetry. Like skee-ball, hoop basketball, Guitar Hero and air hockey. And while slaying your opponent at Street Fighter II at the old Chinatown Fair mostly rewarded you with a reputation as a badass, the new CF's game machines dispense tickets that can be redeemed for stuffed Scooby Doo dolls and string bracelets at the cash register. more ›

Last year, Mott Street mainstay Chinatown Fair—one of the last of its kind in the city—was shuttered due to an ongoing rent dispute. But against all odds, the famed NYC arcade reopened today under new manager Lonnie Sobel! more ›

If you want to stroll around the five boroughs drinking some Brass Monkey, mourning and celebrating the loss and the life of Adam Yauch while listening to Paul's Boutique, here are some suggestions on where to take your own self-guided Beastie Boys tour. We got things going with the following spots, and you can add your own to the map. more ›

There are definitely more eloquent ways of saying this, and there will be time for that, but this just really fucking sucks. No way around it. As ?uestlove put it, "Yauch is gone. fuck." We remember meeting Adam Yauch at a film screening for his nascent Oscilloscope film distribution company—he was as kind, thoughtful, and perceptive as we expected. Years earlier, we had spotted him at a massive march protesting the start of the Iraq war—we noticed MCA ahead of us in the crowd when he joined other demonstrators sitting down in the middle of the street. No words were exchanged, and nobody hounded him, because it was no surprise Yauch was there. Here he is with the Brass Monkey on Soul Train in 1987: more ›

Between The Avengers opening and the new trailers for the upcoming Batman and Spider-Man summer flicks, this has shaped up to be a big week for comic book fans. Something that surely has pleased the organizers of the annual Free Comic Book Day, which has been running on the first Saturday in May since 2002. more ›

Horrible news: Russell Simmon's website Global Grind is reporting that Adam Yauch has succumbed to cancer. We have not received confirmation from Beastie Boys' management Nasty Little Man—no one is answering calls at their office or cell phone at this moment. We'll update when we get confirmation, but it seems likely that Simmons would be in the know. more ›

If seeing the Williamsburg Bridge blow up in the new Dark Knight trailer simply did not quench your thirst for NYC-destruction this week (and you don't feel like battling the crowds to see The Avengers), the new trailer for the Marc Webb-helmed reboot of the Spider-Man franchise should help. Mr. Lizard, tear that skyscraper antenna down! more ›

Today in 1895, the Washington Square Park Archway was unveiled. To celebrate its 117th birthday, we dipped back into the Municipal Archives photo archives and found some new vintage gems showing the archway way back when, and plans for the park in 1890. more ›

If you didn't wake up this morning and enjoy a nice breakfast of Darth Vader and Yoda pancakes then you are already behind. It's National Star Wars Day! SFist associate editor Andrew Dalton is working out of Gothamist HQ today and told us that even the TSA agent at the airport told him, "May the fourth be with you" this morning. more ›

How much money would it take to get YOU to jump down into the subway tracks? If you're this guy playing guitar at the G train stop at Metropolitan Avenue, that magic number is five dollars. A tipster tells us he was waiting for the G last night around 8:30 p.m. when a man on the opposite side of the tracks offered the busker $5—and tried to throw it to him by wrapping the bills around four pennies fastening them with a paper clip. It didn't work, and the money landed down in the trackbed. We now join today's Darwin Award nominee clip, already in progress: more ›

Wedged between blockbuster releases such as Mother's Day and A Little Bit Of Heaven, obscure indie flick The Avengers was always a longshot to do any real damage at the box office. Yet somehow, this little-movie-that-could has captured the imagination of a nation with its emotionally complicated tale of a band of misfits learning to work together for the greater good. Also, a healthy serving of destructoporn hasn't hurt. But forget the hype for a moment: if you're wondering if this no-name super hero film is really worth your time, we're here to help you figure it out. more ›

As you may know by now, we're pretty excited about shuffleboard around here, and soon after we declared our love of the game, we were given the scoop that a genuine shuffleboard club would be opening in Brooklyn next year. At the time we withheld some information about the club until details got firmed up (and also because we didn't want our heart rate to get too high) but now we can pass along a whole lot more, including the name of your new favorite club: The Royal Palms. And here is more exclusive info direct from co-founder Jonathan Schnapp: more ›

This video starts with Giovanni da Verrazzano first entering the New York Harbour in 1524, and gives a very brief history of New York through the present day. The video is well-done aesthetically, but, confusingly, it's not in chronological order. The street grid gets created, then the Twin Towers go up, only to be immediately replaced by the Tribute in Light, and then Central Park and the subway system come along. And do you notice any buildings going up out of order as the skyline is created? more ›

ITEM! Professional sunbeam Kate Upton is CONFIRMED to attend the Metropolitan Museum of Art's annual Costume Gala next week, one of the most anticipated events on our social calendar that we've always been too busy to attend. In addition to single-highhandedly launching the Met into a new dimension of refinement and sophistication with her mere presence, Upton has donated $25,000 to the museum, reports paper of record The New York Post. Upton—known as much for her work in magazine publishing as for her inspired choreography—is the great-granddaughter of Frederick Upton, who co-founded Whirlpool appliances in 1911. So when you look at Kate Upton, you're gazing upon a century of American innovation and mechanical cleanliness personified. more ›

