Approximately 100 people marched from the under-deconstruction Deutsche Bank building yesterday to City Hall Park, demanding stricter safety standards at construction sites. Some of the leaders of the march were Joseph Graffagnino Sr. and his wife, the parents of one of two firefighters (Graffagnino Jr. and Robert Beddia) who died when the Deutsche Bank building caught fire, and because of a lack of adherence to fire and building safety codes they ran out of oxygen and were killed at the scene. The march was organized following a spate of highly publicized construction accidents, including crane collapses, that have killed a number of city residents. more ›

It's a walk-up, but the price is right. City squirrels are enjoying the goodwill of concerned citizens and the Parks Dept., who cooperated to install squirrel houses in City Hall Park. Mark Garvin had five of the boxes, which measure about a foot around, built with soft pine for several hundred dollars a piece--city real estate insanity extends to the trees! more ›

Fifteen years ago today, a truck packed with explosives detonated under a tower at the World Trade Center. While it failed to knock down the towers (the parking garage suffered the most damage), six people were killed and over a thousand injured. more ›

After City Council member Simcha Felder announced he would propose legislation to ban feeding pigeons, bird lovers joined forces and, yesterday, held a rally at City Hall. Armed with posters like "Save Our Right to Feed Wildlife," "Have U Known Anybody Killed by a Pigeon?", "Pigeons are Beautiful Birds," and "Felder's Pigeon Bill is Poop!", the pro-pigeon protesters spoke out for their feathered friends. One demonstrator told City Room, "We are voices for the... more ›

The elements that have made City Hall Park so attractive to New York's humans have also made the area hospitable to the city's rodent population--so much so that the park has become overrun with rats, who don't seem to mind people company as much as people mind rat company. Regardless of the time of day or the number of people congregating there, rats--lots and lots of them--have made City Hall park their home. The New... more ›

The roadway has been closed to regular vehicle traffic since 2001; the NYPD asserts that it's necessary to protect its HQ from a truck bomb attack. Chinatown residents are increasingly frustrated, however, at the disruption caused by the closure of a vital thoroughfare. People who live nearby argue that the police department has placed a chokehold on an entire neighborhood and that if One Police Plaza is such an obvious terrorist target, perhaps it should be moved from a residential area. One middle school teacher said "I’m only let into my building at the whim of a cop." more ›

Google Maps has upped its considerable offering to include "Street View," which offers views of the certain locations at the street-level imagery. The areas where you can see images are noted by blue lines on the map (click the "Street View" button). Manhattan is pretty covered and downtown Brooklyn is covered, but the Bronx, Queens and State Island views are pretty much limited by major roads. Below is 1 Centre Street; you can't get an image of City Hall, because the blue line doesn't go into City Hall Park. Here's what Eastern Parkway at the Brooklyn Library looks like and this is the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. more ›

Turning Cab, 136th and Broadway, by Daniella Zalcman. more ›

Public access to City Hall Park is about to get better. The Parks Department has agreed to reopen a part of the park that has been closed since the Giuliani Administration. The section of park in question includes the grassy areas to the east and west of Tweed Courthouse. The area directly around City Hall will still remain closed for security purposes. more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap, the Motor Vehicle Accident Edition: A police car MVA in Queens, a serious MVA in Brooklyn, and an unusual MVA in the Bronx (a trailer full of horses had an accident)
• Hooray! The north end of City Hall Park will reopen this summer. It's been closed since September 11, 2001 - take that, terrorists!
• Must have Brooklyn yuppie accessories: Designer dog, precocious child, and backyard chickens for fresh eggs
• Video containers are taking over Chelsea as part of the DiVa Fair; Blog Chelsea checked some out and found that one shows "a man and a wife who were undergoing plastic surgery to try to make themselves look as much like the other as possible"

NYC Sunset: streaks in the sky, by Sidewalk Story. Tag yours "gothamist" on Flickr if you want us to use them. more ›

- The Board of Health is meeting to decide whether to revise the dog-leash law in parks. Currently, the Juniper Park Civic Association is trying to get rid of off-leash hours, by pointing out to a judge that the city's health code says all dogs must be on a leash. The health code happens to conflict with park practices, which allows dogs to roam between 9PM and 9AM - and some people think the Board of Health may try to update the code to work with current practice. more ›

Mayor Bloomberg released the 2006 Fiscal Year Mayor's Management Report yesterday. The MMR is the Mayor's way of being accountable for city initiatives and agencies, and during the press conference, the Mayor felt that there was still work to be done, saying, "Two-thirds of the things are going in the right direction. A third aren't going as fast as I'd like, or in the right direction.": Like what? The quality of streets has declined (which the Department of Transportation says is due to construction projects), the Civilian Complaint Review Board received 16% more complaints about police officers, structural fire response times increased and pest control exterminations dropped by 39%. more ›

Some readers have been asking about events related to the fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Aside from the official city plans, which include moments of silence, reading of victims' names and time for the families to lay flowers at Ground Zero, as well as the lighting of Tribute in Light, a number of organizations and groups have events all weekend and on Monday. For instance, the September 11 Memorial Quilts will be dedicated tomorrow at the Marriott Financial Center, the World Trade Center Survivor's Network will plant a "Survivor Tree" in City Hall Park on Sunday, New York Buddhist Church will have a floating lighted lantern ceremony at Houston and the Hudson River on Monday. more ›

On Friday night, there was a smoke condition at City Hall. Apparently an "electrical panel overheated," filling the basement with smoke around 7:45PM, forcing a building evacuation. According to the NY Times, only a few building workers were in the building (Mayor Bloomberg and Speaker Quinn weren't around) and though the fire department brought a hose into the building, no water was sprayed. We're glad that City Hall wasn't damaged, as it's a truly beautiful building. We've noticed that many people mistake the Municipal Building, which is much much taller and cuts a more impressive figure than City Hall. We love City Hall's many windows, which make it seem open and add a bit of grace to its granite exterior. However, much of the mayor's staff and other city offices are in the Municipal Building. more ›

- Homicide and Oz creative force, Tom Fontana, is being honored tonight by Scenarios USA, the non-profit that helps teens face issues through the creative process
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First, hee. more ›

Besides enjoying the architecture of Civic Center (aka the area where City Hall is), Gothamist suggests you check out British sculptor Julian Opie's installation in City Hall Park, Animals, Buildings, Cars and People. Some highlights: There are two LED sculptures on the steps of the Tweed Courthouse; two full-size car sculptures; three glass scultupres of women; animals sculpted of wood; a group of plywood bulidings; and aluminum signs of white sheep grazing. Here's a PDF of a map and list of his artwork. more ›

The Mayor and the Public Art Fund have brought a little Roy Lichtenstein to city buildings, with Roy Lichtenstein at City Hall. Element #E, which has flourishes of brushstrokes, is the centerpiece, shown for the first time in it's full size, 50 foot glory; it's on display at the Tweed Courthouse, aka City Hall Academy. The other pieces are Brushstroke Group and Endless Drip (in City Hall Park) and a bronze bust, Woman: Sunlight, Moonlight in the lobby of City Hall. You can check out different Roy Lichtenstein sculptures on display in city buildings by calling 311 and making an appointment. more ›