Happy 100th Birthday, Queensboro Bridge 
It's Queensboro Bridge celebration time! The East River crossing between Manhattan and Queens turns 100 today, and there have been a number of events today, which will be capped off by some Fireworks by Grucci at 9:15 p.m. According to the Centennial Events page, they will be set off "from the tip of Roosevelt Island" and will be "viewable from the FDR Drive Promenade and Pavilion Park in Manhattan; Roosevelt Island, in Queens at Gantry Park, and Water Taxi Park and the Greenpoint and Williamsburg waterfront in Brooklyn." There are more events this week and might we remind you of Nick Carraway's declaration in The Great Gatsby, when he and Jay Gatsby head into the city over the bridge, "The city seen from the Queensboro Bridge is always the city seen for the first time, in its first wild promise of all the mystery and the beauty in the world."
Will McCartney Play First Citi Field Concert? 
Must be tough to be a Yankees and a Macca fan. Looks like Paul McCartney is going to relive the glory days by playing the very first concert at Citi Field, 44 years after he played the very first concert at Shea Stadium with the Beatles, and not even one year after helping bid farewell (with Billy Joel) to that same stadium. The rumor is that he'll be sonically christening the new stadium with shows on July 17th and 18th, and a third performance may be added on the 21st. The Mets have some downtime in their schedule from July 12th and 27th. Stay tuned, and in the meantime, here's some video from his first appearance on a ball field.
Smallpox Hospital Saved, Park Construction Underway 
Back in April there were some updates on the preservation efforts of the 151-year-old smallpox hospital on Roosevelt Island, and word is that, as of yesterday, it's been saved from total destruction. However, NY1 reports that Trust for Public Land's Andy Stone "said the restoration process is painstaking and delicate, since every piece that fell down had to catalogued, and there are hundreds of pieces still waiting to be reattached." amNewYork also reports on the city’s only landmarked ruin, noting that aside from those finishing touches, it has "finished a $4.5 million stabilization after a portion collapsed in December 2007." Now that the structure is sturdy once again, ground was broken yesterday for the construction of Southpoint Park, which will encompass both the ruins and the Strecker Lab and will include "two large lawns, a scenic overlook and gardens along the southernmost part of the island." Look forward to frolicking there around Fall 2010.
Ghostbusters Primed for Comeback with New Game 
How many Ghostbutsters video games does the world need? Guess one more can't hurt. The NY Times has an interesting little piece on Dan Aykroyd and also reports that Atari "has approached Ghostbusters: the Video Game as a major production in its own right. In a reversal of the traditional entertainment food chain, the game, to be released June 16, will come to market even as planning for the long-awaited third Ghostbusters film remains in the earliest stages. The expectation is that the game will both revitalize and expand interest in the franchise ahead of a new movie." The company is promoting the game as having been written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, but the latter says, “The crassest way I can put it is that they couldn’t have paid us enough to give it the time and attention required to make it as funny as a feature film.” Though the Times says it is actually quite funny, and the graphics don't look half bad either—just check out this trailer.
How a Real Housewife Got into Columbia 
You may have known that the Real Housewives of New York was off the air, but Kelly Killoren Bensimon is talking like the cameras are still on her. Okay, so they were, for this 35-minute-long Obsessed TV interview that NYMag points out. Wondering how this one got into Columbia? She just asked nicely and batted her eyelashes, duh. Bensimon, who graduated from Columbia's School of General Studies at age 30, explains, "A friend of mine said you should really go to Columbia, they have an amazing journalism department there. And so I actually went to the school and I said to them, I said, 'You know, if you take me, I, you know, you just gotta give me a chance, and if you take me, then I will be the best student, I will do whatever it is, whatever you need whenever you need it. I promise you, you know, I will not be a mistake.' And this man, the dean, was like, 'Who are you? Like, what? No, no, no. We have a process here. You have to fill out an application.' And I was like, 'No no no, It's nice you have an application, I've already sent that in, but I want to go here, and I really really wanted to go there.' And he let me in." Totally not a mistake, right, Dean?
