Sure, Greenpoint's newest bar/lounge is an easy target; one glance at the velvet ropes, the movie tchotchkes on the walls, the furniture salvaged from some foreclosed New Jersey McMansion, and one is all too tempted to prophesy the beginning of the end for this charming little stretch of Franklin Street. But after talking with the enthusiastic, well-meaning owner Joe Ariola during the opening weekend, it's hard to be too critical. Also, one gets the feeling he's connected. more ›

Any Greenpoint residents still speculating about renovations to the cavernous space on the corner of Franklin and Green – the one with the big silver garage door and the new lights along the northern wall – now have their answer: A bar called t.b.d. Co-owner Diane Foley explains that she finally gave up trying to come up with a name and just went with what she was using for all the paperwork. more ›

MUSIC: Frequenter of the Hotel Chelsea, Country Joe McDonald (pictured at Woodstock) will be taking the Joe's Pub stage tonight to perform a tribute to Woody Guthrie where he "deftly conveys all the charm, talent, and social and political consciousness of the legendary folksinger from Oklahoma." more ›

Vynl, 507 Columbus AvenueOn three separate nights cameras caught the critters feasting "on scraps that were left on the dirty kitchen floor and climbing over crates of glassware" at Da Silvano's (pictured top left). The owner there said the problem was caused by nearby construction and recent renovations and claimed he will be throwing out everything edible in the restaurant and starting fresh. Ah, not even the celeb hot spots can escape the wrath of roaches and rodents. more ›

The Tribeca Film Festival is starting this Wednesday night, so you still have a few days to get your tickets and make dinner reservations. The New York Times gave a few local suggestions including Dennis Foy, Mai House, and Turks and Frogs. Cercle Rouge is offering a prix fixe, three-course menus for lunch ($19.95) and for dinner from 4 - 7 p.m. ($34.95), just for the occasion. more ›

Brooklyn newcomer Brooklyn Label serves breakfast, lunch, and brunch in the spaciously remodeled ground floor of the historic Astral Apartments building in Greenpoint. Maintaining original ceilings and floors (where possible), bright sunlight pours in in windows on the South and West sides illuminating bright orange walls and a steadily crowded room. Open six days a week (except Mondays), Brooklyn Label's hearty menu offers generously sized servings of creative variations on all-American favorites with breakfast sandwiches on weekdays (like a grilled challah roll with spinach, eggs, and pepper bacon and bacon, eggs, and cheese on homemade biscuits), and vegetarian entrees, homemade soups and salads, and sandwiches at lunch. more ›

Haverford graduate, Parks Department project manager, and Greenpoint resident David Langlieb is under fire for writing an essay about his neighborhood in his alumni magazine. According to the Daily News, the essay, ripe with complaints about the old-school Polish residents and self-deprecation about not being an Ivy League graduate, has incensed the Polish American Congress and Councilman David Yassky, who said, "my eyes pretty much popped out of my head when I read this." more ›

May 27: Habana Outpost's Grand Reopening more ›

Years ago, we had fond memories of the horrible service, questionable food but strong drinks and lovably off waitstaff -- remember the midnight drag shows that usually ended with them eating your fries? -- all at Stingy Lulu's. The space, now inhabited by Hop Devil, a bar with twice as many beer options and half as much, on a good day, personality makes us miss Lulu. And Ivo & Lulu's isn't the same, all focused on eating and such. more ›

As shocking as it may be, we do actually get sick of the bars here at Gothamist central. We get sick of having the same conversations ("A strike? OHMYGOD what would happen if a strike actually happened?" "Yeah, we haven't gone to the gym much lately either- and we don't need a quiz to tell us we're self-loathing.") over and over and, on good body days, the disgusting feel of of people approaching for the wrong reasons. On the days we can't be social, we often buy a bottle of wine to take home. And, like Vintage New York before it, among others, Vino Vino in Tribeca offers the opportunity to try the wines sold. Unlike many others before it, this wine bar has a seperate entrance immediately after the front the front door (watch your step- the first one is viscious). more ›

Yesterday, a subway track fire screwed up service on the 1, 2, and 3 trains. WABC reported that it started yesterday afternoon, "near West Broadway just south of Franklin Street." The problems basically mired lower Manhattan service. Was anyone on the subway? Did anyone head to a station, only to find out there was no service? Gothamist knows that track fires are actually pretty common (rats burning garbage to keep warm?), but we're still curious about what the MTA and authorities said and did. more ›