Mayor Bloomberg spent Saturday the same way many New Yorkers did—taking advantage of one of the final weekend days to get some shopping done before the holidays arrive. But unlike most, the mayor was playing not-so-secret Santa for two young Washington Heights siblings who had written their letter to St. Nick and addressed it to City Hall. They mayor picked up some sneakers, a basketball and a Hannah Montana gloves-and-hat set that were requested in the letter from 7-year-old Bryan Diaz, who said it was the first year his mother figured out the address to Santa. The mayor spent over a $135 on the pair in what's become a holiday tradition—not just for Bloomberg, but for guests of his holiday party at Gracie Mansion, who each year take one of the letters to Santa that wind up at City Hall. The mayor did his shopping yesterday at a Modell's in the Queens Center Mall, skipping the one near his home on the Upper East Side because as a spokesman said, "He is the mayor of all five boroughs." more ›

While some folks were out en masse to encourage New Yorkers to "Buy Nothing" yesterday, the Volunteers of America kicked off the holiday season by sending their Santas down Fifth Avenue for the 104th Sidewalk Santa Parade in hopes of discovering the spirit of generosity as the holiday season got underway. more ›

Today's Post has discovered the latest way to point out just how tightly all of our purse strings are being pulled by tugging at our heart strings and highlighting the latest group to feel the burn of the tanking economy: holiday Santas. The paper talks to a number of Santas who are not surprisingly seeing a downturn in the Santa presence being used this year by malls and holiday hot spots around town like FAO Schwartz and Tavern on the Green--even Volunteers for America are taking them off the sidewalks. One Kris Kringle tells the paper that the $30,000 he made two years ago will likely be $3,000 this season. The situation is so grave that recently it was recently reported that the Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas, which represents 700 Santas, held a series of meetings to discuss their economic survival. Where will Santas turn with all this time on their hands? more ›