Tomorrow night is New Year's Eve and though the town seems empty now, New York City, and Times Square especially, will soon be filled with celebrating folks. So naturally, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly wants people to remember to please, not fire their firearms into the sky to celebrate 2012. "Obviously, we urge people not to do that. The bullets come down and hit people," he told reporters Thursday. Guns aren't firecrackers! more ›

Gong hei fat choi! It's the year 4707 according to the Chinese Lunar New Year, and this year's zodiac sign is the Ox. (President Barack Obama was born in the year of the ox.) There have been a number of Chinese New Year events leading up to today and there will be more this week. At noon, there's a fire cracker ceremony at the soccer field at Sara D. Roosevelt Park—Canal and Forsyth—and there's actually a whole cultural festival there between 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., sponsored by the Better Chinatown Society. Firecrackers help scare away evil spirits. more ›