Everything old is new again: Today, the NY Times shares the hot new educational trend at NYC private and charter schools—wooden blocks. According to the Times, adults have been flooding to "oversubscribed" block building workshops to learn how to use the simple objects: "Jean Schreiber, a self-described 'block consultant,' advised the group to engage their children in building by photographing their work. 'Don’t rush to help them with structural challenges,' she said. 'You don’t have to ask them a million questions. Just sit with them and notice.'" Next trend: Crayons and construction paper help kids with drawing, writing! more ›

Anyone who strolls along Greenpoint's desolate West Street—just one tantalizing block from the East River—is familiar with the frustration of finding many streets leading to the water gated off. It's not as if there's some waterside idyll waiting on the other end of the block, but there's still something refreshing about being able to stand by the river and watch the sunset or fish (shudder). more ›

The Times stepped out on Sunday to gauge public reaction to the ubiquitous street fairs that turn various city blocks into a banal mob scene every damn weekend. Perhaps the best quote comes from awestruck Midwesterner Stephen Pijanowski, who loves street fairs so much he went to two over the weekend, explaining, "We have nothing like this in Chicago." On the other hand, New Yorker Javier Ortiz, on his way to brunch, declared the street fair to be "just in our way." more ›