NJ Governor Chris Christie has gotten some flak for going to Disney World while his lieutenant governor was also on vacation in Mexico during the blizzard. See, the whole point of having a lieutenant governor is basically so the control of the state reminds in the hand of the governor's office, but Christie pointed out that A) he promised his kids they'd go see Mickey Mouse, B) his LG's cancer-stricken dad planned this trip, and C) the state did fine. Still, that wasn't good enough for former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who said that Christie should have come back from Orlando. Uh-oh, trouble in GOP paradise! more ›

Cartoons just got a little more real with The Three Thug Mice, an online series set in New York City. The 35 animated shorts follow the tales (and tails!) of three rodent crooks named Vic, Tik and Brik. Described as an "ongoing ghetto saga" set in some of the seedier sectors of the concrete jungle, the trio's home turf is light years away from Disney World. (Though that is the Hotel Chelsea in the background, which isn't so seedy; wonder if that frog jumped after BD Hotels took over management.) more ›

Tim and Nina Zagat, whose eponymous ratings guide started in 1979 as a two-page typed list of New York restaurants, are putting their baby on the market. Insiders peg the company’s worth at $200 million; the Times thinks the brand will prove attractive to companies like AT&T, who could use it to build exclusive mobile phone content. more ›

On January 2, after seeing a young man have a seizure and fall into the 1 subway tracks at at the 137th Street station just as a train was entering the station, construction worker Wesley Autrey jumped in and covered the other man's body with his own. The train passed over them and a hero was born. more ›

Last week, reputed Bonanno crime family boss Vincent Basciano - aka "Vinny Gorgeous" - was upset about not having a proper dress shirt to wear during his racketeering trial, only for the judge to step in and lend him a shirt and tie. This week, Basciano is complaining to Brooklyn federal judge Nicholas Garaufis about how prison life is cramping his style. more ›

We read the headline "5 New Yorkers detained in Disney World brawl" and thought, "Uh oh." Then it turned out that the five people were from Long Island! (Shirley, NY, to be exact.) more ›

READINGS: Papermag points out an interesting reading tonight for "Queens of the Kingdom: The Ultimate Gay and Lesbian Guide to the Disney Theme Parks." more ›

Not only has New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick won the Super Bowl three times, he's also smart enough to invest in some Park Slope real estate. The "Mad Genius" (okay, only when he's playing against Jets coach Eric "Man Genius" Mangini) bought a $2.2 million townhouse on Sixth Street and is allegedly renting it out to his mistress. And by rent, we mean, Sharon Shenocca says she's renting it, but it's unclear whether he's charging her anything at all. more ›

New York City still can't enough of Wesley Autrey's subway heroics. Yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg awarded him with the city's highest honor, the Bronze Medallion, and said:

Wesley's astonishing bravery - saving a life in the face on an oncoming subway car - is an inspiration not just to New Yorkers, but the entire world. His courageous rescue of a complete stranger is a reminder of how we are surrounded by everyday heroes in New York City, and I am deeply honored to recognize one of them today.

I'm not looking at this like I'm the hero, cause the real heroes are the young men and women that are fighting in Iraq now. What I did is something that any New Yorker should do, you know what I'm saying, if you see somebody in distress, do the right thing.

Two days after Wesley Autey jumped into subway tracks to save another straphanger from an oncoming train, everyone still wants to hear his story. With good reason: Not only is it an incredibly heroic story, Autrey's matter-of-fact explanation for his actions ("it's just being able to be here and help the next person.") and his humble demeanor:

"I don't think I did anything heroic. I just saved a life. I don't call myself a hero because the real heroes are overseas dying for you and me."

Last night, Microsoft Zune threw another launch party to celebrate the release of the portable mp3 player (Gothamist reviewed the device earlier this week). The location was secret up until yesterday morning, but once it was announced, we got a whole lot more interested in checking the party out. Why? It was also the official opening of the brand new LES venue, The Box. We were supercurious to see what this place was gonna be like, so we headed down last night to scout out the scene. more ›

After temporarily restricting airspace over the East River just after a small plane crashed into an East 72nd Street Building - and the restrictions were lifted shortly after the situation was under control - the Federal Aviation Admistration has decided to exlude all fixed wing aircraft from the East River corridor, excluding helicopters and seaplans. Airplane pilots must now get permission from air traffic control. Various politicians, from Governor Pataki to Senators Schumer and Clinton, asked for the FAA to restrict airspace, while Mayor Bloomberg thought that as long as the FAA thought the rules worked, so be it. The Mayor's office now says, “The mayor said he believes this decision should be left to the experts at the F.A.A., and he appreciates that they have acted swiftly." more ›

This weekend, Brooklyn-based record label Temporary Residence Limited is celebrating their 10th birthday with 3 big concerts, gathering many of the label's bands from all over the world to the Bowery Ballroom. We caught up with Jeremy DeVine, Founder and President of the label, to answer a few questions about the other TRL and what we've got to look forward to for the long weekend. more ›

The Daily News revealed the top ten ideas in the running for the redevelopment of Governor's Island. Only 25 proposals were submitted, and while the other ideas may still be considered, these the ones the Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation is "concentrating" on:

Nickelodeon Recreation/Miller Global Properties: Development of a Nickelodeon Family Suites themed resort complex. The company presently runs a similar operation in Orlando, near Disney World. more ›

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Gothamist received a magnet as a gift recently that read, “Wine is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” We always suspected that but it’s good to finally have it confirmed on the magnet. In fact we think that quote could possibly extend to truffle butter as well, but further field-testing is required. more ›

With all the travel I am doing to Orlando for business, I gasped when I read that the NRA was holding its annual convention in Orlando this month. I wonder if the NRA offered any special packages with Walt Disney World so the whole family can have a good ol' time. more ›

This week, Gizmodo blogs live from Euro Disneyland. ("Live, from Marne-la-Vallee!") Gothamist hears that the Phantom Manor is excellent there and in fact, there's a fan page dedicated to it, Ravenswood Manor. At age 3, Gothamist's favorite ride at Disney World was "it's a small world", testing parental patience by insisting to go on it 7 times in one day. Gizmodo, take a ride on "it's a small world" for Gothamist to vicariously walk down memory lane. more ›