George Willig's 1977 WTC Climb 
Phillippe Petit wasn't the only daredevil back in '70s that used the World Trade Center as a stage. Today marks the anniversary of George Willig's climb up 2 WTC, the south tower, in 1977. Also known as "the human fly" or "the spiderman," it took the mountain-climber and Queens resident about 3.5 hours to scale the building. Sport Illustrated wrote a story about the climb shortly after it took place, which you can still read here. In it Willig's brother notes that the Port Authority cops asked him "'Is George sane? Is he doing this for any political purposes? Is he going to wave signs or something? Is he doing it for a commercial reason?' I told them he was doing it for his own satisfaction, no other reason, and that he was as sane as I was, which I think confused them." His punishment? New York City Mayor Abraham Beame fined him $1.10, one cent for each of the skyscraper's 110 stories. Allegedly he signed his name on a piece of metal on the observation deck which was still visible until its destruction in 2001. Sadly, there doesn't appear to be much footage, aside from this 12-second clip (larger image of his climb after the jump).
Park Slope Pop Wins on Jeopardy! 
Everyone has their own way of making it through these hard financial times, some are just more fun than others. Justin Bernbach of Park Slope just used the Alex Trebek method, and is currently taking home $80,601 during his run on Jeopardy. It's just airing now so he's unable to divulge too many details, but he told the Daily News, "It was great. More fun than I expected it to be. The best thing was that I got to come back again and be the defending champion. I got to walk around the set, and the crew were all calling me 'champ.'" He also noted his most embarrassing moment: confusing Facebook with Twitter. With his winnings he plans on sprucing up his Brooklyn apartment, where he lives with his wife and two kids. He noted, "It's a tough economic time to everybody, so I'm very grateful. This money is going to help." Thanks to the J! Archive, you can see what questions Bernbach faced: Here's day 1, day 2, and day 3 of his spree.
Welcome Back the USS Growler 
The USS Growler was officially welcomed back to the Intrepid last week following two years of renovations. (Last year we saw it on the move, twice.) NY Post editor, Growler enthusiast and "Cold War veteran of the Submarine Service" Bob McManus reports back, and gives a little Memorial Day history lesson on the submarine that played a role in winning the Cold War, noting that, "All Moscow really knew of Growler and her sister ships back then was that one or another was always somewhere close by, armed with nuclear-tipped missiles and thus posing an existential threat to the Soviet Union itself." The sub was commissioned in 1958 and decommissioned by 1964. After a stay at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Washington it was finally brought to Manhattan in 1988. Learn more here.
New Venue Alert: Berry Park 
Rejoice Williamsburg residents, there's finally a music venue coming to your neighborhood. Okay, so maybe it's already saturated with sonic dens of slack, but why not add one more...with a roof! Eater has been on top of the goings-on at 4 Berry Street since March, and reports that the new venue/bar/restaurant/roof deck should be open by June (they'll be hosting a Northside Festival show in mid-June). "One of the owners tells us that they will have a large selection of European beers with an emphasis on their German selection and will serve 'beer infused menu items.' The lower level is 35,000 sq. ft. but the big focus here will be the 3,000 sq. ft. roof." Most recently they noted the roof fencing was in, and the bar is being built. To top it all off, it's under 450 feet away from the Gutter! [via Brooklyn Vegan]
Northside Festival Nears, More Details Announced 
Pictured: Henry Wolfe and Aaron Behrens We have some more details about our upcoming Northside Festival show on Saturday, June 13th, which will be co-presented by Brooklyn Based! The show will take place from 2 to 7 p.m. at Public Assembly in Williamsburg. In the back room you'll get sets from Mia Riddle (5:30 p.m.), Geoff Ereth (4 p.m.) and jacksonknife (2:30 p.m.)—brought to you by Brooklyn Based. In the front room we've booked Aaron Behrens (of Ghostland Observatory) & the Dirty Banquet (6:15 p.m.), Motel Motel (4:45 p.m.) and Henry Wolfe (3:15 p.m.). Individual tickets will be sold, but you can also get a badge to the entire 4-day festival for just $45 (full schedule here). With your ticket or badge, you'll also reap some benefits at our afterparty at The Gutter! If you're at our show be sure to get a stamp and you'll drink for real cheap all night (specifics to come). There will also be deejays, the Cupcake Stop Truck, and of course, bowling.
