Original photo by Louis Lanzano/AP. Two years after pleading guilty to falsely calling in a break-in and donning an orange Department of Sanitation vest while sweeping the streets of Chinatown (as part of his community service duty), Boy George has announced he'll play a private show for the NYC Department of Sanitation workers later this summer. From the press release:Boy George will help celebrate New York City’s Department of Sanitation Family Day this summer!......

Photo by Joe Schumacher. Forget about the arrests for pot possession going up, it's now being reported that ticketing for not using the pooper-scooper is at an all time high! The Dept. of Sanitation reports that 775 tickets for not following the Canine Waste Law (est. 1978) have been handed out since last July, a number that has more than doubled since the previous year. It's expected that number will rise even higher as......

DOS police lieutenant John Fitzgerald is a 24-year vet who's better known as the guy who ended up carrying Naomi Campbell's bag when she reported for day two of her community service last year. And now he's stepping out of the model's shadow. The NY Post reports that the sanitation cop must have caught the criminal bug from the model, as he was busted in Queens yesterday for allegedly forging a gun permit. If convicted,......

Nothing makes our skin crawl like reading stories about bedbug infestations. The notorious nocturnal bloodsuckers are almost impossible to get rid of, attack you under the comfort of covers, and can leave you covered with welts. Yesterday, the Daily News took a final 2007 look at the bedbug epidemic that leaves no corner of the city untouched. In 2004, 537 complaints were phoned in to 311 regarding bedbugs; however, in the fiscal year ending......

Though it’s only been open for a little more than a week, Thai Tony’s on Fort Hamilton Parkway at the edge of Kensington, Brooklyn, is already building a strong neighborhood following. During repeat visits, Gothamist watched the owners and staff bustle around the dining room of the self-described “home-style bistro,” greeting returning customers by name. That’s right, they already know most of their customers by name. Thai Tony’s first came to our attention via our......

Jelena Prokopcuka won her second ING NYC Marathon in a row, finishing at 2:25:05, while Marilson Gomes Dos Santos of Brazil won the men's race with a time of 2:09:58. Latvian Prokopcuka broke away from the other elite women's runners from the start of the race in Staten Island, closely following the women's pace-setter, and never gave up the lead. Tatiana Hladyr of the Ukraine finished second and Catherine "Catherine the Great" Ndereba finished......

A car apparently just drove onto a sidewalk on West Houston - into a building and hit three pedestrians. Anyone see what happened? Update: It's at West Broadway and West Houston - a car crashed through that huge, gaping Con Ed project on the SE corner of WB and WH, onto the sidewalk and into Dos Caminos SoHo. Two pedestrians are injured. Update: Looks like there was both a car and a SUV involved -......

Do you have one of those hamburger-crazy friends who is very hard to shop for, this side of wrapping a pound of ground sirloin with a ribbon? If you do, then we highly recommend you check out O'Neill's Hamburger of the Month Club. Coming from what might be the best press release ever to include how hamburgers and beer can be gifted over a calendar year, Gothamist learned that you can get a friend a......

The New York Times reports that the newest addition to the Rosa Mexicano empire is scheduled to open this Saturday. Fingers crossed -- it's always good to have another location for our passionfruit margarita and fresh guacamole fix. Also open: Cookshop, from the folks who brought you Five Points, (yes, we know about all the damn hype); 156 Tenth Avenue (20th Street), (212) 924-4440. Also "Loft, a lounge and restaurant mixing Asian and Mediterranean, 505......

September 25-29: Latin Beer Tasting Dos Equis, Sol, Corona and Negra Modelo, are paired up with tasty (and Kosher!) Latin dishes in a prix-fixe menu from September 25-29; cost is $49 per person. For details, visit their website. Park East Grill, 1562 Second Ave., 212-717-8400. September 27: Eat Out '05 Time Out New York continues to celebrate its tenth birthday with Eat Out ’05, a tasting event benefitting the Food Bank For New York City.......

He's an Orthodox Jewish Reggae singer that got his start performing in the parking lot at Phish shows, but don't call him a gimmick. Matisyahu's recent accomplishments include a co-headlining spot at the recent Reggae Carifest on Randall's Island and a sold-out show at Irving Plaza. Thursday night he'll pack Webster Hall. Phish fans who can't get a ticket should consider Benevento Russo Duo at Bowery Ballroom instead. "Alligator, the second album from The......

Gothamist always eagerly anticipates the Easter Bunny's annual visit. Not only does it mean we get to gorge ourselves on Cadbury Creme Eggs and Peeps (which we don't go anywhere near the rest of the year or we'd be bouncing off the walls), but even more so than the sugar high, we can look forward to a delectable meal. But where to go? Well, for starters, New York Magazine highlights a few spots for Easter......

Everyone we know is doing something, however small, in response to the devastating disaster, but some are doing what they do best: cook and eat. We've heard of a few food events to benefit the tsunami relief effort, but please let us know if you've heard of any others. - On January 11th, five chefs specializing in Asian Cuisine will be holding a five course dinner at Sapa, 43 West 24th Street. Sapa's chef Patricia......

September 16th is Mexican Independence Day, and today's New York Post offers you several options for celebrating. In addition to serving chiles en nogada, a traditional dish of a stuffed green chili with white walnut sauce garnished in pomegranate (highlighting the colors of the Mexican flag), several spots are offering special prix fixe menus and live mariachi music: Dos Caminos, 343 Park Ave. S., between 27th and 28th streets, [212] 294-1000; and 475 West Broadway,......

Hurricaine Isabel forced the Harvest in the Square Event to be rescheduled tonight. In its eighth year, Harvest in the Square brings Union Square area chefs to offer tastings of food prepared from Union Square Greenmarket Farmers Market, accompanied by Long Island and other New York Wines. Tickets are $90 in person (cash only), $75 in advance, and will benefit the Union Square Local Development Corporation, which is currently looking to enhance the North Plaza......

New York magazine is tormeting Gothamist with another drink to try. This time Deborah Schoeneman looks at the city's best margaritas, and the one at Dos Caminos Soho gets 5 stars (so does the one at Miracle Grill, but we're a little Miracle Grilled out for now...). Schoeneman also mentions Gothamist's favorite frozen margarita, the pomegranate one at Rosa Mexicano, and gives it 2 stars. Her thoughts? "A friend swears the $9 pomegranate margaritas here......