Ahead of tomorrow's vote on a proposed fare hike, the MTA finance committee committee has approved an increase in fares for subways, buses and commuter trains as well as bridge and tunnel tolls. The committee voted 5-1 in favor of the MTA's proposed 2008 budget, which includes the increased rates. The increase comes despite the authority's projected $521 million surplus at the end of the year and the possibility of another large surplus next year......

Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: 10-75 at the Milford Plaza Hotel, DOA floater in Bay Ridge, and a water main break in East Midtown. Barclays, the bank that just bought naming rights to the Atlantic Yards arena, is demanding newspapers retract stories that mention Barclays' past involvement in slavery. The NY Times speaks to an "expert on the early British Empire" who says that all banks at the time had relationships with the slave......

It's global leader week in the city, and many who work, live and travel through East Midtown know that as intense security and more traffic are evident (plea from the Mayor: "Take mass transit"), especially as the President will address the United Nations today. Yesterday, President George Bush and First Lady Laura attended a conference on global literacy sponsored by the White House at the New York Public Library, but the bigger question was whether......

In the chaos of Tuesday's first day of the transit strike, the offical opening of the elegant and surprisingly affordable Philippe went nearly unnoticed. But with that over, the reasons to try it outweigh the reasons to order in greasy noodles from around the corner another night (No OLLIES!) . In the former RM space on 60th Street, in the part of East Midtown with no good nickname, the space is minimalist and pretty in......

There's a rapturous look at the Bloomberg Tower at 731 Lexington in Newsday. Even though the basic exterior of 731 Lex is not that great (it's kinda tacky) in our opinion, Justin Davidson raves about the potential of the inner piazza:Its heart is a cobbled oval that links 58th and 59th streets, a private driveway disguised as a public piazza called Beacon Court. If it were truly open - if security guards did not track......

- A man who was charged with slashing a visiting student at the J train platform last year was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Yael Leopold, 21 years old at the time, visiting from out of town, was waiting for a train when Edwin Santiago approached her, asking her if she was a prostitute. The Post reports that when she "laughed the question off," Santiago slashed her. Leopold, now a NYC teacher, testified at......