Dylan Poem Actually Canadian Country Song Lyrics 
Before you lay down some hard earned cash on that Bob Dylan poem, you should probably know a little bit more about it. Like, for instance, that those are actually the words of Canadian country singer Hank Snow. Reuters reports that earlier this week Christie's announced the sale of a Bob Dylan poem believed to have been written in 1957 when he was away at Jewish camp, but they "failed to detect that the words, with a few minor variations, matched those of a song previously recorded by Snow." A reader alerted Reuters of the fact, who then informed the auction house, who announced, "Additional information has come to our attention about the handwritten poem submitted by Bob Dylan to his camp newspaper, written when he was 16, entitled 'Little Buddy.' The words are in fact a revised version of lyrics of a Hank Snow song. This still remains among the earliest known handwritten lyrics of Bob Dylan." The big question here is: did Dylan cop to copying the lyrics back in '57? It certainly wouldn't be the fist time he's lifted some lines.
Early Bob Dylan Poem on Auction Block 
Awww, before Bob Dylan wrote the songs he became known for, he wrote a poem called "Little Buddy" about the tragic death of a dog. USA Today reports that when he was 16, Dylan (then Zimmerman) penned the poem for the newspaper at Herzl Camp in Webster, Wisconsin—and now it's expected to take in around $15K at Christie's on June 23rd. "Written on both sides of a single page, the poem tells the poignant story of Little Buddy, who is killed at the hands of a drunkard, and the boy who mourns him." Christie's pop culture expert says, "It's a very early example of his brilliance. It comes from the mind of a teenager (with) some very interesting thoughts kind of percolating in his brain." Dylan will turn 68 on Sunday, and he told his old camp they were free to do what they wished with the poem. Read it in full, in his own handwriting, after the jump.
Bloomberg, Wintour Celebrate Shopping this Fall 
Incase you were already thinking about back-to-school shopping, Mayor Bloomberg has announced a shopping event in September that will coincide with Fashion Week, called Fashion's Night Out. On September 10th, retailers in all five boroughs will stay open until 11 p.m., holding in-store events. The Mayor even has Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour on his side, though she'd never shop off the rack. She said the event will help protect the city's fashion "creativity and diversity." The overall goal here isn't to make you look pretty, though, it's to support local business, promote tourism and economic activity throughout the city as part of the Administration’s Five Borough Economic Opportunity Plan. The event will also boast a special limited-edition t-shirt with proceeds from sales going to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, and shoppers are being encouraged to donate their own clothes at participating stores for the New York City AIDS Fund. Get all the info you need, here, and start stashing away that extra coin in a piggy bank.
Cue Up Sad Trombone: No More Jazz Fest 
Unsurprisingly, even the jazz world isn't immune to the current financial climate. The NY Times reports that the annual JVC Jazz Festival, which would normally be taking place in New York next month, won't be happening here or in other cities that it has in the past. In fact, the company has no festivals to announce this year, even losing their contract "for the Newport jazz and folk festivals in Rhode Island because of late payments for use of state parkland." This is the first cancellation of the city's jazz fest in 37 years, and fans are likely to be singin' the blues. The company who puts on these events, Festival Network, turned ownership over to an (over)ambitious Chris Shields just two years ago. He blames the economy and losing a top sponsor on this year's woes, but some say he "overspent on booking talent and took unnecessary risks, including opening four new festivals last summer without securing sufficient sponsorship." Meanwhile, the old Festival Network head honcho, 83-year-old George Wein announced that he would present a folk and jazz festival in Newport this August.
Cynthia Nixon to Wed in the City? 
This past Sunday afternoon Sex and the City's Cynthia Nixon was one of many to speak at the marriage equality rally. In front of the large crowd that held the likes of Bloomberg and Patterson, she even got personal, taking a moment to announce her engagement to girlfriend Christine Marinoni. According to the Daily News, the 43-year-old "flashed the diamond engagement ring Marinoni gave her and said, 'It's time already.'" The actress also noted that "In an ideal world, we'd like to in New York, when it becomes legalized. We’re not going to wait forever, but we’re hoping it’s just around the corner...Sometime I think before the end of next summer, but we don’t have a date.”
Would You Catch Dinner in the East River? 
The New York State Department of Health recently started drawing attention to their Hudson River Fish Advisory Outreach Project, according to FreeWilliamsburg. The site has a photo of a Parks Department sign, taken at the North 5th Street pier behind the Northside Piers development, which actually alludes to the fact that one can eat what they catch from the East River without a trip to the ER. Well, there are some caveats, the sign reads: "Pregnant women, women of childbearing age, and children under 15 years old should not eat fish or eels caught in these waters." Reassuring, no? So what goodies can be hooked in the river? According to NYC Fishing: bass, blues, stripers, snappers and flounder. Well, it's probably better than whatever you'd find in the Gowanus, but maybe not at Prospect Park.