It was just announced that Rolling Stones frontman and "tiny todger" Mick Jagger will pull double duty as host and musical guest for the season finale of SNL. Because when he can't get the likes of Mitt Romney or One Direction, sometimes Lorne Michaels has to turn to some old reliables. But hey, if this means we might get a sequel to the classic Mick Jagger/Jimmy Fallon mirror scene, all the better. more ›

Bruce BROOOOOOCE Springsteen played Newark's Prudential Center last night to end the first leg of his 2012 world tour, and he went out on a particularly high note: at the start of the encore, Springsteen took a sign from a fan asking for something to be played in tribute to the recently deceased Levon Helm. He ended up playing a beautiful, never-before-played off-the-cuff rendition of "The Weight" accompanied by the E-Street Band. Watch it below: more ›

The man born with the gift of a golden voice is finally coming to town: Leonard Cohen announced new dates for his current Old Ideas 2012 tour, including two nights in NYC. Cohen will finish up the tour with a show on December 18th at Madison Square Garden, and on December 20th at the newly-opened Barclays Center. It's just like his song said it would be: first we take Manhattan, then we take Brooklyn. more ›

Sure, we've seen old photos of Williamsburg in the early to mid 1900s, but now that the NYC Municipal Archives has dusted off their nearly one million old photos and made them available online, we can get an even better look (and travel further back in time). more ›

Last night, an 1895 pastel version of Edvard Munch's The Scream sold for a record-setting $119,922,500 at Sotheby's Impressionist and Modern Art Sales. The price, which included a buyer's premium, was well over the $80 million the auction house believed the iconic image would capture. more ›

Yesterday we sought diversion from the madness of May Day by admiring the dancing skills of swimsuit model Kate Upton, who demonstrated the complicated "Cat Daddy" dance for photographer Terry Richardson's video camera. It kept us off the streets, okay? But apparently Upton's innocent gyrating was too much for YouTube, which went all Footloose and removed the video for violating the site's "policy on nudity or sexual content." Enter Vimeo, to remind us all that there's still some things Google doesn't own, such as a free-spirited young artist's passion for interpretive dance: more ›

Back in 2011, the world got its closest look yet at Radiohead frontman and bowler hat enthusiast Thom Yorke's unique dance moves, a mashup of sexy dry heaving and wacky waving flailing arm inflatable tube man. Yorke has taken things to the next level since then as his hair has evolved into a ponytail (which is totally advanced). And during a surprise DJ set at Coachella a few weeks ago, fans got a chance to see what Yorke looks like dancing around in a tank top. Watch the video below—at least it's not the "Pop Is Dead" video. more ›

Ever since that scene in Girls—you know the one, refresh below—we've just really been into the New York City art world, you know? (Just kidding, most art parties are terrible.) But if you want to dip your toes into the scene, this is a good week for it—with both Frieze and Pulse rolling into town. We'll have a curated guide later this week, but to get your heart racing for the white hot happenings, we offer you the below. more ›

We have talked about door holding etiquette before, because let's be honest... it's weird when someone holds the door open for you when you're too far away. Maybe you aren't even going in to that door, or maybe you want to go at your own pace and not get your heart rate up, or maybe it's none of anyone's business and they just shouldn't be holding the door open at awkward distances! This practice in misguided chivalry is still happening out there, however, so it's time for a refresher course. Enter: these dudes from Utah (yes, we will import our etiquette teachings from Utah if need be). more ›

Cristin Milioti, the charming and hilarious star of the hit Broadway rock musical Once talks about her Broadway debut, and why she avoids Internet commenters who think she looks like Dracula. more ›

Yesterday we asked Dan Deacon to estimate the size of the crowd at Union Square for the May Day rally—a representative with Occupy Wall Street's press liaison team said "between ten thousand and a hundred million," while other estimates ranged in the low thousands. Deacon has performed his blend of breakbeat noise-pop in front of hundreds of crowds, so what did he think? "I never make crowd estimates," Deacon said. "But even if the park was packed and there were people hanging out of every window, it wouldn't be enough." The prevailing mood of the rally was more Coachella than Wildcat, as OWS protesters, students, and union members danced together in the 70-degree weather. more ›

Governors Ball 2012 is around the corner and this year’s lineup is a killer one: Beck, Passion Pit, Modest Mouse, Built to Spill, Fiona Apple, Chromeo and lots more. We’re giving away 5 pairs of VIP passes, but in order to win, you must be a subscriber to our email, Gothamist Daily. more ›

There are few better uses of YouTube than uploading revamped movie trailers or sequences with small tweaks. The best example of this is The Shining as a romantic comedy. And now someone has given The Dark Knight a laugh track, and the Joker's never been less serious. more ›

