Results tagged “dailynewsexclusive”

While some New Yorkers are looking for pieces of Flatiron charm in the dumpsters (sometimess fruitlessly) on Broadway and 22nd Street, most people will be seeing another result of the almost endless renovation of the Flatiron building: A huge H&M ad will be wrapped on the front of the Flatiron's northern point. Oh, yes, the Scandinavian value retailer will get to place a 15,200 square foot ad which will feature a woman in a linen suit, according to the Daily News; no word if it'll be a supermodel, anorexic Chanel designer or B-list celeb in the ad. H&M ad manager Steve Lubomski said the ad was the most expensive they had ever purchased and that "It's great to take a landmark building and make it our own. It's a desirable area with a lot of great shopping, plus there's not a lot of clutter." So, kudos to the media buying agency who managed that one - or should Gothamist say "Fie on you!" We totally understand the benefits of advertising, but we're not so sure about putting wrapping the Flatiron for a non-Christo purpose. We'll see if Universal films tries to wrap a King Kong doll on the Empire State building for the new movie.

In more serious news, Sharpton has been asking people to stop listening to violent rap for 90 days, a ban to make people realize that this music only romanticizes crime. hip hop music points out there are already other grassroots movements around this issue and is surprised that Sharpton is going to ask the FCC to regulate music. Gothamist is not as surprised, because even though Sharpton seems mellower, he's still a master of the media, and would naturally look for ways to maximize publicity.

What has your experience with token booth clerks been? Gothamist has to say that we've been lucky, they've been attentive, if a little tight with the subway maps (only one per person). Also, the NY Post tries to advise people on how many rides they need to get out of their new unlimited Metrocards; we can only assume reporter Clemente Lisi (whose subway reporting we do enjoy reading, alongside the NY Times' Sewell Chan and Newsday's Joshua Robin) checked out Grant Barrett's awesome subway fare analysis (here's the PDF) after we posted about it. Gothamist on bothering token booth clerks.

Here's the Department of Transportation's safety tips, plus Gothamist on Queens Boulevard, aka The Boulevard of Death, and a pedestrian death at 6th Avenue and 23rd Street. Also in 1910: The women's baseball team, the New York Bloomers, was formed.

The Daily News says Mackris wants her life back; Gothamist wishes there was a time machine as well. Gawker on James Wolcott's loofah feelings. And Curbed notes that Middle Eastern eatery Chickpea is looking for people to name their non-falafel sandwich (the winner will get $1000).

An interesting statistic revealed by the Daily News: During the Republican National Convention, subway crime in Brooklyn, Bronx, and Queens increased by 37% while subway crime in Manhattan dropped by 35%. Most of the crimes were robberies, with one duo connected to 7 of the 30 non-Manhattan crimes. Police were reassigned from the other beats to cover the convention and most of Manhattan during that week, and what impressed Gothamist most was that crime unrelated to the convention seemed to be steady, versus peaking the way one might think, given that criminals might want to take advantage of the situation. At any rate, most subway crimes seem to take place in Manhattan anyway, so overall, subway crime dropped 4%

The MTA is not going ahead with a wide photography ban in the subways, but may work on a way to limit photography nonetheless. An MTA source tells the Daily news, "We are looking at a prohibition that will allow the police to make sure individuals are not photographing sensitive areas of the system - but that would still allow tourists and train lovers and people who just find beauty in the system - to photograph it without infringing on their civil liberties." In other words, the MTA still wants to crack down on possible terrorism, which is something that most people would find reasonable, if not ideal. [Via Satan's Laundromat]

Here are the precincts in "problem locations," where police presence is heightened:

Meanwhile, police are talking to witnesses about Monday afternoon's shooting at the Wall Street 4/5 station where a man fired at another passenger (missing him) that got off the train. The Post reports more details on what the shooter had been saying: "I hate this country. I'm tired of this country. I want to leave this country"; and later, after the intended victim said something to him, "Oh, you think you're so big! I'm gonna cap your ass!" Words to live by.

Crime Library on David Berkowitz.

The Times looks at the political implications of the Mayor's decision.

The Daily News on why people don't help during scary situations like Bianco's.

It's crazy that none of the others tried to help. Gothamist would like to think if we were watching something like this unfold, we'd try to lend a hand.