Has anyone lost a well dressed, bilingual elephant in Brooklyn? Babar, yes that Babar, has been discovered in Bay Ridge, and his new human friends have posted this alert on Craigslist: more ›

It's not snowing, sleeting, raining, double-rainbowing... those are clear skies out there! But even a soft breeze is enough to take the L train down. It's so fragile. Currently there are no L trains into Manhattan, according to Brooklyn365, who says Williamsburg's Bedford Avenue platform is now "SWARMED with folks trying to get cabs." You have been warned. We've contacted the MTA—their site claims the L has "good service"—and we'll update when we hear back. If you are encountering any problems out there, send us your notes from the underground. more ›

Since everyone loves the online database that maps and gives rap sheets for rapists and pedophiles, the state of New York is taking it one step further. Now, you can sign up (at this website) to be contacted by text message, email, fax or phone when one of NY's high- or moderate-risk sex offenders moves within striking distance. (Then you can set special ring tones to go along with the notifications!) The sex-offender alerts are a new feature of the Emergency Management System, which also lets New Yorkers know about road closures, storms and—conveniently for the pedophiles—missing children, according to the Poughkeepsie Journal. The AP says there are more than 30,000 registered sex offenders in the state. more ›

NotifyNY is alerting New Yorkers that there will be a "controlled blasting at the WTC site starting around 7 AM. You may hear loud bangs during the day." So don't fret if you hear what sounds like an explosion at some point, it's controlled. more ›

According to the police and emergency responder scanners, there's a search for two men with wires around their neck! At West 42nd Street and Broadway, "LOOKING FOR 2 MIDDLE EASTERN WITH GREEN & BLUE WIRES ARROUND THEIR NECK, K9 ASSISTING." more ›

This fake advisory was spotted at the Metropolitan G stop recently, and even though it's not real... it's all too realistic. Though perhaps there are more quirky subway incidents that could be added... what other MTA troubles are missing from this passive-aggressive masterpiece? more ›

In response to a recent spate of violent muggings in the West Village, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn has sent an email to constituents warning them to "remain alert." In the email, Quinn cites six violent muggings that have occurred in the neighborhood from November 15th to December 4th, explaining that "every time, the victim was approached from behind by two males, hit and then mugged. This past Monday, the 6th Precinct formally declared these muggings to be a pattern." (This contradicts the Post's earlier report, citing NYPD sources dismissing the notion a pattern was emerging.) In the most recent attack, a young woman's jaw was broken during a mugging near The Spotted Pig. Quinn's email details exactly where the crimes took place but does not include a description of the suspects. And she assures residents that the 6th Precinct's Anti-Crime Unit, in conjunction with the NYPD City Wide Robbery Squad, will beef up their presence in the area. more ›

At a press conference this morning, MTA executive Elliot Sander announced a "major initiative" that will enable the authority to let riders know how hard their commutes are going to suck with text messaging and email alerts in real time. The MTA has been working toward a real-time update system for several years now, starting out with weekly email updates and sporadic advisories on their website. In a statement, Sander said, "This is a revolutionary step that has the potential to transform the experience our customers have with us." more ›

You know, Twittering isn't just good for making sure everyone knows you're watching Mad Men; it's also an effective tool for getting the word out on potential health risks. (You can thank us later, Thursday Style section.) For instance, we know from Sarah Lewitinn's Twitter that you may want to steer clear of a local Mexican franchise: "Got a bean burrito loco from San Loco on Stanton yesterday. It had a weird soapy taste and I got major food poisoning." Reached for comment, the Ultragrrrl elaborated, "I eat at SL all the time as well... but it tasted weird last night and I should've stopped eating. My body is showing signs of the flu but I'm puking so I'm confused." more ›

We received an alert saying an MTA bus set off a radiation detector on lower Broadway, in the Financial District. The bus and its passengers were held outside 25 Broadway for further inspection. What could it be, besides potential for the worst commute ever? Well, the request for emergency services was canceled when it was discovered one of the passengers had an implanted pacemaker--some pacemakers do use radioactive material. Phew! more ›