Michelle Obama in NYC to Support the Arts 
While Barack Obama hasn't visited New York since becoming President, First Lady Michelle Obama has returned time and again. She was just on Sesame Street earlier this month, and now she's back with a few cultural stops on her schedule today. "This visit is crafted, according to East Wing guidance, to allow Mrs. Obama to continue to demonstrate her interest in and support for the arts by attending the ribbon cutting for the Metropolitan Museum of Art American Wing. In the evening she will attend the American Ballet Opening Spring Gala at the Metropolitan Opera House." Doesn't sound like she'll be visiting the portrait of her at the New Museum, but expect high security in those other areas today and tonight! [via Mrs. O]
45,000 Expected For AIDS Walk NY 
Today is the 24th annual AIDS Walk New York, which benefits the Gay Men's Health Crisis and over 50 other AIDS service programs. This year's fundraiser is expected to have 45,000 participants. Last year, the over $7 million was raised and, since 1986, the event has raised over $100 million to benefit HIV programs and services in the tri-state area. The event kicks off in Central Park at 10 a.m. (with plenty of entertainment before) and walkers will travel 6.2 miles around Manhattan. Which also means there are street closures along the route (Central Park's exit at 72nd Street & Central Park West; Central Park West to 110th Street; 110th Street to Riverside Drive; Riverside Drive to 74th Street; 74th Street to Central Park West). A post-walk rally for gay marriage equality is also scheduled in Times Square, between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Coney's Cyclone to Get Rival Rollercoaster?. The Coney Island Cyclone may be getting some competition. The NY Post reports that city officials want a new roller coaster added to the destination spot. That would be just one of many new amusements if a city-appointed panel gets their wish list. "The panel said 12 acres along the fabled boardwalk is sufficient space to build 30 new major amusements, including a roller coaster with a drop tower, water rides, a House of Horror, other thrill rides, and rides suitable for kids." And, uh oh, the panel also said that the city shouldn't get stuck on preserving artifacts from the historic Coney, but rather come up with ways to entice visitors. Still, might be better than leaving much of the area vacant as Thor Equities Joe Sitt and the city have their little turf war.
Water Taxi Will Add Real Beaches to Its Sandbox Shtick Water Taxi Beach is dropping more details about its expansion to the South Street Seaport and Governors Island. Down at the Seaport, set to open in early June, the boozy sandbox and seafood shack will emphasize a family-friendly feel with miniature golf, skeeball and ping pong; come nightfall, the DJs take over for the grown ups. The Governors Island location, opening July 4th weekend, will host beach volleyball, basketball, two restaurants, and live concerts every weekend presented by The Highline Ballroom. Meanwhile, visitors to the flagship Long Island City beach, which boasts 44,000 square feet of sand, will be lured with free Water Taxi Beach shuttles from East 35th Street in Manhattan every Friday and Saturday night. But the best news is that for the first time New York Water Taxi will operate ferries to actual beaches where swimming is allowed. On weekends, service from Pier 11 at Wall Street will whisk ocean-lovers to their choice of two locations: the Rockaways' Jacob Riis Park, and the more remote Sandy Hook on the Jersey shore, which Florent Morellet highly recommends.
Last Hurrah for Another LES Venue? No one likes to see another music venue shut down, but it's happening again, people. Grub Street declares, "We hear an off-Ludlow music venue with high ceilings, a mezzanine, a basement, and a capacity of 300 is trying to sell off the remaining eleven years of its $15,000-per-month lease. The tavern-club hybrid, once a destination among rocker-hipsters as well as the young glam set, comes equipped with cabaret and liquor licenses." This has to be Fat Baby or the Annex, but have either actually ever been a destination for rocker-hipsters? Maybe in a "we could see it being used as a generic backdrop in Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist" or a "the cast of the Real World Brooklyn may have gone there" kind of way. Anyway, LES, take either as your sacrificial lamb, just keep your greedy paws off of Cake Shop.
