When a single gross puddle forms in say, Chelsea, the community bands together to eradicate the pestilence before an errant Christian Louboutin is senselessly killed. In Chinatown however, puddles seem insignificant when entire city blocks reek of decay. State Senator Daniel Squadron thinks this is unacceptable: a recent report on "ponding" (like "planking" but with more loogies) conducted by his office showed that Chinatown has an array of nasty perma-puddles that just won't go away. 93 of them "had not drained within 48 hours of a rainfall." more ›

City Council unanimously passed a proposal creating a Chinatown Business Improvement District yesterday. Building owners in the district will be responsible for paying a fee to fund street-cleaning, increased lighting and signage, and economic development for local businesses. more ›

It's not news that Manhattan's Chinatown is an ever-growing beast. Encompassing parts of SoHo, TriBeCa and whatever is left of Little Italy, its unofficial boundaries are expanding with every year. But now, the Chinatown Partnership Local Development Corporation wants to make some of those boundaries official, and is proposing a Business Improvement District that would sprawl for blocks over what neighbors say is not their turf. more ›

After the state rejected a politically-connected company's bid to bring video slot machines to the Aqueduct Racetrack amidst allegations of favoritism, Gov. Paterson said he wants to restart the selection process within a month. Paterson said he hopes to choose a winner soon so the state can benefit from a much-needed $300 million in licensing fees before the state's March 31 budget deadline, though officials might turn out delivering the budget late. more ›

Last night the City Reliquary pretty much brought the FDNY Calendar to life with a Fire Sale! Firefighters took to the Knitting Factory stage to sell... themselves, all to benefit the Reliquary (which is trying to stay afloat). Bids started at $50 and went over 300 bucks; winners were promised "a real life opportunity to take one of New York’s Bravest out on the town for a night of romance and adventure." more ›

The Times Square Alliance and the Fashion Center Business Improvement District are holding court in the Port Authority transportation hub starting May 1st, Crain's reports, and they're inviting you to join them. The duo will lease 2,500-square-feet of ground-floor retail space, that has been vacant for 5 years, to emerging fashion designers and artists. Their talented tenants will have to cover some costs, of course, including electric and air conditioning, but the BID will cover the rent, which is just $1. The lease will last 6 months, but it's expected to be extended for a few years, and the BID president is hoping to eventually "bring in a local designer from TV’s Project Runway" (Kenley Penley?!). Tim Tompkins, president of the Times Square Alliance, says they "want people who haven’t thought about Eighth Avenue in a long time to take a fresh look at it and to recognize that there’s all this potential business." more ›

Last year the police were hassling the art vendors in SoHo, something documented by Robert Lederman, president of A.R.T.I.S.T. (Artists’ Response to Illegal State Tactics). Around the same time, word of an Alan Gerson-proposed bill to "deal with the problem" was getting out, and now the City Council proposal has arrived, leaving the artists on the defense. more ›

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which is in charge of construction on the new 1 World Trade Center – AKA the Freedom Tower – is now seeking developers to design, build and operate a 34,000-square-foot restaurant on the 100th and 101st floors; whoever wins the bid may also win rights to operate the observation deck planned for the 102nd floor. The Authority is gazing into its crystal construction ball and seeing a Grand Opening in 2013. more ›