A construction crane crushed construction trailers and trapped a worker this morning. According to 1010WINS, the FDNY says "the crane dropped a load of steel it was carrying and crushed the trailers. At least one person was rescued; his condition was not immediately available." more ›

Londonist was proud to announce the winner of this year's Turner Prize was Mark Wallinger who made long-standing London protester Brian Haw a work of art, after he has previously been made into a sort of law due to his lengthy banner-waving vigil outside parliament. The strength of the pound made real in the form of a 25 foot high coin on a quiet patch of the Thames river bank, aiming to inspire all Londoners in a publicly voted decision on spending £50 million Lottery money. Perhaps some new play projects for London kids who, for the lack of youthful entertainment, are trying to amuse themselves by collecting prostitute calling cards, which are worryingly rigged and booby-trapped. And for those who are anticipating a lovely fat check from a great-aunt this Christmas and wondering what to spend it on, the London Marathon will need a new sponsor after 2009. How does The Londonist London Marathon sound? more ›

After commuters on the L and B/D (as well as N/Q/R/W) lines had to deal with breakdowns and commuting delays last night, this evening's commute brings delays on the F, D, G and N lines. Apparently a signal problem at 4th Avenue-9th Street Station in Brooklyn is causing the F to be shut between West 4th Street-Washington Square Station and the Church Avenue Station in both directions. The F then runs on the D... more ›

Tomorrow, more than normal, you should look both ways before you cross the street on the way to work. Why? Because NASCAR is in town celebrating the end of their season with Champions Week, which includes a "victory lap" in Manhattan. The street closing event is quickly becoming an annual tradition. So if you work on Broadway, 42nd St, 53rd St, or Madison Ave., be on the lookout. The league's top-10 drivers, decked out... more ›

Since the Subway Sweethearts are so over, we're turning our slightly interested, but mostly disaffected, heads towards the "Love Spammer". The mysterious man who has apparently approached every girl that walks by him on 6th Avenue with the same exact line. What gumption! His name is (coincidentally) Patrick, his line is asking where Union Square is, and he somehow manages to get some of these innocent passerby to come to his "art studio" for some... more ›

Have you seen Sex and the City filming around town? Seems like some people are watching the cast of the 'ol show film the new movie every step of the way. The Times chronicled the madness and, OMG, talked to Carrie Bradshaw herself (who was hiding away in the basement of the Bryant Park Hotel). She had this to say of her on-the-job craziness: “I basically just look down between every take because it’s... more ›

The Thanksgiving Day and Thanksgiving Day Eve have emerged as some of the busiest travel days of the year. While the media shows shots of crowded airports and train stations on the Wednesdays before Thanksgiving (like today), the Bureau of Transportation Statistics says that when personal vehicle travel is included into calculations, "Thanksgiving Day is actually a heavier long-distance travel day [to and from a destination more than 50 or more miles away] than... more ›

Newsday reports that emergency track work at West 4th Street will be causing delays on the A, E, D and F lines. Apparently Brooklyn-bound F train will be running on the E between 36th Street Station in Queens and 42nd Street Times Square, and then the F will run on the A between Times Square and Jay Street-Borough Hall. And some other Brooklyn-bound F trains will "run on the D line from 47th-50th Street-Rockefeller Center... more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a shooting on Flatbush Ave. in Brooklyn, a high-angle rescue on West 18th St., in Manhattan, and a multi-vehicle accident on Farmers Blvd. and the South Conduit in Queens.
• Hoboken mayor David Roberts was apparently prescient to ask how many stops his SWAT team made on the trip back north--fearing more embarrassing photos of his police force as they returned from relief efforts after hurricane Katrina. Additional pictures of misbehavior have surfaced, this time featuring the town's police chief cavorting in Louisiana.
• Brooklyn native and former heavyweight boxing champ Mike Tyson was sentenced in an Arizona court to 24 hours in jail and three years probation for drug possession and DUI.
• The 2nd Ave. subway got a boost from $1.7 billion in federal funding earmarked for the project over the next seven years.
• New Yorkers aren't just cooler and better looking than the rest of the country, they make a lot more money. The average Manhattanite made more than $2,800 a week in the first quarter of this year.
• Former mayor Rudy Giuliani recommended securing the U.S.-Mexico border via a "virtual" system that would alert authorities of crossings.
• The Washington Post has a guide on how to get to NYC that includes more than "practice, practice, practice." It could be valuable for people wanting to get back to NYC.
• A very helpful guide to long- and short-distance runs in Brooklyn from the Brooklyn Road Runners Club.