LPC Declares Fillmore Place Historic 
The Landmark Preservation Commission voted unanimously yesterday to make Fillmore Place in Williamsburg a historic district. The one-block street holds 29 mid-19th-century rowhouses, including Henry Miller's boyhood home, which will now be protected from any major alterations. The LPC's chairman told the Brooklyn Paper they were “Constructed for working class-tenants, the architecture of the buildings in this district has more in common with fashionable middle- and upper-class single-family rowhouses than the tenements that were typically built to house them. The district is an evocative reminder of this period in Brooklyn’s history.” Last year there was a machete attack on the block, but hopefully this designation will shine a positive light on what Miller himself once called “the most enchanting street I have ever seen in all my life."
De-Fence Project Destroyed 
The De-Fence Project that recently added some flavor to the drab scaffolding lining Water Street in DUMBO has been taken down by state officials. It hadn't even been up for one week, and now the Brooklyn Paper reports that the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation removed the artwork on Monday. John Jeffreys, who funded the project through Exhibitology Inc., told the paper, “I can’t say I’m surprised. We didn’t really get permission to do it. Their reaction is one they have to take, but a bit of an over-reaction, I think.” He also claims to have not asked permission because there wasn't enough time in order to get it up to coincide with the BKLYN Designs event in the neighborhood last weekend. Without permission, the wooden cutouts were viewed as vandalism. Rachel Gordon, regional director of state Parks, said, “Nobody ever called. We have lots and lots of art events, but you just have to ask for permission." And while locals may have loved the piece, Gordon also states that, "it was so unsafe."
New Hotel Chelsea Tour, Website Ignores Real History 
Question: If you could stay overnight at the Hotel Chelsea for $129/night, why would you spend $40/per person on a tour of the place? Starting June 1st the hotel will offer guided tours of the historic establishment, that as of late has been run and overrun by Marlene Krauss & Co. The new corporate overlords might be willing to make a buck off the hallowed halls, but they're also making sure that the Bard family legacy of running the joint is erased from the URL, according to some residents. The recent website redesign makes no mention of Stanley Bard, the general manager of the Chelsea for half a century, who was ousted two years ago. Oh, and did you know the updated ghost of Nancy Spungen is all about the little black dress?
Broadway Addams Family Will Star Nathan Lane, Bebe Neuwirth 
Producers of a forthcoming Broadway version of The Addams Family have confirmed that Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth have signed on to star in the new musical. According to the Post, Lane will play family patriarch Gomez, and Neuwirth will co-star as his wife, Morticia. The production, expected to premiere next March (rights were granted two years ago), will mainly riff on the aesthetic of Charles Addams' old New Yorker cartoons—not the classic TV series they spawned. Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice (Jersey Boys) have written the book, and Andrew Lippa (The Wild Party) has penned the music and lyrics. The Times reports that "the plot will revolve around the couple’s daughter Wednesday, now 18, and her family’s adjustment to her coming of age, her new boyfriend and his parents." Krysta Rodriguez, the cute In the Heights vet, will play Wednesday, and Terrence Mann (Les Misérables) and Carolee Carmello (Parade) will play her boyfriend's parents.
Brian Williams Becomes Music Blogger 
Everyone's an expert! 50-year-old newscaster Brian Williams is getting into the music blogging game with a "new music reporting project" called BriTunes (pronounced like iTunes). Let's just say the original BriTunes is less than thrilled about this, however Mr. Williams says, "I didn't name this thing, but I did come up with the idea." The idea of music blogging? So ahead of his time. He continues, saying, "I have always loved identifying good music and good groups—discovering them early (bar bands are best) and following them through their journey. While we'll interview some established musicians, mostly I'd like this to be a place where people can sample some of the great music being created every day." He starts with the band Deer Tick, who have been around since 2004 and are currently on a major national tour, which included plenty of dates with Jenny Lewis earlier this year.
Manny's Music Going Out With Goodbye Grouch 
After over 70 years serving as both a source for top-notch instruments and a hang-out for musicians between gigs, Manny's Music on "Music Row" (West 48th Street) is said to be going out of business soon. Among other famous clients, Jimi Hendrix bought many of his guitars there, and Ringo Starr got the Ludwig drum set used in the Beatles’ “Ed Sullivan Show” appearances from Manny’s. The New Yorker recently spent a few hours palling around with Manny's cantankerous owner Henry Goldrich (son of Manny), and musicians John Sebastian (Lovin’ Spoonful), Tom Chapin, and Leslie West (the Vagrants). As if to illustrate the signature "thinly veiled hostility" of Manny's staff, Goldrich quickly instructed West, "Get out of my face. Seriously. You’re bothering me." And when West asked Henry if he ever played an instruments, he replied, "I played cash register." Though it's still not quite clear if the fat lady has indeed sung at Manny's, workers are busy scanning all the hundreds of publicity photographs of musicians that line the store’s walls, which will be preserved on a website called Manny’s Virtual Wall. And here's video of the visit.