For the 25th year in a row, New York is set to be the subject of a naval invasion this month, when Fleet Week hits town, from May 23-30. The arrival of thousands of sailors on our shore has always been filled with secret gay sexy times and lots occasionally adorable missed connections. But with the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, one has to wonder: is this year going to be the gayest Fleet Week ever? Because it is already shaping up to be a doozy. more ›

Last night was the press preview for Courtney Love's art show, entitled And She's Not Even Pretty, which will be on exhibit at Fred Torres Collaborations starting tomorrow and through June 15th. We headed over to Chelsea for the 5 p.m. opening—after being told by coworkers covering the much more "important" May Day events, "have fun at your 1% art party!" We did, and there was a lot of free wine. more ›

Do the Lamberts need more troubles? Fans of Jonathan Franzen's novel The Corrections got excited that the tome would be adapted by HBO last year, delighting to the tantalizing casting news trickling out every now and then. But now the cable network has decided "it's passing on the pricey adaptation." more ›

Gays, fruit flies, queens, and a smattering of the press came out to The Out last night to attend a media junket/live viewing of the finale of season four of the only show worth watching on Logo, RuPaul's Drag Race. We were there too—how could we say no to that invite?—and we can assure you that it was most definitely whatever the current euphemism for cah-razy gay is ('fierce' and 'fabulous' are both out now, right?). RuPaul wasn't in the house, but everyone else was—and not only were there queens galore, but there were also painted beefcakes, a drag funeral with Amanda Lapore, sexy secrets sort of revealed and lots and lots of lip syncing, of course! more ›

Last week we were thrilled to happen up a new Tumblr called Bon Iver Erotica, and quickly bookmarked it as we simultaneously threw away our copy of Fifty Shades Of Grey. Because this is our Fifty Shades Of Grey now. It's "Hey Girl" meets the seclusion of northwestern Wisconsin and it is perfect. So naturally, we wanted to find out more about the project—and while we were sad that Justin Vernon himself wasn't sitting behind the curtain, the twenty-somethings who are running the show are doing a damn good job on their own. We caught up with them this week to find out more... more ›

Yesterday we were invited to the Hotel Chelsea to check out an art show (more photos and commentary on that later this week), and while there tried to get a closer look at the current state of things outside of the one room we were invited to. The landmarked hotel has been undergoing changes that no one seems to support (no one that doesn't currently have stake in it)—residents have been practically forced out, rooms have been gutted, and a rooftop bar may soon be coming to the gorgeous oasis above 23rd Street, which is still home to a handful of people. (Yes, people live on the roof.) more ›

We have a big flatscreen at Gothamist HQ that frequently tells us what topics are trending in NYC, letting us stay abreast of such issues as #HoodCerealNames, and Maxwell Drew. It is because of this valuable news-gathering tool that we discovered the video below of Kate Upton dancing in a bikini for photographer Terry Richardson, and the good of humanity. Her top stays on (barely) so we're comfortable calling this Semi-SFW. (Ideally, you work alone at home in a darkened soundproof man cave, wearing a bib.) more ›

A 14-year-old girl is currently battling an age-old problem: photo manipulation. Julia Bluhm has petitioned for Seventeen magazine to "commit to printing one unaltered—real—photo spread per month," noting that "girls want to be accepted, appreciated and liked. And when they don't fit the criteria, some girls like to fix themselves. This can lead to eating disorders, dieting, depression and low self-esteem." And now her battle is coming to the streets New York City. more ›

Today is a good day for Rick Elice. The writer and actor, who already has a Tony for Jersey Boys, has again seen his work nominated for the prestigious theater award. In fact, the show did quite well in the nomination department with nods for Best Play, Best Original Score, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Scenic Design, Best Costume Design, Best Lighting Design, Best Sound Design and Best Direction. But all those noms took quite a bit of time. Earlier this week we sat down to talk with Elice about the genesis of the play, connecting Peter to Peter Pan and why he is uniquely qualified to be working on a musical about Studio 54 (hint: Steve Rubell was his tennis counselor at summer camp). more ›

Pat Kiernan made his third appearance in the co-host seat with Kelly Ripa on Live! with Kelly today. Kiernan co-hosted yesterday and in March. While we were not in the studio today to watch the show live, we're curious what people think of Pat outside of our Pat-loving bubble here in New York. more ›

And the nominees for the 66th annual Tony Awards, this year again to be hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, are in! The big winner? The film adaptation Once, which got 11 nominations, followed by Porgy and Bess and Nice Work If You can Get It with ten each. The other big winners, nomination wise, were Peter and the Starcatcher (9), the revival of Follies (8) and Newsies (8). And, despite rumblings that it might be a dark horse contendor for Best Musical, Spider-Man: The Song That Never Ends Turn Off The Dark walked away with just two nominations. On the plus side for the wall-crawler? Andrew Garfield, who plays Peter Parker in this summer's reboot, got a nod for his role in Death of a Salesmen (which got 7 noms total). more ›

The third and final chapter in Christopher Nolan's retelling of the Batman story, The Dark Knight Rises, will hit theaters (including IMAX screens) on July 20th. Warner Bros. just released the latest trailer, which is by far the best glimpse we've gotten at the new film. more ›