City officials are warning drivers that they should expect to spend more time sitting in traffic than waiting in line while holiday shopping. Today is the first of nine designated holiday gridlock days, when the city tries to head off street-clogging traffic that can frustrate even a seasoned city driver. NY1 quotes some professional drivers and visitors on how bad traffic can be around Thanksgiving and the holidays in New York. “Oh man, traffic is... more ›

In a case of gilding a withered lily, the MTA is improving service to New York City transit riders by more effectively informing them when routes will be obstructed, interrupted, and otherwise delayed. It's almost become a cliche that subway service becomes interrupted when the weather turns bad, or if any technological problem crops up. Now the MTA is offering to ameliorate its shortcomings by informing riders of service interruptions with text and email updates.... more ›

Just what everybody needs to end the day...a subway shutdown! No, it's not due to the system flooding, but because of a police investigation. more ›

Alert the NY Times: hipsters exist outside of the five boroughs! Okay, so maybe it's not news, but Music Nation has a photo comparison of Manhattan, New York hipsters and Manhattan, Kansas hipsters -- can you tell them apart? Try to ignore their oddly-sized distorted visuals and test your knowledge. It seems like a trick question in some cases, as you can see on the right none of these ladies look like hipsters! Then again, what's a hipster anyway? Apparently they aren't tied down by a 11211 zip code or a pair of tight black jeans. We suppose if there's a lesson here today it's that hipsterdom knows no boundaries or borders, geographically or otherwise. more ›

This week, Phillyist saw the waters of a landmark fountain run red for a Showtime marketing stunt, the Phils pull ahead, and some serious nostalgia. They also got a chance to review an awesome tribute album, reminded folks to see the King, and appreciated their beautiful skyline. more ›

The 22-year-old St. John's University student who brought a loaded .50 caliber rifle to the Queens campus on Wednesday was arraigned in his hospital room at Bellevue yesterday. Communicating via a video link to the Queens Criminal Court, Omesh Hiraman appeared "frail in his blue pajamas" (NY Times), while he "hands shook and he "rocked back and forth" (Daily News), but seemed lucid during the proceedings. Judge Deborah Stevens Modica ordered that he be given a psychiatric evaluation to determine his mental fitness. more ›

We received an email alert from the Sylvia Rivera Law Project about a clash between the SRLP and police officers last night in the East Village. Here is an excerpt of the SRLP's account:

On the night of Wednesday, September 26, officers from the 9th Precinct of the New York Police Department attacked without provocation members of the Sylvia Rivera Law Project and of its community. Two of our community members were violently arrested, and others were pepper sprayed in the face without warning or cause. more ›

The St. John's student who was found carrying a .50 caliber rifle in a black plastic bag on the school's Queens campus and caused the campus to be locked down yesterday afternoon was charged with criminal possession of a weapon. Omeash Hiraman, a 22-year-old finance student, had been wearing a Fred Flintstone mask and was stopped by campus security. A guard and another St. John's student who happens to be a police cadet restrained Hiraman. more ›

A student carrying a single shot .50 caliber rifle was arrested on the Queens campus of St. John's this afternoon. WNBC reports that the male student had the gun in a bag, as well as a President Bush mask. Also:

Police sources said the man is a student of Guyanese descent who lived in a campus dorm. Sources said the student takes medicines for psychiatric issues and that police were investigating whether he had gone off his meds.

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