Montauk Monster's Return Related To Swine Flu? 
The Hipster Grifter departs and the Montauk Monster returns! It's the ebb and flow, people. Remember that rotting carcass that creeped out and simultaneously intrigued the summering set last year? Consider this the sequel. But what does another unidentifiable animal washing up on the beach mean: are the locals messing with us? Has Plum Island hired a sloppy cleaning crew? Do aliens exist? There's no time for such questions—because the official Montauk Monster website has put the fear in us: "this carcass may be carrying H1N1 influenza (The Swine Flu)...I haven’t ruled out biological warfare on this yet. A diseased carcass floating in waterways around Long Island could be infecting the water, fish, etc. We still need to remember that Plum Island is where Lyme Disease originated, it’s really not too far fetched to believe that this carcass (if from Plum Island) could be carrying bacteria or disease." Not to get all Mulder and Scully, but maybe this would be worth looking into.
Oldest Living Dog Visits NYC 
This week a dachshund from Long Island who goes by the name Chanel turned 21, making her the oldest living dog (she even holds the Guinness World Record). Her owner Denice Shaughnessy threw her a birthday bash at New York Dog Spa and Hotel in Manhattan on Wednesday, and before that they even stopped by the Today Show! Shaughnessy noted that the pup used to sport red hair, which turned to white "a long time ago," and her cataracts force her to wear specialty glasses ("doggles"). Since her bones feel the cold, the house is kept at 72 degrees, and because there aren't doggie dentures, her diet consists of soft foods like boiled chicken. She's just like a grandparent! So how old is Chanel in people years? Slate disagrees with the Post's assertion that she's 147, declaring the canine to be 113 according to the American Veterinary Medical Association's official formula. Wonder if Willard Scott put her on the side of a Smucker's jar for his centenarian birthday wishes!
Cirque du So No! Power Outage Cuts Kooza Short 
A reader tells us that last night's Cirque du Soleil performance of Kooza on Randall's Island was interrupted when the production lost power for 45 minutes during the first act. Apparently the juice ran out just before the trapeze routine, when "the emergency lights came on and everything stopped... Then they told us there was no power and they were going to an early intermission... Thank God no performers were in mid air or something, although that would have been a much bigger story!" Well, we'll take what we can get. After a delay, the performance skipped ahead to Act II and continued without incident. And what's really impressive is that by the evening's end, the crew had already printed out hundreds of fliers which, according to our tipster, read, "We're sorry blah, blah, blah we want you to see it in it's entirety, call us tomorrow." A publicist for Kooza tells us the delay was only about 20 minutes, and blamed the power failure on malfunctioning generators, which the production relies on at its current home in Randall's Island Park.
Casting Call: Hipsterhood of the Traveling Pants? 
Oh universe, please let this be fake. Allegedly there's some reality television casting call signage hanging out in Williamsburg (and being hosted online) that Curbed got a hold of. We can't in good faith even print the entire ad here, but it starts out with a bang, asking: "Did you wake up today around 1:30 EST in your industrial loft, pull on your favorite (and only) pair of cutoff jean shorts, and take a leisurely stroll down Bedford Avenue in search of organic green juice and the new DFA on vinyl?" References to tofu, American Apparel, Dan Deacon and even the Hipster Grifter follow. They're looking for 18-25 year old stereotypical hipsters who won't mind opening their doors up to a camera crew—shouldn't be too hard, especially since there is somehow cash involved—and the email to contact the show ends in hipsterhood.com, though nothing is hosted at that URL right now. Maybe they should just get Kari Ferrell to host a Super Funtime Happy Grifter Game Show Hour where helpless hipsters win fabulous prizes for fending off mouth handjobs.
PBR Landmark Now in NJ Landfill 
The massive Pabst Blue Ribbon bottle in New Jersey, a deteriorating symbol of Hipstericana, has been moved to a junkyard just off the New Jersey Turnpike. The 60-foot-high bottle was chopped into about six pieces after standing tall and proud for over 70 years atop the brewery off the Garden State Parkway. While the "managers at recycling company, which demolished the defunct Pabst brewery in Newark's West Ward for redevelopment, didn't want to talk about the dislocated landmark they now own," there are plenty of folks making offers on the pieces. One man, a New Jersey Institute of Technology professor and curator of the school's gallery, offered $500 for the cap and planned on somehow making it into a dining room table! However, it was estimated it would cost around $150K to move and install elsewhere—of course, that quote may have also been based on the amount they estimate they'll get from the steel and copper scrap metal. Meanwhile, isn't there some giant John Deere trucker hat statue out there we can put this thing next to?
Vonnegut, Poe Inspire Composting in Brooklyn 
Dead authors and compost go together so poetically don't they? The Brooklyn Paper reports on one woman who thinks so, and she's been placing her unusual compost boxes all around her neighborhood. The first was a Kurt Vonnegut inspired chest on Sacket Street, and soon after the local, Noon Gourfain, announced to the paper that her next was an homage to Edgar Allan Poe—let's hope she buries a fake beating heart in the soil! She explained, “I like what he said about the descent into the maelstrom. I like the idea of linking a dead literary figure to composting.” While vandals knocked over the Vonnegut, other residents are invited to be more productive in their contributions, for example: "toss in shredded paper, banana peels, egg shells or other organic waste. The worms will do the rest." If you'd like to do some of your own indoor composting, here's a tip sheet on how—and if someone could convert dumpsters into gardens and swimming pools that would be super.
Henry Miller's Theatre To Be Broadway's First "Green" Theater 
After a massive renovation, the 50,000-square-foot Henry Miller’s Theatre on West 43rd Street in Times Square is poised to reopen as the first Broadway theater designed and built according to the U.S. Green Building Council's standards. The owners (The Durst Organization and Bank of America) are applying for an LEED Gold rating for the theater, which was built behind the preserved and restored neo-Georgian façade of the original 1918 theater. According to the theater's publicist, 25 percent of the construction materials was locally sourced (originating within a 500-mile radius), and a minimum 85 percent of construction and demolition debris was diverted from landfill and instead was recycled. There's also good news for ladies in the audience: the women's restroom has a breathtaking 22 stalls, three times the code requirement. (The men's bathroom sports waterless urinals.) And 95% of the air is filtered, with carbon dioxide sensors to maximize fresh air supply. The bad news? The 1,055 seat theater will open in October with irrelevant cornball musical comedy Bye Bye Birdie, starring John Stamos.
Hipster Grifter Leaves New York, Turns Self In 
Everyone can breath a sigh of relief and stop checking their wallets now: the Hipster Grifter has left New York. Bucky Turco says that he received a text message from Kari Ferrell early this morning (followed by a phone call), saying she had turned herself in to police in Philadelphia because “things were getting ridiculous.” Why Philly? The grifting mind is a mysterious thing, though she claims she simply “didn’t want to do it in New York.” Gawker further investigates, reporting that she was booked into custody last night at 10:35 p.m. as a fugitive from another jurisdiction. Meanwhile, she promises to give her new internet friends her jail address in Salt Lake and asks that they please write while she's behind bars. But maybe Kari will be putting some pen to paper on her own, because if you can't grift: get a book deal. UPDATE: The Observer follows up on the story they started, saying it's now up to the Salt Lake police to come and get her.
Red Alert: Ryan Gosling Embedded in Moving Crew! 
Moving in New York just got so much easier (on the eyes). People, prepare to swoon: Ryan Gosling was been spotted on East 7th Street in the East Village today with a moving crew. Allegedly he's researching a new role, and Vanishing NY reports back with all the details (and more importantly, photographs): "Word on the street is he's doing research for a new movie called Blue Valentine in which he plays the part of a mover. (His co-star is Michelle Williams.) So he’s traveling around town with Steinway Movers, lugging furniture and boxes in and out of a big red and yellow truck." And we're guessing as this news leaks, Steinway movers will be getting a lot more business.
Report: Wife Scratched Tiger Woods' Face, Chased His SUV; Update: Police Unable To Interview Couple Today
Senate Report: Bush Missed Chance To Catch Bin Laden
Bloomberg Spent $102 Million On Campaign
Two Doors Fall Off AirTrain At JFK
Dogs Rescued From Puppy Mills And Shelters Arrive In L.I.
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 v. 3 Male FDNY (W) V-thumb-76x76-266852.jpg)
 v. Same (Brooklyn - W) - BK in Pic-thumb-76x76-266932.jpg)
